Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “When This Matter Was Settled”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan awakens in Taiyi City after his life-and-death battle with Yang Dingtian. Feng Zhitáo and Hundred-Blossom Immortal are relieved and visit him with concern.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal gives Ji Yuan Soul-Concentrating Jade Dew, which greatly eases his Divine Soul exhaustion. She privately reveals that she concealed her true identity as the Wave-Listening Pavilion’s Hundred-Blossom Immortal, claiming instead to be Hundred Flowers Maiden of the Cloud-Rain Sect.
• Feng Zhitáo accidentally detects their Divine Sense communication and teasingly questions their relationship. Ji Yuan defuses the situation by saying that his relationship with both women is the same, leaving both women flustered and wondering about his feelings.
• Ji Yuan excuses himself and secretly enters Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain, where he rests inside the Blood Marrow Coffin. His injuries and spiritual depletion largely recover within half a day.
• During recovery, Ji Yuan analyzes his battle with Yang Dingtian. He recognizes that his victory depended on luck, preparation, and hidden techniques, and that overcoming a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator remains extremely difficult.
• Meanwhile, the Yang Household collapses. After Yang Dingtian’s death and the imprisonment of the family in Taiyi City, Yang Wan leads the surviving branch westward to Luofeng City, hoping to gain protection from the Dark Profound Cult.
• A mysterious white-haired elder appears in Yang Wan’s residence. He reveals that he defeated the Dark Profound Cult’s leader, preventing the cult from sheltering the Yang Household.
• The elder identifies himself as the Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal, a powerful Spirit Transformation cultivator of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. He orders Yang Wan to return with him so the Yang Household can answer for the deaths of 300,000 people in Qingyang City. Yang Wan realizes that resistance is impossible and submits, accepting that her clan is finished.
• One month later, Ji Yuan has fully recovered and strengthened his Nascent Soul foundation. He tells Feng Zhitáo, Hundred-Blossom Immortal, and Yun Qianzai about his travels and his conflict with the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Ji Yuan decides to return immediately to Abyssal Continent to attack the Black-and-White Divine Hall, now that the Taiyi Immortal Sect has agreed not to interfere.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal agrees to return to the Cloud-Rain Sect and monitor events on Desolate Ancient Continent. Feng Zhitáo wants to accompany Ji Yuan, but he persuades her to remain behind and prepare for Nascent Soul Formation.
• Ji Yuan gives Feng Zhitáo resources and pills to support her breakthrough, entrusting Yun Qianzai with protecting her. Once she succeeds, she and Yun Qianzai may join him in Abyssal Continent.
• Ji Yuan departs immediately for Taiyi City’s Teleportation Harbor. As he travels, Tu Yue asks why he is so determined to take control of Abyssal Continent, setting up the next chapter’s explanation.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan becomes more cautious and self-aware after his battle with Yang Dingtian. He acknowledges the limits of his current strength and understands that future victories cannot rely solely on luck or surprise techniques. He also takes on a more decisive leadership role by planning the next move against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Feng Zhitáo shows deep concern and emotional attachment toward Ji Yuan. Her jealousy and embarrassment during the Divine Sense misunderstanding reveal that her feelings may go beyond ordinary fellow-discipleship. She accepts Ji Yuan’s judgment and agrees to focus on forming her Nascent Soul.
• Hundred-Blossom Immortal’s concealed affection for Ji Yuan becomes clearer. His ambiguous statement causes her to wonder whether he regards her as someone especially important. She agrees to separate from him temporarily while continuing to support his affairs.
• Yang Wan changes from a determined clan leader seeking refuge into a defeated survivor forced to confront the complete destruction of her family. Her submission to the Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal reflects both despair and the overwhelming gap between her strength and his.
• Yun Qianzai remains calm and reliable, offering to supervise Feng Zhitáo’s breakthrough and acting as a stabilizing presence among the group.
• Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal is revealed as an overwhelmingly powerful and morally uncompromising Taiyi Immortal Sect figure. His gentle demeanor contrasts sharply with his ruthless enforcement of justice against the Yang Household.

Significant Themes

• The limits of strength and luck: Ji Yuan’s victory over Yang Dingtian is presented as exceptional but not easily repeatable. Preparation, hidden abilities, and favorable circumstances were all necessary.
• Powerlessness before overwhelming authority: Yang Wan’s encounter with the Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal demonstrates how helpless even a Nascent Soul cultivator can be before a Spirit Transformation powerhouse.
• Consequences and retribution: The Yang Household is destroyed and forced to answer for the deaths in Qingyang City, emphasizing that past violence eventually brings consequences.
• Affection and emotional ambiguity: Ji Yuan’s careless attempt to avoid conflict deepens the romantic tension between him, Feng Zhitáo, and Hundred-Blossom Immortal.
• Separation for future growth: Feng Zhitáo’s decision to remain behind and break through reflects the importance of strengthening oneself before joining larger conflicts.
• Political control and looming conflict: Ji Yuan’s planned confrontation with the Black-and-White Divine Hall signals a shift from personal survival to an attempt to reshape the balance of power on Abyssal Continent.

Character Interactions

• Feng Zhitáo and Hundred-Blossom Immortal both care for Ji Yuan and compete subtly for his attention, though neither openly states her feelings.
• Ji Yuan uses humor and ambiguity to avoid revealing the nature of his relationships with the two women, but his response only intensifies their private speculation.
• Ji Yuan and Feng Zhitáo share a protective bond: she wants to fight beside him, while he insists that she remain behind to advance her cultivation.
• Ji Yuan and Hundred-Blossom Immortal demonstrate mutual trust through their secret communication and their willingness to respect each other’s concealed identities and decisions.
• Yang Wan’s interaction with the Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal highlights the absolute power imbalance between them. His calm conversation and courteous tea contrast with his threat to annihilate the remaining Yang Household.
• Ji Yuan’s final exchange with Tu Yue introduces a question about his deeper ambitions, suggesting that his campaign against the Black-and-White Divine Hall may involve more than revenge.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan travels through Taiyi City toward the Teleportation Harbor, intending to return to the Abyssal Continent.
• He recalls a hidden message from his master, Hua Yaoyue, which appeared on the back of her letter only after he reached the Nascent Soul Realm. She instructs him to unify the Abyssal Continent because it conceals a secret even she has never uncovered.
• Ji Yuan teleports to Beihuang City and then returns to Eastern Border City on the Abyssal Continent.
• His true purpose is to rescue his second sister, Du Wanyi, who was taken to the Demon-Spirit Archipelago by the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord. With his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation—and the ability to temporarily reach the peak through the Pigsty’s Spirit Effect—Ji Yuan now believes he can confront the Devil Lord.
• On the way to the Demon-Spirit Archipelago, Ji Yuan detours to Serene Nether Island to look for Liu Yuan.
• In Luoxia City, he learns that Liu Yuan, known as Sword-Wine True Person, defeated the Black Shark Island Lord and entered seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Ji Yuan reaches Serene Nether Island during Liu Yuan’s seven-day Nascent Soul Omen. He watches as heaven-and-earth spiritual energy nourishes the island and Liu Yuan’s sword intent grows stronger.
• Liu Yuan successfully forms his Nascent Soul, reaching the Nascent Soul Early Stage and manifesting a thousand-zhang Dharma Manifestation.
• After waiting for Liu Yuan to stabilize his cultivation, Ji Yuan disguises himself as a domineering Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator and deliberately provokes him by claiming Liu Yuan stole treasured wine.
• Liu Yuan refuses to yield despite being heavily outmatched, preparing to fight rather than surrender Yan You Island.
• Ji Yuan reveals his identity, turning the confrontation into an emotional and humorous reunion.
• Liu Yuan welcomes Ji Yuan back to Yan You Island, where they drink and reminisce until late at night. The chapter ends with Liu Yuan realizing that Ji Yuan’s visit must involve more than a simple reunion.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: His return to the Abyssal Continent marks a shift from survival and cultivation toward decisive action. He now pursues the rescue of Du Wanyi and the larger goal of controlling the continent, following Hua Yaoyue’s hidden instructions. He also demonstrates confidence in his growing strength through his playful test of Liu Yuan.
• Liu Yuan: He has matured into a powerful Nascent Soul sword cultivator while retaining his bold, straightforward personality. His willingness to confront a stronger opponent shows that his courage and determination have grown alongside his cultivation.
• Hua Yaoyue: Though absent, she continues to guide Ji Yuan’s path. Her concealed message reveals that his future is tied to the Abyssal Continent’s hidden secret.
• Du Wanyi: Her situation becomes Ji Yuan’s immediate objective and represents an unresolved familial bond and debt.
• Jinghong, Kunyu, and Yuguang: Their changed attitude toward Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan reflects the social gulf between Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and inherited purpose: Hua Yaoyue’s message gives Ji Yuan a larger mission beyond personal cultivation.
• Power and responsibility: Ji Yuan’s growing strength allows him to intervene in the rescue of his sister and eventually pursue control of the Abyssal Continent.
• Friendship amid change: Although Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan have become powerful figures, their reunion restores the easy camaraderie of their earlier years.
• Courage and integrity: Liu Yuan refuses to submit to an apparently stronger enemy, showing that strength of character matters as much as cultivation.
• The passage of time: Eastern Border City and the people around the protagonists have changed, emphasizing how years of separation alter relationships and social status.
• Ascension and renewal: Liu Yuan’s breakthrough brings new life to Serene Nether Island, symbolizing both spiritual rebirth and the flourishing of his influence.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Tu Yue discuss the journey to the Abyssal Continent, though Ji Yuan keeps Hua Yaoyue’s hidden instructions secret.
• Ji Yuan exchanges respectful interactions with the Taiyi Immortal Sect enforcement disciples, who now fear and revere him after his victory over Yang Dingtian.
• Ji Yuan indirectly learns about Liu Yuan’s achievements from travelers in Luoxia City.
• During their reunion, Ji Yuan teases Liu Yuan with a false accusation, while Liu Yuan responds with defiance and readiness to fight.
• Once Ji Yuan reveals himself, their confrontation becomes affectionate banter, with Liu Yuan punching and scolding him while expressing relief and happiness.
• Liu Yuan introduces Ji Yuan to the cultivators of Yan You Island, whose reverence highlights the pair’s elevated status.
• Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan share a celebratory drinking session, reconnecting through stories of their years apart before Liu Yuan questions Ji Yuan’s real purpose.

Chapter Summary: Rescuing Du Wanyi (Part 1)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan reunites with Liu Yuan on Serene Nether Island after years apart. Liu Yuan is surprised by Ji Yuan’s rapid advancement to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, especially since Ji Yuan possesses a False Spiritual Root and had previously been only at the Golden Core Late Stage.
• Ji Yuan initially hesitates to reveal his mission because he intends to confront the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord, a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator. He worries that Liu Yuan, who has only recently formed his Nascent Soul, would become a liability and be placed in mortal danger.
• Liu Yuan understands Ji Yuan’s concerns without resentment. He confidently accepts the difference in their current strength and expresses his intention to travel across the Abyssal Continent, tempering his sword through experience.
• When Ji Yuan hints that a continent-wide upheaval is imminent, Liu Yuan immediately insists on helping. Ji Yuan entrusts him with a Voice-Recording Talisman and sends him north to find the Nascent Soul cultivator Zhou Cang at Wave-Listening Pavilion.
• The brothers spend the night drinking and recalling their past experiences before parting at dawn. Liu Yuan travels north, while Ji Yuan continues toward the Demon-Spirit Archipelago to rescue Du Wanyi.
• Ji Yuan enters the increasingly corrupted waters of the Far Eastern Sea, where demonic qi, bloodshed, monsters, and killing formations dominate the environment. He reaches the Demon-Spirit Archipelago and openly releases his Nascent Soul Middle Stage pressure rather than attempting to infiltrate it.
• Xun Tianji, the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s son and Ji Yuan’s former rival, arrives to confront him. Still resentful over their unresolved battle at the Rakshasa Sea, Xun Tianji challenges Ji Yuan.
• Xun Tianji attacks with his Life-bound Demon-Slaying Cauldron, but Ji Yuan effortlessly counters it with Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain. He then uses his physical strength and Blood-Burning Crash to severely injure Xun Tianji in a single strike.
• The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord finally appears in the form of a hunched old woman. She recognizes Ji Yuan’s exceptional strength and rebukes Xun Tianji for his defeat and arrogance.
• Ji Yuan declares that he has come to take someone away. He identifies that person as his “second sister,” Du Wanyi. Inside the Devil Lord’s residence, Du Wanyi silently sheds tears upon hearing Ji Yuan’s voice.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Reveals greater confidence and authority after his dramatic rise to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. He is cautious and protective toward Liu Yuan, yet decisive and fearless when confronting the Demon-Spirit Archipelago. His strength is demonstrated through his effortless defeat of Xun Tianji, and his determination to rescue Du Wanyi is unwavering.
• Liu Yuan: Shows maturity and self-awareness by accepting that he is not yet strong enough to accompany Ji Yuan. At the same time, his loyalty remains absolute; once he learns Ji Yuan is planning something significant, he immediately volunteers to help. His ambition to wander the continent and temper his sword marks the beginning of a new stage in his cultivation.
• Xun Tianji: Develops from a proud former rival into a Nascent Soul cultivator still driven by wounded pride. His confidence collapses when Ji Yuan defeats him instantly. His humiliation is intensified by his mother’s public reprimand.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord: Is established as a powerful, perceptive, and severe Nascent Soul Peak expert. She recognizes Ji Yuan’s extraordinary potential and is disappointed by her son’s weakness. Her reaction to Ji Yuan’s request suggests that Du Wanyi’s presence in the archipelago is significant.
• Du Wanyi: Although she does not appear directly, her emotional response confirms that she recognizes Ji Yuan and has been waiting or hoping for his arrival.

Significant Themes

• Brotherhood and loyalty: Liu Yuan’s immediate willingness to assist Ji Yuan illustrates a bond based on trust rather than equal strength. Their farewell emphasizes that true comrades support one another even when they cannot stand side by side in every battle.
• Growth and changing power dynamics: Ji Yuan’s transformation from a former rival of Xun Tianji into someone who defeats him effortlessly highlights the immense changes brought by cultivation and time.
• The sword path and experience: Liu Yuan believes swordsmanship must be tempered through travel, danger, and contact with the wider world rather than isolation.
• Family and chosen relationships: Ji Yuan refers to Du Wanyi as his second sister, suggesting a deep familial bond that motivates his dangerous confrontation with the Devil Lord.
• Pride and humility: Xun Tianji’s arrogance contrasts with Liu Yuan’s grounded self-awareness. The chapter shows that pride without sufficient strength leads to humiliation, while honest recognition of one’s limits preserves relationships and enables growth.
• Direct confrontation and resolve: Ji Yuan chooses to announce himself openly, reflecting his confidence and his refusal to hide the purpose of his rescue mission.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Liu Yuan share a candid conversation about strength, danger, future plans, and brotherhood. Their drinking session reinforces their emotional closeness.
• Liu Yuan accepts Ji Yuan’s assignment to deliver the Voice-Recording Talisman to Zhou Cang, demonstrating his trust without demanding explanations.
• Ji Yuan and Xun Tianji revisit their old rivalry, but their renewed confrontation ends decisively in Ji Yuan’s favor.
• The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord reprimands Xun Tianji for his defeat, revealing the harsh expectations within their mother-son relationship.
• Ji Yuan and the Devil Lord meet as powerful adversaries. Their polite but tense exchange quickly becomes a direct negotiation over Du Wanyi.
• Du Wanyi’s tearful reaction to Ji Yuan’s declaration provides an emotional conclusion and confirms the personal importance of the rescue.

Chapter Summary: Rescuing Du Wanyi (Part 2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan confronts Ultimate Dao Devil Lord in the Demon-Spirit Archipelago and demands the release of Du Wanyi.
• The Devil Lord initially denies knowing Du Wanyi, but Ji Yuan exposes the deception and accuses him of forcibly taking her as a disciple.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord reveals that Du Wanyi is indeed under his control and demands compensation for her release.
• Ji Yuan offers the outlines of two powerful Demonic Dao cultivation techniques:
  • Blood Sea Swallowing Heaven Scripture, obtained from Blood Luo King.
  • Great Dream Demon Scripture, obtained from Bone Demon.
• The Devil Lord agrees to release Du Wanyi after receiving both techniques. Ji Yuan additionally offers the Myriad Poisons Heart Scripture to compensate for the missing latter portion of the Blood Sea Scripture.
• Du Wanyi is brought out by Xun Tianji. After seeing Ji Yuan, her suppressed emotions finally break through, and she weeps in relief.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord removes the demonic restrictions placed within Du Wanyi’s body, formally ends their master-disciple relationship, and allows her to leave.
• Ji Yuan reassures Du Wanyi that he has come to take her home. Before departing, he hints that a major upheaval will soon sweep across the Abyssal Continent and invites the Devil Lord to participate.
• After Ji Yuan leaves, Xun Tianji questions his mother for surrendering Du Wanyi, since she had been essential to the Devil Lord’s plan to reach the Spirit Transformation Realm.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord explains that he released Du Wanyi to avoid creating a future mortal enemy. He recognizes Ji Yuan’s extraordinary talent, resources, escape abilities, and likely future growth, concluding that maintaining goodwill is wiser than risking a deadly conflict.
• The chapter then shifts to the Black-and-White Divine Hall, where several major Nascent Soul cultivators discuss Ji Yuan’s return to the Abyssal Continent.
• They acknowledge his astonishing rise and fear that he may retaliate against those who previously hunted him, particularly the Demonic Dao forces.
• True Lord Profound Purity and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend argue over their past involvement in attacking Ji Yuan. White Elder suppresses the dispute and demands that the group focus on responding to Ji Yuan’s return.
• White Elder questions the Soul Hall Master about Black Elder’s death. The Soul Hall Master insists that Black Elder was killed by Demon Spirits in the Nine Nether Rift, not Ji Yuan, while acknowledging that Ji Yuan killed Bone Demon and the Profound Serpent Manor Master.
• The Soul Hall Master predicts that Ji Yuan will soon seize the territories and forces left behind by those two fallen enemies.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates confidence, composure, and strategic maturity. He confronts a Nascent Soul Peak expert without fear, negotiates from a position of strength, and uses rare cultivation techniques as bargaining tools rather than immediately resorting to violence.
• Du Wanyi is revealed to have endured years of suppression and control under Ultimate Dao Devil Lord. Her reunion with Ji Yuan restores her hope and emotional vitality, showing that faith in his eventual rescue sustained her.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord is portrayed as calculating rather than sentimental. Though she calls Du Wanyi her disciple, she treats her primarily as a resource and potential cultivation “furnace.” Her decision to release Du Wanyi reflects caution, foresight, and political pragmatism.
• Xun Tianji remains impulsive and shortsighted. He cannot understand why his mother would abandon a long-term plan, but gradually realizes that Ji Yuan may become powerful enough to threaten the entire Demon-Spirit Archipelago.
• White Elder emerges as an authoritative leader attempting to impose order on rival factions.
• True Lord Profound Purity and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend reveal mutual resentment and anxiety over their former hostility toward Ji Yuan.
• The Soul Hall Master remains secretive and difficult to read, defending himself against suspicion while calmly analyzing Ji Yuan’s likely objectives.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over pride: Ultimate Dao Devil Lord chooses compromise because preserving a relationship with Ji Yuan is more valuable than clinging to Du Wanyi or provoking an enemy who may become unstoppable.
• The danger of underestimating talent: Ji Yuan’s rapid growth has transformed him from an insignificant junior into a threat feared by Nascent Soul elders across the continent.
• Freedom from coercion: The removal of Du Wanyi’s restrictions symbolizes her release from years of control and the restoration of her identity.
• Loyalty and perseverance: Du Wanyi’s belief that Ji Yuan would rescue her is rewarded, emphasizing the enduring strength of their bond.
• Political upheaval and shifting alliances: Ji Yuan’s return threatens to reshape the balance of power, forcing former enemies to reconsider their positions.
• Foresight and survival: The Devil Lord’s philosophy stresses understanding changing circumstances, knowing whom to oppose, and recognizing when to retreat.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Ultimate Dao Devil Lord: Their exchange is a tense negotiation marked by veiled threats, mutual assessment, and strategic restraint. Ji Yuan refuses to be intimidated, while the Devil Lord tests the value of what he offers.
• Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi: Their emotional reunion confirms their deep bond. Ji Yuan’s promise to take her home gives Du Wanyi the strength to leave her former master.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord and Du Wanyi: The Devil Lord removes the restrictions from Du Wanyi and releases her, but their farewell is formal and transactional rather than affectionate.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord and Xun Tianji: She criticizes her son’s inability to judge situations properly and teaches him that survival depends on recognizing future threats.
• True Lord Profound Purity and Old Devil Heavenly Fiend: Their argument exposes the factions’ shared responsibility in antagonizing Ji Yuan and their attempts to shift blame.
• White Elder and the assembly: White Elder forcibly ends the internal conflict and redirects attention toward the larger danger posed by Ji Yuan’s return.
• Soul Hall Master and White Elder: Their exchange highlights lingering suspicion surrounding Black Elder’s death and the Soul Hall Master’s careful, guarded nature.

Chapter Summary: “Alliance at Divine Mountain?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• At Black-and-White Divine Mountain, the leaders of the major sacred grounds gather to discuss Ji Yuan’s return to the Abyssal Continent and the upheaval caused by his destruction of the Bone Demon Sect and Profound Serpent Manor.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend initially tries to redirect attention toward dividing the defeated factions’ territories, while True Lord Profound Purity mocks him for seeking personal gain.
• Formation Old Freak exposes White Elder’s true concern: Ji Yuan may attack the Black-and-White Divine Hall itself, especially since Black Elder—Ji Yuan’s former enemy—has died.
• White Elder reminds everyone that Ji Yuan killed the Yang Household ancestor, a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator, proving that Ji Yuan may be capable of threatening even the strongest sacred grounds.
• The Soul Hall Master argues that Ji Yuan’s grudge should have ended with Black Elder’s death and that the Divine Hall’s powerful mountain-protecting formation and numerous Nascent Soul cultivators can withstand him.
• White Elder rejects this complacency, warning that Ji Yuan could defeat the sacred grounds individually. He proposes a formal alliance: whenever Ji Yuan’s whereabouts are discovered, all factions must arrive within three days to surround and kill him. Any faction that abandons the alliance will have its mountain gate destroyed by the others.
• Though reluctant and suspicious of one another, the participating factions agree. The Black-and-White Divine Hall, Heavenly Fiend Mountain, Profound Purity Sect, Heavenly Craft Valley, Soul-Refining Hall, and Cloudcliff Abbey commit to opposing Ji Yuan. The Bone Demon Sect, Profound Serpent Manor, and Chaoya Temple send no representatives.
• Meanwhile, Ji Yuan travels north across the Far Eastern Sea with Du Wanyi. She recounts how Ultimate Dao Devil Lord abducted her and secretly cultivated her as a future medicinal resource, though she was treated well and advanced from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core Late Stage.
• The Soul Hall Master contacts Ji Yuan through the Life-and-Death Demon Seed and informs him of the new alliance. Ji Yuan is unsurprised and reveals that his preparations are complete: the remaining forces of the Bone Demon Sect and Profound Serpent Manor have been absorbed, and allies have been placed within the other sacred grounds.
• Ji Yuan orders the Soul Hall Master to remain hidden and tells him they will meet in Northern Border City in three days. He then dismisses the thunder roc, carries Du Wanyi, and accelerates northward using the Blood-Devouring Cloak.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan is portrayed as calm, strategic, and fully prepared. Rather than fearing the alliance, he anticipated it and has already begun infiltrating and consolidating power among the sacred grounds.
• White Elder shifts from guarded concern to decisive leadership. He recognizes Ji Yuan as an existential threat and forces the other factions into a binding military alliance.
• Soul Hall Master demonstrates his loyalty to Ji Yuan and acts as his informant within the opposing coalition. His public arguments also help soothe the other factions while concealing Ji Yuan’s true plans.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend is revealed as fearful and self-serving. His support for the alliance is largely an attempt to ensure the Black-and-White Divine Hall protects Heavenly Fiend Mountain.
• True Lord Profound Purity remains outspoken and contemptuous, openly exposing Heavenly Fiend’s motives, but ultimately submits to White Elder’s authority.
• Du Wanyi is shown to be resilient and emotionally attached to Ji Yuan. Despite years of captivity and manipulation, she has grown significantly in cultivation and retains deep concern for Ji Yuan’s safety.

3. Significant Themes

• Fear-driven alliances: The sacred grounds unite not out of trust, but because fear of Ji Yuan outweighs their rivalries and suspicion of one another.
• Political self-interest: Nearly every faction supports the alliance for survival or personal advantage rather than genuine solidarity.
• Threat of a single overwhelming power: Ji Yuan’s ability to kill a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator destabilizes the continent’s long-standing balance of power.
• Preparation versus reaction: The sacred grounds only begin organizing after Ji Yuan’s return, whereas Ji Yuan has already arranged spies, territorial takeovers, and strategic movements.
• Bonds surviving hardship: Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi’s reunion emphasizes loyalty, shared history, guilt, and emotional trust after decades of separation.
• Freedom and exploitation: Du Wanyi’s cultivation under Ultimate Dao Devil Lord appears benevolent on the surface, but was ultimately based on using her as a resource, underscoring the danger of power without compassion.

4. Character Interactions

• White Elder and the other sacred-ground leaders: White Elder pressures them into accepting a collective defense pact and frames Ji Yuan as a threat to all their survival.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend and True Lord Profound Purity: Their verbal clash exposes the selfish motives behind Heavenly Fiend’s call for unity, though White Elder prevents the dispute from escalating.
• Formation Old Freak and White Elder: Formation Old Freak perceptively identifies White Elder’s hidden fear of a direct attack on the Divine Hall.
• Soul Hall Master and White Elder: The Soul Hall Master publicly minimizes Ji Yuan’s likely hostility, while White Elder insists that the possibility must be taken seriously.
• Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi: Their reunion is affectionate and familiar. They discuss their hardships, apologize for past suffering, tease one another about romance, and reaffirm their longstanding sibling-like bond.
• Ji Yuan and the Soul Hall Master: Their secret communication reveals the true balance of power: the public alliance is forming against Ji Yuan, but Ji Yuan already has agents and plans positioned within it.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Cang is urgently summoned from secluded cultivation when Wave-Listening Pavilion detects a possible Nascent Soul-level crisis.
• Outside the pavilion, he meets Liu Yuan, a young Nascent Soul Early Stage sword cultivator sent by Ji Yuan to guard the sect. After receiving Ji Yuan’s voice-recording talisman, Zhou Cang learns that Liu Yuan is Ji Yuan’s trusted fellow disciple and welcomes him.
• Liu Yuan and Zhou Cang discuss their histories, and Liu Yuan agrees to take over Wave-Listening Pavilion’s defense so Zhou Cang can return to the Cloud-Rain Sect.
• Ji Yuan suddenly arrives with Du Wanyi, who has reached the Golden Core Late Stage. Liu Yuan and Du Wanyi recognize each other as fellow disciples and reunite emotionally after years of separation.
• Ji Yuan reveals that he intends to attack and overthrow the Black-and-White Divine Hall. Liu Yuan immediately offers his sword, while Zhou Cang pledges the support of Wave-Listening Pavilion and the Cloud-Rain Sect.
• Ji Yuan estimates that he has a seventy-to-eighty percent chance of success and announces that he will travel to Winterfrost City to meet allied forces.
• Using his teleportation formation and a disguise that conceals his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation, Ji Yuan secretly enters Winterfrost City and meets with the Soul Hall Master.
• At a concealed residence, Ji Yuan finds leaders from five of the remaining sacred lands gathered to support him. He warns them that betrayal, divided loyalties, or secret dealings will result in their destruction.
• Two additional allies arrive: Qingchengzi, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator, and Long Ba, a powerful Fourth-Tier Mid Stage transformed demon.
• Ji Yuan begins planning the campaign against the Black-and-White Divine Hall, dividing it into four simultaneous battlefields:
  1. Black-and-White Divine Mountain, where Ji Yuan will confront White Elder and the main force.
  2. Heavenly Fiend Mountain, which must be restrained or destroyed before it can send reinforcements.
  3. The intercontinental Teleportation Formation on Xinan Peninsula, which must be secured to prevent escape or outside reinforcements.
  4. Coastal City on the Cangluo Continent, a Black-and-White Divine Hall stronghold that must be eliminated to cut off their retreat and communications.

2. Character Developments

• Zhou Cang shifts from suspicion and defensive caution to enthusiastic trust and support after learning Liu Yuan’s identity and witnessing Ji Yuan’s return.
• Liu Yuan is established as a fiercely loyal, fearless Nascent Soul sword cultivator. His reunion with Du Wanyi reveals the depth of his bond with Ji Yuan and their shared past.
• Du Wanyi returns from captivity in the Demon-Spirit Archipelago and is accepted into Ji Yuan’s inner circle as a trusted fellow disciple.
• Ji Yuan demonstrates greatly increased strength, authority, and strategic maturity. He acts decisively, gathers powerful allies, controls the former rival sacred lands through intimidation, and personally takes command of the coming war.
• The leaders of the allied sacred lands are humbled by Ji Yuan’s power and forced to choose complete loyalty rather than continue balancing between factions.
• The Soul Hall Master is revealed to serve Ji Yuan directly, addressing him as “Master,” showing Ji Yuan’s hidden influence over the political situation.

3. Significant Themes

• Loyalty forged through hardship: Ji Yuan, Liu Yuan, and Du Wanyi’s bonds endure separation, persecution, and near-death experiences.
• Reunion and restoration: Formerly scattered disciples reunite, rebuilding relationships and strengthening Wave-Listening Pavilion.
• Trust versus betrayal: Ji Yuan offers to erase past grudges but makes clear that future treachery will be punished without mercy.
• Power and political realignment: Ji Yuan’s return fundamentally shifts the balance of power across the Abyssal Continent, drawing multiple sacred lands into an anti–Black-and-White Divine Hall alliance.
• Strategic warfare: The planned assault emphasizes simultaneous attacks, cutting off reinforcements, escape routes, and external support.
• Authority through strength: Ji Yuan’s overwhelming cultivation allows him to unite former rivals, but his leadership relies on both personal loyalty and the threat of annihilation.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhou Cang and Liu Yuan: Their initially tense meeting develops into mutual respect after Ji Yuan confirms Liu Yuan’s identity and reliability.
• Liu Yuan and Du Wanyi: Their emotional reunion recalls their shared history in the Water Dragon Sect and the destruction of their homeland.
• Ji Yuan and Zhou Cang: Ji Yuan entrusts Zhou Cang with Wave-Listening Pavilion and includes him in the rebellion against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Ji Yuan, Liu Yuan, and Du Wanyi: Ji Yuan explicitly identifies the two as trusted fellow disciples, signaling that they belong to his innermost circle.
• Ji Yuan and the sacred-land leaders: He confronts them with a strict ultimatum: offer complete cooperation or be destroyed alongside the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Ji Yuan and Qingchengzi: Their respectful reunion reflects an old acquaintance and Qingchengzi’s willingness to support Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan and Long Ba: Ji Yuan warmly welcomes the powerful demon’s assistance, recognizing that Long Ba’s strength greatly improves the alliance’s chances.
• Ji Yuan and the Soul Hall Master: The Soul Hall Master’s submission confirms that Ji Yuan has established a covert command structure behind the alliance.

Chapter Summary: “Reunion with Mu Xueyao”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan convenes an alliance in Winterfrost City to plan the campaign against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• The four major battlefields are assigned:
  • Xinan Peninsula: Cloudcliff Abbey guards the cross-continent Teleportation Formation, assisted by Qingchengzi.
  • Far Western Lands/Cangluo Continent route: Long Ba guards the Teleportation Formation and prevents Black-and-White Divine Hall cultivators from entering or escaping.
  • Heavenly Fiend Mountain: Profound Purity Sect attacks its old enemy, Old Devil Heavenly Fiend, with assistance from Heavenly Craft Valley and its formation-breaking techniques.
  • Black-and-White Divine Mountain: Ji Yuan, the Soul Hall Master, Heavenly Craft High Person, and Formation Old Freak will lead the central assault.
• The alliance worries about the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s powerful Fifth-Tier Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation. Ji Yuan assures them that his Truth-Piercing Divine Eye and Yun Qianzai’s formation expertise will allow them to overcome it.
• Ji Yuan reveals that he is secretly affiliated with Wave-Listening Pavilion, easing concerns about the alliance’s available strength.
• No exact attack date is set. Everyone is ordered to return to their sects, prepare their forces, and await Ji Yuan’s signal. The Soul Hall Master remains in Winterfrost City to monitor the enemy.
• After the meeting, Ji Yuan wanders through the snowy city and receives a communication from Mu Xueyao, who is preparing to attempt Nascent Soul formation.
• Discovering that Mu Xueyao is nearby, Ji Yuan reveals himself. She joyfully embraces him, and the two reunite after years apart.
• Ji Yuan agrees to accompany and protect Mu Xueyao during her cultivation breakthrough in the Rakshasa Sea. They travel together to an entrance in the Northwest Sand Prison, where the Ghost Envoy greets Ji Yuan with surprise.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates increasing authority, strategic intelligence, and confidence as the leader of the anti–Black-and-White Divine Hall alliance. He also reveals a warmer, more nostalgic side while revisiting Winterfrost City.
• Long Ba remains blunt, confident, and powerful, readily accepting the dangerous duty of guarding the teleportation route alone.
• True Lord Profound Purity openly commits to the battle against Heavenly Fiend Mountain, motivated by a century-long feud with Old Devil Heavenly Fiend.
• Mu Xueyao has grown from a dependent young cultivator into a Golden Core Peak cultivator preparing to form her Nascent Soul. Despite her growth, she retains her affectionate, lively, and somewhat bashful personality around Ji Yuan.
• The Ghost Envoy is shown to have continued protecting and supervising Mu Xueyao, insisting that she cultivate in the safety of the Rakshasa Sea.

Significant Themes

• Strategic unity against a greater threat: Former rivals and independent factions cooperate to confront the dominant Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Preparation and sacrifice: Each battlefield assignment accounts for escape routes, reinforcements, formations, and the possibility of death.
• Hidden strength and confidence: Ji Yuan possesses secret affiliations and abilities that make the seemingly impossible assault more feasible.
• Nostalgia and enduring bonds: Winterfrost City evokes Ji Yuan’s past, while his reunion with Mu Xueyao shows that years of separation have not weakened their relationship.
• Protection and emotional attachment: Mu Xueyao’s request for Ji Yuan to accompany her is partly practical but primarily reflects her longing to spend time with him.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan calmly assigns missions to Joyful Madam, Qingchengzi, Long Ba, True Lord Profound Purity, and Heavenly Craft Valley.
• True Lord Profound Purity and Heavenly Craft High Person cooperate despite the dangerous nature of the coming campaign.
• Ji Yuan and the Soul Hall Master interact as master and subordinate, with the latter tasked with monitoring the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Mu Xueyao and Ji Yuan share an affectionate reunion: she embraces him impulsively, proudly celebrates his Nascent Soul cultivation, and asks him to protect her.
• Ji Yuan accepts her request, and they travel hand in hand to the Rakshasa Sea, where they are welcomed by the Ghost Envoy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan and Mu Xueyao return to Pagoda Mountain in the Rakshasa Sea, where they meet the Ghost Envoy.
• The Ghost Envoy recognizes Ji Yuan’s growth from a Middle Golden Core cultivator to a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator capable of killing a Nascent Soul Peak expert.
• Mu Xueyao is ordered to enter seclusion and prepare for Nascent Soul Formation. She reluctantly leaves Ji Yuan but promises to obtain Pagoda Mountain’s treasures for him.
• The Ghost Envoy reveals that Mu Xueyao is the direct inheritor of the Yin Ghost Sect, possessing an exceptionally pure bloodline. He believes her future can extend beyond Spirit Transformation and possibly reach Void Refinement or higher.
• Ji Yuan explains that the Desolate Ancient Continent remains locked in a stalemate with the Barbarian God Continent at the Three Southern Passes.
• The Ghost Envoy warns that the Demon God Continent is likely directing the conflict and that its broader campaign represents a calamity threatening the entire Human Realm.
• Ji Yuan declares his intention to overthrow the Black-and-White Divine Hall and unite the Abyssal Continent. The Ghost Envoy confirms that Ji Yuan’s mission is connected to a deeper secret and promises to reveal everything once Ji Yuan succeeds.
• The Ghost Envoy seals Pagoda Mountain to protect Mu Xueyao during her cultivation. Ji Yuan remains behind to guard her and receives a year of highly effective cultivation guidance from the Ghost Envoy.
• Mu Xueyao successfully forms her Nascent Soul after a seven-day manifestation, then spends another month stabilizing her new realm.
• Once she reaches the Nascent Soul Early Stage, Mu Xueyao leaves Rakshasa Sea with Ji Yuan. The Ghost Envoy entrusts her safety to Ji Yuan and threatens him should he mistreat her.
• After returning to the Northwest Sand Prison, Mu Xueyao reveals that the Ghost Envoy was once a human cultivator rather than merely an array spirit.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates major growth in cultivation and confidence. He openly accepts the responsibility of uniting the Abyssal Continent and opposing the Black-and-White Divine Hall. His year of instruction brings him close to the Nascent Soul Late Stage.
• Mu Xueyao: Advances from Core Formation to Nascent Soul Early Stage. She shows strong affection for Ji Yuan, increasing independence, and eagerness to leave her sheltered life in Rakshasa Sea.
• Ghost Envoy: Reveals deep affection and concern for Mu Xueyao beneath his intimidating exterior. He acknowledges Ji Yuan’s potential, guides his cultivation, and hints at knowledge of the Abyssal Continent’s hidden destiny. His true identity becomes a major mystery.

Significant Themes

• Mentorship and inheritance: The Ghost Envoy preserves the Yin Ghost Sect’s legacy through Mu Xueyao and guides Ji Yuan toward his larger mission.
• Growth versus protection: The Ghost Envoy accepts that Mu Xueyao must leave his protection to mature and awaken her full potential.
• Hidden identity and ancient secrets: The Ghost Envoy’s nature and past remain concealed, while Ji Yuan’s role in uniting the Abyssal Continent is tied to secrets yet to be revealed.
• Wider catastrophe: Local conflicts are revealed to be part of a possible Human Realm-wide calamity orchestrated by the Demon God Continent.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Ji Yuan accepts responsibility for Mu Xueyao, while the Ghost Envoy entrusts her future to him.

Character Interactions

• Mu Xueyao affectionately reunites with Ji Yuan and openly treats him as someone important, even teasingly offering him the Ghost Envoy’s treasures.
• The Ghost Envoy and Ji Yuan exchange respectful but probing dialogue, with the Ghost Envoy testing Ji Yuan’s strength and intentions.
• The Ghost Envoy’s stern, paternal care for Mu Xueyao is evident in his orders, guidance, farewell warnings, and threat to Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan and Mu Xueyao leave Rakshasa Sea together, marking the beginning of their partnership in the coming struggle against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.

Chapter Summary: “A Cloud-Piercing Arrow!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan and Mu Xueyao leave the Northwest Sand Prison and return to Winterfrost City. Ji Yuan reflects on Mu Xueyao’s confirmation that Ghost Envoy is actually a cultivator’s Divine Soul inhabiting a bronze puppet, but decides to investigate the matter later.
• Ji Yuan receives a message from an old ally who has arrived in Southern Border City with reinforcements and a “surprise.” He sends Mu Xueyao to the Wave-Listening Pavilion to meet Zhou Cang while he travels immediately to Southern Border City.
• At the Black-and-White Divine Hall, White Elder concludes that Ji Yuan has secretly returned to the Abyssal Continent after disappearing from the Desolate Ancient Continent for a year.
• White Elder and True Lord Profound Purity discuss Ji Yuan’s likely movements. They note that Ji Yuan’s strength, disguises, and ability to conceal his aura make him nearly impossible to track.
• White Elder tests True Lord Profound Purity by ordering him to go to Heavenly Fiend Mountain and help Old Devil Heavenly Fiend defend it. Profound Purity refuses, citing his longstanding blood feud with Heavenly Fiend. Internally, he realizes the request was a trap designed to determine whether he had defected to Ji Yuan.
• White Elder accepts Profound Purity’s refusal as proof of loyalty, though he admits that one of the remaining Sacred Grounds has already secretly sided with Ji Yuan.
• After Profound Purity leaves, Old Devil Heavenly Fiend warns White Elder that Profound Purity and Soul Hall Master are both suspicious. He believes Soul Hall Master may have joined Ji Yuan during the Nine Nether Rift expedition and may have helped kill the other cultivators there.
• White Elder refuses to arrest either suspect without evidence, fearing that doing so would fracture the alliance and drive them openly into Ji Yuan’s camp. He orders Heavenly Fiend to keep his sect’s protective formation active at all times.
• Ji Yuan arrives in Southern Border City disguised as an inconspicuous Golden Core-stage rogue cultivator. He meets Tian Formation High Person, who has come to help him deal with the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s formations.
• Ji Yuan discovers that Fairy Mei has accompanied Tian Formation High Person. She explains that she came willingly because she believes Ji Yuan’s strength and ambition make following him worthwhile.
• The chapter ends with two mysterious figures arriving through the Xinan Peninsula’s cross-continent Teleportation Formation. They immediately disappear, leaving behind an arrogant declaration about holding the sun and moon and plucking stars from the heavens.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Remains focused on destroying the Black-and-White Divine Hall and unifying the Abyssal Continent. He demonstrates caution by postponing the mystery of Ghost Envoy and disguising himself upon entering Southern Border City. His growing influence is evident in the powerful allies willing to join his campaign.
• Mu Xueyao: Shows loyalty and practical understanding by accepting Ji Yuan’s orders despite wanting to accompany him. She continues to function as a trusted companion and intermediary.
• True Lord Profound Purity: Successfully conceals his allegiance to Ji Yuan under intense scrutiny. His refusal to cooperate with Heavenly Fiend appears natural because of their genuine blood feud, allowing him to pass White Elder’s test. However, the experience leaves him shaken and aware that he must act with even greater caution.
• White Elder: Is revealed as extremely suspicious, calculating, and politically cautious. He recognizes Ji Yuan’s threat but is also aware that excessive purges could destroy the alliance he leads.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend: Is deeply frightened by Ji Yuan and has become obsessed with identifying traitors. His fear makes him suspicious of both Profound Purity and Soul Hall Master, though White Elder’s accusation that he himself might defect briefly terrifies him.
• Tian Formation High Person: Responds to Ji Yuan’s request for assistance and brings his expertise in formations, making him an important asset against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Fairy Mei: Reenters Ji Yuan’s circle as a powerful and willing ally. Her interest in him is both personal and strategic, and she openly admires his courage and achievements.

Significant Themes

• Trust and suspicion: The Black-and-White Divine Hall is weakened by fear of internal betrayal. White Elder’s test of Profound Purity and the accusations against Soul Hall Master show how paranoia threatens the alliance from within.
• Concealment and deception: Ji Yuan’s disguise, the hidden identities of possible traitors, and Ghost Envoy’s concealed origin all emphasize the importance of appearances and hidden motives.
• Political manipulation: White Elder uses psychological pressure rather than direct force, while Profound Purity must carefully perform loyalty to protect his secret allegiance.
• Strength attracting allegiance: Ji Yuan’s ability to kill a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator has made him a figure powerful allies are willing to follow, even into dangerous conflict.
• Fear as a weapon: Ji Yuan has not yet attacked Heavenly Fiend Mountain, but his reputation alone has forced Old Devil Heavenly Fiend to remain permanently behind his defensive formation.
• Preparation before confrontation: Both sides are gathering allies, defending strongholds, and probing for weaknesses before the inevitable clash.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Mu Xueyao share a trusting relationship, with Ji Yuan explaining his plans and entrusting her with an important task.
• White Elder and True Lord Profound Purity engage in a tense psychological contest. White Elder probes for betrayal, while Profound Purity suppresses his alarm and convincingly presents genuine resentment toward Heavenly Fiend.
• Old Devil Heavenly Fiend urges White Elder to act against suspected traitors, but White Elder prioritizes preserving the fragile alliance.
• Tian Formation High Person warmly welcomes Ji Yuan and explains Fairy Mei’s unexpected arrival.
• Fairy Mei playfully challenges Ji Yuan’s reluctance to involve her, then sincerely declares her willingness to follow him despite the danger.
• The final mysterious arrival introduces a powerful unknown force, suggesting that new allies—or dangerous rivals—are entering the conflict.

Chapter Summary:

Feng Zhitáo and Mu Xueyao Meet Ahead of Time

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• In Southern Border City, Ji Yuan meets with High Person Qianzhen and Fairy Mei in a heavily sealed courtyard. Tian Wenjing is absent, supposedly because he has entered secluded cultivation to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, though Ji Yuan doubts this explanation and suspects Tian may be secretly observing them.
• Ji Yuan reveals his major plan: to attack the Black-and-White Divine Hall and unify the entire Abyssal Continent.
• High Person Qianzhen initially worries that his Fourth-Tier formation skills will be insufficient against the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s Fifth-Tier Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation. Ji Yuan reassures him that Yun Qianzai, a far more accomplished formation expert, will assist, along with Ji Yuan’s Truth-Piercing Divine Eye.
• Qianzhen enthusiastically agrees to participate, eager for the chance to study and break a Fifth-Tier formation.
• Fairy Mei volunteers to confront White Elder, a Nascent Soul Late Stage expert of the Black-and-White Divine Hall. She proposes joining forces with Ji Yuan to defeat him quickly, and Ji Yuan accepts.
• Fairy Mei and Qianzhen are instructed to travel ahead and lie in wait near Black-and-White Divine Mountain while Ji Yuan gathers his forces and chooses the time to strike.
• Meanwhile, Mu Xueyao travels from Winterfrost City toward Wave-Listening Pavilion at Ji Yuan’s instruction.
• Three Black-and-White Divine Hall cultivators—Mister Xuanzhen/Wei Xuan, Blazing Sun True Person, and Hermit Qinghe—intercept her. They assume she is connected to Ji Yuan and decide to kill her before she can warn Wave-Listening Pavilion.
• The three attack together with a Fourth-Tier trapping formation, the Blazing Sun Pearl, poisonous vines, and soul-bewitching pollen. Mu Xueyao fights back with her Life-bound Dharma Treasure, the Thousand-Blade Pagoda, but is quickly overwhelmed.
• Just as she prepares to use a life-saving talisman, Yun Qianzai and Feng Zhitáo arrive.
• Yun Qianzai effortlessly destroys Wei Xuan’s formation and traps the three attackers in an even stronger formation. Feng Zhitáo openly condemns their bullying tactics and joins the battle.
• The Black-and-White Divine Hall cultivators are defeated. Wei Xuan and Blazing Sun True Person escape, abandoning Hermit Qinghe.
• Yun Qianzai’s Void-Locking Grand Formation prevents Qinghe from fleeing. Feng Zhitáo kills her and destroys her Nascent Soul.
• After the battle, Mu Xueyao thanks her rescuers. Feng Zhitáo realizes that Mu Xueyao is heading toward Wave-Listening Pavilion and asks whether she knows her “Junior Brother Ji,” setting up their connection to Ji Yuan.

2. Character Developments

• Ji Yuan: Demonstrates strategic ambition and caution. He openly announces a plan to overthrow the Black-and-White Divine Hall, but remains suspicious of Tian Wenjing and does not accept Fairy Mei’s explanation at face value. He skillfully recruits allies by assigning them roles suited to their strengths.
• High Person Qianzhen: Initially anxious and embarrassed about bringing Fairy Mei along, he becomes excited and confident once he learns he will have the opportunity to work with Yun Qianzai on breaking a Fifth-Tier formation. His enthusiasm for formations outweighs his fear of the coming conflict.
• Fairy Mei: Shows both political awareness and martial confidence. She offers to occupy White Elder and uses her charm and persuasion to gain Ji Yuan’s cooperation, while also revealing her willingness to take part in the larger campaign.
• Mu Xueyao: Despite being a newly formed Nascent Soul cultivator, she displays courage, combat skill, and ruthlessness. She manages to resist a coordinated assault from three enemies, though the experience exposes the limits of her current cultivation and battle experience.
• Yun Qianzai: Establishes himself as an overwhelmingly talented formation grandmaster. He casually breaks Wei Xuan’s carefully prepared formation and dominates the formation-based duel, displaying immense confidence and contempt toward the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Feng Zhitáo: Shows her straightforward, righteous, and hot-tempered personality. She cannot tolerate stronger cultivators bullying a weaker one and immediately intervenes. Her combat ability proves formidable, as she defeats Feng Qinghe decisively.
• Wei Xuan, Blazing Sun True Person, and Hermit Qinghe: Their confidence in the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s authority turns into fear once they encounter stronger opponents. Their willingness to abandon Qinghe reveals the ruthless and self-serving nature of the Hall’s forces.

3. Significant Themes

• Ambition and rebellion: Ji Yuan’s plan to unify the Abyssal Continent marks a major escalation in the conflict with the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Strength versus authority: The Hall’s cultivators assume that its reputation gives them the right to kill others, but their institutional power proves meaningless against superior individual strength.
• Justice and bullying: Feng Zhitáo’s intervention emphasizes the moral contrast between her group and the Hall’s decision to gang up on a newly advanced cultivator.
• Strategic cooperation: Victory depends on combining specialized abilities—Ji Yuan’s insight, Qianzhen and Yun Qianzai’s formation expertise, and Fairy Mei’s combat strength.
• Growth and survival: Mu Xueyao’s first major battle as a Nascent Soul cultivator shows both her potential and her current vulnerability.
• Betrayal and self-preservation: Wei Xuan and Blazing Sun abandon Hermit Qinghe to save themselves, illustrating the harsh pragmatism of the cultivation world.
• Hidden agendas and uncertainty: Ji Yuan’s suspicion toward Tian Wenjing reinforces the theme that powerful cultivators rarely reveal their true plans.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Qianzhen move from a tense relationship—caused by Qianzhen bringing Fairy Mei without permission—to a cooperative alliance.
• Ji Yuan and Fairy Mei negotiate their joint attack on White Elder, with Fairy Mei using both strategic reasoning and seductive persuasion.
• Yun Qianzai and Wei Xuan engage in a decisive contest of formation mastery, with Yun Qianzai completely outclassing him.
• Feng Zhitáo immediately bonds with Mu Xueyao through her instinctive defense of the weaker cultivator and later helps her recover from the battle.
• Mu Xueyao expresses sincere gratitude to Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai, recognizing that they saved her life.
• The chapter ends with Feng Zhitáo asking whether Mu Xueyao knows Ji Yuan, foreshadowing the reunion or connection between the two groups and linking Mu Xueyao directly to Ji Yuan’s broader plans.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon Strangling, Make Your Move!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Zhitáo and Yun Qianzai rescue Mu Xueyao from three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Mu calls Ji Yuan “Brother Ji,” making Feng suspicious and jealous. Feng introduces herself and Yun as Ji Yuan’s senior siblings from the same sect.
• Mu realizes that the attackers were not primarily targeting her. By asking about the Wave-Listening Pavilion, they were likely attempting to locate and destroy Ji Yuan’s allies there.
• Feng, Yun, and Mu rush to the Wave-Listening Pavilion, traveling at full speed for three days.
• They arrive to find Liu Yuan and Zhou Cang preparing for a possible attack. The reunion between Liu Yuan, Yun, and Feng is emotional, as they have been separated for more than a century since the fall of the Water Dragon Sect.
• Tension rises when Mu openly declares that she is Ji Yuan’s Dao companion. Feng is shocked and inwardly hurt, since Ji Yuan had previously told her that he had no Dao companion.
• Liu Yuan awkwardly attempts to prevent the two women from arguing and introduces Mu merely as an “old friend.”
• The group discusses the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s movements. Several Nascent Soul cultivators have been spying on the Wave-Listening Pavilion, and the three Feng encountered were likely the first attack force.
• Just as Feng urges them to contact Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan arrives, announcing that he already knows about the danger.
• The scene shifts to Cloudcliff Abbey, where Formation Old Freak, Su Baize, and Joyful Madam debate whether to support Ji Yuan against the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Su Baize fears that opposing the powerful Black-and-White Divine Hall will destroy Cloudcliff Abbey. Formation Old Freak and Joyful Madam argue that neutrality is impossible and that the old order will purge those who refuse to choose a side.
• Joyful Madam reminds Su Baize that Ji Yuan once remained on the conquered Cangluo Continent while only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, demonstrating his courage and ability to overcome impossible odds.
• Ji Yuan’s communication tokens suddenly shatter, signaling that they must act immediately. The three Cloudcliff Abbey cultivators mobilize:
  • Joyful Madam and Su Baize head to the Xinan Peninsula to guard the Teleportation Formation.
  • Formation Old Freak travels toward the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• The chapter ends with a symbolic Go move: Formation Old Freak’s seemingly doomed black stones are revived by one decisive placement, strangling the white dragon. The move represents Ji Yuan and his allies reversing an apparently hopeless situation.

Character Developments

• Feng Zhitáo: Reveals strong, unresolved feelings for Ji Yuan. Her jealousy toward Mu exposes how deeply she cares for him, though she maintains outward composure and prioritizes the coming conflict.
• Mu Xueyao: Acts openly and confidently, identifying herself as Ji Yuan’s Dao companion without hesitation. She is grateful to Feng and Yun for saving her but does not back down when challenged.
• Yun Qianzai: Remains calm, detached, and slightly amused by the romantic tension. Despite his reserved manner, he immediately recognizes the political and military danger and helps accelerate their journey.
• Liu Yuan: Is overjoyed to reunite with his former sect companions but becomes visibly uncomfortable when forced between Feng and Mu. He takes on the role of mediator and tries to keep the group focused.
• Zhou Cang: Is astonished by the sudden arrival of several powerful allies and notices the rivalry between Feng and Mu. His humorous speculation about Ji Yuan’s relationships provides a brief lighter moment.
• Su Baize: Begins doubtful and fearful about supporting Ji Yuan, but Joyful Madam’s account of Ji Yuan’s past gradually convinces him. Once the communication token breaks, he commits fully.
• Formation Old Freak and Joyful Madam: Demonstrate unwavering faith in Ji Yuan and a clear understanding that the coming conflict will reshape the Abyssal Continent. They abandon hesitation and immediately take strategic positions.

Significant Themes

• Choosing a side in times of upheaval: The chapter stresses that neutrality is impossible when the established order and a rising power collide.
• Faith versus fear: Su Baize’s doubts contrast with Formation Old Freak and Joyful Madam’s confidence in Ji Yuan’s history of overcoming impossible circumstances.
• Reunion and loyalty: The reunion of Liu Yuan, Yun, and Feng emphasizes the endurance of bonds despite war, displacement, and the passage of more than a century.
• Romantic rivalry and hidden feelings: Feng’s jealousy and Mu’s blunt declaration reveal competing claims around Ji Yuan and expose emotions that have previously remained unspoken.
• Reversal of fortune: The final Go metaphor reflects the chapter’s central idea: a seemingly trapped force can survive and turn the situation around through one decisive move.
• Strategic conflict: The Black-and-White Divine Hall’s preemptive attack shows that the struggle has moved from preparation to open confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng and Mu’s conversation shifts from mutual cooperation to subtle rivalry over their relationship with Ji Yuan.
• Liu Yuan warmly reunites with Feng and Yun, recalling their shared history in the Water Dragon Sect.
• Feng presses Liu Yuan to explain Mu’s relationship with Ji Yuan, forcing Mu to make her claim directly.
• Liu Yuan mediates between the two women while Yun deliberately stays uninvolved.
• Feng, Yun, Mu, Liu Yuan, and Zhou Cang coordinate their response to the Black-and-White Divine Hall after learning of the planned assault.
• At Cloudcliff Abbey, Su Baize challenges Formation Old Freak and Joyful Madam’s confidence, prompting them to explain why they believe Ji Yuan can change the balance of power.
• The destruction of the communication tokens unites the Cloudcliff Abbey trio in immediate action, marking the beginning of their decisive intervention.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xing Shuang, now a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator living in Black-and-White City, prepares to travel with a Black-and-White Divine Hall deacon to hunt a Third-Order Azure Bull Python. After years of dangerous battles and obtaining rare ice treasures, she has strengthened her Frostmoon Bow enough to challenge Golden Core Peak cultivators.
• Her plans are interrupted when nearly ten Nascent Soul cultivators arrive at Black-and-White Divine Mountain with hostile intent. Their leader is Ji Yuan, who publicly challenges White Elder of Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Ji Yuan’s appearance shocks Xing Shuang and the city’s cultivators. Once hunted by Black-and-White Divine Hall, Ji Yuan has now grown powerful enough to confront it openly. Xing Shuang wisely leaves, though she privately resolves to seek him out after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Ji Yuan’s allies gather: Yun Qianzai, Feng Zhitao, Hundred-Blossom Immortal, Mu Xueyao, Liu Yuan, Fairy Mei, High Person Qianzhen, Heavenly Craft High Person, True Lord Hundred Hammers, the Soul Hall Master, Many-Ghost Devil Master, and Formation Old Freak.
• White Elder emerges from the Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation and attempts to discuss reconciliation. Ji Yuan rejects this, reminding him that Black-and-White Divine Hall once relentlessly pursued him for the Star-Treading Wheel and caused the deaths of many innocent cultivators.
• White Elder reveals that Black-and-White Divine Hall’s oppressive policies—including exploiting Heavenly Craft Valley—were justified in his eyes as necessary to maintain the Divine Hall and its authority. Heavenly Craft High Person and True Lord Hundred Hammers angrily denounce him and defect openly.
• The Soul Hall Master then appears as Ji Yuan’s subordinate, revealing that he had secretly pledged allegiance to Ji Yuan. White Elder realizes that the alliance of the Eight Great Sacred Lands has been undermined from within.
• Formation Old Freak arrives from Cloudcliff Abbey, confirming that another major sacred land has joined Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan orders his forces to surround the mountain and prevent any Nascent Soul cultivator from escaping.
• Ji Yuan, Yun Qianzai, Heavenly Craft High Person, and Formation Old Freak enter the Fifth-Tier Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation to break it from within.
• Inside, they encounter the formation’s outer region, the Yin-Yang Millstone: one side contains corrosive Spirit-Eroding Yin Fiend, the other Soul-Burning Yang Flame, while the boundary generates deadly Yin-Yang Annihilation Cutting Lines capable of killing even powerful Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Formation Old Freak explains the formation’s dangers, while Heavenly Craft High Person marvels at its sophistication. Yun Qianzai begins analyzing its structure and recognizes that the formation finally presents a worthwhile challenge.

Character Developments

• Xing Shuang has grown substantially since leaving Winterfrost City. She is more experienced, battle-hardened, and capable, but recognizes that she is still far below the level required to participate in the coming conflict.
• Ji Yuan is revealed as a commanding and influential figure. He has transformed from a hunted Golden Core cultivator into a powerful leader capable of uniting multiple Nascent Soul experts and threatening the dominant sacred land of the continent.
• White Elder changes from a seemingly calm and benevolent leader into a desperate defender of Black-and-White Divine Hall. His confidence collapses as former allies defect, forcing him to abandon diplomacy and prepare for a final struggle.
• Mu Xueyao joins the assault because of her deep personal hatred for Black-and-White Divine Hall, which destroyed her tribe.
• Heavenly Craft High Person and True Lord Hundred Hammers openly reject their former dependence on Black-and-White Divine Hall and reveal the exploitation behind its supposed “protection.”
• The Soul Hall Master is confirmed as Ji Yuan’s covert ally and subordinate, demonstrating both strategic cunning and a willingness to abandon the old alliance for a stronger and more trustworthy leader.
• Formation Old Freak, High Person Qianzhen, and Heavenly Craft High Person display intense enthusiasm and expertise regarding the Fifth-Tier formation, while Yun Qianzai takes on the role of a calm, highly capable formation breaker.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and justice: Ji Yuan’s attack is driven by years of persecution and the Divine Hall’s past cruelty. His refusal to reconcile emphasizes that oppressive institutions eventually face consequences.
• The collapse of established power: The Eight Great Sacred Lands’ alliance is shown to be fractured by internal resentment, exploitation, and secret defections.
• Growth and reversal of fortunes: Ji Yuan has risen from prey to aggressor, while White Elder—once an untouchable authority—faces the destruction of his power.
• Authority versus legitimacy: White Elder claims that Black-and-White Divine Hall’s oppression maintained order, but the defectors expose this “order” as self-serving domination.
• Unity through shared grievances: Ji Yuan’s coalition consists of former enemies and independent powers united by their hatred of Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Power and strategy: The confrontation is not merely a contest of strength; alliances, infiltration, formation knowledge, and careful positioning are equally important.

Character Interactions

• Xing Shuang and Ji Yuan: Xing Shuang reacts with shock and admiration upon learning that the once-hunted Ji Yuan is leading the assault. Her decision to leave reflects both caution and continued loyalty or respect.
• Ji Yuan and White Elder: Their exchange is restrained but deeply hostile. White Elder appeals for reconciliation, while Ji Yuan condemns the Divine Hall’s past crimes and makes clear that the conflict is personal and irreversible.
• White Elder and Heavenly Craft Valley: White Elder accuses the valley of betrayal, while Heavenly Craft High Person and True Lord Hundred Hammers expose the Divine Hall’s economic exploitation. White Elder unapologetically admits the wrongdoing.
• White Elder and the Soul Hall Master: White Elder is enraged to discover the Soul Hall Master’s secret allegiance. The Soul Hall Master mocks him and declares that following Ji Yuan is preferable to dying alongside Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Ji Yuan and his allies: His allies treat him as the coalition’s central leader, addressing him respectfully and following his commands without hesitation.
• The formation experts: Formation Old Freak explains the structure and dangers of the Yin-Yang Millstone, while Heavenly Craft High Person admires its design and Yun Qianzai begins searching for a way through it.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Inside the Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation, Ji Yuan asks Yun Qianzai to analyze the Yin-Yang Millstone.
• Yun identifies that the black and white regions are mutually linked: every Spirit-Eroding Yin Fiend node corresponds to a Soul-Burning Yang Flame node. Both matching nodes must be destroyed simultaneously to avoid triggering the Formation’s annihilating backlash.
• Ji Yuan and Yun enter the black region, while High Person Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak enter the white region. The two teams coordinate their movements and begin dismantling paired formation nodes.
• Their strategy works smoothly, weakening the Yin Fiend and Yang Flame and bringing them close to breaking through the Millstone.
• In the central hall, True Person Yushu and White Elder observe their progress. Yushu reveals that the Formation was deliberately designed as a trap: destroying all the nodes would merge the Life Gate and Death Gate, causing the entire space to collapse inward and annihilate everyone inside.
• Ji Yuan senses that the Yin and Yang energies are not dispersing but gathering around the central boundary. Yun confirms the hidden trap using his Heavenly Pivot Array Disk.
• Yun explains that the Life-and-Death Gates can be reversed. By placing reversal formation patterns on the nodes and redirecting the flow of yin and yang, they can cause the trap to backfire on the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Yun, High Person Sancai, and the old monster Tian secretly lay reversal patterns throughout the Formation while Ji Yuan protects them.
• Yushu detects their plan and launches the Formation’s full killing power. Black cutting lines, Yin Fiend, and Yang Flame attack all four cultivators.
• Ji Yuan uses Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain to shield everyone, holding off the attacks while Yun and the others complete the final reversal patterns.
• The reversal succeeds. Yin and yang flow into one another, the Formation’s structure breaks apart, and the Yin-Yang Millstone collapses from its own backlash.
• The four cultivators escape into the next layer of the Formation, only to discover the Annihilation Lightning Pool—the second killing formation and the sole route to the Divine Hall’s core.

2. Character Developments

• Yun Qianzai demonstrates extraordinary formation mastery. He quickly understands the Millstone’s paired-node structure, recognizes the hidden Life-and-Death Gate trap, and devises a method to reverse the Formation rather than merely destroy it.
• Ji Yuan acts as the group’s protector and leader. He assigns roles efficiently, notices the Formation’s abnormal energy flow through his powerful Divine Sense, and personally withstands the Formation’s strongest attacks to give Yun time to complete the reversal.
• High Person Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak show their experience and reliability by accurately locating and destroying paired nodes. Their admiration for Yun grows as they recognize that his formation knowledge surpasses ordinary Fourth-Tier expertise.
• True Person Yushu is established as the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s leading formation expert and the controller of the grand formation. Initially confident in the trap, he becomes shocked and desperate when Yun alters the Formation, ultimately suffering backlash when the Central Array Disk cracks.
• White Elder shifts from anxiety to confidence after learning about the hidden trap, but his hopes collapse when Yun reverses the Formation.
• Mu Xueyao, Hundred-Blossom Immortal, and Feng Zhitáo remain outside, worried about Ji Yuan but united in their trust in his abilities and Yun’s formation expertise.

3. Significant Themes

• Knowledge overcoming brute force: The Formation cannot be defeated through ordinary attacks; understanding its underlying principles is essential.
• Life and death as reversible concepts: The chapter develops the symbolic and literal relationship between yin and yang, showing that apparent life-giving and death-dealing forces can exchange roles.
• Hidden danger beneath apparent success: The cultivators’ smooth progress is revealed to be part of an elaborate trap, emphasizing that visible weakening does not always mean victory.
• Trust and cooperation: Success depends on precisely synchronized actions between the black and white teams, as well as Ji Yuan’s willingness to protect Yun while he works.
• Confidence versus complacency: Yushu and White Elder assume the formation’s design is flawless, while Yun’s deeper understanding exposes the weakness in their supposedly perfect strategy.
• Sacrifice and protection: Ji Yuan places himself between the killing force and his companions, embodying his role as the group’s shield.

4. Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan consults Yun Qianzai and relies on his judgment, openly recognizing him as the group’s formation expert.
• Yun explains the Formation’s mechanics to Ji Yuan, then entrusts him with protecting the reversal operation.
• High Person Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak work together in the white region, coordinating their node destruction and supporting Yun’s plan.
• Yun communicates with High Person Sancai and the old monster Tian, bringing them into the reversal strategy.
• Yushu and White Elder discuss the apparent trap and their plans to kill Ji Yuan, but their confidence turns to panic when the Formation is altered.
• Outside the Formation, Mu Xueyao’s innocent remarks about Ji Yuan’s relationships create brief tension between her, Feng Zhitáo, and Hundred-Blossom Immortal before the violent collapse inside the Formation interrupts them.
• The chapter ends with the four successful cultivators entering the Annihilation Lightning Pool, setting up the next stage of their assault on the Black-and-White Divine Hall.

Chapter Summary:

Body Cultivation Breakthrough—Three Venerable Suns!

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• At the edge of the Annihilation Thunder Pool, High Person Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak discover that conventional formation-breaking methods are useless. The pool has no fixed nodes and is formed from constantly changing Yin-Yang annihilation power.
• Yun Qianzai analyzes the pool with his Heavenly Pivot Array Disk and determines that the formation cannot be broken directly. The only way forward is to cross the thunder pool, reach the central formation eye, and destroy it.
• Yun explains that although the thunder pool appears chaotic, its movements still follow the laws of Yin-Yang birth and destruction. By predicting thunderball trajectories, energy vortices, and spatial rifts, he can identify a constantly shifting safe path.
• The four begin crossing the pool by following Yun’s exact footsteps. His predictions allow them to advance nearly halfway without suffering injury.
• True Person Yushu, controlling the formation from the central formation eye, realizes their method and deliberately disrupts the thunder pool’s natural patterns. The safe corridor disappears, and countless thunderballs converge on the group.
• Ji Yuan uses his life-bound treasure, the Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain, to protect Yun Qianzai and the two Formation Masters. He then voluntarily leaves the protection and exposes himself to the annihilation thunder.
• Rather than being destroyed, Ji Yuan uses the thunderballs to temper his body. Their destructive power repairs and strengthens his Golden Body Mystic Bone, while he consumes Profound Yang Blood Amber and a Scarlet Yang Bone to sustain the process.
• Furious, True Person Yushu burns his Nascent Soul blood essence and gathers nearly all the thunderballs around Ji Yuan, attempting to annihilate him completely.
• Yun Qianzai recognizes that this creates a clear path through the now-emptied thunder pool. He activates an enhanced Void-Escape Jade, transporting himself, High Person Qianzhen, and Formation Old Freak directly to the formation eye.
• Ji Yuan survives the overwhelming thunder assault and breaks through from the Golden Body Mystic Bone Middle Stage to the Late Stage.
• Empowered by his breakthrough, Ji Yuan crosses the remaining thunder pool in the form of a crimson meteor and joins the others before the formation eye.
• The chapter ends as Ji Yuan raises his fiery divine spear and summons three blazing suns, preparing to attack the core of the Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation.

2. Character Developments

• Yun Qianzai demonstrates extraordinary Array Dao mastery. He cannot break the Annihilation Thunder Pool conventionally, but he accurately predicts its changes and guides the group through it. He also shows calm judgment by exploiting Yushu’s attack to reach the formation eye.
• Ji Yuan reveals his extreme physical endurance and fearless cultivation style. He turns a deadly Fifth-Tier killing formation into a body-tempering opportunity and successfully achieves a major Body Cultivation breakthrough.
• High Person Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak are shown as highly skilled Fourth-Tier Formation Masters, but they are forced to acknowledge the limits of their abilities and rely on Yun and Ji Yuan.
• True Person Yushu becomes increasingly enraged and desperate after his formation control fails to kill Ji Yuan. He sacrifices his own blood essence to intensify the attack.
• White Elder loses his earlier composure as the defenders realize the formation and the Divine Hall are in serious danger.

3. Significant Themes

• Ingenuity over brute force: The formation cannot be destroyed through ordinary Array Dao methods, so Yun finds a way to navigate rather than break it.
• Trust and teamwork: Each member contributes according to their strengths—Yun provides navigation, Ji Yuan supplies protection and endurance, while the others follow and support the plan.
• Turning danger into opportunity: Ji Yuan transforms a lethal attack into a rare opportunity for Body Tempering and advancement.
• Limits versus transcendence: The thunder pool is designed to kill even Spirit Transformation cultivators, yet Ji Yuan exceeds conventional expectations through his powerful physique and unorthodox cultivation.
• Desperation and control: Yushu’s increasingly reckless manipulation of the formation contrasts with Yun’s calm calculations and Ji Yuan’s confidence.
• Preparation and sacrifice: Yun’s enhanced Void-Escape Jade proves crucial, while Ji Yuan risks his life to create an opening for the others.

4. Character Interactions

• Qianzhen and Formation Old Freak repeatedly defer to Yun Qianzai’s superior formation expertise while relying on Ji Yuan when physical survival becomes the key issue.
• Yun gives the group precise instructions to follow his footsteps, establishing trust in his abilities.
• Ji Yuan reassures the others before separating from them, ordering Yun to continue toward the formation eye while he draws Yushu’s attacks away.
• Yun accepts Ji Yuan’s plan despite concern and later immediately takes advantage of Ji Yuan’s sacrifice by transporting the group to the formation eye.
• True Person Yushu directly counters Yun’s predicted route, turning the thunder pool into a personal confrontation between his formation control and Yun’s deduction.
• The chapter concludes with Ji Yuan rejoining Yun and the others, uniting their efforts for the impending destruction of the formation eye.

Chapter Summary: “Nascent Souls Arrayed Like Hemp!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan completes a breakthrough during his life-and-death tempering in the Annihilation Thunder Pool, reaching the late stage of the Golden Body Mystic Bone Realm. He also evolves his Two-Sun Phenomenon into a Three-Sun Phenomenon, temporarily elevating his physical strength to the peak of his current realm and nearing the Five Viscera Furnace Realm.
• Using the enhanced power of his Three-Sun Phenomenon and Fire God Spear, Ji Yuan destroys the core formation eye of the Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation with a single devastating strike.
• Yun Qianzai, High Person Qianzhen, and Formation Old Freak exploit the collapse, destroying key nodes and rapidly dismantling the Fifth-Tier mountain-protecting formation.
• True Person Yushu attempts to flee, but Ji Yuan catches him, seals his cultivation, and publicly destroys his dantian and Nascent Soul with the Fire God Spear. Ji Yuan then declares that all who oppose him will meet the same fate.
• White Elder emerges from the Black-and-White Divine Hall with eighteen Nascent Soul cultivators—himself, five Nascent Soul Middle Stage elders, and twelve Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivators—to defend the Hall.
• Ji Yuan and Fairy Mei confront White Elder together. Ji Yuan overwhelms him in close combat, breaking through his defenses with a single punch, while Fairy Mei’s petal attacks force him to retreat. White Elder is soon beaten to the brink of death.
• A large-scale battle erupts between the two sides atop Black-and-White Divine Mountain. Ji Yuan’s forces initially risk being outnumbered, but he summons four Fourth-Order Spirit Beasts—Long Fei, Long Yun, a golden roc, and a black-and-white butterfly—to restore the balance.
• Elsewhere, True Lord Profound Purity, Heavenly Thunder True Person, Xuanhuangzi, and Azure Spiritzi systematically dismantle the Heavenly Fiend Formation. Profound Purity identifies hidden nodes with precise sword intent, while Heavenly Thunder destroys them using Sky-Shaking Thunder.
• Long Ba guards the intercontinental Teleportation Formation. He annihilates the stationed Black-and-White Divine Hall cultivators and kills the incoming Nascent Soul cultivator True Lord Boulder by swallowing him in his Baxia form.
• Dan Xuzi arrives from the Desolate Ancient Continent claiming that Ji Yuan invited him to help. Joyful Madam, Qingchengzi, and Su Baize remain cautious and require him to wait until his identity can be confirmed, though Dan Xuzi offers healing pills for the battlefront.
• At the chapter’s end, the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord and her son, Xun Tianji, arrive at Black-and-White Divine Mountain. Seeing the Black-and-White Divine Hall on the verge of defeat, she decides to join Ji Yuan’s side and personally attacks White Elder, whom she resents for having hunted her in the past.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates a major advancement in both body cultivation and combat power. His new Three-Sun Phenomenon allows him to destroy a Fifth-Tier formation and kill a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator effortlessly. He also becomes more openly dominant and intimidating, publicly using True Person Yushu’s death as a warning.
• True Person Yushu shifts from a powerful formation grandmaster to a helpless prisoner and victim. His defeat symbolizes the collapse of the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s defensive strategy.
• White Elder is revealed to possess immense experience and a deep Nascent Soul Late Stage foundation, but he is shocked and injured by Ji Yuan’s physical strength. His confidence gives way to desperation as he becomes unable to withstand Ji Yuan and Fairy Mei.
• Fairy Mei openly joins Ji Yuan in confronting White Elder, reinforcing their battlefield cooperation and mutual trust.
• Formation Old Freak feels relieved that he previously chose to ally with Ji Yuan, recognizing that opposing him would likely have led to the same fate as Yushu.
• Long Fei and Long Yun, having reached the Fourth-Tier Middle Stage, prove their growing strength by immediately intercepting enemy Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Long Ba displays overwhelming strength and cruelty toward the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s reinforcements, showing that even a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator is no match for him.
• Dan Xuzi attempts to repair his past relationship with Ji Yuan by offering aid during the crisis, though his late and unauthorized arrival causes understandable suspicion.
• The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord recognizes that the balance of power in the Abyssal Continent is changing. Her personal grudge against White Elder motivates her to support Ji Yuan’s assault.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of established power: The destruction of the Black-and-White Twin-Killing Formation marks the beginning of the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s fall after thousands of years of dominance.
• Physical strength versus conventional cultivation: Ji Yuan’s victory relies primarily on overwhelming bodily power rather than elaborate techniques, emphasizing the terrifying potential of body cultivation.
• Strategic preparation and coordinated warfare: The assault succeeds through multiple simultaneous operations—breaking formations, blocking reinforcements, deploying spirit beasts, and attacking the main stronghold.
• Loyalty and the consequences of allegiance: Former enemies and neutral forces must decide whether to support Ji Yuan, remain cautious, or risk being swept aside by the changing political order.
• Revenge and shifting alliances: The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s arrival demonstrates how old grudges can influence current battles and further destabilize the existing hierarchy.
• Public intimidation and reputation: Ji Yuan’s execution of Yushu before countless witnesses establishes him as a force capable of punishing even major sect leaders, strengthening his influence through fear and awe.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan silently overwhelms Yushu, refusing to engage in a verbal exchange and instead letting his actions serve as his declaration.
• Ji Yuan and Fairy Mei coordinate seamlessly against White Elder: she attacks from range while Ji Yuan exploits his superior close-combat speed and strength.
• The Black-and-White Divine Hall’s elders fight collectively under White Elder’s command, but their numerical advantage is countered by Ji Yuan’s allies and summoned spirit beasts.
• Profound Purity and Heavenly Thunder form an especially effective partnership, combining precise formation analysis with destructive explosive power.
• Joyful Madam, Qingchengzi, and Su Baize act as a cautious gatekeeping unit, refusing to trust Dan Xuzi without verification despite his claim of supporting Ji Yuan.
• The Ultimate Dao Devil Lord confronts White Elder directly, taunting him over his past persecution before entering the battle on Ji Yuan’s side.
• Xun Tianji observes the battle with mixed emotions, while his mother interprets the conflict as the beginning of a new era and the rise of a new dominant power.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• White Elder, leader of the Black-and-White Divine Hall, is overwhelmed by Ji Yuan, Fairy Mei, and the newly arrived Ultimate Dao Devil Lord. Realizing he cannot escape, he secretly prepares to self-destruct his body and flee as a Nascent Soul.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord sees through his plan and strikes him with her Life-bound Dharma Treasure, the Soul-Shaking Gong. The attack knocks White Elder unconscious and disrupts his self-destruction.
• She destroys his physical body, extracts his weakened Nascent Soul, and crushes it in front of the assembled cultivators, killing him completely and publicly avenging his former pursuit of her.
• White Elder’s death destroys the morale of the Black-and-White Divine Hall. Ji Yuan and the allied cultivators begin slaughtering the remaining Nascent Soul experts.
• Ji Yuan demonstrates overwhelming close-combat power, instantly killing several Nascent Soul Early and Middle Stage cultivators with his physical strength and sword intent. The remaining enemies are hunted down, leaving no Nascent Soul cultivator of the Divine Hall alive.
• The allied forces suffer various injuries, including serious wounds to Heavenly Craft High Person, Soul Hall Master, and Many-Ghost Devil Master, but the coalition survives.
• With the Black-and-White Divine Hall completely destroyed, Ultimate Dao Devil Lord publicly bows to Ji Yuan and addresses him as the “Lord of the Abyssal Depths.” The other cultivators and the people of Black-and-White City follow, recognizing Ji Yuan as the new ruler of the Abyssal Continent.
• The victory is interrupted by the appearance of an unknown, extremely powerful old Daoist on an abandoned mountain. He possesses Nascent Soul Peak cultivation and appears even more mysterious and oppressive than Ultimate Dao Devil Lord.
• The old Daoist reveals that he had previously encountered Ultimate Dao Devil Lord in Fallen Immortal Ravine. Rather than explain his motives, he suddenly appears beside Fairy Mei and asks her a cryptic question concerning her Dao and her mother, Tian Wenjing.
• He attempts to seize Fairy Mei, immobilizing her and effortlessly breaking through her defenses. Just before he reaches her, High Person Qianzhen unexpectedly appears and blocks his hand.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan completes his rise from a minor cultivator to the dominant power of the Abyssal Continent. His strength, leadership, and role in overthrowing the Divine Hall earn him the title of Lord of the Abyssal Depths.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord displays both terrifying strength and a strong desire for vengeance by personally executing White Elder. Despite her independent and rebellious nature, she willingly acknowledges Ji Yuan’s authority after the victory.
• White Elder falls from the ruler of a thousand-year-old power to a helpless captive, suffering total destruction of both body and soul.
• Fairy Mei remains a powerful Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator but is shown to be vulnerable before the mysterious old Daoist, whose speed and spatial control completely surpass her defenses.
• High Person Qianzhen emerges as a surprising protector, intervening at the last moment against the old Daoist.
• Xun Tianji and the allied cultivators recognize that Ji Yuan’s victory has permanently reshaped the political order of the Abyssal Continent.

Significant Themes

• The fall of established power: The Black-and-White Divine Hall, which had dominated the continent for thousands of years, is destroyed in a single decisive battle.
• The rise of a new ruler: Ji Yuan’s transformation from an insignificant cultivator into the Lord of the Abyssal Depths highlights ambition, perseverance, and the overturning of old hierarchies.
• Vengeance and consequences: Ultimate Dao Devil Lord’s execution of White Elder reflects the long memory of past persecution and the inevitability of retribution.
• Power and uncertainty: Even after Ji Yuan’s victory, the arrival of another hidden Nascent Soul Peak expert shows that dominance is not absolute and that greater mysteries remain.
• Triumph turning into danger: The celebratory recognition of Ji Yuan’s rule is immediately followed by a new threat, suggesting that political victory does not guarantee safety.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and Fairy Mei cooperate effectively against White Elder, while Ultimate Dao Devil Lord joins them and decisively changes the battle.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord deliberately demonstrates the Soul-Shaking Gong’s power, reminding Ji Yuan that she still resents their past conflict.
• Ji Yuan repeatedly assists allied cultivators by killing or crippling their opponents, including the enemy fighting Heavenly Craft High Person.
• The allied cultivators collectively acknowledge Ji Yuan’s leadership, while Yun Qianzai offers restrained recognition rather than joining the public chants.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord formally bows to Ji Yuan, establishing a new relationship of acknowledged authority.
• The mysterious old Daoist challenges both Ji Yuan and Ultimate Dao Devil Lord through his unexplained presence, then directly targets Fairy Mei.
• High Person Qianzhen’s sudden intervention creates a cliffhanger, leaving his motives and ability to confront the old Daoist unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Reunion with the Giant Toad!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Atop Black-and-White Divine Mountain, High Person Qianzhen reveals his true identity as Tian Wenjing, an immensely powerful Nascent Soul Peak cultivator and master of the Clone Dao.
• Tian Wenjing calls Fairy Mei “Mother,” revealing their relationship and explaining why she accompanied High Person Qianzhen into the Abyssal Continent.
• Ji Yuan realizes that Tian Wenjing’s hidden identity explains several past mysteries, including his knowledge of the Nine Nether Rift’s formations, his ability to use Nascent Soul Peak cultivation, and his survival there.
• The mysterious old Daoist reveals that he possesses the other half of Tian Wenjing’s cultivation technique. Their shared supreme art points directly toward the Spirit Transformation realm, but only one of them can obtain the complete technique.
• The old Daoist and Tian Wenjing agree to duel in the Northern Wilderness rather than disrupt Ji Yuan’s victory celebration.
• After the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s destruction, Ji Yuan appoints Formation Old Freak to oversee the mountain, reorganize Black-and-White City, eliminate remaining threats, and manage the postwar transition.
• Ji Yuan and the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord follow Tian Wenjing and the old Daoist to observe their battle.
• The two Nascent Soul Peak cultivators fight for roughly a thousand rounds. Tian Wenjing uses his Blood Sea Domain and countless Blood Shadows, while the old Daoist employs his Spirit-Communing Banner, Dharma-Steadfast Golden Bodies, clones, seals, lightning, and fire.
• Neither side gains a decisive advantage, so they agree to a temporary truce. The old Daoist announces that he will eventually travel to the Desolate Orchid Continent to continue their struggle.
• After Tian Wenjing and the Ultimate Dao Devil Lord depart, the old Daoist reveals his disguise: he is actually Icefire Old Man, one of his own clones.
• He then summons the enormous Giant Toad, reuniting it with Ji Yuan and ending the chapter on a humorous, nostalgic note.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Tian Wenjing: His identity, cultivation, and connection to High Person Qianzhen are exposed. He is shown to be protective of Fairy Mei while remaining calm and confident in his conflict with the old Daoist. His mastery of the Clone Dao and Blood Sea Domain establishes him as an exceptionally formidable cultivator.
• Fairy Mei: She is relieved when Tian Wenjing appears but immediately becomes anxious about his duel. Her attempt to stop him emphasizes her deep concern for her son despite his assurances that the battle is only a test.
• Ji Yuan: He successfully assumes the role of lord of the Abyssal Depths, demonstrating political judgment by entrusting the aftermath to Formation Old Freak. He remains cautious and detached from Tian Wenjing’s personal Dao struggle, but follows the battle to monitor possible consequences and investigate the old Daoist’s identity.
• Formation Old Freak: His experience, neutrality, and prestige make him the ideal person to stabilize the newly conquered territory. Accepting Ji Yuan’s command also confirms his loyalty to the new order.
• Ultimate Dao Devil Lord: He observes the battle with interest and recognizes the terrifying power of the two clone cultivators, but prudently leaves once the duel ends.
• The old Daoist/Icefire Old Man: He is revealed to be a hidden Nascent Soul Peak cultivator from the Cangluo Continent and the source of the Icefire Old Man identity. His rivalry with Tian Wenjing is both a personal conflict and a struggle over access to Spirit Transformation.
• Giant Toad: Its unexpected return provides comic relief and fulfills the earlier promise that it would reappear.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and long-term deception: Tian Wenjing and the old Daoist have both used clones and disguises to conceal their true strength and origins.
• The pursuit of transcendence: The two cultivators’ conflict centers on completing a technique that may allow them to break through to Spirit Transformation.
• Rivalry and mutual recognition: Although Tian Wenjing and the old Daoist are enemies, they understand each other’s methods and agree that an inconclusive fight is pointless without a willingness to risk death.
• Leadership and responsibility: Ji Yuan’s victory is followed not by celebration but by the practical task of restoring order, showing that ruling requires delegation and political judgment.
• Family loyalty: Tian Wenjing’s willingness to enter danger for Fairy Mei contrasts with the impersonal stakes of his Dao struggle.
• Humor amid epic conflict: The serious revelations about Spirit Transformation and Nascent Soul Peak combat are punctuated by the playful reunion with the Giant Toad.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Yuan encounters a Third-Order Giant Toad in the Northern Wilderness and realizes it is the same Giant Toad that once guarded his Mist Island abode in Cloud-Rain Marsh.
• He had believed the toad died during the Demonic Dao invasion of Cangluo Continent, so their reunion is deeply emotional. The toad recognizes him and affectionately rubs against him.
• Ji Yuan discovers that the old Daoist accompanying the toad is Spirit-Communing High Person, formerly known as Icefire Old Man, whom Ji Yuan had met long ago.
• Spirit-Communing High Person explains that Icefire Old Man was an incarnation created through a unique technique. Rather than directly controlling an avatar, he sent out a strand of spiritual radiance to be reincarnated as an independent person with his own memories, emotions, and life. The incarnation’s experiences and cultivation eventually return to the original body.
• This technique is the lower half of the same incarnation method whose upper half was cultivated by Tian Wenjing, establishing that the two Nascent Soul Peak cultivators are connected through opposing halves of the same inheritance.
• Spirit-Communing High Person praises Ji Yuan’s astonishing rise and combat achievements, while Ji Yuan responds modestly. The two part amicably, with Spirit-Communing inviting Ji Yuan to visit Icefire Island.
• Ji Yuan reflects on the inevitable future conflict between Spirit-Communing High Person and Tian Wenjing but decides not to involve himself. He returns to the Abyssal Continent to consolidate his rule after destroying the Black-and-White Divine Hall.
• Over the following month, Ji Yuan’s forces dismantle the Divine Hall’s remaining branches. Only major criminals are punished; lower-level cultivators who surrender are forgiven, allowed to join the city guard, or permitted to leave.
• Order is restored in Black-and-White City through strict patrols and punishment of looters. Taxes and market fees are drastically reduced, causing trade and prosperity to recover rapidly.
• Ji Yuan establishes three laws for the Abyssal Continent’s sects:
  1. No wanton killing, oppression of rogue cultivators, or massacres.
  2. No unauthorized large-scale wars between sects.
  3. All factions must unite against outside threats and avoid betrayal.
• The resources of the former Divine Hall are inventoried and fairly distributed among allies, followers, and the families of fallen cultivators.
• With the continent stabilized, the assembled Nascent Soul experts urge Ji Yuan to name and establish his own sect and mountain gate.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan shows strong loyalty and sentimentality toward old companions, especially the Giant Toad. His reunion reminds him of his vulnerable early years and the losses caused by the continental war.
• He demonstrates mature leadership by ruling through stability, fairness, selective punishment, and cooperation rather than reproducing the Black-and-White Divine Hall’s oppressive system.
• Ji Yuan also accepts that his reputation as “Old Devil Ji” and his violent path make a gentle or orthodox sect name inappropriate. He embraces a title reflecting his role as a suppressor of evil.
• Spirit-Communing High Person is revealed to be far more powerful and mysterious than Ji Yuan previously believed. His independent-incarnation method demonstrates his extraordinary mastery and suggests that many important figures may unknowingly be his incarnations.
• The Giant Toad has survived the catastrophe, advanced to the Third Order, and retained its affection and loyalty toward Ji Yuan.
• Ji Yuan’s allies increasingly treat him as the undisputed leader. Their unanimous support shows that his authority is based not only on strength but also on trust and fair treatment.
• Ghost Envoy unexpectedly intervenes in Ji Yuan’s thoughts and directs him toward a mysterious future by insisting that his new force be named Immortal Prison.

Significant Themes

• Reunion and the persistence of old bonds: The Giant Toad represents Ji Yuan’s forgotten past and proves that genuine relationships can survive war, time, and separation.
• Identity and incarnation: Spirit-Communing High Person’s technique raises questions about individuality, free will, reincarnation, and whether a person remains fully independent if their experiences ultimately return to another self.
• Power and governance: Ji Yuan contrasts his rule with the Black-and-White Divine Hall by using authority to create order and justice rather than exploitation.
• Justice versus orthodoxy: Although Ji Yuan is feared as a ruthless “Old Devil,” he believes his actions are justified when directed against evil. The name Immortal Prison symbolizes punishment for both immortals and devils who commit atrocities.
• Trust and destiny: Ji Yuan accepts Ghost Envoy’s unexplained command because of their previous relationship, suggesting that future developments may be tied to secrets beyond the Abyssal Continent.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and the Giant Toad share a tender reunion, with Ji Yuan stroking its head as it recognizes him.
• Ji Yuan and Spirit-Communing High Person clarify their past relationship and discuss the differences between their incarnation techniques.
• Spirit-Communing High Person admires Ji Yuan’s rapid rise, while Ji Yuan humbly credits his allies and fortune.
• Ji Yuan’s allies—Soul Hall Master, Formation Old Freak, Heavenly Craft High Person, Zhou Cang, and others—collectively urge him to establish a formal sect.
• Ghost Envoy communicates directly with Ji Yuan’s mind and forces him to reconsider the name he had originally planned.
• Ji Yuan publicly declares the founding of Immortal Prison, renaming the mountain Immortal Prison Mountain, the city Immortal Prison City, and himself the Prison Master. His allies, disciples, and countless city cultivators respond by kneeling and proclaiming their allegiance.
• The chapter ends with Ji Yuan asking Ghost Envoy why the name “Immortal Prison” was necessary, setting up the next revelation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the Immortal Prison founding ceremony, Ji Yuan secretly receives instructions from the Ghost Envoy: follow the earth veins beneath Immortal Prison Mountain to find a mysterious Bronze Gate.
• Ji Yuan establishes the Immortal Prison Elders’ Council, assigning major figures clear responsibilities:
  • Yun Qianzai: formations and restrictions
  • Liu Yuan: discipline and punishment
  • Feng Zhitáo: internal affairs and resources
  • Soul Hall Master: intelligence and surveillance
  • Zhou Cang: city patrol and defense
  • Hundred-Blossom Immortal: alchemy and healing
  • Mu Xueyao: external affairs
• He delegates routine sect management to the council, saying only matters concerning the sect’s survival or the continent’s overall situation need to be reported to him.
• Ji Yuan immediately leaves and uses Earth Escape to descend deep beneath the mountain, entering the Northern Region’s enormous main earth vein.
• He travels south along the earth vein inside Lingtai Square-Inch Mountain until reaching a bottomless abyss, where he discovers a colossal Bronze Gate covered in ancient, incomprehensible markings.
• Long Fei and Long Yun are summoned to guard the entrance while Ji Yuan investigates. Despite its terrifying appearance and presumed sealing power, the gate opens effortlessly at Ji Yuan’s touch.
• Behind it lies not a chamber or secret realm, but an endless prison complex suspended in the void. Countless immense iron-barred cells extend beyond the reach of Divine Sense, many bearing traces of ancient prisoners and terrifying remnants.
• Ji Yuan meets the Ghost Envoy inside. The Ghost Envoy promises to explain the truth behind the prison and its history.
• He reveals that the Immortal Court once ruled the entire Human Realm and that the Abyssal Continent was actually its Outer Prison. The vast complex beyond the Bronze Gate is the Inner Prison, reserved for the most dangerous or powerful criminals.
• The descendants of imprisoned criminals eventually populated the Abyssal Continent, forgetting their origins.
• The Immortal Court was once unimaginably powerful, with more than twenty publicly known Mahayana cultivators and a level of cultivation far beyond the present era.
• Its downfall began when the Human Realm’s Ascension Path was mysteriously severed. Mahayana cultivators could no longer sense or reach the Ascension Gate, leaving them unable to ascend and eventually doomed to die of old age.
• Attempts to restore the connection with the Immortal Realm failed, causing fear, distrust, and division among the Immortal Court’s strongest figures.
• The chapter ends with the Ghost Envoy revealing that, amid this crisis, a true demon from the Demon Realm descended into the Human Realm—an existence comparable to a True Immortal.

Character Developments

• Ji Yuan demonstrates authority and strategic judgment by creating a structured governing council and deliberately delegating power. His sudden departure, however, shows that the Bronze Gate’s mystery has become an urgent personal priority.
• His reaction to the prison and the revelations about the Abyssal Continent exposes a rare loss of composure, emphasizing the magnitude of the secrets he encounters.
• Ji Yuan remains respectful toward the Ghost Envoy but increasingly desperate for answers, especially about the Immortal Court and the Ascension Path.
• Feng Zhitáo shows perceptiveness by noticing Ji Yuan’s hidden panic but wisely waits until the ceremony is over before questioning him.
• Long Fei and Long Yun act as dependable protectors, accepting Ji Yuan’s orders without hesitation and securing the Bronze Gate while he investigates.
• The Ghost Envoy shifts from mysterious guide to historian and narrator. His nostalgia, loneliness, and bitterness reveal a deep personal connection to the lost Immortal Court.
• The Ghost Envoy also maintains a mentor-like relationship with Ji Yuan, scolding him for worrying about the distant Mahayana realm while he remains only at Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

Significant Themes

• Hidden history and the destruction of accepted truth: The Abyssal Continent is revealed to be a prison rather than a natural homeland, overturning Ji Yuan’s understanding of its civilization and sects.
• The rise and fall of great civilizations: The Immortal Court represents a lost golden age of abundant resources, powerful techniques, and immense cultivation achievements.
• Mortality and the limits of cultivation: The severed Ascension Path transforms immortality into a seemingly impossible goal, forcing even the strongest cultivators to confront death.
• Power, governance, and delegation: Ji Yuan’s creation of the Elders’ Council reflects his attempt to build a stable institution rather than personally control every matter.
• Isolation and decline: The Ghost Envoy’s loneliness and nostalgia contrast the glory of the ancient Immortal Court with the diminished, fragmented present age.
• The looming supernatural threat: The descent of a true demon introduces a danger capable of rivaling the Immortal Court and potentially explaining its ultimate collapse.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan formally assigns responsibilities to the seven elders, establishing trust and clearly defining their relationships to Immortal Prison’s future.
• Feng Zhitáo notices Ji Yuan’s unease but respects the ceremony’s importance by withholding questions.
• Ji Yuan commands Long Fei and Long Yun to guard the Bronze Gate, demonstrating mutual trust and their willingness to protect him.
• Ji Yuan and the Ghost Envoy reunite inside the ancient prison. The Ghost Envoy reassures him that the Bronze Gate deliberately remains slightly open, while Ji Yuan listens respectfully to the historical revelation.
• Their conversation becomes increasingly significant as Ji Yuan challenges the Ghost Envoy about the Immortal Court, ascension, and the impossibility of such a powerful civilization simply disappearing.

Chapter Summary: “Gate of Ascension!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Void Prison, Ji Yuan asks the Ghost Envoy about the True Demon who descended from the Demon Realm.
• The demon did not massacre the Human Realm. Instead, he claimed a barren continent, renamed it the Demon God Continent, and lived in seclusion. The Ghost Envoy explains that descending True Immortals and True Demons were restricted by the Human Realm’s laws to the Mahayana realm.
• The demon’s true danger was not direct violence, but the revelation of a method of ascension: a Mahayana cultivator could ascend by personally killing ten Mahayana cultivators of the same realm.
• At first, the Immortal Court’s Mahayana cultivators rejected the claim and swore not to kill one another. However, a friendly and well-connected Mahayana cultivator secretly assassinated nine of his peers through poison, traps, and attacks during cultivation.
• His tenth victim was his own father. After killing him, the cultivator successfully ascended before the Lingxiao Hall, proving that the method was real.
• This event destroyed trust throughout the Human Realm. The Immortal Court collapsed, and the Chaotic Era began. Cultivators, sects, clans, masters, disciples, parents, and children turned against one another in pursuit of ascension.
• Some Mahayana cultivators withdrew from the conflict, while others organized a Demon-Slaying campaign, believing the True Demon was responsible for introducing the murderous path to ascension.
• The final Court Master of the Immortal Court and two other respected Mahayana cultivators led an ambush against the demon, luring him from the Demon God Continent to the Desolate Ancient Continent.
• The battle lasted for decades, devastated much of the continent, shattered its earth veins and laws, and reduced its territory by nearly thirty percent. The True Demon was killed, but the three leaders of the campaign also died.
• Their deaths failed to end the chaos. The slaughter continued for over ten thousand years, reducing the former group of more than twenty Mahayana cultivators to only a few survivors.
• The Human Realm eventually fragmented into separate regions: Demonic Cultivators and Demon clans settled on the Demon God Continent, body cultivators gathered on the Martial God Continent, and Central Continent remained the political center without regaining the Immortal Court’s former unity.
• The Abyssal Continent is revealed to have originally been the Immortal Court’s prison. After the Immortal Court fell, its guards vanished, its prisoners escaped or were released, and their descendants became the continent’s later inhabitants.
• The Ghost Envoy finally reveals that he was once the Registrar under the final Prison Master of the Immortal Court’s Immortal Prison, linking him directly to the lost institution and its inheritance.

Character Development

• Ji Yuan progresses from curiosity to profound shock as he learns that the Human Realm’s greatest catastrophe began with a seemingly peaceful True Demon and a horrifying ascension method.
• His understanding of cultivation is challenged: he had believed ascension depended on Dao comprehension and personal attainment, but now learns that killing could genuinely trigger it.
• Ji Yuan shows increasing empathy toward the desperate Mahayana cultivators, recognizing how fear of death and the loss of their path drove them toward betrayal and slaughter.
• His moral horror intensifies when he learns that the successful ascender murdered his own father. Ji Yuan concludes that such ambition represented the complete destruction of humanity and trust.
• The Ghost Envoy acts as both historian and moral commentator. Though often mocking, he speaks with sorrow about the Chaotic Era and admiration for those who resisted the madness.
• The Ghost Envoy’s identity gains greater significance: he was not merely a prison spirit, but an official of the former Immortal Court’s Immortal Prison.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting power of immortality: The promise of ascension turns survival into obsession and causes even the strongest cultivators to abandon morality.
• The collapse of trust: Once killing ten peers is proven to enable ascension, friendship, family, oaths, and institutional authority become meaningless.
• Desperation and moral compromise: The chapter asks whether people can resist an apparent chance at survival when death is otherwise inevitable.
• The danger of knowledge: The True Demon destroys the Human Realm without ruling it directly; merely revealing the method of ascension is enough to unleash chaos.
• The fragility of civilization: The Immortal Court, despite centuries of authority, collapses almost instantly once its leaders and moral structures lose credibility.
• Humanity versus power: The chapter contrasts cultivators who preserve their principles with those who sacrifice all morality for immortality.
• Historical consequences: The present-day continents, factions, and conflicts are shown to be the aftermath of the ancient Immortal Court’s collapse.

Character Interactions

• Ji Yuan and the Ghost Envoy engage in a tense question-and-answer exchange, with Ji Yuan repeatedly challenging the apparent contradictions in the history.
• The Ghost Envoy uses sarcasm and grim explanations to force Ji Yuan to confront the true nature of the catastrophe.
• The ascender’s relationships with his friends and father are central to the chapter’s tragedy: he exploited trust, acted as a grieving companion after each murder, and ultimately killed the father who had protected him.
• The Immortal Court’s Mahayana cultivators initially unite through an oath, but their shared commitment disintegrates once one person proves that murder can lead to ascension.
• The Demon-Slaying leaders unite with other principled cultivators to oppose both the True Demon and the wider corruption of the Human Realm.
• Ji Yuan connects the Ghost Envoy’s account to stories once told by his master, Hua Yaoyue, realizing that the ancient Demon-Slaying War was the source of the history he had previously known only through fragmented records.