Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Blood Luo Mountain, Blood Luo King learns that Medicine King Valley—one of his subordinate sects—has been completely annihilated. The entire sect, including Scorpion Madam and Ten Spirits Ancestor, was destroyed by mysterious flames, leaving no bodies or clues.
• The Holy Mother confirms that the destruction resembles a deliberate sect extermination. Blood Luo Mountain’s other subordinate sects, Sword Ruins and Corpse-Driving Mountain, are immediately placed under strict lockdown.
• The leaders debate who could be responsible. Possible suspects include remnants of the former six sects, Xu Sheng, or Ji Yuan. Blood Luo King believes Ji Yuan is the most likely culprit, reasoning that Ji Yuan’s rapid cultivation progress may have given him combat strength comparable to a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator.
• Blood Luo King decides to personally travel to the Water Dragon Sect, ordering Blood Lady to accompany him while the Holy Mother manages Blood Luo Mountain.
• Ji Yuan is revealed to be alive inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain. He has survived Scorpion Madam’s poison after spending more than ten days purging it with the help of his Golden Body Mystic Bone Realm physique.
• Ji Yuan acquires Scorpion Madam’s and Ten Spirits Ancestor’s treasures and inheritances:
  • The Seven-Colored Poison Pouch, containing multiple poisonous techniques and a Fourth-Tier Thorn Scorpion.
  • Ten Spirits Ancestor’s Spirit Beast Bag, which can house and nurture ten spirit beasts.
  • The Myriad Poisons Heart Scripture, which Ji Yuan rejects because of its grotesque cultivation requirements.
  • The Beast-Taming True Method, which Ji Yuan accepts and studies.
  • The Void-Escaping Claw, an Unusual Treasure capable of moving its user one hundred li instantly.
• Ji Yuan finds three Fourth-Order Monster Cores and several other resources. He gives five Third-Tier Peak Monster Cores and corresponding demon corpses to Tu Yue so that Long Yun can attempt to advance to the Fourth Tier.
• Ji Yuan plans to visit the Water Dragon Sect before returning to the Abyssal Continent, but worries that Blood Luo Mountain may seal the teleportation route.
• Elsewhere, Devil Lord White Bone and Demonflame True Lord learn that Blood Luo King has gone to the Water Dragon Sect. They speculate that the sect either possesses a secret capable of aiding Spirit Transformation or is sheltering the powerful figure responsible for Medicine King Valley’s destruction. They decide to go there themselves.
• On the Abyssal Continent, White Elder arrives in Xinan City with the leaders of the Eight Sacred Grounds. Before they depart for their larger mission, he reveals that Medicine King Valley was destroyed and two Nascent Soul Cultivators were killed.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal privately wonders whether Ji Yuan, who recently reached the Nascent Soul Realm, could truly have slain Scorpion Madam.

Character Developments

• Blood Luo King becomes more aggressive and personally involved after recognizing that the attacker may be Ji Yuan. His willingness to abandon immediate investigation of Medicine King Valley shows that the Water Dragon Sect is strategically more important.
• Blood Lady shows unusual restraint in Blood Luo King’s presence and is forced to accept his command despite her hostility toward the Holy Mother.
• The Holy Mother acts as a calm investigator and strategist. She provides the most rational analysis of the attack while continuing her antagonistic verbal clashes with Blood Lady.
• Ji Yuan demonstrates both immense strength and practicality. He survives a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator’s poison, harvests valuable treasures, evaluates their usefulness, and focuses on strengthening his forces rather than recklessly cultivating every technique he obtains.
• Tu Yue remains loyal and enthusiastic, assisting with farming, managing Ji Yuan’s resources, and supporting Long Yun’s advancement.
• Devil Lord White Bone and Demonflame True Lord shift from amusement to caution when they realize the attacker may be stronger than either of them. Their curiosity and rivalry with Blood Luo King motivate them to investigate personally.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal grows increasingly suspicious that Ji Yuan is behind the massacre, revealing her concern and interest in his extraordinary progress.

Significant Themes

• Rapid cultivation and hidden strength: Ji Yuan’s growth challenges the established hierarchy, making even powerful Nascent Soul cultivators uncertain about his true abilities.
• Power and strategic value: The Water Dragon Sect is treated as more important than the deaths of two Nascent Soul cultivators, suggesting it contains either a major secret or a dangerous individual.
• Aftermath of vengeance: The destruction of Medicine King Valley represents a devastating counterattack against Blood Luo Mountain and signals that old grudges are resurfacing.
• Resources and advancement: Ji Yuan treats the spoils of victory as tools for future development, emphasizing cultivation management, treasure optimization, and strengthening allies.
• Political tension and suspicion: Multiple factions interpret the massacre differently, and the unknown attacker destabilizes the balance of power across the continent.
• The mystery of Spirit Transformation: The possibility that the Water Dragon Sect holds a secret related to Spirit Transformation raises the stakes and attracts powerful observers.

Character Interactions

• Blood Lady and the Holy Mother exchange insults and openly antagonize each other until Blood Luo King stops their quarrel.
• Blood Luo King commands Blood Lady to accompany him to the Water Dragon Sect while placing the Holy Mother in charge of Blood Luo Mountain.
• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss the effectiveness of Scorpion Madam’s poison and the strength of the captured Nascent Soul ghost soul.
• Ji Yuan entrusts Tu Yue with the Monster Cores and demon corpses needed for Long Yun’s breakthrough.
• Devil Lord White Bone and Demonflame True Lord analyze Blood Luo King’s movements, speculate about the Water Dragon Sect’s secrets, and agree to investigate.
• White Elder informs the Eight Sacred Grounds about the massacre, forcing the assembled Nascent Soul experts to reconsider the danger surrounding the Cangluo Continent.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal silently connects Ji Yuan to the incident, ending the chapter on a note of uncertainty about his true power.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan travels toward the Water Dragon Sect while concealing his identity and movements. He alternates between hidden flight, physical movement, and the Lightning-Chasing Cloud to prevent tracking.
• At the former Water Dragon Sect—now Blood Luo Island—the Blood Luo King prepares an ambush. He is joined by Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil, both Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators, and has established the powerful Fourth-Tier Luo Heaven Blood Sea Formation.
• Jiang Hong asks Blood Lady for Ji Yuan’s Divine Soul so he can torment it and overcome his Heart-Demon Tribulation. Blood Lady agrees after the Blood Luo King searches Ji Yuan’s soul and extracts his secrets.
• Ji Yuan reaches Cloud-Rain Marsh and is shocked by its devastation. The once-prosperous region has become a filthy, corpse-filled swamp under Demonic Dao control. He decides not to revisit his former homes, regarding this visit as a final farewell.
• As Ji Yuan prepares to leave, the Blood Luo King reveals that he has been watching him. He traps Ji Yuan within the Blood Sea Formation and offers him the position of deputy mountain lord if he joins Blood Luo Mountain.
• Ji Yuan mocks the offer and refuses to submit. He summons the Nine Kings Flying Swords, Fire God Spear, and defensive armor, preparing to fight.
• The Blood Luo King demonstrates the overwhelming gap between Nascent Soul Late Stage and Middle/Early Stage power. His single blood-light attack pierces Ji Yuan’s sword domain, sword formation, and Spirit-Devouring Armor, finally injuring him through the Partridge Armor.
• Ji Yuan fights through the blood sea, defeating or destroying Walking Buddhas and nearly killing Fuluo Old Devil with Blood-Burning Crash. Fuluo survives only by switching bodies with a Walking Buddha.
• Ji Yuan uses the Void-Escaping Claw to escape the immediate attack, but the formation prevents him from leaving. He then releases his Buddha Puppets to fight the Walking Buddhas.
• Blood Lady attacks Ji Yuan, but his Zixiao Divine Thunder temporarily blocks her. The Blood Luo King easily shatters the lightning barrier and blasts Ji Yuan into the blood sea again.
• The Blood Luo King concludes that Ji Yuan possesses Nascent Soul Middle Stage-level strength but is still completely outmatched. He orders Blood Lady and Fuluo Old Devil to capture him.
• Injured but determined, Ji Yuan takes out the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew. He decides to burn fifty years of lifespan to temporarily increase his cultivation and defeat the three enemies.
• Rather than merely escape into Lingtai Mountain, Ji Yuan plans to release the Level Four Fish Pond phenomenon across Cloud-Rain Marsh and Boundless Marsh. The resulting spiritual spectacle should attract all nearby Nascent Soul cultivators, allowing him to turn the ambush into a hunt.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Becomes increasingly resolute and aggressive. Though he recognizes the overwhelming strength of the Blood Luo King, he refuses to surrender or flee permanently. His confidence comes from his hidden trump card, the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew. He also embraces his identity as the true Water Dragon Sect Master and plans to use the surrounding territory strategically.
• Blood Luo King: Reveals himself as the mastermind behind the earlier divination and schemes against Ji Yuan. He is cautious despite his superior cultivation and recognizes Ji Yuan as an unusually dangerous genius. His initial attempt to recruit Ji Yuan gives way to outright hostility once Ji Yuan refuses.
• Blood Lady: Remains fiercely protective of Jiang Hong and consumed by hatred toward Ji Yuan. Her relationship with the Blood Luo King shows tension, but also signs of renewed marital cooperation and concern for their son.
• Jiang Hong: Displays resentment, dependence, and cruelty. He still relies heavily on his mother and wants Ji Yuan’s soul for revenge and to overcome his Heart-Demon Tribulation.
• Fuluo Old Devil: Is shown to be powerful but cautious. His ability to switch bodies saves him from Ji Yuan’s devastating physical attack, while his greed toward the Buddha Puppets becomes apparent.
• Tu Yue: Acts as Ji Yuan’s concerned adviser. She urges him to retreat, but ultimately accepts his decision to risk his life and supports his plan.

3. Significant Themes

• The destruction of the past: Cloud-Rain Marsh’s transformation into a polluted Demonic Dao wasteland symbolizes the collapse of Ji Yuan’s former world and his emotional farewell to the Water Dragon Sect.
• Power and cultivation gaps: The Blood Luo King’s effortless suppression of Ji Yuan emphasizes the enormous difference between Nascent Soul Early/Middle Stage and Late Stage.
• Hidden strength and preparation: Ji Yuan survives through layered defenses, physical strength, magical artifacts, and concealed trump cards rather than relying on cultivation alone.
• Freedom versus submission: The recruitment offer represents an attempt to control Ji Yuan, but he rejects it because joining Blood Luo Mountain would mean surrendering his autonomy and walking into a trap.
• Family dependence and flawed protection: Jiang Hong’s weakness is reinforced by Blood Lady’s indulgence, while the Blood Luo King criticizes her for raising a dependent son.
• Farewell and karmic closure: Ji Yuan’s refusal to revisit his former homes suggests that he is severing his ties to the past and moving forward into a new stage of conflict.
• Turning danger into opportunity: Ji Yuan intends to transform an encirclement into a larger hunt by using the Fish Pond phenomenon to attract additional powerful cultivators.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss the spread of his reputation and later debate whether to revisit the ruins of their former home.
• Blood Lady and Jiang Hong secretly discuss Ji Yuan’s identity and Jiang Hong’s desire to obtain his Divine Soul.
• The Blood Luo King reprimands Blood Lady for overprotecting Jiang Hong and insists that their son must become independent.
• Blood Luo King briefs Corpse Luo Old Devil on Ji Yuan’s danger, emphasizing that even an apparently Early Stage cultivator must not be underestimated.
• Blood Luo King attempts to recruit Ji Yuan, but Ji Yuan ridicules his claim that Blood Luo Mountain represents the “light.”
• Ji Yuan and the Blood Luo King engage in a brief but extremely one-sided confrontation, establishing the king’s overwhelming superiority.
• Ji Yuan clashes with Fuluo Old Devil inside the blood sea, nearly destroying him with his physical attack.
• Blood Lady attacks Ji Yuan out of vengeance for Jiang Hong, while Ji Yuan counters with Zixiao Divine Thunder.
• After being repeatedly overwhelmed, Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss retreat versus activating the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew. Ji Yuan chooses battle and begins planning a large-scale counterattack.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone observe Blood Luo King’s Luo Heaven Blood Sea Formation trapping the mysterious cultivator behind the destruction of Medicine King Valley.
• They conclude that the Water Dragon Sect conceals an extraordinary treasure, likely connected to the True Dragon that once died there. They suspect it may contain the Secret of Spirit Transformation, enough to help Nascent Soul cultivators advance.
• Several other Nascent Soul cultivators—including Tuyao High Person, Lu Shi, Jimie True Person, and Gangfeng Old Devil—watch from nearby. Lu Shi suspects the trapped cultivator may be the long-missing Xu Sheng, though the others remain uncertain and prepare to flee if the situation worsens.
• Ji Yuan activates his Level Four Fish Pond across Cloud-Rain Marsh and Boundless Marsh. Its spiritual effects cause countless spirit fish and aquatic beasts to break through simultaneously, creating a massive phenomenon of golden aura, spiritual ripples, and advancing creatures.
• The phenomenon convinces Blood Luo King and the surrounding cultivators that a supreme True Dragon treasure is emerging. Blood Luo’s forces focus on the phenomenon, while Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone decide to challenge him for the treasure.
• Blood Luo King orders Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil to contain Ji Yuan while he confronts the two arriving rivals.
• Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone openly attack Blood Luo King. Their initial techniques fail to gain an advantage, so both unleash their life-bound treasures:
  • Devil Lord White Bone uses the White Bone Sword Whip.
  • Demonflame True Lord uses the Burning-Heaven Demon-Refining Furnace.
• Blood Luo King responds with the Ten-Thousand Tribulations Blood Stupa, a terrifying blood-based treasure that overwhelms their combined attacks and forces them to evade rather than confront him directly.
• The nearby Nascent Soul cultivators lose their courage after witnessing Blood Luo’s overwhelming strength and abandon plans to join the battle.
• Ji Yuan recognizes that he may be unable to defeat Blood Luo King, Blood Lady, and Corpse Luo Old Devil simultaneously. He therefore decides to gamble by drinking the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, sacrificing fifty years of lifespan to increase his strength.
• The chapter ends as Ji Yuan swallows the wine, with Blood Lady mistakenly believing he is merely drinking his final cup before death.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates strategic patience and decisiveness. Rather than immediately fighting several powerful enemies, he uses the Fish Pond to trigger a huge spiritual phenomenon, then finally chooses to consume the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew when retreat or delay is no longer viable.
• Blood Luo King: Reveals himself as extraordinarily powerful and confident. His Ten-Thousand Tribulations Blood Stupa gives him a decisive advantage even against two jointly ranked second-tier Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Demonflame True Lord: Remains provocative, irreverent, and eager for confrontation, using mockery and humor to conceal the seriousness of his challenge.
• Devil Lord White Bone: Acts more calculatingly than Demonflame, carefully assessing the treasure and Blood Luo’s strength before committing to battle. He nevertheless possesses the courage to initiate the attack.
• Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil: Remain loyal to Blood Luo King and serve as his defensive support, tasked with restraining Ji Yuan.
• Lu Shi and the other observers: Show caution rather than recklessness. Their initial interest in profiting from the conflict disappears once Blood Luo’s overwhelming strength becomes clear.

Significant Themes

• Power and risk: Even powerful Nascent Soul cultivators must carefully weigh the dangers of confronting Blood Luo King.
• Greed and opportunity: The possibility of a True Dragon inheritance causes rival cultivators to risk conflict despite knowing the danger.
• Strategic deception: Ji Yuan’s Fish Pond creates the appearance of a supreme treasure emerging, distracting everyone and altering the battlefield.
• Fate versus self-determination: Ji Yuan’s decision to drink the life-burning wine reflects the chapter’s central idea that one must seize control of one’s destiny rather than rely on Heaven’s arrangements.
• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Blood Luo’s forces underestimate Ji Yuan’s next move, while the surrounding cultivators overestimate the potential reward and then retreat after seeing the true disparity in power.

Character Interactions

• Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone cooperate while teasing and challenging one another, agreeing that the suspected treasure is valuable enough to oppose Blood Luo King.
• Lu Shi attempts to persuade the other observers that the mysterious cultivator may be Xu Sheng, but the group remains skeptical and prioritizes survival.
• Blood Luo King orders Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil to hold Ji Yuan back while he handles the external attackers.
• Demonflame and White Bone jointly attack Blood Luo, combining their techniques and life-bound treasures, but Blood Luo’s Blood Stupa decisively counters them.
• Ji Yuan and Blood Lady exchange silent hostility across the formation: she assumes he has been cornered, while he secretly prepares a life-risking counterattack.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan drinking the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, setting up his imminent confrontation with Blood Lady, Corpse Luo Old Devil, and possibly Blood Luo King himself.

This is an author’s title-change announcement:

• The work’s original title, “Immortality Begins with Upgrading Buildings,” has been changed to “Immortal Abode!”
• No plot events, character developments, themes, or character interactions are presented.
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Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan drinks the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, enduring its intense pain as its energy floods his body and Nascent Soul.
• The brew instantly raises him from Nascent Soul Early Stage to Nascent Soul Peak, though the enhancement will last only for roughly the time needed to burn one incense stick.
• His sudden power eruption shocks everyone. Corpse Luo Old Devil flees immediately, while Ji Yuan attacks and captures Blood Lady.
• Blood Lady recognizes Ji Yuan as the man she once drove into Fallen Immortal Ravine. Unable to escape, she attempts to self-destruct, but Ji Yuan uses the God-Slaying Spear to disrupt her Divine Soul before killing her.
• Enraged by Blood Lady’s death, Blood Luo King attacks Ji Yuan with his Life-bound Dharma Treasure, the Ten-Thousand Tribulations Blood Stupa.
• Ji Yuan counters with Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain. Although Blood Luo King initially resists, Ji Yuan’s physical intervention causes the divine mountain to damage the Blood Stupa and injure Blood Luo King.
• Blood Luo King uses a blood sun as an escape portal. Ji Yuan pursues him with his nine Azure Waves Swords, while sending Long Fei to capture Jiang Hong on Water Dragon Island for later soul-searching.
• Ji Yuan chooses to pursue Blood Luo King rather than attack the remaining Nascent Soul cultivators, Devil Lord White Bone and Demonflame True Lord, who remain nearby hoping to claim the supposed secret treasure.
• Activating the Star-Treading Wheel, Ji Yuan catches Blood Luo King before he can reach Coastal City and its defensive formations.
• Ji Yuan overwhelms him with Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain and twenty-seven bolts of Zixiao Divine Thunder.
• Blood Luo King accepts that defeat is unavoidable, declares that he and Ji Yuan will never rest until one dies, and decisively self-destructs his physical body. Ji Yuan escapes the resulting explosions, shocked by Blood Luo King’s ruthlessness.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan reveals the terrifying power of his preparations and resources. His temporary Nascent Soul Peak cultivation allows him to dominate multiple powerful opponents, but he remains conscious of the enhancement’s strict time limit and acts efficiently.
• His attitude toward former rival Jiang Hong changes completely. Ji Yuan no longer regards him as a worthy opponent and instead sees him as a source of information through soul-searching.
• Blood Lady experiences the consequences of her former persecution of Ji Yuan. Her disbelief turns into despair when she realizes that Ji Yuan intends to kill her without mercy.
• Blood Luo King shifts from an arrogant, dominant cultivator to a desperate fugitive. The deaths of Blood Lady and the destruction of his forces make him confront his vulnerability, but his pride and hatred remain intact.
• Blood Luo King briefly resolves to retreat and cultivate until reaching Nascent Soul Peak, yet Ji Yuan’s pursuit prevents him from escaping.
• Corpse Luo Old Devil demonstrates immediate self-preservation by fleeing, while White Bone and Demonflame reveal their cautious opportunism by waiting to see whether Ji Yuan’s temporary power will expire.

Significant Themes

• Power and its cost: Ji Yuan’s sudden advancement is immense but temporary, forcing him to prioritize targets and make every moment count.
• Revenge and consequences: Blood Lady’s past actions against Ji Yuan return to destroy her, while Blood Luo King suffers the collapse of the family and power structure he built.
• Ruthlessness and survival: Nearly every major character chooses pragmatic survival over loyalty or pride. Blood Luo King’s final self-destruction shows that even the strongest figures would rather die on their own terms than be captured.
• True strength versus borrowed power: Although Ji Yuan’s cultivation is artificially elevated, his mastery of treasures, techniques, timing, and battle strategy makes him overwhelmingly dangerous.
• Pride and humiliation: Blood Luo King’s terror at being hunted like a common fugitive contrasts sharply with his former status as the strongest figure on the Cangluo Continent.
• Deception and opportunism: The “secret treasure” is revealed to be a false phenomenon created by Ji Yuan, while White Bone and Demonflame hesitate, hoping to benefit from the conflict without taking unacceptable risks.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Blood Lady: Their confrontation is deeply personal. Ji Yuan reminds her of sending him into Fallen Immortal Ravine before killing her when she attempts self-destruction.
• Ji Yuan and Blood Luo King: Their battle escalates from a clash of Life-bound Dharma Treasures into a high-speed pursuit. Blood Luo King relies on stalling tactics and escape routes, while Ji Yuan overwhelms him through superior speed and coordinated techniques.
• Ji Yuan and Jiang Hong: Ji Yuan orders Long Fei to capture Jiang Hong, intending to extract Blood Luo Mountain’s techniques and secrets from him.
• Blood Luo King and Ji Yuan: Their final exchange is a declaration of mutual hatred. Blood Luo King vows that neither will rest until one is dead, then destroys his own body before Ji Yuan can finish him.
• White Bone and Demonflame: The two observe Ji Yuan’s battle from a safe distance, discussing whether to attack once his temporary cultivation ends, but ultimately lack the courage to act immediately.

Chapter Summary: “An Account for Xu Fugui—Execution of Jiang Hong!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan returns to the site of Blood Luo King’s self-destruction and confirms that Blood Luo King’s body, Storage Bag, and life-bound treasure are gone. His Nascent Soul escaped by using the explosion as a means of escape.
• Though disappointed, Ji Yuan realizes Blood Luo King will need decades—or possibly a century—to recover after possessing a new body. Ji Yuan is confident that by then he will be strong enough to defeat him.
• Rather than immediately pursue Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone, Ji Yuan decides to use them to destabilize the Cangluo Continent. He intimidates them into destroying Blood Luo Mountain, ending its dominance.
• Tu Yue discovers a nearly ten-thousand-year-old Profound-Comprehending Ginseng in Blood Lady’s Storage Bag. The treasure can restore much of Ji Yuan’s lost lifespan and increase his cultivation.
• Ji Yuan confronts Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone, announcing Blood Luo King’s defeat and threatening to destroy their sects if they allow Blood Luo Mountain to continue existing. The two agree to eliminate Blood Luo Mountain.
• Ji Yuan returns to Water Object Island, where Long Fei has protected the unconscious Jiang Hong. He searches Jiang Hong’s soul, destroying his mind in the process, then kills him with the God-Slaying Spear.
• Ji Yuan summons Jiang Hong’s yin soul with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. Jiang Hong remains arrogant and expects his father to avenge him, but Ji Yuan absorbs him into the banner.
• Blood Lady’s yin soul also attempts to escape, but Ji Yuan captures her with the assistance of the yin souls of Scorpion Madam, Spirit-Communing High Person, Bald High Person, and Ying Changkong.
• Ji Yuan tracks down and kills Corpse Luo Old Devil before his temporary Nascent Soul Peak cultivation expires. He then hurriedly leaves the area.
• Spirit-Communing High Person later arrives at the battlefield and reflects on Ji Yuan’s extraordinary rise and the relentless difficulty of cultivation.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, strategic thinking, and emotional closure. Although Blood Luo King escapes, Ji Yuan remains confident and plans to surpass him. He also embraces his ruthless reputation, willingly using the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and accepting the title of an “Old Devil.” Killing Jiang Hong fulfills a vow made when Ji Yuan was weak.
• Tu Yue: Continues to support and encourage Ji Yuan while helping identify valuable treasures. She recognizes how dramatically Ji Yuan’s status and power have changed.
• Blood Luo King: Survives but loses his body, cultivation foundation, and dominant position. His future recovery will be extremely difficult.
• Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone: Shift from proud sect leaders to frightened and submissive survivors. They exploit Ji Yuan’s decision to spare them while agreeing to destroy Blood Luo Mountain.
• Jiang Hong: Dies arrogantly, refusing to beg for mercy even after being defeated. His memories reveal the cruelty that originally set Ji Yuan on his path of revenge.
• Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil: Both are completely defeated, with Blood Lady’s yin soul captured and Corpse Luo Old Devil killed.
• Spirit-Communing High Person: Becomes an observer of the changing era, recognizing Ji Yuan as an unprecedented genius while questioning his own ability to continue advancing.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and delayed justice: Ji Yuan finally avenges Xu Fugui and fulfills his long-standing vow to kill Jiang Hong, despite the passage of more than a century.
• Power overturning established order: Blood Luo Mountain’s supremacy collapses almost overnight, while Ji Yuan rises from a former Foundation Establishment cultivator to a figure capable of defeating Nascent Soul experts.
• Survival and life-preserving methods: Blood Luo King’s escape emphasizes that powerful cultivators often possess hidden means of survival. Ji Yuan’s strategic choice to spare some enemies reflects the same pragmatic approach.
• Moral ambiguity and the demonic path: Ji Yuan’s methods—soul-searching, soul destruction, and yin-soul capture—are ruthless and resemble those of the demonic cultivators he opposes. The chapter questions whether strength determines who is called righteous or evil.
• The passage of time: Ji Yuan’s revenge arrives long after the original massacre, showing how time changes people, alliances, and the meaning of justice.
• Cultivation’s difficulty: Despite Ji Yuan’s astonishing progress, Spirit-Communing High Person’s reflections underline how rare such advancement is and how difficult it remains for ordinary cultivators.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss Blood Luo King’s escape, his likely recovery period, and the future balance of power.
• Ji Yuan intimidates Demonflame True Lord and Devil Lord White Bone into pledging the destruction of Blood Luo Mountain.
• Long Fei protects Jiang Hong and yields him to Ji Yuan after his return.
• Ji Yuan confronts Jiang Hong through soul-searching and later captures his yin soul, symbolically completing his revenge.
• Ji Yuan uses the souls of his former enemies to capture Blood Lady, demonstrating his control over the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
• Ji Yuan’s memories of Xu Fugui and Jiang Hong’s massacre connect the chapter’s present events to the tragedy that began his long pursuit of vengeance.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After using the Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, Ji Yuan successfully reaches Nascent Soul Peak cultivation at the cost of fifty years of lifespan. Because of his young age and the Panel’s reliability, he suffers no apparent physical consequences.
• Knowing his temporary cultivation boost will soon fade, Ji Yuan hides in a mountain cavern, stores spiritual power in the Star-Treading Wheel, and prepares to escape the Cangluo Continent before the Black-and-White Divine Hall or Taiyi Immortal Sect can seal the area.
• He returns to Coastal City and meets Hu Li, who has wisely purchased two expensive teleportation tokens in advance. Ji Yuan reimburses Hu Li and orders him to retrieve his pawned treasures.
• When Ji Yuan detects that the Black-and-White Divine Hall has confirmed the recent disaster, he disguises himself as Fang Zhong, a Golden Core Peak cultivator of Heavenly Fiend Mountain.
• At the Teleportation Harbor, Ji Yuan and Hu Li bluff their way past a large group of Black-and-White Divine Hall cultivators. Ji Yuan intimidates their leader into allowing them to board the teleportation formation, even though orders had been given to close the formation and prevent anyone from leaving.
• Ji Yuan and Hu Li successfully teleport back to the Abyssal Continent, escaping the immediate consequences of Ji Yuan’s battle with the Blood Luo King.
• After returning, Ji Yuan disguises himself again and travels toward Wave-Listening Pavilion. He reveals to Hu Li that he is actually Ji Yuan and instructs him to call him “Mountain Master.”
• Ji Yuan clarifies that he destroyed the Blood Luo King’s physical body, but the Blood Luo King’s Nascent Soul escaped through self-detonation.
• At Wave-Listening Pavilion, Ji Yuan reunites with Zhou Cang and learns that Baihua Immortal has gone to the Desolate Ancient Continent and has sent no news back.
• Ji Yuan officially leaves Hu Li at Wave-Listening Pavilion, where he is assigned to assist Ping Banmeng while another cultivator prepares to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Ji Yuan learns that the Nascent Soul cultivators sent to the Star-River Archipelago have also disappeared without a trace. He decides to proceed to the Cloud-Rain Sect, mainly because the Pill Cauldron Sect in that region possesses a treasure he needs.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates caution, adaptability, and strategic thinking after his dangerous battle. Rather than boasting about his victory, he immediately focuses on concealment, escape, and preventing future divination against him.
• His confidence in his growing strength is balanced by an awareness of his vulnerabilities. He recognizes the importance of obtaining a divination-related building that can reveal threats or prevent enemies from tracking him.
• Ji Yuan shows increasing trust in Hu Li, recognizing his competence and initiative. He even brings him back to the Abyssal Continent and arranges for him to occupy an important position at Wave-Listening Pavilion.
• Hu Li proves himself exceptionally capable and perceptive. He anticipates Ji Yuan’s need for teleportation tokens, handles social situations carefully, and quickly infers that Ji Yuan caused the catastrophe on the Cangluo Continent.
• Zhou Cang has become an essential stabilizing figure for both Wave-Listening Pavilion and the Cloud-Rain Sect, but the burden of managing both sects alone is clearly weighing on him.
• The Blood Luo King is established as a dangerous and ruthless opponent. Though his physical body was destroyed, his successful self-detonation allowed his Nascent Soul to escape, leaving the conflict unresolved.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival through strategy rather than brute force: Ji Yuan relies on disguises, deception, timing, and political awareness to escape a continent-wide response.
• The consequences of power: Ji Yuan’s victory over several Nascent Soul cultivators creates a major political crisis involving the Black-and-White Divine Hall and the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
• Identity and concealment: Disguises and altered auras are central to Ji Yuan’s escape, reflecting his need to hide both his strength and his origins.
• Trust and loyalty: Hu Li’s competence earns him a place within Ji Yuan’s growing circle, while Zhou Cang’s efforts highlight the importance of dependable allies during times of crisis.
• Uncertainty and expanding conflict: The disappearance of cultivators in the Star-River Archipelago and Baihua Immortal’s silence suggest that larger, unexplained dangers are developing across the cultivation world.
• Preparation for future threats: Ji Yuan’s desire for a divination building shows his shift from reacting to danger toward anticipating and controlling it.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue: Tu Yue worries over Ji Yuan’s health after the lifespan-burning technique and helps him assess the risks. Their exchange reveals Ji Yuan’s confidence in the Panel and Tu Yue’s emotional concern for him.
• Ji Yuan and Hu Li: Ji Yuan praises Hu Li’s initiative, reimburses his expenses, trusts him with his true identity, and secures him a position at Wave-Listening Pavilion. Their relationship develops from useful cooperation into a more formal master-and-subordinate partnership.
• Ji Yuan and the Black-and-White Divine Hall: Ji Yuan manipulates the Hall’s fear of Heavenly Fiend Mountain by posing as Fang Zhong. He uses threats, sarcasm, and social pressure to force the Hall’s cultivators to let him board the teleportation formation.
• Ji Yuan and the long-faced Golden Core cultivator: The confrontation begins tensely, but Ji Yuan later apologizes through voice transmission, easing the man’s resentment and reinforcing Ji Yuan’s ability to combine intimidation with diplomacy.
• Ji Yuan and Zhou Cang: Their reunion is warm and familial. They discuss the absences of Baihua Immortal and other cultivators, the strain on the sects, and Ji Yuan’s plan to take responsibility for the Cloud-Rain Sect.
• Hu Li and Zhou Cang: Hu Li respectfully introduces himself and accepts Zhou Cang’s appointment to assist Ping Banmeng, integrating himself into Wave-Listening Pavilion’s leadership structure.

Chapter Summary: “Great Harvest; Fourth-Tier Long Yun!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the crisis on the Cangluo Continent ends, Ji Yuan evaluates his strength. Since neither his cultivation nor physical body can advance soon, he decides to focus on upgrading his buildings, especially the Heavenly Craft Workshop, which requires Heavenly Origin Resin from the Pill Cauldron Sect.
• Ji Yuan visits Senior Brother Zhou Cang at the Wave-Listening Pavilion. Zhou discusses the terrifying “Old Devil” who destroyed a Blood Luo Mountain subordinate sect and defeated the Blood Luo King. Ji Yuan quietly confirms that he was the mysterious Old Devil but keeps his identity secret.
• Zhou warns Ji Yuan that a powerful Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator is hidden at the Cloud-Rain Sect. Ironically, this cultivator is Ji Yuan himself. Ji Yuan chooses not to reveal the truth, while Tu Yue jokes about Zhou’s reaction if he discovered it.
• Ji Yuan moves to the Cloud-Rain Sect and cultivates inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain. Tu Yue finishes sorting thousands of Storage Bags taken from Blood Luo Mountain disciples.
• The loot includes large quantities of Spirit Stones, Demonic Dao artifacts, cultivation pills, Immortal Resources, and other materials. Ji Yuan decides to sell most of the unsuitable demonic items on the Desolate Ancient Continent rather than strengthen rival sects or risk exposure.
• Ji Yuan examines the belongings of Blood Lady and Corpse Luo Old Devil:
  • Blood Lady’s “Enchantress Blood Divine Scripture” is a powerful but dangerous dual-cultivation technique based on draining the vitality, blood essence, and souls of cultivation vessels. Its side effect, “love poison,” explains Blood Lady’s obsessive attachment to the Blood Luo King.
  • Corpse Luo Old Devil’s “Nine-Fiend Corpse Refining Art” turns the cultivator’s body into a corpse-like vessel, granting exceptional physical strength and poison immunity at the cost of abandoning ordinary humanity.
  • Ji Yuan also discovers the incomplete first half of the Blood Luo King’s “Blood Sea Swallowing Heaven Scripture,” which creates a blood sea in the dantian and grants the ability to devour life force and spiritual energy.
• Ji Yuan obtains several powerful treasures:
  • Blood Lady’s Thousand-Phantom Blood Robe, a defensive robe capable of bewitching enemies and attacking their souls.
  • Corpse Luo Old Devil’s Nine Sons Soul-Suppressing Coffin, which can fly, defend, refine corpses, and create a poisonous domain.
• Among the Immortal Resources, Ji Yuan finds a large piece of Heart-Devouring Willow, one of the materials needed to upgrade the [Chicken Coop] to Level Five. Only Heart-Corroding Locust Tree remains to complete the upgrade.
• He also obtains a Millennium Blood-Marrow Jade Lotus, a Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone, and Seven-Extremes Venomous Dragon Grass, which could produce a poison pill capable of killing Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivators.
• Ji Yuan considers returning to Heavenly Fiend Mountain to obtain the remaining upgrade material. He also plans to investigate Soul-Refining Hall, where his subordinate Many-Ghost Devil Master is close to being fully controlled by the Daoheart Demon Seed. If successful, Ji Yuan may be able to plunder Soul-Refining Hall’s resources.
• The chapter ends with Long Yun advancing to the Fourth Tier, becoming Ji Yuan’s second Fourth-Tier Spirit Beast. Ji Yuan assigns Long Yun to guard the Cloud-Rain Sect while Long Fei accompanies him on his next mission.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly confident in his overwhelming strength and resources. He is now powerful enough to defeat Nascent Soul cultivators while remaining cautious about concealing his identity and avoiding unnecessary risks.
• His strategic thinking develops further: rather than merely collecting treasures, he considers where to sell them, how to avoid helping enemies, and how to exploit hidden connections within rival sects.
• Tu Yue continues acting as Ji Yuan’s assistant and companion. She efficiently sorts the massive amount of loot and frequently teases Ji Yuan, especially about Zhou Cang unknowingly speaking to the very “Old Devil” he fears.
• Zhou Cang remains anxious about protecting the Wave-Listening Pavilion and Cloud-Rain Sect. He believes Ji Yuan is an ordinary junior and has no idea that Ji Yuan is actually the dangerous cultivator he has been discussing.
• Long Yun achieves a major breakthrough, demonstrating his exceptional potential and becoming strong enough to help defend the Cloud-Rain Sect.

Significant Themes

• Concealed identity and dramatic irony: Zhou Cang condemns the mysterious Old Devil while speaking directly to Ji Yuan, unaware that Ji Yuan is that very person.
• Power and calculated restraint: Ji Yuan possesses immense strength but understands that openly displaying it or revealing his identity could create unnecessary danger.
• Resource accumulation and preparation: Treasures, techniques, building materials, and strategic relationships all contribute to Ji Yuan’s long-term growth.
• The consequences of cultivation methods: Blood Lady’s technique explains her emotional obsession, while Corpse Luo Old Devil’s art shows the physical and moral costs of demonic cultivation.
• Expansion of influence: Through the Daoheart Demon Seed and his growing network of spirit beasts and subordinates, Ji Yuan is gradually extending control over major forces beyond his immediate sect.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Zhou Cang discuss the Cangluo Old Devil, with Zhou Cang speculating wildly about his origins while Ji Yuan carefully hides the truth.
• Tu Yue repeatedly jokes with Ji Yuan about Zhou Cang’s ignorance and encourages him to reveal his identity, though Ji Yuan refuses.
• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue work together to organize the spoils from the defeated Demonic Dao cultivators, with Tu Yue presenting each important treasure and Ji Yuan deciding how it should be used.
• Ji Yuan reflects on the relationship between Blood Lady and the Blood Luo King, understanding that her cultivation technique intensified her obsessive love and contributed to their tragic conflict.
• At the end, Ji Yuan interacts with his two Fourth-Tier Chi Dragons, assigning Long Yun to remain behind and Long Fei to accompany him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan prepares to visit the Pill Cauldron Sect to obtain one or two portions of Heavenly Origin Resin, an Immortal Resource needed for his cultivation.
• Tu Yue repeatedly suggests killing and looting the Pill Cauldron Sect, tempting Ji Yuan with the sect’s immense wealth. Ji Yuan rejects the idea, realizing that indiscriminate slaughter would make him no different from the bloodthirsty demonic cultivators he condemns.
• Ji Yuan leaves Long Yun at the Cloud-Rain Sect to consolidate his cultivation and instructs him to rely on the sect’s Fourth-Tier Formation if attacked.
• At the Pill Cauldron Sect, Supreme Elders Dan Xuzi and Dan Yangzi discuss the growing pressure from the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the possibility that Nascent Soul cultivators from the Star-River Archipelago will be conscripted for the war on the Desolate Ancient Continent.
• Ji Yuan arrives and demonstrates extraordinary Divine Sense and movement abilities, alarming the two elders. They speculate that he practices a powerful Divine Sense technique.
• During their conversation, the elders reveal that the Desolate Ancient Continent recently suffered losses against the Barbarian God Continent. A powerful dual dharma-and-body cultivator killed several Nascent Soul cultivators, forcing the survivors to flee by abandoning their physical bodies.
• Ji Yuan requests one or two taels of Heavenly Origin Resin from the Pill Cauldron Sect. Dan Xuzi initially refuses, explaining that harvesting it would severely damage the Heavenly Origin Tree and delay the maturation of its fruit.
• Ji Yuan strategically offers a portion of Ageless Spring, claiming that one mouthful can extend a cultivator’s lifespan by twenty years. This immediately changes Dan Xuzi’s attitude.
• Dan Xuzi and Dan Yangzi agree to the trade, though the single portion of Ageless Spring will go to Dan Xuzi. Dan Xuzi promises to seek another life-extending treasure for his junior brother later.
• The group travels to the Heavenly Origin Tree. Ji Yuan is amazed by its immense size, ancient power, and likely Fourth-Tier Late Stage cultivation.
• Dan Xuzi communicates with the tree, which resists violently but eventually allows him to extract a full bottle of Heavenly Origin Resin. He seals the wound and places High-Grade Spirit Stones over it to aid its recovery.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan shows restraint and moral self-awareness by rejecting Tu Yue’s suggestion to massacre the Pill Cauldron Sect. He also displays increasing confidence in his strength, using his powerful Divine Sense and movement techniques to establish authority during negotiations.
• Ji Yuan proves himself a skilled negotiator. Rather than relying on force, he exploits Dan Xuzi’s fear of aging and offers the Ageless Spring as a bargaining tool.
• Tu Yue becomes increasingly bloodthirsty and greedy, viewing every powerful sect as a potential target for plunder. Ji Yuan reprimands her, though she privately believes he is not as different from the old devils as he thinks.
• Long Yun remains obedient and quiet, accepting Ji Yuan’s instructions to remain at the Cloud-Rain Sect and strengthen his cultivation.
• Dan Xuzi is cautious and politically experienced. Although he initially refuses to surrender the resin, his desire for a longer lifespan ultimately overcomes his reluctance.
• Dan Yangzi is more pragmatic and openly concerned about his own future. He accepts Dan Xuzi’s promise of a later life-extending treasure despite receiving no immediate share of the Ageless Spring.

Significant Themes

• Restraint versus greed: Ji Yuan must resist the temptation to accumulate resources through slaughter, while Tu Yue embodies unchecked greed and violence.
• The value of longevity: The Ageless Spring is more desirable to Dan Xuzi than the Heavenly Origin Fruit because extending life is more immediately valuable than increasing cultivation.
• Power and intimidation: Ji Yuan’s superior Divine Sense allows him to unsettle the Pill Cauldron Sect before negotiations even begin, demonstrating that power can be exerted without direct combat.
• Cultivation resources and sacrifice: The Heavenly Origin Resin is valuable precisely because extracting it harms the ancient Heavenly Origin Tree, highlighting the costs behind powerful cultivation materials.
• War and vulnerability: News of the conflict between the Desolate Ancient and Barbarian God Continents foreshadows wider danger and the likely forced involvement of Star-River Archipelago cultivators.

Important Character Interactions

• Tu Yue encourages Ji Yuan to destroy the Pill Cauldron Sect, while Ji Yuan rebukes her and insists that he must not become a blood-soaked tyrant.
• Ji Yuan and Long Yun discuss the latter’s cultivation and defensive responsibilities before Ji Yuan departs.
• Ji Yuan meets Dan Xuzi and Dan Yangzi in a formally polite but tense exchange, with both sides carefully assessing the other’s strength.
• The three discuss the war, the relative strength of cultivators from different continents, and the threat of conscription.
• Ji Yuan negotiates directly with Dan Xuzi, first allowing the elder to refuse and then revealing the Ageless Spring to pressure him into reconsidering.
• Dan Xuzi and Dan Yangzi privately debate the trade, with Dan Xuzi prioritizing his own lifespan and promising to compensate Dan Yangzi later.
• Dan Xuzi ultimately extracts the Heavenly Origin Resin while Ji Yuan observes the magnificent Heavenly Origin Tree and Tu Yue secretly covets it for their own Spirit Field.

Chapter Summary:

Star-Gazing Tower: Lv0

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan successfully trades the Nether Ageless Spring for Heavenly Origin Resin from Dan Xuzi. The resin becomes another material needed to upgrade the Heavenly Craft Workshop, leaving only Lapis Lazuli and Spirit-Candle Fruit to acquire.
• Dan Xuzi reveals that:
  • Spirit-Candle Fruit is cultivated by High Person Lingzhu of the Taiyi Immortal Sect on the Desolate Ancient Continent. Because it is essential to Lingzhu’s cultivation of the Spirit-Candle Nascent Soul Flame, it is unlikely to be traded.
  • Lapis Lazuli has appeared at Nascent Soul trade fairs and may be available at the upcoming fair in Beihuang City.
• Ji Yuan warns Dan Xuzi that the Ageless Spring should be consumed only near the end of one’s lifespan. Although presented as Ageless Spring, it is actually Nether Ageless Spring, which can permanently prevent further cultivation advancement if taken prematurely.
• Ji Yuan decides to travel to the Desolate Ancient Continent, both because cultivators from the Star-River Archipelago will be involved in the upcoming conflict and because he wants to:
  1. Visit the Water Dragon Sect and his senior siblings.
  2. Seek the Spirit-Candle Fruit.
  3. Check on Hundred-Blossom Immortal.
• After studying the Blood Sea Swallowing Heaven Scripture, Ji Yuan reflects on the strengths and limitations of his various cultivation methods. He recognizes the Azure Billows Nine Tribulations Sword Canon as exceptional but worries that it only reaches the Nascent Soul Peak and may require a successor technique.
• Tu Yue completes construction of a new three-story building atop Worry-Free Peak. Ji Yuan names it the Star-Gazing Tower, but the system initially fails to recognize it.
• Ji Yuan realizes that the building needs more divination-related furnishings. He places a sundial, bronze compass, and divination coins inside, but this is still insufficient.
• After Tu Yue suggests consulting Zhou Cang and Elder Xuanji, Ji Yuan learns about the Heaven-Peering Nine Transformations, a Nascent Soul-level divination cultivation technique stored in the Scripture Pavilion.
• Ji Yuan inherits the technique but finds it extremely obscure and difficult. He concludes that he does not need to master it fully, since his immediate goal is only to activate the building.
• Ji Yuan visits Xuanji Tower, studies its detailed divination arrangement, and orders Old Drunkard to gather similar items.
• He begins copying Xuanji Tower’s layout into the Star-Gazing Tower. Before finishing, the system finally recognizes the structure and displays:

[Star-Gazing Tower: Lv0 (Upgradeable)]

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates his skill at negotiation and deception by successfully trading a dangerous longevity treasure while maintaining the appearance of reluctance. He also shows goodwill by warning Dan Xuzi about its hidden drawback.
• Ji Yuan confirms his growing confidence and strength. He is willing to take part in the dangerous expedition to the Desolate Ancient Continent despite Zhou Cang’s concerns.
• He becomes increasingly interested in expanding his abilities through different cultivation techniques, especially divination, though he remains pragmatic about what is actually necessary to learn.
• Dan Xuzi becomes more open and cooperative after obtaining the Ageless Spring, sharing valuable information about rare Immortal Resources.
• Zhou Cang initially worries that Ji Yuan lacks enough Nascent Soul combat experience, but quickly remembers Ji Yuan’s reputation as “Old Devil Ji” and acknowledges that Ji Yuan’s strength is greater than he had assumed.
• Tu Yue continues acting as Ji Yuan’s energetic aide and adviser. Her suggestions directly lead Ji Yuan to consult Zhou Cang and discover the path toward activating the Star-Gazing Tower.
• Old Drunkard shows his loyalty and increased status by responding immediately to Ji Yuan’s command and gathering the necessary materials.

Significant Themes

• Appearances and hidden dangers: The Ageless Spring trade relies on acting and misdirection, while the supposedly beneficial treasure conceals a severe cultivation drawback.
• Preparation and long-term planning: Ji Yuan gathers resources, studies techniques, arranges allies, and secures his sect before undertaking the journey to the Desolate Ancient Continent.
• Power versus responsibility: Despite his strength, Ji Yuan remains concerned about protecting the Cloud-Rain Sect and leaves Long Yun behind to reduce the burden on Zhou Cang.
• Accumulation of knowledge: Ji Yuan values multiple cultivation methods and treasures, recognizing that true mastery requires patience rather than haste.
• System-building and adaptation: The Star-Gazing Tower cannot be activated through a name alone; Ji Yuan must understand the nature of divination and reproduce its essential environment, showing that the system rewards genuine functional preparation.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Dan Xuzi: They conduct a mutually beneficial trade, exchange information about Immortal Resources, and establish a more cooperative relationship.
• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue: Tu Yue advises Ji Yuan throughout the chapter, teasing him about his combat habits while helping him solve the Star-Gazing Tower’s activation problem.
• Ji Yuan and Zhou Cang: They discuss the upcoming conflict and Ji Yuan’s decision to travel to the Desolate Ancient Continent. Zhou Cang’s concern gradually changes into reluctant trust.
• Ji Yuan and Old Drunkard: Ji Yuan uses his authority as Supreme Elder to request materials, demonstrating his elevated position within the Cloud-Rain Sect.
• Ji Yuan and Elder Xuanji’s legacy: Though Xuanji does not appear directly, his divination technique and tower provide the knowledge necessary for Ji Yuan to activate his new building.

Chapter Summary

• Plot/Event: This chapter is a New Year’s message from the author rather than a continuation of the story. The author reflects on beginning the book in late March 2025 and offers readers wishes for 2026.
• Character Development: No fictional characters develop in this chapter. The author briefly quotes “Kun Kun,” whose words emphasize letting go of the past and focusing on the present.
• Character Interactions: The author addresses the readers warmly as fellow Daoists, expressing gratitude for meeting them through Immortal Abode. Readers are encouraged to support the novel and its protagonist, Celestial Venerable Ji, by giving monthly tickets.

Themes

• Gratitude and the value of human connection
• Moving beyond past difficulties
• Living in the present rather than worrying about the future
• Hope for continued improvement and well-being
• Mutual support between author and readers
• Closing Message: The author wishes everyone a better year ahead, reminds readers to take care of their health, and promotes the ongoing double monthly-ticket event.

Chapter Summary: “Unveiling Heaven’s Secrets—Du Wanyi’s Whereabouts!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan successfully activates the Star-Gazing Tower and upgrades it from Level 0 to Level 1, then to Level 2.
• The tower’s defensive effect improves from concealing Ji Yuan from Foundation Establishment cultivators to concealing him from Golden Core cultivators.
• At Level 2, the tower gains “Unveiling Heaven’s Secrets,” allowing Ji Yuan to divine the whereabouts of Golden Core cultivators once per day.
• Ji Yuan gathers the required treasures through Daoist Carefree and Zhou Cang, including a Spirit Artifact-grade Yin-Yang Trigram, Five-Child Spirit-Communing Coins, Three-Yin Three-Yang Stone, All-Heaven Star Compass, and Six-Yin Six-Yang Stone.
• Ji Yuan returns to the Wave-Listening Pavilion and uses the tower’s divination ability. With the help of his Truth-Piercing Divine Eye, he observes karma threads:
  • Red threads represent hatred or enemies.
  • Green threads represent goodwill, friendship, or close connections.
  • White threads represent casual acquaintances or people with little connection to him.
• Ji Yuan follows a green karmic thread and successfully discovers that Du Wanyi is still alive. He sees her cultivating in black robes with a fire-shaped mark between her brows.
• Before he can learn more, a powerful figure calling herself a “Devil Lord” detects the divination and forcibly cuts it off, injuring Ji Yuan’s Divine Soul slightly.
• Ji Yuan concludes that Du Wanyi was likely abducted by the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord, the legendary mother of Xun Tianji and a terrifying Nascent Soul expert.
• He returns to the Cloud-Rain Sect and enters its Core Treasure Vault using a token provided by Zhou Cang.
• Ji Yuan obtains the resources needed for the Star-Gazing Tower’s next upgrade, including the All-Heaven Star Compass and Six-Yin Six-Yang Stone, along with 100,000 Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and three Fourth-Order Monster Cores.
• He successfully upgrades the tower to Level 3, gaining stronger concealment from Nascent Soul cultivators and the ability to divine Nascent Soul cultivators once per month.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan preparing to use the Level 3 tower to investigate Du Wanyi’s whereabouts more completely.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly confident in the Star-Gazing Tower’s power and sees it as a major means of protecting himself and locating allies or enemies.
• His concern for Du Wanyi reveals the depth of their long-standing bond. He feels responsible for the suffering she endured after he brought her to the Abyssal Continent and resolves to rescue her.
• Ji Yuan’s status as Supreme Elder changes his relationships with former friends. Daoist Carefree becomes deferential and distant, making Ji Yuan feel that he has lost a personal connection.
• Ji Yuan also begins relying more comfortably on the people and institutions beneath him, delegating resource-gathering instead of handling everything himself.
• Tu Yue remains loyal and attentive, helping with Ji Yuan’s comfort, worrying about his injury, and humorously mourning the destruction of the Spirit Stones used for the upgrade.
• Zhou Cang shows increased respect and trust toward Ji Yuan by giving him direct access to the sect’s Core Treasure Vault.
• Du Wanyi is revealed to be alive but apparently suffering while cultivating under the control or influence of the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord.
• The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord is established as a powerful and possibly extremely dangerous antagonist capable of sensing and interrupting high-level divination.

Significant Themes

• Power through preparation and resources: Ji Yuan’s growth depends not only on cultivation but also on gathering rare treasures and using the sect’s vast resources.
• The burden of responsibility: Ji Yuan feels accountable for Du Wanyi’s fate because his actions brought her to the Abyssal Continent.
• Protection versus vulnerability: The Star-Gazing Tower gives Ji Yuan exceptional defensive and divination abilities, but the interruption by the Devil Lord proves that powerful enemies can still challenge him.
• Changing relationships through status: Ji Yuan’s elevation to Supreme Elder provides convenience and authority, but it also creates distance between him and former companions.
• Karma and connection: The visible karmic threads symbolize the emotional and moral bonds linking Ji Yuan to friends, enemies, and acquaintances.
• Rescue and redemption: Finding Du Wanyi alive gives Ji Yuan a renewed goal and an opportunity to correct what he views as a past failure.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue: Tu Yue assists him during the tower’s construction and upgrades, massages his shoulders, worries after the divination backlash, and reacts comically to the loss of the Spirit Stones.
• Ji Yuan and Daoist Carefree: Daoist Carefree efficiently gathers the requested resources but treats Ji Yuan with such formal respect that their former friendship becomes awkward and distant.
• Ji Yuan and Zhou Cang: Zhou Cang questions Ji Yuan’s sudden need for divination treasures, then gives him the key to the Core Treasure Vault after suspecting that Ji Yuan has genuinely entered the path of divination.
• Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi: Their karmic connection allows Ji Yuan to locate her. His joy at discovering she is alive demonstrates their deep history and emotional importance to one another.
• Ji Yuan and the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord: Although they do not meet directly, the Devil Lord senses Ji Yuan’s divination, confronts him remotely, and severs the connection, establishing her as the likely captor of Du Wanyi and a major future enemy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan upgrades the Star-Gazing Tower to Level Four, unlocking the powerful Spirit Effect “I Am Heaven’s Mandate.” It protects him from divination backlash and causes anyone attempting to divine him to suffer Heaven’s Mandate backlash proportional to their cultivation. However, the tower cannot be upgraded further until Ji Yuan reaches the Spirit Transformation Stage and gathers numerous rare materials.
• Using “Unveiling Heaven’s Secrets,” Ji Yuan locates Du Wanyi in the Demon-Spirit Archipelago, a chaotic region inhabited by Demonic Dao cultivators.
• A second divination confirms that Du Wanyi’s captor is truly the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord. Ji Yuan also discovers that Xun Tianji has reached the Nascent Soul Realm and is connected to the Devil Lord.
• Ji Yuan’s third divination reveals the Devil Lord’s plan: she intends to wait until Du Wanyi forms her Nascent Soul, then forcibly seize and fuse Du Wanyi’s Nascent Soul with her own. This is part of a method to help the Devil Lord break through from the Nascent Soul Peak to the Spirit Transformation Stage.
• Since Du Wanyi is only at the Middle Golden Core Stage, Ji Yuan realizes there is still ample time to prepare. He decides to monitor her monthly rather than immediately launch a dangerous rescue.
• Over the next three months, Ji Yuan uses his divination opportunities to locate Early Fourth-Tier Demon Beasts. He kills enough of them to recover the resources spent upgrading the Star-Gazing Tower and acquires additional valuable materials.
• Dan Xuzi visits the Cloud-Rain Sect and informs Ji Yuan that High Person Lingzhu of the Taiyi Immortal Sect has summoned the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Star-River Archipelago to discuss an expedition to the Desolate Ancient Continent.
• Before leaving, Ji Yuan speaks with Zhou Cang. He plans to leave his Fourth-Tier Chi Dragon behind to protect the Cloud-Rain Sect, but Zhou Cang reveals his own powerful Fourth-Tier Demon Beast, Earth Dragon Hui, and insists Ji Yuan take the Chi Dragon with him.
• Ji Yuan travels to Jade Spirit Island for the meeting. He is the only Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator present; the others are at the Middle Stage, while High Person Lingzhu has yet to arrive.
• The Blood Shadow Cult Master deliberately destroys Ji Yuan’s chair, provoking him. Ji Yuan insults him, overturns the table, and initiates a confrontation between the Orthodox and Demonic Dao cultivators.
• Just as the conflict is about to escalate, a powerful Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator from the Taiyi Immortal Sect arrives in a fiery display and challenges the Demonic Dao cultivators, immediately asserting control over the situation.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Gains greater confidence in the Star-Gazing Tower and uses its divination abilities strategically rather than acting impulsively. He becomes more calculating about Du Wanyi’s rescue, choosing preparation over reckless confrontation. At the same time, his aggressive response to the Blood Shadow Cult Master shows that his temperament remains bold and confrontational.
• Du Wanyi: Though absent from most of the chapter, her importance increases. Her fate resembles that of the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord, making her Nascent Soul a crucial component of the Devil Lord’s Spirit Transformation plan.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord: Her true identity and terrifying objective are confirmed. She is not merely holding Du Wanyi captive; she is cultivating a long-term plan to use Du Wanyi’s Nascent Soul to achieve Spirit Transformation.
• Zhou Cang: Demonstrates that he possesses considerable hidden strength and is fully capable of protecting the Cloud-Rain Sect. His concern for Ji Yuan reflects both responsibility as the senior disciple and genuine care for his junior.
• Jian Wuchen: Immediately defends Ji Yuan against the Demonic Dao cultivators, showing solidarity with the Cloud-Rain Sect and the Star-River Three Sects.
• Hu Li: Is reported to have quickly established authority within the Wave-Listening Pavilion and competently taken charge of its external affairs, confirming his political and organizational talent.
• Dan Xuzi: Acts as a messenger and ally, helping coordinate Ji Yuan’s participation in the Desolate Ancient Continent expedition.

Significant Themes

• Power through knowledge and preparation: Ji Yuan’s divination allows him to replace uncertainty with a long-term strategy, emphasizing that information can be more valuable than immediate force.
• The dangers of ambition: The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s pursuit of Spirit Transformation drives her to manipulate and potentially sacrifice Du Wanyi.
• Hidden strength and underestimated individuals: Zhou Cang, Hu Li, and Ji Yuan himself each reveal abilities or talents that others might overlook.
• Orthodox and Demonic Dao tensions: The meeting shows that the two sides remain hostile even when cooperation is necessary. Their alliance for the Desolate Ancient Continent is fragile and easily threatened by personal provocation.
• Defiance and authority: Ji Yuan’s refusal to tolerate humiliation, followed by the fiery arrival of a stronger cultivator, establishes a hierarchy in which power and backing determine who can act arrogantly.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan communicates with Tu Yue while investigating Du Wanyi’s situation and later relies on her to relay information.
• Zhou Cang urges Ji Yuan to let him undertake dangerous missions instead, while Ji Yuan reassures him that their previous agreement still stands. Zhou then reveals Earth Dragon Hui as additional protection.
• Dan Xuzi invites Ji Yuan to the gathering and assures him that the Star-River Three Sects will support one another during the Desolate Ancient Continent expedition.
• Jian Wuchen openly threatens the Blood Shadow Cult Master on Ji Yuan’s behalf and privately promises to protect Ji Yuan as a fellow member of the Orthodox Dao alliance.
• Ji Yuan deliberately provokes the Blood Shadow Cult Master after his chair is destroyed, escalating the meeting into a confrontation.
• The four Demonic Dao leaders respond with anger and contempt, but the arrival of the fiery Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator immediately shifts the balance of power in Ji Yuan’s favor.

Chapter Summary: “Desolate Ancient; Three Southern Passes!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• High Person Lingzhu, a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, intervenes when Ji Yuan and the four Demonic Dao cultivators nearly come to blows on Jade Spirit Island. His overwhelming presence forces the Demonic Dao group to retreat.
• Lingzhu summons the gathered Nascent Soul cultivators and orders seven of them to assemble again in seven days before departing for Desolate Ancient Continent.
• He explains that the main battlefield is the Three Southern Passes, three mountain ranges on the southern edge of Desolate Ancient Continent. Desolate Ancient Continent recently lost its First Pass through a scheme by Barbarian God Continent.
• Ji Yuan and the other outside cultivators will reinforce the Third Pass, while cultivators native to Desolate Ancient Continent will defend the more dangerous Second Pass.
• Lingzhu places the group under his command and assures them that Nascent Soul cultivators will generally not fight directly; Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators will form the main battlefield forces.
• Before their departure, the Nascent Soul Trade Fair in Beihuang City will be held. Lingzhu has arranged for it to be delayed until their arrival so they can exchange for resources useful in the coming war.
• Beihuang City Lord has successfully advanced from Nascent Soul Middle Stage to Nascent Soul Late Stage. This deeply affects Jian Wuchen, who believes the opportunity that enabled the breakthrough should originally have been his.
• After Lingzhu leaves, tensions briefly rise again between the Orthodox and Demonic Dao cultivators. Jian Wuchen’s Sword Qi nearly triggers a real confrontation, but Ten-Thousand Poisons Valley Master and Thousand-Illusion Devil Master argue that the Star-River Archipelago cultivators must remain united once they reach Desolate Ancient Continent.
• Ji Yuan returns to the Cloud-Rain Sect to prepare. Zhou Cang warns him to be careful and tells him to seek out Elder Xuanji’s old acquaintances if needed.
• Ji Yuan postpones several personal plans, including dealing with the Soul-Refining Hall, finding Liu Yuan, and checking on Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai in Taiyi Immortal Sect.
• Most importantly, he uses his divination ability to investigate the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s intentions toward his second sister, Du Wanyi. He learns that she will wait eighty years before resorting to harsher methods if Du Wanyi has not reached Nascent Soul.
• Ji Yuan resolves to reach Nascent Soul Middle Stage within forty years, possibly bringing Long Yun and Long Fei through their Transformation Lightning Tribulations before confronting the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord.
• After a final farewell with Zhou Cang, Ji Yuan departs for Desolate Ancient Continent in a powerful streak of watery escape light, splitting the cloudy sky and illuminating Cloud-Rain Island.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Displays confidence in his strength by provoking the Demonic Dao cultivators even under Lingzhu’s supervision. He also becomes more strategic, recognizing the need to appear properly Orthodox before Lingzhu and acknowledging that he must grow stronger to protect Du Wanyi and confront the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord.
• High Person Lingzhu: Establishes himself as the unquestioned commander of the expedition. He is authoritative, perceptive, and skeptical of the Demonic Dao cultivators, but also promises to protect the group.
• Jian Wuchen: Reveals lingering bitterness over losing a transformative opportunity to Beihuang City Lord. His restrained reaction shows regret, wounded pride, and resentment.
• Dan Xuzi: Acts as Ji Yuan’s informal guide, explaining the military structure, the situation on Desolate Ancient Continent, and the background behind the previous Nascent Soul conflict.
• The Demonic Dao cultivators: Initially act hostile and self-interested, but gradually recognize that internal conflict would leave them vulnerable in foreign territory. Ten-Thousand Poisons Valley Master and Thousand-Illusion Devil Master argue for unity.
• Du Wanyi: Although absent, becomes a central concern for Ji Yuan. Her cultivation progress and the threat posed by the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord give Ji Yuan a concrete long-term goal.

Significant Themes

• Strength and authority: Lingzhu’s arrival demonstrates how cultivation strength determines social and political power. His presence instantly suppresses conflict and establishes the chain of command.
• Temporary alliances amid factional conflict: Orthodox and Demonic Dao cultivators remain suspicious of one another, yet external danger forces them to cooperate.
• Regret and lost opportunities: Jian Wuchen’s reaction to Beihuang City Lord’s breakthrough highlights the lasting consequences of missed fortune and betrayal.
• War as a political display: Lingzhu suggests that the expedition is partly about “bolstering the display” of strength, showing that military presence and deterrence matter as much as direct combat.
• Family, loyalty, and responsibility: Ji Yuan’s concerns for Du Wanyi, Liu Yuan, Feng Zhitáo, Yun Qianzai, and the Cloud-Rain Sect reveal that his ambitions are increasingly tied to protecting and gathering those connected to him.
• Preparation and urgency: The seven-day departure deadline and Ji Yuan’s forty-year cultivation goal emphasize the pressure created by the approaching war and the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s timetable.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan openly taunts Blood Shadow Cult Master, but Lingzhu interrupts before the conflict can escalate.
• Lingzhu orders the cultivators to call him “Commander,” and the group formally accepts his authority.
• Dan Xuzi and Jian Wuchen privately explain the military situation and gossip about the previous Nascent Soul War, which supposedly began after a Taiyi Immortal Sect cultivator won over a female Nascent Soul cultivator from Barbarian God Continent.
• Lingzhu notices Ji Yuan’s confidence and suspects that the seemingly low-ranked Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator possesses hidden strength or support.
• Jian Wuchen reacts bitterly when Lingzhu announces Beihuang City Lord’s breakthrough, indirectly exposing the history of their former friendship and the disputed opportunity.
• After Lingzhu departs, the Orthodox and Demonic Dao groups nearly clash again, but Ten-Thousand Poisons Valley Master and Thousand-Illusion Devil Master persuade everyone that unity is necessary.
• Zhou Cang gives Ji Yuan a solemn farewell, while Ji Yuan reassures him that he will return safely before departing for the southern battlefield.

Chapter Summary: “Nascent Soul Filth!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan arrives first at Jade Spirit Island and meets High Person Lingzhu, who offers him a cup of fiery spirit wine. Ji Yuan secretly transfers the wine away and replaces it with his own Peerless Wine, avoiding its effects while pretending to enjoy it.
• Ji Yuan gives Lingzhu a pot of Wishful Wine. The wine’s ability to reflect and intensify emotions deeply impresses Lingzhu, who requests more and offers Immortal Resources in exchange.
• In return for the wine, Lingzhu gives Ji Yuan a Fish-Dragon Candle. If Ji Yuan encounters trouble at the Three Southern Passes, lighting it will summon Lingzhu’s aid once. This establishes a valuable connection and protection for Ji Yuan.
• The Nascent Soul cultivators depart for the Desolate Ancient Continent. They travel for months across the Silent Void Sea, a spiritually rich region filled with powerful sea beasts, before finally reaching the continent.
• Ji Yuan remains aware of the Desolate Ancient Continent’s curse: cultivators cannot remain there for more than three years without risking their cultivation being permanently capped at the Spirit Transformation Stage.
• During the journey, Blood Shadow Cult Master repeatedly provokes Ji Yuan and questions his ability to keep up. Ji Yuan openly challenges him to settle their conflict, but Lingzhu warns Blood Shadow to stop.
• Ji Yuan suspects Blood Shadow’s hostility is deliberate and potentially connected to older conflicts between the Blood Shadow Cult and Cloud-Rain Sect, including the Cloud-Rain Sect’s role in demanding justice after the Blood Shadow Cult refined the inhabitants of Water Marsh Island into human pills.
• The group reaches Beihuang City, where they are welcomed by the Beihuang City Lord. Lingzhu treats him with unusual warmth, revealing the importance of their relationship and the vast difference between Nascent Soul minor stages.
• Jian Wuchen pointedly greets the Beihuang City Lord with mockery rather than respect, exposing old resentment. The City Lord later attempts to compensate Jian Wuchen, but Jian refuses, suggesting the dispute remains unresolved.
• Ji Yuan spends ten days exploring Beihuang City with Dan Xuzi and preparing for the upcoming Nascent Soul Trade Fair. He studies local Immortal Resources and plans which materials to buy and sell.
• Ji Yuan intends to obtain resources for upgrading his various structures, especially Fourth-Order Monster Cores and the materials needed to upgrade the Meteor Cannon. A Level Four Meteor Cannon could kill even middle-stage Spirit Transformation cultivators, making it one of his most important goals.
• Ji Yuan and Dan Xuzi encounter Bai Yunzi, a renowned Nascent Soul Middle Stage sword cultivator from White Cloud Abbey. Bai Yunzi has defeated a powerful rival of the same stage and is considered to possess “Spirit Transformation Potential.”
• Bai Yunzi reveals that he has been assigned to guard the Three Southern Passes under Lingzhu. He approaches Ji Yuan and Dan Xuzi because they belong to the Orthodox Dao and intends to cooperate with them against the Demonic Dao.
• After confirming Bai Yunzi’s identity and intentions with Lingzhu, Ji Yuan accepts him as a future companion. The chapter ends when Lingzhu announces that the Beihuang City Nascent Soul Trade Fair is about to begin.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates cunning and caution by secretly neutralizing Lingzhu’s wine, while also using Wishful Wine to build a strong relationship with him. He remains alert to political tensions, particularly Blood Shadow’s suspicious behavior. His focus shifts toward acquiring resources to strengthen his cultivation base, formations, and powerful structures.
• High Person Lingzhu: Initially appears stern and distrustful, but becomes impressed by Ji Yuan’s wine and rewards him generously with a protective Fish-Dragon Candle. He acts as the leader of the group and maintains authority over the quarrelsome cultivators.
• Blood Shadow Cult Master: Shows open hostility toward Ji Yuan and Cloud-Rain Sect, likely because of longstanding sect conflicts. His deliberate defiance of Lingzhu suggests he may be planning something more than simple antagonism.
• Jian Wuchen: Continues to harbor resentment toward the Beihuang City Lord and uses the journey as an opportunity to vent his frustration. He also defends Ji Yuan against Blood Shadow, partly out of genuine irritation and partly to gain Ji Yuan’s favor.
• Dan Xuzi: Serves as Ji Yuan’s guide to Beihuang City and the Desolate Ancient Continent. He provides information about local resources and political developments, while also criticizing Ji Yuan’s blunt remarks.
• Bai Yunzi: Is introduced as a powerful, highly talented sword cultivator with an innocent appearance and manner but considerable hidden ability. He seeks allies among the Orthodox Dao and joins Ji Yuan’s future group at the Three Southern Passes.
• Beihuang City Lord: Welcomes Lingzhu warmly and appears to value their old relationship. His failed attempt to compensate Jian Wuchen shows that he feels some guilt but has not yet offered enough to resolve their dispute.

Significant Themes

• Political alliances and mutual benefit: Ji Yuan’s exchange of Wishful Wine for Lingzhu’s protection shows how valuable relationships can be forged through rare resources and tact.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: The Desolate Ancient Continent looks vast and magnificent but conceals a serious cultivation-limiting curse. Bai Yunzi appears childlike but is an exceptionally dangerous sword cultivator.
• Sect rivalry and inherited grudges: Conflicts between the Orthodox and Demonic Dao, particularly between Cloud-Rain Sect and Blood Shadow Cult, continue to shape present interactions.
• Power hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes that even within the Nascent Soul Realm, the difference between minor stages is enormous. Late-stage cultivators command respect from middle-stage cultivators much as higher realms dominate lower ones.
• Preparation and resource accumulation: Ji Yuan’s long-term strategy centers on gathering rare materials, upgrading his structures, and increasing his combat power before facing greater dangers.
• Trust and suspicion: Ji Yuan accepts allies only after careful verification, while remaining wary of Blood Shadow’s provocative behavior and possible hidden schemes.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Lingzhu: Their wine exchange develops into a mutually beneficial alliance, culminating in Lingzhu granting Ji Yuan one guaranteed rescue at the Three Southern Passes.
• Ji Yuan and Blood Shadow: Their hostility becomes explicit when Ji Yuan challenges Blood Shadow to fight openly. Lingzhu intervenes before the conflict escalates.
• Jian Wuchen and Blood Shadow: Jian supports Ji Yuan and threatens Blood Shadow, revealing his aggressive temperament and disdain for the Demonic Dao.
• Jian Wuchen and the Beihuang City Lord: Their strained greeting and Jian’s refusal of compensation reveal a serious unresolved dispute rooted in the past.
• Ji Yuan and Dan Xuzi: The two travel together through Beihuang City, with Dan Xuzi acting as guide and source of local information.
• Ji Yuan, Dan Xuzi, and Bai Yunzi: Bai Yunzi deliberately seeks them out because of their Orthodox Dao affiliations and joins them as a future ally for the defense of the Three Southern Passes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan, Bai Yunzi, and Dan Xuzi receive Black-Rope Bracelets from Jian Wuchen, allowing them to disguise themselves as identical clouds of gray mist for the Nascent Soul Trade Fair.
• Jian Wuchen explains that the bracelets conceal their identities from ordinary Divine Sense but remain connected to Beihuang City’s protective Formation, meaning the Beihuang City Lord can still identify everyone.
• Ji Yuan enters the hidden trade-fair venue inside the City Lord’s Manor: an immense sea covered with lotus leaves, with each Nascent Soul cultivator occupying one leaf. Twenty-eight participants attend, in addition to the Beihuang City Lord and High Person Lingzhu.
• The Beihuang City Lord formally opens the gathering and warns everyone to maintain order.
• The first trades involve various high-grade treasures, including a Profound-Yin Soulslaying Banner, Ice-Soul Coldlight Sand, a Thunder Roc feather, and several demon-beast materials.
• Ji Yuan trades Blood River Sand for a Fire-Aspect Earth Dragon demon core and subsequently acquires six Fourth-Order Monster Cores, along with other materials.
• A cultivator surnamed Shen offers Lapis Lazuli in exchange for Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood, hoping to revive his deceased wife, Madam Shen. Ji Yuan needs the Lapis Lazuli to upgrade the Heavenly Craft Workshop but lacks the requested wood.
• The Beihuang City Lord intervenes, using his own Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood to obtain the Lapis Lazuli from Shen, then trading that Lapis Lazuli to Ji Yuan for two Zixiao Stones. This allows all three parties to obtain what they want.
• Ji Yuan unsuccessfully searches for a Heart-Corroding Locust Tree, a Demonic Dao resource needed for another upgrade. He concludes that he may need to visit the Three Southern Passes and seek Old Devil Heavenly Fiend.
• Ji Yuan later discovers an Earth Immortal Stone, another material required for upgrading one of his buildings. After bargaining, he trades three Zixiao Stones for it.
• A cultivator expresses envy at Ji Yuan’s apparent wealth. In response, Ji Yuan reveals three more Zixiao Stones and offers them in exchange for Fourth-Order Monster Cores, setting a price of one Zixiao Stone for three Early Fourth-Tier cores.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates confidence, strategic bargaining, and considerable wealth in rare resources. He remains alert to possible schemes by the Beihuang City Lord and other cultivators, while steadily collecting materials for his various upgrades. He also shows a provocative side when confronting the hostile cultivator beside him.
• Bai Yunzi: Continues to display supreme confidence, refusing to use the disguise bracelet because he believes no one would dare attack him.
• Jian Wuchen and Dan Xuzi: Follow the City Lord’s instructions and enter the trade fair cautiously under disguise.
• Beihuang City Lord: Presents himself as a gracious and impartial organizer, but his ability to see through the disguises and his sudden intervention in the Lapis Lazuli exchange make Ji Yuan suspicious of his true intentions.
• Cultivator Shen: Reveals deep devotion to his deceased wife, valuing the possibility of reviving her above preserving his own cultivation. He is willing to sacrifice greatly for this goal.
• The hostile cultivator: Shows intense hatred toward Demonic Dao practitioners and nearly attacks Ji Yuan after learning of his interest in the Heart-Corroding Locust Tree.

Significant Themes

• Trust and hidden motives: The bracelets conceal identities from the participants but not from the City Lord, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and potential manipulation.
• Trade-offs between power and personal convictions: Cultivator Shen prioritizes reviving his wife over his cultivation, illustrating how emotional attachments can outweigh the pursuit of power.
• Resourcefulness and negotiation: Ji Yuan repeatedly uses accumulated treasures intelligently, converting surplus materials into rare items essential for his future advancement.
• Moral ambiguity: The trade fair brings together righteous and demonic cultivators, yet both sides participate in transactions and display questionable behavior. Hostility toward the Demonic Dao contrasts with the practical willingness to use or trade demonic resources.
• Power and deterrence: Although violence is forbidden, the gathering remains tense, with every cultivator measuring the strength and wealth of the others. The City Lord’s authority prevents open conflict.

Character Interactions

• Jian Wuchen gives Ji Yuan and the others the disguise bracelets and advises them to enter separately.
• Ji Yuan and Bai Yunzi exchange polite but competitive gestures before entering the trade fair.
• Ji Yuan trades with multiple anonymous Nascent Soul cultivators, acquiring demon cores and other materials.
• The cultivator beside Ji Yuan insults him for seeking a Heart-Corroding Locust Tree. Ji Yuan responds just as harshly, nearly provoking a fight until the Beihuang City Lord intervenes.
• The Beihuang City Lord mediates between Cultivator Shen and Ji Yuan, arranging a three-way exchange involving Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood, Lapis Lazuli, and Zixiao Stones.
• Ji Yuan bargains with the holder of the Earth Immortal Stone, initially offering two Zixiao Stones, then ultimately agreeing to pay three.
• After being accused of being wealthy, Ji Yuan deliberately displays more Zixiao Stones and makes a new offer for demon cores, signaling that he is not easily intimidated.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan offers three remaining Zixiao Stones at the Nascent Soul Trade Fair, exchanging them for Fourth-Order Monster Cores at a steep price of three cores per stone.
• Two cultivators trade for two stones, while the Beihuang City Lord claims the final one by offering three fire-element Monster Cores. Ji Yuan gains twelve cores from the fair in total.
• The Beihuang City Lord privately contacts Ji Yuan, gives him a jade thumb ring that serves as a key to a sealed area in The Abode, and invites him to meet afterward.
• Ji Yuan decides to accept the invitation despite Tu Yue’s concern that the City Lord may be plotting against him. He reasons that the Taiyi Immortal Sect’s backing makes an outright attack unlikely.
• The trade fair ends under strict supervision. Ji Yuan leaves separately, ensures he is not followed, and goes to The Abode.
• Using the jade ring, Ji Yuan enters a hidden second-floor formation. The area is an immense yellow-sand illusion filled with powerful Sword Qi, revealing that it is the Beihuang City Lord’s sword-forging ground.
• The Beihuang City Lord meets Ji Yuan there. They negotiate over fifteen Fourth-Order Monster Cores. Ji Yuan requests three cores of each elemental attribute, though the City Lord warns that obtaining wood-element cores in particular will be difficult.
• The City Lord also offers to acquire a forbidden Basic Teleportation Formation Diagram, despite the danger of violating the Taiyi Immortal Sect’s restrictions.
• As a deposit, Ji Yuan gives him one flask of Ageless Spring. The final agreement requires the spring plus three Zixiao Stones or equivalent Immortal Resources for the teleportation diagram.
• After Ji Yuan leaves, Jian Wuchen appears beside the Beihuang City Lord. The two discuss Ji Yuan’s wealth, Elder Xuanji’s possible breakthrough, and whether Ji Yuan—also known as Xu Beimu—can be recruited into their organization.
• Ji Yuan reveals to Tu Yue that he sensed a third person inside the formation during his meeting, indicating that the Beihuang City Lord was not acting alone.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates greater confidence and strategic boldness. He willingly enters a potentially dangerous meeting, openly admits his needs, bargains firmly, and uses the Ageless Spring as leverage. He remains cautious, recognizing that the City Lord’s offer concerning the teleportation diagram could be a trap.
• Beihuang City Lord: Is established as a powerful Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, a skilled earth-element sword cultivator, and an influential negotiator. He is resourceful enough to obtain rare Monster Cores and possibly forbidden formation diagrams, but his true motives remain ambiguous.
• Tu Yue: Acts as Ji Yuan’s cautious adviser, warning him about the possibility of an ambush and questioning his decisions.
• Jian Wuchen: Appears to be cooperating with the Beihuang City Lord despite their apparent past enmity. He takes an interest in Ji Yuan’s strength and wealth and raises the possibility of recruiting him.
• Elder Xuanji: Though absent, he is discussed as possibly having reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage while concealing himself due to unknown difficulties.

Significant Themes

• Caution amid opportunity: Ji Yuan must balance the immense value of rare resources against the danger of attracting powerful enemies.
• Power and influence: The Taiyi Immortal Sect’s authority shapes the entire trade fair, especially through its control over teleportation technology.
• Negotiation and hidden motives: Exchanges are not merely commercial; each deal tests trust, leverage, and the possibility of betrayal.
• Wealth as power: Ji Yuan’s supply of Ageless Spring and Zixiao Stones allows him to negotiate with stronger cultivators and secure opportunities otherwise unavailable.
• Identity and secrecy: Ji Yuan’s identity as Xu Beimu is known or suspected by others, yet everyone continues to maintain a facade of indirect dealings.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan bargains with multiple Nascent Soul Cultivators at the trade fair, trading Zixiao Stones for Monster Cores.
• The Beihuang City Lord directly pressures Ji Yuan through a private Divine Sense transmission and later negotiates with him over Monster Cores and the teleportation diagram.
• Tu Yue repeatedly advises Ji Yuan from within his Sea of Consciousness, while Ji Yuan explains his reasoning and reassures her.
• The Beihuang City Lord and Jian Wuchen discuss Ji Yuan after his departure, revealing that they may belong to—or be connected with—a larger organization seeking to recruit him.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan realizing that the meeting involved an unseen third party, leaving the City Lord’s true intentions and the organization’s plans unresolved.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan investigates the mysterious backing of the Beihuang City Lord and discovers that he is secretly the master of the Star-Gazing Tower. Relieved that the City Lord is trustworthy, Ji Yuan decides to treat him purely as a business partner.
• Ji Yuan disguises himself as a Golden Core cultivator and sells large quantities of goods acquired from the Cangluo Continent across several cities. The sales disrupt Beihuang City’s market, but ultimately allow him to obtain fifteen Fourth-Order Monster Cores, bringing his total to thirty-one.
• The group travels from Beihuang City through Black Tortoise City toward Three Southern Passes. Ji Yuan attempts to sell more Demonic Dao goods in Black Tortoise City, but the city’s Orthodox Dao affiliation makes the market hostile to his wares, and he is suspected of being a Demonic Dao cultivator.
• After ten days, the group reaches Three Southern Passes, a hot, mountainous frontier filled with rich spiritual energy. High Person Lingzhu explains that the First Pass has fallen to the Barbarian God Continent, while the Second Pass remains defended.
• Ji Yuan and the others see the enormous One-Circuit Mountain Grand Formation, a Fifth-Tier formation personally created by Perfected Taiyi of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Although it makes the Second Pass seem nearly impregnable, they later learn that the actual battlefield lies beyond the protected region.
• Ten days later, they witness the true Second Pass battlefield: mountains have been flattened, the land is filled with blood and spell-scarred pits, spiritual energy has been disrupted, and countless cultivators are engaged in logistical and defensive work. The entire region functions as a massive war machine.
• Ji Yuan’s previous divinations reveal that Elder Xuanji and the Wave-Listening Pavilion Master are still alive, but trapped in an ancient, unexplored secret realm in the Cinnabar Sea. The realm contains a power beyond Star-Gazing Tower’s current ability to calculate—likely a Fifth-Tier existence, formation, or creature.
• The chapter ends with Bai Yunzi asking Tian Xuzi about the Taiyi Immortal Sect cultivator who provoked the first major Nascent Soul battle and attracted the Barbarian God Continent’s forces.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more strategic and cautious. He confirms the Beihuang City Lord’s reliability, expands his wealth through disguised trade, and carefully preserves his limited divination opportunities.
• His growing influence and resources are emphasized by his accumulation of thirty-one Fourth-Order Monster Cores and his ability to conduct large-scale commerce across multiple cities.
• Ji Yuan shows concern for Elder Xuanji and the Wave-Listening Pavilion Master, viewing their rescue as a way to strengthen his allies and improve his own security. However, he recognizes that the secret realm is too dangerous for him to enter immediately.
• Bai Yunzi remains sociable and outspoken, offering advice to the Demonic Dao cultivators and showing curiosity about the battlefield’s notable figures.
• High Person Lingzhu acts as the group’s leader and guide, balancing military responsibilities with consideration for the newcomers’ interest in visiting Taiyi City.
• The Demonic Dao cultivators, especially the Blood Shadow Cult Master and Spirit Ghost Mountain Master, demonstrate that they are not needlessly aggressive but will not tolerate being bullied.
• Jian Wuchen and Ji Yuan quietly analyze the strategic failure of the First Pass and question why the Fifth-Tier formation was not established earlier.
• Ji Yuan’s fellow Star-River Archipelago cultivators are visibly broadened by their first visit to the true Desolate Ancient Continent battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden behind appearances: The Beihuang City Lord’s identity, Ji Yuan’s disguise, and the concealed danger within the secret realm all reinforce the importance of hidden strength and secret affiliations.
• Commerce and opportunism: Ji Yuan turns wartime travel into a business opportunity, while the City Lord operates in the gray area between Orthodox and Demonic Dao interests.
• War’s destructive reality: The supposedly immortal cultivators are shown behaving like mortal kingdoms fighting over territory and resources. The devastation of the Second Pass challenges the idealized image of cultivators as beings above worldly conflict.
• Strategic limitations and preparation: Powerful formations cannot be deployed everywhere, and even a Fifth-Tier formation cannot erase the realities of war. Success depends on resources, logistics, personnel, and timing.
• Danger beyond comprehension: The secret realm’s possible Fifth-Tier presence establishes a threat beyond Ji Yuan’s current ability to analyze or control.
• Unity amid factional division: Orthodox and Demonic Dao cultivators travel together to defend the same frontier, despite mutual suspicion and differing reputations.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss the Beihuang City Lord, Ji Yuan’s plans for profit, and the possibility of encountering Yun Qianzai.
• Ji Yuan, Bai Yunzi, Dan Xuzi, and Jian Wuchen discuss travel costs, Taiyi City, and the rarity of visiting Three Southern Passes.
• Bai Yunzi warns the Demonic Dao cultivators to remain cautious in an Orthodox-majority region. The Blood Shadow Cult Master and Spirit Ghost Mountain Master respond that they do not seek trouble but are not afraid of it.
• High Person Lingzhu introduces the group to Tian Xuzi and two Nascent Soul cultivators from Divine Ox Gate, establishing the military leadership at the Second Pass.
• Ji Yuan and Jian Wuchen privately debate why the First Pass lacked a Fifth-Tier formation.
• Tian Xuzi explains the scale and limitations of the Second Pass defenses, revealing that the apparent safety provided by the grand formation is misleading.
• Bai Yunzi’s final question about the Taiyi cultivator responsible for triggering the first Nascent Soul conflict points toward a potentially important figure and future plot development.

Chapter Summary: “Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Nascent Soul cultivators learn the identity of the famous cultivator responsible for provoking the current conflict: Hua Zhongxian, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator from the Desolate Ancient Continent who returned from the Barbarian God Continent with a Nascent Soul female cultivator as his Dao companion. The Barbarian God Continent considered this an insult and used it as justification to launch the first Nascent Soul war.
• Hua Zhongxian has since been confined by the Taiyi Immortal Sect for questioning and punishment, preventing Ji Yuan from meeting him.
• High Person Lingzhu tours the newly arrived cultivators through the Three Southern Passes and assigns them a defensive region. They are ordered to monitor all travelers, verify the identities of passing Nascent Soul cultivators, and prevent further conflict.
• Each cultivator receives yearly supplies, including spirit stones, cultivation pills, and 500 Merit Points. These points can be exchanged for resources from the Taiyi Immortal Sect, potentially even the coveted Secret of Spirit Transformation. Additional points can be earned by killing enemies and bringing back techniques, treasures, or resources from the Barbarian God Continent.
• One-Punch High Person, the leader of the Abyssal Continent’s cultivators, arrives dramatically in the form of a fist shadow and warmly reunites with High Person Lingzhu.
• The defensive territory is divided among the eight cultivators. Ji Yuan receives the westernmost section, adjacent to the Abyssal Continent’s forces. His neighboring cultivators include Joyful Madam to the west and Bai Yunzi to the east.
• Ji Yuan leaves his territory temporarily after using divination to confirm its safety. He conceals himself, leaves Long Yun to protect the area, and travels west to find Hundred-Blossom Immortal.
• Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal reunite privately. They discuss their circumstances, the danger of her dual identity being exposed, and the possibility of another Nascent Soul war.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal warns Ji Yuan that the Barbarian God Continent is preparing a second assault and believes it can break through the Mount Zhou Grand Formation at the Second Pass.
• At the end of the chapter, Hundred-Blossom Immortal gives Ji Yuan an item he had previously asked her to locate.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan continues to demonstrate caution, strategic thinking, and growing confidence as a Nascent Soul cultivator. He carefully investigates the local political situation, safeguards his assigned territory before leaving, and avoids revealing his identity to enemies such as Profound Serpent Manor Master.
• Ji Yuan also becomes a source of support for Hundred-Blossom Immortal. He takes responsibility for protecting her secret and devises a cover story claiming that she and Hundred Flowers Maiden are twins.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal shows great relief and happiness at seeing Ji Yuan again in a foreign land. She increasingly relies on him as a powerful and trustworthy ally, especially because she has made no real preparations to conceal her two identities.
• High Person Lingzhu is established as a strict but capable commander. His apparently friendly relationship with One-Punch High Person contrasts with his ruthless attitude toward military discipline.
• Hua Zhongxian is presented as a notorious yet absent figure whose romantic actions helped trigger the current continental war.
• One-Punch High Person is revealed to be a powerful, boisterous, and friendly late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with a close relationship to High Person Lingzhu.
• Ji Yuan’s old enemies, including Profound Serpent Manor Master, remain active nearby, but Ji Yuan chooses to postpone revenge until the circumstances are more favorable.

Significant Themes

• Reunion in a foreign land: Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal’s meeting emphasizes the comfort and joy of finding a trusted companion far from home.
• Identity and concealment: Several characters maintain multiple identities or hidden affiliations. Hundred-Blossom Immortal’s secret is particularly dangerous because cultivators from different continents now occupy neighboring territories.
• War and opportunity: The Three Southern Passes are both a battlefield and a source of cultivation opportunities. The war provides access to enemy techniques, treasures, and resources, while Merit Points offer a possible route toward higher realms.
• Duty versus personal goals: Ji Yuan must balance guarding his assigned territory with his desire to meet allies, investigate the situation, and protect Hundred-Blossom Immortal.
• Strategic patience: Ji Yuan repeatedly chooses to conceal his strength and delay revenge, showing that survival and preparation take priority over immediate retaliation.
• Chance and causality: Hua Zhongxian’s personal relationship with a Barbarian God Continent cultivator unexpectedly escalated into a continental conflict, highlighting how individual choices can reshape the wider political landscape.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Bai Yunzi: Bai Yunzi’s curiosity prompts discussion of Hua Zhongxian and later helps expose the practical limitations of the Merit Point system.
• High Person Lingzhu and One-Punch High Person: Their teasing, physical familiarity, and mutual concern reveal a long-standing friendship between two powerful commanders.
• Ji Yuan and Joyful Madam: Ji Yuan recognizes her as a fellow cultivator from the Cangluo Continent and considers repaying the karmic goodwill she previously showed him, though he remains cautious.
• Ji Yuan and Profound Serpent Manor Master: Ji Yuan secretly observes his old enemy but deliberately postpones revenge.
• Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal: Their reunion is the emotional center of the chapter. They exchange news, discuss past events, and work together to protect her identity. Ji Yuan also admits to killing Many-Ghost Devil Master and Vulture High Person, surprising her with his aggressive approach after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal and Ji Yuan: She warns him of the coming second war and gives him the item he requested, reinforcing their trust and cooperation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hundred-Blossom Immortal gives Ji Yuan a segment of the Heart-Corroding Locust Tree, a rare Fourth-Tier Immortal Resource he needs to upgrade his [Chicken Coop].
• In return, Ji Yuan gives her the Thousand-Phantom Blood Robe, a powerful Nascent Soul Middle Stage Life-bound Dharma Treasure. Although its revealing, unorthodox appearance embarrasses her, she accepts it after Ji Yuan emphasizes its usefulness for self-defense.
• Ji Yuan also gives Hundred-Blossom Immortal a flask of Nine-Nether Lifeburn Brew, which can temporarily raise a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator to the Nascent Soul Peak at the cost of fifty years of lifespan. She agrees to keep it for emergencies and repay him later if she uses it.
• The two discuss the deployment of Abyssal Continent cultivators. Ji Yuan learns that Bone-Nightmare Old Devil has been absent from Taiyi City for months after requesting leave, while One-Punch High Person has strangely failed to investigate.
• Ji Yuan identifies his enemies: Bone Demon Old Devil, Profound Serpent Manor Master, the Black-and-White Fiends, and Mei Zhuang. Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and Soul Hall Master are considered only partial enemies.
• Ji Yuan returns to Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain and uses the Heart-Corroding Locust Tree and Heart-Devouring Willow to construct a new [Chicken Coop].
• Upgrading the building to Level Five costs 100,000 Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and causes ominous heavenly phenomena, including black cracks and blood-like veins in the sky. Ji Yuan notices that the [Chicken Coop]’s upgrade signs are demonic and fundamentally different from the righteous phenomena produced by other buildings.
• The upgrade triggers the evolution of the Rooster King, formerly a Third-Tier Golden-Plume Thunderclap Chicken, into a Fourth-Tier Golden-Plume Thunder Roc.
• Ji Yuan names the Roc Golden Plume, tests its speed, and discovers that it can match or exceed the speed of most Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators.
• The upgraded [Chicken Coop] produces its first Five-Color Spirit Egg, which Ji Yuan takes to the Spirit Vein to inspect and absorb.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes increasingly confident after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. He openly believes his enemies should now fear him rather than the reverse.
• His generosity and concern for Hundred-Blossom Immortal become clear. He equips her with powerful treasures because he cannot personally protect her throughout the dangerous Desolate Ancient Continent.
• Ji Yuan also demonstrates calculated social skill, persuading Hundred-Blossom Immortal to accept valuable gifts without making her feel indebted or distant.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal shows embarrassment at receiving the unusual blood robe but ultimately accepts Ji Yuan’s gifts, revealing growing trust and affection toward him as a junior brother. She also confirms that she can hold off a Nascent Soul Early Stage opponent.
• Tu Yue continues acting as Ji Yuan’s loyal assistant, supplying Spirit Stones, removing injured spirit fowl, and helping manage the upgrade.
• The former Rooster King undergoes a major evolution, becoming a powerful Fourth-Tier mount with exceptional speed.

Significant Themes

• Mutual trust and loyalty: Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal exchange life-saving resources, demonstrating their close bond and willingness to protect one another.
• Preparation amid danger: Ji Yuan prioritizes giving Hundred-Blossom Immortal emergency tools because the Desolate Ancient Continent is perilous and they may be separated.
• Growth through resources and evolution: The [Chicken Coop] upgrade transforms both Ji Yuan’s capabilities and the strength of his spirit beasts.
• Mystery surrounding the [Chicken Coop]: Its demonic materials, unusual upgrade phenomena, and connection to Demonic Beasts suggest that it has a deeper and potentially dangerous origin.
• Confidence and rising power: Ji Yuan’s transition into the Nascent Soul Realm changes his attitude from caution and anxiety to assertiveness and dominance.
• Hidden threats: Bone-Nightmare Old Devil’s unexplained absence hints at an unresolved plotline and possible danger.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal exchange treasures in a scene balancing sincerity, embarrassment, and strategic persuasion.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal worries that Ji Yuan’s gifts are too valuable, while Ji Yuan insists she accept them because he regards her as his only Senior Sister.
• They share information about enemy cultivators and promise mutual assistance at the Three Southern Passes.
• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue coordinate the [Chicken Coop] construction and upgrade, with Tu Yue reacting humorously to the enormous cost.
• Ji Yuan bonds with the newly evolved Golden-Plume Thunder Roc, naming it Golden Plume and immediately testing its speed as his new mount.