Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Gai Jiuyou questions the gray-robed monk, who describes his connection to Amitabha Buddha as a mystery of “dream attainment of Dao.” The idea leads Lin Xian and Ye Fan to consider the nature of the Most Ancient Ones and how they can exist beyond time.
• Lin Xian asks why Amitabha is heading to Deathless Mountain. Amitabha explains that the Peacock Emperor once attacked him during his tribulation, but was defeated, sealed, and eventually converted to Buddhism. After Amitabha’s passing, however, the Peacock Emperor betrayed the Buddhist Sect and returned to Deathless Mountain. Amitabha now wants to learn why.
• Gai Jiuyou and Amitabha plan to wait at Saint Cliff while the others approach the forbidden zone. Knowing Deathless Mountain may contain three Supreme Beings, they gather additional support: the Ji Family supplies the Void Mirror, an old enemy of the Mountain.
• The group assembles its weapons and arrives outside Deathless Mountain. The Void Mirror’s spirit warns that Lin Xian’s presence would alert the Supremes, so the Mirror stays nearby to provide an escape route.
• Lin Xian pauses to admire the imposing forbidden zone—and to record himself before entering—before the Black Emperor urges him to stop posing. Lin Xian then suggests that Xiao Nannan walk in front.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian reflects on his awakened Fuxi bloodline and wonders why other ancestral bloodlines have not manifested. At Deathless Mountain, he presents himself as a fearless leader, though his vanity and theatrical streak surface when he takes out his Recording Stone.
• Amitabha reveals a painful, unresolved episode from his past and approaches Deathless Mountain seeking the truth about the Peacock Emperor’s betrayal.
• Gai Jiuyou takes charge of the operation’s strategy, arranging for the group to wait near the target and ensuring they have enough Emperor Weapons.
• The Black Emperor punctures Lin Xian’s dramatic pose with blunt impatience. The Ji Family, in turn, readily cooperates because of its deadly feud with Deathless Mountain.

Significant themes

• Time, dreams, and transcendence: The discussion of dream-attainment and the Most Ancient Ones raises questions about reality, cosmic origins, and beings who stand outside time.
• Betrayal and unresolved karma: The Peacock Emperor’s reversal complicates the distinction between genuine conversion and hidden motives, giving Amitabha’s mission a personal and moral dimension.
• Power and preparation: The group treats an assault on a forbidden zone as a grave strategic risk, gathering multiple Emperor Weapons and planning an escape route.
• Heroism versus vanity: Lin Xian’s boldness is real, but his self-conscious posing introduces humor and undercuts the solemnity of the coming confrontation.

Key events

• Lin Xian leads a party toward Deathless Mountain, protected from its oppressive aura by Xiao Nannan’s emperor dao fruit. He boasts that he and Xiao Nannan will suppress the forbidden zone, then has Black Emperor carry her while Victorious Fighting Buddha guides the group through its dangerous restrictions.
• They stop at a gemstone-like lake near the mountain’s core. Xiao Nannan spots the Dao Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, and Victorious Fighting Buddha’s Fiery Golden Eyes lets everyone see its hundred and eight leaves, each bearing patterns associated with a different Dao.
• Lin Xian wonders whether they can take the tree—or eventually Deathless Mountain itself—and incorporate them into his developing miniature immortal realm. Black Emperor explains that the tree cannot survive outside its native land, and the others warn that the forbidden zones remain formidable despite centuries of losses.
• Lin Xian declares that the immortal-ascension calamity will be resolved in their era. He describes the Immortal Alliance and Heavenly Court as efforts to unite past emperors and present-day forces against the Dark Supremes—and calls their entry into Deathless Mountain a first victory.
• He points out the Void Dao patterns engraved on a nearby black mountain. They are a contingency left by Void Great Emperor, forming a protective array that can help the Void Emperor Mirror extract the group.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian combines audacious ambition with political vision. His jokes about matching Wu Shi give way to a serious account of his role in a long-term alliance against the forbidden zones. He credits earlier generations rather than claiming sole greatness.
• Xiao Nannan remains innocent and observant; her simple pointing reveals the rare tree.
• Black Emperor is excited by the tree but bitter that it cannot be removed, recalling Wu Shi’s failed attempt.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha acts as guide and lookout, then praises Lin Xian’s far-reaching perspective. Like others, he begins to suspect Lin Xian may be an ancient figure reborn.
• The group’s exchange balances Lin Xian’s bold plans with Black Emperor’s and the others’ sober recognition of the danger posed by the Supreme Beings.

Significant themes

• Enduring conflict: Life Restricted Areas survive across eras, and dark turmoil repeatedly returns.
• Collective effort across generations: Lin Xian presents the struggle as the work of past emperors, present allies, and future generations—not one hero alone.
• Ambition versus limits: Lin Xian imagines reshaping the world by claiming immortal resources, while the tree’s dependence on its homeland and the forbidden zones’ power expose the practical obstacles.
• Legacy and contingency: Void Great Emperor’s markings show how earlier struggles left protections for those who came later.

Plot points and events

• Lin Xian and his companions discuss the hardships of Void Great Emperor, who fought an unusually large number of Dark Supremes during Desolate Antiquity. His battles saved the universe from repeated dark turmoils, though they left him little time to study the Dao.
• The Black Emperor turns the group’s sorrow into a plan to “avenge” Void by looting Deathless Mountain. Guided by patterns left by Void, they reach the Dao Enlightenment Tea Tree.
• Xiao Nannan recognizes the place and, beneath the tree, the group sees visions of Wu Shi and Ruthless discussing the Dao across time. The Victorious Fighting Buddha gains insight from their resonance; Lin Xian, unable to follow it, harvests tea leaves instead.
• Lin Xian and the Black Emperor consume the leaves in spectacularly crude fashion, provoking the Fighting Buddha’s dismay. The Dao Enlightenment Tea Tree takes fright at Lin Xian’s talk of tasting its wood and runs away.
• Deeper in the mountain, the group finds Netherworld Grass growing in Yellow Springs. The Black Emperor nearly eats it, but Lin Xian warns that it can preserve the spirit while rotting the body. He has the Fighting Buddha harvest it, intending to keep it as a counterbalance to his life-rich medicines—or possibly sell it to Duan De.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian is bold, irreverent, and opportunistic: he raids rare treasures, consumes valuable tea leaves without ceremony, and thinks creatively about balancing life and death. His comments also reveal his knowledge of immortal medicines and the Netherworld Emperor.
• The Black Emperor enthusiastically drives the looting expedition and shares Lin Xian’s lack of restraint, even chewing tea leaves dry. His greed briefly overcomes his caution when he sees the Netherworld Grass.
• Xiao Nannan innocently guides the group and recognizes the tea tree’s surroundings, hinting at memories or connections she cannot fully explain.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha responds with respect to Void’s sacrifice, gains insight from the Great Emperors’ Dao resonance, and is repeatedly exasperated by Lin Xian and the Black Emperor’s treatment of precious tea.
• The Dao Enlightenment Tea Tree is presented as intelligent and wary, fleeing rather than risk being cut down by Lin Xian.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and historical burden: Void Great Emperor’s extraordinary record reflects the cost of protecting the universe when the Dark Supremes violated their usual restraint.
• Life and death in balance: Netherworld Grass embodies life’s persistence within death, while Lin Xian’s plan to pair it with life-rich medicines reflects his belief in balancing opposing forces.
• Different paths to understanding the Dao: The Fighting Buddha gains insight through contemplation; Lin Xian relies on materials and practical ingenuity, though he boasts of his own comprehension.
• Greed, humor, and irreverence: Grand historical tragedy and sacred treasures are repeatedly undercut by the group’s comic, unapologetic looting.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xian reflects on his plan to create an Immortal Path modeled partly on the Azure Emperor’s: he would draw on external heavens, inscribe their Dao patterns into his body, and form a Human Body Immortal Formation. The undying Netherworld Grass may be essential to this research, so he secures it along with water from the Yellow Springs Nether River—both remnants of Supreme Beings’ experiments with longevity.
• The Black Emperor uses a Heavenly Court scepter as an improvised guide and discovers ancient caves once used by fleeing members of the Assassin Heavenly Court. There he finds a dead assassin, a token, and a well-preserved sheet of skin bearing the sect’s ultimate inheritance.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha identifies the skin as that of a Ninth-Heaven Quasi-Emperor and explains that the Assassin Heavenly Court’s founder recorded his Killing Art on it. The skin is also a formidable secret weapon called the Book of Time.
• Delighted with the scepter and the Book of Time, the Black Emperor declares himself the new Lord of the Heavenly Court. Lin Xian warns that the Great Accomplished Saint Physique, Ye Fan, remains at Saint Cliff, but the Black Emperor dismisses him and insists Ye should focus on producing an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo.
• Lin Xian argues that bloodlines can carry fragments of the Great Dao and that a parent’s power might be passed to a child, citing the exceptional foundation of Great Emperor Wu Shi, born to two emperors.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian reveals his ambitious, independent approach to immortality and treats longevity treasures as possible tools for his research. He also advances a theory about inheritance: bloodline power might strengthen descendants and, potentially, flow in either direction.
• The Black Emperor displays his usual greed, audacity, and talent for treasure hunting. His claim to the Assassin Heavenly Court rests on real artifacts and inheritance, but his ambitions extend beyond that lineage; he wants authority over the broader Heavenly Court and Emperor Zun Ye’s legacy. He and Lin Xian clash over Ye Fan’s role and the value of an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha provides historical context and briefly neutralizes the Killing Art’s overwhelming murderous aura through Buddhist calm.
• The discussion of Ye Fan highlights the danger of Saint Cliff’s ominous corruption, while also emphasizing the extraordinary gap between ordinary Quasi-Emperors and those capable of challenging Supreme Beings.

Significant themes

• Immortality as an open-ended pursuit: Different paths can yield useful insights, and even failed experiments may illuminate another route.
• Inheritance and bloodlines: Power may be transmitted through descendants and may contain fragments of the Dao, raising the possibility of reciprocal parent-child inheritance.
• Legacy and authority: The Assassin Heavenly Court’s artifacts preserve both its lineage and its founder’s killing path, while the Black Emperor turns that inheritance into a claim to leadership.
• Ambition versus responsibility: The Black Emperor’s self-serving plans for Ye Fan contrast with Lin Xian’s broader speculation about how future generations might inherit and combine great power.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xian explains that physical inheritance matters: a powerful physique gives someone a major advantage before reaching immortality, much as inherited spiritual convictions can preserve a lineage’s Dao.
• He proposes training Ye Fan by making him focus almost entirely on his Sacred Body. Ye Fan would fight Supreme Beings from an early cultivation stage, aiming to reach a nearly perfected body before returning to cultivate his spirit and magic.
• Lin Xian’s goal is not for Ye Fan to defeat Supreme Beings outright during dark turmoil, but to endure until their vitality and blood run out—“trade blood for blood” and use time against them.
• The group reaches Deathless Mountain, where Xiao Nannan plays with several small, unusually docile Saint Spirits. Lin Xian recognizes their cave-dwelling leader as an Immortal Tears Green Gold Saint Spirit, a potentially overwhelming being if it ever reached emperorhood.
• Rather than treating the Saint Spirits as enemies or treasures to seize, Lin Xian uses the nine-apertures method to appear kin to them and invites them to live at Yaochi. Xiao Nannan also invites them to her home, and at least one eagerly accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian reveals a pragmatic, long-term strategy for Ye Fan and shows both confidence and guile when approaching the Saint Spirits. He combines the Undying Immortal Medicine’s aura with a Saint Spirit technique to reassure them.
• Ye Fan is discussed as the subject of a demanding training plan: his physical body would be developed first, potentially to the Quasi-Emperor level, before his other cultivation catches up.
• The Black Emperor questions Lin Xian’s plan and reflects on the unavoidable passage of time.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha, who has personally endured long eras in divine origin, recognizes time as the decisive force in a battle against Supreme Beings. He also suggests Xiao Nannan may be unusually untouched by time’s constraints.
• Xiao Nannan remains cheerful and fearless in the restricted area, naturally befriending the Saint Spirits. Her innocence helps make Lin Xian’s invitation appealing.
• The Saint Spirits are portrayed as gentle and unresentful, having avoided being cut open by cultivators. Their curiosity and affection toward Xiao Nannan make them receptive to leaving Deathless Mountain.

Significant themes

• Time as both advantage and enemy: Supreme Beings possess immense power, but age and declining vitality constrain them; younger opponents can exploit endurance and wait them out.
• Physical inheritance and bodily cultivation: A strong physique is presented as a foundational advantage, and Ye Fan’s body is to be cultivated as a strategic weapon.
• Patience over direct victory: Survival and attrition may be more effective than trying to overpower an enemy at their peak.
• Trust and kinship over exploitation: Lin Xian approaches the Saint Spirits as potential companions rather than resources, while Xiao Nannan’s warmth helps establish that bond.

Chapter Summary: “Going After Both Old and Young”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xian explains the different origins and potential of Saint Spirits:
  • Stone Embryo Saint Spirits can become Supreme Beings and potentially True Immortals.
  • Some humanoid stone embryos are petrified True Immortals who regain sentience and naturally return to the Immortal Dao.
  • Immortal Metal Saint Spirits possess even greater potential, with a lineage that has produced Immortal Kings.
• The Immortal Tears Green Gold Saint Spirit is revealed to be extraordinarily talented. After reaching the Dao in its second lifetime, it challenged the eighth-lifetime Ye Fan and was defeated within ten moves.
• Despite its defeat, the Green Gold Saint Spirit is recognized as a Heavenly Sovereign-level expert capable of fighting True Immortals. Lin Xian believes its excessive stubbornness and straightforwardness are weaknesses he should correct.
• Lin Xian tries to persuade the Saint Spirit to leave Deathless Mountain and establish its own forbidden zone. The Saint Spirit refuses, regarding Deathless Mountain as the ancestral home and protector of the Saint Spirit race.
• Lin Xian leaves behind a way to contact him, allowing the Saint Spirit time to reconsider its future and path toward immortality.
• Big Black Dog is frustrated that they did not seize the Immortal Metal directly. Lin Xian explains that attacking Deathless Mountain recklessly would be extremely dangerous because of its many Supremes and possible Quasi-Emperor subordinates.
• Lin Xian proposes visiting Deathless Mountain as an envoy of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone. He intends to negotiate with a dying Supreme who is no longer capable of launching a Dark Turmoil and may be concerned about preserving his descendants.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha remains cautious, while Big Black Dog grows suspicious of Lin Xian’s unusually detailed knowledge of the forbidden zones. Lin Xian jokingly claims that his intelligence is natural for an envoy and that Ye Fan’s status as a “Forbidden Zone Heir” makes such knowledge unsurprising.

Character Developments

• Lin Xian: Demonstrates strategic patience rather than impulsive force. He recognizes the Saint Spirit’s value but understands that directly attacking Deathless Mountain could lead to disaster. He also reveals himself as a skilled manipulator, combining persuasion, intelligence, and deliberate deception.
• Immortal Tears Green Gold Saint Spirit: Is characterized as powerful, gifted, and immature. Its loyalty to Deathless Mountain shows gratitude and attachment, but its refusal to leave also reveals a limited perspective about its own future. It is portrayed as a potential future Immortal King.
• Big Black Dog: Remains greedy, crafty, and eager to exploit opportunities. He wants to seize the Immortal Metal but is also perceptive enough to suspect that Lin Xian is hiding a deeper identity.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha: Acts as the voice of caution, emphasizing the danger of provoking forbidden zones and the possibility of hidden Quasi-Emperor forces.
• Ye Fan: Though absent, his overwhelming strength is emphasized through his easy defeat of the Green Gold Saint Spirit, reinforcing his status as an almost unreachable figure.
• Deathless Mountain’s Supremes: Are presented as ruthless toward outsiders but protective of their own Saint Spirit descendants, creating a morally complex relationship within the forbidden zone.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus maturity: Great talent does not guarantee wisdom. The Green Gold Saint Spirit has immense power but lacks experience and tactical subtlety.
• Loyalty and independence: The Saint Spirit must eventually choose whether to remain loyal to Deathless Mountain or pursue its own path toward immortality.
• The complexity of forbidden zones: Forbidden zones are not simply unified forces of evil; they protect their own while exploiting ordinary living beings.
• Caution versus ambition: The group desires the Immortal Metal, but Lin Xian stresses that reckless action against multiple Supremes could destroy them.
• The many paths to immortality: Lin Xian emphasizes that immortality depends on one’s Dao Heart and chosen philosophy, not merely innate potential.
• Deception and political maneuvering: Rather than relying only on strength, Lin Xian plans to use diplomacy, status, and intelligence to approach a dangerous enemy.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xian attempts to persuade the Green Gold Saint Spirit to abandon Deathless Mountain, but it calmly defends its home and refuses.
• Big Black Dog challenges Lin Xian’s decision not to seize the Saint Spirit, prompting Lin Xian to explain the military risks of confronting Deathless Mountain.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha warns that even if the Supremes do not act directly, their Quasi-Emperor subordinates could retaliate.
• Lin Xian counters by asserting that he represents the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone, placing him on equal diplomatic footing with Deathless Mountain.
• Big Black Dog becomes increasingly suspicious of Lin Xian’s knowledge, joking that he may secretly be an ancient forbidden-zone monster. Lin Xian maintains his false explanation with a straight face.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Despite Lin Xian’s explanation, the Black Emperor remains suspicious that the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone could cooperate with other restricted areas. Lin Xian clarifies that Supreme Beings and Life Restricted Areas have different motives and moral positions.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha accepts Lin Xian’s distinction, explaining that some Supreme Beings seek only personal survival, some endure for future generations, and others await the Immortal Ascension Road for the sake of the Immortal Dao.
• The chapter identifies the major Supreme Beings in Deathless Mountain:
  • Stone Emperor, a ruthless Saint Spirit who has repeatedly launched Dark Turmoil.
  • Black Tortoise Saint Spirit Emperor, ancient and close to dissolving into the Dao, whose goal is to benefit future generations rather than pursue immortality.
  • Peacock Emperor, whose true intentions remain unclear because of his connections to Buddhism and Amitabha.
• Lin Xian seeks the Black Tortoise Emperor, hoping to persuade or abduct him along with the Immortal Metal Saint Spirit.
• The group encounters the legendary Longlife Immortal Elixir, shaped like a small azure Black Tortoise. Unlike ordinary Immortal Medicines, it grants a second lifespan of ten thousand years to anyone who consumes it, making it extraordinarily valuable.
• The elixir flees after being alerted by the Dao Enlightenment Tea Tree, which had escaped earlier when the group picked its leaves. Lin Xian realizes that the elixir is controlled by the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor and orders everyone to follow it.
• The group chases the elixir through Deathless Mountain, guided by Xiao Nannan’s map. It eventually enters a cluster of ancient, ruined mountains that appear to form the core territory of the restricted area.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha warns that the central mountains lack the protective Void Emperor formations that would allow them to escape. Instead of entering recklessly, he leads the group around the area while searching for a safer route.
• The chapter ends with the group reaching the very center of Deathless Mountain.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lin Xian demonstrates his strategic and opportunistic nature. When the Immortal Metal Saint Spirit refuses to cooperate, he plans to capture the older Black Tortoise Emperor instead, potentially taking both Supreme Beings at once.
• The Black Emperor remains aggressive and distrustful, confronting Lin Xian and expressing disbelief at the possibility of cooperation with a restricted area.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha acts as the group’s voice of reason and expert on restricted areas. His knowledge of the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginnings allows him to distinguish between genuinely evil Supreme Beings and those who have retained more principled goals.
• Xiao Nannan provides comic relief and practical assistance. Her innocent attempt to call the elixir back fails, but her map helps the group track its movements.
• The group’s pursuit of the elixir increases their willingness to enter Deathless Mountain’s most dangerous region, despite the risk of confronting multiple Supreme Beings.

Significant Themes

• Different motivations among Supreme Beings: The chapter emphasizes that not all restricted-area rulers are equally corrupt. Some act for themselves, some for future generations, and some pursue knowledge of immortality for the benefit of all cultivators.
• The value and scarcity of lifespan: In the Dharma-Ending Era, longevity is more precious than combat power. The Black Tortoise Elixir’s ability to grant ten thousand years makes it more valuable than ordinary Immortal Medicines.
• Moral ambiguity: Restricted areas are not portrayed as uniformly evil. Their inhabitants range from ruthless perpetrators of Dark Turmoil to ancient beings who passively endure in hopes of helping those who come later.
• Risk versus reward: The group must choose between retreating from the dangerous central mountains and pursuing an elixir capable of changing the balance of power.
• The passage of time and decline: The Black Tortoise Emperor’s approaching dissolution into the Dao reflects the decay of ancient powers and the limited time remaining even for long-lived Supreme Beings.

Chapter Summary: Ancient Quasi-Emperor, Fighting on Horseback!

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the center of Deathless Mountain, Lin Xian, Big Black Dog, Victorious Fighting Buddha, and Xiao Nannan encounter 108 terrifying black peaks arranged in four groups of 27. The mountains are associated with four ancient Supreme Beings: Stone Emperor, a peacock-related Supreme Being, Black Tortoise, and an unnamed Daoist figure.
• The group reflects on the long history of cultivation, emphasizing how successive Emperors, Heavenly Venerables, and other great figures developed the Dao and paved the way toward immortality.
• The Black Tortoise Immortal Elixir flies into the northern peaks. Its movement alerts the restricted area’s guardians.
• A headless Saint Spirit Quasi-Emperor emerges from the eastern mountains, riding a powerful stone horse and wielding a black spear. Because he came from Stone Emperor’s territory, the group realizes they cannot approach from the east.
• The Headless Knight charges toward them, creating an apocalyptic spectacle. However, Lin Xian recognizes that the knight is deliberately moving slowly and is trying to drive them away rather than truly fight.
• Lin Xian and Big Black Dog display the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron, the Great Dao Treasure Vase, and an Immortal Emperor token. These Emperor-level treasures make the Quasi-Emperor hesitate.
• Lin Xian boldly claims that they are envoys from another restricted area, carrying the will of a Supreme Being and seeking an audience with Black Tortoise. He warns the Headless Knight that delaying them could interfere with a Supreme Being’s immortal plans.
• The confrontation remains unresolved, but the knight lowers his spear, suggesting that Lin Xian’s bluff and the political stakes have succeeded in preventing immediate conflict.

Character Developments

• Lin Xian demonstrates exceptional composure, strategic thinking, and audacity. Rather than relying solely on force, he exploits the restricted areas’ fear of disturbing one another and their obsession with the approaching Immortal Ascension Road.
• Big Black Dog remains vigilant and practical, identifying the mountain arrangement and quickly preparing their escape through the golden path left by Void Great Emperor. He also supports Lin Xian by producing the Immortal Emperor token.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha shows deep respect for the ancient Supreme Beings and remains ready to fight, gripping his Immortal Iron Staff when the Headless Knight appears.
• Xiao Nannan continues to serve as a major source of deterrence. Even powerful beings fear provoking her, making her presence an important part of the group’s safety.
• The Headless Knight is established as a terrifying but subordinate figure: although he is an ancient Quasi-Emperor capable of overwhelming ordinary cultivators, within Deathless Mountain he serves the Supreme Beings and must consider their interests.

Significant Themes

• The weight of history: The chapter honors the generations of cultivators who advanced the Dao, stressing that present achievements—including the Red-Dust Immortal Path—were built on the sacrifices and discoveries of earlier figures.
• The pursuit of immortality: The Supreme Beings have abandoned nearly everything—emotion, pride, relationships, compassion, and even aspects of their Dao Hearts—in exchange for a chance at eternal life.
• Political calculation over brute force: Even ancient monsters and restricted-area guardians avoid unnecessary battles when the Immortal Ascension Road is near. Survival and immortality matter more than pride or old grudges.
• Fear and deterrence: Power is not determined only by direct strength. Emperor Weapons, Supreme Being backing, Xiao Nannan’s presence, and the potential consequences of disturbing a restricted area all shape the confrontation.
• Bluffing and psychological warfare: Lin Xian’s claim that he represents another restricted area allows him to confront a Quasi-Emperor with arrogance that would otherwise be suicidal.

Character Interactions

• Big Black Dog repeatedly urges the group to leave while helping guide them along Void Great Emperor’s escape route.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha reacts seriously to the Headless Knight, showing his readiness to protect the group.
• Lin Xian interprets the knight’s behavior and reassures the others that the apparent attack is largely intimidation.
• Lin Xian directly confronts and verbally pressures the Headless Knight, presenting himself as a messenger of a Supreme Being.
• The Headless Knight responds with caution rather than immediate violence, illustrating the tension between his duty to defend Deathless Mountain and his fear of provoking the restricted area’s Supreme Beings or interfering with their plans.

Chapter Summary: “Learning Foreign Languages Is Good”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Saint Spirit Stone Embryo Quasi-Emperor abandons the search for the Black Tortoise Immortal Elixir and follows its trail instead.
• Black Emperor is surprised by Lin Xian’s fluency in the Primordial Antiquity Language. Lin Xian credits Myriad Dragon Maiden, joking that learning foreign languages is useful.
• The group discusses the risks of entering Deathless Mountain. Their primary goal is not the immortal elixir or tea leaves, but determining how many active Supremes reside there and whether they can safely rescue or investigate the Peacock Emperor.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha insists they remain, arguing that this is their best opportunity to assess Deathless Mountain’s strength.
• The Headless Knight leads them through twenty-seven mountains inhabited by incomplete Saint Spirits. These beings harbor resentment toward cultivators who interrupted their natural development, explaining why many Saint Spirits later become extreme or hostile.
• At the heart of Deathless Mountain, the group discovers a peaceful Peach Garden containing several cottages and the Black Tortoise Immortal Elixir.
• The aged Black Tortoise Emperor appears, revealing that he has emerged from seclusion because he is nearing the end of his life and wishes to spend his remaining years peacefully.
• The group confirms that Deathless Mountain contains only three Supremes:
  • The frail, dying Black Tortoise Emperor
  • The sealed Stone Emperor
  • The Peacock Emperor, also sealed in Divine Origin
• Since only two Supremes remain capable of acting freely, the group feels substantially relieved.
• Lin Xian boldly greets the Black Tortoise Emperor and engages him in a philosophical exchange about cultivation realms.

Character Developments

• Lin Xian: Demonstrates unexpected mastery of the Primordial Antiquity Language, confidence, and diplomatic courage. Despite having the lowest apparent status and cultivation, he takes the initiative in addressing the Black Tortoise Emperor. His mysterious, irregular cultivation structure astonishes the Emperor, who believes Lin Xian may be capable of fighting opponents several realms above him.
• Black Emperor: Remains cautious and anxious about the dangers of Deathless Mountain, repeatedly considering escape. He also reveals his awareness of the strategic value of Myriad Dragon Maiden’s presence.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha: Acts as the group’s stabilizing and strategic force, preventing Black Emperor from fleeing and emphasizing their mission to assess Deathless Mountain’s Supremes.
• Black Tortoise Emperor: Is portrayed as ancient, weakened, and resigned to death, but still immensely powerful. He is surprised by Lin Xian’s leadership and disturbed by the abnormal nature of Lin Xian’s cultivation.
• Headless Knight: Serves as the group’s guide and shows deep respect toward the Black Tortoise Emperor.
• Peacock Emperor and Stone Emperor: Their presence confirms the true power structure of Deathless Mountain. Both remain sealed, conserving their strength.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as practical power: Lin Xian’s language skills unexpectedly become valuable, reinforcing the idea that seemingly minor abilities can matter in critical situations.
• Strategic knowledge over immediate treasures: The group prioritizes learning the number and condition of Deathless Mountain’s Supremes over obtaining immortal resources.
• The tragedy of interrupted natural development: The incomplete Saint Spirits embody resentment toward cultivators who disrupted their birth, suggesting that violence and hostility can originate from collective suffering.
• Aging and mortality: The Black Tortoise Emperor’s emergence highlights the decline of even the greatest beings and contrasts his peaceful acceptance of death with the other Supremes’ struggle for the Immortal Path.
• The limits of conventional cultivation systems: Lin Xian rejects rigid realm classifications, arguing that different eras and cultivation systems cannot be judged by the same standards. His unusual power suggests that true strength depends more on Dao comprehension than formal labels.
• Appearances versus actual strength: Lin Xian’s low cultivation and status conceal extraordinary potential, while the sealed Supremes conceal their auras and power.

Character Interactions

• Black Emperor questions Lin Xian about his language ability, leading to a humorous exchange.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha and Black Emperor debate whether to remain or escape; the old monkey ultimately insists on continuing the mission.
• The Headless Knight respectfully presents the group to the Black Tortoise Emperor.
• Lin Xian unexpectedly takes the lead in greeting the Emperor, causing the latter to reassess the group’s hierarchy and intentions.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor examines Lin Xian’s cultivation and challenges his confidence. Lin Xian responds with an unconventional philosophy that dismisses rigid realm distinctions, leaving the Emperor intrigued and concerned.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xian explains that cultivation realms are created from the Dao rather than determining it. He argues that lower-level cultivators can defeat higher-level ones when the latter’s understanding of the Dao is insufficient.
• His remarks impress and intimidate the ancient Supremes, especially the Black Tortoise Emperor, who invites him and his companions into a peach-tree courtyard to discuss the Dao.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor asks Lin Xian about the difference between the Desolate Antiquity and Chaotic Ancient eras. Lin Xian explains that their cultivation systems differed—modern cultivators pursue immortality, while Chaotic Ancient cultivators pursued godhood—but both ultimately sought eternal life and imperishability.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor laments that countless emperors, Supremes, and prodigies have searched for immortality without success. Lin Xian reveals that one person from the Chaotic Ancient Era did become an immortal: the Desolate Heaven Emperor.
• The revelation that the Desolate Pagoda is the Desolate Heaven Emperor’s Immortal Artifact causes the Black Tortoise Emperor to briefly release his overwhelming Supreme aura. He then returns to his aged appearance and becomes even more respectful toward Lin Xian.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor orders the Headless Knight to prepare ten-thousand-year Dao Enlightenment Tea. The tea is extraordinarily valuable, containing three thousand leaves symbolizing the three thousand Great Daos.
• Lin Xian explains that the Desolate Heaven Emperor could forge an Immortal Artifact because he had become an immortal, just as cultivators of lower realms forge weapons corresponding to their cultivation.
• Convinced by Lin Xian’s knowledge, the Black Tortoise Emperor honors him as the guest of honor and personally offers him Dao Enlightenment Immortal Tea.

Character Developments

• Lin Xian demonstrates profound knowledge of the Immortal Dao and uses carefully chosen insights to establish authority among the Supremes. He shifts from cautious intimidation to openly revealing major truths about immortals and the Desolate Heaven Emperor.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor is shown to be ancient, immensely powerful, and nearing Dao transformation, but also intellectually curious and eager for answers concerning immortality. His attitude toward Lin Xian changes from testing him to treating him as an honored equal.
• Xiao Nannan remains fearless and innocent. Unlike the others, she is unaffected by the Black Tortoise Emperor’s terrifying aura and casually plays with the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha is emotionally stirred by memories of his lost youth, revealing a more reflective and nostalgic side.
• Big Black Dog and Lin Xian comically pretend to be distracted by the sky and ground, likely to avoid being asked for valuable treasures or tea.
• The Headless Knight acts as an obedient servant within the Restricted Area, emphasizing the strict hierarchy between Quasi-Emperors and Supremes.

Significant Themes

• The Dao transcends cultivation realms: Realms are imperfect frameworks, while true understanding of the Dao determines whether one can overcome an apparently superior opponent.
• The universal pursuit of immortality: Different cultivation systems and eras ultimately share the same goal—eternal existence and freedom from decay.
• Knowledge as power: Lin Xian’s understanding allows him to command respect from beings vastly stronger than ordinary cultivators.
• The reality of immortals: The chapter confirms that immortality is not merely legend or wishful thinking; the Desolate Heaven Emperor truly reached the Immortal Realm.
• Age, decline, and curiosity: Despite his nearing end, the Black Tortoise Emperor remains eager to seek knowledge, suggesting that the desire to understand the Dao survives even when physical life is nearly exhausted.
• Humor amid grandeur: The characters’ awkward behavior around priceless tea and the Black Tortoise Emperor’s casual extravagance provide comic relief amid discussions of immortality and cosmic history.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xian and the Black Tortoise Emperor engage in a respectful intellectual exchange, with the Emperor testing Lin Xian’s knowledge and gradually recognizing his extraordinary insight.
• Lin Xian’s revelation about the Desolate Heaven Emperor transforms the Emperor’s attitude, prompting him to offer rare tea and seat Lin Xian in the place of honor.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor commands the Headless Knight, reinforcing the Restricted Area’s rigid hierarchy.
• Xiao Nannan’s unaffected reaction to the Emperor’s aura contrasts with the fear and pressure felt by the others.
• Big Black Dog, Lin Xian, and the rest of the group react comically to the valuable tea, while the Emperor recognizes their evasive behavior as that of “peerless thieves.”

Summary

The passage is an author’s note asking readers to vote on which setting should be used for the next dungeon arc. The proposed options are:

1. Continue with

Shrouding the Heavens

2. Enter a Perfect World dungeon
3. Use

Lifetime + One Person

4. Enter a Dragon Race dungeon
5. Explore a traditional mythology dungeon
6. Choose another option suggested by readers
   The author also reminds readers of the Taiwan Novel Network domain, twkan.com, for convenience.
   The author apologizes for the recent pacing, explaining that the last hundred thousand words have felt prolonged because a relapse of illness left him lacking the energy to create new dungeon settings. After struggling for about a month, he has still not fully recovered. He plans to continue the current storyline for approximately ten more chapters before beginning a new dungeon world.

Character Development and Interactions

There are no fictional character events or interactions in this passage. The focus is instead on direct communication between the author and readers, with the author acknowledging reader concerns, explaining the delayed progression, and inviting them to participate in deciding the story’s future direction.

Significant Themes

• Reader participation: The audience is given influence over the next major setting.
• Authorial struggle: The note openly addresses illness and the difficulty of maintaining creative momentum.
• Pacing and transition: The current arc will continue briefly before the story shifts into a new dungeon world.
• Cross-world adventure: The suggested settings emphasize the story’s continuing exploration of different fictional and mythological universes.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xian discusses immortality with the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor, who asks whether forging an Immortal Artifact is necessary to become immortal.
• Lin recounts Emperor Zun’s failed attempt to enter the Immortal Realm: he was opposed by the Realm’s inhabitants, shaken by Longevity Heavenly Venerable, and struck by the Immortal Emperor using the bloodstained Immortal Bell.
• Lin suggests that, without this interference, Emperor Zun might have succeeded. He also implies that Emperor Zun’s story supports the claim that Ye Fan is his reincarnation.
• To persuade the Black Tortoise Emperor that the Immortal Realm is real—and win his cooperation—Lin offers a deliberately dubious “unofficial history.” He claims the Immortal Emperor was an immortal spirit from the Phoenix Clan who betrayed Emperor Zun because the Immortal Realm promised to help him return home.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor is startled by the tale but focuses on its most consequential claim: that the Immortal Emperor came from the Immortal Realm. He falls silent to consider what it means for the Immortal Path.
• While his host reflects, Lin drinks nearly all the Dao Enlightenment Tea. Its power greatly improves his cultivation, and he shamelessly demands more.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian presents himself as a knowledgeable, solemn Heavenly Court official, but he is also an opportunistic manipulator. He mixes fact and fabrication to steer the Black Tortoise Emperor toward the New Heavenly Court, while privately enjoying the tea and boasting about his enhanced strength.
• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor is thoughtful and discerning. He challenges Lin’s account and is momentarily shocked by its scandalous explanation, yet quickly recognizes that the claim about the Immortal Realm matters far more than the gossip.
• Their conversation is courteous but strategic: Lin seeks to persuade and recruit the emperor, while the emperor listens and weighs the claims against his own understanding.

Significant themes

• The uncertainty of immortality: Even emperors may fail to reach the Immortal Realm, and success on the Immortal Path remains mysterious.
• History as propaganda: Lin openly shapes the past to serve the New Heavenly Court, suggesting that people often accept the version of history they already want to believe.
• Faith and political authority: The image of Emperor Zun matters more than the historical person; the Heavenly Court relies on a revered ideal to gather belief and legitimacy.
• Self-interest beneath lofty ideals: Lin’s serious talk of the Great Dao contrasts comically with his eagerness to consume the emperor’s precious tea.

Chapter summary

Key events and revelations

• While drinking Dao Enlightenment Tea, Lin Xian approaches a breakthrough but suppresses the urge to undergo tribulation inside Deathless Mountain.
• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor questions whether the repeated failures of Emperor Zun, the Heavenly Emperor, and others mean the Immortal Ascension Road is a fraud.
• Lin Xian explains that the Desolate Heaven Emperor truly became immortal before opening the roads. These routes are not paths to immortality, but ascension roads for beings who have already attained the immortal Dao. Becoming immortal and entering the Immortal Realm are distinct.
• Lin Xian argues that reaching the limits of the Imperial Path is necessary before immortality can even be pursued. Xiao Nannan’s unsevered Great Emperor Dao fruit serves as his example.
• As the Black Tortoise Emperor considers whether Xiao Nannan’s Dao fruit might offer him a chance at another life, Lin Xian reveals his strength: the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron, Xiao Nannan, and powerful allies stand behind him.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha manifests Amitabha’s power, and Gai Jiuyou’s presence is revealed. The Black Tortoise Emperor recognizes that the New Heavenly Court can negotiate with the forbidden zones as an equal and chooses not to fight.
• Amitabha appears within Deathless Mountain to confront the sealed Peacock Emperor, who acknowledges their past contest but still rejects Amitabha’s Dao.
• Lin Xian proposes that immortality depends on the right time, place, and person. The forbidden zones focus on time and place; the New Heavenly Court seeks the right person. He also urges the Black Tortoise Emperor to contribute his knowledge and legacy to future generations.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor declines further effort: he is so near death that even moving could leave him only days to live. He sees greater value in preserving his descendants’ future.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian shifts from explaining cosmic history to negotiating from a position of strength, while carefully flattering the Black Tortoise Emperor and appealing to his concern for his descendants. His fixation on creating an Immortal Realm becomes clear in the closing joke: he realizes he has begun thinking like the Azure Emperor.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor moves from anger and suspicion to a measured acceptance of the New Heavenly Court’s power. Though tempted by the possibility of renewed life, he recognizes his physical limits and chooses restraint.
• Xiao Nannan remains innocent and playful, yet her extraordinary Dao fruit is central to Lin Xian’s argument and leverage.
• Amitabha and the Peacock Emperor are shown as old adversaries bound by a complicated history: the Peacock Emperor protects Amitabha’s Dharma but does not accept his beliefs.
• The Headless Knight silently recognizes the danger of interfering in a confrontation involving Supreme Beings.

Significant themes

• The true nature of immortality: Attaining the immortal Dao and entering the Immortal Realm are separate achievements; the traditional Immortal Ascension Road has been misunderstood.
• Legacy and collective progress: Immortality is framed not only as individual survival, but as knowledge passed forward and refined by later generations.
• Power, age, and restraint: The Black Tortoise Emperor’s lost vitality forces him to choose caution over ambition, despite glimpsing a possible path forward.
• Ambition and obsession: Lin Xian’s grand plans for transforming the mortal world increasingly shape his thoughts, hinting at the scale—and danger—of his aspirations.

Lin Xian realizes that evolving an Immortal Realm within his body is only a means to longevity, not the true path of his Dao. His destined path is tied to the universe, time, and space, and he resolves not to let the Immortal Realm consume or define him. Still, because he has not yet reached the stage of ultimate transformation, he continues pursuing this method for now.
He then explains the New Heavenly Court’s long-term vision: rather than trying to turn the mortal world into an Immortal Realm all at once, they aim to help individuals become immortals first, who can then guide others. Over generations, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths may eventually develop into an Immortal Realm. The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor praises Lin Xian’s rhetoric but remains skeptical, emphasizing that ideals alone do not secure cooperation.
The conversation turns to the Supreme Beings’ need for renewed lifespans. The Black Tortoise Emperor hints that useful cooperation should bring tangible rewards, such as a Nine-Turn Immortal Elixir. Lin Xian offers immortal medicine and knowledge of the pill formula, but the Emperor dismisses both: forbidden zones already possess such resources and formulas, and have failed to make the elixir.
When ordinary bargaining fails, Lin Xian unveils the Human Emperor Banner, an ominous black-and-white artifact wreathed in purple qi. The Black Tortoise Emperor is puzzled by its relevance, and Lin Xian claims it is the “marvelous little tool” a Supreme Being needs when his final hour approaches.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian becomes more discerning about his own Dao, separating his ultimate purpose from a practical longevity technique. He also shifts from lofty persuasion to shrewd negotiation, escalating his offer when the Black Tortoise Emperor rejects his proposals.
• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor is experienced and pragmatic: he acknowledges the Heavenly Court’s status but expects concrete benefits before cooperating. His candid hints expose the material stakes behind the discussion.
• Xiao Nannan is briefly present, playing with the Black Tortoise Medicine. Her extreme age surprises the Black Tortoise Emperor, who realizes that even he is young by comparison.

Significant themes

• Means versus ultimate purpose: Immortal Realm evolution may extend life, but it must not replace Lin Xian’s true Dao.
• Gradual collective progress: Overcoming the broken Immortal Path requires generations of effort, not a single hero or emperor.
• Idealism and pragmatism: Lin Xian presents a grand vision, while the Black Tortoise Emperor demands practical, immediate value.
• Longevity and the cost of survival: The Supreme Beings’ depleted lifespans drive the negotiation, culminating in the ominous introduction of the Human Emperor Banner.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xian reveals that the Human Emperor Banner can preserve the True Spirit imprints of the dead. Its reincarnation aura convinces the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor that it may offer a path to survival beyond ordinary Ghost Dao artifacts.
• Lin Xian explains that faith can sustain the spirit and may allow the dead to return, citing Amitabha and the Immortal Taoist as precedents. The Black Tortoise Emperor considers the possibility but recognizes that survival is only a slim hope.
• The Black Tortoise Emperor offers his immortal medicine, but Lin Xian says the Heavenly Court cannot simply promote his faith: the Emperor must first earn the support of living beings through great deeds.
• Because the Emperor lacks a strong lineage and few descendants remain, he would need immense, widespread faith. Lin Xian suggests earning it by resisting the coming dark turmoil, especially the crisis surrounding the opening of the Immortal Ascension Road.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha observes that the Emperor may no longer be a Forbidden Zone Supreme by the time the crisis arrives. The Emperor laughs, then reflects on his past and his abandonment of the duty he once fulfilled.
• Remembering how he once protected the universe as emperor—and how he later watched atrocities without intervening—the Black Tortoise Emperor resolves to act differently: “I, too, can love all living beings.”

Character developments

• Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor: Moves from skepticism and self-preserving concern toward renewed moral purpose. He confronts the contrast between his former role as guardian of the universe and his later detachment in the Deathless Mountain, and chooses to reclaim his compassion.
• Lin Xian: Shows strategic candor and moral resolve. Rather than bargain for the immortal medicine or promise easy salvation, he makes clear that the Emperor must earn the people’s faith through service.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha: Offers a calm, pointed reminder that death will separate the Emperor from the Forbidden Zones’ conflicts, reinforcing the possibility of a clean moral break.

Significant themes

• Faith, memory, and survival: Belief and remembrance may preserve a spirit or enable a return, but they must be earned and sustained.
• Redemption through service: The Emperor’s possible second chance depends not merely on an artifact or ritual, but on again protecting living beings.
• The burden of immortality: Fear of death and longing for longevity can lead even a once-great ruler to abandon his responsibilities.
• Change and renewal: The Emperor cannot return to the past, but he can choose a different path in the present.

Character interactions

• Lin Xian challenges the Emperor’s assumptions about the Human Emperor Banner, then explains the practical limits of faith-based resurrection.
• The Emperor tests whether the Heavenly Court will accept his immortal medicine, while Lin Xian redirects the discussion toward public merit and responsibility.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha’s wry remark about the Emperor’s future status prompts laughter, but the exchange gives way to the Emperor’s solemn recollection and resolve.

Key events and plot points

• Lin Xian explains why some naturally born supreme beings are more prone to cruelty: unlike those who grew powerful through hardship, they may never develop empathy for ordinary life. He contrasts this with the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor, whose gradual rise left him with compassion.
• Lin Xian offers the Black Tortoise a chance to leave Deathless Mountain and join the Heavenly Court, potentially helping protect living beings again. The Emperor is tempted by the possibility of a newly discovered Immortal Path and a life beyond the Forbidden Zone.
• Lin Xian promises that the Heavenly Court will honor the Emperor and care for his Dao-lineage—but is also clearly hoping to recruit his descendants, including a promising Immortal Metal Saint Spirit.
• When the Black Tortoise calls out Lin Xian’s motives, Lin Xian jokingly claims to be Deathless Mountain’s rightful heir. He argues that recruiting its Saint Spirits is not destroying the Forbidden Zone, but giving them a better home.
• At Lin Xian’s prompting, the Big Black Dog presents the Heavenly Court’s larger mission: to unite capable cultivators across eras in the search for immortality, rather than pursue the goal for one person or faction alone.
• The Black Tortoise responds favorably to the speech, but ends by asking where the Heavenly Court’s Source Heavenly Master is.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian shows his characteristic mix of ambition, shameless humor, and persuasive idealism. His wish to recruit the Black Tortoise and his descendants is self-interested, but he frames it as part of a grand collective purpose.
• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor emerges as thoughtful and compassionate, unlike a naturally perfected Stone Embryo Saint Spirit. He is open to abandoning the Forbidden Zone and considers the Heavenly Court’s proposal seriously, though he sees through Lin Xian’s flattery.
• The Big Black Dog surprises Lin Xian by delivering a forceful, coherent defense of the Heavenly Court’s mission. The Black Tortoise recognizes the speech’s appeal, though the final question leaves the pitch unfinished.
• Their exchange is warm but pointed: Lin Xian flatters and bargains, the Black Tortoise teases him for his motives, and the Big Black Dog turns the recruitment effort into a philosophical argument.

Significant themes

• Nature versus experience: Those who grow from weakness may develop empathy, while beings born powerful can regard others as lesser.
• The search for immortality: The chapter reframes it as a collective undertaking spanning eras, not merely one individual’s ambition.
• Redemption and choice: Even a ruler of a Forbidden Zone may choose to leave it and serve living beings.
• Persuasion, idealism, and self-interest: Lin Xian’s recruiting efforts are opportunistic, but the Heavenly Court’s vision offers a genuinely broader purpose.

Key events

• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor considers Lin Xian’s Source Heavenly Master abilities valuable: Source Heavenly Masters are rare, and their help could let an Immortal Metal Saint Spirit pursue a path to becoming an emperor.
• Lin Xian explains that his branch wants to change the grim fate of Source Heavenly Masters by raising Saint Spirits to protect them in old age. He points to the Saint Spirit Stone Embryo in Yaochi as evidence that they mean no harm.
• Near the end of his life, the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor offers his immortal elixir to whoever can safeguard his descendants. The Black Emperor eagerly volunteers, but his scripture and claims fail to impress.
• Lin Xian instead presents a blank Heavenly Court decree, promising the Black Tortoise lineage a place in the Court and even the right to succeed to its leadership. He portrays the Heavenly Court as open to all beings and emperors, regardless of race.
• Impressed by this apparent generosity, the Ancient Emperor gives Lin Xian his imperial token, which will help secure his descendants’ cooperation. The elixir itself is to be claimed later, when he undergoes Dao Transformation.
• Elsewhere, Ye Fan’s unexplained shudder distracts him during a fight with the Immortal Taoist, who knocks him from his battle armor.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian shows diplomatic confidence and strategic showmanship, reassuring the Ancient Emperor while using the Heavenly Court’s promise of succession to win his trust.
• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor shifts from assessing Lin Xian’s usefulness to entrusting him with his descendants’ future. He remains clear-eyed about the elixir’s limited value to him.
• The Black Emperor is comically greedy for the medicine and eager to bargain, but his pitch is dismissed; he also protects the secret of the complete Wu Shi Emperor Scripture.
• Ye Fan is absent from the negotiation but is humorously affected by events, suffering a setback at the worst possible moment.

Themes

• Legacy and protection: The Ancient Emperor values the survival of his descendants more than a medicine that can no longer help him.
• Reforming inherited burdens: Lin Xian seeks to replace the Source Heavenly Masters’ curse-ridden path with one supported by cultivated Saint Spirits.
• Ambition and political persuasion: Lin Xian’s grand vision of an inclusive Heavenly Court is both an idealistic claim and a shrewd means of securing an alliance.
• Humor and contrast: The Black Emperor’s hungry scheming and Ye Fan’s mistimed distraction puncture the solemn imperial negotiations.

Key events

• Lin Xian presents the Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor with a grand Heavenly Court edict bearing the auras of Wu Shi, Ruthless, and the Green Cauldron. The ancient emperor suspects Wu Shi may still be alive and, trusting a flawless Great Emperor over the Forbidden Zone Supremes, agrees to let the Saint Spirits leave Deathless Mountain.
• Lin Xian offers the Immortal Tears Green Gold Saint Spirit a place in Kunlun Mountain’s Immortal Land, a realm capable of nurturing even immortals. He shows an Immortal Treasure Diagram that acts as the key to entering Kunlun safely through the defenses of the Ancient Heavenly Court’s Emperor Formation.
• Tempted by the Immortal Land and assured of his elder’s consent, the Saint Spirit agrees to join the Heavenly Court. His immense potential alarms the Black Emperor, who sees him as a possible rival to the innate sacred body dao embryo.
• Lin Xian argues that the real enemies are time, the pursuit of immortality, and the Dharma-Ending Era—not other gifted beings. He promises that the Heavenly Court belongs to all races and that anyone worthy may eventually lead it, though only by defeating its current lord.
• Lin Xian identifies that lord as “Emperor Zun Ye,” a future desolate ancient sacred body—Ye Fan—and confidently predicts that he can overcome even a Great Accomplished Saint Spirit.

Character developments and interactions

• The Black Tortoise Ancient Emperor moves from suspicion to trust, staking his Ancient Emperor Token on Lin Xian’s proposal.
• The Immortal Metal Saint Spirit gives up his attachment to Deathless Mountain after learning of Kunlun’s Immortal Land. His ambition to rival Wu Shi remains, but Lin Xian persuades him to restrain his combative instincts and consider cooperation.
• Lin Xian acts as a persuasive strategist, recruiting powerful figures while presenting the Heavenly Court as an inclusive alliance. His confidence in Ye Fan is both sincere and humorously extravagant.
• The Black Emperor recognizes the Saint Spirit’s formidable potential, while the Victorious Fighting Buddha worries that the Heavenly Court may someday struggle to unite its extraordinary members.
• The Saint Spirit questions whether the Heavenly Court would truly accept him; Lin Xian’s answer—that he may lead if he proves worthy by defeating Ye Fan—turns the concern into a future challenge.

Significant themes

• Cooperation over internal rivalry: The Heavenly Court aims to unite powerful beings against shared existential threats.
• Time and mortality: Even emperors and Supremes ultimately struggle against the passage of time and the quest for immortality.
• Merit and shared rule: The Heavenly Court is presented as belonging to all races rather than one bloodline, with leadership open to those strong and virtuous enough to earn it.
• Potential and perseverance: Lin Xian’s faith in Ye Fan reflects the idea that resilience and growth can overcome even seemingly overwhelming opponents.

Plot points

• Lin Xian’s group visits Deathless Mountain, where the Headless Knight invites them to meet his master, Stone Emperor.
• As soon as the Knight turns away, Victorious Fighting Buddha ambushes him with the Immortal Iron Staff, badly wounding him. The group flees through the Void Dao patterns left by the Void Great Emperor, with Big Black Dog activating the paths.
• Fighting Buddha stays behind to cover their escape. He uses the staff as a bridge and creates countless Buddhist manifestations, but a Supreme Being’s imperial force destroys them.
• Amitabha Buddha intervenes, confronting Stone Emperor over his murderous outlook. Stone Emperor rejects Amitabha’s warnings about karma, but Peacock Emperor and Black Tortoise Emperor invite Amitabha to stay and discuss the Dao ahead of the Immortal Ascension Road’s opening.
• The Void patterns transport Lin Xian and his companions unexpectedly to the Eastern Wasteland, into the Wind Family’s territory. Amitabha recognizes their location and reacts with surprise.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xian remains composed and diplomatic when the Knight approaches, then acts decisively to get the group away.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha shows both tactical ruthlessness and self-sacrifice: he lands a devastating surprise attack, then risks himself to protect his companions.
• Big Black Dog uses his knowledge of the Void Dao patterns to help the group escape.
• Stone Emperor is revealed as openly dismissive of moral restraint and karmic consequences. Amitabha calmly challenges his worldview, while Peacock Emperor and Black Tortoise Emperor prevent the dispute from escalating by proposing a discussion.
• Amitabha’s attention later turns to Lin Xian and his companions, whose unexpected arrival in the Wind Family’s domain puzzles him.

Significant themes

• Survival through strategy and sacrifice: The group escapes by combining a surprise attack, ancient formations, and Fighting Buddha’s rear guard.
• Different views of power and morality: Stone Emperor treats violence as intrinsic to the path of supremacy; Amitabha argues that violating cosmic cause and effect carries consequences.
• Uncertainty and fate: The Void patterns send the fugitives somewhere unforeseen, shifting the story toward the mysterious Wind Family.

Chapter Summary: “Duan De and Dogs Not Allowed”

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xian, the Black Emperor, and their companions arrive at the Wind Family’s vast ancestral domain. The Black Emperor recognizes its ancient God City and concludes that the family must descend from a Great Emperor. Lin Xian recalls the Wind Family’s ties to the Wa Sovereign and Emperor Xi.
• Lin Xian reflects on his newly awakened Fuxi Divine Blood and the power it has granted him, including a human-headed, dragon-bodied manifestation and the ability to combine his strength with the True Dragon Immortal Medicine. He also suspects that his connection to the Wind Family may not be mere coincidence.
• The Black Emperor’s notorious reputation precedes him. A sign at the entrance reads, “Duan De and dogs not allowed,” prompting him to protest being grouped with the grave-robbing Duan De.
• Lin Xian tries to enter by claiming his many titles and, more importantly, his kinship with the Wind Family. A rude gatekeeper dismisses him, insults him, and refuses to admit him without an invitation. The Black Emperor gleefully mocks Lin Xian’s rare failure to impress anyone.
• When the gatekeeper continues to provoke them, Lin Xian’s anger breaks through. His dragon roar penetrates the island’s protective formation, startling the family and drawing the attention of a divine maiden near an ancient stele.
• Lin Xian strikes the gatekeeper through the formation with a single blow, astonishing the Wind Family elders. The gatekeeper calls for his uncle, a powerful Dragon Transformation Seventh Change servant, to kill Lin Xian. Lin Xian effortlessly subdues the attacker.

Character developments

• Lin Xian is more wary of the forces shaping his path, recognizing that his extraordinary bloodline and abilities may come with hidden costs. Despite his power, he initially tries to behave respectfully at the Wind Family’s sacred grounds; the gatekeeper’s arrogance eventually exhausts his patience.
• The Black Emperor remains shameless, boastful, and provocative. His infamy is treated as a familiar nuisance, but he takes special offense at being barred alongside Duan De—and enjoys seeing Lin Xian stymied.
• The gatekeeper embodies the Wind Family’s arrogant treatment of outsiders. His confidence collapses into aggression once Lin Xian retaliates, and he calls on a formidable family servant for protection.
• The Wind Family elders show greater judgment than the gatekeeper: they recognize that Lin Xian’s attack through the formation signals something extraordinary and attempt to calm the situation.

Character interactions

• Lin Xian and the Black Emperor trade contrasting reactions: the dog mocks his companion’s failed claim of kinship, while Lin Xian struggles to maintain composure.
• The gatekeeper insults both visitors, rejecting Lin Xian’s credentials and treating the Black Emperor as an unwelcome beast. His behavior earns approval from Wind Family guests who dislike the dog.
• The elders intervene after Lin Xian’s display, but the gatekeeper escalates matters by demanding that his uncle attack. Lin Xian then demonstrates the gap between his strength and the servant’s.

Significant themes

• Power versus status: The gatekeeper relies on family rank and rules, but Lin Xian’s strength exposes the limits of his arrogance.
• Inherited legacy and hidden costs: Lin Xian’s Fuxi bloodline grants immense power, yet he suspects that such gifts carry consequences.
• Reputation and prejudice: The Black Emperor is judged by his notorious past, while Lin Xian—despite his lineage and achievements—is dismissed as an outsider.
• Pride and discernment: The gatekeeper’s lack of judgment turns a routine entrance dispute into a confrontation with potentially serious consequences.