Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Sword Formation Complete, the Might of the Thunder-Smite Sword!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan continues traveling deeper into Thunderclap Marsh, using stance-walking to guide lightning through his body and strengthen his qi, blood, muscles, bones, and meridians.
• At roughly seventy miles deep, the extreme pain and accumulated lightning force trigger a breakthrough from Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to Late Stage. His body regenerates and becomes substantially stronger, but his stored reserves of qi and blood are completely exhausted.
• At eighty miles, he discovers the Thunder-Smite Mystic Fluid, but learns it cannot be transported: ordinary containers shatter, while even a spirit-artifact container causes the fluid to lose its special properties and become ordinary water.
• Ji Yuan reaches nearly one hundred miles into the marsh. Beyond that boundary, the lightning becomes violet-black and vastly more powerful. A single test strike pierces his protective qi and blood, injuring his meridians and organs, convincing him not to venture farther.
• He heals himself with Qi-Blood Pills, then spends an extended period refining his remaining Aperture-Tempering Pearls and most of his pills under the marsh’s lightning. His physique grows stronger, though he ultimately decides not to risk crossing the hundred-mile boundary.
• Ji Yuan summons his Ice Flood Dragon companion, Monday, to guard him while he condenses a new flying sword. Monday cools him with controlled breaths of cold air and later coils around him as protection.
• Ji Yuan absorbs the marsh’s rare violet Water Fortune, which contains lightning and causes severe pain throughout his meridians. After nearly ten days, he completes the absorption.
• Using his six existing Sword Embryos in a sword formation, Ji Yuan condenses the Water Fortune into the Thunder-Smite Sword, a purple lightning sword.
• The new sword releases powerful purple-black Tribulation Lightning, and Ji Yuan’s completed seven-sword formation tears through the thunderclouds, producing a strike with power comparable to that of a Pseudo-Core cultivator.

Character Development

• Ji Yuan demonstrates exceptional endurance, determination, and willingness to endure suffering for cultivation. Rather than retreating from the lightning, he intentionally reduces his defenses to maximize body tempering.
• His physical cultivation advances dramatically, first through continuous lightning refinement and then through his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
• He becomes more cautious after testing the violet-black lightning. Although ambitious, he recognizes the difference between challenging danger and courting certain death.
• Ji Yuan’s mastery of sword cultivation deepens as he successfully creates his seventh Sword Embryo and proves the extraordinary potential of his sword formation.
• Monday, the Ice Flood Dragon, is shown as both powerful and obedient. It protects Ji Yuan, carefully controls its dragon breath so as not to injure him, and reluctantly serves as his mount and defensive barrier.

Significant Themes

• Pain as a path to growth: Ji Yuan’s breakthroughs occur only after his body approaches collapse, emphasizing cultivation through endurance and transformation.
• Risk balanced by judgment: Ji Yuan repeatedly pushes his limits but ultimately stops before the violet-black lightning, showing that courage must be tempered by self-preservation.
• The harmony of opposing forces: Lightning and ice work together—lightning tempers Ji Yuan’s body and sword, while Monday’s cold breath relieves the damage and allows him to continue.
• Persistence and adaptation: Ji Yuan continually changes his methods, using stance-walking, pills, demonic assistance, and sword formations to overcome the marsh’s conditions.
• Power and limitation: The Thunder-Smite Mystic Fluid is immensely valuable but cannot be removed from its environment, while Ji Yuan’s progress is constrained by limited resources and the finite number of Sword Embryos.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Monday share a close master-and-companion relationship. Ji Yuan relies on the dragon for cooling, protection, and transportation, while Monday responds with loyalty despite confusion and reluctance.
• Ji Yuan jokingly threatens to pull off Monday’s horns if it slacks off, highlighting their familiar, irreverent dynamic.
• Monday protects Ji Yuan by surrounding him with its body during sword cultivation, while Ji Yuan trusts the Flood Dragon to guard him during his vulnerable meditation.
• The chapter ends with both Ji Yuan and Monday witnessing the completed sword formation’s overwhelming power, as the seven swords pierce the heavens and shatter the surrounding thunderclouds.

Chapter Summary: Tu Yue’s Foundation Establishment

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Thunderclap Marsh, the Lou Family’s ancestor, Lou Wanyi, investigates a massive disturbance caused by Ji Yuan’s sword practice. He determines that it came from a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator and decides not to interfere.
• Lou Wanyi takes control of the Lou Family’s major affairs and defends its strategy of secretly supporting multiple factions during the Orthodox-Demonic War. He argues that an enduring aristocratic clan must protect itself by “betting on both sides.”
• After three days of travel, Ji Yuan reflects on his recent gains:
  • His Azure Billow Sword Formation has become his strongest killing technique, with each strike reaching Pseudo-Core-level power.
  • The formation can be used three times before exhausting his spiritual energy, though Millennium Spirit Milk can restore him.
  • His Thunder-Smite Flying Sword is especially effective against evil and demonic cultivators.
  • His physical body has become strong enough to rival a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator without spiritual reinforcement.
  • He has also acquired the mysterious Truth-Piercing Divine Eye and the Ninefold Profound Yang Technique, though he does not yet understand the former.
• During his return journey, Ji Yuan kills a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage demonic cultivator with two sword strikes, despite being a lower realm.
• He passes through Joy Palace territory and sees a city under attack by demonic cultivators. He avoids intervening after discovering that Lady Meiru, an old acquaintance, has already reached the Golden Core Realm and arrived to defend it.
• Returning to Water Dragon Sect territory, Ji Yuan finds widespread disorder caused by the Orthodox-Demonic War but chooses not to interfere in every local conflict.
• After two years away, Ji Yuan returns to Cloud-Rain Marsh and Mist Island. He confirms that the Giant Toad is healthy and nearing the Peak Second Tier, though advancing further will require a major bloodline transformation or opportunity.
• Ji Yuan reaches Carefree Island and discovers that Du Wanyi has returned, though he postpones visiting her while he handles more immediate matters.
• He inspects the island’s accumulated resources:
  • Tens of thousands of Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and hundreds of thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
  • Large stores of Wishful Wine and Peerless Wine.
  • Numerous Spirit Eggs, Jade-Grease, Blood Essence, and Ice-Soul Cold Dew.
  • A rapidly expanding Spirit-Devouring Bee swarm, now approaching the 80,000-bee requirement for the Beehive’s upgrade to Level 3.
• Ji Yuan then focuses on Tu Yue’s advancement. Using ten fire-attributed Foundation Establishment corpses and three Foundation Establishment Pills, he activates the Mass Burial Ground’s upgrade function.
• Tu Yue successfully advances from Peak Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan returns much stronger, more confident, and better equipped after his dangerous journey. His swordsmanship, physical body, resources, and combat potential have all improved significantly.
• He continues developing separate identities and fighting styles: the upright Ji Yuan uses the Thunder-Smite Sword, while his darker identity, Qiu Qianhai, uses the Five-Poison Snake Staff.
• Ji Yuan shows growing responsibility toward his island, subordinates, and demonic companions, checking on the Giant Toad, Heavenly Silkworm True Person, the Spirit-Devouring Bees, and Tu Yue.
• Tu Yue achieves her long-awaited breakthrough and gains greater independence and power as a Foundation Establishment Corpse Puppet.
• Lady Meiru is revealed to have advanced from the Pseudo-Core Realm to Golden Core, demonstrating the rapid changes occurring during the war.
• Lou Wanyi emerges as a calculating and pragmatic family leader who values clan survival above ideals or factional loyalty.
• Lou Yi remains more morally hesitant, questioning whether the Lou Family’s opportunistic strategy is righteous, but ultimately accepts Lou Wanyi’s authority.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus morality: Lou Wanyi’s defense of supporting both sides reflects the harsh political survivalism of aristocratic clans during wartime.
• Accumulation and preparation: Ji Yuan’s growing stores of spirit stones, pills, wine, beasts, bees, and corpses emphasize the importance of long-term resource management in cultivation.
• Power through multiple paths: Ji Yuan advances simultaneously through swordsmanship, physical cultivation, spiritual energy, divine abilities, and external resources.
• Return and renewal: Ji Yuan’s return home marks a transition from dangerous wandering to consolidating his gains and strengthening his foundation.
• Limits of innate potential: The Giant Toad’s difficulty in advancing beyond Second Tier highlights the importance of bloodline and opportunity, not merely effort.
• Growth of companions: Tu Yue’s breakthrough shows that Ji Yuan’s success also enables the advancement of those under his protection.

Character Interactions

• Lou Wanyi dismisses Lou Yi’s moral concerns and orders him to leave all major family decisions to the ancestor.
• Ji Yuan defeats a demonic cultivator who threatens both him and a rogue cultivator, then reveals his true name to the rescued cultivator.
• Ji Yuan recognizes Lady Meiru during the defense of a besieged city but avoids interfering.
• Ji Yuan reunites with the Giant Toad, playfully suppressing it with one hand and assessing its progress.
• He checks on his island’s inhabitants and resources before assisting Tu Yue’s breakthrough.
• Tu Yue obediently follows Ji Yuan’s instructions, accepts the Foundation Establishment Pills, enters her coffin, and successfully reaches Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Chapter Summary: Purple Eyes; True Dragon

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tu Yue successfully advances to the Foundation Establishment Realm as a Corpse Puppet, completing the breakthrough in an astonishingly short time.
• Ji Yuan equips Tu Yue with several valuable items, including his former flying boat, bone claws, and spirit robes. He orders her to maintain and conceal the house and spirit field while he is away.
• Returning to the Water Dragon Sect, Ji Yuan notices that the sect has become subdued and depopulated because of the ongoing Orthodox-Demonic War.
• He encounters Fang Jie, an old fellow disciple who failed Foundation Establishment and now serves in the Discipline Hall. Fang Jie plans to travel to Shang Mountain to obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill and attempt the breakthrough again.
• Ji Yuan reaches Carefree Island and reunites with his master, Hua Yaoyue. He gives her three jars of wine brewed during his travels.
• Hua Yaoyue discovers the purple vertical eye on Ji Yuan’s brow. Ji Yuan explains that he obtained it from the Icefire Pool after encountering the Icefire Old Man, who possessed a similar eye.
• Hua Yaoyue identifies it as the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye, the inheritance of the powerful Purple-Eyed Clan.
• She explains that the Purple-Eyed Clan’s bloodline is nearly as prestigious as that of True Dragons. Their members are naturally powerful, and their divine eyes can fuse together to increase their strength.
• Those who inherit the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye without being members of the Purple-Eyed Clan are considered thieves and hunted relentlessly. Ji Yuan’s eye is therefore both a tremendous opportunity and a serious danger.
• Hua Yaoyue confirms that Ji Yuan obtained the eye’s original main body, while the Icefire Old Man possessed only a lingering, weakened remnant. The Old Man’s eye should eventually disappear.
• When Hua Yaoyue attempts to examine or remove the eye, it instinctively retaliates with a devastating beam. Hua Yaoyue redirects the attack through her Life-bound Dharma Treasure, the Amber Nightglow Cup, transferring the blast into the distant Boundless Marsh.
• Hua Yaoyue instructs Ji Yuan to conceal the eye’s existence and silence anyone who discovers it, promising to deal with the Icefire Old Man herself.
• She also reveals that Ji Yuan’s senior brothers, Ran Kui and Yun Qianzai, have returned, and proposes a gathering of all five master and disciples.
• The chapter ends with Hua Yaoyue asking whether the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye can truly see through all things.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes increasingly aware that his new divine eye is not merely a useful ability but a dangerous inheritance that could attract powerful enemies. Although initially fascinated by its strength, he becomes wary after learning about the Purple-Eyed Clan and accepts the need for secrecy.
• Tu Yue: Advances to Foundation Establishment and becomes much more agile and capable. Though she remains expressionless and emotionally unreadable, Ji Yuan treats her increasingly like an important subordinate or companion by supplying her with powerful equipment.
• Fang Jie: Is shown to have suffered from failing Foundation Establishment. He has aged visibly and carries bitterness beneath his polite demeanor, especially when comparing his status with Ji Yuan’s. Nevertheless, he remains determined to try again.
• Hua Yaoyue: Demonstrates extensive knowledge of ancient bloodlines and the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye. Her calm handling of the eye’s attack emphasizes her overwhelming power. She also shows concern for Ji Yuan while teasing and criticizing his dangerous instincts.
• Ran Kui and Yun Qianzai: Though absent from the chapter’s main events, their return provides Ji Yuan with relief and happiness after he had worried about their safety.

Significant Themes

• Power and danger: Great power brings equally great risks. The Truth-Piercing Divine Eye may greatly aid Ji Yuan, but it also marks him as prey to the Purple-Eyed Clan.
• Bloodline hierarchy: The chapter explores the differing innate potential of humans, demons, True Dragons, and the Purple-Eyed Clan, emphasizing that cultivation talent is shaped not only by effort but also by bloodline.
• Fate and opportunity: Hua Yaoyue’s remark that “the times make the fate” reflects how Ji Yuan’s extraordinary inheritance may be the result of unusual circumstances and a larger destiny.
• Secrecy and survival: Ji Yuan must conceal the eye and carefully control who learns of it. His ability to survive depends as much on discretion as on cultivation.
• Master-disciple bonds: Ji Yuan’s gift of wine, his complete honesty with Hua Yaoyue, and her willingness to protect him highlight their trust and affection beneath their humorous exchanges.
• Persistence after failure: Fang Jie’s plan to attempt Foundation Establishment again shows determination despite humiliation and disappointment.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue: Ji Yuan equips and instructs Tu Yue after her breakthrough, treating her as a valuable and dependable Corpse Puppet.
• Ji Yuan and Fang Jie: Their reunion contrasts their different fortunes. Ji Yuan has reached Foundation Establishment and gained powerful opportunities, while Fang Jie remains stuck at Peak Qi Refining but refuses to give up.
• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue: Their conversation forms the core of the chapter. Ji Yuan confesses everything about the divine eye, while Hua Yaoyue explains its origins, dangers, and potential.
• Ji Yuan and the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye: The eye behaves almost independently, reacting violently when Hua Yaoyue tries to extract or examine it. This suggests it may possess unusual instincts or a will of its own.
• Hua Yaoyue and the visiting Golden Core cultivators: Her effortless redirection of the divine eye’s attack creates a massive explosion elsewhere, causing the visiting cultivators to retreat while she remains completely composed.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan assures Hua Yaoyue that his Truth-Piercing Divine Eye does not possess the rumored ability to see through clothing. He speculates that only members with true Purple-Eyed Clan blood can use that ability.
• He reveals that he has developed ice spiritual energy after falling into the Icefire Pool and consuming Ice-Soul Cold Dew. Hua Yaoyue confirms that this transformation is harmless and may eventually allow all his spiritual energy to become ice-aligned, though his original Water Spiritual Root cannot be changed.
• Hua Yaoyue explains that Ji Yuan’s senior disciples have gone east to investigate Demonic Cultivators. Ji Yuan decides to prepare a feast for the rare gathering of their master’s entire lineage.
• Ji Yuan asks about the Taiyi Profound Yang Talisman, needed for upgrading the Pigsty. Hua Yaoyue reveals that it is a core inheritance of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and that she cannot draw it, leaving Ji Yuan uncertain about how he will obtain it.
• Yun Qianzai, Ran Kui, and Feng Zhitáo return, completing the group. Ji Yuan prepares a hotpot feast, introducing his fellow disciples and Hua Yaoyue to the unfamiliar style of eating.
• Ji Yuan chills everyone’s wine with his newly acquired ice spiritual energy, revealing the change in his cultivation. His senior siblings are surprised but accept his explanation that it resulted from a fortuitous opportunity.
• The meal escalates when the disciples contribute rare ingredients: Ran Kui adds Hundred-Flower Thousand-Herb Dew, Feng Zhitáo provides meat from a Third-Order Demon Beast, and Yun Qianzai contributes another Third-Order beast.
• Hua Yaoyue produces the wing of a Fourth-Order Demon Beast, shocking everyone. Ran Kui prepares it in a Peak-Grade Spirit Artifact pot using Earthfire, and the resulting meat proves highly nourishing.
• Ji Yuan learns that Fourth-Order Demon Beasts are extremely rare on the Cangluo Continent. Powerful beasts generally either transform after surviving the Transformation Lightning Tribulation or flee to the distant seas.
• Hua Yaoyue reveals that Mei Zhuang is actually a transformed Fourth-Order Heavenly Thunder Violet Luo Eagle. His strength is likely around the Nascent Soul Late Stage, and Ji Yuan would need Spirit Transformation-level power to kill him confidently.
• Eating the Fourth-Order beast meat gives Ji Yuan a major insight: high-grade Demon Beast flesh can greatly strengthen both physical vitality and spiritual energy. He begins considering the potential benefits of hunting such beasts—or hiring stronger cultivators to do so.
• After the feast, Ji Yuan examines his Spirit Field’s “Elixir Creation” effect, which produces one Dan Yuan Fruit every ten years. Since he is approaching the stage of forming a Golden Core, he asks the others what the fruit does.

Character Development

• Ji Yuan demonstrates increasing cleverness and caution, repeatedly changing the subject whenever Hua Yaoyue investigates his Truth-Piercing Divine Eye. He also shows growing ambition as he considers how to obtain resources for future cultivation and building upgrades.
• His mastery is expanding from Water Arts toward Ice Arts, giving him a new combat and utility ability. He also begins seriously preparing for Golden Core Formation.
• Hua Yaoyue remains perceptive and difficult to deceive, but she accepts Ji Yuan’s explanations without pressing him too far. Her calm, indulgent attitude toward her disciples is evident, especially during the feast.
• Yun Qianzai continues to act pretentious, gluttonous, and dramatic, but his appetite overrides his pride when rare Fourth-Order Demon Beast meat appears.
• Ran Kui is revealed as hearty, generous, and practical. He contributes an extremely valuable spirit liquid, takes responsibility for preparing the dangerous beast meat, and eagerly participates in the feast.
• Feng Zhitáo remains lively and teasing, quickly ordering Yun Qianzai to help with the cooking while showing curiosity about Ji Yuan’s new powers and Hua Yaoyue’s secrets.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and concealed identities: Ji Yuan conceals the true nature of his Divine Eye, while Mei Zhuang’s identity as a powerful transformed Demon Beast demonstrates that appearances can be deceptive.
• Cultivation through opportunity and resources: Ji Yuan’s progress depends on rare treasures, spiritual food, talismans, monster cores, and building-related materials. The chapter emphasizes both luck and strategic preparation.
• Family and fellowship within the sect: The feast allows the master and disciples to reconnect, showing warmth, teasing, cooperation, and a strong sense of belonging.
• The gap between cultivation realms: The Fourth-Order Demon Beast meat illustrates how dramatically higher-level resources surpass ordinary ones, while Hua Yaoyue’s comments about Mei Zhuang establish the vast distance between Ji Yuan’s current strength and the upper realms.
• Preparation for future advancement: Ji Yuan’s questions about the Dan Yuan Fruit and his interest in monster cores signal his transition from merely surviving to deliberately planning for Golden Core Formation and future upgrades.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue engage in playful but cautious exchanges, with Ji Yuan diverting her questions and Hua Yaoyue responding with dry humor.
• The returning disciples immediately fall into familiar roles: Yun Qianzai focuses on food, Ran Kui takes charge, and Feng Zhitáo teases her seniors.
• Ji Yuan introduces the hotpot method, while the others enthusiastically adapt to it and contribute ingredients.
• The group’s shared reaction to Hua Yaoyue’s Fourth-Order Demon Beast wing highlights both their respect for her power and their excitement over the rare meal.
• Hua Yaoyue privately tells Ji Yuan about Mei Zhuang, creating a small secret between master and disciple that makes Feng Zhitáo suspicious.
• The chapter ends with the entire group resting after the feast as Ji Yuan turns the conversation toward the Dan Yuan Fruit and his next major cultivation milestone.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan learns about the Dan Yuan Fruit, a rare treasure that provides pure spiritual qi and greatly increases the success rate of Golden Core Formation. Ran Kui explains that Shangxi once possessed a Danyuan Fruit Tree, but it withered a century ago, leaving no current source.
• Ji Yuan decides instead to upgrade his Level 4 Spirit Field, which can produce one Dan Yuan Fruit every ten years. He already possesses most of the upgrade materials, including the spirit stones, monster core, and Burrowing Rotten Earthworm corpses. Only Danyang Soil and Profound Yin Soil remain.
• He asks Feng Zhitáo, an Alchemy Hall instructor, to obtain ten jin of Danyang Soil. Hua Yaoyue intervenes and instructs Feng to request it from Martial Uncle Xuan Xiao, effectively securing the material for Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan realizes that upgrading the Spirit Field will significantly smooth his path toward Golden Core Formation, even if he must wait decades to accumulate enough Dan Yuan Fruits.
• The senior disciples argue over which hall Ji Yuan should join, revealing that he has reached the Second Tier in pill refinement, formations, talismans, and artifact refinement. Ji Yuan modestly claims he only knows “a little of everything.”
• Ran Kui agrees to remain in the sect for another year to accompany Hua Yaoyue and the younger disciples. However, he plans to personally supervise their cultivation, causing Feng Zhitáo and Ji Yuan to flee to avoid his harsh training.
• Ji Yuan submits a mission at Thousand Mechanisms Hall and receives ninety Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.
• He visits Bai Piao, who is preparing to leave for Shang Mountain to earn merit and exchange it for a Foundation Establishment Pill. Bai Piao gives Ji Yuan a large supply of Profound Yin Soil without charge.
• In return, Ji Yuan gives Bai Piao protective talisman formations, cultivation pills, and Blood Essence, urging him to survive and return so they can drink together.
• Ji Yuan then travels south to visit Du Wanyi before returning to Carefree Island and upgrading the Spirit Field. Du Wanyi greets him emotionally, saying she feared she would never see him again. The chapter ends when she begins revealing her legs, hinting at a serious injury or unusual condition.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more strategically focused on Golden Core Formation. Rather than relying on the extinct Dan Yuan Fruit Tree, he plans to cultivate Dan Yuan Fruits through his upgraded Spirit Field. His broad talents across multiple cultivation disciplines also become known to his senior disciples.
• Ran Kui is revealed to be an early Golden Core cultivator, having achieved the breakthrough through dangerous experiences on Shang Mountain. Despite his sternness, he is deeply protective of his fellow disciples and reacts furiously to the suggestion that they have been bullied.
• Hua Yaoyue continues to act as a relaxed but powerful master. Her brief intervention immediately solves Ji Yuan’s difficult request for Danyang Soil, demonstrating her influence and concern for him.
• Feng Zhitáo remains playful and unwilling to endure harsh cultivation. Although she complains about Ran Kui, she helps Ji Yuan obtain the materials he needs.
• Bai Piao is forced to abandon his farming life and risk Shang Mountain in pursuit of Foundation Establishment. His generosity toward Ji Yuan reflects their genuine friendship, while Ji Yuan’s gifts show his concern for Bai Piao’s survival.
• Du Wanyi has become more strained and vulnerable since being assigned to guard a Spirit Vein. Her emotional reunion with Ji Yuan suggests she has undergone a frightening experience.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and long-term cultivation: Ji Yuan understands that advancement requires careful accumulation of resources rather than relying on a single miracle. The Spirit Field represents his methodical approach to Golden Core Formation.
• The value of sect relationships: Ji Yuan’s sect affiliation allows him to obtain rare Danyang Soil, while his friendships provide resources and emotional support that would be difficult to secure alone.
• Friendship amid danger: Bai Piao’s impending journey to Shang Mountain emphasizes the risks ordinary cultivators face, while Ji Yuan’s gifts and farewell show the importance of mutual aid.
• Master-disciple protection: Hua Yaoyue quietly supports Ji Yuan, and Ran Kui fiercely defends the younger disciples, showing that the sect’s teasing relationships conceal strong loyalty.
• Humor within cultivation life: The disciples’ arguments, Yun Qianzai’s complaints, and everyone’s attempt to escape Ran Kui’s training lighten the otherwise serious themes of advancement, war, and mortal danger.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan consults Ran Kui about the Dan Yuan Fruit, prompting excitement from Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai.
• The disciples jokingly discuss challenging the powerful Blood Luo King, while Hua Yaoyue exposes their exaggerated claims.
• Feng Zhitáo, Yun Qianzai, and Ran Kui debate which of Ji Yuan’s talents should determine his place in the sect.
• Hua Yaoyue resolves the Danyang Soil issue with a single instruction, earning Ji Yuan’s gratitude.
• Ran Kui’s decision to train everyone causes Feng Zhitáo and Ji Yuan to escape, while Yun Qianzai remains behind and is threatened with another beating.
• Ji Yuan and Bai Piao exchange resources and heartfelt promises before Bai Piao departs for Shang Mountain.
• Ji Yuan reunites with Du Wanyi, whose tearful reaction indicates the severity of her recent hardships and sets up the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan visits his injured “Second Sister,” Du Wanyi, and learns that she suffered a serious leg wound after repeatedly defending the Spirit Vein at Heavenly Profound Mountain from Demonic Dao attacks. Her latest injury came from a Foundation Establishment Middle-Stage Demonic Cultivator who nearly killed her.
• Ji Yuan gives Du Wanyi an improved Qi-Blood Pill. Its powerful effects purge stagnant blood, heal hidden injuries, and greatly reduce the scar on her leg. He gives her the remaining nine pills and warns her to keep them secret.
• Du Wanyi questions Ji Yuan about his relationship with Dong Qian. Ji Yuan denies that anything has changed, though he privately recognizes that he is increasingly forced to deceive others. Dong Qian cannot be contacted, causing Ji Yuan some concern, but he postpones investigating.
• Feng Zhitáo arrives with the Danyang Soil needed for Ji Yuan’s Spirit Field upgrade. She teases him for returning early to pursue romance and leaves after delivering the material.
• Ji Yuan gathers the necessary resources and upgrades the Spirit Field from Level 3 to Level 4. The upgrade revitalizes all the plants on Carefree Island and produces a Dan Yuan Fruit, a precious treasure capable of assisting Golden Core formation.
• When the fruit matures, its powerful fragrance spreads across the island. Ji Yuan quickly stores it in a Jade Box and activates the island’s defensive formation to prevent the scent from attracting Golden Core cultivators.
• The Spirit Field subsequently reaches Level 5, revealing several new abilities:
  • Crop growth time is reduced by 70%.
  • Harvests have chances to produce double or triple crops.
  • Farming increases wood-attribute affinity.
  • A Nascent-Soul Fruit can be harvested every eighty years.
• Ji Yuan reflects on the difficulty of obtaining the materials required for the next upgrade, especially Fourth-Order Demon Cores.
• He spends the following days slaughtering Spirit Pigs to extract Aperture-Tempering Pearls and search for Scarlet Yang Bones, which are valuable for cultivating the Ninefold Profound Yang Technique.
• During this work, Ji Yuan discovers that Tuesday, the timid Ice Flood Dragon, has reached the Second Tier despite consuming few resources. He concludes that Tuesday possesses exceptional natural talent, though it remains extremely cowardly.
• Ji Yuan feeds Tuesday the meat of a blood-patterned Spirit Pig. The dragon initially hesitates but then eats voraciously. While dissecting another Spirit Pig, Ji Yuan senses an intense masculine aura inside it, suggesting he may have finally found a Scarlet Yang Bone.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates strong concern for Du Wanyi and a willingness to share rare resources with her. His improved pills reveal the value of his hidden abilities and resources. He becomes more cautious about concealing the Spirit Field’s treasures, especially after seeing the Dan Yuan Fruit’s power. He also continues balancing cultivation, resource management, and complicated interpersonal relationships.
• Du Wanyi: Revealed to have endured years of dangerous frontline service and severe injuries. Though physically scarred, she remains optimistic and values survival above appearance. Her relationship with Ji Yuan is affectionate and trusting, and she shows curiosity about his connection with Dong Qian.
• Feng Zhitáo: Maintains a teasing, familiar relationship with Ji Yuan. Her jokes about his romantic life contrast with her practical role in delivering the Danyang Soil.
• Dong Qian: Remains absent and unreachable, creating a subtle mystery and raising the possibility that she may be involved in an undisclosed situation.
• Tuesday: Breaks through to the Second Tier unexpectedly quickly, revealing superior talent compared with Monday. However, its extreme timidity remains a defining trait. It is obedient to Ji Yuan and highly dependent on his approval before eating.
• Tu Yue: Continues managing the island’s Spirit Pigs, chickens, crops, and Corpse Puppets, becoming more capable after reaching Foundation Establishment.

Significant Themes

• Survival amid danger: Du Wanyi’s injuries emphasize the constant threat posed by the Demonic Dao and the harsh conditions faced by cultivators stationed at strategic locations.
• Hidden wealth and secrecy: Ji Yuan’s improved pills and the Dan Yuan Fruit are powerful enough to attract dangerous attention, forcing him to conceal his advantages.
• Cultivation through resources and patience: The Spirit Field, Spirit Pigs, rare bones, and future fruits show how Ji Yuan steadily builds strength through farming, production, and long-term planning.
• Natural talent versus accumulated resources: Tuesday advances rapidly through innate ability, while other characters—including Ji Yuan and Monday—rely more heavily on sustained access to treasures and nourishment.
• Companionship and trust: Ji Yuan’s generosity toward Du Wanyi, his care for his beasts, and his interactions with fellow disciples show that relationships are becoming an important part of his otherwise highly practical cultivation life.
• Humor amid cultivation hardship: Teasing about romance, Tuesday’s cowardice, and Ji Yuan’s frustration while slaughtering pigs provide comic relief against the chapter’s darker elements.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi share a close sibling-like bond: he worries over her injuries, gives her pills, and promises to seek medicine for her scar, while she expresses happiness that they can spend more time together.
• Du Wanyi probes Ji Yuan about Dong Qian, suggesting she notices emotional changes that Ji Yuan tries to conceal.
• Feng Zhitáo mocks Ji Yuan’s supposed romantic pursuits while supplying the final material needed for his Spirit Field upgrade.
• Ji Yuan interacts patiently but exasperatedly with Tuesday, dragging the timid dragon closer and encouraging it to eat. Their relationship combines authority, dependence, and reluctant affection.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan discovering a powerful masculine aura inside a blood-patterned Spirit Pig, setting up the likely acquisition of a Scarlet Yang Bone.

Chapter Summary: “Shang Court Reunion, Mei Zhuang Raises the Banner”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan discovers a rare Scarlet Yang Bone after dissecting nearly one hundred Spirit Pigs. The bone contains pure yang energy and can temper the body more effectively than Profound Yang Blood Amber or Aperture-Tempering Pearls.
• He spends five days cultivating with the Scarlet Yang Bone, but realizes that one bone alone is insufficient to push his physique to the Peak Foundation Establishment level. He plans to rely on Profound Yang Blood Amber as well.
• Ji Yuan assigns Yin Boy to extract Aperture-Tempering Pearls from the remaining Spirit Pigs, avoiding the risk of exposing the Corpse Puppet Tu Yue to their blood essence and yang energy.
• He begins preparing to refine Qi-Blood Pills and Foundation Establishment Pills using the materials he has accumulated.
• Elsewhere, surviving members of the old Shang Court gather on Shang Mountain: Island Lord Yunmiao, Dan Yangzi/Ximen Old Ghost, Lin Cuicui/Granny Wudu, and Zhou Dayou/Werewolf.
• Mei Zhuang returns and immediately establishes his dominance, forcing Werewolf to dismount from his white wolf and dirty his white robes in submission.
• Mei Zhuang declares that he has returned to restore the Shang Court—not primarily to rule, but to prevent the legacy of his elder brother and sister-in-law from falling into the hands of a female enemy known as “that madwoman.”
• He reveals that he visited the Desolate Ancient Continent and learned why the former Holy Lord abandoned Cangluo: remaining there would eventually limit one’s cultivation and ambition.
• The group discusses the war between Shangdong’s Six Immortal Sects and the Three Demonic Sects of Shangxi. Dan Yangzi estimates that Shangdong can resist for roughly ten more years.
• Mei Zhuang exposes a more serious threat: Shangxi has contacted the Abyssal Continent and plans a coordinated attack to destroy Shangdong from both sides.
• Suspecting that one of the gathered survivors may secretly be allied with Shangxi, Mei Zhuang proposes leaking this information to the Six Immortal Sects, allowing them to prepare while the Shang Court observes the resulting chaos.
• After the others leave, Island Lord Yunmiao returns to ask about Ji Yuan, revealing that she once had an opportunity to kill him. Ji Yuan claimed to have joined Mei Zhuang’s sect, prompting Mei Zhuang to question whether this is true.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan continues strengthening his physical body and expanding his alchemical resources. His careful treatment of Tu Yue and strategic delegation to Yin Boy show his growing caution and consideration for his subordinates.
• Mei Zhuang emerges as a powerful, intimidating, and highly authoritative leader. Although he is arrogant and domineering, he is also politically perceptive and committed to preventing the Shang Court’s previous collapse.
• Werewolf/Zhou Dayou remains proud and resentful but is clearly intimidated by Mei Zhuang. His compliance demonstrates Mei Zhuang’s overwhelming status and strength.
• Dan Yangzi/Ximen Old Ghost, Island Lord Yunmiao, and Lin Cuicui/Granny Wudu all claim loyalty to Mei Zhuang, though their past betrayals and evasive behavior make their sincerity uncertain.
• Island Lord Yunmiao reveals continued interest in Ji Yuan’s fate and may possess information about his relationship with Mei Zhuang’s faction.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Mei Zhuang’s treatment of Werewolf establishes the strict hierarchy of the restored Shang Court.
• Loyalty and betrayal: The survivors repeatedly accuse Shangxi of betraying the former Shang Court, while Mei Zhuang privately suspects that one of his own allies may be a traitor.
• Political manipulation: Rather than immediately joining the war, Mei Zhuang plans to leak information and let the major factions weaken one another.
• The limits of cultivation and ambition: Mei Zhuang’s journey to the Desolate Ancient Continent reveals that Cangluo’s greatest danger is stagnation, not merely political defeat.
• Restoration versus repetition: Mei Zhuang wants to rebuild the Shang Court but insists that its old internal conflicts must not be repeated.
• Gradual advancement: Ji Yuan’s cultivation progress reflects the chapter’s broader focus on patience, preparation, and accumulating strength before confronting stronger enemies.

Character Interactions

• Mei Zhuang dominates his reunion with the former Shang Court members, humiliating Werewolf while the others immediately submit.
• Dan Yangzi and Lin Cuicui openly praise Mei Zhuang and encourage him to become the new Holy Lord, but Werewolf correctly observes that Mei Zhuang likely has no interest in the title.
• The group debates whether to cooperate with the Abyssal Continent, but Mei Zhuang rejects reckless action and proposes using the threat to pressure Shangdong’s Six Immortal Sects.
• Mei Zhuang distrusts the group despite their claims of unity, recognizing that their polished performances may conceal divided loyalties.
• The chapter ends with Island Lord Yunmiao connecting Ji Yuan to Mei Zhuang, setting up a possible confrontation over Ji Yuan’s actual allegiance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Island Lord Yunmiao reports to Mei Zhuang that Ji Yuan has been accepted as one of the Shang Court’s people. Mei Zhuang is amused and irritated that Ji Yuan wants to use his name without personally acknowledging him, deciding that he will capture Ji Yuan and keep him nearby if they meet again.
• Mei Zhuang’s attention soon returns to the growing crisis surrounding Shang Court. Shangxi’s demonic cultivators have allied with the Abyssal Continent and plan to attack the Six Immortal Sects of Shangdong from both sides. Because Shangdong itself is divided by betrayal, selfishness, and political inaction, Mei Zhuang abandons his plan to remain hidden and begins taking action.
• Ji Yuan completes another month-long period of alchemy. His second batch yields four Foundation Establishment Pills—three Two-Pattern and one One-Pattern pills—bringing his total to five Two-Pattern and three One-Pattern pills.
• After leaving seclusion, Ji Yuan answers messages from Dong Qian, his sect seniors, and Li Changhe. He learns that preparations for the Alchemy Workshop are nearly finished and that he has been included in the personnel list.
• Ji Yuan also learns that Soft Hands has successfully formed her Golden Core. Her master, Yun Yuan, is extremely proud, but Soft Hands refuses to hold a celebration because the Demonic Dao has not yet been defeated.
• Ji Yuan visits Dong Qian on Fox Moon Island, supposedly to learn “Fox Speech.” Their meeting instead becomes an affectionate and intimate reunion. After ten days, Dong Qian drives him away because she is physically exhausted.
• Following the visit, Ji Yuan senses that Dong Qian is troubled and may be preparing to leave, though she refuses to explain where she went earlier or what is troubling her.
• Ji Yuan returns to Carefree Island and begins intensive cultivation in the concealed Spirit Vein beneath his residence. He combines spiritual-energy absorption, Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, Tri-color Spirit Eggs, and meditation in the Dao Comprehension Chamber to improve his strength and sword techniques.
• He then organizes his collection of cultivation manuals and spells into a library. This causes a new system feature, the Scripture Pavilion, to appear. At Level 1, it can improve cultivation-art proficiency, especially when used with the Dao Comprehension Chamber, but it cannot yet be upgraded.

Character Development

• Mei Zhuang shifts from detached observer to active participant in the realm’s crisis. Although he remains frustrated by the disunity of Shangdong’s forces, he recognizes that the Abyssal Continent’s involvement could make the situation uncontrollable.
• Ji Yuan continues developing as an alchemist, cultivator, and strategist. He efficiently turns resources into pills, cultivates with extreme diligence, and begins organizing the knowledge he has accumulated rather than merely hoarding it.
• Dong Qian is shown to be deeply attached to Ji Yuan, remembering exactly how long they have been apart. However, her reluctance to discuss her recent activities and Ji Yuan’s impression that she may leave introduce emotional uncertainty into their relationship.
• Soft Hands demonstrates her serious and duty-focused personality by rejecting a Golden Core celebration while the war against the Demonic Dao remains unresolved.
• Ran Kui and Feng Zhitáo continue their humorous bickering with Ji Yuan. Ran Kui remains blunt and morally earnest, while Feng Zhitáo is more teasing and revealing with information.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal desire: Mei Zhuang must abandon his preferred strategy of waiting in the shadows, while Soft Hands prioritizes the larger war over personal celebration.
• Political disunity and impending catastrophe: The Shangdong factions’ selfishness and infighting threaten their survival against the coordinated forces of Shangxi and the Abyssal Continent.
• Cultivation through accumulation: Ji Yuan’s progress comes from combining alchemy, spiritual resources, hidden facilities, sword comprehension, and preserved knowledge.
• Trust, secrecy, and emotional uncertainty: Dong Qian’s unexplained behavior suggests that even close relationships contain secrets and unresolved fears.
• Organization creating new power: By arranging his books and jade slips into a Scripture Pavilion, Ji Yuan transforms accumulated spoils and knowledge into a new cultivation advantage.

Character Interactions

• Mei Zhuang and Yunmiao discuss Ji Yuan’s status, with Mei Zhuang humorously deciding to capture him if he continues using the Shang Court’s reputation.
• Ji Yuan exchanges messages with Ran Kui and Feng Zhitáo, who tease and accuse him of favoring women, while he uses Feng Zhitáo to learn more about Soft Hands’ breakthrough.
• Ji Yuan and Dong Qian reunite warmly after more than two years apart. Their affectionate conversation quickly becomes intimate, and Ji Yuan’s request to learn Fox Speech becomes a running joke because Dong Qian does not actually know the language.
• Ji Yuan chooses not to force his way back into Fox Moon Island after Dong Qian expels him, showing consideration for her limits despite his usual playful behavior.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan examines the newly built Scripture Pavilion, whose Spirit Effect increases proficiency in cultivation techniques and stacks with the Dao Comprehension Chamber. Because upgrading it requires a large number of Golden Core techniques, he begins searching for suitable manuals.
• He first asks Dong Qian, who has none but jokingly offers to kill a Golden Core cultivator and seize their belongings. Ji Yuan declines and contacts Feng Zhitáo instead.
• Ji Yuan visits Feng Zhitáo on Fire Phoenix Island, bringing her valuable Jade-Grease as a gift. During a hotpot meal, she gives him a copy of the earth-elemental Golden Core technique Everlasting Wu Earth Art, which she obtained from a slain demon beast.
• Feng Zhitáo offers to contact their senior brothers as well, showing her willingness to help Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan then visits his master, Hua Yaoyue, and presents her with the powerful Spirit-Cutting Technique, adding to the Divine Soul techniques he has already given her.
• Hua Yaoyue provides Ji Yuan with an astonishing twenty-four Golden Core cultivation techniques, though she explains that techniques above the Nascent Soul level require specialized inheritances and cannot simply be copied.
• Feng Zhitáo arrives and proposes another hotpot gathering. Yun Qianzai contributes four Golden Core techniques from the Cloud Family, while Ran Kui gives Ji Yuan six more, most of them Demonic Dao techniques.
• After the meal, Ran Kui keeps Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai behind to help them advance toward Golden Core Formation.
• Ji Yuan returns to Carefree Island and places all the collected techniques in the Scripture Pavilion. He upgrades it from level zero to level one using one hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and three Second-Order Demon Cores.
• The Pavilion reveals visible proficiency readings for his techniques. His Azure Billows Nine Tribulations Sword Canon shows a proficiency of 74/100.
• After cultivating for over twenty days with the Pavilion and Dao Comprehension Chamber active, his proficiency rises to 75/100. He learns that reaching 80 will allow him to condense an eighth flying sword Sword Embryo, while 100 represents the Foundation Establishment Realm’s limit.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly focused and optimistic after discovering that his cultivation progress can be measured numerically. The visible proficiency system transforms cultivation from an uncertain process into something he can deliberately “farm.”
• He also demonstrates greater maturity and consideration by bringing Feng Zhitáo a gift and returning copied techniques rather than taking them outright.
• Feng Zhitáo reveals her generous, lively personality. She casually shares a valuable technique, actively helps Ji Yuan contact others, and enjoys bringing the sect together for food.
• Hua Yaoyue shows both immense knowledge and generosity, possessing numerous Golden Core techniques and willingly giving Ji Yuan access to them. Her changed protective clothing also hints at a more cautious awareness of Ji Yuan’s presence.
• Yun Qianzai and Ran Kui support Ji Yuan as fellow disciples, contributing secret or rare techniques without hesitation. Their playful banter reinforces their close relationship.
• Ran Kui’s decision to help Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai form their Golden Cores shows his role as a reliable and powerful elder brother.

Significant Themes

• The value of sect relationships: Ji Yuan’s access to an extraordinary collection of techniques comes primarily from the trust and resources of his sect rather than money alone.
• Cultivation as measurable progression: The Scripture Pavilion introduces a game-like proficiency system, giving Ji Yuan clear milestones and making future advancement seem more attainable.
• Generosity and reciprocity: Ji Yuan offers gifts and valuable techniques while his senior brothers and sisters respond with their own resources, strengthening their bonds.
• Hidden depth and inheritance: Hua Yaoyue’s vast collection of techniques highlights the difference between ordinary manuals and higher-level inheritances that cannot be casually transferred.
• Humor within cultivation life: Hotpot meals, teasing, and arguments over food provide a relaxed contrast to the serious pursuit of power.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Dong Qian exchange a humorous conversation in which her willingness to kill for a technique contrasts with his reluctance to cause trouble.
• Feng Zhitáo teases Ji Yuan about only visiting when he needs something, yet warmly welcomes him and helps him obtain more techniques.
• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue share a respectful master-disciple relationship, though Ji Yuan’s awkward thoughts about her protective clothing add comic tension.
• Feng Zhitáo affectionately clings to Hua Yaoyue and persuades her to join the hotpot gathering.
• Yun Qianzai jokingly claims authority as the Cloud Family’s ancestor, while Feng Zhitáo and Ran Kui mock his willingness to trade family techniques for spicy barbecue.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan alone in the Scripture Pavilion, exhilarated by his newly visible cultivation progress and determined to continue grinding toward greater strength.

Chapter Summary: The Spirit Effect of the Level 2 Scripture Pavilion

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan tests whether the Level 2 Scripture Pavilion can improve spell proficiency, but discovers that neither the Black Mist Dispersal Technique nor the Shadow-Following Technique gains experience.
• Examining the Pavilion’s Spirit Effects, he learns that:
  • Cultivation technique proficiency increases faster.
  • Spell proficiency can increase only through frequent casting and diligent practice within a Level 2 Pavilion.
• Ji Yuan studies the Pavilion’s upgrade requirements. Although he has enough Golden Core techniques and can likely obtain Foundation Establishment techniques, acquiring a Nascent Soul cultivation technique and multiple Third-Order Monster Cores will be extremely difficult.
• After a month of cultivation, Ji Yuan gains another point of proficiency and prepares to push his Sword Canon toward eighty points, but several Communication Talismans summon him to Carefree Island.
• Profound Water True Person and the disciples of Hua Yaoyue’s lineage request that Ji Yuan join a mission to investigate Black Dragon Island, a Water Dragon Sect-affiliated overseas sect where disciples guarding the valuable Black Dragon Stone have mysteriously disappeared.
• Ji Yuan learns that the mission’s true priority is not merely investigating the disappearances, but protecting—or retrieving—the Black Dragon Stone.
• Yun Qianzai jokingly accuses Black Dragon Island’s reclusive ancestor, Black Tortoise True Person, of being responsible. Ran Kui initially takes the claim seriously, but Yun admits he was only following a predictable storybook plot.
• The group decides to depart the following morning. Hua Yaoyue urges them to remain safe and return together.
• On the way home, Feng Zhitáo secretly reveals that Black Dragon Island’s sect master, Li Yuan, specifically sought out Ran Kui because of his reputation for fighting demonic cultivators. The mission was effectively arranged through Ran Kui before the formal assignment.
• Ji Yuan returns to Carefree Island to prepare. He plans to use the journey to raise his cultivation technique proficiency to eighty, eventually condense another flying sword, and later use Medicine King Valley’s Ageless Spring to create the Evergreen Sword.
• He gathers combat resources from the Mass Burial Ground, including corpse puppets, demonic artifacts, spirit banners, and Spirit-Devouring Bees. He decides to bring only Monday, the Ice Flood Dragon, because Tuesday may recklessly protect him.
• Just as Ji Yuan prepares to contact Dong Qian and Du Wanyi, Dong Qian sends him a message saying she has something important to discuss.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more motivated and confident in his cultivation after gaining access to visible proficiency progress. He begins planning his future flying swords and carefully prepares for the Black Dragon Island mission.
• Ran Kui demonstrates responsibility and caution. Though secretly already a Golden Core cultivator, he continues concealing his strength and takes the mission seriously because of his vow to oppose demonic cultivators.
• Feng Zhitáo acts as a reliable source of information and quietly shares the mission’s hidden background with Ji Yuan.
• Yun Qianzai is shown to be clever but frivolous, making an apparently serious accusation purely for comedic effect. His deception annoys Ran Kui and reveals the contrasting personalities within the group.
• Hua Yaoyue remains calm and detached but shows concern for her disciples, instructing them to protect one another.
• Profound Water True Person is portrayed as exhausted by the immense pressure placed on Water Dragon Sect during the current crisis.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation as measurable progress: The Scripture Pavilion transforms cultivation from an uncertain process into something Ji Yuan can track and optimize.
• Resource scarcity and advancement: Higher-level cultivation depends on rare techniques, monster cores, and inheritance items, emphasizing the difficulty of progress.
• Duty versus self-interest: Water Dragon Sect accepts the mission partly to protect its own access to the Black Dragon Stone, revealing the pragmatic and self-serving nature of large sects.
• Hidden strength and deception: Ji Yuan, Ran Kui, and others conceal their true abilities, while the official explanation of the mission hides its real objective.
• Teamwork and trust: The mission gives Hua Yaoyue’s four disciples their first opportunity to cooperate as a group, despite their differing personalities.
• Chaos and responsibility: The broader crisis strains Water Dragon Sect, forcing even powerful cultivators to handle numerous urgent problems.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan consults the Scripture Pavilion and reflects on its possibilities, including whether a future building might reveal an enemy’s “health bar.”
• Several sect figures summon Ji Yuan, demonstrating the urgent manpower shortage within Water Dragon Sect.
• Feng Zhitáo explains the Black Dragon Island mission to Ji Yuan and later reveals its confidential origins.
• Yun Qianzai provokes Ran Kui with his false accusation, while Ran Kui responds with exasperation and threats to discipline him.
• Hua Yaoyue gives Ran Kui a wine cup and asks him to bring all his junior disciples home safely.
• Ji Yuan and Feng Zhitáo travel together briefly, allowing Feng to disclose the mission’s hidden history.
• The chapter ends with Dong Qian initiating a private conversation, suggesting another development just as Ji Yuan is about to depart.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dong Qian arrives at Carefree Island looking troubled and announces that she must leave for several months, possibly a year. She asks Ji Yuan to wait for her in the sect, and he agrees, promising to return unless he is assigned to Shang Mountain.
• Ji Yuan tells her he is also leaving, having been assigned by the sect to travel with Ran Kui, Feng Zhitáo, and Yun Qianzai to investigate matters on Black Dragon Island.
• Before departing, Ji Yuan informs Du Wanyi. She gives him a Mid-Grade Spirit Artifact cyan robe, showing that her cultivation and craftsmanship have improved during their years apart.
• Ji Yuan reciprocates by giving Du Wanyi healing pills, Peerless Wine, and three intermediate water-element spells designed for escape, offense, and defense.
• Ji Yuan reunites with his senior brothers and sister on Fire Phoenix Island. Ran Kui reveals that their master has lent them a Peak-Grade Spirit Artifact Tower-Ship Flying Boat, supplied with enough Spirit Stones for the round trip.
• During the more-than-ten-day journey, Ji Yuan cultivates in seclusion and raises his Sword Canon proficiency from 75 to 76.
• Near Black Dragon Island, Ji Yuan shares Peerless Wine and enhanced Qi-Blood Pills with his companions. The wine temporarily boosts spiritual energy and can surprise opponents in battle, while the pills can heal severe injuries.
• The group reaches Black Dragon Island and meets Li Yuan, its master. He reports that the island’s Elders and Qi Refining disciples have been mysteriously disappearing—even when surrounded by witnesses.
• Two more Foundation Establishment Elders vanish while supposedly guarding the Black Dragon Stone. Ran Kui recognizes the incident as a direct challenge to the Water Dragon Sect and goes with Li Yuan to investigate.
• As the group leaves, Yun Qianzai privately tells Ji Yuan that the four deceased Elders were all known opponents of Li Yuan, suggesting the disappearances may involve internal conflict or treachery rather than merely an external Demonic Cultivator.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan continues to mature in both cultivation and relationships. He becomes more trusting of his companions and freely shares rare treasures with them, while remaining careful about revealing the full extent of his abilities.
• Dong Qian appears emotionally burdened and secretive. Her request that Ji Yuan wait for her suggests a significant personal concern or possible separation from the sect.
• Du Wanyi demonstrates steady growth by giving Ji Yuan a superior spirit robe. Her reluctance to meet his gaze and her statement that she has followed his path imply deep affection and emotional dependence.
• Ran Kui remains dependable, disciplined, and practical. He maximizes travel time for cultivation, assesses the danger seriously, and immediately takes command when the crisis escalates.
• Feng Zhitáo remains lively and teasing, while Yun Qianzai alternates between his arrogant public persona and a more relaxed, observant attitude among trusted companions.
• Li Yuan is revealed to be under severe pressure as the master of Black Dragon Island. His dependence on the Water Dragon Sect’s assistance and the possible political motive behind the disappearances make his position increasingly suspicious.

Significant Themes

• Separation and uncertainty: Dong Qian’s departure and Ji Yuan’s farewell exchanges emphasize the instability of relationships and the possibility of long-term parting.
• Trust and mutual support: Ji Yuan’s exchanges with Du Wanyi and his companions show how shared gifts and resources reinforce bonds built through years of companionship.
• Cultivation through discipline: Ji Yuan’s use of travel time to improve his Sword Canon reflects the importance of relentless effort and efficient use of time.
• Hidden motives and political intrigue: The disappearances on Black Dragon Island initially appear to be the work of a Demonic Cultivator, but the victims’ opposition to Li Yuan suggests a deeper internal conspiracy.
• Preparation versus complacency: The group enjoys wine and conversation during the journey, yet becomes vigilant near the island, highlighting the need to balance relaxation with readiness.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Dong Qian share a restrained but emotionally meaningful farewell, with her seeking reassurance that he will wait for her.
• Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi exchange personal tokens, revealing mutual care and strengthening their sibling-like bond.
• Ji Yuan’s companions accept his unusual treasures with growing trust and enthusiasm, especially after witnessing the effects of the Peerless Wine and enhanced healing pills.
• Feng Zhitáo teases Ji Yuan, while Yun Qianzai presents an arrogant front to outsiders but privately shares important information with him.
• Ran Kui and Li Yuan interact as allies, though Li Yuan’s behavior and the suspicious pattern of the victims introduce doubt about his true role.

Chapter Summary:

Feng Yichen and Situ Old Monster

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan and his fellow Water Dragon Sect disciples investigate the mysterious disappearances on Black Dragon Island. They suspect the incidents may be connected to sect master Li Yuan, Black Dragon Island’s elders, or even Black Tortoise True Person.
• Ran Kui warns the group not to trust appearances, sharing an example of how an apparently guilty spirit beast was actually mourning its dead master.
• The group notices several suspicious details: only two elders were assigned to guard the important Black Dragon Stone, Black Tortoise True Person has not appeared to receive them, and Li Yuan’s explanations seem incomplete.
• They encounter Feng Yichen, now known as the Yellow Maple Island Lord. Ji Yuan recognizes him as Situ Feng, the Nascent Soul cultivator who possessed Feng Yichen’s body and was once called “Situ Old Monster.”
• Feng Yichen claims that a Third-Order Three-Eyed Dark Beast is responsible for the disappearances. Ji Yuan privately questions him, and Feng admits the claim was fabricated—though his later thoughts imply that the beast, or something connected to it, might actually exist.
• Ji Yuan informs his companions that Feng Yichen cannot be trusted and that his presence likely indicates a much larger conspiracy involving the Shang Court.
• The group enters the cavern containing the Black Dragon Stone. They discover traces of Demon-Subduing Talismans, suggesting that a demonic cultivator may previously have been imprisoned there.
• Yun Qianzai determines that the Black Dragon Stone gathers the spiritual essence of the surrounding seas and produces Dragon Saliva, explaining its value to the Water Dragon Sect.
• Ran Kui concludes that the real culprit is likely a demonic cultivator using or raising the Three-Eyed Dark Beast. He also suspects Li Yuan and the other Black Dragon Island members knew about the danger.
• Rather than simply guard the stone, Ran Kui orders Yun Qianzai to remove it and instructs Feng Zhitáo to prepare for an assault. The group plans to capture Li Yuan first and force the truth from him.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly cautious and perceptive. He recognizes Feng Yichen’s hidden identity and refuses to accept the official explanation of the disappearances. Although willing to support the sect, he remains unwilling to risk his life without certainty.
• Ran Kui acts as a protective and experienced senior brother. He emphasizes caution but ultimately demonstrates decisive leadership by choosing to confront the suspected conspirators directly.
• Yun Qianzai displays his expertise in formations and spiritual geography, identifying the Black Dragon Stone’s function and preparing to extract it.
• Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai participate in the group’s analysis, helping reinforce the suspicion that Black Dragon Island is concealing important information.
• Feng Yichen/Situ Feng reveals himself as manipulative, evasive, and dangerous. He gives a seemingly useful warning, then admits it is false, leaving the group uncertain about what part of his story may be true.
• Li Yuan grows visibly nervous when questioned. His defensive behavior strengthens the group’s belief that he knows more about the disappearances than he has admitted.

Significant Themes

• The unreliability of appearances: The chapter repeatedly stresses that what cultivators see may not reflect the truth. Feng Yichen’s false warning and the suspicious behavior of Black Dragon Island’s leaders reinforce this theme.
• Deception and hidden identities: Feng Yichen’s transformation into Situ Feng demonstrates the danger of concealed identities and possession. His presence suggests that powerful forces are operating behind ordinary sect affairs.
• Caution versus decisive action: Ran Kui initially advocates patience and careful judgment, but the mounting evidence eventually leads him to act aggressively.
• Institutional secrecy and conspiracy: The Water Dragon Sect, Black Dragon Island, and Shang Court all appear to be withholding information. Even allies may have undisclosed motives.
• Pragmatism and self-preservation: Ji Yuan is willing to investigate and assist, but he distinguishes between serving the sect and sacrificing himself for it.

Important Character Interactions

• The four Water Dragon Sect disciples communicate through spiritual transmission, forming a private discussion while outwardly maintaining formal behavior.
• Ran Kui advises the younger disciples to avoid premature conclusions and promises to protect them.
• Feng Yichen exchanges polite words with Ran Kui and Ji Yuan, pretending to be an ordinary Water Dragon Sect cultivator while subtly probing Ji Yuan’s connections to powerful Shang Court figures.
• Ji Yuan privately confronts Feng Yichen about the Three-Eyed Dark Beast. Feng avoids answering honestly, confirming Ji Yuan’s suspicion that he is concealing the truth.
• Ji Yuan warns the others about Feng Yichen’s possession and unreliability. Ran Kui reacts seriously and suggests informing their superiors, but later chooses to continue the investigation.
• Ran Kui confronts Li Yuan in the cavern, accusing him of knowing about the demonic cultivator and rejecting his attempt to redirect their efforts toward searching for the beast.
• The chapter ends with Ran Kui taking command: Yun Qianzai will remove the Black Dragon Stone, while Feng Zhitáo helps prepare an assault on Li Yuan.

Chapter Summary: “Connecting to the Abyssal Continent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Yichen’s group stops at Star Island rather than immediately returning to their sect. Feng argues that cultivating first will make them more useful than returning early to serve as ineffective cannon fodder against the Demonic Cultivators attacking Shang Mountain.
• Feng secretly meets his former lover, who is involved in a plan connected to the mysterious Holy Mother. Feng reveals that the Crossing-Sea Old Devil has agreed to travel to the Abyssal Continent, though he still refuses to surrender his sea chart. They also discuss Mei Zhuang’s planned move and the political divisions between the Demonic Dao of Shangxi and the Orthodox Dao of Shangdong.
• On Black Dragon Island, Ran Kui, Feng Zhitáo, Yun Qianzai, and Ji Yuan prepare to investigate the island. Ran Kui and the others tell Ji Yuan to observe rather than participate directly.
• Yun Qianzai carefully dismantles the Black Dragon Stone’s sealing formation. The process damages the earth vein and causes a powerful resentment backlash, injuring him, but Ran Kui uses his Ghost-Head Saber’s killing intent to suppress the resentment and retrieves the Black Dragon Stone.
• After leaving the underground chamber, Ji Yuan senses that something is wrong. A mysterious aura suddenly flees from the island. Ran Kui identifies it as a Three-Eyed Dark Beast, apparently a Late Second-Tier creature.
• Several Foundation Establishment elders disappear from the great hall. When Li Yuan emerges claiming ignorance, Ran Kui’s group surrounds and ambushes him.
• Yun Qianzai reveals his true strength as a Pseudo-Core cultivator and traps Li Yuan with a powerful formation. The island’s remaining cultivators are too frightened to intervene.
• Under pressure, Li Yuan admits that the Demonic Cultivator imprisoned beside the Black Dragon Stone was Black Tortoise True Person, Black Dragon Island’s supreme elder. However, he claims Black Tortoise True Person had already died in meditation and therefore was not responsible for the recent killings.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan doubting this explanation, suspecting that the apparent presence of the Three-Eyed Dark Beast and Black Tortoise True Person’s death may not fully explain the island’s mysteries.

Character Developments

• Feng Yichen is shown to be pragmatic and strategically minded. Although he appears unwilling to help the sect immediately, he argues convincingly that cultivating will allow him and his companions to become stronger assets. His secret dealings also reveal his involvement in a larger conspiracy linked to Holy Mother and the Abyssal Continent.
• The portly cultivator demonstrates strong loyalty and self-sacrificial concern for the sect, initially criticizing Feng’s decision to delay their return. He ultimately accepts Feng’s reasoning.
• Yun Qianzai displays exceptional formation expertise and concealed strength. He dismantles the Black Dragon Stone despite severe backlash, then exposes a Pseudo-Core-level cultivation base and effortlessly traps Li Yuan.
• Ran Kui acts as a calm and decisive leader. He protects the group, suppresses the underground resentment, retrieves the Black Dragon Stone, and immediately takes control of the confrontation with Li Yuan.
• Ji Yuan remains cautious and observant. He notices inconsistencies in the island’s situation, supports Yun Qianzai with a healing pill, and deliberately conceals that he sensed the fleeing aura.
• Li Yuan is revealed to have lied earlier about Black Tortoise True Person. Though frightened and trapped, he attempts to distinguish the deceased supreme elder from the recent killings.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus self-sacrifice: Feng argues that blindly risking one’s life is meaningless without sufficient strength, emphasizing cultivation as the most effective form of service.
• Hidden identities and deception: Feng’s secret alliance, Yun Qianzai’s concealed cultivation, Li Yuan’s lies, and the unknown identity of the true killer all reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of mistrust.
• Political and sectarian intrigue: The plans involving Holy Mother, the Abyssal Continent, the Orthodox Dao, and the Demonic Dao suggest that the events on Black Dragon Island are part of a much larger conflict.
• Caution amid uncertainty: Ji Yuan repeatedly questions seemingly complete explanations, especially the claim that Black Tortoise True Person is dead and uninvolved.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Several characters deliberately hide their true abilities or motives, making outward cultivation levels and public identities unreliable.

Character Interactions

• Feng Yichen debates with his two companions about whether to return early, balancing sect duty against the need for cultivation.
• Feng and his former lover discuss the Crossing-Sea Old Devil, Holy Mother, Mei Zhuang, and the growing conflict between the Orthodox and Demonic Dao.
• Ji Yuan exchanges cautious thoughts with Ran Kui about whether Black Tortoise True Person might be involved.
• Yun Qianzai’s formation work forces the others to protect him while he dismantles the Black Dragon Stone; Ji Yuan helps him recover afterward.
• Ran Kui’s group coordinates seamlessly during the confrontation with Li Yuan, using formation tactics to prevent his escape.
• Li Yuan’s confession confirms the group’s suspicions but creates further uncertainty, as his claim that Black Tortoise True Person died does not explain the recent disappearances or the Three-Eyed Dark Beast.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan confirms that Black Tortoise True Person, the Golden Core patriarch of Black Dragon Island, has died. He admits that the Water Dragon Sect has taken the Black Dragon Stone and refuses to dispute their claim, acknowledging that Black Dragon Island has lost its main protection.
• The island’s Foundation Establishment elders retrieve Black Tortoise True Person’s corpse. Ji Yuan and the others verify through Divine Sense that the patriarch is truly dead, with his body showing signs of demonic cultivation.
• Li Yuan explains that Black Tortoise True Person turned to demonic arts because he could not accept his approaching death and wished to extend his lifespan. He had imprisoned himself to prevent harming others.
• The group concludes that the recent attacks on Black Dragon Island were probably caused by the powerful Three-Eyed Dark Beast rather than the demonic cultivators.
• The Water Dragon Sect decides to remain nearby and hunt the beast after three days, while first withdrawing from the island to investigate further. Ji Yuan suspects that Feng Yichen, a powerful Shang Court cultivator, may have had another objective beyond collecting dragon saliva.
• Yun Qianzai publicly announces that the Three-Eyed Dark Beast will be slain in three days, earning the islanders’ gratitude. Li Yuan also declares that he will participate.
• As the four Water Dragon Sect cultivators attempt to leave, a lightning formation suddenly attacks them. Ji Yuan realizes that Li Yuan is suspicious and warns the others.
• The group forms a defensive formation. Li Yuan appears mentally divided, alternately urging them to flee and trying to kill them, suggesting that another consciousness is struggling for control of his body.
• Ran Kui attacks decisively. Li Yuan briefly defends himself using a black dragon phantom and demonic power, but Ran Kui kills him with Heavenly Venom Needles that destroy his Divine Soul.
• Despite Li Yuan’s death, the attacking Formation remains active. At the end of the chapter, Black Tortoise True Person’s corpse suddenly opens its eyes and stretches, revealing that the “dead” patriarch has escaped or revived and thanking the group for helping him get out.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly cautious and perceptive. He questions the apparent explanation involving only the Three-Eyed Dark Beast and correctly senses that Li Yuan and Black Dragon Island conceal a deeper conspiracy.
• Ran Kui demonstrates strong leadership and ruthless decisiveness. He accepts Ji Yuan’s caution, organizes the three-day plan, protects the group, and swiftly kills Li Yuan when the trap is revealed.
• Yun Qianzai displays both righteousness and practical skill. He releases Li Yuan after confirming Black Tortoise’s death, promises to help the island, and uses his Formation abilities to defend the group.
• Feng Zhitáo remains eager for battle and treasures, especially hoping to fight the rare Three-Eyed Dark Beast. She also acknowledges Ji Yuan’s reasoning and supports the group’s decisions.
• Li Yuan shifts from appearing grief-stricken and cooperative to visibly unstable and hostile. His divided behavior suggests possession, manipulation, or internal conflict, confirming Ji Yuan’s suspicions.
• Black Tortoise True Person is revealed to be far more dangerous and deceptive than initially believed. His apparent corpse is capable of movement and speech, implying that his death may have been staged or that he used a hidden method to escape his body.

Significant Themes

• Deception beneath appearances: The apparent death of Black Tortoise and the supposed simplicity of the Three-Eyed Dark Beast attacks conceal a much larger scheme.
• The fear of death: Black Tortoise’s turn to demonic cultivation reflects the destructive consequences of refusing to accept mortality.
• Caution versus action: The group balances the desire to hunt the powerful beast with Ji Yuan’s insistence that they first investigate possible hidden dangers.
• Trust and suspicion: Although Li Yuan claims innocence and grief, the group never fully trusts him, and their caution ultimately saves them from being caught unprepared.
• Power and survival in a chaotic world: The collapse of Black Dragon Island’s protection shows how vulnerable sects become when their strongest cultivator dies.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan argues with Ran Kui, Feng Zhitáo, Yun Qianzai, and Ji Yuan over the truth of Black Tortoise’s death and the Black Dragon Stone.
• Ran Kui remains firm but agrees to spare Li Yuan once the patriarch’s corpse is confirmed genuine.
• Ji Yuan voices doubts about Feng Yichen and persuades Ran Kui to delay their attack for three days.
• Yun Qianzai publicly promises to protect Black Dragon Island, while Li Yuan pledges to join the hunt.
• When Li Yuan betrays them, the four Water Dragon Sect cultivators immediately coordinate defensively, relying on each other’s abilities.
• Ran Kui leads the counterattack, while Ji Yuan identifies the danger and Yun Qianzai maintains the defensive Formation.
• The chapter ends with the shocking interaction between the apparently dead Black Tortoise True Person and the four cultivators, as he reveals that their actions enabled his escape.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai coordinate their spells against the resurrected Black Tortoise True Person. Yun redirects a Purple Lightning strike through a column of water, while Feng unleashes a massive Fire Phoenix.
• The “Black Tortoise” reveals his terrifying technique: black threads drain the spiritual energy, essence, and vitality of Foundation Establishment elders, rapidly restoring his cultivation. He advances from a corpse to Foundation Establishment, then Golden Core, and finally Middle Golden Core.
• Ran Kui attacks the threads and tries to destroy the drained elders, but neither his halberd, flying knife, nor water arrows can affect them. The corpses are hidden in the void, making them impossible to strike.
• The resurrected enemy easily suppresses Feng’s Fire Phoenix and admits that his power comes from sacrificing the elders. He reveals that he is not Black Tortoise True Person but the infamous Crossing-Sea Old Devil, a powerful cultivator associated with the Shang Court.
• The Old Devil blames Ji Yuan for exposing his scheme and forcing him to possess a dead body. He also summons a powerful Three-Eyed Dark Beast, whose brow eye can fire a devastating beam of light.
• The group forms a battle plan: Ran Kui will hold off the Old Devil, Yun Qianzai will break Black Dragon Island’s protective Formation, and Feng Zhitáo will assist Ran Kui. Ji Yuan volunteers to fight the Three-Eyed Dark Beast alone.
• Ji Yuan initially struggles against the beast’s speed and strength. His shield, Thunder Sword, Earth-Pressing Hammer, and Heavenly Net are barely effective.
• He then releases his massive swarm of Spirit-Devouring Bees. The bees cannot pierce the beast’s scales, but several stronger Second-Tier bees attack its vulnerable vertical eye.
• The beast’s eye beam destroys hundreds of bees and partially burns through Ji Yuan’s Dragon-Whisker Shield. However, Ji Yuan withstands the weakened beam because his body is exceptionally powerful for his realm.
• The bees’ venom disrupts the beast’s spiritual energy while their natural ability to devour energy steadily weakens it. After a prolonged struggle, they drain the Three-Eyed Dark Beast completely, killing it. Ji Yuan stores its corpse.
• Meanwhile, Ran Kui and Feng Zhitáo are badly injured, while Yun Qianzai succeeds in breaking the island’s protective Formation. Facing the overwhelming Middle Golden Core Old Devil, Ji Yuan proposes using a final powerful attack—his “Italian Cannon”—if the others can restrain the enemy for ten breaths. The chapter ends as the group prepares for this decisive counterattack.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates tactical intelligence and growing confidence. Though initially outmatched, he recognizes the Three-Eyed Dark Beast’s weakness and uses the Spirit-Devouring Bees he has carefully cultivated as a specialized countermeasure.
• His physical cultivation proves crucial: unlike ordinary spell cultivators, he survives the beast’s devastating eye beam, highlighting his unusual combat endurance.
• Ji Yuan also takes greater responsibility for the group, volunteering to face the beast alone and later revealing that he has a method capable of killing the Old Devil.
• The Crossing-Sea Old Devil is established as an arrogant, cruel, and extremely dangerous villain. He treats the sacrificed elders as disposable “trash,” resents Ran Kui, and openly targets Ji Yuan.
• Ran Kui acts as the group’s primary frontline fighter, repeatedly confronting the stronger Old Devil despite suffering severe injuries.
• Feng Zhitáo continues to provide powerful fire support but is visibly overwhelmed by the realm difference.
• Yun Qianzai remains the group’s formation specialist, using creativity to redirect lightning and ultimately dismantle the island’s protective Formation.
• The group’s trust in Ji Yuan grows when they agree to rely on his plan despite his lower cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness over raw power: Ji Yuan succeeds not by matching the Three-Eyed Dark Beast directly, but by exploiting its weakness and deploying the Spirit-Devouring Bees strategically.
• Sacrifice and exploitation: The Old Devil’s rapid cultivation recovery depends on consuming the vitality of others, portraying power gained through cruelty and parasitism.
• Teamwork and coordination: The battle repeatedly depends on the group’s complementary abilities—formation control, defense, fire magic, physical combat, and Ji Yuan’s insect swarm.
• Preparation bearing fruit: Ji Yuan’s long-term effort in raising the Spirit-Devouring Bees finally produces a decisive battlefield advantage.
• Defiance against overwhelming odds: Although the Old Devil is several realms stronger, the protagonists continue fighting by combining tactics, trust, and specialized abilities.

Character Interactions

• Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai display strong teamwork, coordinating their magic without needing verbal instructions.
• The Crossing-Sea Old Devil directly confronts and blames Ji Yuan, creating a personal antagonism between them.
• Ran Kui repeatedly protects and supports Ji Yuan, intercepting the Old Devil’s attacks and giving Ji Yuan time to use the bees.
• Feng Zhitáo worries about Ji Yuan facing the Three-Eyed Dark Beast alone, but Ji Yuan asks her to trust him.
• Ji Yuan’s successful defeat of the beast validates that trust and shifts him from a relatively weaker team member into a crucial force in the battle.
• At the end, all three senior disciples agree to help Ji Yuan restrain the Old Devil, setting up a united final assault.

Chapter Summary: The Might of the Third-Setting [Spirit-Energy Cannon]

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ran Kui, Feng Zhitáo, and Yun Qianzai launch another assault on Crossing-Sea Old Devil. Each is protected by a wine-cup phantom bestowed by Hua Yaoyue, allowing them to withstand the devil’s attacks.
• Hua Yaoyue senses the danger on Black Dragon Island and immediately leaves the Water Dragon Sect to intervene. Her killing intent alarms the sect’s cultivators. Her ancestor, Kong Xifeng, realizes that Hua Yaoyue’s disciples are in danger and conceals the traces of Hua’s movement.
• On Black Dragon Island, Ji Yuan prepares the Level 2 Spirit-Energy Cannon. He chooses its third setting—equivalent to a Golden Core Peak attack—and spends 10,235 Middle-Grade Spirit Stones charging it.
• Crossing-Sea Old Devil, unable to wait for the cannon to fire, uses Secret Corpse Refinement, transforming his body into a powerful corpse-like form covered in black markings and fire.
• The devil breaks through the group’s restraints, resists the Heavenly Venom Needles, shatters Feng Zhitáo’s Jade Elixir, and sends both Feng and Ran Kui flying with overwhelming physical strength.
• Yun Qianzai consumes a strange Demon Core and transforms into a grotesque, tentacled sea beast. He sacrifices himself to restrain the old devil and buys Ji Yuan time to finish charging the cannon.
• Ji Yuan fires the fully charged Spirit-Energy Cannon. The blast devastates the mountaintop, destroys most of Yun Qianzai’s transformed body, and apparently obliterates Crossing-Sea Old Devil, leaving only a severed hand.
• The surviving group gathers afterward. Feng Zhitáo treats the nearly dead Yun Qianzai, while Ran Kui expels large amounts of blood and takes a Qi-Blood Pill to survive.
• Before Ji Yuan can help Ran Kui, the seemingly severed hand comes alive, grips Ji Yuan by the throat, and drags him eastward over the sea. Feng Zhitáo realizes too late that Ji Yuan has been abducted.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates his willingness to expend enormous resources and risk destroying the Spirit-Energy Cannon to save his companions. His successful use of the third setting proves the weapon’s devastating power, but he is left vulnerable and is captured by the old devil’s severed hand.
• Ran Kui: Remains fearless and charges directly into danger, relying on Hua Yaoyue’s defensive treasure and a lock of mysterious hair. He suffers severe internal damage after the battle but survives.
• Feng Zhitáo: Fights decisively alongside the others and takes responsibility for treating Yun Qianzai after the blast. Her reliance on Hua Yaoyue’s protection highlights the importance of their mentor’s support.
• Yun Qianzai: Makes the greatest sacrifice, consuming a Demon Core and transforming into a monstrous sea beast to restrain Crossing-Sea Old Devil. He survives the cannon blast only barely.
• Crossing-Sea Old Devil: Loses control of the battle as the disciples’ defensive treasures and Ji Yuan’s cannon overwhelm him. His Secret Corpse Refinement makes him physically terrifying, but even after being blasted apart, his severed hand retains enough vitality to seize Ji Yuan.
• Hua Yaoyue and Kong Xifeng: Their reactions reveal Hua Yaoyue’s extraordinary strength and rapid cultivation progress. Kong Xifeng is astonished by how powerful Hua has become and worries about her future impact on the Demonic Dao and Shang Court.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and teamwork: The group survives only by combining their abilities, with Yun Qianzai risking his life to create an opening for Ji Yuan.
• Power versus preparation: Crossing-Sea Old Devil is extremely powerful but awakens before preparing his body and life-bound treasure, forcing him into a desperate battle.
• The cost of victory: The cannon destroys thousands of spirit stones, damages the mountain, nearly ruins the weapon, and leaves the fighters gravely injured.
• False victory and lingering danger: Although the old devil appears defeated, his severed hand’s attack shows that evil and danger can persist even after apparent destruction.
• Mentorship and protection: Hua Yaoyue’s wine-cup treasures protect her disciples and allow them to challenge an enemy far beyond their normal abilities.

Important Character Interactions

• Crossing-Sea Old Devil mocks and questions the disciples’ unknown Nascent Soul backing, becoming increasingly unnerved by their defenses.
• Yun Qianzai boasts that he gave Ji Yuan the Spirit-Energy Cannon, irritatingly claiming credit during the crisis.
• The three fighters coordinate their attacks and restraints, though their methods repeatedly fail against the devil’s corpse-refined body.
• Yun Qianzai urges Ji Yuan to fire only after he has secured the old devil, while Ji Yuan waits for the precise opening.
• Feng Zhitáo catches Yun Qianzai after the blast and administers medicine, while the others struggle to recover.
• The chapter ends with Feng Zhitáo warning that Ji Yuan has been taken, turning the apparent victory into a new crisis.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ran Kui, badly wounded after the battle, urges Feng Zhitáo to rescue Ji Yuan, who has been taken by the Crossing-Sea Old Devil. Feng leaves Black Dragon Island in her Flying Boat after placing Talismans around the injured group.
• Ji Yuan is dragged eastward by the Old Devil’s severed hand. The hand nearly strangles him, but Ji Yuan’s body-cultivation allows him to resist.
• To protect himself, Ji Yuan pretends to be Red Thunder True Lord, a supposedly deceased figure connected to Lord Mei. The Old Devil recognizes the name and reveals that Red Thunder had once opposed him.
• Through their conversation, Ji Yuan learns that forces from the Abyssal Continent are preparing to cross the Fallen Immortal Ravine and enter the Cangluo Continent. He realizes this may be connected to Situ Feng and the internal conflicts within the Shang Court.
• The Old Devil tries to persuade Ji Yuan to accompany him to the Abyssal Continent, promising greater freedom and access to powerful sects. Ji Yuan pretends to agree while secretly planning to escape before crossing.
• Hua Yaoyue arrives at Black Dragon Island and learns that Ji Yuan has been taken east. She protects Ran Kui, Feng Zhitáo, and Yun Qianzai with a Nascent Soul-level barrier, then personally sets out to retrieve Ji Yuan.
• The Old Devil and Ji Yuan reach the entrance to the Fallen Immortal Ravine. Ji Yuan boards his Wind Sophora Flying Boat and follows the Old Devil’s directions through the dangerous region, using wooden dummies to test the path.
• Suspicious of the Old Devil’s claim that retreat is impossible, Ji Yuan launches a surprise attack with the Heavenly Thunder Net and Heavenly Venom Needles.
• The severely weakened Old Devil is struck. His severed hand is blown into the ravine’s gale winds, his escaping Divine Soul is destroyed, and only a finger bone remains. Ji Yuan retrieves the bone and the damaged venom needle.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates resourcefulness, deception, and caution. Rather than confronting the Old Devil directly, he gathers information, impersonates Red Thunder, pretends to cooperate, and waits for the right moment to escape.
• Crossing-Sea Old Devil is revealed as weakened, manipulative, and distrustful. Though he attempts to control Ji Yuan, his damaged state leaves him vulnerable, and his overconfidence ultimately allows Ji Yuan to defeat him.
• Feng Zhitáo shows loyalty and concern for Ji Yuan, despite her fear and exhaustion. She immediately pursues him after Ran Kui instructs her to prioritize his rescue.
• Ran Kui acts selflessly despite his critical injuries, encouraging Feng to leave him behind and protect their junior disciple.
• Hua Yaoyue remains calm and decisive. Her concern for Ji Yuan is restrained but clear, and she immediately begins pursuing him after ensuring the others’ safety.
• Yun Qianzai, though severely injured, survives after helping contain the Old Devil and withstand the Spirit-Energy Cannon.

Significant Themes

• Cunning versus strength: Ji Yuan survives not through superior power but through disguise, psychological manipulation, patience, and tactical timing.
• Trust and deception: Both Ji Yuan and the Old Devil constantly lie and test each other, with neither willing to accept the other’s claims at face value.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Ran Kui and Feng prioritize Ji Yuan’s safety, while Hua Yaoyue personally pursues him rather than delegating the rescue.
• Wider continental conflict: The revelation that forces from the Abyssal Continent may invade raises the stakes beyond Black Dragon Island and suggests an approaching upheaval across the cultivation world.
• Danger hidden beneath calm: The apparently peaceful waters before the Fallen Immortal Ravine conceal lethal winds, whirlpools, sea beasts, and other natural hazards.

Character Interactions

• Ran Kui entrusts Feng Zhitáo with rescuing Ji Yuan, showing the senior disciple’s protective attitude.
• Ji Yuan and the Old Devil engage in a prolonged battle of insults, lies, and attempted persuasion. Ji Yuan uses the Red Thunder identity to extract information, while the Old Devil tries to recruit him.
• Hua Yaoyue questions Feng about Ji Yuan’s disappearance and then takes responsibility for bringing him back.
• Inside the ravine, the Old Devil reluctantly guides Ji Yuan, while Ji Yuan remains suspicious and repeatedly tests his directions.
• Their fragile cooperation ends when Ji Yuan attacks. The Old Devil’s refusal to release him and his deception about the route confirm Ji Yuan’s distrust, leading to the Old Devil’s final defeat.

Chapter Summary: “A Great Haul”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping Crossing-Sea Old Devil and Fallen Immortal Ravine, Ji Yuan repairs his damaged Heavenly Venom Needles with Jade-Grease.
• He examines the black finger bone taken from Crossing-Sea Old Devil’s true body and discovers it is a storage space containing three important items:
  • A Skeleton Token connected to the Yin Ghost Sect.
  • A black cheekbone containing an inheritance, likely a Nascent Soul cultivation technique.
  • A human-skin sea chart showing the route between continents and dangerous regions such as the Devouring-Heaven Whale’s territory.
• The Skeleton Token produces the image of bronze doors when activated, though its purpose remains unknown.
• Ji Yuan uses a dummy to safely retrace his path through Fallen Immortal Ravine and successfully escapes.
• Hua Yaoyue arrives to rescue him. Ji Yuan tells her that Crossing-Sea Old Devil died after falling into the ravine and being destroyed by the astral winds.
• Ji Yuan reveals that Shangxi’s Shang Court has contacted the Abyssal Continent and plans a coordinated attack on Shangdong. Situ Feng, a former member of Ji Yuan’s sect, helped arrange the alliance through Crossing-Sea Old Devil.
• Hua Yaoyue realizes that Shangxi has been feigning attacks while preparing this larger assault. She predicts that the Demonic Dao may soon launch an all-out offensive.
• Hua Yaoyue takes responsibility for Ji Yuan’s role in killing Crossing-Sea Old Devil and promises to secure him additional benefits.
• Ji Yuan returns to Black Dragon Island and reunites with Feng Zhitáo, Ran Kui, and Yun Qianzai, all of whom survived the battle.
• The group travels west while discussing their escape and divides the spoils from Black Dragon Island and the Three-Eyed Dark Beast.
• Ji Yuan receives valuable beast bones, Spirit Stones, and a Heavenly Thunder Pellet, while Ran Kui takes the scales and armor plates for crafting.
• Ji Yuan finally identifies the human-skin item as Crossing-Sea Old Devil’s sea chart and informs Hua Yaoyue of its importance.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates resourcefulness and caution by repairing his Dharma Treasure, escaping Fallen Immortal Ravine with a dummy, and concealing the truth about his journey when necessary.
• His victory over Crossing-Sea Old Devil greatly increases his importance to Shangdong, though he remains aware that revealing his involvement could make him a target.
• Ji Yuan’s relationship with Hua Yaoyue deepens. He relies on her presence after enduring extreme mental and physical strain, while she expresses confidence in his future potential.
• Hua Yaoyue shows both protectiveness and strategic insight, accepting responsibility for Ji Yuan’s accomplishments and warning him to prepare for the coming war.
• Ran Kui openly acknowledges that Ji Yuan was essential to their survival, while Ji Yuan emphasizes that the victory required everyone’s cooperation.
• Yun Qianzai remains proud and reserved, though his repaired Spirit-Energy Cannon and support were important contributions.
• The four martial siblings’ trust and camaraderie are strengthened by surviving the crisis together.

Significant Themes

• Survival through cooperation: The defeat of Crossing-Sea Old Devil results from the combined efforts of all four martial siblings rather than Ji Yuan alone.
• Hidden opportunities within danger: Ji Yuan’s ordeal yields an inheritance, a mysterious Yin Ghost Sect artifact, and a strategic sea chart.
• Escalating political conflict: The secret alliance between Shangxi and the Abyssal Continent signals that a larger war is imminent.
• Mentorship and responsibility: Hua Yaoyue protects Ji Yuan while urging him to grow strong enough to stand beside her.
• Luck versus merit: Ji Yuan attributes his discoveries to luck, but Hua Yaoyue recognizes that his actions have earned major contributions and influence.
• The cost of victory: Despite their gains, the group suffers serious injuries and loses important treasures, including the Spirit-Energy Cannon.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue share a relaxed but affectionate master-disciple exchange. Ji Yuan promises to remain by her side, while she challenges him to become strong enough to help her.
• Hua Yaoyue calmly analyzes Ji Yuan’s report about the Shang Court and the Abyssal Continent, immediately recognizing its strategic significance.
• The martial siblings praise one another’s contributions and agree to divide the spoils fairly.
• Ran Kui confirms the severity of Crossing-Sea Old Devil’s strength, reinforcing the magnitude of Ji Yuan’s achievement.
• Ji Yuan keeps his entry into Fallen Immortal Ravine secret from the others, following Hua Yaoyue’s advice to avoid unnecessary complications.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan sharing the discovery of the sea chart with Hua Yaoyue, setting up the possibility of future exploration and danger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue discuss the spoils taken from Crossing-Sea Old Devil:
  • A sea chart, which Ji Yuan will copy for Hua Yaoyue.
  • A Demonic Dao Nascent Soul cultivation technique, which Ji Yuan plans to study for useful insights.
  • A token and other evidence connected to the Yin Ghost Sect.
• Ji Yuan proposes that the Yin Ghost Sect may have originated on the Abyssal Continent, with part of its inheritance later reaching the Cangluo Continent. Hua Yaoyue considers the theory plausible and reveals that she has previously visited the Abyssal Continent.
• Hua Yaoyue orders her disciples to remain in seclusion after returning, warning that Shangxi may soon launch a full-scale attack. Ran Kui, ashamed that his weakness nearly endangered his junior brothers and sisters, resolves to cultivate harder and forge his Life-bound Dharma Treasure.
• The group returns to Carefree Island. Ji Yuan begins planning numerous tasks, including researching the Yin Ghost Sect token, studying the Demonic Dao technique, copying the sea chart, cultivating new flying swords, refining his body, and forging artifacts.
• Hua Yaoyue immediately visits Kong Xifeng on Clearwind Island. After teasing and humiliating Kong Xifeng into apologizing for her earlier attitude, she reveals a major secret:
  • Shangxi’s Demonic Dao has contacted the Abyssal Continent.
  • Crossing-Sea Old Devil was sent there as part of the plan.
  • Situ Feng was the intermediary who contacted him.
  • Hua Yaoyue encountered and casually killed Crossing-Sea Old Devil.
• Kong Xifeng realizes the danger to the Six Immortal Sects and intends to inform the other sect leaders. Hua Yaoyue also requests four Fixed-Point Teleportation Tokens as compensation for saving them.
• Kong Xifeng leaves to confront Situ Feng, whom she finds cultivating under the identity Feng Yichen on Yellow Maple Island.
• Situ Feng is secretly rebuilding his strength with the “Three-Turn Transformation into Dragon Art,” but remains only at the Foundation Establishment Realm because he lacks sufficient Spirit Stones.
• Kong Xifeng tests his reaction by claiming that the Holy Mother exposed his dealings with Crossing-Sea Old Devil and ordered his execution. Situ Feng’s response confirms his guilt and identity.
• When Situ Feng attempts to escape by abandoning his body and releasing his Nascent Soul, Kong Xifeng captures and destroys it immediately. He becomes the first major Nascent Soul-level figure in this conflict to die.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Shows loyalty to Hua Yaoyue and a strong sense of responsibility. He gains new investigative leads regarding the Yin Ghost Sect and prepares to improve himself through cultivation, body refinement, and artifact forging.
• Hua Yaoyue: Demonstrates overwhelming confidence, sharp humor, and a pragmatic attitude. She remains protective of her disciples while actively gathering intelligence and manipulating events among the major sects.
• Ran Kui: Feels deep shame over nearly endangering his fellow disciples and accepts the need to become stronger.
• Kong Xifeng: Despite her pride and antagonistic temperament, she recognizes the seriousness of the crisis and accepts Hua Yaoyue’s information. Her anger toward Situ Feng gives way to decisive action.
• Situ Feng/Feng Yichen: Is revealed as a traitorous reincarnated cultivator connected to Shangxi’s Demonic Dao. His arrogance and attempts at deception fail against Kong Xifeng, and his fragile restored cultivation leaves him helpless.
• Wen Ling’er: Is instructed to remain on Clearwind Island and cultivate safely while Kong Xifeng handles the crisis.

Significant Themes

• The approaching demonic war: The chapter emphasizes that the conflict between Shangxi, the Abyssal Continent, and Cangluo is rapidly escalating.
• Hidden identities and betrayal: Situ Feng’s reincarnation and secret alliance reveal that danger exists within the established sects themselves.
• Power and vulnerability: Even figures who once possessed Nascent Soul cultivation can become weak after reincarnation, while true Nascent Soul experts remain overwhelmingly dominant.
• Preparation versus complacency: Hua Yaoyue repeatedly stresses retreat, cultivation, and preparation before the coming upheaval.
• Pride and humiliation: The exchange between Hua Yaoyue and Kong Xifeng highlights their rivalry, but also shows that pride must yield when survival is at stake.
• Justice and retribution: Situ Feng’s betrayal is exposed and punished immediately, while Hua Yaoyue expects compensation for the dangers she has resolved.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue discuss the spoils of battle, the Yin Ghost Sect, and the coming crisis, displaying their master-disciple trust.
• Hua Yaoyue and Ran Kui clash briefly over his desire to act independently; she insists that he first strengthen himself.
• Hua Yaoyue and Kong Xifeng engage in a sarcastic battle of wills before Hua Yaoyue reveals the critical intelligence.
• Kong Xifeng reacts furiously upon learning of Situ Feng’s betrayal and travels directly to confront him.
• Kong Xifeng and Situ Feng exchange false courtesies, but her probing statements expose his involvement. She then destroys his Nascent Soul without allowing him a chance to escape.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan learns from Hua Yaoyue that Situ Feng was killed by Kong Xifeng. Though surprised that the powerful possessed Nascent Soul cultivator died so easily, Ji Yuan accepts that Kong Xifeng’s centuries of experience made the victory plausible.
• Situ Feng’s death strengthens Ji Yuan’s resolve: Nascent Soul cultivators can indeed be killed, so he must focus on steadily increasing his own strength.
• Ji Yuan investigates the mysterious Yin Ghost Sect token stored within Crossing-Sea Old Devil’s finger bone. He tries supplying it with spiritual energy and forcing a yin soul through the manifested bronze gate, but the experiment fails and destroys one of his Qi Refining yin souls.
• He examines the black cheekbone containing a Nascent Soul inheritance and successfully comprehends the Yin-Transforming Spirit-Absorption Scripture, later referred to as the Star-Absorbing Art.
• Ji Yuan discovers that the technique does not directly enable breakthroughs. Instead, it absorbs the cultivation of those below the user’s realm, allowing someone to rapidly restore cultivation lost after using a powerful life-risking technique. This explains how Crossing-Sea Old Devil instantly recovered to Golden Core cultivation.
• The technique also produces Yin-Transforming Divine Water, which can attack or defend and corrode an opponent’s Dharma Treasures.
• Ji Yuan realizes that the Scripture synergizes with his Spirit-Cutting Technique: he could sacrifice cultivation and part of his Divine Soul to unleash a desperate attack, then recover through the Star-Absorbing Art and the Meditation Room. However, Hua Yaoyue warns that overuse could deepen his bottleneck and make future breakthroughs harder, especially because of his False Spiritual Root.
• Ji Yuan checks the Scripture Pavilion’s upgrade requirements and discovers that he still needs many Third- and Fourth-Order Monster Cores, leaving him frustrated by the enormous resource demands of his buildings.
• He brings Hua Yaoyue a copy of the sea chart she requested and asks about obtaining a Spirit-Energy Cannon. Hua Yaoyue effortlessly acquires two new cannons from Kong Xifeng.
• When Ji Yuan asks her to obtain fifteen Third-Order Monster Cores, Hua Yaoyue says she will do so after “the sect is destroyed.” Her statement implies that the Water Dragon Sect, and possibly all six Immortal Sects of Shangdong, may soon fall in the Orthodox-Demonic War.
• Ji Yuan returns to Carefree Island anxious about his future and whether he will have anywhere to go if the sect collapses. His worries are interrupted when Tu Yue delivers that month’s Profound Yang Blood Amber.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes more determined to strengthen himself after witnessing Situ Feng’s death. He gains a powerful new cultivation technique and begins considering a dangerous but potentially effective combat strategy combining Spirit-Cutting with the Star-Absorbing Art. He also grows increasingly concerned about the war, his sect’s possible destruction, and his future dependence on Hua Yaoyue.
• Hua Yaoyue: Demonstrates her overwhelming influence and confidence by effortlessly obtaining two Spirit-Energy Cannons and casually discussing the possible destruction of her own sect. She acts as Ji Yuan’s mentor, warning him about the dangers of overusing the new technique while remaining protective and willing to secure resources for him.
• Kong Xifeng: Though absent from most of the chapter, she is revealed to have killed Situ Feng and surrendered the Spirit-Energy Cannons when pressured by Hua Yaoyue, reinforcing her reputation as both formidable and politically vulnerable.
• Crossing-Sea Old Devil: His past methods and cultivation are clarified through the inherited Scripture. His “instant” Golden Core recovery was the result of restoring former cultivation, not bypassing normal cultivation laws.

Significant Themes

• Strength through self-improvement: Ji Yuan concludes that powerful enemies can be defeated if one steadily increases one’s own strength.
• The cost of power: The Star-Absorbing Art offers rapid recovery and potent abilities, but excessive reliance may damage Ji Yuan’s future cultivation.
• Resource dependence and cultivation economics: Progress increasingly depends on rare Monster Cores, spirit stones, treasures, and sect resources.
• Unstable political order: The Orthodox-Demonic War is reaching a decisive stage, and even major Immortal Sects may be destroyed.
• Mentorship and protection: Hua Yaoyue’s relationship with Ji Yuan combines stern instruction, teasing, and practical protection.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Hua Yaoyue: Ji Yuan consults her about Situ Feng, presents her with the inherited technique, asks for Spirit-Energy Cannons and Monster Cores, and receives both guidance and material support. Her final warning about the sect’s destruction leaves him deeply unsettled.
• Ji Yuan and Crossing-Sea Old Devil: Though the old devil is dead, Ji Yuan studies his remains, uncovers the Star-Absorbing Art, and adapts its principles to his own techniques.
• Hua Yaoyue and Kong Xifeng: Hua Yaoyue pressures Kong Xifeng into delivering two Spirit-Energy Cannons, illustrating the power imbalance and their hostile relationship.
• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue: Tu Yue’s delivery of the monthly Profound Yang Blood Amber provides the chapter’s closing transition from Ji Yuan’s political anxiety back to his ongoing cultivation routine.