Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Zhizhi Had Put on Weight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Little One, the Phoenix egg of Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji, continues to grow rapidly because both parents feed it spiritual energy three times a day. It has grown from fist-sized to roughly two fists in size and is now noticeably heavier.
• Although Xie Xiuji has already refined the Ten-Thousand-Year Parasol Tree Heart and Phoenix Essence Blood into a magical artifact to help the egg, Little One still needs time to hatch. Because it is exceptionally well nourished, the parents estimate that it will hatch in about six months.
• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji spend much of their time watching over the egg, entertaining themselves with its chirping and movements.
• Song Zhizhi realizes they have never given the child a proper nickname. Their attempts—“Little White” and “Ball”—are rejected because they are already associated with other people or are too common.
• When Little One wakes and interacts with them, Song Zhizhi suddenly suggests “Jiujiu.” The name is gender-neutral, distinctive, and easy to say, so Xie Xiuji agrees. Little One officially receives the nickname Jiujiu.
• Xie Xiuji kisses Song Zhizhi while temporarily blocking Jiujiu’s Divine Sense. When Jiujiu asks what they were doing, Xie Xiuji humorously claims they were playing a “grown-up’s game.”
• After Jiujiu returns to sleep, Song Zhizhi, feeling recovered from childbirth, asks Xie Xiuji to spar with her.
• Xie Xiuji suppresses his cultivation to match Song Zhizhi’s Golden Core Middle Stage. Their swordsmanship is so similar that each feels as though they are fighting a reflection of themselves. The friendly match ends without a victor, leaving Song Zhizhi pleasantly tired and satisfied.

Character Developments

• Song Zhizhi is shown as a devoted mother who takes pleasure in caring for and naming her child. She has also recovered well after giving birth and is eager to resume sword practice, revealing her continued dedication to cultivation.
• Xie Xiuji demonstrates his role as both a careful father and affectionate husband. He helps nurture the Phoenix egg, thinks seriously about its nickname, and playfully teases Song Zhizhi while remaining attentive to Jiujiu.
• Jiujiu/Little One is developing quickly but remains very young and dependent. It communicates through chirps and Divine Sense, sleeps for most of the day, enjoys spiritual energy and parental attention, and reacts shyly when Song Zhizhi kisses its shell.
• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji’s relationship grows more intimate and comfortable, balancing parental responsibility with flirtation and affection.

Significant Themes

• Family and parental affection: The chapter emphasizes the joy Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji find in caring for their unusual newborn.
• Domestic happiness: Rather than focusing on conflict, the chapter portrays peaceful daily life—feeding, naming, playing with, and watching over Jiujiu.
• Growth and recovery: Jiujiu’s physical growth parallels Song Zhizhi’s recovery after childbirth and her return to martial practice.
• Intimacy and partnership: The couple’s affection, teasing, and shared cultivation demonstrate their close emotional and physical bond.
• Identity and belonging: Choosing the nickname “Jiujiu” marks the Phoenix child’s emerging place within the family.

Character Interactions

• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji jointly discuss possible names and reject unsuitable options.
• Song Zhizhi explains the concept of a nickname to Jiujiu, making the naming process a shared family moment.
• Xie Xiuji flirts with Song Zhizhi, leading to playful embarrassment and teasing while Jiujiu innocently observes.
• The parents comfort, feed, and play with Jiujiu before letting it sleep.
• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji later spar as equals, using their shared swordsmanship to strengthen their cultivation and enjoy one another’s company.

Chapter Summary: “Little One Turns One Month Old”

• Key events: One month after giving birth, Song Zhizhi puts on an old white nightdress and worries that her figure has changed. She asks Xie Xiuji whether she has gained weight, prompting him to “measure” her waist under the pretense of helping. His teasing quickly becomes flirtatious and physical. He confirms that her waist is slightly wider, but reassures her that it is a normal result of childbirth and should recover soon. He then hints that her chest has changed more permanently, provoking her embarrassment and annoyance.
• Character development: Song Zhizhi remains self-conscious about her postpartum body but is also familiar enough with Xie Xiuji to recognize his ulterior motives. She sees that he has become increasingly bold and shameless since her delivery, though she still responds with a mixture of resistance, shyness, and affection. Xie Xiuji, normally restrained and serious, openly displays his desire and playful side around his wife.
• Character interactions: Their exchange centers on teasing physical intimacy. Xie Xiuji pulls Song Zhizhi into his arms, touches and kisses her, and jokes that he is conducting an accurate examination. Song Zhizhi scolds him for turning a serious concern into an excuse to take liberties, while his reactions show that he understands her embarrassment and enjoys provoking her.
• Themes: The chapter explores marital intimacy after childbirth, postpartum insecurity, mutual attraction, and the comfort of a close relationship. It also contrasts Xie Xiuji’s outward solemnity with his increasingly mischievous behavior in private. The ending introduces Song Zhizhi’s lingering anxiety about their first intimate experience and uncertainty about whether he has become more skilled, combining humor with her vulnerability and anticipation.

Chapter Summary

• Domestic life and intimacy: Song Zhizhi worries that teaching Xie Xiuji the Spiritual Heart Art too thoroughly might somehow leave him “starving,” but Xie Xiuji distracts her with playful intimacy. Although she tries to keep her distance afterward, she naturally returns to his arms while sleeping, showing their growing comfort and affection. Their relationship is loving, teasing, and physically affectionate, with Xie Xiuji remaining considerate of her postpartum recovery.
• Postpartum month: Song Zhizhi spends her month of confinement peacefully, dividing her time among caring for Jiujiu, cultivating, sparring with Xie Xiuji, and enjoying married life. Her health, complexion, and cultivation improve considerably. Xie Xiuji also benefits from cultivating the Spiritual Heart Art with her, allowing his progress to surpass even his former practice of cultivating throughout the night.
• Jiujiu’s growth: During the month, Jiujiu rapidly absorbs spiritual energy from both parents and grows from an egg into a much larger, rounder form roughly the size of a soccer ball. Xie Xiuji continually upgrades his nests and has a spatial formation added to Jiujiu’s crib so it can accommodate his unusual growth. He also learns to interpret Jiujiu’s repeated chirps and begins teaching him family titles.
• Family gathering: On Jiujiu’s full-month milestone, Qingyu and Aunt Lan visit Scarlet Cloud Hall. Xie Xiuji introduces them to Jiujiu as his “Grand Master” and “Grandma Lan.” Aunt Lan praises the hatchling’s abundant spiritual essence and unusually early awakening, predicting that he will accomplish great things.
• Qingyu and Aunt Lan’s mission: Qingyu reveals that she and Aunt Lan must immediately leave on a sect mission. Demonic cultivators remain active throughout the Cultivation World, while the Great Elder of the Flowing Feather Sect is still missing. Qingyu has been ordered to lead an extermination campaign and install formations around more than three hundred nearby cities that can identify and attack demonic cultivators. Aunt Lan joins her because she suspects Shen Zhi is connected to the demonic cultivators and hopes to find and kill him in revenge for Feng Ling.
• Gifts for Jiujiu: Before departing, Qingyu gives Jiujiu a defensive formation capable of resisting a full-strength Spirit Transformation cultivator for fifteen minutes. Aunt Lan presents Fire Essence, a valuable resource especially suited to Wind Clan hatchlings and intended to help Jiujiu grow after hatching.

Character Development and Interactions

• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji: Their relationship has become deeply affectionate and comfortable. Their teasing intimacy is balanced by Xie Xiuji’s care for Song Zhizhi’s health and his emotional devotion.
• Xie Xiuji and Jiujiu: Xie Xiuji acts as an attentive father, designing increasingly elaborate nests and furniture for Jiujiu and patiently interpreting his sounds.
• Song Zhizhi and Qingyu: Qingyu is pleased by Song Zhizhi’s recovery and cultivation progress, while Song Zhizhi remains devoted to and supportive of her master.
• Aunt Lan and Jiujiu: Aunt Lan is delighted by the healthy hatchling and treats him warmly, though her affection exists alongside her determination to avenge Feng Ling by pursuing Shen Zhi.

Significant Themes

• Family and domestic happiness: The chapter emphasizes the peaceful, affectionate life Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji have built.
• Growth and cultivation: Both Jiujiu’s physical development and Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji’s cultivation progress demonstrate the benefits of spiritual energy, partnership, and care.
• Protection and responsibility: The gifts, spatially enhanced crib, and city-defense formations reflect the adults’ determination to protect the younger generation and the wider cultivation world.
• Unresolved danger and revenge: Despite the chapter’s warmth, the ongoing threat of demonic cultivators, the missing Great Elder, and Aunt Lan’s pursuit of Shen Zhi foreshadow continued conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Jiujiu reacts eagerly to the Fire Essence, but Song Zhizhi reminds her that she must wait until she hatches before she can eat it.
• Song Zhizhi’s postpartum discomfort has eased with medicine, though her body has not fully returned to its former shape. She remains self-conscious about how tightly her nightgown fits.
• On the day Jiujiu turns one month old, Xie Xiuji hints that he wants to be intimate with Song Zhizhi. She says she is tired and plans to sleep early, leaving him disappointed.
• Song Zhizhi is secretly teasing him. Concerned about their awkward previous attempt and hoping to avoid further discomfort, she decides to take the initiative this time.
• After Xie enters the bath, Song Zhizhi ensures Jiujiu is asleep, places a barrier around the crib, changes into alluring rose-red nightclothes, and slips into the bathing room.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi is playful and increasingly confident: she hides her intentions behind a refusal, then prepares to initiate intimacy on her own terms. She also remains attentive to Jiujiu and mindful of her recovery.
• Xie Xiuji is affectionate and eager, but respects Song Zhizhi’s apparent refusal rather than pressuring her. His usual composure gives way to visible disappointment.
• Jiujiu shows a lively, food-motivated personality, eagerly responding to the Fire Essence despite being unable to eat it yet.

Significant themes

• Marital intimacy and mutual care: Desire is balanced with consideration for comfort and consent.
• Postpartum recovery and body image: Song Zhizhi navigates physical changes while gradually regaining confidence.
• Playfulness in married life: Teasing and concealed intentions create a light, affectionate dynamic.

Character interactions

• Song Zhizhi gently teases Jiujiu about the Fire Essence and puts her needs first by protecting her sleep.
• Xie Xiuji makes a tentative advance; Song Zhizhi appears to turn him down, but privately plans to surprise him.
• The chapter ends as Song Zhizhi approaches Xie in the bath, setting up a private moment between them.

Plot points and events

• Song Zhizhi sneaks into the bathing pool intending to seduce Xie Xiuji, but he spots her immediately.
• She orders him to look away and pretend not to notice. He plays along while she massages his shoulders and flirts with him.
• When Xie grabs her hand, Song falls into the pool and lands in his arms. They continue their teasing exchange, with Xie agreeing to let her tie his hands under the pretext of giving him a meridian-soothing massage.
• Song uses her gauze robe as a makeshift rope and warns him not to break free. Xie agrees, visibly affectionate despite the flimsy restraint.
• Song kisses his chin and throat, then presses his bound hands down and insists that she be allowed to take the lead.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Zhizhi is nervous but determined to take the initiative. Her bold seduction is mixed with playful awkwardness, and she tries to control the situation through teasing and mock authority.
• Xie Xiuji is perceptive enough to detect her from the start, yet willingly follows her lead. His restraint and teasing give way to clear desire and tenderness.
• Their exchange balances Song’s assertiveness with Xie’s indulgence: he lets her set the pace, while she repeatedly checks that he will not break free.

Significant themes

• Intimacy and trust: Xie’s willingness to be bound—despite being able to escape easily—shows his confidence in Song and his affection for her.
• Role reversal and agency: Song deliberately takes charge, reversing their usual dynamic.
• Playful desire: Their flirtation uses mock commands, teasing, and restraint to build romantic tension.

Key plot points

• Song Zhizhi’s attempt to keep up with Xie Xiuji during their night in the water leaves her exhausted; when a wave knocks her off balance, Xie catches and carries her to safety.
• The next morning, Song wakes sore and drained. Xie tenderly uses spiritual energy to ease her aches, and she falls asleep again.
• After a short rest, Song recovers quickly thanks to her Golden Core cultivation and finds Xie in the courtyard teaching the month-old Jiujiu the Heart Sutra.

Character developments

• Xie’s usually controlled demeanor gives way to intense emotion and deep tenderness toward Song. He appears delighted after their night together and patiently cares for her afterward.
• Song is playful and ambitious but quickly discovers her limits. Though exhausted, she shows her familiar humor and affection, especially with Jiujiu.
• Jiujiu is still a tiny, dependent chick, but she responds eagerly to Song and can apparently understand their conversation.

Character interactions

• Xie rescues Song from the surf and comforts her, then looks after her when she wakes.
• Song teases and protests when Xie touches her sore muscles, but accepts his healing once he explains what he is doing.
• Jiujiu leaves Xie’s lesson as soon as Song appears, chirping happily and telling her that she missed her and was instructed not to disturb her.

Significant themes

• Intimacy and care: Xie’s desire and restraint are contrasted with his gentleness and attentiveness afterward.
• Humor and domesticity: Song’s exhaustion, her teasing, and Xie’s improbable Heart Sutra lesson for a one-month-old chick create a light, affectionate tone.
• Growth and resilience: Song’s recovery highlights her increased strength as a Golden Core cultivator, even as she learns to respect her physical limits.

Key plot points and events

• After a late night together, Song Zhizhi awkwardly explains to Jiujiu that she slept in because she was “cultivating.” Xie Xiuji quietly shares her embarrassment.
• Xie prepares Song’s favorite dishes, while Jiujiu eagerly asks for a taste. Song promises the egg-bound child fish after it hatches, though Jiujiu cannot yet understand how long the promised five months will be.
• The family spends a peaceful day together: Song plays with Jiujiu and cultivates, Xie handles sect work and builds a larger nest for the rapidly growing egg.
• After Jiujiu falls asleep, Xie and Song retreat to their room. Outside, another storm brings heavy rain and snow, leaving Song awake for much of the night.
• Xie later carries her to a warm Spirit Spring bath and cares for her tired body. She sleeps late again the next morning.
• The following section reflects on how Xie’s enormous stamina—and Song’s recent cultivation advancement—has made their intimacy exhausting for her. The author’s closing note hints at an earlier clothing detail readers may have missed.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi is affectionate and attentive as a mother, but also embarrassed by her relationship with Xie. Her stronger cultivation lets her endure more, though she recognizes that it has a downside.
• Xie Xiuji shows domestic care by cooking, tending to Jiujiu’s needs, and bathing Song after the long night. At the same time, his desire and stamina are portrayed as nearly inexhaustible.
• Jiujiu remains a playful, dependent child: she wants the food her parents are eating, looks forward to hatching, and tries to follow her mother’s advice about bedtime.

Significant themes

• Domestic harmony: Family routines, shared caretaking, and quiet work create a sense of peace.
• Intimacy and its costs: The romance is passionate, but the imbalance in stamina leaves Song exhausted.
• Cultivation as a double-edged gift: Greater strength improves Song’s resilience while also enabling Xie to be less restrained.
• Nature as an echo of emotion: The recurring storm and rain frame the couple’s private intensity and disrupt the otherwise calm household.

Character interactions

• Song and Xie exchange embarrassed glances over the previous night, then settle into a cooperative family routine.
• Song comforts and indulges Jiujiu, while Xie contributes through cooking, making a nest, and protecting the sleeping egg with a barrier.
• Song initially hesitates to leave Jiujiu asleep, but Xie reassures her. Later, he tends to Song in the bath while she is too tired to resist his care.

Plot points and events

• Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji spend a long stretch together, and their relationship grows more intimate. Despite the distractions, Song Zhizhi continues cultivating and reaches the Late Golden Core Stage by the time their unborn child, Jiujiu, is two months along.
• Nearly a year after arriving in this world, Song Zhizhi reflects on how dramatically her life has changed: she is now a cultivator, Xie Xiuji’s wife, and soon-to-be mother.
• After Xie Xiuji destroys a Demonic Cultivator stronghold, the major sects intensify their investigations. Several hidden Demonic Cultivators are exposed, and a temporary calm settles over the Cultivation World.
• That calm ends when Demonic Cultivators massacre Xingling City, Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao’s hometown. Song Zhizhi learns that her uncle, the Song Family Head, survived but was gravely wounded while helping defend the city; Madam Song is safe.
• Song Zhizhi insists on returning to assess the damage. Xie Xiuji agrees to accompany her, and Song Miaomiao joins them. They travel quickly through the Void, bringing Jiujiu’s egg and nest.
• On arriving, they find Xingling City badly damaged and nearly deserted. The streets are strewn with rubble and blood, and mourning cloth hangs from many homes. The chapter ends as they approach the Song Household’s estate, where the aftermath of a fierce battle is still visible.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Zhizhi has grown markedly in cultivation and adjusts to her new life while remaining emotionally connected to her family and hometown.
• Xie Xiuji shows both affection and respect for Song Zhizhi: he does not try to dissuade her from returning, understanding he would make the same choice in her place, and offers to go with her.
• Song Miaomiao and Song Zhizhi act together as sisters, coordinating their return after learning of the attack.
• Song Zhizhi’s anxiety about her family is immediate and intense, while Xie Xiuji’s grim report confirms the danger without concealing her uncle’s condition.

Significant themes

• Peace as fragile: The lull after the sects’ crackdown proves temporary; surviving Demonic Cultivators remain a threat.
• Family loyalty and responsibility: Song Zhizhi risks returning to a dangerous city because of her concern for her relatives and hometown.
• Change and growth: Her reflection on the past year highlights her transformation in identity, power, and family life.
• Love expressed through support: Xie Xiuji’s willingness to accompany Song Zhizhi reflects a partnership built on understanding and shared commitment.

Chapter Summary: Golden Core Shattered

Plot and Key Events

• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao return to Xingling City after a massacre by Demonic Cultivators and find the city severely damaged. The Song Household residence has lost its gate and much of its walls, though its Protective Formation remains intact.
• Madam Song welcomes them and assures them that the Song Family Head survived, though he was seriously injured and is currently sleeping after taking medicine.
• The sisters learn that the attack began in the western district, where several households were slaughtered. Demonic Cultivators later appeared in the northern and southern districts as well.
• The attackers had somehow entered the city despite intact gates and gate guards capable of identifying lower-level Demonic Cultivators. Most of the intruders were in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment Realms.
• The true danger was a mysterious Demonic Cultivator at the peak of the Late Golden Core Stage, nearly capable of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. The Song Family Head and several other Golden Core cultivators fought and drove the figure away, but both sides suffered severe injuries.
• The primary attacker used countless thumb-sized black insects that consumed flesh, blood, and spiritual power. Ordinary spiritual barriers could not stop them, and many cultivators were reduced to skeletons.
• Xie Xiuji identifies the attacker’s methods as resembling those of secluded southwestern Gu Masters, rare cultivators who specialize in controlling insects. However, he has never encountered one personally and knows little about their techniques.
• Song Zhizhi concludes that the Gu Master specifically targeted cultivators because the insects were drawn to spiritual power, explaining why many ordinary mortals survived.

Character Developments

• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao: Their concern for their family deepens as they confront the devastation in Xingling City. They remain composed enough to investigate the attack and analyze the enemy’s motives.
• Madam Song: Initially exhausted and grief-stricken from defending the city, she regains confidence after seeing Xie Xiuji and recounts the attack in detail.
• Song Family Head: Though badly injured after fighting the mysterious Gu Master, he is alive and not in immediate danger, relieving his daughters’ fears.
• Xie Xiuji: Demonstrates his authority and experience by suppressing Madam Song’s impulse to reveal his identity and by recognizing the possible connection to Gu Masters. His knowledge remains limited, emphasizing how rare and mysterious this enemy is.
• The Gu Master: Emerges as a powerful, unknown antagonist whose identity, gender, motives, and method of entering the city remain unclear.

Significant Themes

• Vulnerability and devastation: Even a protected city and powerful cultivators can be overwhelmed by a hidden, unconventional threat.
• The limits of conventional defenses: Spiritual barriers and city-gate inspections are ineffective against the Gu Master’s insects, highlighting the danger of unfamiliar forms of cultivation.
• Family loyalty and anxiety: The sisters’ immediate concern for their injured father underscores the importance of family amid crisis.
• Mystery and hidden powers: The rare Gu Master tradition introduces an obscure branch of cultivation and suggests a larger threat beyond ordinary Demonic Cultivators.
• Knowledge as a weapon: Investigating the attacker’s methods and understanding the insects becomes essential to surviving future encounters.

Character Interactions

• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao question Madam Song about their father and the attack.
• Madam Song explains the battle and the Gu Master’s terrifying abilities.
• Xie Xiuji quietly prevents Madam Song from publicly identifying him, maintaining discretion while taking command of the investigation.
• Song Zhizhi consults Xie Xiuji about the insect-controlling Demonic Cultivator, leading to the identification of the possible Gu Master connection.

Key plot points and events

• Song Zhizhi visits the recovering Song Family Head and learns that his Golden Core was shattered. His cultivation has fallen from middle-stage to early-stage Golden Core, and he is unlikely to advance further.
• Madam Song comforts Song Miaomiao, explaining that the Family Head knowingly risked his future cultivation to save thousands in Xingling City. He does not regret his choice.
• Song Zhizhi proposes that she and Miaomiao track down the wounded Demonic Cultivator and avenge him. Miaomiao agrees, and Xie Xiuji supports their plan.
• Jiujiu, Song Zhizhi’s egg-shaped child, calls out from Xie Xiuji’s storage pouch and declares a desire to help. Zhizhi reveals to Miaomiao and Madam Song that she is not wholly human and that her child is an egg. She also shares that her father is the Demon King.
• Madam Song accepts Zhizhi without hesitation as a child of the Song Household. Miaomiao is left stunned by the revelations.
• A new disturbance interrupts them: Song Miaomiao’s second aunt arrives to ask after the injured Family Head, accompanied by a young woman in yellow.

Character developments

• Song Miaomiao struggles with guilt and grief over her father’s injuries, but her resolve returns when Zhizhi invites her to seek revenge.
• Song Zhizhi acts decisively and openly shares her identity and Jiujiu’s origins with her family, trusting them to accept her.
• Madam Song demonstrates composure and unconditional loyalty, reassuring Miaomiao about her husband’s sacrifice and accepting Zhizhi’s unusual heritage.
• Song Family Head is shown to be self-sacrificing: he chose to protect the city despite knowing the risk to his life and cultivation.
• Jiujiu shows an eager, affectionate personality, calling Zhizhi “Mother” and wanting to join the hunt for the Demonic Cultivator.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and duty: The Family Head accepts lasting personal harm to save others.
• Family and belonging: Madam Song insists that Zhizhi’s origins do not change her place in the household.
• Resolve after loss: Miaomiao turns sorrow into action, while Zhizhi seeks justice for the family.
• Trust and disclosure: Zhizhi chooses to reveal secrets to relatives she believes will protect her.

Character interactions

• Madam Song comforts Miaomiao and frames the Family Head’s injury as the price of a choice he made willingly.
• Zhizhi offers Miaomiao her hand and recruits her to pursue the Demonic Cultivator; Miaomiao accepts.
• Jiujiu’s unexpected cries prompt questions from Miaomiao, leading Zhizhi to explain her child’s unusual nature and her own lineage.
• Madam Song responds warmly to Zhizhi’s revelation, while Miaomiao is too shocked to react at first.
• The arrival of the second aunt introduces tension: both Madam Song and Miaomiao appear displeased by her presence.

Plot points and events

• Second Madam Song arrives with her daughter, Song Yin, ostensibly to visit the injured Song Family Head, Song Zhenxu. She quickly makes clear that she also wants him to surrender the family-head position.
• She argues that Zhenxu is now too injured to lead and boasts that her husband and daughter have greater prospects. Song Yin, under thirty, has reached Golden Core and is a disciple of True Person Yaoyue.
• Second Madam Song belittles Song Miaomiao for pursuing sword cultivation, praising Song Yin’s faster progress in spell cultivation instead.
• Song Zhizhi notices that Xie Xiuji and Jiujiu are concealed from the visitors. She also recognizes that neither Second Madam Song nor Song Yin can discern her or Miaomiao’s cultivation, though she assumes they mistake it for concealed power rather than their true advancement.
• Zhizhi studies Song Yin and notices unusual details about her appearance. She senses something familiar or suspicious but cannot yet identify why, and asks why Song Yin was absent from the previous year’s Sect Tournament.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi is angered by Second Madam Song’s sexist assumptions about women and cultivation. She connects them to prejudice she encountered in her previous life and quietly begins scrutinizing Song Yin.
• Madam Song is protective of her family and openly hostile to Second Madam Song, but feels vulnerable because Zhenxu’s injuries have weakened their branch’s political standing.
• Second Madam Song is revealed as opportunistic and spiteful, using Zhenxu’s injury to press her branch’s claim to leadership while insulting Miaomiao’s chosen path.
• Song Yin remains mostly silent, projecting confidence and a faint arrogance. Her unusual appearance deepens Zhizhi’s suspicion.
• Song Miaomiao is targeted by Second Madam Song’s dismissive comparison, though her actual cultivation is far beyond what the older woman assumes.

Significant themes

• Sexism and personal agency: Zhizhi rejects the idea that girls should avoid demanding pursuits or accept narrower roles.
• Family power and ambition: Zhenxu’s injury becomes an opening for a rival branch to seek control.
• Appearances versus reality: Second Madam Song misjudges Zhizhi and Miaomiao, while Zhizhi notices that Song Yin may conceal a deeper secret.
• Quiet strength: Zhizhi and Miaomiao’s accomplishments are not yet known to their relatives, even as they face condescension.

Character interactions

• Madam Song challenges Second Madam Song’s supposed concern, while Second Madam Song responds with pointed insults and a demand for Zhenxu to relinquish the family-head badge.
• Second Madam Song compares Miaomiao unfavorably with Song Yin and criticizes sword cultivation for women.
• Zhizhi watches Song Yin closely; Song Yin notices and asks about it, prompting Zhizhi to question her absence from the Sect Tournament.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Yin returns after making a breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage and boasts about her progress, privately viewing Song Zhizhi as inferior and considering Song Miaomiao her only true rival.
• Song Miaomiao reveals that she has already reached the Late Golden Core Stage, shocking both Song Yin and Second Madam Song.
• After Second Madam Song insults and provokes her, Song Miaomiao orders her to leave the household, giving her ten breaths to do so. She reinforces the threat by summoning the Black Tortoise Sword.
• Song Yin attempts to defend her mother and pressures Song Zhizhi to restrain Miaomiao, appealing to filial respect and hierarchy.
• Song Zhizhi refuses to be manipulated. She points out that Second Madam Song provoked Miaomiao and that, in the cultivation world, the strong are respected. She even warns them to leave because Miaomiao will carry out her threat.
• When the countdown ends, Song Miaomiao strikes the ground with her sword, shattering the bluestone beneath Second Madam Song and terrifying her into retreat.
• Second Madam Song curses Miaomiao, implying that she may die young, which enrages Madam Song. The second branch withdraws to its neighboring residence.
• Afterward, Xie Xiuji reappears and observes that Second Madam Song’s Golden Core aura is abnormal. Song Zhizhi wonders whether Song Yin—or someone connected to her—could be a Demonic Cultivator.

Character Developments

• Song Miaomiao demonstrates overwhelming strength and confidence. She is no longer willing to tolerate Second Madam Song’s provocations and uses her cultivation to defend herself and her mother.
• Song Zhizhi gains insight into Song Yin’s past manipulation of the original host. She recognizes that Song Yin deliberately encouraged the original Song Zhizhi’s jealousy and used her as a weapon against Miaomiao. Unlike the original host, the current Song Zhizhi refuses to take the bait and openly supports Miaomiao.
• Song Yin’s superiority is shaken when she discovers Miaomiao’s Late Golden Core cultivation. Her jealousy and hostility become more obvious, especially after Song Zhizhi refuses to cooperate with her.
• Second Madam Song is exposed as arrogant but weak in actual combat. Her reliance on pills and privileged status leaves her helpless before Miaomiao’s power.
• Xie Xiuji contributes an important warning by detecting something suspicious about Second Madam Song’s cultivation aura.

Significant Themes

• Strength and status: The chapter emphasizes that cultivation strength determines authority in the Cultivation World, undermining claims that age or family position automatically command respect.
• Manipulation and psychological control: Song Zhizhi realizes that Song Yin cultivated the original host’s inferiority and jealousy to manipulate her into opposing Song Miaomiao.
• Sibling rivalry and jealousy: Song Yin’s resentment of Miaomiao is driven by Miaomiao’s extraordinary talent and growing influence.
• Reversal of power: The supposedly dominant elders are humiliated, while Miaomiao—once targeted or underestimated—controls the confrontation.
• Hidden danger: Xie Xiuji’s observation introduces the possibility that the Song family’s internal conflict may involve Demonic Cultivation or another concealed threat.

Important Character Interactions

• Song Miaomiao and Second Madam Song: Miaomiao confronts her directly, threatening her with the Black Tortoise Sword and forcing her to retreat.
• Song Miaomiao and Song Yin: Song Yin attempts to lecture Miaomiao, but Miaomiao ignores her and continues the countdown, showing that she no longer acknowledges Song Yin’s moral authority.
• Song Zhizhi and Song Yin: Song Zhizhi exposes Song Yin’s double standards and refuses to act as her pawn, surprising and angering her.
• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao: Song Zhizhi supports Miaomiao’s decision, demonstrating a growing alliance between them.
• Xie Xiuji and Song Zhizhi: Xie warns Song Zhizhi that Second Madam Song’s aura is unusual, opening a mystery concerning the second branch’s true circumstances.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Xiuji determines that Song Yin is not a Demonic Cultivator, but has likely recently encountered one or handled something connected to one.
• Madam Song orders an investigation into the Song household’s second branch. The investigators find no suspicious dealings, but report that Song Yin’s aunt came to stay with the branch a year earlier. Though Madam Song has seen nothing overtly alarming about her, she agrees to investigate further.
• In the Song Chao’s old courtyard, Song Zhizhi reflects on her late mother and wonders whether the mother in this world was somehow the same person as the one from her previous life—and whether she herself is connected to the original Song Zhizhi.
• Jiujiu and Xie Xiuji comfort her, reminding her that she has family with her now. Later, sharing the cramped bed with Jiujiu, the couple steal a quiet, intimate moment.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Zhizhi trusts her instincts about Song Yin’s aunt and shows growing acceptance of her bond with the original Song Zhizhi. Her grief over her mother eases when Xie Xiuji and Jiujiu reassure her.
• Xie Xiuji supports Song Zhizhi tenderly and remains affectionate and attentive, even amid the family’s investigation.
• Madam Song takes the possibility of demonic influence seriously despite her reluctance, prioritizing the household’s safety and reputation.
• Song Zhizhi, Xie Xiuji, and Jiujiu share a warm family moment: Jiujiu eagerly insists she will stay with her mother, while Xie Xiuji offers his own comfort. The couple’s later intimacy highlights their closeness and ease with one another.

Significant themes

• Mystery and suspicion: Song Yin’s aunt becomes a possible link to the Demonic Cultivators, though evidence remains uncertain.
• Identity and connection across lives: Song Zhizhi wonders whether her past and present families, and her own identity, are mysteriously intertwined.
• Family, grief, and belonging: The support of Xie Xiuji and Jiujiu helps Song Zhizhi feel that, despite her loss and unanswered questions, she is not alone.

Chapter Summary — “Good Niece”

Key plot points and events

Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji are privately intimate when Song Yin repeatedly knocks on the door, interrupting them. Song Zhizhi sends Xie Xiuji away and speaks with Song Yin outside. Song Yin begins by provoking her, comparing her unfavorably to the exceptionally talented Song Miaomiao and suggesting that Song Miaomiao succeeds effortlessly because of her superior Spiritual Root. She then offers Song Zhizhi a way to become a genius by cooperating with her.
Song Yin gives examples of her previous schemes—using Spirit-Transforming Pills to harm Song Miaomiao or Spring Day Powder to prevent her from competing for an Inner Sect position. She claims to possess a Secret Art capable of grafting Song Miaomiao’s Spiritual Root onto Song Zhizhi. This triggers Song Zhizhi’s suppressed memories: Song Yin had previously manipulated her into plotting against Song Miaomiao. Song Zhizhi confronts Song Yin and declares that she remembers everything.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi becomes increasingly suspicious and assertive. Unlike the original host, she does not feel jealous of Song Miaomiao and recognizes that Miaomiao’s achievements come from genuine diligence rather than effortless talent. She also notices her body’s instinctive fear of Song Yin and realizes that she has forgotten something important. By the end, her memories return, allowing her to identify Song Yin as the source of her past corruption.
• Song Yin reveals her manipulative and malicious nature. She disguises her hostility with concern and innocence, exploiting Song Zhizhi’s former inferiority complex and jealousy. Her apparent knowledge of forbidden methods and her connection to the previous schemes make her a serious threat.
• Xie Xiuji is shown as protective and deeply attached to Song Zhizhi, though visibly irritated by Song Yin’s interruption. His killing intent briefly surfaces, but he respects Song Zhizhi’s decision to deal with the situation herself.
• Song Miaomiao is indirectly developed as hardworking and deserving of her cultivation achievements, contradicting Song Yin’s attempt to portray her as merely lucky or naturally gifted.

Significant themes

• Manipulation through insecurity: Song Yin attempts to control Song Zhizhi by reminding her of her weak Spiritual Root and comparing her to Song Miaomiao.
• Memory and recovered truth: Song Zhizhi’s forgotten memories gradually resurface, suggesting that her past actions were influenced by outside manipulation and that more secrets may remain.
• Hard work versus innate talent: The chapter challenges the belief that Song Miaomiao’s success comes solely from her Spiritual Root, emphasizing her relentless effort and discipline.
• Jealousy versus genuine admiration: Song Zhizhi has moved beyond the original host’s envy and now respects Song Miaomiao, showing her moral and emotional growth.
• Deception beneath innocence: Song Yin’s sweet, concerned demeanor conceals malicious intentions and possible dark powers.

Character interactions

Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji share a romantic moment that is repeatedly interrupted, highlighting their intimacy and Song Xiuji’s frustration with Song Yin. Song Yin and Song Zhizhi engage in a tense psychological confrontation: Song Yin tries to lure her into betraying Song Miaomiao, while Song Zhizhi resists and exposes her past actions. The chapter ends with Song Zhizhi openly challenging Song Yin rather than accepting her manipulative offer.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Song Zhizhi recalls the hidden truth behind the original owner’s attempt to drug Song Miaomiao with Spring Day Powder. In the past, Song Yin had first tried to manipulate the original owner into using the drug. When she refused, Song Yin released mosquito-sized Gu insects that attacked and incapacitated her. Song Zhizhi realizes the original owner may have been controlled rather than acting out of jealousy, suggesting that the novel’s account of events was incomplete and potentially misleading.
Song Zhizhi confronts Song Yin, asking about the insects and her connection to the Gu Master who attacked Xingling City. Song Yin admits that the Gu Master is her aunt, who used Gu insects to drain the cultivation of three Golden Core cultivators and is close to advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm. She also reveals that she previously used a Soul-Devouring Gu and a substitute Gu to control the original Song Zhizhi and force her to drug Song Miaomiao.
Song Yin then attempts to infect Song Zhizhi with an improved Soul-Devouring Gu. However, Song Zhizhi notices or reacts quickly enough to crush it with her hand. She captures the insect’s corpse in a jade bottle, leaving Song Yin shocked and undermining her confidence.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi gains a clearer understanding of the original owner’s past and begins to reconsider her previous judgment of her. She recognizes that the original owner may have been a victim of manipulation and mind control rather than a truly malicious person. Song Zhizhi also demonstrates increased confidence, strength, and preparedness by effortlessly killing the supposedly improved Gu insect.
• Song Yin is exposed as the mastermind behind the earlier incident and reveals her connection to the Gu Master. Her initial arrogance turns into disbelief and fear when Song Zhizhi survives and destroys the Gu.
• Song Miaomiao is indirectly recontextualized as someone who narrowly escaped being harmed through Song Yin’s scheme.
• Song Yin’s aunt is identified as the dangerous Demonic Cultivator responsible for the Xingling City attack.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The chapter emphasizes that the events described in a novel may only show a superficial version of the truth.
• Reconsideration and justice: Song Zhizhi questions whether the original owner was unfairly condemned and recognizes the importance of understanding people’s circumstances before judging them.
• Manipulation and loss of agency: Gu insects were used to control the original owner’s actions, raising questions about guilt and responsibility.
• Hidden identities and conspiracies: Song Yin’s confession links the personal conflict involving Song Miaomiao to the larger threat posed by her aunt and the demonic Gu cultivation.
• Strength and reversal of power: Song Yin expects to dominate Song Zhizhi, but the attempt fails instantly, shifting control of the confrontation to Song Zhizhi.

Character interactions

Song Zhizhi confronts Song Yin about their shared past and demands answers about the Gu insects. Song Yin boasts about her aunt’s power and explains how she controlled Song Zhizhi before attempting to attack her again. The confrontation reverses when Song Zhizhi casually crushes the Soul-Devouring Gu, leaving Song Yin speechless and frightened.

Chapter Summary: “Death of Song Yin”

• Song Zhizhi’s preparation and trap: Song Zhizhi anticipated Song Yin’s use of Gu insects and secretly protected herself with an invisible barrier of Phoenix True Fire, which could repel insects and fire-related attacks. After killing Song Yin’s Soul-Devouring Gu, she sealed its remains in a jade bottle and used a Recording Stone to preserve Song Yin’s admission that her “little aunt” was the Gu Master responsible for the previous night’s massacre.
• Song Yin attacks: Furious, Song Yin revealed her Early Golden Core cultivation and attacked with the Ice Thorn Technique. However, the ice spikes melted instantly against Song Zhizhi’s Phoenix True Fire. Song Yin then realized that Song Zhizhi had advanced dramatically and was now at the Late Golden Core Stage.
• Song Yin attempts to flee: Recognizing that she could not defeat Song Zhizhi, Song Yin tried to escape and seek help from her little aunt, who was also a Late Golden Core cultivator. She raised a water wall and summoned vines to delay Song Zhizhi, but turning her back on a Sword Cultivator proved fatal.
• Song Zhizhi cripples Song Yin: Song Zhizhi cut through the vines and water wall, destroyed Song Yin’s supposedly powerful protective artifact, and pierced her Dantian with the Vermilion Bird Sword. The attack destroyed Song Yin’s cultivation and meridians, leaving her incapacitated and in severe pain. The efficient, ruthless technique reflected Xie Xiuji’s influence and training.
• Song Yin’s final threat: Song Yin tried to deter Song Zhizhi by revealing that her little aunt had placed a Twin-Heart Gu inside her and would know if she died. This threat failed. Xie Xiuji emerged from the room, revealing that he had overheard everything and had learned that Song Yin’s little aunt was responsible for the Spring Day Powder that had once tormented Song Zhizhi.
• Xie Xiuji intervenes: Song Yin was shocked to discover Xie Xiuji’s presence and sensed that his power exceeded Song Zhizhi’s, likely reaching the Nascent Soul Realm or higher. She attempted to release a tiny Gu insect to warn her aunt, but Xie Xiuji detected it effortlessly with his immense divine sense, crushed it, and simultaneously destroyed Song Yin’s internal organs, ensuring she could no longer send a warning.

Character Development

• Song Zhizhi demonstrates careful preparation, rapid cultivation growth, and decisive combat ability. She remains calm and merciless once Song Yin is exposed, prioritizing both justice and the protection of evidence.
• Song Yin shifts from arrogant confidence to panic and fear after discovering that Song Zhizhi vastly surpasses her. Her attempts to escape and threaten Song Zhizhi reveal her dependence on her powerful aunt.
• Xie Xiuji shows intense protectiveness toward Song Zhizhi. His killing intent emerges when he learns how Song Yin’s actions contributed to Song Zhizhi’s past suffering, and he eliminates Song Yin’s final attempt to retaliate.

Major Themes

• Preparation overcoming deception: Song Zhizhi’s precautions allow her to defeat Song Yin’s hidden Gu techniques.
• Power, growth, and reversal: Song Yin expects to dominate Song Zhizhi but is instead overwhelmed by her astonishing advancement.
• Justice and vengeance: Song Yin is punished for her role in the massacre and for assisting the person who harmed Song Zhizhi.
• Protection and loyalty: Xie Xiuji’s intervention emphasizes his devotion to Song Zhizhi and his determination to destroy anyone who threatens her.

Chapter Summary — Page 157

Key plot points and events

• Song Zhizhi defeats Song Yin with a precise sword strike that destroys her Dantian and cripples her cultivation without killing her.
• Xie Xiuji is prepared to kill Song Yin, but Song Zhizhi stops him because Song Yin may possess information about the larger conspiracy and her aunt.
• Song Miaomiao arrives and initially assumes Song Zhizhi was attacked. She admires the precision of Song Zhizhi’s swordsmanship and even asks her to teach her how to disable an enemy’s Dantian.
• Song Zhizhi reveals the evidence against Song Yin through a Recording Stone, including Song Yin’s hatred, schemes, and involvement in the Spring Day Powder incident. She also presents the Soul-Devouring Gu preserved in a jade vial.
• Song Miaomiao realizes that Song Yin was responsible for controlling and ultimately killing the original Song Zhizhi. She also understands that Song Zhizhi’s strange behavior was caused by the gu, not by betrayal or malice.
• Song Yin is shackled with a Binding Spirit Ring, and Enforcement Hall disciples are summoned to take custody of her.
• When Song Yin refuses to speak, Song Miaomiao threatens to have her soul searched. Upon realizing that Xie Xiuji is the Sword Sect’s powerful Sword Venerable Mingxiao and can perform the technique, Song Yin breaks down and agrees to confess.

Character developments

• Song Zhizhi demonstrates both exceptional swordsmanship and restraint. Although she has every reason to resent Song Yin, she chooses to keep her alive for information and reassures Song Miaomiao that she is not to blame.
• Xie Xiuji displays his overwhelming power and fierce protectiveness toward Song Zhizhi, but follows her decision not to kill Song Yin.
• Song Miaomiao shifts from casual confidence to shock, guilt, and determination after learning the truth. She blames herself for having unknowingly contributed to Song Zhizhi’s suffering, but then resumes her role as an Enforcement Hall interrogator.
• Song Yin changes from defiant and vicious to terrified and desperate once she realizes her crimes are exposed and that a soul search is possible.

Significant themes

• Justice versus vengeance: Song Zhizhi restrains Xie Xiuji from killing Song Yin so the truth can be uncovered.
• Truth and mistaken blame: The chapter clarifies that Song Miaomiao was not the true cause of the original Song Zhizhi’s death; Song Yin was the murderer behind the Soul-Devouring Gu.
• Power and control: The Soul-Devouring Gu represents the extreme violation of a person’s body and soul, while the Binding Spirit Ring and soul-search threat show the Enforcement Hall’s methods of restoring order.
• Guilt and accountability: Song Miaomiao acknowledges her failure to notice Song Zhizhi’s abnormal behavior, while Song Zhizhi distinguishes ignorance from intentional wrongdoing.
• Hidden strength: Song Zhizhi’s growing swordsmanship and Xie Xiuji’s identity as a Sword Venerable raise the stakes and reveal the power protecting her.

Character interactions

• Song Zhizhi physically restrains Xie Xiuji and persuades him to spare Song Yin.
• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao bond over sword technique, even while Song Yin lies injured nearby.
• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao exchange evidence, leading to a shared understanding of Song Yin’s crimes.
• Song Miaomiao apologizes to Song Zhizhi, but Song Zhizhi forgives her and explains that they were both deceived.
• Song Miaomiao threatens Song Yin with soul searching, while Xie Xiuji’s presence and power force Song Yin to abandon her silence and agree to reveal everything.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Xiuji searches Song Yin’s soul before she can confess or resist. The process is excruciating, and Song Yin dies when her soul is destroyed.
• He records the memories revealed by the search. They show Song Yin and her aunt, Liu Guan, feeding people to gu insects so the insects can absorb their cultivation; Song Yin then absorbs the insects’ power and reaches Golden Core before age thirty.
• The memories also expose Liu Guan as the Gu Master Clan’s heir-maker and reveal the pair’s plans to seize control of the Song Household’s main branch. Their methods had evaded detection because the gu insects, rather than the cultivators themselves, killed their victims.
• Madam Song arrives and watches the recording. Furious at the betrayal, she learns that the second branch had been plotting against her family.
• Fearing Liu Guan and her accomplices may escape using gu insects that conceal their aura, Song Miaomiao and Song Zhizhi prepare to pursue them. Xie Xiuji agrees, viewing Liu Guan as a useful opponent for Song Zhizhi to test her newly advanced cultivation.

Character developments

• Song Yin is revealed as a deliberate accomplice in the exploitation and murder of people for cultivation, not merely a suspicious relative.
• Song Zhizhi volunteers to fight, showing resolve and a desire to consolidate her rapid advancement through real combat.
• Song Miaomiao takes the initiative to capture Liu Guan and supports action before the conspirators can flee.
• Madam Song moves from confusion over Song Yin’s death to anger at the long-running betrayal of her household.
• Xie Xiuji remains ruthless toward those who harmed Song Zhizhi, but also acts as a careful mentor by choosing a challenging opponent for her.

Significant themes

• Power gained through exploitation: Song Yin’s cultivation rests on treating human lives as resources, paralleling demonic cultivation.
• Deception and hidden evil: The use of gu insects concealed the perpetrators’ crimes and let them escape earlier investigations.
• Family loyalty versus ambition: The second branch’s desire for status and control has turned kinship into a cover for betrayal.
• Growth through challenge: Xie Xiuji believes Song Zhizhi needs combat to stabilize her rapidly gained strength.

Character interactions

• Xie Xiuji performs the soul search while Song Yin suffers, then shares the resulting evidence with Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao.
• Song Miaomiao presents the recording to Madam Song, who reacts with grief and rage at the family’s betrayal.
• Song Miaomiao volunteers to pursue Liu Guan; Song Zhizhi joins her, and Xie Xiuji approves while gently warning Song Zhizhi to stay safe.

Plot points

• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao prepare to confront Liu Guan, confident that their combined sword techniques can defeat her.
• Before they reach Liu Guan, Jiujiu wakes. Song Zhizhi pauses to comfort the child while Song Miaomiao goes ahead.
• Liu Guan’s mother, Second Madam Song, arrives with Song Yin’s broken life tablet. She is devastated to find her daughter’s corpse and attacks Madam Song, but Song Miaomiao wounds her in the Dantian and knocks her unconscious.
• Liu Guan reveals that killing Song Yin was part of a larger plan. Song Zhizhi deduces that Liu Guan arranged the attack in Xingling City to lure her back and target her, exploiting her bond with Xie Xiuji as a way to hurt him.
• Liu Guan is shocked to discover Song Zhizhi has reached Late Golden Core. Trapped by Xie Xiuji’s powerful Divine Sense, she summons a swarm of gu insects and attacks Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Zhizhi reassures Xie Xiuji that she will stay safe, then meets Song Miaomiao’s determination with a show of confidence and solidarity.
• Xie Xiuji removes the household barrier and remains close to protect Song Zhizhi, holding Jiujiu while she challenges Liu Guan.
• Song Miaomiao acts decisively, stopping Second Madam Song’s attack and preparing to fight alongside Song Zhizhi.
• Liu Guan’s composed confidence collapses as Song Zhizhi exposes her scheme and reveals her unexpected strength. Second Madam Song’s grief turns to hatred when she sees Song Yin’s body.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protection: Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji’s bond shapes Liu Guan’s strategy, while the sisters rely on one another in battle.
• Grief and revenge: Second Madam Song’s anguish quickly becomes an attempt at retaliation.
• Hidden strength and miscalculation: Liu Guan underestimates Song Zhizhi, whose rapid advancement overturns the plan.
• Consequences of scheming: Liu Guan’s plot is exposed, leaving her cornered and forced into a direct fight.

Key plot points

• Song Zhizhi and Song Miaomiao overwhelm Liu Guan with their sword techniques: Zhizhi’s Phoenix True Fire burns the gu insects, while Miaomiao freezes and shatters them. They had been using Liu Guan as a test of their growing strength.
• After Liu Guan strengthens the remaining insects with her blood, the sisters destroy them all and block her escape.
• Asked to identify her “young master,” Liu Guan feigns willingness to answer, then tries to self-destruct. Zhizhi anticipates the attack and pierces her Dantian, stopping it.
• Before Xie Xiuji can search her soul, Liu Guan destroys her own sea of consciousness and kills herself with a dagger, ensuring they cannot extract information from her.
• Zhizhi investigates Liu Guan’s belongings. Demon-Realm materials and a handkerchief carrying a faint demonic scent suggest her master is connected to the Demon Race—possibly Shen Zhi.
• Elsewhere, a subordinate reports Liu Guan’s death to the First Elder.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Zhizhi demonstrates control of Phoenix True Fire, tactical foresight, and hard-won combat experience. She protects Jiujiu from witnessing Liu Guan’s suicide and takes charge of investigating the evidence.
• Song Miaomiao proves an equally formidable partner, fighting in friendly competition with Zhizhi and showing powerful ice-based sword skills.
• Liu Guan remains fiercely loyal to her unnamed master, choosing a painful death rather than risk revealing his identity.
• Xie Xiuji watches Zhizhi with affection and is prepared to search Liu Guan’s soul, but her self-destruction prevents it.
• Madam Song rushes to warn Zhizhi when Liu Guan begins to self-destruct; Zhizhi has already acted.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Liu Guan’s devotion to her master drives her to destroy both her body and consciousness.
• Strength through testing: The sisters use a dangerous opponent to sharpen and demonstrate their abilities.
• Cunning and vigilance: Zhizhi sees through Liu Guan’s feigned surrender and prevents her escape-by-explosion.
• Unresolved mystery: The Demon-Realm clues point toward a larger threat and raise suspicion about Shen Zhi.