Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• The group enters the Forest and discovers that its apparent Spirit Plants are an illusion: the “plants” are vines that trap anyone who tries to pick them. Ye Qingyao spots the deception, and the group flies safely over the danger.
• They find a genuine Spirit Plant Zone full of valuable herbs and flowers. Ye Qinghui and Ye Qingyao collect modest amounts, while Ye Qingchuan gathers rare Earth Ganoderma.
• Ye Zhenzhen is frustrated that they plan to leave so much behind. She persuades Ye Qingchuan to return with her, revealing that her string of Heaven-and-Earth Pearls can absorb entire patches of land.
• Ye Qingchuan uses the pearls to take nearly every remaining plant, roots and soil included. When the other cultivators escape the vine illusion and arrive, they find the zone stripped bare.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qingyao recognizes that the apparent herbs lack spiritual energy and warns the group. She is content with her flowers and supports leaving some treasures for others.
• Ye Qinghui acts responsibly, urging moderation and worrying that greed could harm Ye Zhenzhen’s cultivation.
• Ye Zhenzhen appears sweet and innocent but is intensely acquisitive and clever. She uses her charm and private communication with Ye Qingchuan to get what she wants.
• Ye Qingchuan understands Ye Zhenzhen’s intentions and willingly helps her harvest everything. Their shared secret plan shows their close rapport and matching opportunism.
• The group laughs at Ye Zhenzhen’s insistence that she merely wanted milk, while the later-arriving disciples are baffled by the vanished plants.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The alluring Spirit Plants conceal a dangerous vine trap.
• Greed and restraint: Ye Qinghui advocates contentment, but Ye Zhenzhen and Ye Qingchuan quietly reject that advice.
• Cleverness and complicity: Ye Zhenzhen’s hidden treasure and Ye Qingchuan’s cooperation let them outwit both the trap and the other cultivators.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhenzhen’s group reaches the spirit fruit grove after deliberately delaying earlier, while the other cultivators still don’t know the group has already claimed the Spirit Plants.
• Jiang Kui and his Thousand Mechanisms Palace disciples mock Ye Qinghui and his companions. Lu Lingxuan of Spirit Sword Manor defends them and challenges Jiang Kui to a contest: whoever finds the Millennium Phoenix Spirit Fruit wins.
• Before the search can get far, enormous rainbow-feathered Illusion Birds descend. Their powder traps the cultivators in vivid visions, leaving many unable to defend themselves; the birds attack and kill some of them.
• Ye Zhenzhen recognizes the danger and directs the group to use Artifact Masks, Fire-Controlling Talismans, and Fire Spirit Grass. Their strategy burns the birds’ feathers and drives off the attackers, while the other cultivators remain disoriented.
• With the grove’s occupants incapacitated, the four search for the legendary Phoenix Spirit Fruit Tree and finally locate it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen again proves knowledgeable and resourceful, identifying the Illusion Birds and devising the tactic that protects her group. Her comical fixation on eating the roasted birds adds a playful contrast to the danger.
• Ye Qinghui follows her guidance and protects her by putting an Artifact Mask on her; he also reacts with amusement to her thoughts.
• Ye Qingyao responds shyly to the mention of Lu Lingxuan as one of Senior Sister’s potential suitors, while Ye Qingchuan silently clenches his fists, suggesting jealousy or protectiveness.
• Lu Lingxuan stands up for Ye Qinghui’s group and confronts Jiang Kui, establishing himself as a bold ally and a possible romantic rival.
• Jiang Kui continues to belittle Cloudsky Sect but accepts Lu Lingxuan’s challenge before turning his attention to finding the fruit.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Illusion Birds look beautiful but are dangerous predators; their loss of feathers also strips away the beauty that made them alluring.
• Knowledge and teamwork: Ye Zhenzhen’s insight and the group’s coordinated use of tools let them survive when other cultivators are helpless.
• Rivalry and status: The exchange between Jiang Kui and Lu Lingxuan reflects competition between sects and cultivators.
• Humor amid danger: Ye Zhenzhen’s food fantasies and the birds’ transformation into “bald chickens” lighten a deadly encounter.

Key plot points and events

• While the crowd is incapacitated by Illusion Powder, Ye Zhenzhen has Ye Qingchuan uproot the entire Phoenix Spirit Fruit Tree and store it in the Heaven-and-Earth Pearls. Ye Qinghui and Ye Qingyao disapprove of the underhanded move but help conceal it, knowing the fruit would make them targets.
• Once the powder fades, the group discovers the Illusion Birds’ feathers have been singed and rushes to search the grove. They gather lesser spirit fruits, but nobody can find the Phoenix Spirit Fruit Tree.
• Shen Xingyan and the Kongtong disciples search twice and return empty-handed. The crowd suspects them of taking the tree, but Shen insists it was never there. Jiang Kui backs him up, suggesting the rumor was false. Zhenzhen privately celebrates that she has the fruits and the others do not.
• The group reaches Gathering Spirit Mountain, a barren peak with a waterfall and spirit spring at its foot. Hearing that Dragonblood Stone at the summit can strengthen the body and aid cultivation breakthroughs, they prepare to climb.
• Zhenzhen asks Ye Qinghui to catch spirit fish so she can have fish soup. He immediately agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen is shrewd, acquisitive, and playful: she secures the entire fruit tree, hides her success, and enjoys watching the others search in vain. She also expects her senior brother to indulge her.
• Ye Qingchuan cooperates with Zhenzhen in taking the tree. Ye Qinghui and Ye Qingyao object to the lack of fairness but choose to conceal the deed and protect their group.
• Shen Xingyan becomes frustrated when the crowd suspects him; his branch from a Lost-Path Tree supports his claim that he searched thoroughly. Jiang Kui publicly defends him.
• Ye Qinghui’s loyalty and affection for Zhenzhen are clear in his immediate willingness to catch fish for her.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and competition: Valuable treasures invite suspicion and danger, making concealment a form of self-protection.
• Greed and luck: The crowd competes for the rumored treasures, while Zhenzhen secretly wins the greatest prize.
• Loyalty and indulgence: Ye Qinghui’s devotion to his junior sister contrasts with the group’s broader rivalry over resources.

Plot points and events

• Other cultivators mock Ye Qinghui for stopping to catch Spirit Fish instead of racing for the Dragonblood Stone, which they believe will help them advance.
• The Cloudsky Sect group cooks the fish in a Purple-Iron Cauldron. Little Ye Zhenzhen adds milk from her bottle, turning the soup into a nourishing, delicious meal. The group enjoys the food, especially Ye Qingchuan, who has been looking pale and is still young enough to need regular meals.
• At Zhenzhen’s urging, Ye Qingchuan feeds her the fish brain and uses her Heaven-and-Earth Pearls to collect the remaining Spirit Fish and spring water for later. Zhenzhen divides the catch among the group according to their contributions.
• A barrier around Gathering Spirit Mountain prevents anyone from flying to the summit, forcing the cultivators to climb. The mountain is populated by increasingly powerful Demon Beasts.
• Shen Xingyan and the Kongtong School party struggle against the beasts, using Earth-Diving Talismans to escape, but face greater dangers as they ascend.
• When the Cloudsky Sect group encounters giant beetles, Zhenzhen suggests using the fish as bait. Ye Qingchuan gives each beast one fish, and they happily eat them and agree to let the group pass.

Character development and interactions

• Zhenzhen is enthusiastic, food-focused, and resourceful: she spots a practical use for the fish and persuades her seniors to preserve it for the climb.
• Ye Qingchuan appears healthier after eating and shows growing warmth toward Zhenzhen, gently feeding her the part she wants. He also acts confidently on her suggestions.
• Ye Qinghui begins to caution Zhenzhen about greed, but her reasoning changes his mind.
• The group’s teasing, sharing, and cooperative food-gathering strengthen their affectionate, family-like rapport.
• The rival cultivators’ confidence contrasts with the Cloudsky Sect’s unconventional but effective approach.

Significant themes

• Practical wisdom over conventional priorities: The mocked decision to gather fish proves useful when food can safely get the group past the beasts.
• Resourcefulness and cooperation: The group turns ordinary supplies into a solution to a dangerous obstacle.
• Comfort and care: Shared food restores energy and expresses affection, particularly in Ye Qingchuan’s attentive treatment of Zhenzhen.
• Appearances can mislead: What outsiders dismiss as foolish may be more useful than pursuing the obvious prize.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qingchuan’s group reaches Gathering Spirit Mountain’s summit by feeding spirit fish to its demon beasts, turning attackers into docile path-clearers. Meanwhile, Shen Xingyan’s party fights its way upward in formation; Shen is injured after Luo Bingyao rushes behind him for help.
• At the summit, the group bargains with a Three-Headed Flood Dragon. Offering three spirit fish per Dragonblood Stone satisfies it, and they obtain all forty-five stones with a little over a hundred fish.
• This leaves Shen Xingyan without treasures that, in the original novel, were meant to advance his rise to power. Ye Zhenzhen celebrates the group’s success, then laments how many fish the dragon ate.
• As the group prepares to leave, Gathering Spirit Mountain begins to quake and split open. An unseen force drags them into the fissure.
• In the darkness below, their weapons and spells fail. A mysterious force catches them before impact, then branch-like tendrils separate them into soundproof wooden cages, cutting off communication—including Ye Zhenzhen’s thoughts.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen’s clever use of spirit fish proves decisive, securing the group’s treasures without a fight. Her delight in the fish—and distress at their dwindling supply—adds a comic, food-focused side to her resourcefulness.
• Ye Qinghui’s admiration and affection for Zhenzhen grow; he praises her insight and promises to get her fishponds someday.
• Ye Qingchuan bravely attempts to negotiate with the dragon, while Ye Zhenzhen devises the successful three-fish offer.
• Shen Xingyan enjoys his disciples’ praise and imagines claiming the Dragonblood Stones, unaware that the Cloudsky Sect has already taken them. Luo Bingyao’s plea for help inadvertently exposes him to an attack, and Jiang Kui protects him with poisoned needles.

Significant themes

• Cleverness over force: Food and negotiation succeed where combat would be dangerous.
• Changing fate: The Cloudsky Sect takes treasures that the original story assigned to Shen Xingyan.
• Comic contrast and affection: Zhenzhen’s concern for snacks contrasts with the group’s valuable gains, while her seniors respond with warmth.
• Sudden danger and uncertainty: The mountain’s collapse shifts the story from easy success to a mysterious new threat.

Chapter 26 Summary

• Ye Zhenzhen is trapped in a dark cage of branches and vines, separated from her senior siblings. She is more distressed by hunger—and the fact that First Senior Brother has her milk bottle—than by the darkness.
• An ancient voice belonging to the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree recognizes a resemblance between Zhenzhen and a woman it met ten thousand years ago. That woman saved the tree and stayed behind to prevent the Evil Drought Demon from harming the human world. The tree says Zhenzhen is both like her and unlike her, but refuses to explain further.
• Zhenzhen bargains for a reward. Meanwhile, Ye Qinghui, her First Senior Brother, fights through the regenerating branches, injures himself, and finally reaches her. He embraces her with relief and feeds her the milk she has been craving.
• Zhenzhen then asks the Bodhi Tree to lend Qinghui its “seed” to help restore his cultivation, which is unstable after a villain stole his Inner Core. The tree agrees to consider it, but first tests whether Qinghui is worthy by showing Zhenzhen a mirror. Instead of her own reflection, she sees enormous riches, Spirit Plants, a Spirit Spring, and Spirit Fish; the test’s outcome is not revealed in this excerpt.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Zhenzhen remains playful, blunt, and practical: she questions the tree’s riddles, negotiates for a reward, and advocates for Qinghui. Her immediate priorities—milk and helping her brother—contrast with the ancient history surrounding her.
• Ye Qinghui is shown as deeply protective and devoted. Despite his injuries, he refuses to stop searching for Zhenzhen, and his relief is clear when he finds her.
• The Bodhi Tree is patient and enigmatic. It recognizes a possible connection between Zhenzhen and a powerful, compassionate figure from the distant past, while setting conditions before helping Qinghui.

Significant Themes

• Fate, identity, and reincarnation or resemblance: The tree’s claim that Zhenzhen is “her” and yet not her hints at a hidden connection.
• Self-sacrifice and responsibility: The mysterious woman gave up the chance to ascend to protect humanity.
• Family devotion and care: Qinghui’s rescue and feeding of Zhenzhen highlight their affectionate bond.
• Worthiness and reward: The tree’s aid is conditional, introducing a test of character or merit.

Key plot points and events

• The Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree’s Plain-Question Spirit Realm reveals each visitor’s deepest desire. Ye Zhenzhen sees herself as a powerful cultivator defeating her enemies, and the Bodhi Tree teases her for wanting money and power.
• Ye Qinghui’s vision is of peace among the Human, Cultivation, and Demon Realms. Impressed by his selfless purpose and firm Dao Heart, the Bodhi Tree lends him the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi seed, warning him to give it to the person who truly needs it when the time comes.
• The Bodhi Tree offers cryptic teachings about illusion and desire before the group is returned to the foot of Gathering Spirit Mountain. Ye Zhenzhen is disappointed not to receive the mirror.
• The group sets out to find Weak Water, which Ye Qinghui reasons circles Kunlun Mountain. Despite searching the skies around the region for over a month—and circling seventeen times—they cannot locate the mountain.
• As Ye Zhenzhen grows weary of the search, an unknown creature suddenly crashes into one of Azure Luan’s wings.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen revels in an imagined future of strength and revenge, but is embarrassed by how much she wants and quickly gives up the mirror to Ye Qinghui. She remains eager for treasures and impatient with the search.
• Ye Qinghui is shown to be sincerely devoted to justice and protecting all living beings. He accepts the Bodhi seed as a loan and asks who needs it, but must wait for the answer.
• The Bodhi Tree acts as a spiritual guide, testing the siblings and offering Ye Qinghui a valuable but conditional gift. Its riddles frustrate Ye Zhenzhen.
• The group works together to interpret the old text and search for Kunlun, though Ye Qinghui’s reasoned explanation has not yet solved their problem.

Significant themes

• Desire versus selflessness: Ye Zhenzhen’s ambitions contrast with Ye Qinghui’s concern for the Three Realms.
• The Dao and responsibility: True cultivation is linked to justice, protecting others, and accepting that power carries obligations.
• Illusion and insight: The mirror’s visions expose inner truths, while the Bodhi Tree suggests that appearances and worldly cravings are not ultimate.
• Patience and uncertainty: The seed’s intended recipient and Kunlun’s location remain mysteries, requiring the characters to continue without clear answers.

Chapter 28 Summary

• Key events: The group’s flight is interrupted when a male Manman Bird crashes into them. Burned and separated from his mate, he is cared for by Ye Qingyao, who decides to help reunite the pair while continuing the search for Weak Water. His loud calls repeatedly wake Ye Zhenzhen, who finally hits him in frustration. A distant birdsong leads the group to the female Manman Bird; the reunited pair celebrate and agree to guide the group to Weak Water.
• Character developments: Ye Qingyao’s compassion for animals is highlighted as she tends the injured bird and makes time to help him despite the approaching Immortal Sects Grand Tournament. Ye Zhenzhen’s comic, food-focused nature and short temper emerge: she imagines the bird as roast duck and lashes out when its cries keep her awake. The male Manman Bird’s determination to find his mate drives the episode.
• Character interactions: Ye Qingyao gently cares for the male bird, while Ye Zhenzhen’s attempt to quiet him by hitting him startles everyone. The male’s rough calls contrast with the female’s sweet song. Once reunited, the birds show their affection and respond positively to Ye Qingyao’s request for help.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes kindness and empathy, romantic devotion, and the tension between compassion and practical urgency. Its light humor comes from Ye Zhenzhen’s irreverent inner commentary and the contrast between the two birds’ voices.

Chapter 16 Summary

Key plot points and events

• The group reaches Blazing Fire Mountain, a volcano whose supernatural flames block their route to Weak Water.
• A flock of Bifang Birds—one-legged, fire-spitting creatures—flies across the mountain. The group suspects they may have caused the Manman Birds to scatter.
• The travelers consider riding a Bifang Bird across, but their first attempt provokes one, which chases them with fireballs.
• Ye Qingchuan devises a way to lure and control it: he makes a Spirit Fire ball enhanced with Fire Spirit Grass. The Bifang Bird exhausts itself chasing the treat, then gladly carries the group across the volcano in pursuit of more.
• Beyond the mountain, they find Weak Water encircling Kunlun Sacred Mountain. Ye Qinghui warns that, despite its beauty and purity, the water destroys any living thing that touches it.

Character developments

• Ye Zhenzhen is imaginative and mischievous: after the Bifang Bird frightens them, she proposes riding one and later wants to use its appetite to get even.
• Ye Qingchuan demonstrates confidence and ingenuity, using his skill with fire to turn the bird’s hunger into a means of transport.
• Ye Qinghui remains cautious and knowledgeable, identifying the mountain and explaining Weak Water’s danger.
• Ye Qingyao’s wonder at Weak Water quickly turns to alarm when she learns how deadly it is.

Character interactions

• Ye Qingyao comforts the frightened Manman Birds, while Ye Qinghui confirms the Bifang Birds may have caused their earlier separation.
• The group initially flees the aggressive Bifang Bird, then Ye Qingchuan wins its cooperation by feeding it a carefully controlled fireball.
• Ye Qinghui stops Ye Qingyao from touching Weak Water and explains why the group must keep their distance.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity over force: The group crosses an impossible obstacle by understanding and exploiting the Bifang Bird’s appetite.
• Beauty can conceal danger: Weak Water looks pristine and inviting but is lethal to living things.
• Cooperation through understanding: The travelers succeed by adapting to the creatures and environment around them rather than simply fighting them.

Key plot points and events

• At Kunlun’s Weak Water River, the group confirms that the water dissolves anything thrown into it. Ye Qinghui uses nearby leaves as a scoop and pours a drop onto the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi seed. Instead of flourishing, the seed turns gray and appears burned.
• Though troubled by the result, Ye Zhenzhen insists they continue the seven-day process, believing persistence may still work. The group collects a larger supply of Weak Water in a leaf vessel, seals it, and stores it in one of Ye Zhenzhen’s Heaven-and-Earth Pearls.
• With only three days until the Immortal Sects Grand Tournament, they hurry back to Cloudsky Sect. They arrive with one day remaining and meet Ye Rufeng and Ye Qingyun.
• Ye Qingyun is visibly disappointed: he and Ye Rufeng had arranged for him to take Ye Qinghui’s place if Ye Qinghui did not return. Having absorbed Ye Qinghui’s Inner Core, Qingyun’s cultivation has advanced quickly, and he had hoped to make a strong tournament debut.
• Ye Rufeng challenges Ye Qinghui to spar, ostensibly to test his recovery. Ye Qinghui’s swordsmanship lets him parry, but without an Inner Core his attacks lack spiritual force, and Ye Rufeng defeats him.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen remains curious, resourceful, and acquisitive. She recognizes that nearby plants can hold Weak Water, encourages the group to keep trying the Bodhi-seed method, and persuades them to take extra water for future use.
• Ye Qinghui is cautious and responsible, especially about the dangerous Weak Water, but is increasingly exasperated by his junior siblings’ eagerness to collect treasures. He is also saddened by the seed’s apparent damage.
• Ye Qingchuan shares Ye Zhenzhen’s interest in the Weak Water and helps collect it, seeing potential for his Talismans.
• Ye Qingyun hides his disappointment at Ye Qinghui’s return, exposing his ambition and the benefit he has gained from absorbing Qinghui’s Inner Core.
• Ye Rufeng acts under the pretense of testing Qinghui’s strength but uses the sparring match to demonstrate Qinghui’s weakness without his Inner Core.

Significant themes

• Persistence amid uncertainty: Ye Zhenzhen urges the group to continue despite the seed’s alarming reaction.
• Power and responsibility: Weak Water is dangerous and potentially useful as a weapon, but collecting it risks trouble.
• Betrayal and ambition: Qingyun’s plans depend on Qinghui’s absence, while his strength comes from taking Qinghui’s Inner Core.
• Skill versus spiritual power: Qinghui retains excellent swordsmanship, but the loss of his Inner Core leaves him unable to match an opponent’s force.

Chapter 17 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Rufeng tries to pressure Ye Qinghui into withdrawing from the upcoming Immortal Sects Grand Tournament, citing his lost Inner Core and diminished cultivation. Ye Qinghui politely refuses and vows to represent the Cloudsky Sect.
• The tournament, held every five years on Jade Pool Island, attracts hundreds of competitors. Its high registration fees and lavish prize—a 500,000 Superior Spirit Stone Flying Boat—make it a major event.
• Cloudsky Sect arrives on Azure Luans rather than a Flying Boat, prompting mockery from Heavenly Secret Palace leader Jiang Buqun and pointed remarks from Immortal Venerable Shen.
• Shen highlights the Flying Boat prize, knowing Ye Qinghui is unlikely to win, while Sect Leader Ye Ruheng remains composed and accepts the challenge with quiet confidence.
• Ye Rufeng asks Shen to let his disciple Ye Qingyun enter after registration has closed. Shen demands 50,000 Superior Spirit Stones—far above the usual fee. Ye Rufeng’s group can gather only 40,000, so Shen accepts that amount and puts the remaining 10,000 on Cloudsky Sect’s account.

Character developments

• Ye Qinghui shows restraint and determination, refusing to surrender his place despite his weakened cultivation.
• Ye Zhenzhen is indignant at Ye Rufeng’s interference and confident that Qinghui should keep his spot. She also declares that the Flying Boat will belong to her family.
• Ye Ruheng stays dignified under public taunts, while his fondness for Zhenzhen is clear.
• Ye Rufeng continues to favor Ye Qingyun and is willing to pay heavily to secure his entry, though he regrets the cost once the debt falls on the sect.
• Immortal Venerable Shen appears genial but uses the tournament to needle Cloudsky Sect and settle old grievances.

Character interactions

• Ye Rufeng challenges Qinghui’s fitness to compete; Qinghui answers respectfully but firmly.
• Jiang Buqun and Shen belittle Cloudsky Sect’s arrival, while Ruheng refuses to react angrily.
• Zhenzhen’s excitement over the Flying Boat softens the tense exchange between the adults.
• Shen exploits Rufeng’s request to extract an exorbitant fee, and Rufeng accepts after failing to collect the full amount.

Significant themes

• Public humiliation and resilience: Cloudsky Sect is mocked, but Ruheng and Qinghui respond with composure.
• Favoritism and rivalry: Rufeng’s effort to make room for Qingyun reflects the factional tensions within the sect.
• Greed and power: Shen’s resort-island profits, costly tournament, and manipulative fee-setting reveal how wealth and influence shape the cultivation world.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Rufeng’s late registration inspires more than a dozen other disciples to join the tournament, each paying 50,000 Superior Spirit Stones. Immortal Venerable Shen welcomes the extra income and opens the island to contestants before the tournament begins the next day.
• The Cloudsky Sect finds Jade Pool Island’s lodging and food exorbitantly expensive. Ye Zhenzhen persuades her family to camp by the shore and catch their own seafood instead.
• Using spirit herbs as bait, the group catches fish and shrimp. Ye Qinghui makes seafood soup, and Ye Qingchuan grills fish with remarkable skill. Their stall becomes popular, selling hundreds of fish and earning over 10,000 Superior Spirit Stones. Other contestants begin camping and copying their business.
• Immortal Venerable Shen is angered that the Cloudsky Sect’s cheap, appealing alternatives leave many guest rooms and seafood stalls underused. He vows to get revenge during the tournament.
• At dawn, Ye Qinghui waters the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree seed with Weak Water again. Rather than sprouting, it turns black and appears even more lifeless.
• The tournament’s first round is announced: contestants are split into sixteen groups for one-on-one matches, with each group’s top scorer advancing. Ye Qinghui lands in Group Three, considered the “group of death” because it contains several Golden Core Late Stage or stronger contestants—including, in others’ eyes, Ye Qinghui.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen shows her resourcefulness and money-making instincts, avoiding the island’s prices and turning fresh-caught seafood into a profitable venture. She enthusiastically praises both her senior brothers’ cooking.
• Ye Qinghui is bewildered by the seed’s worsening condition but continues trying to cultivate it.
• Ye Qingchuan discovers that his talent for controlling Spirit Fire makes him an exceptional fish-griller; his cooking draws customers and imitators.
• Immortal Venerable Shen shifts from cheerful profiteer to resentful antagonist when the Cloudsky Sect’s frugality undermines his business plans.
• The siblings work together: Ye Zhenzhen devises the fishing and selling ideas, Ye Qinghui prepares soup, and Ye Qingchuan grills the fish.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity and self-reliance: The Cloudsky Sect sidesteps inflated prices by making its own lodging and food.
• Unexpected talents and success: Ye Qingchuan’s combat-related fire skill proves valuable in an unexpected setting.
• Greed versus resourcefulness: Shen’s pursuit of profit clashes with the group’s ability to thrive without paying for his services.
• Comic contrast and dramatic irony: The seed appears ruined despite repeated care, while Ye Qinghui is mistakenly regarded as a formidable tournament contender.

Plot points and events

• Immortal Venerable Shen announces the tournament rules: competitors must show restraint, and no one may be killed. Privately, he hopes Ye Qinghui will be killed or badly injured, and assigns him a group with three powerful opponents—an arrangement that looks like deliberate favoritism.
• Ye Qinghui begins the tournament despite having lost his Inner Core and most of his cultivation. He defeats Golden Core Late Stage saber cultivator Li Tiankui by dodging his powerful attacks, exploiting his stamina weakness, and disarming him with his sword.
• Ye Qinghui continues winning several demanding matches through agility and swordsmanship, but the repeated battles leave him exhausted.
• His tenth opponent is Tang Jiuzhou, a Golden Core Late Stage formation expert whose ancestral killing formation has badly injured previous contestants. Ye Qingyao and Ye Ruheng urge Ye Qinghui to prioritize his safety.
• Ye Zhenzhen secretly gives Ye Qinghui a Phoenix Spirit Fruit and her milk bottle, then shares a plan. He laughs at its slyness, setting up their next move.

Character developments

• Ye Qinghui demonstrates that losing his Inner Core has not erased his skill, discipline, or composure. Rather than relying on raw power, he adapts, studies his opponents, and wins through timing and technique.
• Ye Zhenzhen shows confidence in her senior brother and uses her knowledge of the original book to identify Li Tiankui’s weakness. She also supports Ye Qinghui with supplies and tactical advice.
• Ye Qingyao and Ye Ruheng express genuine concern for Ye Qinghui, recognizing both the danger he faces and his physical limits.
• Immortal Venerable Shen is revealed to be manipulating the tournament assignment to target Ye Qinghui.

Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Ye Qinghui defeats a stronger opponent by exploiting an opening rather than meeting strength head-on.
• Resilience and adaptability: His depleted cultivation makes the tournament harder, but he relies on years of training and quick thinking.
• Unfairness and hidden motives: Shen’s misuse of authority undermines the tournament’s stated spirit of friendly competition.
• Trust and support: Ye Zhenzhen’s insight and the others’ concern help Ye Qinghui face increasingly dangerous challenges.

Character interactions

• Shen’s hostile intentions contrast with the worried reactions of Ye Qinghui’s companions.
• Li Tiankui taunts Ye Qinghui for lacking an Inner Core, then grows frustrated when his attacks repeatedly miss; Ye Qinghui turns the tables and removes him from the stage.
• Ye Zhenzhen cheers for Ye Qinghui, supplies him with a restorative fruit and milk bottle, and secretly advises him before the dangerous match against Tang Jiuzhou.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Jiuzhou traps Ye Qinghui in the Kunshan Tang Family’s Seven-Star Killing Formation, confident it will wear him down.
• Ye Zhenzhen’s ordinary glass baby bottle reflects sunlight and disrupts the formation’s star pattern. Ye Qinghui breaks free and defeats Tang Jiuzhou, leaving the spectators astonished by the bottle’s unlikely role.
• Ye Zhenzhen worries that the crowd might damage her milk bottle. Ye Qinghui returns it to her, and she imagines it could later be sold as a famous artifact.
• The group stage continues into the next day. Ye Qinghui’s final opponent is Gong Ningxian, an early Nascent Soul cultivator and skilled musician. Both have won all their previous matches, so the winner will advance to the elimination round.
• Ye Zhenzhen confidently promises she can keep Ye Qinghui from losing, though she has not yet worked out how. Ye Qinghui faces Gong calmly.
• Gong’s music attacks Ye Qinghui with cutting notes. Ye Qinghui identifies and exploits the melody’s repeated rhythm, but Gong changes tempo and intensifies the assault. A note strikes Ye Qinghui’s knee, forcing him down on one knee as the fight continues.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qinghui remains composed despite lacking a Golden Core. He uses observation and sword skill to overcome Tang’s formation, then applies careful listening to counter Gong’s music.
• Ye Zhenzhen again proves unexpectedly resourceful, though this time through the comic accident of her bottle. Her attachment to it highlights her infant perspective and playful self-interest.
• Tang Jiuzhou shifts from smug confidence to humiliation after his family’s signature formation is undone by an everyday object.
• Gong Ningxian treats Ye Qinghui seriously from the outset and demonstrates that he is a more formidable opponent than the earlier Golden Core cultivators.
• Ye Qingyao politely dismisses Shen Xingyan’s boast about his victories, while Luo Bingyao watches her with hostility. The group’s confidence in Ye Zhenzhen contrasts with her admission that she has no plan yet.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity over raw power: Ye Qinghui and Ye Zhenzhen defeat an impressive technique through an unconventional weakness rather than superior force.
• Appearances can mislead: The seemingly trivial baby bottle becomes the key to breaking a renowned formation.
• Composure and adaptation: Ye Qinghui’s calm observation helps him counter both the formation and Gong’s shifting musical attacks.
• Rising stakes: The tournament’s final group-stage match pits Ye Qinghui against a stronger, more unpredictable opponent, ending on a cliffhanger.

Key plot points and events

• During the duel, Gong Ningxian’s deadly Soul-Summoning Tune is disrupted by baby Ye Zhenzhen’s cries. The interruption unsettles Gong Ningxian and makes his music backfire, leaving him injured.
• Ye Qinghui seizes the opening, disarms Gong Ningxian by threatening his fingers, and wins the match. Gong then tries to blame and seize Zhenzhen, calling her a demon child, but Ye Ruheng protects her and the crowd turns against Gong. String-Killing Sect Leader Ling Xiao makes his disciple apologize.
• Ye Ruheng and Xie Jingshu return to Cloudsky Sect, leaving Zhenzhen in Ye Qinghui’s care. The group continues selling grilled fish, now a popular and highly profitable business.
• Shen Xingyan invites Ye Qingyao on a moonlit outing aboard a flying vessel. Ye Qingchuan and Zhenzhen insist on joining, so Shen takes them along. He casually appropriates the tournament’s grand-prize vessel, claiming he will win it anyway and charge its fuel to the tournament.

Character developments

• Ye Zhenzhen shows a sharp sense of timing: her cries turn the duel, and she plays up her distress to gain the crowd’s sympathy. Gong suspects she is more than an ordinary baby.
• Ye Qinghui proves resourceful, turning a dangerous duel around when an opening appears.
• Ye Qingchuan speaks up courageously for Zhenzhen and remains protective of Ye Qingyao.
• Gong Ningxian responds to defeat with aggression and suspicion, while his sect leader must contain the fallout.
• Shen Xingyan is increasingly drawn to Ye Qingyao, though he is frustrated that her companions come along. His confidence and entitlement show when he takes the prize vessel for a test ride.

Significant themes

• Appearances and hidden power: Zhenzhen seems like a helpless baby, yet her cries have an uncanny effect.
• Public judgment and accountability: Gong’s attempt to harm Zhenzhen turns the crowd against him, forcing an apology.
• Protection and loyalty: Ye Ruheng defends his daughter, and Ye Qingchuan watches over his senior sister.
• Comedy and self-interest: The awkwardly chaperoned outing and Shen’s casual misuse of the tournament prize provide a lighter contrast to the duel’s danger.

Character interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen’s cries save Ye Qinghui, then provoke Gong’s accusation and Ye Ruheng’s intervention.
• Ye Qingchuan challenges Gong’s claim and rallies support for Zhenzhen; Ling Xiao apologizes on Gong’s behalf.
• Ye Qingyao’s willingness to include Zhenzhen and Ye Qingchuan forces Shen Xingyan to accept them on his outing.
• Ye Zhenzhen eagerly anticipates the trip, hinting that she recognizes events from the story’s original plot.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Xingyan takes Ye Zhenzhen, Ye Qingchuan, and Ye Qingyao on a flying boat. A hidden passenger appears to have followed them aboard.
• To distract the children and get time alone with Ye Qingyao, Shen brings the boat to the Sea Beast Pavilion, where they view its creatures through a free secret passage.
• Shen tells Ye Qingyao she should explore the world beyond Cloudsky Mountain and confesses that he wants her as his Dao companion, promising to travel with her.
• Ye Qingyao is moved but wary of what accepting might mean. She gently withdraws her hand, leaving Shen shocked and disappointed.
• A Demon Beast attacks: tentacles seize Ye Qingyao, and Shen cuts them off, but they regenerate. The enormous Tentacle Monster then expands, wraps around the flying boat, and threatens to overturn it.
• Ye Zhenzhen remembers that Ye Qingyao is supposed to be attacked by a powerful Demon Beast and urgently urges Ye Qingchuan to help.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Xingyan reveals his sincere feelings and abandons his plan to wait for Ye Qingyao to confess first. He tries to persuade her to choose a life beyond her duties, but her rejection unsettles him.
• Ye Qingyao is attracted to Shen’s vision of freedom and adventure, yet remains cautious and does not accept his proposal. She shows little jealousy when he brings up another woman.
• Ye Zhenzhen continues to observe events with knowledge of the original story, recognizing the danger before the others. Her excitement at the sea creatures gives way to alarm for Ye Qingyao.
• Ye Qingchuan and Ye Zhenzhen unintentionally hinder Shen’s attempts at romantic privacy by watching the couple, though Shen later distracts them with the sea beasts.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus duty: Ye Qingyao longs to see the wider world but has been taught that protecting Cloudsky Mountain is her obligation.
• Love and uncertainty: Shen makes a direct commitment, while Ye Qingyao’s hesitation shows the tension between desire and fear of the consequences.
• Fate and agency: Shen argues that people must reach for the future they want rather than simply accept what fate or duty assigns them.
• Foreshadowing and danger: Ye Zhenzhen’s knowledge of the original plot warns that the romantic excursion is about to become a life-threatening encounter.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qingchuan arrives with baby Ye Zhenzhen just as a Tentacle Monster captures Shen Xingyan and Ye Qingyao and prepares to drag them into the sea.
• Qingchuan rushes to rescue Qingyao, leaving Zhenzhen alone on deck. The monster turns toward her, but the golden mole on her forehead makes it recognize her as the powerful person who once saved its life.
• The monster knocks out the others, approaches Zhenzhen, and signals that it wants to become her contracted beast. She seals the contract with a drop of blood and names it Xiao Ba.
• Xiao Ba refuses to live inside her Heaven and Earth Pearl at first. Zhenzhen wins it over by offering Spirit Fish and promising it a well-stocked pond to guard at Cloudsky Mountain. Xiao Ba agrees and enters the pearl; Zhenzhen gathers seawater and fish for it.
• Two hours later, Shen Xingyan wakes and finds the monster gone. He revives Qingyao and Qingchuan, then discovers Luo Bingyao with a Beast-Attracting Talisman, confirming her role in luring the monster aboard.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen turns an apparent crisis into an opportunity, gaining a powerful sea-beast companion through her hidden past connection to it. She also shows resourcefulness by bargaining with Xiao Ba rather than simply forcing it into confinement.
• Ye Qingchuan reacts urgently to Qingyao’s danger but overlooks Zhenzhen, prompting her to resent the difference in how he treats his senior and junior sisters.
• Xiao Ba is revealed as grateful and affectionate toward Zhenzhen, though independent and unwilling to be treated like a captive. Food and the promise of a fishpond persuade it to cooperate.
• Shen Xingyan fails to defeat the monster, unlike the heroic rescue described in the original story. Zhenzhen suspects this may be because she previously took an opportunity that would have helped him reach the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Luo Bingyao’s attempted scheme is exposed when Shen finds her Beast-Attracting Talisman.

Significant themes

• Changed fate: Events diverge from the original story, suggesting Zhenzhen’s actions have altered the characters’ expected paths.
• Fortune through unexpected bonds: The monster that threatens the group becomes Zhenzhen’s valuable ally.
• Care versus control: Zhenzhen must persuade Xiao Ba with mutual benefits rather than treating a contract as permission to imprison it.
• Favoritism and belonging: Zhenzhen’s hurt at being left behind highlights her insecurity about her place among her senior siblings.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qingchuan, still shaken by his earlier ordeal, confronts Luo Bingyao and accuses her of summoning the Tentacle Monster. She admits she meant to call a small Demon Beast to frighten Ye Qingyao, but accidentally summoned the terrifying sea creature instead.
• Ye Zhenzhen reveals that the Tentacle Monster, now named Xiao Ba, is her contracted beast. Though it had previously frightened and attacked the others, it now appears small, playful, and affectionate toward her. It dances for the group and happily cuddles up to Zhenzhen.
• Ye Qingchuan takes the opportunity to smack Xiao Ba in revenge for trapping him earlier. Xiao Ba tolerates it after Zhenzhen signals it to behave, while she continues to tease and play with it.
• The tournament’s first round ends, leaving sixteen contestants to compete in the elimination round at Jade Pool Island’s main arena. A casino beside the arena invites spectators to bet on the winner.
• Shen Xingyan is the clear favorite, while Ye Qinghui is overlooked because people believe he has lost his Inner Core. Zhenzhen urges Ye Qingchuan and Ye Qingyao to wager their Spirit Stones on Eldest Senior Brother, promising enormous returns.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen shows confidence and affection toward Xiao Ba, treating the once-terrifying beast like a cute pet. She also displays her usual enthusiasm for making money and confidence in her senior brother.
• Xiao Ba shifts from menacing monster to obedient, attention-loving companion. Its willingness to accept Ye Qingchuan’s retaliation and indulge Zhenzhen’s teasing suggests its loyalty to her.
• Ye Qingchuan remains resentful of the monster’s earlier attack, but accepts its place as Zhenzhen’s contracted beast and takes a small revenge on it.
• Ye Qingyao is stunned to discover that the creature that nearly suffocated her is now acting adorable, though she gradually admits it is somewhat cute.
• Luo Bingyao’s attempt to frighten Ye Qingyao backfires badly, leaving her nearly killed by the much larger creature she accidentally summoned.
• The siblings shift from reacting to the monster’s reveal to joining the excitement around the tournament betting.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus nature: Xiao Ba’s frightening reputation contrasts with its silly, affectionate behavior around Zhenzhen.
• Loyalty and trust: Xiao Ba’s obedience shows the bond between it and its new master.
• Humor and reversal: Luo Bingyao’s prank backfires, and a feared monster becomes the group’s comic companion.
• Risk and confidence: The betting scene highlights the temptation of quick riches and Zhenzhen’s faith in her eldest senior brother, despite the crowd’s doubts about him.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Lingxuan, the wealthy young master of Spirit Sword Manor, approaches Ye Qingyao but becomes fascinated by the Little Glutinous Rice Ball, Ye Zhenzhen. He joins Ye Qingyao and Ye Qingchuan in betting on Ye Qinghui, then spreads his wagers across other likely winners.
• Ye Zhenzhen points out Li Huaiyi as the winner of the first duel. Though Nanfeng Jin dominates early, a flock of Spirit Birds blocks his view at a crucial moment, allowing Li Huaiyi to win—just as Ye Zhenzhen remembers from the original book.
• Ye Qingchuan and Lu Lingxuan follow Ye Zhenzhen’s picks in subsequent matches and multiply their money. When she backs Lu in his own match, he wins easily and advances to the final eight. He shares 50,000 Spirit Stones with her, hoping she will guide him again.
• The chapter ends as Ye Qinghui is about to face Lei Jiajia, a highly skilled lightning cultivator and one of the tournament favorites.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhenzhen proves remarkably accurate at predicting match outcomes and enjoys turning her knowledge into betting profits. She and Lu Lingxuan recognize each other’s interest in making money, and she decides to keep helping him.
• Lu Lingxuan shifts his attention from Ye Qingyao to Ye Zhenzhen, becoming her enthusiastic admirer and generous backer.
• Ye Qingchuan trusts Ye Zhenzhen’s choices, bets his remaining funds, and celebrates the gains with her.
• Ye Qingyao shows her considerate nature by warning Lu that he need not wager money just because she and Ye Qingchuan did.
• Ye Qinghui has not yet fought, but the chapter establishes that his upcoming opponent is formidable.

Significant themes

• Luck and foreknowledge: Li Huaiyi’s improbable victory supports Ye Zhenzhen’s view that luck can be a form of strength.
• Wealth and risk: The characters balance safe bets with long-shot wagers, while Ye Zhenzhen’s predictions make betting unusually rewarding.
• Affection and shared fortune: Lu’s growing fondness for Ye Zhenzhen is expressed through gifts and trust, while their mutual enthusiasm for profit creates an amusing bond.

Key plot points and events

• Before the match, Ye Qinghui’s cultivation began to recover after the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree seed, repeatedly watered with Weak Water, transformed through fire into a Bodhi Spirit Pill. The pill restored roughly sixty to seventy percent of his former strength.
• Ye Zhenzhen had Ye Qingchuan bet heavily on Qinghui and hinted that he also had a secret weapon.
• Lei Jiajia of Heavenly Thunder Pavilion entered the arena with an imposing display of thunder. His sect master and fellow disciples confidently praised him and bet on his victory, while insulting Qinghui for lacking an Inner Core.
• Lei launched a huge Thunderball that could have killed Qinghui. Qinghui calmly split it apart with his Flowing Light Sword, then struck Lei with the fragments of his own attack.
• The crowd discovered Dragonblood Stone on Qinghui’s sword, a rare material capable of breaking through even lightning. Lei was swiftly defeated, and the Heavenly Thunder Pavilion contingent left in humiliation, having lost their bets.
• Ye Qingyao healed the injured Lei. His despair turned to fascination with her, while Ye Zhenzhen predicted another admirer was falling for her senior sister.
• Immortal Venerable Shen enjoyed the humiliation of Heavenly Thunder Pavilion but grew more concerned by Qinghui’s strength and advantages, turning his attention to his son, Shen Xingyan.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qinghui demonstrates composure and formidable skill despite being only partly recovered, overturning expectations with a decisive victory.
• Ye Zhenzhen shows confidence in Qinghui and keeps his additional advantage secret; her thoughts also reveal she possesses far more Dragonblood Stone than the crowd imagines.
• Lei Jiajia shifts from arrogant confidence to defeat and despair, then becomes captivated by Ye Qingyao when she heals him.
• Ye Qingyao responds compassionately to Lei’s injuries, reinforcing her gentle, almost goddess-like image.
• Immortal Venerable Shen resents the Heavenly Thunder Pavilion sect master’s insult toward his son, but Qinghui’s unexpected power also makes him wary.
• The Heavenly Thunder Pavilion sect master’s public boasting backfires, and his disciples’ all-in bets leave them disgraced.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and overturned assumptions: Qinghui’s lack of an Inner Core leads others to underestimate him, but his preparation and resources decide the match.
• Arrogance and consequences: Lei and his sect’s certainty gives way to a humiliating defeat.
• Rare treasures and cultivation: The Bodhi Spirit Pill restores Qinghui’s power, while Dragonblood Stone turns his sword into a counter to Lei’s lightning.
• Compassion and admiration: Qingyao’s kindness to a defeated opponent sparks Lei’s renewed hope and attraction.