Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan completes gathering the materials needed to upgrade the Level 5 Spirit Field, though he postpones the upgrade until he leaves the Rakshasa Sea and can safely return to Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain.
• He spends his remaining Contribution Points with the Ghost Envoy:
  • 5,000 points for a Clear-Mind Fruit Tree branch, satisfying the upgrade requirement for the Dao Comprehension Chamber.
  • 1,000 points for two Taiyi Profound Yang Talismans, rare talismans from the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
  • His remaining points are exchanged for a Black Baleful Pill, leaving him with nothing. The Ghost Envoy explains that an Earth Immortal Stone would require far more Contribution Points.
• Ji Yuan confirms through his system panel that the Clear-Mind Fruit Tree branch is genuine and that the Dao Comprehension Chamber can now be upgraded. Its improved effects will provide stronger comprehension and one Clear-Mind Fruit each year.
• Before leaving, the Ghost Envoy warns Ji Yuan about the dangers of the Core Area and advises him to retreat when necessary rather than fight recklessly.
• Back in Rakshasa City, Ji Yuan discusses Qiu Qianhai’s situation with him. Qiu reveals that his master, the Dream-Demon True Lord, intends to possess his body and has placed restrictions on both his physical body and Divine Soul. If his master dies, Qiu may die as well.
• Qiu further reveals that his master originated from the Yin Ghost Sect, emerged from the Rakshasa Sea, and is planning to use a Nascent Soul Golden-Armored Corpse King—temporarily enhanced to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage—to attack Bone Demon Old Devil.
• Qiu explains that the Core Area is an endless sea of sand and is not controlled by the Ghost Envoy. Unlike the Inner and Outer Domains, it is a true world filled with opportunities and dangers, including numerous Nascent Soul cultivators. Entrants are transported randomly, and Qiu and Ji Yuan agree to meet at Yellowwind Valley.
• Ji Yuan briefly returns to the Outer Domain to see Mu Xueyao. She chooses to remain in the Rakshasa Sea and cultivate toward the Golden Core Peak Stage rather than enter the Core Area.
• Ji Yuan enters the Core Area, finding an immense desert beneath a blazing sun. His Divine Sense is no longer suppressed, but he immediately detects a Nascent Soul cultivator approaching.
• To conceal his identity, Ji Yuan introduces himself as “Li Changshou” and secretly prepares Gongyou Fenshou Brew. The mysterious blue-robed cultivator examines him, then reveals that he recognizes Ji Yuan, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more confident and prepared for future cultivation. He secures several rare treasures and upgrade materials while remaining cautious about revealing his abilities in front of the Ghost Envoy.
• His determination to reach the Nascent Soul Realm is emphasized. Even though he has a False Spiritual Root, he refuses to accept that his future is limited, placing hope in descendants and the opportunities he can leave behind.
• Ji Yuan also shows increasing concern for Qiu Qianhai and begins seriously considering how to save him from his master’s possession techniques and deadly restrictions.
• Qiu Qianhai reveals a more vulnerable side. Although he remains outwardly carefree, he has long understood that his master intended to take over his body and believes there may be no simple way to escape his fate.
• Qiu also proves valuable as Ji Yuan’s guide to the Core Area, sharing crucial information about its geography, dangers, and possible meeting point.
• Mu Xueyao demonstrates practical judgment by refusing to enter the Core Area while underpowered. She chooses to remain in the Outer Domain and cultivate, supported by the resources Ji Yuan and Qiu provided.
• The Ghost Envoy displays unusual concern for Ji Yuan, offering warnings and advice despite its usual greed and hostility. Its relationship with the Yin Ghost Sect and its possible motives remain uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation requires calculated risk: Ji Yuan’s gains—the Dao Comprehension Chamber materials, rare talismans, and knowledge of the Core Area—are the results of taking dangerous opportunities rather than remaining isolated.
• Fate versus determination: Ji Yuan rejects the Ghost Envoy’s pessimism about his False Spiritual Root, relying on persistence, future descendants, and accumulated opportunities.
• Inheritance and legacy: Ji Yuan’s desire to cultivate the Clear-Mind Fruit Tree reflects his wish to leave resources and advantages to future generations.
• Freedom and control: Qiu Qianhai’s body and soul are controlled by restrictions placed by his master, contrasting with Ji Yuan’s increasing independence and preparation.
• Hidden loyalties and uncertain motives: The Ghost Envoy, Dream-Demon True Lord, and Yin Ghost Sect appear connected, making their claims and warnings difficult to trust completely.
• Danger beyond the known world: The Core Area represents a major escalation in the story, where even Golden Core cultivators face Nascent Soul-level threats and must rely on caution, deception, and alliances.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and the Ghost Envoy: They negotiate repeatedly over rare treasures. Ji Yuan uses persistence and appeals to sect rules to lower the price of the Clear-Mind Fruit Tree branch, while the Ghost Envoy alternates between mockery, greed, and genuine advice.
• Ji Yuan and Qiu Qianhai: Their friendship deepens as Qiu confesses his master’s plans. Ji Yuan reacts angrily and searches for a way to save him, while Qiu attempts to remain optimistic and redirects the discussion toward practical preparations for the Core Area.
• Ji Yuan and Mu Xueyao: Their meeting is supportive and affectionate. Ji Yuan encourages her to cultivate safely, and Mu Xueyao warns him to be careful before he departs.
• Ji Yuan and the mysterious blue-robed cultivator: Ji Yuan adopts a false identity and prepares a hidden countermeasure, but the stranger immediately exposes that he knows Ji Yuan’s true identity, creating a tense cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: Ji Yuan and Nightmare True Lord Join Forces

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan enters the Core Area of the Rakshasa Sea through the Ghost Envoy’s Golden Ghost Token and immediately encounters Dream-Demon True Lord, Qiu Qianhai’s master.
• Both Ji Yuan and Dream-Demon True Lord secretly consider killing the other. Ji Yuan worries that killing Dream-Demon True Lord may also kill Qiu Qianhai, since the latter’s life is linked to his master’s.
• Dream-Demon True Lord reveals that he intends to possess Qiu Qianhai’s body. He admits that this is why he cannot afford to die and why he was considering eliminating Ji Yuan.
• Rather than fight immediately, Dream-Demon True Lord offers Ji Yuan a deal: he knows of a treasure that can aid Nascent Soul Formation and wants Ji Yuan’s help retrieving it.
• The treasure is a seed of the Void Sacred Heart Lotus, a spirit plant capable of increasing one’s chances of surviving the Heart-Demon Tribulation by roughly thirty percent.
• Dream-Demon True Lord explains that Nascent Soul Formation consists of two major dangers: shattering the Golden Core and surviving the Heart-Demon Tribulation, which exploits a cultivator’s deepest fears and emotional weaknesses.
• The two travel north through the Core Area. Dream-Demon True Lord sets up a Fourth-Tier trapping Formation and instructs Ji Yuan to act as bait for the lotus seed.
• Ji Yuan equips his Spirit-Devouring Armor, which conceals his spiritual energy, and enters the Formation carrying a special jade bottle.
• The supposed lotus seed emerges in the form of a gigantic, man-eating earthen-yellow rat. It attacks Ji Yuan at tremendous speed, though Ji Yuan repeatedly evades it.
• Dream-Demon True Lord activates the Formation, manifesting a fierce tiger that kills the rat and forces it to transform back into the white lotus seed.
• Ji Yuan realizes the Formation may also be intended to trap or kill him. Using his Truth-Piercing Divine Eye, he identifies a flaw and escapes with his four Azure Waves Swords before Dream-Demon True Lord can act.
• Dream-Demon True Lord claims the danger was merely a test of Ji Yuan’s abilities. He gives Ji Yuan the lotus seed as a “gift” and acknowledges that Ji Yuan is strong enough to cooperate with him.
• Ji Yuan remains highly distrustful, keeping his swords ready even after storing the lotus seed.
• At the end, Dream-Demon True Lord reveals the next stage of his plan by producing a Dream Butterfly, ranked thirty-sixth among the Strange Insects.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes increasingly wary and decisive. Although tempted by the lotus seed, he does not blindly trust Dream-Demon True Lord. He demonstrates his combat instincts, patience, mastery of formations, and ability to escape a carefully prepared trap.
• Dream-Demon True Lord: Confirms that he is calculating, manipulative, and willing to endanger Ji Yuan to test him. He openly admits his plan to possess Qiu Qianhai, showing that he treats the matter pragmatically rather than sentimentally. At the same time, he recognizes Ji Yuan’s strength and seeks to recruit him as a capable ally.
• Qiu Qianhai: Remains physically absent but is central to the conflict. His life is tied to Dream-Demon True Lord’s, and his threatened possession motivates Ji Yuan’s hostility.
• Ji Yuan’s master: Mentioned as someone absent from his side and potentially vulnerable, highlighting Ji Yuan’s emotional attachments and the weaknesses that might affect his future Heart-Demon Tribulation.

Significant Themes

• Trust and manipulation: Both men conceal their intentions and probe each other’s weaknesses. Their alliance is based on mutual usefulness rather than genuine trust.
• Strength as the basis for cooperation: Dream-Demon True Lord respects only those capable of surviving danger, making Ji Yuan’s escape from the Formation a qualification test.
• The dangers of Nascent Soul Formation: The chapter emphasizes both the physical risk of breaking through the Golden Core and the psychological threat of the Heart-Demon Tribulation.
• Hidden emotional vulnerabilities: Dream-Demon True Lord’s explanation of the Heart-Demon Tribulation foreshadows how Ji Yuan’s attachments and fears may later be exploited.
• Predation and betrayal: The man-eating lotus seed mirrors the broader relationship between the characters: each participant may be using the others as bait or nourishment.
• Pragmatic alliances: Ji Yuan follows Dream-Demon True Lord because the latter knows the Core Area, while Dream-Demon True Lord needs Ji Yuan’s unique abilities. Their partnership is strategic and fragile.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Dream-Demon True Lord repeatedly test each other through conversation, veiled threats, and concealed killing intent.
• Dream-Demon True Lord tempts Ji Yuan with the promise of a Nascent Soul opportunity, while Ji Yuan immediately asks what he must do in return.
• Ji Yuan confronts him about possessing Qiu Qianhai, forcing Dream-Demon True Lord to acknowledge the truth without fully committing to negotiation.
• During the lotus-seed hunt, Dream-Demon True Lord uses Ji Yuan as bait and appears to delay his intervention, causing Ji Yuan to suspect an attempted murder.
• After Ji Yuan escapes the Formation, he openly displays his distrust, while Dream-Demon True Lord attempts to redefine the incident as a test.
• The chapter ends with Dream-Demon True Lord presenting the Dream Butterfly, suggesting that Ji Yuan’s real role in the partnership has yet to be revealed.

Chapter Summary: “Six-Turn, Nine-Turn Blood Pools!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan reveals his Third-Tier Dream Butterfly to Dream-Demon True Lord, who recognizes that it has consumed a large amount of Dream Profound Liquid. Dream-Demon explains that he once possessed two Fourth-Tier Dream Butterflies, but both failed to survive their Transformation Lightning Tribulations.
• Dream-Demon asks Ji Yuan to help retrieve a treasure hidden within the Six-Turn Blood Pool, an illusion-filled treasure site that even Nascent Soul cultivators cannot penetrate without Dream Butterflies.
• While traveling, Dream-Demon explains the Blood Pool hierarchy: Three-Turn Pools produce Core Formation-level treasures, while Six-Turn Pools produce treasures valuable to Nascent Soul cultivators. This particular Six-Turn Pool was formerly a Nine-Turn Blood Pool, meaning its treasures may be powerful enough to attract even Void Refinement cultivators.
• Ji Yuan subtly questions Dream-Demon about the Winter Worm, the fourth-ranked strange insect known as the “Undying Medicine.” Dream-Demon reveals that only awakened Winter Worms can be used, but he does not know how to awaken one.
• Ji Yuan and Dream-Demon arrive at the Emberflame Desert, where numerous Nascent Soul cultivators are gathered around the Blood Pool. They have been unable to break through its powerful illusion.
• The Profound Serpent Manor Master attempts to enter the illusion but fails, damaging his prayer beads in the process. He exchanges sharp insults with the Soul Hall Master and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend.
• Bone Demon Old Devil returns with Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother and Magui. He reports that Orthodox Dao cultivators are closing in on Pagoda Mountain and that an unknown, exceptionally powerful Nascent Soul cultivator nearly killed True Lord Hundred Hammers.
• Dream-Demon and Ji Yuan arrive disguised as “Xuan Yunzi,” an overseas Rogue Cultivator from the Serene Nether Sea. The assembled cultivators initially attempt to drive them away, unwilling to divide the Blood Pool’s treasures with an outsider.
• Bone Demon Old Devil prepares to fight Dream-Demon, but the Soul Hall Master recognizes Dream-Demon as the mysterious cultivator who defeated True Lord Hundred Hammers. Dream-Demon briefly displays Nascent Soul Middle Stage power, forcing the others to reassess him.
• Rather than immediately fight, Dream-Demon offers a Wondrous-Fragrance Soul-Fixing Vine, a treasure capable of stabilizing the minds of multiple cultivators. He proposes that everyone use it together to penetrate the Blood Pool’s illusion.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes increasingly cautious and deceptive. He conceals his true identity, changes his appearance and aura with a powerful Form-Changing Talisman, and plans to flee or sacrifice Dream-Demon if the situation becomes dangerous. He also gathers information about the Winter Worm without revealing that he possesses one.
• Dream-Demon True Lord: Reveals more of his history and ambitions, including his failed Dream Butterflies and his desire to obtain the Blood Pool treasure. He demonstrates formidable combat strength and political awareness, choosing intimidation and cooperation over immediately exposing himself to a battle.
• Bone Demon Old Devil: Shows strong hostility toward Dream-Demon and instinctively protects Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother. His confidence diminishes after learning that Dream-Demon nearly defeated True Lord Hundred Hammers.
• Soul Hall Master: Acts as an important observer and appears suspiciously helpful to Dream-Demon, identifying his true strength at a crucial moment and supporting the discussion about the Soul-Fixing Vine.
• Profound Serpent Manor Master: Remains sarcastic and provocative, especially toward Old Devil Heavenly Fiend, while demonstrating that he is capable of resisting the Blood Pool’s illusion for a considerable distance.
• Joyful Madam: Maintains a relatively neutral position among the demonic cultivators and confirms that Dream-Demon is not from either major continent.
• Magui: Appears with Bone Demon Old Devil despite being only at the Golden Core Peak Stage, surprising the gathered cultivators and alarming Ji Yuan, who recognizes him as an old acquaintance.

Significant Themes

• Deception and survival: Ji Yuan’s disguise and Dream-Demon’s fabricated identity show that survival among powerful cultivators depends on concealment, misdirection, and careful reading of others.
• The danger of heavenly tribulation: Dream-Demon’s failed Dream Butterflies emphasize that powerful bloodlines and talents attract correspondingly terrifying trials.
• Power and cooperation: Although the cultivators are rivals, the Blood Pool’s illusion is too strong for any one of them to overcome. Their greed forces them to consider cooperation.
• Treasure as a source of conflict: The Blood Pool’s former Nine-Turn status makes its treasures exceptionally valuable, intensifying distrust and encouraging temporary alliances.
• Strength hidden beneath appearances: Dream-Demon appears to be a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator but possesses strength comparable to stronger cultivators. Ji Yuan’s disguise similarly demonstrates how unreliable outward appearances can be.
• The precarious nature of alliances: The gathered cultivators insult, threaten, and suspect one another, yet quickly unite when faced with an outsider or a shared obstacle.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Dream-Demon develop a cautious partnership based on mutual usefulness rather than trust. They exchange knowledge about strange insects while each conceals important secrets.
• Dream-Demon and Bone Demon Old Devil immediately clash, with their confrontation nearly becoming physical until Dream-Demon’s reputation is revealed.
• The Profound Serpent Manor Master repeatedly provokes Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and the Soul Hall Master, exposing the fragile alliances among the gathered demons.
• Bone Demon Old Devil, Old Devil Heavenly Fiend, and the Soul Hall Master collectively attempt to exclude Dream-Demon and Ji Yuan from the Blood Pool.
• Dream-Demon counters their hostility by displaying his strength and offering the Soul-Fixing Vine, shifting the situation from a potential battle toward a negotiated joint attempt to break the illusion.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dream Demon True Lord successfully persuades the gathered Nascent Soul cultivators to cooperate in breaking the illusion surrounding the Six-Turn Blood Pool. Each cultivator contributes a treasure or technique:
  • Old Devil Heavenly Fiend offers a soul-suppressing Dharma Treasure fragment.
  • The Soul Hall Master provides Clearbright Ancient Jade.
  • The Profound Serpent Manor Master contributes an Illusion-Piercing Mirror.
  • Joyful Madam brings a Calamity-Substitution Soul Puppet.
  • Bone Demon Old Devil reveals seven Dust-Forgetting Pills from the Profound Purity Sect.
  • Dream Demon True Lord presents his supposed Soul-Fixing Vine.
• Ji Yuan examines the blood pool and realizes that its “six turns” refer to six layered levels of blood, with the layers becoming thicker toward the center.
• The group agrees to enter the illusion together. Dream Demon True Lord secretly reveals his real plan to Ji Yuan: the Soul-Fixing Vine is fake, and he intends to break it inside the illusion, trapping the other Nascent Soul cultivators while he and Ji Yuan use Dream Butterfly to retrieve the treasures.
• Dream Demon True Lord also asks Ji Yuan to kill his grand-disciple, Magui. He gives Ji Yuan a special snow-white iron ring capable of destroying the True Treasure inherited from Bone Demon Old Devil.
• To ensure Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother joins the expedition, Dream Demon True Lord warns that the blood-pool treasures may escape once the illusion is broken. The other cultivators pressure Bone Demon Old Devil into bringing her along.
• After the Nascent Soul group enters the illusion, Ji Yuan delays his attack on Magui and engages him in conversation. He adopts the false identity “Di Renjie” and flatteringly addresses Magui as “Young Master Ma,” exploiting Magui’s desire for recognition.
• When Magui relaxes and attempts to recruit Ji Yuan into the Bone Demon Sect, Ji Yuan launches a surprise attack.
• Magui initially survives through bone armor and powerful techniques, then activates Bone Demon Old Devil’s Life-bound True Treasure, a wolf-hair brush. The True Treasure overwhelms Ji Yuan’s ordinary attacks.
• Ji Yuan activates Dream Demon True Lord’s ring. It is specifically designed to counter Bone Demon Old Devil’s True Treasure, destroying the wolf-hair brush and leaving Magui exposed.
• Ji Yuan finishes Magui with repeated strikes of Zixiao Divine Thunder. Before dying, Magui recognizes Ji Yuan through his Corpse Yin Demonfire and realizes that “Di Renjie” is actually Mo Tusheng.
• Ji Yuan collects Magui’s Storage Bag, Demon Marrow Drill, Immortal Material, and surviving yin soul. He stores the soul in his Thousand-Soul Banner and turns his attention back to the Nascent Soul cultivators, who are already deep within the illusion.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan/Mo Tusheng: Demonstrates increased ruthlessness, patience, deception, and tactical planning. He manipulates Magui through flattery, waits for the ideal opening, and uses a specially prepared countermeasure to defeat a True Treasure. His emotional reaction to Magui’s death is strikingly calm, showing how accustomed he has become to killing.
• Dream Demon True Lord: Reveals himself as a highly calculating schemer. He deliberately presents a false treasure and engineers a situation in which the other cultivators will enter the illusion together, allowing him and Ji Yuan to act against them. His confidence stems from preparation and deception rather than brute force.
• Magui: Displays ambition and insecurity. He is eager to be recognized as the Bone Demon Sect’s successor and quickly becomes friendly when Ji Yuan praises his reputation. His overconfidence in Bone Demon Old Devil’s True Treasure leaves him vulnerable once Ji Yuan uses its natural counter.
• Bone Demon Old Devil: His relationship with Magui is revealed to be deeply complicated. He has granted Magui two powerful True Treasures, showing favor, but has also apparently prepared defenses against those same gifts. His behavior suggests affection mixed with suspicion and control.
• Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: Her past relationship with Dream Demon True Lord remains an unspoken source of tension. She is now Bone Demon Old Devil’s Dao companion, making the reunion especially awkward and emotionally charged.
• The other Nascent Soul cultivators: Their cooperation is fragile and driven by mutual distrust. Each contributes only after assessing what the others can offer, and none is willing to let another obtain the treasure alone.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Nearly every major character conceals intentions, identities, or trump cards. Ji Yuan hides behind “Di Renjie,” while Dream Demon True Lord hides the true nature of the Soul-Fixing Vine.
• Mutual distrust and betrayal: The cultivators cooperate only because the blood pool demands it, yet each suspects the others of intending to seize the treasure. The chapter presents alliances as temporary arrangements rather than genuine cooperation.
• Fatherly love and filial devotion as manipulation: Bone Demon Old Devil’s apparent favor toward Magui is undermined by the existence of a countermeasure against his gifted True Treasure. Their bond resembles “fatherly kindness and filial devotion,” but both sides remain guarded and calculating.
• Power through preparation: Ji Yuan succeeds not because he can overpower Magui’s True Treasure directly, but because Dream Demon True Lord prepared a specialized countermeasure. Knowledge, timing, and planning outweigh raw cultivation.
• Ambition and recognition: Magui’s desire to be acknowledged as the Bone Demon Sect’s heir makes him susceptible to Ji Yuan’s praise and recruitment discussion.
• Moral desensitization: Ji Yuan’s lack of emotional response after killing Magui reflects his growing detachment from violence and the normalization of death in his cultivation journey.

Important Character Interactions

• Dream Demon True Lord privately instructs Ji Yuan on the plan to trap the Nascent Soul cultivators and asks him to kill Magui.
• Ji Yuan and Magui exchange guarded introductions, with Magui noticing Ji Yuan’s resemblance to his supposedly dead former enemy.
• The cultivators argue over whether the Soul Hall Master should be trusted with the blood-pool treasure and whether everyone should enter the illusion together.
• Dream Demon True Lord deliberately invokes the possibility of the treasure escaping to force Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother into the group.
• Ji Yuan manipulates Magui through praise and false openness, encouraging him to lower his guard before launching the attack.
• Magui’s dying recognition of Ji Yuan as Mo Tusheng provides the chapter’s final personal revelation, while Ji Yuan’s emotionless response emphasizes how far their relationship has deteriorated.

Chapter Summary: “Piercing Through, Completely Falling Out!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan watches the group of Nascent Soul cultivators advance through the terrifying illusion surrounding the Six-Turn Blood Pool. Nightmare True Lord and Bone Demon Old Devil show the strongest resistance, while Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend are nearly incapacitated.
• As the group approaches the blood pool, Nightmare True Lord activates his Dream Butterfly, breaks his counterfeit Soul-Fixing Vine, and frees himself from the illusion. The others remain trapped, apparently allowing him and Ji Yuan to seize the treasure.
• After resting, Nightmare True Lord and Ji Yuan enter the illusion together. They must remain within one foot of each other so their two Dream Butterflies can combine their domains and protect them.
• Near the blood pool, the illusion becomes increasingly powerful. Ji Yuan’s Dream Butterfly begins to weaken, but Nightmare True Lord forbids him from feeding it Dream Profound Liquid because it would enter a vulnerable feeding state.
• Bone Demon Old Devil unexpectedly awakens and exposes Nightmare True Lord’s identity. He kneels and kowtows to his former master, formally ending their master-disciple relationship, then forcibly pulls the other cultivators out of the illusion.
• Once outside, the surviving cultivators recognize Nightmare True Lord—Zhou Chu—as someone believed to have died. Their reunion reveals old grudges and a scandalous history: Bone Demon Old Devil and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother were allegedly involved in Nightmare True Lord’s death.
• Bone Demon counters that Nightmare True Lord had intended to use him to refine a Second Nascent Soul. He reveals that he killed Nightmare True Lord in self-defense, obtained the Supreme Water Spirit Infant, and refined it into his own Second Nascent Soul. He demonstrates that he possesses two Nascent Souls.
• The dispute threatens to become a battle. Bone Demon reveals that he learned Nightmare True Lord’s identity and secrets from Qiu Qianhai, whose restrictions have supposedly been removed.
• Nightmare True Lord attacks Ji Yuan after realizing his control over Qiu Qianhai has been broken. Ji Yuan escapes with Lightning-Chaser and seeks protection from Profound Serpent Manor Master by claiming that the Sacred Fish King sent him a letter. Profound Serpent Manor Master then declares that he will protect Ji Yuan.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Remains cautious and opportunistic, repeatedly considering whether he can exploit the incapacitated Nascent Soul cultivators. However, he also learns humility when Nightmare True Lord warns him never to underestimate Nascent Soul cultivators. His quick escape and appeal to the Sacred Fish King’s connection show his adaptability and survival instincts.
• Nightmare True Lord/Zhou Chu: Regains his true appearance and confronts his former disciple and former companions. His confidence and authority remain intact, but he is weakened by the loss of his control over Qiu Qianhai and several hidden restrictions. His anger toward Bone Demon and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother reveals that his past “death” still deeply affects him.
• Bone Demon Old Devil/Gu Yan: Emerges as far more powerful and complicated than expected. He resists the illusion, awakens before the others, possesses two Nascent Souls, and openly challenges Nightmare True Lord’s version of their past. His formal kowtow suggests lingering respect or emotional attachment, but his later actions confirm that he now regards his former master as an enemy.
• Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: Her reunion with Nightmare True Lord exposes intense guilt, fear, regret, resentment, and grief. Her relationship with both Nightmare True Lord and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend is revealed to be central to the old betrayal.
• Other cultivators: Profound Serpent Manor Master adopts an amused but pragmatic attitude, refusing to judge the past and insisting that power will determine the truth. Soul Hall Master appears to have had genuine affection or friendship with Nightmare True Lord, while Old Devil Heavenly Fiend is shocked by the revelations.

Significant Themes

• Illusion versus truth: The blood pool’s illusion traps even powerful cultivators and blurs reality, while the revelations outside expose that the commonly accepted story of Nightmare True Lord’s death may itself have been distorted.
• Betrayal and competing perspectives: Both master and disciple accuse the other of plotting murder. The chapter emphasizes that in the cultivation world, morality is often shaped by whoever survives to tell the story.
• Master-disciple relationships: Gu Yan’s kowtow marks the painful end of his bond with Nightmare True Lord. Their relationship combines respect, resentment, dependence, ambition, and betrayal.
• Power and survival: The cultivators treat justice as secondary to strength. Profound Serpent Manor Master summarizes the chapter’s worldview: schemes and counter-schemes are normal, and the winner ultimately determines the “truth.”
• Hidden motives and manipulation: Qiu Qianhai’s role introduces another layer of conspiracy, suggesting that the encounters in the Rakshasa Sea may have been deliberately arranged.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Nightmare True Lord: Their uneasy alliance deepens as they rely on one another to cross the illusion. Nightmare True Lord protects Ji Yuan but also threatens him, while Ji Yuan remains alert to the possibility of exploiting or escaping from him.
• Nightmare True Lord and Bone Demon: Their reunion shifts from formal master-disciple acknowledgment to open hostility. Bone Demon’s kowtow conveys lingering respect, but his accusations and display of two Nascent Souls establish him as an equal—or possibly superior—opponent.
• Nightmare True Lord and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: Their exchange reveals the emotional core of the old betrayal. Nightmare True Lord directly accuses her and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend of causing his downfall, while her response is filled with shock and remorse.
• Bone Demon and the other cultivators: Bone Demon’s revelation about the Second Nascent Soul shocks everyone and overturns their assumptions about him. Profound Serpent Manor Master mocks him, while the others reassess his power.
• Ji Yuan and Profound Serpent Manor Master: Ji Yuan invokes the Sacred Fish King’s name to secure protection, successfully placing himself under the old serpent’s protection just as Nightmare True Lord moves to kill him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dream-Demon True Lord confronts Ji Yuan, but the Profound Serpent Manor Master intervenes and prevents him from killing Ji Yuan. Dream Demon withdraws rather than risk fighting another Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator.
• Dream Demon reveals that Ji Yuan is likely Su Wan’s disciple, indirectly exposing his connection to Bone Demon Old Devil. Ji Yuan denies being Hu Beizhi, but Bone Demon becomes suspicious.
• The Profound Serpent Manor Master protects Ji Yuan while questioning him about the Sacred Fish King and the message Ji Yuan supposedly carries. Ji Yuan claims the message is hidden in his cave abode in Winterfrost City.
• Bone Demon Old Devil and Dream-Demon True Lord begin a full life-and-death battle in the skies over Emberflame Desert. Bone Demon initially gains the advantage, partly because Dream Demon lacks his life-bound treasure and is using borrowed cultivation.
• Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother privately warns Ji Yuan that Magui was raised as a vessel for Bone Demon’s Second Nascent Soul. Magui’s death will make Bone Demon furious, and Ji Yuan will need the Profound Serpent Manor Master’s protection.
• Ji Yuan confirms his identity to Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother, revealing himself as Hu Beizhi. Their interaction suggests that she genuinely regards him as her disciple.
• Bone Demon defeats Dream Demon, but just as he attempts to finish him, the Soul Hall Master launches a surprise poisoned attack. The Soul Hall Master is revealed to have been Dream Demon’s hidden ally.
• Dream Demon emerges from the Corpse King’s body and transfers his Nascent Soul into a cyan skeleton. Though temporarily reaching Nascent Soul Middle Stage, he quickly falls back to the Early Stage. The Corpse King remains as a Nascent Soul Early Stage puppet.
• Bone Demon turns to Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother for support, but she is forcibly brought to him and transformed into a Nascent Soul Early Stage Corpse Puppet.
• Bone Demon reveals the truth behind his relationship with Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: she never truly loved him, but was still emotionally attached to Dream Demon. After Bone Demon killed Dream Demon in the past, he preserved her Divine Soul and eventually turned her into a corpse puppet.
• He cruelly forces her to express regret to Dream Demon, then silences and destroys her while taunting his master. Dream Demon finally declares that he will kill Bone Demon.
• The chapter ends with the Profound Serpent Manor Master remarking that, compared with Bone Demon, he himself is a virtuous person, while Ji Yuan silently realizes how dangerous Bone Demon truly is.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Remains cautious and deceptive, concealing his identity and the Sacred Fish King’s message. He evaluates several possible methods of surviving or fighting Bone Demon, including the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, the Meteor Cannon, the Truth-Piercing Divine Eye, and empowering his spirit beasts.
• Profound Serpent Manor Master: Becomes Ji Yuan’s protector and shows both shrewdness and irreverent humor. He quickly sees through Ji Yuan’s lies but chooses to shelter him. His praise of Bone Demon confirms Bone Demon’s extraordinary talent.
• Dream-Demon True Lord: Loses the battle against Bone Demon and is exposed as weakened and dependent on borrowed bodies and cultivation. Despite his ruthlessness, his reaction to Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother’s fate reveals lingering attachment and emotional pain.
• Bone Demon Old Devil: Emerges as the chapter’s most terrifying figure—brilliant, calculating, ruthless, and deeply vindictive. His plan to use Magui as a Second Nascent Soul vessel and his creation of Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother’s Corpse Puppet demonstrate his frightening methods.
• Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: Shows unexpected compassion by warning Ji Yuan about Bone Demon. Her true history is revealed: she loved Dream Demon rather than Bone Demon, and her soul has been imprisoned and abused for centuries.
• Soul Hall Master: Is confirmed as Dream Demon’s secret ally. Though he claims moral opposition to Bone Demon’s actions, he is also motivated by the promise of gaining control over the Bone Demon Sect.

Significant Themes

• The truth behind appearances: The chapter repeatedly reveals that relationships, identities, and motives are not what they initially seem. Ji Yuan’s identity, the Soul Hall Master’s allegiance, and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother’s relationship with Bone Demon are gradually exposed.
• Betrayal and twisted loyalty: Bone Demon’s hatred toward Dream Demon stems from betrayal and emotional manipulation, while his own treatment of Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother transforms loyalty into imprisonment and revenge.
• Possession and exploitation: Dream Demon and Bone Demon both treat disciples and bodies as tools or vessels. Magui, the Corpse King, the cyan skeleton, and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother all reflect the cultivation world’s disregard for individual autonomy.
• Power and survival: Ji Yuan constantly calculates how to escape or resist stronger cultivators, while the Nascent Soul experts rely on hidden trump cards, puppets, secret techniques, and alliances.
• The lasting consequences of the past: Dream Demon and Bone Demon’s old conflict continues to shape the present. Their former master-disciple relationship, murder, resurrection, and unresolved hatred culminate in another deadly confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Dream Demon and Profound Serpent: Profound Serpent openly criticizes Dream Demon’s habit of killing or possessing his disciples, forcing Dream Demon to retreat.
• Ji Yuan and Profound Serpent: Their relationship becomes one of mutual concealment and practical protection. Profound Serpent knows Ji Yuan is withholding information but protects him in exchange for access to the Sacred Fish King’s message.
• Ji Yuan and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: She warns him about Bone Demon and confirms the danger posed by Magui’s death. Ji Yuan acknowledges her as his master, strengthening their emotional connection.
• Bone Demon and Dream Demon: Their battle shifts from a contest of techniques to a deeply personal confrontation over betrayal, murder, and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother.
• Bone Demon and Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother: Bone Demon treats her as both a discarded lover and a weapon, revealing the cruelty of his revenge.
• Dream Demon and Soul Hall Master: Their alliance is genuine enough for the Soul Hall Master to risk attacking Bone Demon, but it is also partly motivated by the promise of control over the Bone Demon Sect.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bone Demon Old Devil destroys the last remnant of Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother’s Divine Soul, provoking Dream-Demon True Lord into a desperate, suicidal attack.
• Dream-Demon and the Soul Hall Master join forces against Bone Demon, while Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother’s Corpse Puppet battles the Golden-Armored Corpse King.
• Bone Demon attempts to persuade Old Devil Heavenly Fiend to intervene by offering the method to condense a Second Nascent Soul. The Soul Hall Master counters by offering to divide the Bone Demon Sect with him.
• The Profound Serpent Manor Master initially watches and jokes about exploiting the situation, then unexpectedly enters the battle on Dream-Demon’s side. He reveals that Dream-Demon is an old friend, though Ji Yuan remains uncertain how much of this is genuine.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend battles the Soul Hall Master, while the Profound Serpent Manor Master takes his place. Their rivalry becomes a major battlefield.
• Joyful Madam privately recognizes Ji Yuan’s true origin from the Cangluo Continent and his involvement in Soul Devourer’s death. Rather than expose him, she chooses to form a future connection with him.
• Joyful Madam then joins Bone Demon’s side after receiving a valuable offer, shifting the battle’s balance and forcing the major Nascent Soul cultivators away from the blood pool.
• Seeing the opportunity, Ji Yuan decides to risk obtaining the treasure hidden inside the illusion-protected blood pool.
• He feeds Dream Butterfly Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, temporarily advancing it from Early Third Tier to Early Fourth Tier.
• With Dream Butterfly’s enhanced dream abilities, Ji Yuan passes through the illusion without difficulty and retrieves a mysterious black object from the center of the blood pool.
• The Soul Hall Master discovers the theft, causing the Nascent Soul cultivators to pursue Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan escapes using Lightning-Chaser and Zixiao Divine Thunder. He eventually shakes off everyone except the Profound Serpent Manor Master, who has secretly tracked his aura.
• Unable to outrun the Nascent Soul cultivator indefinitely, Ji Yuan stops and proposes a trade. He plans to use a counterfeit treasure—the Nether Ageless Spring—as bait and lure Profound Serpent into an illusion.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes more decisive and daring, choosing to seize an opportunity despite the danger. He successfully uses Dream Butterfly and his escape techniques to steal a treasure coveted by multiple Nascent Soul cultivators. He also demonstrates growing skill in deception and negotiation.
• Dream Butterfly: Temporarily reaches Early Fourth Tier after consuming Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew. Its enhanced intelligence and dream-related abilities allow Ji Yuan to bypass the blood pool’s powerful illusion.
• Profound Serpent Manor Master: Reveals himself as both a powerful combatant and an opportunistic, mischievous schemer. He protects Ji Yuan, partly because he enjoys having someone listen to him, and later relentlessly pursues him to claim the stolen treasure.
• Dream-Demon True Lord: Fights with complete disregard for his own survival after losing Fire-Spirit Ghost Mother. His relationship with Bone Demon is revealed to be that of master and disciple, with deep betrayal and hatred between them.
• Bone Demon Old Devil: Shows desperation as he attempts to buy allies with increasingly valuable promises. Despite being cornered, he remains ruthless and continues fighting his former master.
• Joyful Madam: Proves exceptionally perceptive by identifying Ji Yuan’s true background despite his disguise. She chooses not to punish him, instead cultivating a future connection, but ultimately joins Bone Demon after being offered sufficient benefits.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and Soul Hall Master: Their rivalry becomes an open battle, while both remain intensely focused on controlling the Bone Demon Sect and obtaining the blood-pool treasure.

3. Significant Themes

• The instability of alliances: The Nascent Soul cultivators repeatedly change sides according to promises, benefits, and personal grudges.
• Trust versus self-interest: Nearly every apparent act of loyalty may conceal another motive. Ji Yuan cannot determine whether Profound Serpent’s protection, Dream-Demon’s friendship, or Joyful Madam’s goodwill is entirely sincere.
• Opportunity amid danger: Ji Yuan succeeds because he recognizes the brief moment when the strongest cultivators are distracted and acts without hesitation.
• The gap between cultivation levels and intelligence: Though only a Core Formation cultivator, Ji Yuan compensates for his weakness through preparation, specialized treasures, deception, and quick judgment.
• Betrayal and karmic relationships: Dream-Demon and Bone Demon’s master-disciple conflict reflects the consequences of betrayal, while Joyful Madam and Profound Serpent seek to establish future ties through calculated acts of goodwill.
• The value of tangible power: The cultivators may discuss promises and future rewards, but once the blood-pool treasure is stolen, all immediately prioritize seizing it personally.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Profound Serpent: Their relationship mixes protection, mockery, manipulation, and mutual usefulness. Ji Yuan flatters the elder, while Profound Serpent enjoys boasting and later tries to force a trade.
• Dream-Demon and Bone Demon: Their master-disciple relationship has deteriorated into a deadly confrontation fueled by betrayal and resentment.
• Soul Hall Master and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend: They exchange threats and insults before engaging in a major battle over the fate of the Bone Demon Sect.
• Profound Serpent and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend: Their long-standing hostility erupts into direct combat, with Profound Serpent eager to “teach him how to behave.”
• Ji Yuan and Joyful Madam: Joyful Madam sees through Ji Yuan’s disguise but offers him goodwill instead of punishment, creating an ambiguous future connection.
• Ji Yuan and Dream Butterfly: Ji Yuan relies on his spirit pet at a critical moment, entrusting it with the task of overcoming the illusion and helping him obtain the treasure.
• Ji Yuan and the pursuing cultivators: After stealing the treasure, Ji Yuan becomes the target of every major expert present, turning his escape into the chapter’s central climax.

Summary

• Key events: The author thanks readers for supporting the book and announces a new monthly-ticket ranking bonus event for the entire month. Unlike the previous seven-day event, results will be settled at the beginning of the following month.

Rewards

• Top 200: one additional 8,000-word chapter
• Top 150: three additional chapters, totaling 24,000 words
• Top 100: six additional chapters
• Character development: None; this is an author’s note rather than a narrative chapter.
• Themes: Reader support, gratitude, shared enthusiasm, and the author’s commitment to rewarding the audience.
• Character interactions: No fictional character interactions occur. The author directly addresses readers, asks for their monthly-ticket support, and promises to fulfill the bonus chapters if the ranking goals are reached.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan offers the Profound Serpent Manor Master three sips of “Ageless Evergreen Water,” claiming it can extend lifespan by twenty years per sip. The treasure is actually the Nether Ageless Spring, but Ji Yuan uses it as a decoy.
• The Profound Serpent Manor Master is captivated by the treasure and takes it, yet immediately tries to kill Ji Yuan anyway. Ji Yuan realizes that Nascent Soul cultivators cannot be trusted and uses his Fourth Tier Dream Butterfly to trap the manor master in an illusion.
• Using the illusion and his Lightning-Chaser technique, Ji Yuan escapes. He resolves to eventually confront the Profound Serpent Manor Master for both stealing the treasure and attempting to murder him.
• In a hidden cavern, Ji Yuan is contacted by the dying Dream-Demon True Lord through a ghostly candle flame. Dream-Demon reveals that Gu Yan betrayed and defeated him, while Qiu Qianhai has been captured and may be turned into a vessel for Gu Yan’s second Nascent Soul.
• Dream-Demon tells Ji Yuan about a weakness he left in Bone Demon Old Devil: a vulnerable point five inches beneath the heart. Ji Yuan’s divine thunder may be especially effective against Bone Demon.
• Dream-Demon also reveals that he left his inheritance, including Yin Ghost Sect techniques, on Qiankun Island. He then dies permanently, leaving Ji Yuan thoughtful but guarded.
• Ji Yuan hides inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain and examines the true treasure from the blood pool. It is revealed to be a living Daoheart Demon Seed rather than a life-extending spring.
• The seed enters Ji Yuan’s body and hides in the deepest part of his mind. After refining it, Ji Yuan learns that it can:
  • Plant demonic seeds in others and amplify their desires and Heart Demons.
  • Gradually control those affected.
  • “Bloom” inside them, consuming their cultivation, soul, and Nascent Soul to nourish Ji Yuan and evolve the seed.
• Ji Yuan realizes this treasure could allow him to control powerful cultivators and potentially challenge beings far beyond the Nascent Soul Realm, though he currently lacks the cultivation needed to use it fully.
• He postpones upgrading his Spirit Field to avoid attracting Ghost Envoy’s attention, then leaves his hidden refuge disguised as a Golden Core cultivator.
• While traveling east through the Rakshasa Sea, Ji Yuan is swept away by a strange hurricane and transported through a formation to an enormous abandoned stone city apparently built for giants.
• After finding that the city has already been thoroughly looted, Ji Yuan investigates a sealed door beneath the central beast arena. Before he can open it, Qingchengzi emerges.
• Qingchengzi recognizes Ji Yuan but immediately warns him that Ying Changkong is pursuing him. The chapter ends as Qingchengzi takes Ji Yuan and flees from Ying Changkong.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes more cautious, calculating, and distrustful after being repeatedly betrayed and targeted. He grows more determined to settle future scores with the Profound Serpent Manor Master and Bone Demon. His acquisition of the Daoheart Demon Seed greatly expands his long-term potential, but also introduces a dangerous demonic power that could influence his path.
• Profound Serpent Manor Master: Reveals himself to be treacherous and opportunistic. Even after obtaining the supposed treasure, he attempts to kill Ji Yuan, cementing their enmity.
• Dream-Demon True Lord: Dies after a failed campaign against Bone Demon and betrayal by Gu Yan. Despite their hostile history, he gives Ji Yuan crucial information, a possible method for defeating Bone Demon, and access to his inheritance.
• Gu Yan: Emerges as a dangerous and talented schemer who has defeated Dream-Demon and captured Qiu Qianhai for a possible Nascent Soul-related experiment.
• Qingchengzi: Reappears unexpectedly while fleeing Ying Changkong. His urgency suggests he is in serious danger and that the conflict in the stone city may be significant.
• Ying Changkong: Introduced as a powerful pursuer capable of forcing Qingchengzi to flee.

3. Significant Themes

• Betrayal and distrust: Ji Yuan repeatedly learns that powerful cultivators honor neither agreements nor morality. Survival depends on strength and preparation rather than promises.
• The cost of cultivation: Dream-Demon’s death emphasizes that even great cultivators may fail, die with regrets, and never achieve revenge or closure.
• Power and moral corruption: The Daoheart Demon Seed offers immense strategic power through manipulation, control, and consumption. Its abilities raise the possibility that Ji Yuan may gradually resemble the demonic figures he opposes.
• Regret and impermanence: Dream-Demon’s final moments underline that cultivation and life alike are filled with unavoidable imperfections and unfinished goals.
• Survival through deception: Ji Yuan relies on disguises, illusions, false information, hidden treasures, and strategic retreats rather than direct confrontation.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and the Profound Serpent Manor Master: Ji Yuan deceives him with the Nether Ageless Spring, while the manor master attempts to seize the treasure and kill Ji Yuan. Their encounter creates a lasting grudge.
• Ji Yuan and Dream-Demon True Lord: Their relationship remains hostile and distrustful, but Dream-Demon still entrusts Ji Yuan with information about Bone Demon, Qiu Qianhai, and his inheritance before dying.
• Ji Yuan and Ghost Envoy: Ghost Envoy indirectly helps Dream-Demon locate Ji Yuan, though Ji Yuan remains suspicious of Ghost Envoy’s actual control over the Core Area.
• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi: Their unexpected reunion is immediately transformed into an escape situation when Qingchengzi warns Ji Yuan about Ying Changkong.
• Qingchengzi and Ying Changkong: Ying Changkong is actively hunting Qingchengzi, forcing him to abandon the stone city and flee with Ji Yuan.

Chapter Summary: Ji Yuan Slays a Nascent Soul!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi are pursued through the enormous stone gate by Ying Changkong, a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator riding an Early Fourth Tier Sky-Piercing Falcon.
• Qingchengzi reveals that he and Ying Changkong have a long-standing grudge stemming from his theft of Ying Changkong’s Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Pine. The dispute has become a life-or-death conflict.
• Qingchengzi protects Ji Yuan and confronts Ying Changkong. He demonstrates powerful sword techniques involving countless willow-leaf sword projections, revealing that he is also a sword cultivator.
• Ying Changkong attempts to seize Ji Yuan’s Lightning-Chaser treasure, treating him as an insignificant Golden Core cultivator. This provokes Ji Yuan and inspires him to use the Meteor Cannon against Ying Changkong.
• Ji Yuan asks Qingchengzi to hold Ying Changkong in place for ten breaths. He claims that his ancient treasure can kill a Nascent Soul cultivator, and Qingchengzi agrees to gamble on his plan.
• Qingchengzi uses a secret technique to split into two equally powerful bodies, confusing Ying Changkong and allowing him to hold both Ying Changkong and the Sky-Piercing Falcon at bay.
• Ji Yuan loads the Meteor Cannon with more than 30,000 Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and charges it to its third setting. Qingchengzi traps Ying Changkong inside a prison of willow branches.
• Ying Changkong realizes too late that the cannon poses a genuine threat. He summons dragon-scale armor and multiple defensive treasures, but Qingchengzi prevents him from escaping.
• Ji Yuan fires the fully charged Meteor Cannon. The blast destroys the willow prison, Ying Changkong, and all of his defensive treasures, killing him instantly. The force also severely damages the city wall and destroys the cannon’s surroundings.
• Ying Changkong’s contracted Sky-Piercing Falcon dies with him, while Qingchengzi’s secret-technique duplicate dissipates.
• Ji Yuan’s cultivation panel announces that he has fulfilled the requirement to upgrade his Meditation Room by killing a Nascent Soul cultivator while still in the Golden Core Realm.
• The upgraded Meditation Room will increase his Divine Sense by 500% at his current realm.
• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi recover the Sky-Piercing Falcon’s corpse. Ji Yuan takes its Fourth-Order Demon Core, while Qingchengzi accepts the valuable corpse and materials.
• Qingchengzi suffers backlash and exhaustion from using his secret technique. Ji Yuan gives him an Improved Qi-Blood Pill, which heals old injuries and restores his vitality.
• Impressed by the pill’s effects, Qingchengzi offers Ji Yuan either 20,000 Middle-Grade Spirit Stones or one of his personal True Treasures in exchange for the remaining twelve pills. Ji Yuan chooses the True Treasure, a willow-leaf-shaped artifact.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Shows growing confidence, decisiveness, and willingness to challenge higher-level opponents. Rather than remaining a protected junior, he devises the plan that kills Ying Changkong. He also demonstrates generosity and political awareness by sharing the Sky-Piercing Falcon’s corpse and helping Qingchengzi recover.
• Qingchengzi: Initially acts cautious and evasive, but his true strength emerges during the battle. He is revealed to possess powerful secret techniques, including the ability to create two bodies with genuine Nascent Soul-level strength. He begins to view Ji Yuan as an exceptionally dangerous and valuable ally rather than merely a junior.
• Ying Changkong: His arrogance and contempt for weaker cultivators lead him to underestimate Ji Yuan. Once he recognizes the Meteor Cannon’s threat, his confidence turns into desperation, but Qingchengzi prevents him from escaping.
• Sky-Piercing Falcon: Functions as Ying Changkong’s equal combat partner and greatly increases the pressure on Qingchengzi. Its death after Ying Changkong’s destruction illustrates the binding nature of their contract.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimation: Ji Yuan’s Golden Core cultivation masks his ability to kill Nascent Soul cultivators. Both Ying Changkong and Qingchengzi initially struggle to comprehend his true capabilities.
• The danger of desperation: Qingchengzi’s threat to self-detonate his Life-bound Dharma Treasure reflects the frightening recklessness of cultivators near the end of their lifespans.
• Cunning over brute force: The victory depends on teamwork, timing, deception, and battlefield control rather than simple strength. Qingchengzi restrains Ying Changkong while Ji Yuan prepares the decisive attack.
• Trust and cooperation: Qingchengzi must trust Ji Yuan’s astonishing claim, while Ji Yuan relies on Qingchengzi to buy him enough time. Their successful partnership creates a stronger alliance.
• Rogue-cultivator pragmatism: Both men value survival, hidden trump cards, and cautious transactions. Qingchengzi’s inspection of the pill and Ji Yuan’s careful distribution of spoils reflect this mentality.
• The cost of overwhelming power: The Meteor Cannon kills Ying Changkong but consumes tens of thousands of spirit stones, destroys the city wall, and leaves no recoverable loot.

Important Character Interactions

• Qingchengzi protects Ji Yuan while explaining his feud with Ying Changkong.
• Ying Changkong attempts to claim Ji Yuan’s treasure, provoking Ji Yuan’s killing intent.
• Ji Yuan privately proposes the ten-breath strategy to Qingchengzi, who reluctantly but decisively agrees.
• Qingchengzi uses his secret technique and willow-based restraints to defend Ji Yuan and immobilize Ying Changkong.
• After the battle, Ji Yuan shares the Sky-Piercing Falcon’s corpse with Qingchengzi but keeps its Demon Core.
• Ji Yuan heals Qingchengzi with an Improved Qi-Blood Pill, deepening their mutual respect.
• Qingchengzi rewards Ji Yuan with a choice between money and a True Treasure; Ji Yuan chooses the willow-leaf artifact, gaining a symbol of Qingchengzi’s protection and support.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan chooses Qingchengzi’s True Treasure, the willow-leaf-shaped flying sword Drooping Silk, over spirit stones. The weapon’s form reflects the willow tree Qingchengzi used to defeat Ying Changkong.
• Qingchengzi consumes three Improved Qi-Blood Pills, healing old injuries, purifying his spiritual energy, and visibly regaining some vitality.
• Ji Yuan attempts to absorb Ying Changkong’s Nascent Soul Divine Soul into his Thousand-Soul Banner. However, the soul is far too powerful and nearly resists the banner’s suction.
• Qingchengzi intervenes, suppresses and cripples Ying Changkong’s soul, and helps Ji Yuan seal it inside the banner. The soul may eventually serve as the banner’s primary soul and help it advance toward a Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
• The two investigate the enormous stone city and discover giant skeletons underground. Qingchengzi theorizes that the city once belonged to the vanished Giant Clan.
• They leave the moving city and emerge into the Core Area, where Pagoda Mountain suddenly appears in the sky. They enter it together.
• On Pagoda Mountain, they spend several days collecting numerous spirit fruits, herbs, and other treasures. Ji Yuan acquires enough resources to make a breakthrough to the Golden Core Late Stage highly likely.
• They encounter four Nascent Soul cultivators fighting over the Thousand-Wood Infant-Soul Pearl, a supreme wood-attributed treasure that could greatly increase Qingchengzi’s chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
• Qingchengzi gives Ji Yuan advice about never fully trusting temporary alliances during treasure disputes. Ji Yuan, recognizing Qingchengzi’s need, gives him six Improved Qi-Blood Pills and expresses his hope that Qingchengzi will succeed.
• A chaotic struggle follows. The pearl changes hands repeatedly as the cultivators attempt to avoid becoming the target of everyone else.
• Qingchengzi ultimately seizes the pearl. When the others surround him, he reveals the corpse of Ying Changkong’s Fourth Tier Sky-Piercing Falcon, proving that he had already killed a powerful opponent and warning the others not to underestimate him.
• Qingchengzi escapes while being pursued by the other cultivators and tells Ji Yuan to flee as well.
• Ji Yuan attempts to leave using Lightning-Chaser, but realizes he may have traveled in the wrong direction.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly confident and resourceful. He obtains a powerful flying sword, strengthens his Thousand-Soul Banner, gathers enough cultivation resources for a major breakthrough, and carefully builds a relationship with Qingchengzi.
• Ji Yuan’s cautious nature remains prominent, but he also demonstrates loyalty and strategic generosity by giving Qingchengzi six valuable pills. He views Qingchengzi as a potential future ally who could protect him during his own Nascent Soul breakthrough.
• Qingchengzi reveals himself to be both powerful and highly calculating. Though he appears old and frail, he can recover his vitality temporarily, suppress a Nascent Soul Divine Soul, and kill a same-rank opponent.
• Qingchengzi’s desire to advance to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage becomes urgent and personal. The Thousand-Wood Infant-Soul Pearl represents a major opportunity to extend his lifespan and increase his power.
• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi develop stronger mutual trust. Qingchengzi promises that, should he survive and advance, Ji Yuan’s affairs will become his own.
• The rival cultivators reveal their opportunistic and distrustful natures, repeatedly forming, breaking, and exploiting alliances during the treasure struggle.

Significant Themes

• Trust amid treachery: Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi cooperate while both remain cautious. Their relationship is built through actions rather than blind faith.
• The struggle against age and death: Qingchengzi’s pursuit of the Thousand-Wood Infant-Soul Pearl reflects the desperation of an old cultivator seeking a breakthrough and more lifespan.
• Power differences between realms: The chapter emphasizes that Nascent Soul cultivation marks a major dividing line. Techniques that allow Ji Yuan to dominate lower realms may no longer work as easily against higher-level opponents.
• Treasure hunting and opportunity: Pagoda Mountain is portrayed as a dangerous but extraordinarily rich Secret Realm, where rare resources can transform a cultivator’s future.
• Cunning over brute force: The pearl conflict shows that powerful cultivators rely on deception, timing, intimidation, and temporary alliances as much as direct combat.
• Investment and reciprocity: Ji Yuan’s gift of pills is both sincere and strategic, establishing Qingchengzi as a valuable future ally.

Important Character Interactions

• Qingchengzi rewards Ji Yuan with Drooping Silk and assists him in controlling Ying Changkong’s soul.
• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi discuss the origins of the giant city and the vanished Giant Clan.
• Qingchengzi explains the cultivation restrictions of Pagoda Mountain and warns Ji Yuan about the widening gap between Nascent Soul stages.
• Ji Yuan gives Qingchengzi six Improved Qi-Blood Pills, strengthening their bond.
• Xuanhuangzi, Old Ghost Grave Digger, True Lord Hundred Hammers, and Hundred-Flowers Rogue Cultivator compete over the Thousand-Wood Infant-Soul Pearl, alternately attacking, deceiving, and betraying one another.
• Qingchengzi eventually outmaneuvers the group, takes the pearl, and escapes after displaying the corpse of Ying Changkong’s Sky-Piercing Falcon.

Chapter Summary: “Lightning-Chaser! Star-Treader!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan uses Lightning-Chaser to escape Pagoda Mountain, intending to return to the Core Area and eventually leave the Inner Domain.
• Instead, Lightning-Chaser unexpectedly transports him inside one of two enormous black flying wheels: the Star-Treading Wheels.
• Lightning-Chaser activates the wheels, causing them to glow with starlight and forming a powerful defensive formation around them.
• Beneath the wheels, Ji Yuan discovers nearly all the major Nascent Soul experts of the Orthodox and Demonic Dao gathered to fight over a Six-Turn Infant-Heart Fruit, a Fourth Tier treasure capable of increasing Nascent Soul cultivation.
• True Lord Profound Purity uses his Profound Purity Spirit Eye to detect Ji Yuan and reveal his true appearance. His identity as the infamous “Old Devil Ji” is exposed.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend attempts to reach the Star-Treading Wheels but is repelled by their stardust formation, proving that even powerful Nascent Soul cultivators cannot easily approach Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan publicly accuses the Profound Serpent Manor Master of stealing the Ageless Evergreen Water from the Six-Turn Blood Pool. He proves the accusation by swearing a severe Heart Demon oath.
• Ji Yuan exaggerates the amount stolen—from three mouthfuls to thirty—inciting the gathered Nascent Soul cultivators against the Profound Serpent Manor Master. The latter uses a phantom and escapes while the others remain to compete for the Infant-Heart Fruit.
• The Orthodox and Demonic Dao factions resume fighting over the fruit. True Lord Profound Purity gradually gains the advantage over Old Devil Heavenly Fiend.
• Ji Yuan tries repeatedly to communicate with or refine the Star-Treading Wheels, but initially receives no response.
• Lightning-Chaser eventually stirs again, causing the Star-Treading Wheels to drain Ji Yuan’s magic power. Ji Yuan is forced to consume enormous quantities of Millennium Spirit Milk to replenish himself.
• After expending more than a hundred drops, Ji Yuan begins to sense a connection between himself, Lightning-Chaser, and the Star-Treading Wheels.
• True Lord Profound Purity finally obtains the Six-Turn Infant-Heart Fruit.
• At that moment, two overwhelming auras descend: the Black-and-White Fiends arrive.
• Ji Yuan realizes that the Rakshasa Sea likely conceals the secret of advancing from the Nascent Soul realm to Spirit Transformation.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes bolder after his identity is exposed. Rather than hiding, he openly taunts the Nascent Soul cultivators and manipulates their suspicions to target the Profound Serpent Manor Master.
• He demonstrates both cleverness and ruthlessness by using the Heart Demon oath to establish credibility, then exaggerating the amount of Ageless Evergreen Water to intensify the pressure on his enemy.
• Ji Yuan’s hatred toward the Profound Serpent Manor Master deepens. His mention of the Sacred Fish King visibly shakes the Manor Master, revealing that the latter retains guilt, regret, or emotional attachment concerning their former relationship.
• Profound Serpent Manor Master is shown to be calculating and self-preserving. He refuses to admit stealing the treasure, attempts to flee through deception, and becomes increasingly desperate when Ji Yuan exposes him.
• True Lord Profound Purity establishes himself as the strongest combatant present, defeating Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and ultimately claiming the Six-Turn Infant-Heart Fruit.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend remains aggressive and confrontational, but his failed assault on the Star-Treading Wheels and eventual defeat show that he is inferior to True Lord Profound Purity.
• Huanxi Madam, the Bone Demon Old Devil, the Soul Hall Master, and the Wave-Listening Pavilion Master all temporarily cooperate or restrain themselves when convenient, revealing that their alliances are unstable and driven by immediate profit.

Significant Themes

• Power and opportunity: Ji Yuan’s accidental arrival places him among beings vastly stronger than himself, yet the Star-Treading Wheels give him protection and a chance to benefit from a conflict between powerful enemies.
• Cunning versus cultivation: Although Ji Yuan is only at the Golden Core Middle Stage, he survives through deception, timing, psychological manipulation, and the strategic use of oaths.
• Treasure and betrayal: The Six-Turn Infant-Heart Fruit and Ageless Evergreen Water drive the Nascent Soul cultivators to abandon cooperation. Greed repeatedly overrides loyalty and alliance.
• Hidden strength and identity: Ji Yuan’s disguises fail, but exposure does not immediately weaken him because the Star-Treading Wheels shield him. The chapter emphasizes that a person’s apparent cultivation level may not reflect their true danger.
• The dangers of advancement: Ji Yuan nearly exhausts himself while feeding the Star-Treading Wheels, illustrating that obtaining powerful treasures requires enormous risk. The arrival of the Black-and-White Fiends also hints at a much higher level of cultivation and conflict.
• Unstable alliances: Orthodox and Demonic cultivators cooperate only when pursuing a common target. Once that target changes, their temporary alliance quickly collapses.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and the Nascent Soul cultivators: Ji Yuan watches them from safety, studies their techniques, and openly provokes them while they remain unable to reach him.
• Ji Yuan and Profound Serpent Manor Master: Their exchange is the chapter’s central personal confrontation. Ji Yuan accuses him of theft, forces the others to distrust him, and reminds him of the Sacred Fish King, causing an unexpectedly emotional reaction.
• True Lord Profound Purity and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend: Their battle determines who will claim the Six-Turn Infant-Heart Fruit. Profound Purity’s Spirit Eye gives him the decisive advantage.
• Orthodox and Demonic Dao factions: They briefly unite against the Profound Serpent Manor Master, then separate and resume fighting over the fruit.
• Ji Yuan and Lightning-Chaser/Star-Treading Wheels: Their connection becomes increasingly intimate and mysterious. Lightning-Chaser appears to be awakening or discovering something within the wheels, while Ji Yuan is forced to supply an enormous amount of spiritual power.
• Ji Yuan and the Black-and-White Fiends: They do not directly interact yet, but their arrival introduces a major new threat and suggests that all the powerful cultivators may be competing over the secret of Spirit Transformation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan remains trapped inside the Star-Treading Wheel while the Black-and-White Fiends arrive at Pagoda Mountain. He fears they will discover and kill him, but their inability to see through the Wheel’s concealment gives him temporary protection.
• White Elder contacts Ji Yuan through the Wheel and questions how he obtained Lightning-Chaser and activated the Star-Treading Wheel despite being only a Golden Core cultivator. Ji Yuan gives a vague explanation and pretends to accept an offer to become a divine son of the Black-and-White Divine Hall, intending only to stall for time.
• Ji Yuan continues refining the Star-Treading Wheel with Millennium Spirit Milk. The outer black stone cracks and falls away, revealing the Wheel’s true white, celestial form. Lightning-Chaser returns, accompanied by a mysterious, cute, featureless furball—the apparent spirit of the Star-Treading Wheel.
• At the summit of Pagoda Mountain, the Black-and-White Fiends activate the Golden Dragon Scroll, the supposed Secret of Spirit Transformation. They consume large quantities of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk to provide the power necessary to open it.
• The scroll ultimately reveals only one message: “The Secret of Spirit Transformation is in Cangluo.” The Black-and-White Fiends are furious because they expended enormous effort and resources for information that everyone present also heard.
• The Ghost Envoy reveals himself and mocks the Black-and-White Fiends, refusing to explain the secret left by his master. During the confrontation, Ji Yuan finally completes his master recognition of the Star-Treading Wheel.
• The Ghost Envoy rescues Ji Yuan and transports him away from Pagoda Mountain to the square where the Yin Ghost Sect disciples originally gathered.
• Ji Yuan learns that someone paid a great price for his rescue, strongly implying that Qiu Qianhai sacrificed himself or made a major sacrifice on Ji Yuan’s behalf.
• The Ghost Envoy examines the Star-Treading Wheel and explains that it is part of a larger set of treasures: the Moon-Chasing Car in the Demon God Continent and the Sun-Pursuing Wing in the Central Continent. Obtaining the latter two would require extremely high cultivation realms.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates increasing caution, deception, and strategic thinking. He suppresses his fear, pretends to accept the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s offer, and focuses on completing the Wheel’s refinement. After obtaining the treasure, he becomes more ambitious but is sobered by the immense cultivation requirements for the remaining artifacts. His concern shifts toward Qiu Qianhai after realizing that Qiu likely paid for his survival.
• White Elder: Acts deceptively cordial while probing Ji Yuan’s origins and attempting to recruit him. His access to Ji Yuan’s mind through the Star-Treading Wheel demonstrates his formidable abilities.
• Black Elder and the Black-and-White Fiends: Their confidence and authority suffer a setback. Despite their immense cultivation and expenditure of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, they gain only a vague clue from the Golden Dragon Scroll and are publicly embarrassed.
• Ghost Envoy: Reveals that he can intervene within Pagoda Mountain despite previously claiming limited control. He becomes Ji Yuan’s protector, though he remains cryptic about his motives, his master, and Qiu Qianhai’s fate.
• Qiu Qianhai: Though absent, becomes increasingly important. The Ghost Envoy’s statements imply that Qiu arranged or paid the price for Ji Yuan’s rescue, deepening the mystery surrounding his circumstances.
• Other Nascent Soul cultivators: Bone Demon Old Devil and the Soul Hall Master recognize that Ji Yuan possesses extraordinary inheritances and resent losing the chance to seize the Star-Treading Wheel.

Significant Themes

• Survival through deception: Ji Yuan survives by concealing his true intentions, pretending to cooperate while quietly buying time.
• The cost of power and opportunity: The Black-and-White Fiends expend tremendous resources for an incomplete revelation, while Ji Yuan’s acquisition of the Star-Treading Wheel depends on rare treasures, luck, and sacrifice.
• Hidden inheritances and fate: Ji Yuan’s rise is attributed to ancient inheritances and extraordinary coincidences, while the Wheel and its associated artifacts suggest a much larger destiny.
• Sacrifice and obligation: Qiu Qianhai’s implied sacrifice creates a moral debt and emotional burden for Ji Yuan.
• Limits of strength: Even with the Star-Treading Wheel, Ji Yuan remains unable to activate it freely and must rely on the Ghost Envoy. The remaining treasures are far beyond his current cultivation.
• Mystery and incomplete knowledge: The “Secret of Spirit Transformation” provides only a direction—Cangluo—while the Ghost Envoy withholds crucial information about his master, Qiu Qianhai, and the artifact set.

Character Interactions

• White Elder directly questions Ji Yuan and offers him membership in the Black-and-White Divine Hall; Ji Yuan cautiously accepts verbally while planning to escape.
• True Lord Profound Purity identifies Ji Yuan to the Black-and-White Fiends, confirming that the cultivator inside the Wheel is the real Ji Yuan.
• Bone Demon Old Devil and the Soul Hall Master discuss Ji Yuan’s origins and speculate that he possesses multiple ancient inheritances.
• The Ghost Envoy privately reassures Ji Yuan that he will rescue him once the Wheel is fully refined, then openly challenges and mocks the Black-and-White Fiends.
• Ji Yuan repeatedly thanks the Ghost Envoy, but the Ghost Envoy emphasizes that Qiu Qianhai paid the price for the rescue.
• After examining the Star-Treading Wheel, the Ghost Envoy explains its connection to Lightning-Chaser and reveals the existence and locations of the Moon-Chasing Car and Sun-Pursuing Wing.

Chapter Summary: “Farewell to Qiu Qianhai Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ghost Envoy finally reveals Qiu Qianhai’s fate. After entering the Core Area, Qiu encountered Bone Demon Old Devil, who removed Zhou Chu’s restriction but imposed his own restrictions on Qiu.
• Ghost Envoy claims to have “rescued” Qiu, but admits that his real purpose was to preserve Qiu’s body as a temporary vessel.
• Ghost Envoy explains that Dream-Demon True Lord, Zhou Chu’s master’s grand-disciple, was allowed to die because he had lost his usefulness. His remaining value was leading to Qiu Qianhai.
• The Yin Ghost Sect’s true origins are revealed: it came from the powerful Central Continent and was once a subordinate sect of a top immortal sect.
• Ghost Envoy has spent countless years collecting the Divine Souls of cultivators killed in the Inner and Outer Domains. These souls were used as the foundation of a Yin-Yang Formation intended to revive his master, the Yin Ghost Sect’s sect master.
• His master has successfully revived, but lacks a suitable physical body. Qiu Qianhai’s body is being used only as a temporary vessel so the revived sect master can travel to Central Continent.
• A powerful long-distance teleportation device activates beneath Rakshasa Sea. Ji Yuan witnesses Qiu’s body emerge from the formation, but Qiu’s eyes are cold and unfamiliar—the Yin Ghost Sect’s sect master is now controlling his body.
• Qiu is teleported to Central Continent before Ji Yuan can speak with him. Ji Yuan is left behind, deeply conflicted by their sudden and seemingly final separation.
• Ji Yuan asks whether he can use the formation to travel to Central Continent, but Ghost Envoy explains that the sect master used a rare, single-use Teleportation Token capable of crossing more than half the Human Realm.
• Since Ji Yuan cannot escape to Central Continent, Ghost Envoy offers him another means of survival: sending him directly to the Far Eastern Lands, bypassing the dangerous Northwest Sand Prison.
• Ghost Envoy warns that Rakshasa Sea will soon close and that he will fall into deep slumber. Ji Yuan may only meet him again if he reaches Spirit Transformation within a hundred years.
• Ghost Envoy then teleports Ji Yuan away, ending their encounter.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan remains deeply concerned about Qiu Qianhai but learns to restrain his emotions and question Ghost Envoy carefully. He recognizes that Ghost Envoy’s statements are manipulative, yet still seeks any possible advantage.
• Ji Yuan’s thoughts reveal his growing ambition and awareness of the wider Human Realm. Qiu’s departure makes him consider Central Continent as both a place of opportunity and a possible destination for his own future cultivation.
• Qiu Qianhai is separated from Ji Yuan once more. His body becomes a tool for another’s resurrection and migration, while his own consciousness appears absent or suppressed.
• Ghost Envoy reveals more of his true motives. Although he is ruthless and manipulative, he shows a complex personal philosophy: devotion and sincere effort should not be mocked. He also provides Ji Yuan with genuine assistance by arranging a safer escape.
• The Yin Ghost Sect’s sect master is established as the central force behind the events. Revived through the Divine Souls collected by Ghost Envoy, he now possesses Qiu’s body and has departed for Central Continent.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and exploitation: Qiu’s body and the souls of countless cultivators have been used as resources in the Yin Ghost Sect’s plans.
• The cost of resurrection: Reviving the sect master required a vast, morally horrific arrangement involving death, soul collection, and body possession.
• Separation and fate: Ji Yuan and Qiu repeatedly reunite only to be forced apart by larger schemes and circumstances beyond their control.
• Cultivation and opportunity: Central Continent represents a higher realm of power, resources, and possibility, intensifying Ji Yuan’s desire to grow stronger.
• Devotion and effort: Ghost Envoy’s final lesson is that genuine devotion and hard-earned achievement deserve respect, regardless of whether they succeed.
• Powerlessness before greater forces: Ji Yuan can only watch as Qiu is taken away, emphasizing the immense gap between his current strength and the forces shaping the Human Realm.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan repeatedly presses Ghost Envoy for the truth about Qiu, while Ghost Envoy alternates between teasing, provoking, and partially explaining the situation.
• Ghost Envoy deliberately frames Qiu’s transfer to Central Continent as an opportunity, but Ji Yuan recognizes that this may simply be another manipulation.
• Ji Yuan and Qiu share a final silent look during the teleportation. Qiu does not appear to recognize Ji Yuan, making the farewell especially painful.
• Ghost Envoy and Ji Yuan develop a tense but unexpectedly respectful exchange. Ghost Envoy criticizes Ji Yuan throughout the conversation yet ultimately gives him a way to survive.
• Their parting carries a rare sense of mutual acknowledgment, though Ghost Envoy ends with another mocking remark after Ji Yuan has departed.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan escapes the Northwest Sand Prison using Lightning-Chaser, reasoning that he must flee far from the mainland after being treated as a wanted criminal.
• He confirms that he has been sent to the Far Eastern Lands by questioning a terrified Foundation Establishment cultivator near Eastcang Island.
• Ji Yuan selects a remote island as a temporary base, noting that its terrain aligns with the Five Elements. He establishes the Inverted Big Dipper Formation and constructs a cave abode using his Azure Waves Swords.
• Meanwhile, Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and Bone Demon Old Devil search for Ji Yuan but conclude that he has likely escaped the Northwest Sand Prison using the Star-Treading Wheel.
• Bone Demon Old Devil returns empty-handed and badly injured from the Rakshasa Sea, having exposed several of his trump cards. Heavenly Fiend considers attacking him but decides against it, fearing Bone Demon’s hidden life-saving techniques and possible retaliation.
• After a month of recovery inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain, Ji Yuan examines the Star-Treading Wheel. He learns that it can conceal itself as runes beneath his feet and requires Stellar Power to activate. His current spiritual power is insufficient, so he postpones using it.
• Ji Yuan decides to enter seclusion, improve his cultivation to the Golden Core Late Stage, and upgrade the Spirit Field and Dao Comprehension Chamber.
• He upgrades the Level 5 Spirit Field using spirit stones, Fourth-Order Wood-Attribute Demon Cores, Yin-Yang Soil, Earth Sand, and Profound-Shadow Locust corpses.
• The upgrade produces visions depicting the origins of farming: a savage abandons hunting, begins cultivating the land, and ultimately dies before enjoying the harvest. The Spirit Field then releases green spiritual rain, causing all plants to grow rapidly.
• The upgraded Spirit Field immediately produces two Nascent-Soul Fruits, giving Ji Yuan a reliable path toward forming a Nascent Soul.
• Ji Yuan examines the requirements for the Level 6 Spirit Field and discovers that it can produce Form-Spirit Pills, treasures potentially essential for advancing from Nascent Soul to Spirit Transformation. However, the required resources are extraordinarily difficult to obtain.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more cautious and strategic after the dangers of the Rakshasa Sea. Rather than immediately pursuing power, he prioritizes securing a remote base and entering seclusion.
• His confidence in his escape abilities grows. Lightning-Chaser already allows him to rival Nascent Soul Early Stage speed, while the Star-Treading Wheel could eventually let him outrun even stronger opponents.
• Ji Yuan’s cultivation goals become clearer: first reach Golden Core Late Stage, then form a Nascent Soul with the help of the Nascent-Soul Fruits, and eventually pursue Spirit Transformation through the Level 6 Spirit Field.
• Bone Demon Old Devil suffers a major setback. He gains no treasures from the Rakshasa Sea, is seriously wounded, loses or exposes important trump cards, and becomes increasingly desperate for opportunities to extend his lifespan and advance.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend reveals his calculating nature. He takes pleasure in Bone Demon’s misfortune but avoids attacking him because the risks outweigh the possible benefits.

Significant Themes

• Survival and strategic retreat: Ji Yuan’s immediate priority is escaping pursuit and finding a secure place to cultivate rather than seeking further conflict.
• The value of cultivation and preparation: Ji Yuan reflects that greater cultivation would have prevented many of his recent dangers, reinforcing the importance of strength over reliance on treasures.
• Farming as a path to immortality: The Spirit Field represents patience, labor, and the accumulation of long-term resources. Its vision of the first farmer emphasizes both the sacrifice and transformative power of cultivation.
• Life, death, and renewal: The farmer dies feeding the earth, while the Spirit Field responds with a rain that awakens life. The scene suggests that death and sacrifice can nourish future growth.
• Long-term ambition: The Nascent-Soul Fruits solve Ji Yuan’s immediate bottleneck, while the Form-Spirit Pills reveal an even greater future challenge: reaching Spirit Transformation.
• The disparity between the powerful and the weak: Ji Yuan’s discarded Demon Cores become immense opportunities for ordinary crops, highlighting how resources that are minor to powerful cultivators can determine the fate of weaker beings.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan intimidates a Foundation Establishment cultivator into revealing his location, then leaves without harming him; the cultivator takes the dead sea beast and flees.
• Heavenly Fiend and Bone Demon discuss Ji Yuan’s disappearance and their failures in the Rakshasa Sea. Their polite exchange conceals rivalry and resentment.
• Heavenly Fiend deliberately refrains from attacking Bone Demon, recognizing that a desperate and wounded Nascent Soul cultivator may still possess dangerous hidden abilities.
• Tu Yue’s role as administrator of Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain is emphasized: she manages the enormous Spirit Field, plants herbs and unknown seeds, and uses Corpse Puppets as laborers.
• Ji Yuan’s relationship with the Spirit Field is portrayed almost as a dialogue between cultivator and living creation: its visions and spiritual rain deepen his understanding of farming, growth, and the path toward immortality.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan leaves Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain and discovers that upgrading the Spirit Field has dramatically enriched the deserted island. The trees have grown much larger, revealing that building upgrades can leak substantial spiritual energy and potentially attract attention.
• He enters the Dao Comprehension Chamber, gathers the required materials, and upgrades it from Level 2 to Level 3. To preserve a portion of the rare Clear-Mind Fruit Tree, he cuts off only one section of its branch before using the remainder as an upgrade material.
• During the upgrade, Ji Yuan realizes the chamber temporarily enhances his comprehension. He immediately uses this opportunity to study the Azure Billow Nine-Calamities Sword Canon, whose proficiency is nearly at the threshold needed to advance his cultivation.
• Combining the chamber’s effects with heavenly treasures, including the Azure Bamboo Profound Spirit and Dan Yuan Fruit, Ji Yuan breaks through from Golden Core Middle Stage to Golden Core Late Stage. He completes the breakthrough inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain’s Spirit Vein, using stored Spirit Stones to support the process.
• The upgraded chamber produces a Clear-Mind Fruit, which can temporarily stabilize the Divine Soul and enhance comprehension. Its effect works when first viewed but cannot be repeatedly triggered by the same fruit.
• Ji Yuan upgrades the Meditation Room from Level 3 to Level 4 using his achievement of killing the Nascent Soul cultivator Ying Changkong. The room greatly strengthens his Divine Sense, bringing it close to the level of a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator.
• After settling his cultivation, Ji Yuan plans to remain secluded and process the spoils from the Secret Realm expedition. He intends to study acquired techniques, cultivate his Spirit Beasts, train in body cultivation through the Martial God Tower, and prepare for a future Nascent Soul breakthrough.
• In the Fish Pond, he discovers that a fifth Ice Flood Dragon, Friday, evolved while he was away. The dragons can potentially transform into Chi Dragons, which would raise them to the Fourth Tier and make them powerful allies.
• Ji Yuan theorizes that Dragonblood Stones can provide the dragon essence needed for this transformation. He refines ten Dragonblood Stones in the Heavenly Craft Workshop, successfully extracting four drops of dragonkin blood for the Ice Flood Dragons to consume.

Character Development

• Ji Yuan advances to Golden Core Late Stage and becomes substantially stronger in both cultivation and Divine Sense. His confidence grows, as he believes few cultivators on the Cangluo and Abyssal Continents can now threaten him.
• He becomes more cautious and strategic regarding building upgrades, recognizing that spiritual disturbances can expose his location.
• Ji Yuan continues developing his resourcefulness: he preserves part of the Clear-Mind Fruit Tree for future cultivation, makes efficient use of stored treasures, and applies his artifact-refining skills to extract dragon blood.
• His long-term planning becomes clearer. Rather than immediately seeking more adventures, he chooses to consolidate his gains, nurture his companions and Spirit Beasts, and prepare carefully for Nascent Soul formation.
• His resentment toward Jiang Hong and Blood Luo Mountain remains unresolved, and he intends to demand an explanation after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and preparation: Ji Yuan’s progress depends on patiently gathering resources, cultivating treasures, and saving Spirit Stones for decisive breakthroughs.
• The value of knowledge and comprehension: The Dao Comprehension Chamber, Sword Canon, and Clear-Mind Fruit demonstrate that understanding and mental clarity are as important as raw spiritual power.
• Strategic caution: Ji Yuan balances ambition with secrecy, avoiding unnecessary exposure and recognizing the dangers of powerful cultivation phenomena.
• Growth through transformation: Both Ji Yuan and his Ice Flood Dragons seek advancement into higher stages, emphasizing evolution through cultivation, resources, and opportunity.
• Power and responsibility: As Ji Yuan’s strength increases, he begins thinking less about immediate survival and more about building a stable foundation, strengthening his allies, and preparing for future threats.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan interacts indirectly with Tu Yue, relying on her to cultivate the severed Clear-Mind Fruit Tree branch and organize his many Storage Bags and resources.
• He recalls the Ghost Envoy’s information about the rarity and properties of the Clear-Mind Fruit Tree, using that knowledge to guide his decisions.
• He reflects on Qingchengzi, whose potential advancement to Nascent Soul Middle Stage could provide crucial protection during Ji Yuan’s own future breakthrough.
• Ji Yuan remembers Iron Hammer Island Lord, the person who introduced him to artifact refinement, while refining the Dragonblood Stones.
• His bond with the Ice Flood Dragons is emphasized, especially with Monday and Tuesday, who accompanied him in the past. He now seeks to help all five dragons evolve into stronger Chi Dragons.
• His future plans also involve nurturing his Spirit Beasts, cultivating alongside allies, and eventually working with Martial Uncle Long Ba and Qingchengzi to secure a safe path toward Nascent Soul formation.

Chapter Summary: “Fish Pond—Flood Dragon Transforms into a Chi Dragon!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan visits the Fish Pond within Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain, where four enormous Ice Flood Dragons approach him.
• He decides to use four drops of Fourth-Tier dragonkind blood primarily on Tuesday, whose cultivation talent is much stronger than Monday’s.
• Ji Yuan secretly dismisses the other Flood Dragons to prevent Monday from becoming jealous.
• Tuesday consumes three drops of dragonkind blood. After repeated transformations, it successfully evolves from an Ice Flood Dragon into a Fourth-Order Chi Dragon, shrinking from roughly twenty to thirty zhang to five zhang while gaining greater majesty, power, and dragonlike features.
• Ji Yuan gives the final drop to Monday, initially believing it will be insufficient. However, after the restriction is removed, Monday’s dormant Dragon Qi erupts, causing a rapid transformation into a Chi Dragon as well.
• Monday develops pronounced dragon features and two horn-like bulges, but ultimately fails to evolve into a Fifth-Order Horned Dragon. Both dragons nevertheless become Fourth-Order Spirit Beasts.
• Ji Yuan concludes that the True Dragon aura previously absorbed by Monday was responsible for its sudden breakthrough.
• He leaves both dragons in the Fish Pond to adapt to their new bloodlines and strength.
• Ji Yuan inspects the Chicken Coop, Pigsty, and Mass Burial Ground:
  • The Chicken Coop now contains four Third-Tier spirit birds and continues producing Four-Color Spirit Eggs.
  • The Pigsty contains thousands of Blood-Pattern Spirit Pigs, including more than fifty with Scarlet Yang Bones, valuable for Ji Yuan’s body cultivation.
  • The Mass Burial Ground has accumulated many Golden Core corpses, but still lacks the required number of Golden Core Peak corpses and a Nascent Soul corpse for its next upgrade.
• Ji Yuan decides to train at the Martial God Tower, using Scarlet Yang Bones and Profound Yang Blood Ambers to improve his physical body.
• He successfully stores the Dao Comprehension Chamber inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain, though the mountain becomes significantly heavier and difficult to activate.
• After preparing in the Martial Practice Arena, Ji Yuan begins entering the Martial God Tower—only to hear two unknown people nearby discussing its location.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes more strategic and careful in managing his spirit beasts, balancing their talents and emotions. He gains greater confidence after advancing Monday and Tuesday, believing they can now help him survive future battles. He also shifts his focus toward body cultivation and preparing for Nascent Soul-level combat power.
• Tuesday: Evolves into a Chi Dragon through superior talent and repeated consumption of dragonkind blood. Its appearance changes from savage to majestic, and it displays open joy and trust toward Ji Yuan.
• Monday: Initially feels betrayed and resentful when Tuesday transforms first, but quickly becomes hopeful when promised the final drop of blood. Its transformation unexpectedly surpasses expectations due to the influence of True Dragon Qi, allowing it to evolve into a Chi Dragon despite receiving only one drop.
• Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: Receive no immediate resources or breakthroughs, leaving their future development uncertain.
• Spirit animals and Corpse Puppets: Their populations and usefulness continue expanding, contributing to Ji Yuan’s growing internal resources and potential combat strength.

Significant Themes

• Bloodline and innate potential: Tuesday’s superior talent and Monday’s hidden Dragon Qi demonstrate how lineage can determine advancement more strongly than accumulated resources.
• Master-servant bonds and emotional management: Ji Yuan deliberately hides the unequal distribution of resources to prevent jealousy, while Monday’s grievance highlights the emotional intelligence of his spirit beasts.
• Transformation and evolution: The shift from Flood Dragon to Chi Dragon represents a major improvement in status and power, while the blocked evolution into a Horned Dragon establishes the next stage of progression.
• Preparation and long-term cultivation: Ji Yuan systematically gathers resources, improves his body, upgrades his spiritual buildings, and prepares for increasingly dangerous opponents.
• Resource accumulation and strategic planning: The various buildings, corpses, spirit eggs, bones, and blood ambers form a growing foundation for Ji Yuan’s future advancement.
• Uncertainty and impending conflict: The chapter ends with Ji Yuan entering the Martial God Tower as unknown cultivators search for it, suggesting an imminent encounter.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan privately guides Tuesday through the consumption of dragonkind blood, encouraging it to rely on its own ability.
• Tuesday repeatedly seeks Ji Yuan’s approval before consuming the blood and later celebrates by circling him.
• Monday reacts with visible hurt and jealousy after seeing Tuesday’s transformation, but Ji Yuan reassures it by offering the last drop of blood.
• Tuesday cooperates with Ji Yuan’s explanation and nods along, helping reassure Monday.
• After their evolutions, Monday and Tuesday remain beside Ji Yuan as a pair, symbolizing their strengthened bond and increased usefulness in battle.
• The chapter closes with Ji Yuan’s transition into the Martial God Tower interrupted by the voices of two unidentified people, setting up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Great Sun Soaring”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan returns to the Martial God Tower and confirms that his name remains the only one recorded on the stele, suggesting no one else has entered.
• He resumes training on the second floor, facing Black Iron Armored Soldiers of the Early Sinew Tempering Realm. Unlike previous attempts, he is now able to summon the Fire God Spear and Spirit-Devouring Armor inside the tower.
• The artifact spirit intensifies the challenge, causing the armored soldiers to fight above their apparent cultivation level and denying Ji Yuan meaningful rest between battles.
• Ji Yuan defeats all the Black Iron Soldiers and fights through the Bronze Armored Soldiers. Though he fails during his first attempt, he realizes he is close to condensing his first Great Sun manifestation.
• On his next challenge, Ji Yuan kills nearly all the Bronze Armored Soldiers while pushing his body and blood qi to the limit. At a critical moment, he successfully manifests “Great Sun Soaring.”
• The Great Sun greatly strengthens him, suppresses the armored soldiers, restores his injuries, and rapidly replenishes his blood qi. With its aid, Ji Yuan kills the remaining Bronze Armored Soldiers.
• Silver Armored Soldiers of the Late Sinew Tempering Realm then appear. Ji Yuan activates Great Sun Soaring again and kills nearly half of them, but ultimately exhausts his blood qi and is defeated.
• Back in the Martial Practice Arena, Ji Yuan successfully manifests the Great Sun in reality. He tests its limits over the Fish Pond and learns that he can sustain it for roughly two incense sticks under ideal conditions, or about one incense stick in actual combat.
• Ji Yuan spends several months in secluded cultivation, alternating between the Martial God Tower, Divine Sense cultivation, sword practice, and caring for his spirit beasts. He avoids returning to the continent to evade the Eight Sacred Grounds and Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• In Black-and-White City, the Black-and-White Fiends discuss the spreading news about the Secret of Spirit Transformation, the Blood Luo King’s attempt to cooperate with them, and their suspicions regarding Heavenly Baleful and Ghost Envoy.
• They continue searching for Ji Yuan, who remains hidden despite the Star-Treading Wheel and the efforts of numerous spies. They also discuss Qingchengzi’s possible advancement to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage and consider recruiting him.
• A mysterious powerhouse, True Person Tai’er of the Taiyi Immortal Sect from the Desolate Ancient Continent, suddenly appears inside the Black-and-White Divine Hall without being detected.
• Tai’er reveals that the Desolate Ancient Continent and Barbarian God Continent are at war. The Barbarian God Continent intends to ally with the Abyssal and Cangluo Continents to attack the Desolate Ancient Continent from both sides.
• The chapter ends with Tai’er asking whether the Black-and-White Divine Hall will ally with the Desolate Ancient Continent against the Barbarian God Continent.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Makes a major breakthrough by condensing his first Great Sun manifestation. His combat strength, endurance, and confidence improve significantly, though he learns that the technique consumes enormous amounts of blood qi and cannot be used casually. His disciplined, calm attitude allows him to accept the artifact spirit’s insults without losing focus.
• Martial God Tower’s Artifact Spirit: Continues to mock and provoke Ji Yuan but also pushes him into increasingly intense life-and-death battles, indirectly helping him awaken Great Sun Soaring.
• Black-and-White Fiends: Display caution and political calculation. They weigh the risks of opposing the Blood Luo King, investigate Ji Yuan’s disappearance, and consider recruiting Qingchengzi rather than acting recklessly.
• Qingchengzi: Though absent, he is portrayed as an increasingly important figure after killing Ying Changkong and possibly approaching the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. His mysterious “destined benefactor” further increases his significance.
• True Person Tai’er: Introduced as an overwhelmingly powerful and confident elder from the Taiyi Immortal Sect. His effortless intrusion into the Divine Hall demonstrates his superiority and places the Black-and-White Fiends under immediate pressure.

Significant Themes

• Progress through hardship: Ji Yuan’s breakthrough comes only after repeated defeat, extreme exhaustion, and relentless combat.
• Life-and-death cultivation: The Martial God Tower treats genuine combat pressure as the fastest path to improvement, emphasizing that true enemies offer no opportunity to rest.
• Power and limitation: Great Sun Soaring provides a dramatic increase in strength and healing, but its heavy blood-qi consumption prevents unlimited use.
• Seclusion and survival: Ji Yuan chooses isolation over exposure, recognizing that survival and steady cultivation are wiser than returning to a continent controlled by hostile powers.
• Political maneuvering and shifting alliances: The Black-and-White Fiends must balance local ambitions, the Secret of Spirit Transformation, Ji Yuan’s disappearance, and the growing international conflict between major continents.
• Hierarchy and overwhelming strength: Tai’er’s arrival illustrates the vast power gap between great continental forces and the rulers of the Abyssal Continent.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan repeatedly exchanges insults with the artifact spirit, whose harsh encouragement forces him to continue fighting despite exhaustion.
• Ji Yuan’s Great Sun manifestation frightens or suppresses his surrounding spirit creatures, including Tu Yue, the Chi Dragons, and the Ice Flood Dragons.
• The Black-and-White Fiends discuss cooperation and conflict involving the Blood Luo King, Heavenly Baleful, Ghost Envoy, Ji Yuan, and Qingchengzi.
• True Person Tai’er dominates his interaction with the Black-and-White Fiends. They show extreme fear and deference, while he casually questions them about the Barbarian God Continent and pressures them to choose an alliance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• True Person Tai’er pressures the Black-and-White Elders to unite the Abyssal Continent’s forces under his leadership. He assigns them to persuade the Demon Race of the Ten Thousand Mountains while he personally approaches the Sea Race in the Sea Ruins.
• The Black-and-White Elders are terrified by Tai’er’s overwhelming authority. They recognize that refusing him would likely mean death, especially since the Abyssal Continent has no Spirit Transformation cultivator capable of opposing him.
• The elders decide to summon the Eight Sacred Grounds and Nascent Soul rogue cultivators for a council to determine the continent’s future. The White Elder also worries about the wider conflict involving the Barbarian God, Desolate Ancient, and Cangluo Continents.
• Meanwhile, Ji Yuan’s cultivation advances significantly:
  • His body reaches the peak of the Late Sinew Tempering Realm.
  • His spiritual cultivation reaches the Late Golden Core Stage.
  • Most importantly, his Divine Sense enters the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
• Ji Yuan demonstrates Divine Sense Manifestation, condensing his consciousness into hundreds of Azure Waves Swords. This ability allows him to exert tremendous mental pressure and potentially kill ordinary early- or middle-stage Golden Core cultivators without physically attacking.
• Ji Yuan detects True Person Kunyu being pursued by the East Sea Three Fiends, a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator and two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators.
• The fiends intend to use Kunyu as bait to force her companion, True Person Jinghong, to abandon the defenses of Serene Nether Island and rescue her.
• Ji Yuan intervenes, suppressing the three attackers with his Divine Sense and killing them instantly with sword light. He also collects their corpses and souls, causing Kunyu to suspect that he is a devil cultivator.
• Ji Yuan takes Kunyu to a secluded island, disguises himself, and reveals that he is actually “Li Changshou,” the identity under which they first met.
• Kunyu explains that she and True Person Jinghong fled Western Border City after offending cultivators from Heavenly Fiend Mountain. They sought help from Liu Yuan and eventually settled on Serene Nether Island after claiming a nearby Spirit Vein.
• Ji Yuan learns that Liu Yuan is currently living on Serene Nether Island. Since Liu Yuan is one of his closest remaining connections, Ji Yuan agrees to accompany Kunyu there.
• Before leaving, Ji Yuan retrieves his belongings from his former secluded island and leaves it behind as a possible memorial to his time there.
• During the journey, Kunyu praises Old Devil Ji for his exploits in Rakshasa Sea. Ji Yuan secretly enjoys hearing himself praised while maintaining his false identity.
• As they approach Serene Nether Island, Ji Yuan remembers Dream-Demon True Lord’s warning that an inheritance lies on Qiankun Island in the Serene Nether Sea, suggesting a potentially important future development.

Character Developments

• True Person Tai’er is established as an extremely powerful and intimidating figure. His confidence reflects a level of strength far beyond the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Abyssal Continent.
• The Black-and-White Elders shift from influential leaders to frightened political survivors. They acknowledge their weakness and begin organizing a continent-wide council rather than directly resisting Tai’er.
• Ji Yuan makes major progress in both physical and spiritual cultivation. His Divine Sense has become one of his greatest assets, giving him the ability to overwhelm cultivators above his apparent realm.
• Ji Yuan also shows increased caution. He hides his true identity, conceals his cultivation, avoids revealing his residence, and takes precautions by leaving Monday to protect Kunyu.
• True Person Kunyu is portrayed as resilient and loyal. Even while being hunted, she refuses to yield to the East Sea Three Fiends and is willing to resist to the death.
• True Person Jinghong’s devotion to Kunyu is emphasized. The enemies rely on his willingness to sacrifice himself for her, revealing the depth of their relationship.
• Ji Yuan’s bond with Liu Yuan is reaffirmed. Their shared hometown and sect background make Liu Yuan one of the few people Ji Yuan deeply trusts.

Significant Themes

• Power and helplessness: The Black-and-White Elders’ fear of Tai’er shows how completely superior cultivation can determine political outcomes.
• The weakness of the Abyssal Continent: The absence of a Spirit Transformation cultivator leaves the entire continent vulnerable to outside domination.
• Hidden identity and deception: Ji Yuan continues operating under the name Li Changshou while concealing his true strength and history.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Jinghong’s willingness to risk everything for Kunyu contrasts with the East Sea Three Fiends’ manipulation and cruelty.
• Cultivation as gradual accumulation: Ji Yuan’s strength grows through steady refinement of his body, spiritual power, and Divine Sense rather than through a single breakthrough.
• Rogue cultivator solidarity: Ji Yuan and Kunyu share an understanding of the difficulties faced by unaffiliated cultivators, and Kunyu’s admiration for Old Devil Ji reflects the aspirations of those outside major sects.
• Foreshadowing and inheritance: The reference to Qiankun Island and Dream-Demon True Lord’s inheritance introduces a new mystery connected to Ji Yuan’s arrival at Serene Nether Island.

Character Interactions

• Tai’er dominates his conversation with the Black-and-White Elders through silence and implied threats, forcing them into reluctant cooperation.
• The elders privately discuss their inability to resist and decide to seek collective support from other major powers.
• The East Sea Three Fiends taunt Kunyu by threatening to use her to lure Jinghong into a trap.
• Ji Yuan interrupts the confrontation, humiliates the attackers through Divine Sense pressure, and kills them before Kunyu can be harmed.
• Kunyu initially mistakes Ji Yuan for an unknown senior, then recognizes him as Li Changshou after he changes his appearance and aura.
• Ji Yuan and Kunyu exchange information about Liu Yuan, their past movements, Rakshasa Sea, and Old Devil Ji’s reputation.
• Their conversation establishes mutual trust while also showing Ji Yuan’s continued reluctance to reveal his true identity or accomplishments.

Chapter Summary: “Reunion with Liu Yuan, Old Friends Finally Meet Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan asks True Person Kunyu about the Serene Nether Sea and learns that True Person Yuguang may have visited it before.
• Kunyu brings Ji Yuan to Serene Nether Island, where he unexpectedly reunites with Liu Yuan, his longtime friend from the Water Dragon Sect. True Person Jinghong and True Person Yuguang are also present.
• Kunyu explains that the East Sea Three Fiends attacked her while she was returning to the island, but Ji Yuan killed all three in a single exchange.
• The group celebrates the reunion with Ji Yuan’s Wishful Wine. During the gathering, Liu Yuan and Yuguang explain the conflict surrounding Serene Nether Island:
  • They purchased the island from the Devouring Sea Great Sage.
  • A hidden Spirit Vein was later discovered beneath it.
  • The Devouring Sea Great Sage now wants the island back, creating a long-running dispute.
• Although Liu Yuan urges Ji Yuan not to interfere, Ji Yuan decides to deal with the Devouring Sea Great Sage himself. The enemy is a Golden Core Peak cultivator supported by four Golden Core Late Stage subordinates.
• Ji Yuan learns more about the Serene Nether Sea and asks Yuguang to prepare a sea chart. Yuguang agrees.
• In private, Ji Yuan tells Liu Yuan about being dragged into the Rakshasa Sea by a Nascent Soul cultivator and warns him to keep his identity secret, since several powerful Nascent Soul enemies may pursue him.
• Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan discuss the missing Taian Island Master. Neither has found any news, though Liu Yuan privately fears that he may already be dead.
• Ji Yuan settles temporarily on Serene Nether Island, refuses a share of its modest Spirit Vein, and eventually obtains intelligence on the Devouring Sea Great Sage.
• The Great Sage possesses the formidable Myriad-Spirit Soul-Devouring Pot, which can refine Water Fortune and has killed other Golden Core Peak cultivators.
• Ji Yuan decides to assassinate him during an upcoming Core Formation trade fair on Devouring Sea Island.
• He travels there rapidly using Lightning-Chaser, disguises himself as an old Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, and enters the trade fair.
• Just as he arrives, two unexpected figures enter the hall, causing Ji Yuan to freeze in shock. The chapter ends on this cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Reveals that his strength has advanced dramatically after the Rakshasa Sea ordeal, now reaching the Golden Core Late Stage while possessing numerous powerful techniques, spirit beasts, and treasures. He becomes more confident and decisive, choosing to confront the Devouring Sea Great Sage despite the danger.
• Liu Yuan: Is overjoyed by the reunion but has become more cautious and disillusioned after traveling through the Abyssal Continent. He now values seclusion and stability, recognizing that Golden Core cultivation does not guarantee safety. He remains protective of Ji Yuan and tries to prevent him from becoming involved in the island dispute.
• True Person Kunyu: Returns safely after being rescued by Ji Yuan and reunites emotionally with Jinghong. Her encounter with the East Sea Three Fiends highlights the danger surrounding Serene Nether Island.
• True Person Jinghong: Becomes deeply grateful to Ji Yuan for saving Kunyu and openly promises to repay the debt, even at great personal risk. He is impressed by Ji Yuan’s rapid growth.
• True Person Yuguang: Is introduced as Liu Yuan’s other close friend. He is friendly and helpful, providing information about the Serene Nether Sea and drawing a detailed sea chart for Ji Yuan.
• True Person Jinghong, Kunyu, and Yuguang: Their respect for Ji Yuan increases significantly after learning that he effortlessly defeated the East Sea Three Fiends.

Significant Themes

• Reunion and enduring friendship: Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan’s meeting demonstrates that their friendship remains strong despite years of separation and major changes in their circumstances.
• Strength and security: The chapter emphasizes how vulnerable Golden Core cultivators are in the Abyssal Continent, where even powerful individuals may be threatened by stronger factions.
• Reciprocity and loyalty: Ji Yuan’s decision to help Liu Yuan reflects his belief that friendship requires action, not merely words. Jinghong’s promise to repay Ji Yuan similarly reinforces the importance of personal bonds.
• The harsh cultivation world: Survival often depends on power, resources, alliances, and caution. The Devouring Sea Great Sage represents cultivators who pursue strength without regard for morality.
• Hidden strength and changing status: Ji Yuan’s rapid advancement causes former peers to reassess their relationship with him, shifting him from an equal companion toward a potentially superior figure.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The Serene Nether Sea, the fate of the Taian Island Master, Ji Yuan’s hidden enemies, and the unidentified arrivals at the trade fair all establish future conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan: Their reunion is warm, humorous, and emotionally genuine. They exchange wine, discuss past experiences, and reaffirm that they can rely on each other.
• Ji Yuan and Kunyu: Kunyu’s rescue creates a debt of gratitude, while Ji Yuan treats the matter casually and refuses excessive thanks.
• Ji Yuan and Jinghong: Jinghong formally thanks Ji Yuan for saving Kunyu, while Ji Yuan downplays the gesture and emphasizes the bond between friends.
• Ji Yuan and Yuguang: They politely exchange greetings, discuss the Serene Nether Sea, and establish a cooperative relationship through Yuguang’s sea chart.
• Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan regarding the Devouring Sea Great Sage: Liu Yuan tries to shield Ji Yuan from the conflict, but Ji Yuan insists on helping. Their disagreement reflects Liu Yuan’s caution and Ji Yuan’s growing confidence.
• Ji Yuan and the trade-fair cultivators: Ji Yuan adopts a disguised identity and presents himself as an unfamiliar Rogue Cultivator, preparing to operate covertly within the Devouring Sea Great Sage’s territory.