Chapter Summaries

Chapter 101 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Immortal Ziyang and the Hehuan Sect Master dismiss Qu Cang’s claims about having a special relationship with Yun Dong’er as madness or cultivation deviation.
• The sect masters decide that Qu Cang must be killed. His knowledge of Li Zi’s inner thoughts poses a danger, especially because he has connections to Ran Zirou and could reveal them to the Demon Realm.
• Qu Cang is executed, though he never realizes that his final words—and the information he accidentally heard—are the reason for his death.
• The Nine Nether Gate Master warns the sect’s strongest members to keep Li Zi’s ability to broadcast her inner thoughts secret.
• Li Zi remains confused by how calmly everyone reacts to Qu Cang’s attempt to “steal the bride,” assuming that such incidents must be common because Yun Dong’er is exceptionally beautiful.
• Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng return after changing for the ceremony and personally meet Li Zi. Yun Dong’er gives her a White Jade Bracelet, while Qu Feng gives her annotated body-tempering cultivation manuals.
• Yun Dong’er even kisses Li Zi, leaving her stunned by the warmth and kindness of the supposedly distant, legendary figures.
• Li Zi reflects on how good the major figures of the Cultivation World have been to her and becomes determined to prevent the Demon Prince’s resurrection and the suffering it would cause.
• Through the System, Li Zi discovers that Ran Zirou is currently at the Wind God Sect. Ran Zirou plans to have Tang Chengyu drug Immortal Ziyang and ruin her reputation, while also cooperating with Mo Feng and Xu Bai to expose Hehuan Sect secrets and turn the other sects against it.
• The Wind God Sect Master hears this revelation and immediately becomes alert.

Character Developments

• Li Zi: Becomes increasingly attached to the Cultivation World and its people. Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng’s kindness deepens her admiration for them and strengthens her resolve to oppose Ran Zirou’s plans.
• Yun Dong’er: Reveals a surprisingly affectionate and approachable side toward Li Zi, recognizing that Li Zi saved her life and appreciating her innocent, nosy nature.
• Qu Feng: Shows a gentler side through his softened expression and thoughtful gift of cultivation manuals.
• Immortal Ziyang and the sect masters: Continue protecting Li Zi’s secret inner thoughts, treating the threat as a matter of great importance.
• Qu Cang: Is eliminated because his connection to Ran Zirou makes the information he learned too dangerous to leave him alive.
• Ran Zirou: Is revealed to be actively plotting against Immortal Ziyang, the Hehuan Sect, and the alliances among the major sects.

Significant Themes

• Protection of innocent kindness: Li Zi’s gratitude and compassion make her want to protect the entire Cultivation World, even though her concern began with simple personal kindness.
• Secrets and hidden knowledge: Li Zi’s inner thoughts are powerful but dangerous, forcing the sect leaders to maintain secrecy and eliminate anyone who might expose them.
• Appearances versus reality: Qu Feng and Yun Dong’er are rumored to be unapproachable, yet they treat Li Zi with warmth. Likewise, Qu Cang’s apparent “bride-stealing” incident is quickly suppressed rather than publicly discussed.
• Political intrigue and betrayal: Ran Zirou’s plan involves drugging, character assassination, and spreading sect secrets to create distrust among the cultivation factions.
• The looming Demon Realm threat: Li Zi’s memories of the future reveal the devastation that could follow the Demon Prince’s resurrection, giving her a personal reason to interfere with Ran Zirou’s schemes.

Character Interactions

• Immortal Ziyang and the Hehuan Sect Master reassure Li Zi about Qu Cang’s behavior while concealing the real reason for his execution.
• The sect masters unite in deciding that Qu Cang must die to protect Li Zi and the Cultivation World.
• Yun Dong’er warmly introduces herself to Li Zi, gives her the White Jade Bracelet, and kisses her.
• Qu Feng gives Li Zi cultivation methods designed to help her regardless of her Spiritual Root type.
• Li Zi later shares her worries with the System, unintentionally revealing Ran Zirou’s plot to the surrounding sect leaders.
• The Wind God Sect Master reacts sharply upon learning that Ran Zirou is conspiring against Immortal Ziyang and attempting to sow discord among the sects.

Plot points and events

• A gossip-filled book exposing scandals among Hehuan Sect disciples circulates at the gathering. Although it names no one, the stories provoke outrage and threaten the sect’s reputation.
• Li Zi realizes Ran Zirou is using rumors to discredit the Hehuan Sect and weaken its disciples’ credibility, much as Wen Yun previously undermined Huo Fei.
• The system warns that Ran Zirou intends to target Immortal Ziyang first, then take Li Zi’s Divine Bone. Li Zi rushes to find her godmother after learning she has gone walking with an acquaintance.
• The sect leaders condemn the book as a deliberate scheme but agree not to kill Ran Zirou: she is their only lead to the Demon Prince’s Soul, whose whereabouts remain unknown. They coordinate a plan to contain the rumors.
• Li Zi follows the system’s directions to a garden and finds Tang Chengyu pinning Immortal Ziyang against a wall. Unsure whether to intervene without provoking her godmother, she hides and watches.

Character developments

• Li Zi shows growing awareness of political manipulation and public opinion. She is anxious to protect Immortal Ziyang but also worries that interfering will damage their relationship.
• The Hehuan Sect Master is furious at the attack on his sect, though the other leaders persuade him to prioritize finding the Demon Prince’s Soul.
• The sect leaders act pragmatically, choosing to preserve Ran Zirou as a source of information despite recognizing her threat.
• Immortal Ziyang is placed in a potentially dangerous encounter with Tang Chengyu; the scene ends before her intentions or the outcome are clear.

Character interactions

• The disciples of several sects exchange and react to the gossip book, while Li Zi interprets its purpose.
• The Hehuan Sect Master argues for killing Ran Zirou; the other leaders remind him that she may be essential to locating the Demon Prince’s Soul.
• Li Zi and the system discuss how to protect Immortal Ziyang. The system says Tang Chengyu’s cultivation has been sealed and advises Li Zi to intervene only if her godmother appears to be drugged.

Significant themes

• Reputation as a weapon: Rumors can discredit individuals and entire groups, weakening their ability to be believed.
• Pragmatism versus justice: The leaders tolerate a dangerous schemer because they need what she knows.
• Trust and boundaries: Li Zi must balance protecting someone she loves with respecting that person’s independence.
• Hidden threats and uncertainty: The gossip campaign and the garden encounter both suggest danger that may not be immediately obvious.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Chengyu confesses his feelings to Immortal Ziyang and resents that she chose Mo Feng instead of him. He privately thinks that, if his cultivation had not been sealed, he would already have possessed her.
• Immortal Ziyang initially dismisses the confession as a misunderstanding, trusting the quiet, considerate friend she has known for centuries.
• Li Zi’s System reveals that Tang is dangerously possessive and has previously stalked and nearly assaulted a female disciple. Qu Feng’s father discovered his behavior and sealed his cultivation rather than kill his longtime friend.
• Realizing the danger, Immortal Ziyang pulls away from Tang and tries to leave. When he offers her a final drink, the System warns that it is poisoned.
• Instead of drinking, Immortal Ziyang throws the wine at Tang, kicks him into a thorny flowerbed, and destroys the stone table with her Spiritual Power.

Character developments

• Immortal Ziyang shifts from trust and disbelief to disgust and decisive self-protection once she learns Tang’s history.
• Tang Chengyu is exposed as an obsessive, deceptive man whose outward reserve conceals entitlement and violent possessiveness. His sealed cultivation leaves him unable to defend himself.
• Li Zi remains an observer, but her doubts about the System’s account give way as the danger becomes clear. The System supplies the crucial warnings.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Tang’s calm, caring image hides a predatory nature.
• Possession versus love: His “affection” is shown as a desire to control and own Immortal Ziyang.
• Trust and warning signs: Long familiarity can obscure harmful behavior, while hidden information can change how past events are understood.
• Agency and self-defense: Immortal Ziyang acts immediately once she recognizes the threat.

Character interactions

• Tang presses Immortal Ziyang for affection and tries to make her drink wine; she rejects both his advances and the drink.
• Li Zi and the System discuss Tang’s character, with the System’s warnings shaping Immortal Ziyang’s response.
• Immortal Ziyang’s final attack turns the encounter from a tense conversation into open confrontation.

Chapter 104 Summary

• Key events: Immortal Ziyang discovers that Tang Chengyu has drugged the water with Cicada Water. He talks about their shared past, briefly making her doubt her suspicions and accept his explanation. The system then reveals Tang’s hidden obsession: in the original story, he planned to ruin Ziyang’s reputation, imprison and drug her, and eventually torment her to death. It also warns that he has decided to use a Gu. When Ziyang mentions entering fifty years of seclusion, Tang produces a Gu worm. She secretly redirects it into his body and confronts him about trying to poison and control her.
• Character developments: Ziyang moves from confusion and trust to wary resolve, masking her knowledge while testing Tang. Once she sees the Gu, she accepts that her old friend is dangerous and acts decisively. Tang’s respectable, gentle appearance is exposed as a cover for long-standing possessiveness and manipulation.
• Character interactions: Tang invokes their history to regain Ziyang’s trust and insists he would never harm her. Ziyang supports him and treats his wound, then deliberately probes him by announcing her planned retreat. Their interaction turns into a confrontation when she turns his Gu against him.
• Significant themes: The contrast between outward virtue and hidden cruelty; the danger of misplaced trust; manipulation through shared memories and affection; and the power of vigilance and agency in resisting a predatory relationship.

Plot points and events

• Tang Chengyu confesses his love to Immortal Ziyang after she discovers he tried to drug her and place a gu curse on her. He says he acted because he feared she would leave, and offers to die by her hand.
• Immortal Ziyang rejects his justification, remains unmoved, and overpowers him.
• The system reveals that Ran Zirou secretly arranged for Tang Chengyu to act decades earlier than in the original plot. Immortal Ziyang discovers Ran Zirou eavesdropping, captures her, and orders Li Zi to take her to the Main Hall for discipline.
• Ran Zirou accuses Li Zi of being reborn and stealing her destined opportunities. Li Zi pretends not to understand and says she has no interest in taking Ran Zirou’s place.
• Ran Zirou breaks free of the silk and attacks Li Zi, but Li Zi effortlessly stops her and ties her up, leaving Ran Zirou shocked by the reversal.

Character developments

• Immortal Ziyang shows clear resolve and strength. Unlike the version Tang Chengyu may have expected, she is no longer susceptible to his declarations of love or manipulation.
• Li Zi remains cautious and avoids confrontation where possible, but her ability to subdue Ran Zirou reveals that she is far stronger than Ran Zirou assumed.
• Ran Zirou is exposed as the instigator behind Tang Chengyu’s premature attack. Her confidence falters when Li Zi defeats her with ease.
• Tang Chengyu insists his actions came from love and fear of abandonment, but his attempt to control Immortal Ziyang is rejected.

Significant themes

• Love versus control: Tang Chengyu calls his actions love, but Immortal Ziyang recognizes them as coercion.
• Changing fate and the butterfly effect: Ran Zirou’s interference has disrupted the original storyline, and events no longer unfold as expected.
• Reversed expectations: Characters Li Zi once expected to be powerful or threatening prove more vulnerable, while she herself displays unexpected strength.
• Misjudgment and entitlement: Ran Zirou assumes Li Zi is deliberately taking what belongs to her, revealing her possessiveness over her imagined destiny.

Character interactions

• Immortal Ziyang confronts and defeats Tang Chengyu, refusing to be swayed by his confession.
• Immortal Ziyang orders Li Zi to deliver Ran Zirou to the Sect Master for punishment.
• Ran Zirou challenges Li Zi with accusations and then attacks her; Li Zi responds calmly, subduing and restraining her.

Chapter 106 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Li Zi confronts Ran Zirou, who is shocked to learn Li Zi has reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining while she remains at the Third. Ran accuses her of using a demonic dual-cultivation method; Li Zi insists her progress came from hard work.
• Li Zi tries to encourage Ran to choose her own path—whether cultivation or a life outside the Sect—but Ran is too consumed by envy and disbelief to listen. She concludes that Li Zi’s advantage must come from the Myriad Flower Divine Bone and resolves to obtain it.
• Li Zi brings Ran to the Main Hall and delivers Immortal Ziyang’s instructions. The Spirit Sword Sect Master reprimands Ran for leaving the Cliff of Reflection, then praises Li Zi’s progress and invites her to return to the Sect for an upcoming Secret Realm.
• While waiting, Li Zi hears that the Hehuan Sect is facing rumors spread by a book. A disciple explains that the Sect has sent people to counter the claims. The system adds context that the book distorts events and omits the wrongdoing of some people involved.
• Reassured that the Hehuan Sect is not hiding serious villains, the assembled Sect leaders relax. Li Zi publicly tells the Hehuan Sect Master that she believes his Sect has been wronged.

Character developments

• Li Zi is confident in the cultivation she earned through punishing training. She also shows compassion toward Ran, hoping she can become independent, and loyalty toward the Hehuan Sect.
• Ran Zirou reacts to Li Zi’s advancement with humiliation and jealousy. Rather than reconsider her approach, she blames her lack of the Divine Bone and becomes intent on taking it.
• The Spirit Sword Sect Master is stern with Ran but warmly approving of Li Zi’s diligence.
• The Hehuan Sect members are anxious about the rumors, then relieved when the system’s account supports their belief that the accusations are misleading.

Significant themes

• Self-determination versus imposed expectations: Li Zi hopes Ran will choose her own life, while Ran remains trapped in a mindset shaped by power, comparison, and entitlement.
• Hard work and responsibility: Li Zi attributes her progress to sustained effort rather than shortcuts.
• Envy and distorted reasoning: Ran cannot accept Li Zi’s success and settles on the Divine Bone as the sole explanation.
• Rumor, reputation, and truth: The chapter contrasts sensational claims with fuller context, showing how easily events can be misrepresented.

Character interactions

• Li Zi tries to reason with and advise Ran, but Ran rejects her perspective and focuses on the Divine Bone.
• The Sect Master reprimands Ran while praising Li Zi, highlighting the contrast between their conduct and progress.
• Li Zi listens to a fellow disciple and the system’s explanation of the Hehuan Sect rumors, then offers the Sect Master support and reassurance.

• Plot and events: After Li Zi’s defense of the Hehuan Sect wins over its Master and the Spirit Sword Sect disciples, Ran Zirou watches in disbelief as her plan to damage the sect’s reputation fails. She recalls that the sect’s scandals brought disgrace in her previous life, but this time the two sects seem to be on better terms. Bound after trying to eavesdrop on Immortal Ziyang, Ran Zirou is released and questioned about why she escaped the Cliff of Reflection. She claims she left to gain experience and was rescued by a Wind God Sect senior. Her listeners press her for details, while the Sect Master pointedly notes that her cultivation has not improved. Ran Zirou’s hopes now rest on Tang Chengyu’s plan to drug and imprison Immortal Ziyang. Meanwhile, the Hehuan Sect Master gives Li Zi his notes on the first layer of the Heavenly Dipper Illusory Tome’s Formation.
• Character developments: Ran Zirou grows increasingly jealous and unsettled as events diverge from her memories of her previous life. She realizes she has forgotten how weak she is now, having failed to eavesdrop because her cultivation is only at Qi Refining. Under questioning, she maintains a gentle façade, using tears and a plausible excuse to deflect suspicion. Li Zi is delighted by the gift and grateful for the chance to learn from the Sect Master’s expertise. The Sect Master, though awkward and sharp-tongued, shows his appreciation for Li Zi.
• Character interactions: Li Zi’s praise and defense of the Hehuan Sect earn the Master’s respect, while the Spirit Sword Sect disciples’ teasing questions corner Ran Zirou and expose her evasiveness. The Sect Master criticizes her lack of progress. His gift to Li Zi is warmly received, though he adds a sour reminder that she did not use the Tome to soothe his anger during their earlier dispute.
• Themes: The chapter highlights the gap between Ran Zirou’s remembered past and the changed present, as well as the limits of relying on past knowledge. It also contrasts public image and hidden motives: Ran Zirou performs innocence while others suspect her, whereas Li Zi’s straightforward support helps repair relations between rival sects.

Key plot points and events

• Immortal Ziyang brings Tang Chengyu, bound and beaten, before the sect leaders. She accuses him of drugging her, attempting to take advantage of her, and keeping two women imprisoned in his Cave Abode.
• Tang Chengyu admits he chose the women because they resembled Ziyang, revealing his disturbing obsession. Ziyang confronts him about why the old Sect Master sealed his Dantian.
• Ziyang reveals the old Sect Master had discovered Tang’s history of imprisoning young women and sealed his Cultivation to prevent further abuse. Tang’s Cave Abode is searched, and the two missing women are rescued.
• The women testify that Tang tricked them into visiting his Cave Abode and drugged them before locking them in a secret chamber. The Wind God Sect Master promises severe punishment.
• The system reveals the old Sect Master had also sealed a part of Tang’s body, preventing him from physically violating anyone. The hall’s outrage gives way to mocking laughter when the Wind God Sect Master points out that Tang’s desires persisted despite his incapacity.

Character developments

• Immortal Ziyang shifts from making an accusation to forcefully exposing Tang’s past and demanding accountability. Her disgust and anger are clear.
• Tang Chengyu, once regarded as a respected senior, is exposed as a predator who abused his reputation and remained obsessed with Ziyang. He shows little remorse and stays silent when confronted by his victims.
• The Wind God Sect Master moves from disbelief to fury after hearing the evidence and witnessing the women’s testimony.
• The rescued disciples show the lasting emotional harm Tang caused; Junior Sister Zhao speaks with intense hatred.
• Li Zi feels sympathy for the victims and anger at the way their suffering could damage their reputations.

Significant themes

• Betrayal of trust: Tang’s respected status concealed serious wrongdoing.
• Justice and accountability: Evidence, testimony, and institutional action expose his crimes.
• Victim-blaming and reputational harm: The women bear social consequences despite being deceived and harmed.
• Dark humor amid outrage: The revelation about Tang’s physical incapacity prompts ridicule, even as the underlying abuse remains grave.

Character interactions

• Ziyang confronts and strikes Tang, rejecting his claims of love and insisting he explain his sealed Cultivation.
• The Wind God Sect Master challenges Tang, orders an investigation, and promises punishment.
• The rescued women testify before the sect leaders; one is comforted by a fellow disciple.
• Li Zi privately reflects on the victims’ suffering, while the gathered leaders and disciples react with shock, pity, anger, and finally mockery.

Plot points and events

• Tang Chengyu is stripped and publicly given two thousand lashes for his crimes. The Wind God Sect Master warns that future offenses will be punished mercilessly.
• Through the System, Li Zi learns that Ran Zirou intends to escape to the Mortal World and seek help from men who aided her cultivation in her previous life—especially Demon Prince Si Le.
• The cultivation-world leaders realize Ran Zirou may lead them to the Demon Prince’s soul. They agree to let her go for now, while secretly keeping her under surveillance.
• The System reveals Ran Zirou’s escape plan: lure dangerous Skyspirit Whitewater Spiders to attack the returning group, then flee under cover of the chaos. She intends to protect herself with scent-masking medicine while making the others targets.
• Li Zi enjoys touring the Wind God Sect, then travels back with the Spirit Sword Sect. At a waystation, the Sect Master orders her to cultivate and stabilize her rapidly increasing power before attempting to form her Golden Core.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zi feels conflicted about whether to stop Ran Zirou, but becomes wary once she learns the full extent of the escape plot. She remains curious and carefree during her tour, then follows her Sect Master’s instructions to cultivate.
• Ran Zirou is exposed as calculating and ruthless: unable to reach Li Zi, she plans to seek powerful former allies and endanger the Sect party to escape.
• The Sect Masters and powerhouses shift from trying to capture Ran Zirou outright to using her as a lead to the Demon Prince’s soul.
• The Sect Master protects Li Zi and cautions her that her rapid advancement may have left her cultivation foundation unstable.

Significant themes

• Deception and exposure: Ran Zirou’s private schemes are broadcast by the System, giving her would-be victims advance warning.
• Power and responsibility: The leaders tolerate Ran Zirou’s escape attempt because it may help them locate a greater threat.
• Protection versus independence: Li Zi is closely guarded, while also being expected to strengthen herself through disciplined cultivation.
• Cruelty and consequences: Tang Chengyu’s public punishment demonstrates the sects’ harsh response to wrongdoing.

Key plot points and events

• Li Zi follows her cultivation method and opens a third acupoint. Three spiritual-power vortexes form, and seven-colored light surrounds her as the assembled experts watch with relief.
• Ran Zirou, jealous of Li Zi’s favor and frustrated that she cannot cultivate, decides to leave the Sect and seek powerful men who might help her obtain another superior spiritual root.
• She prepares to use Startling Swan Powder to lure spirit beasts toward the Sect’s disciples and escape amid the chaos. However, each disciple she selects happens to leave for the market.
• With the hall empty except for Li Zi and the Sect Master, Ran Zirou asks permission to go out. He calmly tells her to go, and she escapes.
• An hour later, Li Zi wakes. The returning disciples shower her with sweets and toys, leaving her bemused by how childlike they seem to think she is.
• The system tells Li Zi that Ran Zirou is heading to Brocade Splendor Manor to pursue Sang Xinghui, a man with a Dual Cultivation Spirit Body. The disciples reveal they had deliberately let her escape, intending to send her toward the Demon Prince; her unexpected choice of target surprises them.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zi advances in cultivation and remains cheerful and affectionate toward her seniors, though she privately wonders why they keep giving her children’s treats.
• Ran Zirou grows more desperate and ruthless: she is willing to endanger Sect disciples to escape and pursue a new spiritual root. Her jealousy of Li Zi fuels her choices.
• The Sect Master appears composed and knowingly permits Ran Zirou to leave. His sigh afterward hints at regret or concern.
• The disciples show fondness for Li Zi by bringing her gifts. Their coordinated departures suggest they are helping Ran Zirou escape as part of a plan.
• Ran Zirou and the Sect Master have a tense exchange: she anxiously requests permission, while he grants it without revealing his intentions.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and ambition: Ran Zirou’s envy pushes her toward increasingly selfish schemes.
• Cultivation and innate talent: Li Zi’s rapid breakthrough contrasts with Ran Zirou’s inability to cultivate and her wish to acquire another exceptional spiritual root.
• Hidden agendas and misdirection: The Sect’s apparent carelessness may be deliberate, though Ran Zirou’s destination differs from what the disciples expected.
• Affection and protection: Li Zi’s seniors express their care through playful, childlike gifts.

Key plot points and events

• Li Zi learns that Ran Zirou has left the Sect. The Sect Master says the Sect will let her go, while Li Zi privately worries that Ran may eventually threaten both the Hehuan Sect and the Mortal World.
• Unable to warn the Sect without evidence, Li Zi asks the System to monitor Ran. Ran has reached a Mortal World village and, unlike in the original story, has not been cultivating much.
• The System reveals a future opportunity: in twenty years, Ran is destined to enter a Secret Realm at Honghai Peak, gain a powerful inheritance, and acquire a Fire-Type Heaven-Burning Immortal Bone. Li Zi could pursue it too, but would need to reach the Ninth Foundation Establishment Realm and be close to forming a Golden Core.
• Li Zi resolves to cultivate seriously, both to protect herself and to prevent harm to the Sect and ordinary people. Using the Hehuan Sect Master’s notes and an incomplete Formation manual, she repeatedly practices a Formation until she exhausts herself and collapses.
• Rather than take a medicinal pill, Li Zi attempts to push through her limits by circulating her cultivation method. Her four acupoints begin absorbing Spiritual Power much faster than before.

Character developments

• Li Zi remains kind-hearted and reluctant to treat Ran as an enemy to be killed, despite viewing her as a major threat. She feels jealous of Ran’s apparent protection by fate, but her concern for the Sect and the Mortal World motivates her to become stronger.
• The Sect Master and elder recognize Li Zi’s naïveté and quietly worry she could be manipulated; they want the Sect’s disciples to look out for her.
• Ran Zirou remains absent, but the System’s account suggests her circumstances have diverged from the original story: she has a Mixed Spiritual Root, slow cultivation, and has not yet begun her usual intensive training.

Significant themes

• Fate versus agency: Ran’s Heavenly Dao fortune appears to guarantee future opportunities, while Li Zi hopes determination and preparation can give her a chance to change outcomes.
• Compassion and responsibility: Li Zi refuses to see the world as merely a story and regards its people as real; her desire to protect them guides her choices.
• Ambition and its risks: Li Zi’s intense training shows her resolve, but her exhaustion and collapse underscore the danger of pushing beyond her limits.

Character interactions

• The Sect Master gently reassures Li Zi that Ran is free to choose her own path, while Li Zi interprets this as evidence that Ran is being treated leniently.
• Li Zi relies on the System to track Ran and uncover information about the future Secret Realm; the System becomes excited at the possibility that Li Zi might claim the opportunity herself.
• The System urges Li Zi to take a recovery pill after she collapses, but she ignores the advice and tries to advance her cultivation through sheer effort.

Key plot points and events

• Li Zi masters the Heavenly Dipper Illusory Tome Formation, which can double the rate of time inside it. After ten days of cultivation, she nears Foundation Establishment despite having entered the cultivation world only six months earlier.
• The Fifth Elder assigns her to enter the Fangxun Mountain Secret Realm with her Eldest Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Sister. He asks her to obtain a Crimson Sun Thunder Fox’s Demon Core for Lin Ning’er, claiming it could save Ning’er’s life.
• The Elder privately admits that Ning’er needs to form a contract with a human because her Divine Soul is unstable. He believes a bond with Li Zi is ideal: Li Zi’s Myriad Flower Divine Bone could strengthen Ning’er’s bloodline, while Ning’er’s Nine-Tailed Fox blood could greatly increase Li Zi’s Spiritual Power.
• Li Zi visits Zhu Min’s cave to meet her Fifth Senior Sister but misses her. The next day, she joins the group of ten disciples entering the Secret Realm, most of whom are far more advanced than she is. Ji Zheng introduces her to Zhu Min, a stern, gaunt swordswoman carrying a massive greatsword.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zi’s rapid progress confirms her unusual talent, but she still feels insecure among powerful senior disciples. Her concern for Ning’er quickly overcomes her fear of the dangerous mission, and she promises to retrieve the Demon Core.
• The Fifth Elder manipulates Li Zi’s sense of protectiveness to guide her toward a bond with Ning’er, while genuinely caring for the fox and trusting Li Zi. The Sect Master challenges his decision and wishes Li Zi were his disciple instead.
• Li Zi hopes to make a good impression on Zhu Min, but their first meeting is delayed. Ji Zheng acts as their formal introduction.

Significant themes

• Growth through cultivation: Li Zi’s new Formation accelerates her training and brings her close to a major breakthrough.
• Protection and sacrifice: Li Zi’s willingness to risk herself for Ning’er reveals a likely foundation for her Dao Heart.
• Trust and manipulation: The Fifth Elder’s plan may benefit both girls, but he achieves it by concealing the full truth from Li Zi.
• Destiny and mutual benefit: The anticipated contract links Li Zi’s Divine Bone and Ning’er’s fox bloodline, promising shared power and a new generation of talent.

Chapter 113 Summary

• Li Zi meets Zhu Min’s Kunwu Sword. Zhu Min draws the enormous sword and, to everyone’s surprise, invites Li Zi to touch it. This is especially significant because the sword has an Artifact Spirit and Zhu Min has previously reacted violently when others touched it. Li Zi admires the blade and thinks of its future legendary power, which leaves the other disciples impressed by Zhu Min’s potential. Zhu Min, flattered but aware she has not yet reached that level, feels a little pressure.
• Li Zi learns the sword contains an Artifact Spirit. The System points this out while hinting that Zhu Min may have been deceived by someone connected to a Secret Realm assignment. Zhu Min overhears the warning through Li Zi’s inner voice and becomes suspicious, though she is confused: she has already accepted payment.
• The group prepares to enter the Fangxun Mountain Secret Realm. The Second Elder summons the disciples onto a Sword-Shaped Spiritual Artifact. Li Zi worries that, as a Qi Refining cultivator, she will hold the stronger disciples back. Ji Zheng reassures her that she is close to Foundation Establishment and that the elders believe the Secret Realm will benefit her. Li Zi privately recognizes that her Master arranged for her to join, and enjoys the attention and protection she receives.
• Other disciples question Li Zi’s inclusion. Some Foundation Establishment disciples doubt that someone at her level should enter such a dangerous place. A Golden Core senior tells them to trust the elders’ judgment. When Li Zi’s inner voice asks whether Zhu Min has been tricked, the nearby disciples—and Zhu Min—listen closely.
• The System reveals Zhu Min’s history and the suspected deception. Zhu Min has spent years risking her life in combat and Secret Realms to cultivate her Sword Dao, while taking paid assignments to fund and train herself. The System says an emperor’s eunuch, once Zhu Min’s friend and the person who introduced her to the work, was targeted and killed by the princess of Tongjia Kingdom. The princess then used a secret technique obtained from him to contact Zhu Min and has been sending her assignments for three years. Zhu Min realizes the arrangement may conceal a trap. The revelation also dispels rumors that she had married and withdrawn from the Sect.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Zhu Min appears reserved and formidable, but is visibly affected by Li Zi’s admiration. Her trust in Li Zi is shown by allowing her to touch the Kunwu Sword. The System’s account of her assignments makes her reconsider whom she has been working for.
• Li Zi is curious and candid in her thoughts. She worries about being a burden, but accepts the support of Ji Zheng and the Sect, while trying to uncover the possible danger to Zhu Min.
• Ji Zheng acts as a reassuring older brother, promising that the group will protect Li Zi.
• The disciples shift from surprise at Zhu Min’s unusual permission to greater respect for her strength and arduous training. They also reveal mixed feelings about Li Zi receiving special treatment.

Significant Themes

The chapter explores trust and hidden danger, as Zhu Min’s paid work may have been manipulated; reputation versus reality, as her quiet absence masked years of dangerous training; and favoritism, belonging, and protection, through Li Zi’s privileged place in a powerful group despite her weaker cultivation.

Key plot points and events

• Zhu Min learns that the Tongjia princess who hired her intends to steal her immortal bone. The princess’s assignments—including the search for the Dragon-Phoenix Immortal Flower—were part of a plan to gather ingredients for a body-transfer ritual.
• Zhu Min reveals she sought the flower for Zhu Teng, an eighteen-year-old scholar she once rescued. He had claimed it could cure his persistent fever.
• The System reveals that Zhu Teng has been working with the princess for years and wants Zhu Min’s essence blood. It also warns that she has been slowly poisoned.
• Li Zi gives Zhu Min a pill that can counter poisons. The Second Elder confirms she has a rare, hard-to-detect Witchcraft Poison that could become fatal if it reaches her marrow.
• Tang Dong offers to use his family’s influence in the Mortal World to help her take revenge.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Min is devastated to learn that Zhu Teng—the boy she saved and came to regard as a younger brother—betrayed her. She accepts Ji Zheng’s advice to have her condition checked and thanks him quietly.
• Li Zi shows concern by urging Zhu Min to take the pill and stays alert to her worsening appearance.
• The Second Elder treats Zhu Min, while Tang Dong responds to the betrayal with a promise of help.
• The System explains that this plotline emerged because Ran Zirou is absent: Zhu Min’s changed choices have altered other people’s lives.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and misplaced trust: Zhu Min’s compassion for Zhu Teng has been turned against her.
• Power and vulnerability: Even a formidable cultivator can be threatened by a patient, covert scheme.
• Consequences of change: Ran Zirou’s absence creates a butterfly effect, giving characters lives and conflicts beyond the original story.
• Chosen loyalty and care: Zhu Min’s fellow sect members respond to her danger with practical support and solidarity.

Key plot points and events

• Touched by her sectmates’ concern after the Tongjia princess tried to kill her, Zhu Min begins to feel she truly belongs in the Spirit Sword Sect.
• The group arrives at the Fangxun Mountain Secret Realm. Though Li Zi is only at Qi Refining, most entrants are at Foundation Establishment or Golden Core.
• The system explains that the dangerous realm was once a Mahayana expert’s cave abode, and that its inheritance is tied to Yun Dong’er’s ancestor. Li Zi’s questions draw the attention of nearby cultivators, who hope to learn from the system’s answers.
• Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng arrive together. Yun invites the Spirit Sword Sect to explore with them, but Zhu Min declines and leads her group independently.
• Inside the realm, the system directs Li Zi toward the route taken by the novel’s protagonist, Ran Zirou. Zhu Min independently chooses the same direction, impressing Li Zi and the others.
• Following Li Zi’s hint, the group discovers a cave filled with Emerald Feather Grass. Ji Zheng melts the plants while they are still rooted, producing valuable Emerald Feather Mystic Water, which can be traded for high-grade medicinal pills.

Character developments

• Zhu Min feels accepted by her sect for the first time, despite her usual reserve. She also demonstrates confidence and knowledge by leading the expedition.
• Li Zi is nervous about her first Secret Realm, but her system’s information makes her a valuable guide. Her enthusiasm and trust in Zhu Min strengthen their bond.
• The Spirit Sword Sect disciples recognize that Li Zi’s inner thoughts and the system can reveal useful opportunities, and become excited to follow her clues.
• Yun Dong’er remains gracious after Zhu Min refuses her invitation, suggesting she is unruffled by the rejection.

Significant themes

• Belonging and loyalty: Zhu Min’s sense of isolation begins to give way to the warmth of being protected and valued by her sect.
• Knowledge as power: Li Zi’s system-guided information helps the group find rare treasures and navigate the realm.
• Cooperation and trust: The disciples benefit by taking Li Zi’s clues seriously and allowing Zhu Min to lead.
• Opportunity and competition: The Secret Realm is open to many sects, so groups pursue its resources independently.

Character interactions

• Tang Dong responds to the threat against Zhu Min by drafting a forceful letter to the Tongjia royal family, showing the sect’s willingness to defend her.
• Li Zi silently realizes how much the sect cares for Zhu Min, making Zhu Min blush.
• Zhu Min rejects Yun Dong’er’s offer to explore together, preferring the group’s independence; Yun accepts politely.
• Li Zi praises Zhu Min for choosing the correct route, while Ji Zheng offers to trade the newly obtained Mystic Water for pills for Li Zi.

Key plot points and events

• Ji Zheng produces Emerald Feather Mystic Water from harvested Emerald Feather Grass. With 320 plants and 43 bottles of water collected, the disciples expect to trade their finds for a large supply of medicinal pills.
• The system reveals further treasures and hazards in the Secret Realm, effectively guiding the group to spirit medicines while helping them avoid dangerous beasts.
• When the group encounters a Thunderclap Rabbit, Zhu Min makes Li Zi fight it alone so she can gain combat experience. The others watch rather than intervene.
• Elsewhere, Ran Zirou struggles to cultivate because of her Mixed Spiritual Root. She blames Li Zi for her changed circumstances and recalls her powerful former life.
• Ran Zirou brings out a sinister, blood-red cultivation scroll: a Demon Realm Dual Cultivation method that can convert a man’s vital essence into cultivation. She is unsure whether she can use it at her current low level.
• Qu Cang arrives with plans to hide with Ran Zirou in the Imperial City. He says he escaped after sensing that members of his sect intended to kill him, possibly on Qu Feng’s orders. He offers Ran Zirou a Second-Grade pill, which she takes and begins absorbing.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zi is eager to explore but nervous about facing the Thunderclap Rabbit; she accepts the challenge, giving her an opportunity to grow stronger.
• Ji Zheng and Zhu Min support the group’s expedition and make practical decisions, including using the encounter to push Li Zi toward independent combat.
• Ran Zirou is increasingly resentful and impatient with her weak cultivation. Her memories of past power—and her willingness to use a predatory technique—show how far she may go to regain it.
• Qu Cang remains devoted to Ran Zirou despite his own precarious situation. He provides a pill and proposes they flee together, while Ran Zirou questions his decision to leave after a public confrontation.

Significant themes

• Growth through hardship: Li Zi is made to face danger herself rather than rely on the group.
• Opportunity and unequal circumstances: The system gives Ji Zheng’s group unusually effective access to treasures, while Ran Zirou feels trapped by her poor cultivation and lost advantages.
• Ambition and moral compromise: Ran Zirou’s interest in a method that drains another person’s vital essence foreshadows a potentially ruthless pursuit of power.
• Loyalty and vulnerability: Qu Cang’s devotion contrasts with his weakness and isolation, leaving his relationship with Ran Zirou both supportive and unequal.

Key plot points

• Ran Zirou, frustrated by her unusually slow cultivation, opens a mysterious red scroll. Its ancient, ominous aura frightens Qu Cang, and red mist envelops them both. Qu Cang warns her not to practice the method, but Ran pulls him into the mist.
• The Spirit Sword Sect party reaches a frozen lake hiding a rare Ice Lotus. Under Zhu Min’s orders, the exhausted Li Zi fights a thirty-year-old Greenfield Python while Zhu Min criticizes her technique. Li eventually knocks it unconscious, mostly with blunt attacks, and Ji Zheng retrieves the Ice Lotus.
• Zhu Min concludes swordsmanship is a poor fit for Li Zi and tells her to focus on footwork and escape. Li, uncomfortable with inflicting bloody wounds, asks Zhu Min to teach her footwork, but Zhu calls her hopeless.
• A tremendous beast’s howl signals another treasure. The party travels to a valley, where Zhu orders Li to recover her strength—and warns that another fight is coming. When Li fears she will face the powerful beast, Zhu clarifies: “Fight them,” gesturing toward a distant peak.

Character developments and interactions

• Ran Zirou is impatient with her diminished cultivation and willingly engages with a dangerous, mysterious technique. Qu Cang recognizes the danger and tries to stop her, but she draws him into the mist.
• Li Zi shows determination by enduring a punishing fight, but her reluctance to hurt enemies and preference for avoiding blood reveal that she may not be suited to the Sword Dao. She is still willing to seek training, even while exhausted and anxious.
• Zhu Min acts as a harsh but practical instructor, pushing Li and the other Foundation Establishment disciples to improve through real combat. Her blunt assessment of Li’s abilities contrasts with Li’s own belief that the sword is useful.
• Ji Zheng supports the group by retrieving the Ice Lotus and responds quickly to the sign of another treasure.

Significant themes

• Power and danger: Ran’s attempt to accelerate her cultivation leads her toward a method that feels sinister.
• Training through hardship: Zhu believes improvement requires relentless combat, even when her disciples are battered and exhausted.
• Self-knowledge and suitability: Li’s discomfort with violence challenges the assumption that swordsmanship is right for her, while Zhu pushes her toward tactics—especially footwork and retreat—that better match her temperament.

Chapter summary

The Spirit Sword Sect and the Nine Nether Gate meet over a treasure guarded by a Spirit Beast. The Nine Nether Gate claims it found the treasure first, but Zhu Min insists that both groups have an equal claim. The dispute turns into a fight: four Golden Core cultivators from each Sect engage, while Li Zi, who is only at Qi Refining, withdraws to recover her Spiritual Power. Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng are among the Nine Nether Gate’s powerful disciples, absorbed in each other.
As she rests, Li Zi asks her system for gossip about the opposing Sect. The system’s revelations are broadcast to everyone nearby, derailing the battle. First, Li Zi learns that Nine Nether Gate senior disciple Song Zhen entered the Secret Realm hoping a Dragon-Slaying Bee’s stinger would cure a boil on his butt. A junior had tricked him into believing this; the sting would instead make it swell. Ji Zheng even threatens to kick him there, and Song Zhen abandons the fight to chase down the disciple who fooled him.
Li Zi then exposes another disciple’s shabby finances despite his fine clothes, prompting his rugged friend Miao Kuang to comfort him. The system immediately reveals that Miao Kuang’s wife has long been having an affair with one of his friends—something Miao Kuang apparently does not know.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zi remains physically outmatched, but her curiosity and the system’s indiscreet gossip make her an unexpected source of disruption.
• Zhu Min and Ji Zheng stand their ground against the Nine Nether Gate; Ji Zheng eagerly takes on a fight and later uses Song Zhen’s secret to unsettle him.
• Song Zhen loses control of the confrontation once his private ailment is exposed, turning on the junior who deceived him.
• The well-dressed disciple is embarrassed when his poverty is revealed, while Miao Kuang offers him sympathetic support—unaware that the system has just exposed a painful secret about his marriage.
• Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng are depicted as an intensely affectionate couple.

Significant themes

The scene blends rivalry over power and treasure with comic humiliation. It contrasts public appearances with hidden realities, while gossip—though presented humorously—has real consequences for trust, reputation, and relationships. The chapter ends with the fight and the revelations unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Miao Kuang learns that his wife, Qing’er, had an affair with another man. The man admits they slept together once after drinking and claims Qing’er felt Miao was too rough. Enraged and hurt, Miao Kuang punches him and demands that he fight back.
• While the Nine Nether Gate disciples prepare to contest a Mountain-Guarding Jackal’s rare Purple Stone Milk, their Second Senior Brother asks Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng to help. They agree to fight in exchange for half the treasure.
• The system reveals that Qu Feng has been hiding spirit stones and pills from Yun Dong’er. He says he was saving them for their future child; she suspects he intended them for a mistress.
• More supernatural gossip exposes a female disciple who spies on men bathing and ranks their bodies. Distracted by Li Zi’s interest in the rumors, a disciple loses a fight to Senior Brother Feng.
• As the system begins to reveal another secret about the Second Senior Brother, he abruptly surrenders the treasure and rushes his sect away.
• A powerful rumble and a cyclone in the clouds signal the Mountain-Guarding Jackal’s immense presence. Li Zi realizes the danger is far greater than the disciples’ earlier contest suggested.

Character developments and interactions

• Miao Kuang shifts from shock to fury when confronted with his wife’s betrayal; the scene reveals how deeply he trusted and loved her.
• The unnamed man admits the affair but does not resist when Miao Kuang strikes him, leaving the confrontation unresolved.
• Yun Dong’er and Qu Feng bicker over his secret stash. Their exchange combines suspicion with Qu Feng’s claim that he was planning for their family.
• Li Zi eagerly listens to the system’s gossip, and her thoughts distract others—most notably the disciple who loses his match.
• The Second Senior Brother chooses retreat over risking the sect once the gossip—and then the approaching danger—makes the situation untenable.

Significant themes

• Gossip as a disruptive force: The system’s private revelations embarrass and distract characters, repeatedly derailing serious events.
• Jealousy and mistrust: Miao Kuang’s betrayal and Yun Dong’er’s suspicion both show relationships strained by secrets.
• Comedy beside danger: Humorous gossip and awkward reactions give way to the Mountain-Guarding Jackal’s overwhelming power, sharply changing the mood.

Key plot points and events

• As the Sect’s disciples confront the Mountain-Guarding Jackal, a senior brother pulls Li Zi away from the cliff and tells her to stay out of the fight. The younger disciples watch while the six Golden Core cultivators attack.
• The ancient jackal proves formidable: its defenses withstand Ji Zheng’s strike, and its counterattack nearly drives him over the cliff. Zhu Min then charges it and lands a powerful blow with her sword.
• The system interrupts the battle with gossip: the beast is called Hoo Hoo, and the cub in its cave is not its biological son. The Clan Leader allegedly switched the cubs because the other one has a purer Bloodline and is meant to cultivate with Purple Stone Milk.
• Hoo Hoo abruptly retreats into the valley after hearing this. Its next, much stronger roar sends trees crashing down, but Ji Zheng and Zhu Min rescue Li Zi from the falling branches.
• Ji Zheng suggests Hoo Hoo may have realized the cub was not its own. Li Zi takes this literally, assuming Zhu Min’s sword strike knocked the truth into its head.

Character developments

• Li Zi remains physically outmatched and frightened by the jackal’s Mental Power, but her inner commentary—and the system’s gossip—comically disrupts the fight. She doesn’t notice that others may be hearing her thoughts.
• Ji Zheng shows both his courage and the limits of his strength against the ancient beast. He also begins to suspect that Li Zi’s thoughts can be heard, yet cannot bring himself to explain this to her.
• Zhu Min displays confidence and formidable power by confronting the jackal directly and landing a heavy blow.
• The system reveals its irreverent, indiscriminate appetite for gossip, even about Spirit Beasts.

Significant themes

• Comedy amid danger: A life-threatening battle is derailed by absurd gossip and Li Zi’s modern, casual reactions.
• Power and vulnerability: Li Zi’s low Cultivation leaves her helpless against the beast’s Mental Power, while the senior disciples protect her.
• Hearing and misunderstanding: The possibility that others can hear Li Zi’s thoughts creates dramatic irony; Ji Zheng understands more than she realizes.
• Family and lineage: The swapped cubs and the Clan Leader’s Bloodline priorities introduce questions of parentage, identity, and manipulation.

Character interactions

• A senior brother protects Li Zi and warns her to stay clear of the battle; later, Ji Zheng and Zhu Min carry her to safety.
• Ji Zheng and Zhu Min face Hoo Hoo together, though Zhu Min takes the lead in striking it.
• The system shares the jackal’s secret with Li Zi, whose thoughts may be audible to those nearby. Ji Zheng responds cautiously, while Li Zi interprets his remark as a straightforward conclusion about the sword blow.