Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden has reached the Seven Forbidden Domain. Jiang Ming warns her that the coming emergence of the Primordial Creatures will make the world dangerous, and urges her to become stronger rather than remain a sheltered figurehead.
• Jiang Ming invites her to the Holy City, explaining that he intends to visit Sacred Cliff in search of the Nine Secrets: Xing. She accepts, eager to face danger and follow the example of the Western Emperor.
• Their journey takes half a month. Along the way, Jiang Ming and the Sacred Maiden grow closer through teasing and flirtation; he kisses her but deliberately stops there, intending to win her over gradually.
• Outside the Holy City, they find Yan Ruyu undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation. She has reached the sixth transformation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and the Eight Forbidden Domain, while her constitution has advanced toward the Azure Lotus Dao Body.
• Jiang Tingting has entered the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Yan Ruyu has been caring for her like a daughter and teaching her valuable techniques from the Azure Emperor Scripture.
• Watching the tribulation brings back memories of Tingting’s mother, Smoke Glow Fairy. Jiang Ming is moved to tears, but Tingting comforts him, and he reassures her that he is all right.

Character developments

• Jiang Ming takes the coming conflict seriously and encourages the Sacred Maiden to become a capable fighter. His affection for her is evident, but he chooses patience over rushing their relationship. His grief for Tingting’s mother remains strong, as does his concern for his daughter.
• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden is determined to grow stronger and accepts the risks of traveling with Jiang Ming. She is attracted to him, though his teasing leaves her flustered and playfully jealous.
• Yan Ruyu has made a major leap in cultivation and physical transformation. She also shows deep, sincere care for Tingting, treating her as her own child.
• Jiang Tingting is growing more mature and perceptive. She understands her father’s sacrifices, worries about his emotional and spiritual well-being, and can now comfort him.

Significant themes

• Preparation for a dangerous future: The Primordial Creatures’ return means that strength and self-reliance will be essential, especially for human cultivators.
• Family and care: Yan Ruyu’s devotion to Tingting and Tingting’s concern for Jiang Ming show how family bonds extend beyond blood.
• Grief and memory: Jiang Ming’s recollection of Smoke Glow Fairy reveals that his loss continues to affect him and his daughter.
• Romance and restraint: Jiang Ming and the Sacred Maiden’s flirtation develops, but he consciously chooses to build trust over time.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ming warns the Sacred Maiden about the dangers ahead, then draws her into a teasing, increasingly intimate exchange that ends in a brief kiss.
• The Sacred Maiden challenges Jiang Ming about his ability to protect her when Yan Ruyu also needs his protection, revealing her playful jealousy.
• Yan Ruyu’s care for Tingting contrasts with the Sacred Maiden’s new, bashful place in the family circle.
• Tingting comforts Jiang Ming over his grief, then greets the Sacred Maiden as a new “auntie,” privately teasing her father for bringing home another potential stepmother so soon.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming travels to the Central Region, a prosperous area protected by the presence of Undying Mountain and home to powerful sacred lands, ancient Demon lineages, and the Peng Race.
• He hopes to find God-King Jiang Taixu near the Myriad Beginning Sacred Land, partly to obtain the Lihuo Divine Furnace. As his Heavenly Lone Star Fate Pattern grows, he expects to need increasingly powerful treasures to suppress it.
• Jiang Ming brings Gu Qingyao, Jiang Tingting, Yan Ruyu, and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden. He has provided Jiang Tingting with the Supreme Yin Scripture and True Dragon Immortal Medicine essence, while planning to give Gu Qingyao the scripture later.
• Ye Fan enters the Central Region with Li Heishui, Tu Fei, Big Black Dog, and a small girl. Having reached the Second Stage of the Four Extremes Secret Realm, he has killed the Yin-Yang Sect’s Yang Son and Yin Girl. His breakthrough proves the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body can advance beyond its supposedly fatal cultivation barrier, making him a figure major powers can no longer dismiss.
• Near Skywatch City, Jiang Ming uses his Heavenly Emperor Qi-Gazing Art to spot a powerful presence—or treasure—at Bright Moon Tower. He decides to investigate, expecting that Ye Fan may be there.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming continues planning for the future: he intends to keep two powerful corpses for eventual Divine-Demon Dao Soldiers, return the Azure Emperor’s Heart to Yan Ruyu, and give Jiang Tingting the Nine Heavens Ziwei Pagoda. He also recognizes that his Fate Patterns are strengthening alongside his cultivation.
• Gu Qingyao displays formidable, hard-won cultivation and encourages Jiang Tingting to experience the world rather than remain sheltered. She teasingly points out that Jiang Ming has already chosen their destination.
• Jiang Tingting travels with her father for the first time and receives substantial cultivation support.
• Ye Fan’s growing strength transforms his standing: once regarded as an unsupported “waste body,” he is now recognized as a potential future Great Accomplished Sacred Body.
• Li Xiaoman and Hua Yunfei have exchanged inheritances: Li Xiaoman pursues both Buddhist and other Daoist arts, while Hua Yunfei appears to be exploring paths beyond simply copying the Ruthless Empress.

Significant themes

• Reputation and potential: Ye Fan’s success overturns the belief that Desolate Ancient Sacred Bodies cannot progress, showing how one achievement can change how the powerful judge someone.
• Power and exploitation: The Central Region’s preservation and prosperity are linked to the threat of Undying Mountain; even powerful forces leave “seeds” to harvest later.
• Forging one’s own path: Jiang Ming’s advice to Hua Yunfei emphasizes that talent and inherited techniques are not enough—true growth requires seeking opportunities and developing an individual Dao.
• Preparation and protection: Jiang Ming’s plans for his companions and his efforts to restrain his dangerous Fate Pattern underline the importance of anticipating future risks.

Key events

• Jiang Ming’s group reaches the seventh floor of Bright Moon Tower, where only powerful cultivators can enter. The floor’s formations create a spacious, garden-like courtyard overlooking Moonwatch Terrace.
• There they find Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun reunited after more than four thousand years apart. Jiang Taixu spent his divine blood and life essence to cleanse Caiyun, extending her life by about three hundred years.
• Both have white hair but youthful faces. Taixu is already a Saint and advancing rapidly; Caiyun, now a Half-Saint, is beginning to overcome the cultivation barrier that held her back.
• Jiang Ming pays his respects and introduces his companions. Taixu stops them from kneeling, welcomes them warmly, and is pleased that his descendants accept Caiyun as family.
• Jiang Ming invites Taixu to return to the Jiang family and cultivate in seclusion near the Hengyu Furnace.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun: Their reunion fulfills a love that endured imprisonment, separation, and the passage of centuries. Taixu refuses to let go of her hand, while Caiyun is shy but clearly devoted to him. With her renewed lifespan and improving state of mind, she may soon reach the Saint Realm.
• Jiang Ming: Seeing the couple together deeply moves him. He reflects that he has changed the tragic ending he once knew, and feels both joy and emotional relief. He treats Taixu and Caiyun as family, calling them “Ancestor” and “Grandmother.”
• Gu Qingyao: She recognizes Taixu’s exceptional progress and Caiyun’s Half-Saint state. Taixu, in turn, senses Gu’s formidable power and is surprised to learn she is an ancient senior who has become Jiang Ming’s little sister and his daughter’s master.
• The younger companions: Yan Ruyu, the Yaochi Fairy, and Jiang Tingting look on with curiosity after hearing Jiang Ming’s account of the couple’s story. Caiyun’s blush at being accepted by Jiang’s descendants adds warmth and humor to the reunion.

Significant themes

• Enduring love and reunion: Taixu and Caiyun’s bond survives four thousand years of hardship.
• Sacrifice and devotion: Taixu risks his own life and cultivation to give Caiyun more time.
• Changing fate: Jiang Ming’s actions have transformed a remembered tragedy into a hopeful future.
• Family and belonging: The reunion is not only romantic; Caiyun is welcomed into the Jiang family, and Jiang Ming urges Taixu to return home.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming asks God-King Jiang Taixu for the Lihuo Divine Furnace. Taixu refuses for now, explaining that he needs another year or two to stabilize his condition before Jiang Ming can take it for protection. He also says he and Fairy Caiyun want to travel rather than return to the Jiang Family yet.
• Jiang Ming invites Taixu and Caiyun to join the group’s trip to a promising location where the Nine Secrets: Xing may be found. Caiyun’s interest helps persuade Taixu to accept.
• During a visit to Moonwatch Terrace, Caiyun gives Jiang Tingting the Sky-Mixing Silk, a King-level weapon she acquired and refined over the years. Tingting accepts it after her family encourages her, though she already owns powerful treasures.
• Big Black Dog arrives with Nannan, interrupting the gathering. Taixu recognizes Ye Fan, praises the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body’s progress, and urges Jiang Ming to protect him.
• Jiang Ming confirms that he and Ye Fan are close friends. He then tells Taixu that his old enemy, the Dark Night King, is still alive, and offers to deal with him himself.
• Caiyun clarifies that Taixu killed the Sun King in a fair fight: he used the Hengyu Furnace only to defend against an ambush, then defeated the Sun King with his own hands.

Character development

• Jiang Ming shows respect and concern for Taixu, while taking responsibility for protecting Ye Fan and offering to handle Taixu’s remaining enemy.
• God-King Jiang Taixu remains calm and honorable. Though still recovering, he agrees to travel with the group and entrusts Jiang Ming with the Dark Night King.
• Fairy Caiyun reveals the hardships and sacrifices behind her long search for Taixu, including losing her own weapon. She is warm toward the younger generation and gives Tingting a valuable gift.
• Jiang Tingting accepts Caiyun’s gift out of consideration for her feelings, despite already being well equipped.
• Ye Fan is presented as an increasingly formidable figure: his achievements have drawn attention, and Taixu sees great potential in him.
• Gu Qingyao’s history underscores how difficult advancement has been in this era; after long periods of stagnation, her prospects have recently improved.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Jiang Ming’s friendship with Ye Fan and his devotion to Taixu shape his promises and choices.
• Enduring love and sacrifice: Caiyun’s four-thousand-year search for Taixu illustrates the cost of unwavering devotion.
• Honor and reputation: Caiyun defends Taixu’s conduct, emphasizing the difference between fighting fairly and relying on powerful weapons.
• The difficulty of cultivation: Gu Qingyao’s prolonged struggles show that progress often depends on overcoming seemingly immovable barriers.
• Legacy and protection: Moonwatch Terrace’s lasting transformation by Wushi Emperor, alongside gifts passed between generations, reflects how powerful figures and their actions endure.

Character interactions

• Taixu and Jiang Ming negotiate over the Divine Furnace and agree on the expedition, with Caiyun quietly influencing Taixu’s decision.
• Caiyun gives Tingting the Sky-Mixing Silk, creating a warm exchange between them.
• Taixu praises Ye Fan to Jiang Ming and asks him to look after the young cultivator; Jiang Ming affirms their bond.
• Jiang Ming warns Taixu about the Dark Night King and offers to confront him, while Taixu accepts the offer without concern.
• Caiyun recounts Taixu’s battle with the Sun King to Gu Qingyao, defending his honor and clarifying the role of the Hengyu Furnace.

Plot points and events

• Cultivators gather at Moonwatch Terrace for its annual Flying Immortal Light, a spectacle associated with the Great Emperor who once sought enlightenment there.
• A huge, silver-blue flying saucer appears. Its advanced technology and powerful weapons make it a coveted prize; several cultivators are blasted apart when they try to seize it.
• Heavenly Crane Daoist’s attempt to capture the craft fails, and the Golden-Winged Old Roc King is injured when he reaches into its Domain Gate after it.
• Gu Qingyao and Jiang Ming follow the saucer into space, while Black Emperor takes Ye Fan and his companions after it using a Dao altar. The craft’s occupants—members of the Fan Family from the Eternal Star Region—regard the cultivators as primitive natives and plan to return with a fleet to conquer the planet.
• Gu Qingyao realizes the chase is nearing Undying Mountain and grows concerned that Ye Fan and the others have gone inside.
• Jiang Ming advises the group to follow Black Emperor, revealing that the dog has remarkable origins and a connection to Wushi Emperor. He also says Wushi Emperor was the Great Emperor associated with Moonwatch Terrace.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Fan and Pang Bo are thrilled by the saucer’s arrival, hoping it could take them back to Earth. Their excitement leads them, along with Black Emperor and others, into pursuit.
• Jiang Ming remains detached about Ye Fan’s earlier troubles with the Ji Family and Yaoguang Sacred Land, but eagerly recognizes the saucer’s value and asks Jiang Taixu and Gu Qingyao to help capture it.
• Gu Qingyao is confident at first that the craft poses little danger, then becomes wary when the pursuit approaches Undying Mountain.
• Black Emperor has grown stronger through training and is now comparable to a Dragon Transformation First-Stage cultivator.
• Jiang Taixu confirms Black Emperor’s link to Purple Mountain and Wushi Emperor. Jiang Ming expands on the dog’s extraordinary past, surprising the others, who take his knowledge as further evidence of his good fortune.

Significant themes

• Technology and cultivation: The saucer combines advanced engineering with formations and treasure-refining methods, challenging the cultivators’ assumptions about what constitutes a magical weapon.
• Arrogance and misunderstanding: The Eternal Star Region’s visitors dismiss local cultivators as “natives,” while underestimating the dangers of the planet they have entered.
• Hidden history and legacy: Black Emperor’s connection to Wushi Emperor, and the revelation about Moonwatch Terrace, show how ancient histories remain intertwined with present events.
• Pursuit of power and opportunity: The saucer draws competing cultivators because it represents extraordinary strength, travel, and access to the wider cosmos.

Plot and events

• Gu Qingyao chases the mysterious disc-shaped artifact toward the Undying Mountain. The pursuit draws a crowd into the surrounding Primordial Mountain Range, where territorial savage beasts and fierce birds attack them.
• A monstrous Dragon Horse, a Beast King with strength rivaling a Dao-Severing King, rampages through the area. The group realizes they are nearing the forbidden zone.
• Jiang Ming admits that he intends to enter the Undying Mountain for Enlightenment Tea leaves, hoping to make medicinal wine. Though wary, he decides to proceed, believing the group will be safer with Wushi Emperor’s dog.
• To protect his companions, Jiang Ming places them inside the Nine Heavens Ziwei Jade Pagoda. God-King Jiang Taixu agrees to the risk because the tea might help Fairy Caiyun reach Sainthood and prolong her life.
• Jiang Ming uses Madman’s Footwork to rejoin Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Big Black Dog, Tu Fei, and Li Heishui near the Undying Mountain. The ancient forbidden zone’s immense presence overwhelms them.
• The Golden-Winged Little Roc King confronts Jiang Ming. Jiang Ming’s power turns the Roc King’s own Dao diagram against him, leaving him badly injured and defeated in an instant.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming shows confidence and care for his companions, balancing his ambitious goal with caution. He also reaffirms his protective, brotherly bond with Ye Fan and hints that he has advice for Ye Fan’s training.
• Ye Fan is delighted to see Jiang Ming, whom he regards as an elder brother and one of the few people who has treated him warmly.
• God-King Jiang Taixu trusts Jiang Ming despite his misgivings. His willingness to risk entering the forbidden zone is driven by his devotion to Fairy Caiyun and hope for her recovery.
• Gu Qingyao remains bold and capable, though the disc’s sudden Saint King-level power and forced entry into the forbidden zone leave her puzzled.
• The Golden-Winged Little Roc King remains consumed by resentment toward both Ye Fan and Jiang Ming. His challenge exposes the gulf between his growing strength and Jiang Ming’s overwhelming power.
• Nannan feels an unexplained familiarity and closeness toward Jiang Ming, though she cannot remember why.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Jiang Taixu’s faith in Jiang Ming and Ye Fan’s affection for him underpin the group’s decisions.
• Love, sacrifice, and mortality: Jiang Taixu risks his life for Fairy Caiyun, whose survival and advancement depend on rare treasures.
• Power and restraint: Jiang Ming handles a dangerous confrontation effortlessly, while the wilderness and forbidden zone remind the characters that immense forces lie beyond ordinary control.
• Ancient danger and mystery: The Undying Mountain, the disc-shaped artifact, and the strange beasts hint at threats and powers rooted in eras long past.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming easily defeats and mentally suppresses the Golden-Winged Little Roc King, whose recent blood-pool baptism has strengthened his body and cultivation but not raised his combat ability to the Seven Prohibitions. Jiang Ming urges him to become a follower, promising help with the Demon Emperor Scripture and future opportunities at Qishi Mansion. Humiliated and silent, the Roc King flees.
• Feng Huang witnesses the confrontation. She and the Roc King are being considered for a marriage alliance arranged by their families.
• The Primordial Mountain Range erupts as its Beast Kings and savage beasts attack the human intruders. Jiang Ming treats the battle partly as a hunt, killing beasts and storing their bodies; Ye Fan, Tu Fei, and the Black Emperor join the fight.
• The Dragon Horse King and Li Fire Demon Bull turn their attention to Jiang Ming. He orders the group to retreat into the Undying Mountain. Its formations teleport them deeper inside, leaving Crow Daoist behind to evade the pursuing Beast Kings.
• Tu Fei panics at their unintended entry into the dangerous mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Golden-Winged Little Roc King: His confidence collapses when he realizes physical improvement has not made him Jiang Ming’s equal. Jiang Ming sees him as a potentially useful follower, but the Roc King does not accept the offer.
• Jiang Ming: He remains calm and condescending toward the Roc King, then takes a pragmatic, almost playful approach to the beast assault. He also makes the tactical decision to seek shelter in the Undying Mountain.
• Feng Huang: She is shocked by Jiang Ming’s strength and leaves in the Roc King’s direction. Her arranged match with him contrasts with an earlier possible match with Ye Fan.
• Ye Fan, Tu Fei, and the Black Emperor: They fight alongside Jiang Ming. Their exchanges are comic amid the danger, especially Jiang Ming’s advice not to ruin the ant meat and Tu Fei’s teasing of the Black Emperor.
• Crow Daoist: He arrives to protect the group but finds them already gone, and must escape the Beast Kings himself. He trusts that Jiang Ming may survive the Undying Mountain because of his past encounters with dangerous forbidden places and because Sage Gu Qingyao is with him.

Significant themes

• Strength versus true combat ability: A powerful body and higher cultivation are only foundations; mastery of Dao, techniques, and combat thresholds matter more.
• Talent, potential, and mentorship: Jiang Ming believes the Roc King’s inheritance limits him, but offers guidance that could greatly raise his future ceiling.
• Fate and altered outcomes: Jiang Ming’s presence changes the expected relationships and events surrounding Feng Huang, Ye Fan, and the Roc King.
• Risk and confidence: The group’s retreat saves them from the Beast Kings but leads them into another perilous place—the Undying Mountain.

Plot points and events

• The group arrives at the edge of Undying Mountain, where Great Emperor–level patterns make movement dangerous. The Big Black Dog orders everyone to stay still while he searches for a safe route.
• Jiang Ming uses his Heavenly Eye and Qi-Gazing Art to study the hidden formations and identify possible paths.
• Nannan finds Jiang Ming and, with the help of the Spirit-Communicating Jade he prepared, gradually remembers their time together. She recognizes him as her big brother.
• Jiang Ming gives Nannan a treasured Vermilion Fruit and introduces her to his daughter, Jiang Tingting. The girls become friends after Jiang Tingting shares two steamed buns with her.
• While everyone waits, Tu Fei asks whether the Black Emperor has found a route. Jiang Ming tries to persuade the dog to share his formation knowledge. They agree to trade it for a Jiang Family technique, Eight Deities Savage Force.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming shows affection and patience toward Nannan, having saved a rare fruit for her and prepared the jade to help restore her memories. He also remains intent on learning the Black Emperor’s formation techniques.
• Nannan recovers cherished memories of Jiang Ming and responds warmly to him, though she remains physically and emotionally a three-year-old child.
• Jiang Tingting shows empathy for Nannan’s loneliness and hunger, recognizing feelings she experienced herself. Her offer of a bun quickly establishes a bond between them.
• The Black Emperor acts as the group’s knowledgeable guide but is protective of his expertise and eager to bargain. His jealousy at Jiang Ming’s reunion with Nannan is played for humor.
• Tu Fei approaches the Black Emperor cautiously, prompting a comic exchange over his earlier insult, “Dead Dog.”

Significant themes

• Memory and enduring affection: The jade helps Nannan recover relationships that matter to her, showing how treasured experiences can survive her forgetfulness.
• Childhood loneliness and compassion: Nannan’s past deprivation connects with Tingting’s own hardship, and their friendship begins through a simple act of sharing food.
• Knowledge as power and exchange: The group’s survival depends on understanding the mountain’s formations, while Jiang Ming and the Black Emperor treat expertise as valuable currency.
• Humor amid danger: The characters face a deadly environment, but family warmth, teasing, and negotiation soften the tension.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming repays the Black Emperor’s trust by passing on the Eight Deities Savage Force, a secret art he believes will complement the dog’s skill with formation banners.
• In return, the Black Emperor lends Jiang Ming his reconstruction of Wushi Emperor’s Nine Secrets: Zu, a formation-pattern legacy. Jiang Ming studies it, then resumes deciphering the Void Great Emperor’s dangerous formations.
• Nannan describes a radiant tree and a vanished figure beneath it. The Black Emperor identifies it as the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, where Wushi Emperor once cultivated.
• Jiang Ming brings the rest of the group out of the Nine Heavens Ziwei Jade Pagoda and warns them to suppress their auras: powerful presences may attract the Headless Knight guarding the Undying Mountain.
• Drawing on his own knowledge and the formation insights gained during his captivity, God-King Jiang Taixu identifies a safe route toward the tea tree.
• Nannan reveals that she can see the safe paths clearly, describing them as gold.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming and the Black Emperor deepen their mutual trust through an exchange of valuable legacies. The Black Emperor’s generosity surprises Ye Fan, who recognizes that the dog usually parts with treasures only for a price.
• Jiang Ming is shown to be disciplined and confident: he studies the legacy carefully, shares his knowledge selectively, and does not feel compelled to collect every secret art.
• God-King Jiang Taixu respects the exchange and contributes his experience to the group’s progress. He and Gu Qingyao suppress their auras as Jiang Ming advises.
• Gu Qingyao considers asking Jiang Ming to help unlock the legacy in her Quasi-Emperor Pyramid, believing his talent and luck may help.
• Nannan and Tingting quickly become friends. Nannan’s unusual perception also hints at the depth of her past nature and powers.

Significant themes

• Trust and reciprocity: Valuable knowledge is exchanged between allies who have earned one another’s confidence.
• Knowledge as practical power: Legacy, experience, and insight help the group navigate dangers that brute strength alone cannot overcome.
• Restraint in a dangerous world: The strongest characters must conceal their power to survive the Undying Mountain.
• Hidden identity and latent potential: Nannan’s simple observations reveal extraordinary perception, while Jiang Ming’s unusual cultivation and lineage suggest greater possibilities.
• Cooperation across generations: The group combines Jiang Ming’s judgment, the Black Emperor’s expertise, and God-King Jiang’s hard-won experience to find a safe path.

Chapter Summary

• Guided by Nannan’s ability to distinguish safe, golden Dao Patterns from dangerous, black ones, Jiang Ming, Black Emperor, and God-King Jiang Taixu carefully navigate the Formation Patterns around Undying Mountain. Nannan’s guidance allows the group to descend the hill without a single wrong step.
• Jiang Ming treats the perilous journey as a rare opportunity to study the formations, rapidly improving his skills. The group gradually makes its way toward the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, following the safe patterns deeper into the mountain.
• When Tu Fei asks why even Void Great Emperor did not simply destroy Undying Mountain, Jiang Ming recounts the emperor’s history: Void fought the Dark Cataclysm and multiple restricted zones, laid formations around the mountain, and later used a feigned death to lure four Supremes into battle, killing two. His life was cut short by accumulated wounds despite consuming an Undying Divine Medicine.
• Jiang Ming and Ye Fan express admiration for Void Great Emperor and wish they could have fought beside him. Their words startle the others, who realize Jiang Ming knows an extraordinary amount about ancient history. He deflects their questions with a joke about reading an old book.
• Jiang Ming hopes to obtain leaves and branches from the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree to aid his cultivation, but does not intend to harm it. He even imagines caring for it in his garden once he reaches Great Accomplishment.
• After hours of travel, the group begins to smell the tea tree’s fragrance. It genuinely sharpens their minds and makes understanding the formations easier. The fragrance reflects the tree’s power to aid Dao comprehension—even for Great Emperors—though Undying Divine Medicines cannot necessarily heal severe Dao wounds.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Nannan proves indispensable: her unusual perception earns the group’s trust, and even Gu Qingyao and Jiang Taixu recognize that her origins may be extraordinary. Jiang Ming cautions them not to investigate or use their Saint-level powers against her.
• Jiang Ming displays deep respect for Void Great Emperor, showing his own heroic ideals and knowledge. His ambition to benefit from the tea tree is tempered by a desire to preserve and care for it. He also remains guarded about what he knows, hiding behind humor.
• Black Emperor becomes notably solemn while speaking of Void and reluctantly lets Jiang Tingting and Nannan ride on his back after Jiang Ming and Nannan appeal to him.
• The group grows more cautious and cohesive, relying on Nannan’s judgment and the formation experts’ cooperation. Their shared admiration for Void briefly unites them in imagining a more heroic age.

Significant Themes

• Respect for sacrifice and legacy: Void Great Emperor’s battles and early death are presented as the cost of defending humanity.
• Caution before overwhelming power: Even a Great Emperor treated Undying Mountain carefully, underscoring that strength does not eliminate every danger.
• Learning through peril: Jiang Ming turns a dangerous expedition into an opportunity for growth.
• Power with responsibility: Jiang Ming wants the tree’s help but intends to protect it, just as he hopes the Heavenly Tyrant Body lineage can choose a honorable path rather than serve the Forbidden Zones.
• Knowledge and secrecy: Jiang Ming’s command of ancient history intrigues the others, while he deliberately conceals its source.

Plot points and events

• The group approaches the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, guided through the Undying Mountain’s confusing formations by Nannan, who can see the surroundings clearly.
• Beneath the tree, they discover Dao Traces left by Wushi Emperor and the Ruthless Empress. The Black Emperor is shaken by the sight of Wushi’s trace and his uncertainty about whether the emperor is still alive.
• Jiang Ming urges everyone to meditate beneath the tree, explaining that its awakening could cause it to flee. He ties himself to the trunk with the Taiyi Azure Gold Rope as a precaution.
• The group spends three days cultivating or contemplating the Dao. Jiang Ming gains nine ancient characters associated with the Ruthless Empress’s first lifetime; he gains nothing from Wushi’s trace.
• When the tree wakes and struggles to escape, Jiang Ming warns everyone to collect its leaves. Ye Fan uses special treasures to pluck them, while Nannan can pick them with her bare hands. The chapter ends with Tu Fei asking why the leaves must be harvested in this way.

Character developments

• Jiang Ming shows his extensive knowledge and foresight, preparing to restrain the tree and explaining how to harvest its leaves. His meditation yields a significant insight tied to the Ruthless Empress.
• The Black Emperor reveals how deeply he hopes Wushi Emperor is still alive. Jiang Ming’s cryptic reassurance both comforts and frustrates him.
• Nannan proves unusually perceptive, navigating the formations and seeing details others cannot. Though she pretends to meditate, she cheerfully waits by eating snacks, then eagerly helps gather leaves.
• Ye Fan demonstrates his resourcefulness and abundance of powerful treasures, which let him harvest the leaves especially quickly.
• Jiang Taixu and Gu Qingyao choose quiet contemplation suited to their advanced cultivation rather than active practice.

Significant themes

• Enlightenment and inheritance: The tree’s history and the emperors’ Dao Traces make it a rare source of insight, though its benefits depend on each cultivator’s aptitude.
• Uncertainty and hope: The Black Emperor’s search for evidence of Wushi’s survival reflects the difficulty of knowing what is possible in a world where even ancient beings may endure.
• Preparation and practical wisdom: Jiang Ming’s knowledge of the tree’s behavior turns a fleeting chance into an opportunity to gather its leaves.
• Power and nature: The tree is formidable and elusive, but can be restrained—and even threatened—by those prepared to overcome it.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ming restrains the excited Black Emperor and hints that Wushi Emperor may yet be alive.
• He gently redirects Nannan’s sadness about the masked Ruthless Empress, reassuring her rather than pressing her to explain further.
• Jiang Ming organizes the group’s meditation and later their harvest, while the others trust his instructions.
• Nannan helps gather leaves from Jiang Ming’s shoulders; Ye Fan’s success prompts envy and questions from the rest of the group.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ming restrains the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree while Nannan uses a Qilin Seed to draw out its leaves. Ye Fan also gives Saint Fruits to Gu Qingyao and Fairy Caiyun, allowing them to attract leaves; he gives additional fruits to Nannan and Jiang Tingting.
• Ye Fan distributes Divine Spring water to the group, which he carried out of the Desolate Forbidden Land using ordinary materials immune to its destructive power.
• Jiang Ming cuts branches from the tea tree, then tries to compensate by nourishing it with rare liquids and Immortal Brew. Ye Fan adds Divine Spring water. Nannan and Jiang Tingting pity the tree, and Nannan’s tears restore it dramatically.
• The tree offers to carry the group out of Undying Mountain and lead them to an opportunity in exchange for half of whatever they find. Jiang Ming agrees to refine its share into Essence Liquid. The group leaves the forbidden zone riding the tree.
• They enter a gorge and encounter the ominous Underworld River. Jiang Ming plans to refine its still water, which embodies death and yin energy but also contains the power to nurture life.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Fan shows generosity and strategic judgment, honoring promises to Gu Qingyao and sharing with Fairy Caiyun, Nannan, and Jiang Tingting. His gifts deepen bonds and earn goodwill.
• Jiang Ming is both ruthless and considerate: he heavily harvests the ancient tree, but supplies it with valuable resources and promises future repayment. His confidence and respect ultimately win its cooperation.
• Nannan serves as the key mediator between the group and the tree. Her compassion—and especially her tears—reveals a remarkable restorative power.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree shifts from resisting the group to becoming a willing ally and “inside informant.” Its deal with Jiang Ming establishes a partnership.
• God-King Jiang Taixu accepts a Saint Fruit for Fairy Caiyun’s sake, revealing his concern for her despite his reluctance to accept unearned gifts.

Significant themes

• Reciprocity and trust: The group’s dealings with the tree evolve from forceful harvesting into mutual aid and a negotiated alliance.
• Generosity and social bonds: Ye Fan’s gifts repay past help and build relationships that may matter later.
• Compassion alongside ambition: Nannan and Jiang Tingting feel for the wounded tree, while Jiang Ming balances cultivation needs with efforts to help it recover.
• Life and death intertwined: The Underworld River’s deathly aura also holds life-nurturing power, reflecting the chapter’s contrast between destruction and renewal.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ming explains that the restrictions on breaking through and undergoing tribulation are caused by Undying Mountain being a self-contained Life Forbidden Zone.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree refuses to approach a terrifying black river and golden corpse-water spring known as the Netherworld Dragon Spitting Pearl, fearing the Saint-level beings possibly sleeping within the terrain.
• Jiang Ming discovers and collects a Netherworld Grass, a rare Medicine King capable of greatly strengthening divine consciousness and extending lifespan, though it may corrupt the body into a corpse-like state.
• To reward and strengthen the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, Jiang Ming refines a drop of True Dragon Immortal Medicine liquid into it. The tree experiences a major increase in vitality, developing new branches and leaves.
• At an ancient cave, the group finds a crystalline humanoid skeleton, an Assassin Dynasty token, and a secret killing-art inheritance from Heavenly Court, written on Great Saint-level human skin. Ye Fan takes responsibility for studying it.
• The group learns that an Immortal Tear Green Gold Saint Spirit is hidden nearby, but Jiang Ming refuses to disturb it, fearing the attention of the Stone Emperor.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree leads them to a medicinal garden, where they harvest thirteen herbs over twenty thousand years old and a Sun-Moon Saint Fruit, a powerful Medicine King.
• The tree then guides the group to the sleeping Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine, an extremely rare divine medicine resembling a small turtle. Jiang Ming takes its fruit and medicinal essence for his father.
• Jiang Ming compensates the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine with medicinal liquid and promises, through Nannan, to help it attain the Dao in the future. He also exchanges medicinal essence with the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree and the Azure Emperor’s Heart.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree escorts everyone safely out of Undying Mountain, having gained many new branches and leaves from the various medicinal treasures.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ming demonstrates exceptional knowledge, caution, and resourcefulness. He recognizes the value and dangers of every treasure, avoids provoking beings connected to the Stone Emperor, and uses exchanges rather than simple plunder when dealing with the divine medicines.
• He also reveals a deeply personal side by taking the Black Tortoise fruit specifically for his father, emphasizing familial loyalty over personal benefit.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree becomes increasingly loyal to Jiang Ming after receiving True Dragon Immortal Medicine liquid and other treasures. It behaves almost like a living ally, actively guiding the group toward hidden treasures and betraying the locations of other divine medicines.
• The Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine is shown to possess intelligence, emotion, and resentment, glaring angrily at the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree after being betrayed and harvested.
• Ye Fan gains access to a powerful Heavenly Court assassination inheritance, potentially compensating for his lack of offensive techniques.
• Nannan becomes essential as a translator and mediator between Jiang Ming and the intelligent Undying Divine Medicines. Her special status makes her a trusted guarantor.
• Gu Qingyao contributes historical knowledge, identifying the Heavenly Court inheritance and helping the group understand the significance of the discoveries.
• Jiang Taixu reacts with shock to the discovery of the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine, highlighting its extraordinary rarity.

Significant Themes

• Greed balanced by reciprocity: Jiang Ming harvests priceless treasures but also compensates the divine medicines, establishing a mutually beneficial relationship rather than treating them as mindless resources.
• The intelligence of divine medicines: The chapter reveals that Undying Divine Medicines possess considerable awareness and can communicate under the right circumstances.
• Caution in forbidden lands: Even powerful cultivators must respect the hidden entities and ancient forces within Undying Mountain.
• Family loyalty: Jiang Ming’s decision to reserve the Black Tortoise fruit for his father shows that his motivations are not purely for cultivation or power.
• Legacy and transformation: The Heavenly Court inheritance, the Saint Spirits, and the promise to help the Black Tortoise Medicine attain the Dao all connect to the transmission of power across generations.
• Sustainable cultivation: Jiang Ming treats cultivation resources as part of an ongoing exchange, nourishing the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree while preserving alliances for the future.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiang Ming and the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree develop a stronger partnership through repeated exchanges of medicinal essence.
• Ye Fan receives the Heavenly Court inheritance after Jiang Ming entrusts it to him.
• Jiang Ming, Nannan, and the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine negotiate after the medicine is harvested; Nannan’s status reassures it that Jiang Ming’s promise may be trusted.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree acts as both guide and “traitor,” leading the group to the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine and exposing the location of other treasures.
• Jiang Ming indirectly builds a network with several divine medicines by sharing True Dragon, Black Tortoise, Saint Fruit, Profound Yellow, and Azure Emperor’s Heart resources.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming and his companions leave Undying Mountain after spending just over three days there. The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree is delighted that Nannan—the Dao Fruit of a Human Empress—shed tears for it. The tree and the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine also appreciate Jiang Ming, who harvested from them but later healed them, shared wine, and treated them kindly.
• Jiang Ming distributes the harvest among the group: tea leaves, branches, and medicinal liquid. Ye Fan receives extra leaves, a tea-tree branch, and an egg from the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine, whose products can greatly extend life.
• The group plans to seek the Nine Secrets: Xing at the Sacred Mountain, but most decide to cultivate first. They agree to meet again at the Wind Race Holy Master’s birthday celebration. Jiang Ming must also prepare to break through.
• The companions disperse to cultivate or face tribulations. Ye Fan is close to advancing in the Four Extremes Secret Realm; Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden are nearing breakthroughs; Jiang Taixu, Gu Qingyao, Jiang Tingting, and Big Black Dog also make their own plans. Nannan accompanies Tingting, chiefly because she has buns.
• Jiang Ming reflects that he and Undying Mountain’s inhabitants will eventually become enemies, though this visit ended safely. He then undergoes a lightning tribulation in the Northern Region. Human-shaped lightning, bearing the battle instincts of past Great Emperors, tests him. With aid from his Dao Palace deities, he advances to the Sixth Transformation of Dragon Transformation after two days.
• The chapter ends as Jiang Ming prepares to advance in the Great Freedom Dao Scripture.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming shows generosity by sharing the harvest and prudence by leaving Undying Mountain before pushing his luck. He also intends to take power from the Fire Domain in the future without destroying the site.
• The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree and Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine move from resentment toward gratitude and admiration for Jiang Ming’s treatment of them.
• Ye Fan gains valuable resources and benefits greatly from cultivating beneath the tea tree, accelerating his progress.
• Jiang Taixu feels somewhat embarrassed that he and Caiyun benefited from the younger group’s expedition, but the gains may help Caiyun reach Sainthood and support his own advancement.
• Nannan and Tingting share an affectionate, comic moment: Nannan joins Tingting’s retreat because she wants her buns.

Significant themes

• Kindness and reciprocity: Jiang Ming’s respectful treatment of the divine medicines wins their goodwill despite his taking their resources.
• Shared opportunity: He distributes the spoils broadly, though in amounts reflecting each person’s contribution and needs.
• Growth through trials: The characters’ gains lead directly to new breakthroughs and tribulations.
• Power tempered by responsibility: Jiang Ming seeks the Fire Domain’s Fortune but resolves to preserve the place for other cultivators.
• Foreshadowed conflict: Jiang Ming recognizes that his alliance with Undying Mountain’s inhabitants is temporary and that they may ultimately become enemies.

Key plot points and events

• After a three-and-a-half-day tribulation, Jiang Ming completes his breakthrough to the eighth turn, the Fate Turn. He considers advancing to the Cause-and-Effect Turn but decides to first deepen his understanding of his new realm.
• His Primordial Divine-Demon Dao Embryo is developing within a veil-like membrane, with Dao Patterns touching many paths—including life and death, time and space, fate, and cause and effect. He recognizes that his understanding is still preliminary and hopes eventually to forge his own Dao and Soul Sword Dao.
• Jiang Tingting has also made a major advance, breaking through two cultivation realms. Her chosen methods balance yin and yang, complementing her Sun-and-Moon manifestations.
• Jiang Ming plans to take Tingting and Nannan to the Wind Race’s territory ahead of its Holy Master’s birthday celebration. Using a formation platform he carved himself, he transports the group an unusually long distance and arrives two days early.
• Jiang Ming presents the Wind Race with a head-sized piece of Great Divine Source. He jokes that the children should eat well at the banquet to make the gift worthwhile.
• At the Wind Race’s reception hall, the Wind Race’s Holy Master and the Old Roc King discuss a marriage alliance between Feng Huang and the Golden-Winged Little Roc King. The alliance would benefit both clans, but Feng Huang is not enthusiastic about the match.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming emerges from his breakthrough with broader insight into the Great Dao and greater skill in formation travel. He remains confident about his future growth and attentive to Tingting’s cultivation.
• Jiang Tingting is progressing exceptionally quickly for her age, aided by resources from the Undying Mountain. Her cultivation path is taking shape around complementary yin-yang principles.
• Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden have also advanced: Yan Ruyu reaches the Sixth Transformation of Dragon Transformation, while the Sacred Maiden reaches the Third. Both possess strength within the Seven Prohibitions, but Yan Ruyu is stronger. Their brief sparring and the Sacred Maiden’s increasingly natural use of “elder sister” reflect their growing closeness and respect.
• Feng Huang remains proud and uninterested in the proposed marriage. She admires Jiang Ming, though she believes he is devoted to Yan Ruyu. Seeing the Yaochi Sacred Maiden traveling with him leaves her puzzled.

Significant themes

• Cultivation as a personal path: Jiang Ming’s many avenues of Dao offer immense potential, but he understands that mastery requires time, inheritance, and eventually forging a path of his own.
• Power, opportunity, and unequal foundations: Yan Ruyu’s Azure Emperor’s Heart gives her an advantage the Yaochi Sacred Maiden lacks, while Jiang Ming’s physical strength and formation skill let him exceed the limits expected of his cultivation.
• Marriage and political ambition: The Wind Race and Roc Lineage view marriage as a means of securing alliances and succession, while Feng Huang’s preferences complicate their plans.
• Family and mentorship: Jiang Ming supports Tingting’s development, while Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden’s relationship grows through mutual recognition and shared experience.

Plot points

• Jiang Ming arrives at the Wind Race’s birthday celebration with Yan Ruyu, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden, Jiang Tingting, and Nannan. The Wind Race’s Holy Master orders a high-status welcome and sends Feng Huang and Golden-Winged Little Roc King to greet him.
• The Golden-Winged Old Roc King is wary of Jiang Ming because of his history with the family. Jin Ling has a written wager with Jiang Ming: if she loses, she must become his mount. Jiang Ming has also considered making Golden-Winged Little Roc King his follower.
• Jiang Ming and his companions settle in the guest garden and eagerly eat the food. Feng Huang arrives and finds them enjoying a notably informal, hearty meal.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King tells Jiang Ming he will seriously consider his proposal after training to address flaws in his cultivation. Jiang Ming accepts this and says he has nearly forgotten about him, mentioning instead that his agreement with Jin Ling is approaching its deadline.
• Feng Huang explains that a more lavish banquet is being prepared. Jiang Ming cheerfully asks for it to be brought the next morning.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming remains confident and unconcerned with status or formal hospitality. He is considerate toward his companions, but his appetite and casual manners surprise Feng Huang. He also makes clear that he has no desire to become close to the Wind Race or return to the Jiang Family while its rival faction remains influential.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King still fears Jiang Ming’s strength, but is trying to improve and responds to Jiang Ming’s follower proposal more calmly than before.
• Feng Huang begins curious about Jiang Ming, then is put off by the report that several women accompany him. In person, she focuses on proper etiquette and worries about provoking him; Jiang Ming privately sees her as overly concerned with status.
• The Golden-Winged Old Roc King hopes Feng Huang and Golden-Winged Little Roc King will pair up, but largely disregards his grandson’s discomfort.
• Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden show ease and familiarity with Jiang Ming, sharing food with him. Jiang Tingting and Nannan follow his lead, making the meal a lively family scene.

Significant themes

• Independent achievement: Jiang Ming’s rise without the Jiang Family’s support earns admiration, while his estrangement from the family reflects old political grievances.
• Power and insecurity: Jiang Ming’s formidable reputation shapes how other young talents behave around him.
• Status versus sincerity: The Wind Race emphasizes formal honors, whereas Jiang Ming cares more about food and personal freedom.
• Family and care: The affectionate, informal meal highlights Jiang Ming’s household bonds and his efforts to provide for those close to him.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Feng Huang finds the Golden-Winged Little Roc King unusually subdued. Hoping to make the most of Jiang Ming’s visit, she arranges an elaborate meal and drinks for him, Yaochi Fairy, Yan Ruyu, and the others.
• When Feng Huang brings up their safe return from the Undying Mountain, Jiang Ming avoids the subject. He then unexpectedly raises the Little Roc King’s rivalry with Ye Fan.
• Speaking privately through voice transmission, Jiang Ming urges the Little Roc King to fight Ye Fan when he arrives. He argues that a worthy opponent can spur growth and that pursuing an “invincible path” is unrealistic.
• Jiang Ming also points out the political stakes: the Peng and Wind Races are discussing a marriage alliance, and Feng Huang favors strength. Losing to Ye Fan could damage the Little Roc King’s prospects.
• Jiang Ming predicts that Ye Fan—despite being at a lower cultivation realm—will defeat him. He offers to take the Little Roc King as a follower if that happens, but warns that this is his last opportunity.
• The Little Roc King recalls his past defeats and near-defeats, which undermine the confidence built by his grandfather’s expectations and his own history of arrogance. Still, he defiantly insists he will defeat Ye Fan.
• Jiang Ming then tells him about the ancient Kun Peng lineage: a primordial creature that took the form of a vast fish, Kun, and transformed into the immense bird Peng. The lineage was among the Ten Feral Beasts, once powerful enough to fight immortals and protect living beings.
• The Little Roc King’s bloodline responds to the tale. He asks whether immortals exist, and Jiang Ming cites ancient records about the Ruthless Emperor, the Azure Emperor, and the Kun Peng to argue that immortals may be real.

Character developments

• Golden-Winged Little Roc King: His outward confidence masks growing doubt. He begins confronting the gap between his grandfather’s grand expectations and his actual record, though anger and pride still drive him to challenge Ye Fan.
• Jiang Ming: He takes a deliberate interest in changing the Little Roc King’s fate. Rather than simply humiliating him, he tries to push him toward growth, while also planning to use the fight to assess Ye Fan.
• Feng Huang: She acts as a careful hostess and remains attentive to the political implications of the gathering, especially the possible marriage alliance.

Significant themes

• Destiny versus self-determination: Jiang Ming hopes to alter the Little Roc King’s established fate by creating a new turning point.
• The burden of expectations: The Little Roc King’s arrogance and insecurity stem partly from being raised to believe he was destined to be invincible.
• Growth through defeat: Jiang Ming presents a powerful opponent not as an obstacle to avoid but as a chance to improve.
• Lost greatness and ancestral legacy: The Kun Peng’s former glory contrasts sharply with the fallen state of its later descendants, raising questions about what remains of the ancient lineage.
• Faith in the unknown: Jiang Ming challenges the assumption that immortals are impossible by pointing to mysterious histories and vanished emperors.

Character interactions

• Feng Huang welcomes Jiang Ming’s group and tries to draw him into conversation, but he sidesteps her question about the Undying Mountain.
• Jiang Ming openly mentions the Little Roc King’s rivalry with Ye Fan, then privately counsels and provokes him, emphasizing both the potential benefits of fighting and the consequences of losing.
• The Little Roc King responds with a mix of fear, resentment, and defiance, ultimately accepting the prospect of facing Ye Fan.
• Jiang Ming’s story of the Kun Peng awakens the Little Roc King’s ancestral pride and prompts him to question Jiang Ming about immortals.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming explains that the Golden-Winged Little Roc King’s confidence rests on an incomplete understanding of cultivation. Most people in the current era consider Great Ability the summit, unaware of the many realms beyond it.
• He challenges Jin Peng’s pride in his Heavenly Demon bloodline, contrasting it with the legendary Kun Peng and Ye Fan’s Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. Jiang Ming intends for Ye Fan to defeat Jin Peng, then help him rebuild his confidence on a sounder foundation.
• Nannan worries that sleep will make her forget everyone, but Jiang Ming reassures her that he has prepared a Memory Jade. He also tells her Ye Fan will arrive the next day.
• At the evening gathering, Feng Huang proposes sparring with the Yaochi Sacred Maiden and Yan Ruyu. Jiang Ming arranges a battle of manifested divine senses instead.
• Feng Huang chooses the Yaochi Sacred Maiden. Their evenly matched techniques clash: Feng Huang’s phoenix arts counter the Maiden’s heart-affecting Myriad Tribulations Red Dust Melody. Feng Huang breaks the melody’s influence with Divine Phoenix Nirvana and attacks, but the excerpt ends before the duel’s outcome is revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming acts as both provocateur and mentor: he punctures Jin Peng’s arrogance while hoping the humiliation to come will ultimately help him improve. He also looks after Nannan and sets up the sparring match.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King moves from anger to reflection and uncertainty as Jiang Ming reveals the limits of his knowledge and the greater heights of cultivation.
• Feng Huang demonstrates that her pride is backed by exceptional talent. Her phoenix-born Dao Patterns give her powerful techniques, and her response to the Maiden’s attack shows resilience.
• Yaochi Sacred Maiden displays a refined, formidable command of divine sense through her zither and the emotionally corrosive Red Dust Melody.
• The duel’s contrast is central to their interaction: Feng Huang relies on speed, force, and rebirth, while the Maiden attacks through time, emotion, and mortal attachment.

Significant themes

• Ambition and perspective: People’s aspirations can be limited by what they know; Jiang Ming wants Jin Peng to see beyond the accepted ceiling of his era.
• Pride tested by defeat: Jin Peng’s confidence may need to be broken before it can become genuine strength.
• Changing standards across eras: The sealed Great Dao has diminished the prospects of “First Generations,” while powerful physiques dominate the current age.
• Mortality and attachment: The Maiden’s melody evokes aging, longing, loss, and the bitterness of mortal life.
• Resilience and renewal: Feng Huang’s Nirvana technique turns apparent decline into rebirth, allowing her to resist the melody’s erosion.

Plot points and events

• Feng Huang challenges the Yaochi Sacred Maiden to a spiritual-consciousness duel and loses. She blames her weaker foundation on lacking a complete Ancient Scripture, rather than accepting that her opponent is simply stronger.
• Still eager to test herself, Feng Huang challenges Yan Ruyu. Yan’s near–Eight Prohibitions strength and vast Golden Lotus vision overwhelm Feng Huang’s spiritual wisp.
• Feng Huang then asks Jiang Ming to fight. He defeats her instantly with a single punch, leaving her stunned and in tears.
• Jiang Ming asks the Golden-Winged Little Roc King to confirm that the duel was fair. Jin Peng is so shaken by Jiang Ming’s display that his confidence in his own cultivation path falters. The Wind Race’s Holy Master and the Golden-Winged Old Roc King, watching secretly, recognize Jiang Ming’s overwhelming superiority.
• Later, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden escapes Jiang Ming’s invitation to spend the night, while he catches Yan Ruyu and takes her away to help her cultivate. Behind protective formations, he advances her transformation toward the Azure Lotus Dao Body.

Character developments and interactions

• Feng Huang remains proud and competitive despite repeated defeats. Her admiration and longing for Jiang Ming make her final loss especially painful; she runs away crying.
• Jiang Ming shows that he is far beyond the other young elites, but his effortless victory seems needlessly harsh to Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden. He worries he will be blamed for making Feng Huang cry.
• Yan Ruyu demonstrates strength beyond the Yaochi Sacred Maiden’s, then continues progressing toward her powerful Dao Body with Jiang Ming’s help.
• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden accepts Feng Huang’s challenge graciously and later playfully avoids Jiang Ming.
• Jin Peng is deeply rattled by Jiang Ming’s strength, even though he was only a spectator.
• Feng Huang’s encounters with the two women are respectful but decisive; her duel with Jiang Ming ends abruptly, prompting both women to criticize his lack of restraint.

Significant themes

• Foundations and talent: A complete Ancient Scripture can provide a major advantage, but combat also depends on physique, spiritual power, secret arts, and other resources.
• The widening gap between prodigies: Feng Huang and Jin Peng are forced to confront how far they are from the strongest figures of their generation.
• Pride, desire, and defeat: Feng Huang’s determination survives repeated losses, but her feelings for Jiang Ming and wounded pride make the final defeat overwhelming.
• Cultivation and inheritance: Yan Ruyu’s transformation depends on the Azure Lotus Heart and the Azure Emperor’s carefully prepared legacy, revealing the exceptional nature of the Azure Lotus Dao Body.

Key plot points and events

• On the day before the Wind Race Holy Master’s birthday celebration, Ye Fan arrives with Pang Bo, Li Heishui, Tu Fei, and Big Black Dog. The gatekeeper initially bars the dog, but lets him in when he claims to be Jiang Ming’s close friend. Big Black Dog immediately starts searching for Jiang Ming and Nannan.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King challenges Ye Fan after Jiang Ming has told him he will lose. Although he has recently advanced to the Third Transformation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and has been strengthened with Heavenly Peng Essence Blood, he wants to test the warning for himself.
• The two fight without secret arts, relying first on physical strength. Ye Fan quickly breaks two of the Little Roc King’s fingers, then defeats him after a hundred exchanges, knocking him from the sky.
• Accepting his defeat, the Little Roc King admits that Jiang Ming was right: his higher cultivation could not overcome Ye Fan’s superior combat strength. Feng Huang comforts him and offers her hand. The Little Roc King takes it, while Jiang Ming watches in surprise, feeling she has stolen the moment he intended to use to console him.

Character developments

• Ye Fan meets the challenge confidently and proves his strength to the gathered young prodigies and elders. His victory reveals the advantages of his constitution and exceptional cultivation resources, despite his lower cultivation level.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King begins proud and skeptical, but fights because he needs to confirm Jiang Ming’s prediction. Rather than deny the loss, he accepts it and begins to recover emotionally.
• Feng Huang shows compassion by comforting the defeated Little Roc King. Their interaction suggests a growing bond.
• Jiang Ming remains an influential presence even though he is not part of the fight: his prediction shapes the Little Roc King’s expectations. He is also comically disappointed when Feng Huang takes the consoling role he had planned for himself.
• Big Black Dog continues to resent losing Nannan’s attention to Jiang Ming and makes a scene at the gate.

Significant themes

• Combat strength versus cultivation rank: A higher realm does not guarantee victory; constitution, resources, and fighting ability can outweigh differences in cultivation.
• Facing defeat: Jiang Ming’s warning helps prepare the Little Roc King to accept the outcome, making this loss a humbling test rather than a complete collapse of resolve.
• Power and expectation: The Little Roc King’s family has invested heavily in his potential, while Ye Fan’s victory challenges assumptions about who should prevail.
• Compassion and connection: Feng Huang’s support turns a painful defeat into a moment of human connection.

Character interactions

• The gatekeeper’s treatment of Big Black Dog shifts once the dog invokes his connection to Jiang Ming, highlighting Jiang Ming’s standing.
• Ye Fan and the Little Roc King’s hostile exchange escalates into a public duel, watched by the gathered prodigies and elders.
• Feng Huang reassures the Little Roc King and offers him a hand; he accepts, suggesting that her kindness matters to him.
• Jiang Ming’s earlier provocation links him to the duel’s outcome, while his reaction to Feng Huang’s intervention adds a humorous note to the chapter.