Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “This Must Have Been the Work of Tomb Raiders”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Huang continues trying to reach the defeated Golden-Winged Little Roc King, criticizing his arrogance and pride. The Golden-Winged Old Roc King realizes that her actions may help restore his son’s shattered confidence and reshape his Dao heart.
• Jiang Ming publicly reunites with Ye Fan at the Wind Race gathering. He warns everyone that Ye Fan is under his protection and threatens anyone who causes trouble for him.
• Jiang Ming and Ye Fan exchange treasures privately. Ye Fan gives Jiang Ming sacred fruits, medicine roots, and Divine Spring water collected from the Desolate Forbidden Land’s Sacred Mountains. Jiang Ming seals these resources for future use.
• Jiang Ming gives Ye Fan a powerful stone weapon capable of killing a Holy Master, greatly strengthening Ye Fan’s protection against stronger enemies.
• The Purple Palace Sacred Land’s Holy Son is found unconscious, robbed, and covered in enormous lumps. Jiang Ming secretly arranged the attack through the Black Tortoise divine spirit of his Dao Palace, which disguised itself and stole the Holy Son’s black gourd and Purple Qi Jade Marrow.
• The incident is blamed on the mysterious Unprincipled Daoist, who is rumored to be targeting the Wind Race’s ancient tombs. Jiang Ming quietly considers the possibility that the black gourd is a damaged Quasi-Emperor Armament whose weapon spirit might someday be restored.
• That evening, Ye Fan is assassinated by a killer believed to belong to Human World, one of the three ancient Assassin Dynasties. Ye Fan kills the assassin in self-defense.
• Jiang Ming becomes angry because the assassination directly challenges his warning that no older-generation figure should attack Ye Fan.
• Ye Fan later finds a valuable stone containing Great Divine Source and a sacred horn from a Primordial Royal Clan. Jiang Ming trades him another valuable piece of Divine Source so Ye Fan can give his stone to Tingting.
• Jiang Ming acquires the horn, recognizing that it can be used both for weapon refinement and to temper the body. Its value is far greater than the Wind Race’s original financial support to Ye Fan would have suggested.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ming continues acting as Ye Fan’s powerful protector and benefactor. He combines open intimidation with secret schemes, using his Dao Palace divine spirit to rob enemies while maintaining an innocent public appearance.
• Ye Fan becomes increasingly resourceful and well-connected. He generously saves treasures for Jiang Ming and gains confidence from possessing a weapon capable of killing Holy Masters. His survival instincts also remain sharp, as he successfully handles the assassination attempt.
• Golden-Winged Little Roc King suffers a major defeat but begins to let go of his arrogance. This emotional collapse may become the foundation for future growth.
• Feng Huang shows unexpected concern for the Little Roc King. Her harsh, confrontational approach reveals that she may be trying to force him to change rather than simply humiliate him.
• Golden-Winged Old Roc King reassesses his parenting and recognizes that excessive encouragement of pride and invincibility may have harmed his son.
• Black Emperor, Tu Fei, and Li Heishui continue functioning as Jiang Ming’s allies and enjoy using his reputation to intimidate hostile cultivators.
• Tingting benefits indirectly from Jiang Ming’s exchange, receiving a treasure that can strengthen her physical body despite her Lunar Body.

Significant Themes

• Defeat as a path to growth: The Little Roc King’s loss may damage his confidence, but it also gives him the chance to overcome his arrogance and develop a stronger, more mature Dao heart.
• Protection and power: Jiang Ming’s reputation alone deters many enemies, while his gifts ensure that Ye Fan can survive even when confronted by powerful cultivators.
• Appearances and deception: Jiang Ming publicly appears calm and uninvolved while secretly orchestrating robberies through his disguised divine spirit. The chapter repeatedly contrasts public reputation with hidden actions.
• Inheritance and suitability: Jiang Ming shows little interest in the assassination inheritance because it does not suit his cultivation path, but he encourages Li Heishui and others to study it. The chapter emphasizes that the best technique depends on the individual.
• The value of treasures: Divine Source, sacred medicines, dragon horns, and damaged imperial weapons are treated not merely as wealth but as resources that can affect cultivation, longevity, protection, and future battles.
• The dangers of arrogance and overconfidence: The Little Roc King’s defeat illustrates the risks of believing oneself invincible, while Ye Fan’s caution and Jiang Ming’s preparation demonstrate the value of adaptability.

Character Interactions

• Feng Huang confronts and provokes the defeated Little Roc King, while the Old Roc King observes and realizes that her intervention may help him recover.
• Jiang Ming reassures Ye Fan and his companions, openly declaring that anyone who harms them will face retaliation.
• Jiang Ming and Ye Fan exchange treasures, strengthening their mutual trust and friendship.
• Ye Fan and the Black Emperor recognize that the attack on the Purple Palace Holy Son resembles Jiang Ming’s methods, though Jiang Ming cleverly maintains his alibi.
• Jiang Ming and Ye Fan negotiate over the valuable stone, with Jiang Ming persuading Ye Fan to exchange it so Tingting can receive a treasure.
• The assassination attempt by Human World reinforces Jiang Ming’s protective relationship with Ye Fan and escalates the danger surrounding him.

Key plot points and events

• At the Wind Race Holy Master’s birthday gathering, Jiang Ming mingles with young cultivators from major Eastern Wasteland powers. Many famous figures are absent.
• The Golden-Winged Little Roc King admits his arrogance had misled him and says he hopes to become Jiang Ming’s follower after reaching the Seven Prohibitions. Jiang Ming advises him to seek guidance from his powerful aunt.
• Jiang Ming reflects on the prospects of his companions: Jin Ling’s Demon Emperor Scripture may let her grow into a powerful demon, while Qin Yao is thriving under Yan Ruyu’s tutelage and has entered the Four Extremes Secret Realm. Ye Fan appears to have brought Qin Yao back and provided her with valuable resources.
• The chapter sketches the connections among Ye Fan, Qin Yao, An Miaoyi, and Li Xiaoman, and explains how Li Xiaoman’s cultivation of the Heaven Devouring Demon Art and Hua Yunfei’s fear of its influence shape their paths.
• Jiang Ming plans to visit Sacred Mountain, where lie Emperor Wushi’s God-Sealing List, several important corpses, and the sealed Immortal Daoist.
• The banquet is dominated by extravagant eating. Jiang Ming and his companions happily eat their fill, while Nannan—cherished by Jiang Tingting—eventually announces that she is full. Jiang Tingting suggests saving food for the road.
• After the celebration, the group packs leftovers. Jiang Ming casually mentions two absent seniors from the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, prompting the Wind Race Holy Master to offer them rare wine in hopes of making contact.
• The group leaves freely and heads for the Heavenly Jade Holy Land. Expecting the Human World assassins might attack, Jiang Ming is disappointed by the quiet journey and suggests that Ye Fan travel ahead alone to draw them out.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming is sociable and generous, but also calculating: he mentors the Roc King, considers the futures of his allies, and looks for a way to expose the assassins.
• The Golden-Winged Little Roc King shows new humility, recognizing that confidence without discipline is not true strength. He respects Jiang Ming and accepts his advice.
• Ye Fan has apparently resumed responsibility for Qin Yao, though Jiang Ming suspects he has also supplied her with rare cultivation resources. Jiang Ming now proposes using him as bait.
• Qin Yao, An Miaoyi, and Li Xiaoman are presented as capable women with complicated ties to Ye Fan and to one another. Li Xiaoman’s impressive victories and dangerous inheritance mark her as a formidable talent.
• Jiang Tingting and Nannan share a tender moment at the feast: Tingting wipes Nannan’s face and ensures she is comfortable, while the gathering delights in seeing the child eat well.
• The Wind Race Holy Master is pleased by the warm, lively banquet and sees an opportunity to build ties with the powerful Heavenly Jade seniors.

Significant themes

• Growth through humility and guidance: The Roc King learns that raw pride is not enough and that progress requires instruction.
• Freedom versus status: The younger cultivators admire Jiang Ming’s group for traveling without concern for reputation or convention, even as many feel constrained by their positions.
• Cause and consequence in relationships: Alliances and closeness often arise from ambition, practical benefit, or inherited connections—not simply affection.
• Cultivation’s uncertain future: The chapter emphasizes how many exceptional talents are emerging and how unpredictable their eventual fates will be.
• Ordinary warmth amid epic stakes: Grand inheritances and looming threats contrast with the simple happiness of sharing food and caring for Nannan.

Chapter Summary: “One of the Nine Secrets”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Fan accepts Human World’s assassination challenge, confident that the assassins are targeting him alone rather than his companions.
• After failing to lure out more assassins, the group learns that Human World has raised the bounty on Ye Fan’s head. Their previous attack cost them several powerful Dragon Transformation Realm assassins, including experts with Five and Six Prohibitions combat strength.
• Ye Fan had barely survived the strongest assassin’s sneak attack, but recovered through the Nirvana Scripture taught by An Miaoyi. He boasts about killing ten Human World candidates and using Jiang Ming’s movement technique with the Heavenly Court Killing Dao Secret Art.
• Pang Bo and the others conclude that Human World is demanding more money because Ye Fan has become increasingly difficult to kill. Big Black Dog and Li Heishui speculate that Ye Fan’s head is now worth several million jin of Pure Source.
• Ye Fan reassures Qin Yao, who was frightened by the assassination attempt, and brings her along to gain experience.
• The group travels to the ruins of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land. The site has long been avoided because mysterious crying and inexplicable phenomena suggest that a powerful survivor of the former holy land remains there.
• They find Wei Yi, Mad Old Man, and Gu Qingyao playing chess. Mad Old Man has successfully transformed into a middle-aged man and made rapid cultivation progress.
• Gu Qingyao has recovered significantly after consuming a Medicine Egg made from a Black Tortoise Fruit. Her lifespan, cultivation, and condition have all improved, allowing her to unlock the full inheritance within her mysterious pyramid.
• The inheritance is the Annihilation Heaven Technique, a body-cultivation method created by the ancient Annihilation Heavenly Venerable, along with Nine Secrets: Lin—one of the legendary Nine Secrets.
• Gu Qingyao plans to teach the technique and secret art to Jiang Ming and Jiang Tingting. Jiang Ming responds by having Jiang Tingting give Gu Qingyao the incomplete Supreme Yin Scripture, allowing her to rebuild and strengthen her foundation.
• Jiang Ming is impressed by the inheritance but remains calm, believing that his exceptional talent makes Nine Secrets: Lin less transformative for him than it would be for ordinary cultivators.

Character Developments

• Ye Fan: Demonstrates major growth in combat ability by defeating multiple elite Human World assassins. His confidence and pride increase, though he remains aware of how close he came to death. He also shows concern for Qin Yao and tries to present himself as responsible rather than excessively romantic or irresponsible.
• Jiang Ming: Continues to act as the group’s reliable leader, personally handling their transportation through an array platform. His overwhelming talent allows him to remain composed even after receiving one of the Nine Secrets.
• Qin Yao: Begins moving from a protected, increasingly insignificant companion toward an experienced cultivator. Her fear during Ye Fan’s assassination attempt reveals her vulnerability, but traveling with the group gives her opportunities to grow.
• Pang Bo: Is portrayed as possessing extraordinary potential through the Azure Emperor Scripture and his Ancient Demon God Bloodline. His calm analysis of Human World’s motives adds practical insight.
• Gu Qingyao: Experiences the greatest transformation. Her lifespan and cultivation improve, she unlocks a complete Heavenly Venerable inheritance, and she becomes firmly committed to supporting Jiang Ming and teaching Jiang Tingting.
• Jiang Tingting: Strengthens her relationship with Gu Qingyao as her disciple and becomes the means through which Gu Qingyao receives the Supreme Yin Scripture.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Ye Fan’s successful defense against Human World causes his value and notoriety to rise, showing how reputation directly affects the balance between cultivators and major forces.
• Luck and opportunity: Gu Qingyao’s extraordinary gains—a Quasi-Emperor inheritance, a Heavenly Venerable technique, and one of the Nine Secrets—emphasize the importance of fate and karmic connections.
• Mutual exchange and karma: Jiang Ming and Gu Qingyao exchange priceless inheritances, reflecting how alliances are built through shared opportunities and reciprocal benefits.
• Growth through danger: Qin Yao’s exposure to assassination and conflict marks the beginning of her cultivation experience, while Ye Fan’s battle demonstrates how peril accelerates his rise.
• The value of foundations: The Supreme Yin Scripture is useful even though it is incomplete because it can strengthen Gu Qingyao’s earlier cultivation and stabilize her future progress.
• Exceptional talent versus external advantages: Nine Secrets: Lin can dramatically increase a cultivator’s combat realm, but Jiang Ming’s innate talent is so great that he is less dependent on it than most people.

Character Interactions

• Ye Fan jokes proudly with Jiang Ming about his victories, using his recent accomplishments to show that he is catching up.
• Pang Bo, Big Black Dog, and Li Heishui humorously discuss the increasing bounty on Ye Fan’s head.
• Ye Fan takes Qin Yao’s hand and reassures her after the assassination attempt, showing a gentler and more protective side.
• Gu Qingyao separates with Jiang Tingting and Nannan to discuss and distribute her new inheritance.
• Gu Qingyao offers Jiang Ming and Jiang Tingting the Annihilation Heaven Technique and Nine Secrets: Lin as repayment for the opportunities he has given her.
• Jiang Ming reciprocates by giving Gu Qingyao the incomplete Supreme Yin Scripture, reinforcing their bond and helping her consolidate her cultivation.

Plot points and events

• Gu Qingyao teaches Ye Fan a powerful secret art akin to the Nine Secrets: Jie, which can multiply combat power. She also teaches Nannan, but Nannan says she cannot cultivate and will forget the lesson when she wakes.
• Jiang Ming takes Nannan to gather fruit in the wild, overgrown Heavenly Jade Holy Land. Big Black Dog rushes into a poisonous herb garden and collapses, but soon recovers. Nannan worries over him, and the dog later carries her safely through the garden; her Seven-Colored Divine Light repels the poison.
• Jiang Ming reflects on Nannan’s identity and the Ruthless Empress’s past. He suspects Ye Fan has avoided acknowledging that he is her brother because he fears disrupting her transformation into a Red Dust Immortal.
• When Ye Fan asks who Nannan is, Jiang Ming gives him three old records describing people who encountered her over the past twenty thousand years. They show that Nannan has wandered alone, never grown older, and increasingly often loses her memory.
• Wei Yi says Nannan was born an Immortal Infant. Madman admits he cannot understand or bear to examine her closely.
• The chapter closes with updates on Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun: Caiyun has entered the Saint Realm and regained her youth, while Taixu used his family’s God-King Rebirth Technique at great personal risk to restore her.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming balances practical decisions about which secret arts to master with compassion toward Nannan and insight into Ye Fan’s reluctance. He lets Ye Fan learn from historical records rather than forcing answers from Big Black Dog.
• Nannan remains childlike and cheerful despite her tragic, endless isolation and recurring memory loss. Her protective divine light also safeguards those near her.
• Ye Fan becomes increasingly moved by Nannan’s history and eager to learn the truth, while Jiang Ming recognizes that his silence may stem from love and fear rather than indifference.
• Big Black Dog provides comic relief through his poisoning and Nannan’s gentle scolding, then becomes her companion on the garden walk.
• Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun show devotion through Taixu’s dangerous sacrifice, which renews Caiyun’s life and appearance.

Significant themes

• Memory, time, and loneliness: Nannan’s repeated forgetting and unchanging childhood make her a tragic figure adrift through ages.
• Love expressed through restraint and sacrifice: Ye Fan may stay silent to protect the Ruthless Empress’s transformation, while Taixu risks his life for Caiyun.
• Innocence amid suffering: Nannan continues to enjoy simple pleasures despite an existence marked by hardship.
• Power and responsibility: The secret art’s immense boost contrasts with Jiang Ming’s need to choose carefully what knowledge and abilities to pursue.

Key events

• Jiang Ming encourages Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun to formalize their long-awaited relationship. They agree to become Dao companions, and Jiang Ming provides a lavish feast. Celebrating alongside powerful human cultivators and Heavenly Jade’s spirit beasts, Jiang Taixu gives a public lesson on the Dao.
• After three days of exchanging insights and debating the Dao, the group sets out for the Sacred Mountain. Jiang Taixu impresses even the gathered Saint Kings with his depth of understanding, despite having only recently reached the Eighth Heaven of Saint.
• The debates help several younger cultivators: Gu Qingyao takes Tu Fei as a disciple in name and begins teaching him the Annihilation Ancient Scripture, while Wei Yi invites Li Heishui to train at Heavenly Jade’s stone workshop.
• Meanwhile, the Assassin Dynasties Human World and Hell announce their return. They recruit across the cultivation world and promise heirship to an assassin who kills either Ye Fan or Jiang Ming. Hell specifically targets Jiang Ming.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Taixu and Fairy Caiyun finally unite after more than four thousand years apart. Caiyun becomes a Saint, and Taixu gives her the Hengyu Scripture, confident she will guard its teachings carefully.
• Jiang Ming acts as matchmaker and host, and reflects on how Caiyun’s success has changed the tragic outcome he remembers from the original story.
• Jiang Taixu’s long confinement in Purple Mountain is revealed to have made him exceptionally learned. His Dao debate earns the respect of the Saint Kings, including Gu Qingyao.
• Tu Fei’s talent for the Annihilation Heaven Technique prompts Gu Qingyao to mentor him. Li Heishui, eager for the advantages of Saint King Wei Yi’s guidance, readily accepts his invitation.
• The spirit beasts join the wedding celebration with offerings, music, and dances, showing their trust in the gathered elders.

Significant themes

• Love and perseverance: Caiyun’s devotion endures across centuries, and she and Taixu finally receive a chance to be together.
• Learning and opportunity: Long cultivation, shared insight, mentorship, and access to powerful scriptures open new paths for both elders and juniors.
• A changing fate: Caiyun’s survival and ascension to sainthood mark a better outcome than the one Jiang Ming recalls.
• Rising danger: The Assassin Dynasties’ public return turns the era’s competition into an explicit threat against Jiang Ming and Ye Fan.

Key plot points and events

• Hell and the Human World reveal their return from hiding by scattering death notices for Ye Fan and Jiang Ming outside the Heavenly Jade Holy Land. The two Assassin Dynasties aim to expand their influence in the current golden age and may seek to produce an emperor of assassins.
• Jiang Ming admits he deliberately announced his destination to lure them out. He recognizes that the attackers include powerful, young assassins—some at Holy Master level—and uses his Heavenly Emperor Qi-Gazing Art to locate their killing intent.
• Ye Fan, Yan Ruyu, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden, and Pang Bo volunteer to join the fight. Jiang Ming accepts their company in principle but goes ahead first, since the assassins are too strong for them to face safely. Qin Yao stays behind.
• At the gates, Jiang Ming’s White Ape Dao Soldier blocks an opening strike. Jiang Ming then unleashes a series of devastating techniques, killing multiple Half-Step Great Abilities and Great Abilities from both dynasties with his sword, Lotus Weapons, and transformations.
• The excerpt ends as two assassins strike simultaneously. Jiang Ming counters with Wushi’s Temporal Restart and enters Demon God Transformation, surrounded by interwoven divine and demonic power and a vision of Primordial Chaos. The battle remains unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming is confident, strategic, and eager for a serious fight. He uses himself as bait, protects the less powerful companions by taking the initiative, and demonstrates overwhelming strength against the assassins.
• Ye Fan agrees to face the threat alongside Jiang Ming, while Yan Ruyu, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden, and Pang Bo also step forward. Ye Fan specifically asks Qin Yao to remain safe.
• Jiang Taixu, Fairy Caiyun, Gu Qingyao, the Madman, and Wei Yi show concern or offer to clear the attackers themselves. Jiang Ming refuses their help, treating the enemy leaders as beneath his notice.
• The White Ape Dao Soldier functions as Jiang Ming’s first line of defense, destroying the initial attack.

Significant themes

• Assassination as political power: The Assassin Dynasties’ history shows how fear and targeted killings once subdued even major holy lands.
• Hidden threats and calculated bait: Jiang Ming turns the assassins’ secrecy against them by deliberately drawing them into the open.
• Protection and unequal strength: The companions’ willingness to help contrasts with the danger posed by the assassins, prompting Jiang Ming to shield them from the strongest opponents.
• Power and transformation: Jiang Ming’s successive divine, demonic, and combined forms emphasize the extraordinary range of his abilities, while the battle’s abrupt ending leaves his next move uncertain.

Key plot points

• Jiang Ming rapidly kills the two Holy Master-level assassins who attack him from behind. He uses his Third-Turn Demon God Transformation, enormous physical strength, the Eight Deities Savage Force formation, and the Four Symbols Cauldron Furnace True Fire. The battle takes only seconds, and he spends little energy.
• Yan Ruyu, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden then fight the remaining assassins and Half-Step Great Ability opponents. Jiang Ming largely stays out of their battles, reflecting on what his brief, full-strength fight taught him.
• After about half an hour, the assassins are defeated. Yan Ruyu remains unscathed after killing three, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden wins a difficult fight despite being bloodied, Pang Bo is injured but successful, and Ye Fan remains unharmed.
• Jiang Taixu had sealed off the area, so the arriving forces from the major holy lands find only the aftermath. They realize the Human World and Hell assassin dynasties’ entire force has been wiped out, though they do not know exactly who did it.

Character developments

• Jiang Ming’s strength and control have advanced: his transformation now lasts thirty seconds instead of three, and he can kill Holy Master-level opponents with ease. He also values the experience of fighting at full power after a long period of rapid cultivation.
• Jiang Taixu is strikingly confident in Jiang Ming, predicting he will become a Saint within a hundred years. He recognizes that Jiang Ming has already entered the mysterious Divine Forbidden Realm—an achievement Jiang Taixu himself reached only after thousands of years.
• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden and Yan Ruyu demonstrate their combat ability, while Ye Fan’s exceptionally tough body and Pang Bo’s perseverance are highlighted.

Significant themes

• Extraordinary talent and potential: Jiang Ming’s pace of advancement makes even renowned experts reconsider what is possible.
• The value of experience: A short fight gives Jiang Ming useful insight because he finally uses his full strength.
• Survival and caution: The massacre serves as a warning that cultivation is not only about fighting; staying alive is essential.
• Reputation and slander: Jiang Taixu recalls how others distorted his past victory over the Sun King, showing how fame can invite unfair accusations.

Character interactions

• Jiang Taixu, Gu Qingyao, the Madman, and Wei Yi discuss how soon Jiang Ming might become a Saint, even wagering rare techniques over their predictions. Fairy Caiyun is astonished by their confidence, given how long it took her to reach sainthood.
• The companions divide up the remaining enemies and fight their own battles, while Jiang Ming lets them prove themselves.
• The major holy lands arrive too late to help. Their leaders use the assassins’ return as a lesson for their younger generation to avoid reckless overconfidence.

Key plot points and events

• Holy Masters discuss the threat posed by assassins from the Human World and Hell. Jiang Ming had easily exposed and defeated the two elite killers using his Heavenly Eye and overwhelming, concentrated attacks.
• The group arrives at Sacred Cliff, a range of mountains torn from Undying Mountain long ago by a Great Accomplished Sacred Body, who used it as a training ground.
• Pressed by Jiang Ming and the others, Black Emperor reveals that the Sacred Body was the last to achieve Great Accomplishment, doing so before Emperor Wushi’s era. Later, the Dark Supremes cursed the Saint Body lineage to prevent another from reaching that level.
• Black Emperor explains that Emperor Wushi left powerful formations and the God-Sealing List at Sacred Cliff. The formations protect the site and contain the power of one of Wushi’s hands, including his killing art, Heaven-Shielding One Hand.
• As the group explores, Black Emperor tries to navigate the formations but is struck by a lightning bolt after making a mistake—a reminder of how Emperor Wushi used to correct his lessons.
• Black Emperor privately mourns Wushi and asks why he was left behind. Jiang Ming reads his thoughts and tells him that Wushi is still alive, but refuses to explain further.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming shows his tactical ruthlessness in battle and his knowledge of history. He also recognizes Black Emperor’s loyalty and offers him a tantalizing hint, deliberately withholding the rest.
• Black Emperor shifts from boastful guide to a vulnerable, grieving companion. His longing for both Immortal King Wuzhong and Emperor Wushi reveals a deep, enduring loyalty. His frustration with Jiang Ming’s mind-reading and evasive answer provides comic relief.
• Jiang Taixu reacts tensely to Emperor Wushi’s formations, suggesting they recall painful past experiences.
• Ye Fan and the others pressure Black Emperor to disclose the Sacred Body’s history, then accompany him into the dangerous site.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and loss: Black Emperor’s continued search for those he has lost gives emotional weight to the chapter.
• Suppressed potential and fear of power: The Dark Supremes’ curse on the Sacred Body lineage reflects their fear of a rival strong enough to threaten them.
• Legacy and preparation: Emperor Wushi’s formations and safeguards show how his influence persists long after his apparent disappearance.
• Knowledge withheld: Black Emperor’s evasions and Jiang Ming’s half-answer reinforce the chapter’s playful pattern of secrets, hints, and frustrated curiosity.

Plot points

• Jiang Ming studies Emperor Wushi’s Formation Patterns as the group crosses the ominous Sacred Mountain. The Black Emperor and Jiang Taixu teach him, while Ye Fan can follow some of the material through its overlap with Source Arts.
• The group encounters a series of eerie animals and then a Human-Faced Owl perched above a nest of human bones. When it attacks by hurling a skull, Jiang Ming kills it with sword intent.
• The travelers discuss how Wushi’s formations have tested people such as the Red Dragon Daoist and Gu Tianshu, pushing them toward greater cultivation while leaving a narrow chance to survive.
• The Black Emperor confidently leads the group but is repeatedly struck by lightning from the formations. After Jiang Taixu helps him understand that the patterns have changed since his last visit, the humbled Black Emperor stops leading from the front.
• Jiang Ming takes over, deliberately enduring the lightning strikes to study the formations and temper himself. His healing techniques and Temporal Restart allow him to recover and turn the ordeal into cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming shows curiosity, confidence, and resilience: he absorbs guidance from others, kills the threatening owl, and uses the formations’ attacks as a chance to improve.
• The Black Emperor shifts from boastful certainty to humility after his outdated knowledge repeatedly fails. He continues assisting Jiang Ming and exchanges insights with Jiang Taixu.
• Jiang Taixu serves as a knowledgeable guide, correcting the Black Emperor and helping the group navigate the patterns.
• The companions react with unease to the mountain’s creatures; Pang Bo, the Yaochi Sacred Maiden, Jiang Tingting, and Nannan voice or show their fear. Ye Fan and the others question the Black Emperor about his suspicious familiarity with the formations, but he evades them.

Significant themes

• Knowledge must keep pace with change: even the Black Emperor’s extensive experience proves unreliable when Wushi’s formations have been altered.
• Danger as a path to growth: the formations are deadly but can refine those who survive them.
• Courage and adaptability: Jiang Ming meets danger by learning from it, while the Black Emperor must accept correction and adjust his approach.
• The mountain’s ominous atmosphere: folklore, strange creatures, and human remains reinforce the Sacred Mountain’s history of death and peril.

Key plot points

• The group reaches a clear lake near the Sacred Mountain and spots a twenty-thousand-year-old life-restoring herb. When the Big Black Dog tries to take it, a powerful corpse-monster attacks.
• God-King Jiang Taixu effortlessly subdues the monsters in the lake, including one hidden in a bone palanquin. He gives the herb to the dog and lets Jiang Ming keep the corpses to refine into Dao weapons.
• A sinister humanoid creature appears nearby. The Black Emperor recognizes that it may have escaped a seal Emperor Wushi placed more than a hundred thousand years ago. Jiang Ming warns that ancient beings can survive far beyond ordinary lifespans, though Emperor Wushi’s formations should offer some protection.
• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden reveals an ancestral warning that a fallen god lies beneath the Sacred Mountain. Yan Ruyu reassures the group by displaying the Azure Emperor’s Weapon.
• As they continue, they collect several rare herbs and discover a silver scale likely belonging to a Quasi-Emperor, as well as Divine Source.
• The Black Emperor shares a fragment of Emperor Wushi’s Formation Patterns. The group studies it for nine days, with the Madman and Jiang Taixu gaining the most. Jiang Ming memorizes the patterns, while Ye Fan uses a Bodhi Seed to aid his understanding.

Character developments and interactions

• The Black Emperor’s greed remains prominent: he rushes for the herb, celebrates receiving it, and reluctantly shares the formation fragment after pocketing the scale. Tu Fei teases him, prompting an emphatic defense of the fragment’s value.
• Jiang Taixu demonstrates overwhelming power and generosity, protecting the party and rewarding Jiang Ming and the dog.
• Jiang Ming shows caution and insight, identifying the danger of long-lived beings and encouraging the group while explaining the protection offered by Wushi’s formations.
• The Madman’s rare warning underscores the threat posed by the escaped creature. The Yaochi Sacred Maiden contributes knowledge of her sect’s warning, while Yan Ruyu provides reassurance through the Emperor Armament.
• The group studies cooperatively, though their results vary according to cultivation and aptitude. The Yaochi Sacred Maiden recognizes similarities between the fragment and formations she has seen before.

Significant themes

• Danger and opportunity coexist: the Sacred Mountain offers priceless treasures but is filled with formidable threats.
• The past remains active: ancient seals, weapons, formations, and beings continue to shape the present.
• Knowledge is a treasure: even a fragment of an Emperor’s inheritance can be more valuable than rare materials.
• Power and preparedness matter: protection comes not only from strength, but also from inherited knowledge, artifacts, and careful judgment.

Plot points and events

• The group finishes studying Emperor Wushi’s inheritance and prepares to continue through the Sacred Mountain. Yan Ruyu reports gaining the Azure Emperor’s teachings on Formation Patterns; the Yaochi Fairy recognizes the patterns, and Jiang Taixu says Wushi’s fragment has opened a new realm of understanding for him.
• Jiang Taixu repays the Black Emperor by teaching him a secret art from the Hengyu Scripture for nurturing Inner True Flame. Gu Qingyao also teaches the dog the Nine Secrets technique Lin, balancing earlier exchanges and making clear that the group does not want to exploit him.
• The party reaches a mountain filled with pale-golden Sun True Flame. The Black Emperor hopes to cultivate a flame seed there. Jiang Ming explains that a Three-Legged Golden Crow lives within the flames and carries an inheritance of the Human Race’s Sun Scripture.
• Jiang Ming asks the others to prevent the Golden Crow from escaping. The Madman, Wei Yi, and Gu Qingyao attack suddenly and kill it. Its death causes blood rain, an omen associated with the fall of a Sage.
• The group camps at the mountain. They cook the Golden Crow’s meat in the Lihuo Divine Furnace, which removes the dangerous killing intent from it. Jiang Ming begins using the Sun True Flame to strengthen his Black Sun Fire Seed and refine flame essence for himself and his companions.

Character developments and interactions

• Yan Ruyu values the Azure Emperor’s substantial inheritance and continues to benefit from Jiang Ming’s support.
• Jiang Taixu gains a major breakthrough from Wushi’s Formation Patterns and generously shares the Hengyu Scripture art with the Black Emperor.
• The Black Emperor eagerly pursues the prospect of becoming a “fire dog.” His exchanges with Jiang Taixu and Gu Qingyao deepen his ties with the group.
• Jiang Ming remains the party’s planner and provider, arranging the Golden Crow hunt and looking for ways to improve his own and his companions’ cultivation. He also silently mocks the Azure Emperor for taking on the impossible task of creating an Immortal Domain; the Azure Emperor’s Heart seems to react.
• The Madman remains a practical, taciturn figure: he helps kill the Golden Crow and immediately prepares the meal.
• Gu Qingyao, Wei Yi, and the others cooperate without hesitation, trusting Jiang Ming’s judgment and sharing knowledge and resources.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and legacy: The group benefits from the teachings of past Emperors, while the Golden Crow’s Sun Scripture offers another valuable inheritance.
• Reciprocity and fellowship: Characters exchange secret arts and assistance rather than taking advantage of one another.
• Ambition and its cost: Jiang Ming reflects on the Azure Emperor’s dangerously lofty ambition to create an Immortal Domain.
• Cultivation through opportunity: The Sun True Flame, Golden Crow’s remains, and shared techniques all become means for strengthening the group.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ming reflects on Jiang Tingting’s cultivation. He had used three Medicine Kings to preserve the last trace of true yang in her body, balancing her Lunar Body’s power. Tingting may now draw on Sun True Flame and, in time, use the Solar True Scripture to pursue the Quasi-Emperor realm—or forge another path.
• The group feasts on the Saint King-level Golden Crow, cooked with rare medicinal leaves. Jiang Ming saves Golden Crow Essence Blood for Crow Daoist and expects the nourishing meat and Sun True Flame to advance his own cultivation.
• The group finds the Solar True Scripture inscribed on a Quasi-Emperor beast bone. The text is in Primordial characters, which only Jiang Ming can read, so he recites the incomplete Human Race scripture for everyone to memorize and study.
• Nannan proudly reveals that she memorized the entire scripture. Li Heishui, Big Black Dog, Tu Fei, and Pang Bo immediately try to persuade her to recite it for them. Ye Fan, meanwhile, receives the Dragon Transformation chapter of the Supreme Yin Scripture from Jiang Ming to fill a gap in his cultivation.
• Jiang Ming spends three days refining Sun True Flame in seclusion. The others use the time to gather flame and study the scripture; afterward, the group continues across the Sacred Mountain.
• In a valley, they encounter a torrent of skulls spilling from a cave and a black-furred figure guarding it. Jiang Ming explains that the figure is an extraordinarily durable corpse monster, linked to a Supreme who once survived by devouring countless beings. He advises the group not to fight it, since they cannot damage it and the location is unsuitable for using Emperor Armaments.
• Black Emperor identifies the creature as the remnant arm of a Supreme from Undying Mountain. He recalls that Wushi had seen it before it gained sentience and had spoken reverently of Void Great Emperor, whose legacy and struggle Wushi deeply admired.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming acts as Tingting’s mentor and protector, shares the Solar Scripture with the group, helps Ye Fan address a cultivation shortfall, and restrains the party from a pointless battle.
• Tingting gains a possible future route toward the Quasi-Emperor realm through the Solar Scripture, complementing her Yin-Yang cultivation and specially designed Golden Flood Dragon Scissors.
• Nannan surprises everyone by memorizing the scripture, becoming the group’s unexpected source of knowledge.
• Li Heishui and the others reveal their eagerness—and lack of confidence in their own memories—by crowding around Nannan to ask for help. Big Black Dog is particularly astonished by Li Heishui’s shameless imitation of his own tactics.
• Ye Fan is disappointed that the Solar Scripture lacks the Dragon Transformation chapter, but accepts Jiang Ming’s alternative guidance.
• Black Emperor admits he cannot read the Primordial script, then contributes crucial historical knowledge about the black-furred creature and Wushi’s respect for Void Great Emperor.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and unequal talent: Ancient knowledge can transform a cultivator’s prospects, but remembering and understanding it depend on individual ability—unless someone like Nannan can help.
• Yin-Yang balance and self-determination: Tingting’s survival and future cultivation hinge on balancing opposing forces, while her path remains open to personal choice.
• The weight of history: The Sacred Mountain bears traces of ancient battles, emperors, and mass destruction; the skull-filled valley makes the past’s brutality physically visible.
• Prudence over bravado: Jiang Ming’s warning shows that recognizing an opponent’s limits—and choosing not to fight—is often wiser than rushing into battle.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ming reveals that an arm they encountered belonged to a source of the Dark Cataclysm. After its original owner was slain by the Void Great Emperor, it eventually developed sentience and power. He warns Ye Fan that his feud with Undying Mountain will eventually bring him into conflict with the remaining sources.
• The group reaches Samsara Lake, which shows glimpses of past and future lives. Nannan describes seeing herself on a Five-Colored Altar, a Ghost Face Mask, a purple star, and Jiang Ming crying. Jiang Ming stops Tingting from looking, fearing she might see a painful fate.
• Jiang Ming looks into the lake, but his vision is blurred and the water reacts violently. He eventually looks again, and the lake explodes. The system awards him the damaged Five-Element Mountain, a former True Immortal Weapon now reduced to a Quasi-Immortal Weapon.
• Jiang Ming jokingly tells Ye Fan that he saw Ye Fan’s future and past, including Nannan’s failed attempt to follow him from the Five-Colored Altar. He also teases the Black Emperor about Emperor Wushi’s appearance. The others are left wondering what Jiang Ming truly saw.
• After two days of travel and study, the group reaches the central Sacred Mountain. The land is stained dark red with the blood of a Great Accomplished Sacred Body who died fighting, not simply of old age.
• The Black Emperor recognizes that Emperor Wushi created the God-Sealing List to restrain the forces associated with the Sacred Mountain. Jiang Ming reminds him that Purple Mountain was Wushi’s training ground, making the target of the seal obvious.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming remains protective of Tingting and unusually curious about Samsara Lake. Its destruction and the system reward suggest his presence disrupts forces tied to fate and reincarnation. He continues learning formation patterns during the journey.
• Ye Fan is caught between Jiang Ming’s invitation and the Black Emperor’s warning not to look into the lake, and loses the chance when it vanishes. Jiang Ming’s account of his future and Nannan’s devotion unsettles him.
• Nannan reveals a glimpse of a future involving Ye Fan and the Five-Colored Altar, reinforcing her deep attachment to him.
• The Black Emperor is unusually serious about the danger of Samsara Lake, then becomes flustered by Jiang Ming’s teasing and embarrassed by his own failure to understand Wushi’s plan.
• Tingting is curious about the lake but is kept from looking by her father.

Significant themes

• Fate and altered timelines: Samsara Lake appears to reveal past and future, but Jiang Ming’s presence disrupts its visions, raising doubts about whether fate can still be read accurately.
• Sacrifice and moral ideals: The Sacred Body Lineage is portrayed as courageous and altruistic, while the Tyrant Body Lineage is associated with self-interest.
• Power and endurance: The Great Accomplished Sacred Body’s immense vitality made him a formidable opponent even to the Forbidden Zone Supremes.
• Legacy and hidden purpose: The Sacred Mountain, the dead Sacred Body, and Wushi’s God-Sealing List embody the lasting consequences of ancient battles and deliberate protections.

Plot and key events

• Jiang Ming and the group reach a sacred mountain where Emperor Wushi’s God-Sealing List still hangs above the summit, beside a stone coffin believed to hold the Great Accomplished Sacred Body.
• Jiang Ming explains the history behind the site: Wushi was consumed by his feud with the Immortal Emperor, while the Void Great Emperor spent his reign fighting the Dark Supremes and continued battling them even after his death.
• As the group begins climbing, Pang Bo wonders whether the Sacred Body’s corpse is dangerous because of its late-life “ominousness.” Jiang Ming and Tu Fei correct him, though Ye Fan is unsettled by the reminder that his own future may involve ominous transformations.
• The Black Emperor realizes the God-Sealing List contains the power of one of Wushi’s hands and warns that it suppresses something immensely dangerous. Despite the dog’s alarm, Jiang Ming insists they proceed, confident in their weapons and determined to obtain the Nine Secrets.
• The ascent proves perilous: deadly formations can destroy even a powerful weapon. Jiang Ming warns everyone to follow the safe path precisely, and the Black Emperor solemnly helps identify the patterns. The group continues cautiously, with Jiang Ming and Ye Fan sharing rare Enlightenment Ancient Tea.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming remains knowledgeable and composed, steering the group past arguments and insisting they continue. He also shows admiration for the Void Great Emperor and a personal reluctance to mistreat the Ji Family.
• The Black Emperor shifts from noisy bravado to genuine fear and vigilance after recognizing Wushi’s seal. He takes responsibility for helping the group navigate the formations.
• Ye Fan grows uneasy when Pang Bo mentions late-life ominousness, since Jiang Ming has warned that Ye Fan’s Source Heavenly Master Art may expose him to it.
• Pang Bo voices a wildly speculative theory about the corpse, prompting teasing and correction from his companions.
• Tu Fei challenges both Pang Bo’s theory and the Black Emperor’s panic; Li Heishui argues that the ancient threat may already be gone.
• Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden stay quiet and defer to Jiang Ming.

Significant themes

• The weight of the past: Emperor Wushi’s and the Void Great Emperor’s legacies continue to shape events long after their deaths.
• Sacrifice and relentless duty: The Void Great Emperor’s life is defined by his costly, prolonged war against the Dark Supremes.
• Caution before ancient power: The God-Sealing List and the mountain’s formations warn that the group is entering a danger beyond their strength.
• Humor amid danger: Banter about bloodlines and ominousness briefly lightens the mood, even as the group faces lethal hazards.

Key plot points and events

• As the group climbs Emperor Wushi’s Sacred Mountain, Jiang Ming shares Ye Fan’s precious Enlightenment Tea with the others, then focuses on studying the mountain’s deadly formation patterns with God-King Jiang Taixu, the Madman, and the Big Black Dog.
• Nannan spots people in the black mist. Jiang Ming recognizes them as the reanimated remains of travelers—some once Saints or stronger—who died after becoming lost in the formations. The group avoids confronting them.
• They find evidence that the Red Dragon Daoist reached the mountainside: a blood pit, his writing, and the roots of a Medicine King he apparently consumed. Jiang Ming believes the Daoist learned some of Wushi’s formations but eventually retreated.
• Higher up, the group sees the God-Sealing List and carvings of Shakyamuni and Laozi. Ye Fan and Pang Bo recognize them as legendary figures from Earth. Jiang Ming says both were Quasi-Emperors who came to the Big Dipper at different times, and that they are likely still alive.
• A powerful corpse-creature follows the group. The Madman borrows Yan Ruyu’s Emperor Armament, an Azure Lotus, and attacks it. The creature is then struck by Wushi’s formation, while the Big Black Dog concludes that the Immortal Daoist—apparently sealed in Divine Source—may be behind the threat.
• After the group spends a day and night blocked by another formation, Wei Yi reveals his progress: guided by a fragment of Wushi’s formation, he has become a Great Saint and can open a golden path toward the summit. The Madman shows he can do the same.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming remains the group’s knowledgeable guide, interpreting the dangers and historical clues while continuing to learn from the formation experts.
• Ye Fan is deeply moved by the Earth-born figures’ traces. Thinking of his family, he longs to return home and resolves to become stronger. Pang Bo shares his pride in their origins, though he is less burdened by family concerns.
• Nannan notices dangers and landmarks others miss, while gently teaching Jiang Tingting about the formations.
• Wei Yi’s breakthrough overturns his own modest claims about his skill and surprises the Madman.
• The Madman is increasingly transformed by the Sacred Mountain and appears close to the Great Saint Realm. Yan Ruyu trusts him with her Emperor Armament.
• The Big Black Dog shifts from mockery to respect once Jiang Ming explains the figures’ strength.
• Jiang Ming, God-King Jiang, the Madman, and the Black Dog cooperate cautiously, prioritizing the group’s survival over fighting every threat.

Significant themes

• Knowledge as survival: Understanding Wushi’s formations is more important than raw strength; even powerful Saints can die without it.
• Legacy and ambition: Shakyamuni and Laozi’s achievements inspire Ye Fan and Pang Bo to believe they, too, can rise.
• Homesickness and purpose: Ye Fan’s desire to return to Earth gives his pursuit of strength a personal urgency.
• Growth through danger: The mountain accelerates the Madman’s and Wei Yi’s development, rewarding those who endure and learn.
• The mystery of the past: The dead trapped on the mountain and the possible survival of the Immortal Daoist leave the group facing unresolved questions about ancient powers.

Plot points and events

• The group reaches the summit of Sacred Cliff by following a Dao-patterned road. Jiang Ming reflects on the Great Accomplished Sacred Body’s past battle against a Dark Cataclysm and the lonely fate that awaited him.
• They find Emperor Wushi’s enormous, well-preserved stone coffin. Big Black Dog jokes about harvesting the Sacred Body’s body for its value, prompting Jiang Ming to rebuke him.
• The group concludes that Nine Secrets: Xing is probably held by the former Heavenly Court Leader, who may have tried to consume the Sacred Body’s corpse to extend his life and become a green-furred corpse monster. Jiang Ming clarifies that Sacred Bodies afflicted by Late-Life Ominousness develop red, not green, fur.
• They discover marks and a star chart left by Laozi and Shakyamuni. Jiang Ming suspects Laozi’s chart points toward Ziwei Imperial Star and its hidden Great Emperor-level inheritance, which includes Nine Secrets: Shu.
• The party memorizes the clues and cautiously studies how to obtain Xing. Green fur and a chilling aura seep from the coffin, while Wushi’s formations make the summit dangerous to cross.
• The Madman proposes that everyone manifest Nine Secrets: Xing together to draw out its inheritance diagram. The group begins; Ye Fan takes the opportunity to practice the technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ming acts as the group’s guide and source of insight, identifying the likely connection between the Heavenly Court Leader and Xing. He also thinks privately about Yi Qingwu and the Goddess Furnace, imagining using it to arrange a future encounter.
• Big Black Dog reveals his greed by joking about the Sacred Body’s remains, then backs down when Jiang Ming and Ye Fan glare at him.
• Ye Fan demonstrates quick reasoning, independently extending Jiang Ming’s theory about the previous Heavenly Court Leader.
• Pang Bo and Tu Fei also contribute deductions, though Pang Bo initially mistakes the green fur for the Sacred Body’s Late-Life Ominousness.
• Tingting is unusually protected from the coffin’s danger by her powerful core flame and the fires Jiang Ming gave her. Nannan is even more exceptional: Dao-law-based powers do not harm her, apparently destroyed by an unexplained seven-colored light.
• The group cooperates in studying the star chart and preparing to uncover Xing, but remains wary of the coffin and its ominous aura.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and mortality: The Sacred Body’s heroic service bought time for others, but left him to outlive those he loved.
• Legacy and inheritance: Wushi’s preserved battlefield, Laozi’s star chart, and the Nine Secrets all carry knowledge forward across ages.
• Caution before power: The group seeks a powerful technique but must navigate lethal formations and the possible threat within the coffin.
• Humor amid danger: Big Black Dog’s greed and Jiang Ming’s irreverent private schemes provide comic relief against the chapter’s grave history.

Plot and events

• The Stone Coffin reacts to the group studying Nine Secrets: Xing, and a Dao diagram emerges. The first version is incomplete, but the Madman allows everyone to study it, giving them a chance to learn the technique and obliging them to learn the portion he contributed.
• Jiang Ming uses the Spirit-Bright Divine Ape’s talent to memorize the diagram quickly, but realizes that part of it is obscured. The Madman clears the green hair from the coffin, provoking a supernatural reaction.
• The mountain range trembles as a terrifying presence stirs. To contain it, the group opens the coffin under the protection of the Wushi Formation Patterns. Its killing intent and corpse qi are immense, but Jiang Taixu shields the less powerful members.
• With the coffin open, the missing portion of the displayed diagram becomes visible. Ye Fan and Jiang Ming share Divine Spring tea brewed with Enlightenment Tree leaves, helping the group enter a state of heightened understanding. Jiang Ming rapidly copies the diagram, then begins trying to comprehend it.

Character development and interactions

• Jiang Ming remains quick-witted and generous, sharing rare resources to help his companions learn. He is especially close to Gu Qingyao and congratulates her on nearing the Great Saint Realm.
• Gu Qingyao reaches the threshold of the Great Saint Realm, an advance she attributes partly to the journey and her insight into Nine Secrets: Xing. The group warmly congratulates her.
• The Madman shows no possessiveness about his portion of the technique and takes the lead in clearing and opening the coffin. His progress suggests combat strength at the Divine Forbidden Realm.
• Ye Fan earns the Saints’ respect because of his Sacred Body potential, though Jiang Ming jokes that he should stand between the group and the awakening ancestor. Ye Fan is understandably uneasy about being asked to face a potentially dangerous corpse.
• Jiang Taixu protects the weaker cultivators from the coffin’s killing intent. Pang Bo’s trust and gratitude toward Jiang Ming are also emphasized, as Jiang Ming helped him and taught him part of the technique.
• Tu Fei and Li Heishui are less gifted at comprehending the technique, while Pang Bo and the more talented cultivators have better prospects.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and ability: Everyone receives the same chance to learn the secret technique, but what each person gains depends on their talent and effort.
• Shared knowledge and mutual aid: The Madman permits others to study his technique, and Jiang Ming and Ye Fan use valuable resources to help the group.
• The danger of ancient power: The attempt to access the coffin’s knowledge awakens a lethal force, showing that great rewards come with serious risks.
• Growth through companionship: The journey strengthens cultivation and relationships alike, with the group’s mutual respect and support becoming increasingly clear.

Key plot points and events

• The group studies the Nine Secrets: Xing, while Ye Fan brews Enlightenment Tea. Nannan innocently copies the diagram and unexpectedly masters its movement technique, vanishing at astonishing speed.
• Nannan appears above the open Stone Coffin. Ye Fan and Jiang Ming look inside and discover a blood-filled pit containing the green-haired corpse of the Heavenly Court Leader.
• Jiang Ming deduces that the Heavenly Court Leader fled to the Sacred Cliff seeking the Great Accomplished Sacred Body’s vitality, but was strangled instead. The Sacred Body’s corpse also appears corrupted by a sinister force.
• When the corpse reaches out, Jiang Ming escapes with Nannan, leaving Ye Fan behind. The corpse begins rising, and Ye Fan is trapped until Wei Yi pulls him clear.
• The Madman and Jiang Taixu’s attacks cannot harm the corpse. Jiang Ming realizes that the Immortal Daoist’s escaping aura and will have contaminated it.
• The Madman and Gu Qingyao combine their techniques to force the corpse back into its coffin. The group resumes studying, but the corpse rises again half an hour later.
• Despite warnings, the Great Accomplished Sacred Body emerges from the coffin, still holding the Heavenly Court Leader’s body. The Sacred Cliff shakes, and the corrupted giant advances on the group.

Character developments and interactions

• Nannan shows extraordinary innate speed and remains unaffected by the corpse’s terrifying presence; she warns the others when she sees it move.
• Jiang Ming demonstrates mastery of Xing and temporal techniques, quickly interprets the threat, protects Nannan, and directs attention to the scepter in the coffin.
• Ye Fan investigates the bodies with his Source Heavenly Eye, recognizes the strangulation, and is left exposed when Jiang Ming flees—but Wei Yi rescues him.
• The Madman, Jiang Taixu, and Gu Qingyao work together to suppress the corpse. Jiang Taixu notices that Gu Qingyao knows the Nine Secrets: Dou, which Jiang Ming taught her.
• The Black Emperor adds comic determination to the cultivation effort, unwilling to be outdone by the humans.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and rivalry: The group’s eagerness to learn Xing turns into playful competition.
• Corruption of the sacred: The Great Accomplished Sacred Body’s naturally purifying blood and imperishable body have been tainted by an evil influence.
• The limits of power: Even attacks by powerful present-day Saint Kings fail against the corpse’s Emperor-level body.
• Protection amid horror: Nannan’s innocence and mysterious protective aura contrast with the menace surrounding the coffin, while others risk themselves to defend the group.

Key events

• The entity controlling the Great Accomplished Sacred Body’s corpse is revealed as the Immortal Daoist’s evil spirit. As the group prepares for a fight, Ye Fan’s Sacred Body resonates with the corpse, halting the danger and allowing him to receive the Sacred Body Lineage’s inheritance and the Heavenly Court Scepter.
• The corpse briefly speaks, calling Ye Fan its descendant. Prompted by Jiang Ming, Ye Fan answers that he will surpass his ancestor rather than revive him.
• The God-Sealing List intervenes, returns the corpse to its coffin, and seals it again, suppressing the Immortal Daoist’s wisp of consciousness.
• On the way down, the group encounters the Immortal Daoist disguised as a ragged Daoist. Jiang Ming quickly invokes Emperor Wushi’s power, driving the spirit away before it can deceive them.
• Afterward, Jiang Ming cultivates in seclusion and makes major advances, including reaching the seventh transformation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and the ninth turn of his Great Freedom Dao Scripture. He also extracts the Solar True Formula’s inheritance and learns Solar Fist.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Fan gains a major inheritance and weapon, though his low cultivation limits the scepter’s power. He reaches the Fourth Stage of the Four Extremes Secret Realm and boldly declares he will surpass his ancestor.
• Jiang Ming remains composed throughout the threats, trusts that the corpse’s bloodline instincts will protect Ye Fan, and acts decisively against the disguised Immortal Daoist. His own gains reinforce his confidence in his cultivation and fortune.
• Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden each advance a realm after benefiting from observing the sages’ work at the Sacred Cliff.
• The Immortal Daoist is furious at being sealed and humiliated, but his weakened spirit cannot challenge the group and eventually flees.
• The Madman and Wei Yi stand ready to use the Azure Emperor’s Weapon when danger arises, while the God-Sealing List and Emperor Wushi’s lingering power ultimately resolve both threats.

Significant themes

• Bloodline and inheritance: Ye Fan’s Sacred Body connects him to a great predecessor and unlocks a legacy that had largely been lost.
• Power and restraint: Even formidable relics are limited by their wielder’s cultivation, while the Immortal Daoist’s ambition is checked by Emperor Wushi’s overwhelming authority.
• Opportunity through observation and effort: The group’s experiences at the Sacred Cliff yield breakthroughs, while Jiang Ming’s patient cultivation turns the expedition’s gains into further progress.
• Confidence and rivalry: Ye Fan’s promise to surpass his ancestor captures the chapter’s blend of reverence for the past and determination to exceed it.

Key plot points

• Big Black Dog, Li Heishui, Pang Bo, and Tu Fei emerge from seclusion to find Ye Fan and Jiang Ming undergoing tribulations. They flee through several overlapping tribulation zones, get struck repeatedly, and are forced to undergo tribulations themselves. Li Heishui uses Thunder Tribulation Liquid Jiang Ming gave him to help survive.
• Once the tribulations are over, the group reunites, shares grilled Golden Crow meat, and parts ways. Jiang Ming gives Li Heishui and Tu Fei Golden Crow leg bones that could be refined into powerful weapons.
• Jiang Ming rewards Crow Daoist for faithfully protecting Yan Ruyu with two drops of Golden Crow Essence Blood and releases him from duty so he can cultivate.
• Nannan chooses to remain with Ye Fan. Before separating, she and Jiang Tingting exchange a tearful farewell, and Tingting gives Nannan a storage sachet filled with treats. Tingting is also preparing to enter seclusion and advance to the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
• Jiang Ming equips Tingting for her future travels with powerful protectors and resources, including the Black-Patterned Blood Mosquito, saintly armor, and the Lightning Stone King Cauldron. He expects to see her again at the Yaochi Peach Banquet in two years.
• Jiang Ming takes Yan Ruyu and the Yaochi Sacred Maiden to the Azure Flood Dragon King’s Dao Field. Over the next year and a half, he helps Yan Ruyu advance through more than ten transformations. She reaches the Ninth Transformation of Dragon Transformation, and he places the Azure Emperor’s Heart in her Sea of Bitterness.
• Jiang Ming himself advances to the Eighth Transformation of Dragon Transformation and nears a breakthrough in the Great Freedom Dao Scripture: the Primordial Divine-Demon Dao Infant Realm. He decides he needs the Yaochi Sacred Maiden’s help to complete it.

Character developments and interactions

• Big Black Dog remains comically unlucky, fleeing the tribulations while loudly cursing. His two-legged sprint even astonishes Tu Fei.
• Li Heishui, Pang Bo, and Tu Fei turn the benefits of their time with Jiang Ming and Ye Fan into practical aid during their dangerous, unexpected tribulations.
• Crow Daoist has come to respect Jiang Ming after witnessing him defeat powerful assassins. Grateful for Jiang Ming’s reward, he leaves to cultivate, hoping to advance through Dao Severing.
• Jiang Tingting and Nannan share a close bond, made clear by their reluctant farewell and exchange of affection. Tingting is approaching a new stage of independence, while Jiang Ming trusts her preparations and protectors.
• Yan Ruyu undergoes a major cultivation breakthrough and is poised to transform into an Azure Lotus Dao Body as her bloodline becomes fully azure. She must now continue cultivating on her own.
• The Yaochi Sacred Maiden spends the year and a half in seclusion, strengthening her Innate Five Virtues constitution into an Innate Five Virtues Saint Body. Jiang Ming recognizes that she understands his feelings and will need her aid for his own breakthrough.

Significant themes

• Tribulation as both danger and opportunity: the group’s ordeal is perilous, but their prior training and resources help them turn it into progress.
• Growth through separation: Tingting, Nannan, Yan Ruyu, and Crow Daoist all move toward independent paths after receiving support from Jiang Ming.
• Preparation and mutual aid: powerful treasures, inherited blood, and the help of companions make future advancement possible.
• Cultivation and transformation: the chapter emphasizes changing bodies, bloodlines, and realms, with each breakthrough opening a new stage of life.