Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• While traveling toward Mingwu Ancient City, Mo Xie asks why Xiayu’s young women are so powerful. Shu Xiaohua nearly reveals a secret about Xiayu, but Ruan Feiyan stops her and warns Mo Xie not to ask again.
• Mo Xie dismisses Xiayu’s secrets as unimpressive, irritating the women. His exceptional strength and talent make it difficult for them to challenge him.
• The group reaches a flooded wetland occupied by Mud Dragon Seals. Among the reeds, they find glowing, oddly beautiful flowers.
• Mo Xie warns that the dandelion-like plants supposedly feed on corpses and trap souls. When he and Le Nan notice that one resembles a sea anemone, it suddenly attacks her.
• Mo Xie pulls the creature from the earth and dodges its snapping, venomous jaws. He spots more of them nearby and orders everyone to flee.

Character developments

• Mo Xie is shown as powerful, observant, and quick to act. Though he mocks Xiayu’s abilities, he protects Le Nan without hesitation.
• Ruan Feiyan is guarded about Xiayu’s secrets and becomes increasingly interested in making Mo Xie hers, even considering seeking her teacher’s help.
• Shu Xiaohua is enthusiastic and curious, but nearly careless around the dangerous flowers.
• Le Nan, despite being shy and a capable mage, lacks combat experience and is caught unprepared by the plant’s attack.

Character interactions

• Ruan Feiyan checks Shu Xiaohua’s near-slip and firmly sets a boundary with Mo Xie.
• Mo Xie’s taunt provokes the Xiayu women’s loyalty and resentment, while his strength earns their reluctant respect.
• Shu Xiaohua’s lively conversation helps prevent awkward silence during the journey.
• Mo Xie intervenes just as Le Nan is attacked, turning their shared curiosity into an urgent struggle for survival.

Significant themes

• Appearances can deceive: The flowers look delicate and beautiful but are lethal predators.
• Power and inexperience: The Xiayu women have impressive abilities but little practical combat experience.
• Secrets and belonging: Ruan Feiyan treats Xiayu’s knowledge as something reserved for insiders, while Mo Xie remains an outsider whose talent complicates that divide.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie and Ruan Feiyan’s group are nearly surrounded by camouflaged Sea Anemone Dandelions. The women use Wind Track to form a fast-moving protective “wheel” and escape.
• Mo Xie identifies the attackers as mutant Demon Beasts, whose unusual abilities and hidden growth make them far more dangerous than ordinary species. He suspects the Ocean is already infiltrating coastal lands and changing local creatures ahead of its planned conflict with land.
• The group continues toward Mingwu Ancient City, about thirty kilometers away, through increasingly flooded terrain choked with thick aquatic plants.
• When Ying Yuqin suggests clearing a path with Magic, Ruan Feiyan argues that doing so would waste their energy and leave them vulnerable.
• Mo Xie summons his Ice-Scratch Demon Tiger. Its powerful cold freezes the water and drives hidden Demon Beasts from the vegetation. Its Commander-level aura shocks the women.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie’s quick action saves Le Nan and helps the group escape. Ruan Feiyan and the others become grateful and stop doubting him; Mo Xie, however, treats the rescue as simply part of his duty to his employers.
• Le Nan develops a bashful attraction to Mo Xie after he saves her, but her gratitude and interest fade into disappointment when he gives her little attention. Ruan Feiyan notices her reaction.
• Ruan Feiyan remains cautious and practical, warning the group to conserve Magic Energy in dangerous terrain.
• Mo Xie’s Ice-Scratch Demon Tiger reveals the scale of his strength. The women, including Ruan Feiyan, are frightened and astonished by the beast and question whether it is his Summoned Beast.

Significant themes

• Nature transformed into danger: Beautiful wetlands conceal predators, while flooding and dense vegetation make the landscape increasingly hostile.
• An approaching ecological conflict: Mutant species suggest the Ocean is altering the land before open hostilities begin, threatening both humans and Demon Beasts.
• Hidden power and uncertainty: Familiar signs—and even magical senses—may not reveal a creature’s true nature, making caution essential.
• Trust and unequal attachment: Mo Xie’s dependable actions earn the group’s trust, while his emotional detachment contrasts with Le Nan’s growing interest.

Plot points and events

• Mo Xie confirms that the Commander-level Ice-Scratch Demon Tiger, Little White, is his Dimensional Beast. The women are astonished by its strength and beauty, and Shu Xiaohua asks to see Mo Xie’s Contract Beast, but he refuses. She is allowed to pet Little White.
• The group reaches Mingwu Ancient City. Ruan Feiyan says Xiayu has an important reason for coming, but declines to explain it. Mo Xie hides his own goal: finding and marking the city’s ancient carvings.
• The overgrown city is strangely peaceful despite the dangerous Demon Beasts outside. They find pristine carvings along Horse-Racing Road, untouched by plants or decay. Ruan Feiyan identifies one as the Thunder Cat Seat. Mo Xie secretly marks it—and the other carvings he sees—with Silver Dragon Marks, while suspecting Ruan Feiyan has not told him everything.
• A noisy party led by a fat man arrives, apparently transporting something large through the woods. The man orders Mo Xie’s group aside, leers at the women, then becomes fascinated by the Thunder Cat Carving. The chapter ends as his interest shifts from the women to the sculpture.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie remains guarded and strategic: he conceals his Contract Beast, keeps his interest in the carvings private, and quietly prepares a way to move between them.
• The women of Xiayu, especially Shu Xiaohua, grow warmer toward Mo Xie after seeing Little White; their admiration replaces much of their earlier caution.
• Ruan Feiyan is polite but secretive about Xiayu’s purpose, prompting Mo Xie to distrust her explanation.
• The fat newcomer is crude and domineering, creating immediate tension with Mo Xie’s group.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and competing agendas: Both Mo Xie and the Xiayu women withhold important information.
• Power and social standing: Little White’s strength earns Mo Xie respect and admiration.
• Nature, ruin, and the supernatural: The city has been reclaimed by vegetation, yet the carvings remain pristine and seem to repel dangerous beasts.
• Possession and conflict: The carvings’ apparent significance—and the newcomer’s interest in one—foreshadows a struggle over them.

Plot points and events

• A Hunter Group led by Boss Jin arrives hauling a Flute Heron statue on a Golden-Armored Mammoth. They plan to take the Thunder Cat statue too, but the mammoth can barely carry even one.
• Ruan Feiyan angrily protests, claiming the statues do not belong to the hunters. Boss Jin argues that the abandoned city’s statues have no owners and that removing them gives them a useful purpose as guardians for wealthy buyers.
• When Ruan Feiyan warns of divine punishment, Boss Jin points out that she and her companions are from Xiayu, implying they face the same danger. His remark leaves the Xiayu women speechless.
• Ruan Feiyan asks Mo Xie to intervene, but he refuses to continue their agreement or help. He sees no reason to stop the hunters and heads toward them.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruan Feiyan shifts from righteous indignation to desperate pleading. Her objection is undermined by the fact that her own group also came to claim the statues.
• Boss Jin is confident, pragmatic, and openly contemptuous of the Xiayu group. He uses their own warning about divine punishment against them.
• Mo Xie remains detached from the dispute. He judges the statues to be unclaimed and prioritizes his own goal of imprinting them with the Silver Dragon Mark.
• The exchange exposes the hypocrisy between the two groups: both want the statues, but Ruan Feiyan criticizes the hunters for doing what her group intended.

Significant themes

• Ownership and abandonment: The chapter questions who has a claim to relics left in a deserted city.
• Hypocrisy and self-interest: Ruan Feiyan’s moral objections conflict with her group’s mission.
• Pragmatism versus reverence: Boss Jin treats the statues as valuable, useful goods, while Ruan Feiyan invokes their sacred history.
• Personal boundaries: Mo Xie refuses to take responsibility for a conflict that does not concern him.

Key plot points and events

• Ruan Feiyan tries to persuade Mo Xie to stop Boss Jin’s Hunter Group from taking the ancient statues. Money fails, so she reveals that removing or damaging the statues triggers a devastating lightning storm. A statue was already stolen, causing the recent storm; taking the rest could threaten all of Carp City.
• Just as Mo Xie is about to agree, Ruan Feiyan offers him Xiayu’s Earth Sacred Spring, a rare treasure that helps mages advance. Mo Xie recognizes it and accepts.
• The hunters’ Golden-Armored Mammoth collapses under the Thunder Cat statue’s weight, badly injuring itself. Boss Jin refuses to abandon the valuable statue.
• Mo Xie offers Boss Jin twice the merchants’ payment and gives him a letter of introduction to the Evil Heaven Pavilion. Boss Jin accepts the opportunity and agrees to stop taking the statues. Mo Xie still pays for the Thunder Cat and Flute Heron rather than taking them for free.
• Boss Jin warns Mo Xie not to trust Xiayu blindly. Mo Xie says he has his own reasons for intervening, and invites Boss Jin to bring his men to the Evil Heaven Pavilion.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruan Feiyan moves from bargaining with money to revealing the danger, then parts with a treasured reward to secure Mo Xie’s help. Her choice shows both determination and the importance she places on the mission.
• Mo Xie initially feigns disinterest to improve his bargaining position, but the threat to the city and his own plans persuade him to act. The Earth Sacred Spring strongly interests him, and he also uses the crisis to recruit Boss Jin’s group.
• Boss Jin shifts from a forceful leader focused on profit to a respectful ally once he sees Mo Xie’s letter of introduction. He repays the favor by warning Mo Xie about Xiayu.
• The Xiayu women are relieved by Mo Xie’s agreement and surprised by Ruan Feiyan’s costly offer.

Significant themes

• Negotiation and leverage: Mo Xie and Ruan Feiyan each use what matters most to the other to secure cooperation.
• Duty versus reward: Ruan Feiyan sacrifices a personal treasure to protect the statues and the city.
• Power and opportunity: The Evil Heaven Pavilion’s influence turns a potential confrontation into a recruitment deal.
• Trust and hidden motives: Boss Jin questions Xiayu’s honesty, while Mo Xie keeps his own agenda private.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie returns after negotiating with Boss Jin. The Hunter Group leaves the Thunder Cat Carving behind, relieving the Xiayu women.
• Ruan Feiyan gives Mo Xie the Earth Sacred Spring as thanks. He recognizes that it is far more potent than the spring from Bo City and accepts it.
• Mo Xie delays before rejoining the group, using the time to search the ancient city and mark carvings with his Silver Dragon Mark. Several carvings have already been removed.
• As the carvings disappear, Mingwu Ancient City loses the sacred protection that kept its wilderness at bay. Plants and dangerous creatures rapidly overrun the city, and webs seal the gate.
• An Eerie Spider Woman ambushes Mo Xie, but he detects her and pins her to a web with Shadow Spikes.
• At Long-Tongue Sea Cliff, Mo Xie finds the Xiayu women with two additional elders. The stern woman in green scolds them for associating with outsiders; the elder in blue ends the argument and summons their mount.
• A powerful Haidongqing God arrives, its lightning-charged silver chains striking the rocks. Dark storm clouds gather as the chapter ends.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie acts as a shrewd negotiator and opportunist, securing the Thunder Cat Carving’s return and accepting the sacred spring. He also demonstrates caution and combat awareness when he spots and defeats the spider creature.
• Ruan Feiyan is relieved that the carving has been returned and grateful to Mo Xie, though she gives up the sacred spring reluctantly.
• The Xiayu women appear intimidated by their elders, especially the severe woman in green, and uneasy about having involved an outsider.
• The elders reveal a strict division of authority: the woman in green reprimands the younger women, while the older woman in blue takes charge and summons the group’s sacred mount.
• Mo Xie and the Eerie Spider Woman briefly face off; her attempted ambush fails when he turns the tables.

Significant themes

• The cost of taking sacred relics: Removing the carvings strips the ancient city of its protection, allowing the hostile wilderness to reclaim it.
• Power, secrecy, and strategy: Mo Xie uses negotiation, hidden Evil Fiend Seeds, and careful timing to advance his plans.
• Tradition versus outside influence: The Xiayu elders’ disapproval of contact with outsiders underscores their community’s guarded customs.
• Escalating danger: The city’s transformation and the arrival of the Haidongqing God create a mounting sense of threat and foreboding.

Plot points and events

• After retrieving all the Ancient Sculptures, the women of Xiayu prepare to leave on the Haidongqing God. Shu Xiaohua admits their plan was to keep the sculptures from being stolen by others—not to stop Xiayu from taking them—and mocks Mo Xie for choosing between warning Carp City and pursuing them.
• The removal of the sculptures triggers a vast, potentially catastrophic Heavenly Tribulation. As the women depart, Mo Xie senses the Haidongqing God’s pain and silently vows to rescue it.
• During the flight, Ruan Feiyan regrets leaving Mo Xie behind, but her teacher redirects her by promising her a chance to cultivate in Xiayu’s Holy Land and reaffirming Xiayu’s belief in women’s supremacy.
• The women discover Silver Dragon Marks glowing on the sculptures. Before they can intervene, the sculptures vanish. Ruan Feiyan suspects Mo Xie was responsible, recalling that he had touched them.
• Back in Mingwu Ancient City, Mo Xie uses the marks to return the sculptures to their original places. The city’s sacred aura reappears, driving away the beasts and restoring the overgrown ruins. The thunderclouds then dissipate.
• Mo Xie decides that his next task is to settle accounts with Xiayu. In Carp City, military officials see the storm weakening and conclude that the city is safe.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie stays composed when Shu Xiaohua reveals the deception. Rather than pursue the departing women, he restores the sculptures and apparently prevents the Heavenly Tribulation from striking Carp City. His vow to save the Haidongqing God—and his anger toward Xiayu—set up further conflict.
• Shu Xiaohua shifts from playful charm to open taunting, revealing her group’s self-serving intentions.
• Ruan Feiyan shows regret over leaving Mo Xie, but accepts her teacher’s encouragement and turns her attention back to Xiayu.
• The women of Xiayu celebrate their success, then react with shock and fury when the sculptures disappear.
• The Haidongqing God appears to plead silently with Mo Xie, suggesting it is suffering despite carrying the Xiayu women away.

Significant themes

• Deception and reversal: Xiayu’s assurances conceal its own plan, but Mo Xie ultimately outmaneuvers the group.
• Responsibility and choice: Mo Xie faces the choice between pursuing revenge and protecting people in danger, and acts to avert the threat.
• Power, loyalty, and exploitation: The Haidongqing God’s distress contrasts with the women’s confidence in using it to escape.
• Gender ideology and ambition: Xiayu’s commitment to women’s supremacy shapes its culture, while Ruan Feiyan’s personal longing is redirected toward advancement within it.

Key plot points and events

• Xiayu and Mingwu Ancient City were once powerful Hidden Clans. After Xiayu’s people were lured away and nearly wiped out by a ruler, Mingwu concealed itself by accepting outsiders and becoming an ordinary town.
• The surviving Mingwu clan later found Xiayu and its Earth Sacred Spring, relocated there, and brought an important Ancient Sculpture. The move triggered a devastating Heavenly Tribulation, so they blamed the Totem, erased evidence, and abandoned Mingwu.
• Xiayu prospered with the sculpture but now faces rising seas and increasing Sea Monster activity. Its elders plan to move the remaining sculptures from Mingwu to strengthen the island’s defenses.
• After handling matters in Mingwu, Mo Xie flies toward the Evil Fiend Seed. He discovers Xiayu’s hidden, unusually calm bay and watches from a nearby mountain.
• A fisherman seeking shelter from a storm accidentally reaches the island. Xiayu’s people offer him the choice to stay and marry one of their young women. When he refuses because he has a wife, an elder kills him with lightning.
• The islanders’ rule is made clear: outsiders must either stay or die, and Xiayu’s location must remain secret.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie is cautious, keeping out of sight while observing Xiayu rather than approaching openly.
• The fisherman shows loyalty to his wife and refuses the islanders’ offer, but his integrity costs him his life.
• Xiayu’s elders initially present the island as welcoming, then reveal their ruthless policy. The older woman strikes the fisherman; another elder calmly justifies the killing as his own choice.
• The island’s women control outsiders’ fate, while the text notes that men who settle there never leave.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and survival: Xiayu’s isolation is treated as essential to protecting the clan.
• The corruption of self-preservation: The islanders’ desire to preserve their people has hardened into brutality.
• Loyalty and coercion: The fisherman’s devotion to his wife conflicts with Xiayu’s demand that he stay.
• Entrapment: Xiayu appears to be a peaceful paradise, but its beauty conceals a community from which outsiders cannot freely depart.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie rescues a young fisherman who was struck by lightning after discovering Xiayu. The fisherman says he can return home by building a raft, while Mo Xie realizes Xiayu’s people would likely have killed him to protect their secret.
• Mo Xie concludes Xiayu intends to preserve its sanctuary by taking the statues from Mingwu Ancient City—even if doing so brings heavenly lightning down on Carp City and kills tens of thousands.
• He slips past the island’s guards and explores Xiayu Town. Its peaceful appearance conceals a rigid society in which women hold most authority and men are largely confined to labor and domestic roles.
• Guided by the Qilin Pendant, Mo Xie finds a concealed cavern and enters a maze of fissures leading toward the Xiayu Secret Realm, whose soul-nourishing energy is far greater than he expected.
• After overhearing two people leave the realm, Mo Xie senses a familiar aura behind a massive stone door. The pendant reacts intensely, suggesting something valuable lies beyond.
• The door opens again. Mo Xie recognizes Ruan Feiyan’s voice and hides before she enters, saying she has permission to cultivate in the Sacred Pool.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie shifts from rescuing the fisherman to investigating Xiayu, judging its inhabitants’ devotion to their sanctuary as twisted and dangerous. His handsome appearance attracts attention in town and makes him wary of drawing notice.
• The fisherman is grateful to Mo Xie and insists he can make his own way back.
• Ruan Feiyan appears as a returning trainee trusted by Seventh Grandma, who expects her to reach Super Level and help handle future threats. Her unexpected arrival complicates Mo Xie’s attempt to explore undetected.
• Xiayu’s society is shown through its interactions: women dominate public life, while most men have little freedom or status. Some women openly admire Mo Xie, provoking resentment from their husbands.

Significant themes

• Sanctuary and moral corruption: A peaceful, sacred refuge can become cruel when its people will commit atrocities to preserve it.
• Self-preservation versus collective responsibility: Xiayu’s leaders are willing to sacrifice Carp City for their own security.
• Power and gender: Xiayu reverses conventional gender roles, but its hierarchy still relies on control and unequal freedom.
• Appearance versus reality: Xiayu looks tranquil and idyllic, yet its apparent paradise is founded on secrecy, coercion, and willingness to kill.

Plot points and events

• Ruan Feiyan returns to Xiayu after a failed mission, frustrated that her rival Le Nan may overtake her and become eldest sister. She is nevertheless allowed to cultivate in Xiayu’s Sacred Pool.
• Mo Xie, the Hunter Master she hired under the name Wu Xie, appears inside the supposedly inaccessible chamber. He restrains her with Shadow Thorns before she can sound the alarm, also suppressing her ability to sense or use her Stars.
• Ruan Feiyan misreads Mo Xie’s remark that he will let her go when he is “done here” as a sexual threat. He rejects the implication, saying she does not deserve such treatment, and turns his attention to the spring.
• The Qilin Pendant draws the Sacred Pool’s water into itself until the spring is completely drained. Ruan Feiyan faints from shock and wakes to find the pool dry.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruan Feiyan is revealed as ambitious and insecure about Le Nan’s rising status, despite presenting a sweet, admiring front to the guard at the entrance. Her terror at Mo Xie’s intrusion gives way to a mistaken flirtatious response, then to outrage over the spring’s destruction.
• Mo Xie demonstrates formidable Shadow Element abilities and remains focused on the Sacred Spring rather than Ruan Feiyan. His blunt dismissal wounds her pride, but he shows no interest in exploiting her vulnerability.
• Their encounter is defined by a sharp imbalance of power: Mo Xie effortlessly restrains Ruan Feiyan, while she cannot alert Xiayu’s elders or defend herself.

Significant themes

• Ambition and rivalry: Feiyan fears losing status to Le Nan and resents the support Le Nan receives.
• Power and vulnerability: Mo Xie’s abilities leave Feiyan helpless in a place she assumes is secure.
• Sacred resources and violation: The spring is Xiayu’s lifeblood, and its apparent consumption by the pendant foreshadows serious consequences.
• Misunderstanding and pride: Feiyan interprets Mo Xie’s words through her own expectations, while his rejection sharply punctures her confidence.

Plot points

• After the Qilin Pendant drains the Earth Sacred Spring, Mo Xie leaves the Holy Land, freeing Ruan Feiyan from the Shadow Thorns.
• A brocade-robed man confronts Mo Xie, then assumes he has harmed Ruan Feiyan when she emerges looking exhausted. He attacks, but Mo Xie swiftly defeats him with lightning.
• Mo Xie makes Ruan Feiyan his prisoner, magically silencing and immobilizing her, and takes her into town. Bystanders mistake her forced closeness to him for affection.
• Mo Xie encounters Shu Xiaohua and orders her to lead him to the Grannies, the authorities on Xiayu. Intimidated, she complies.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie remains confident, mocking, and ruthless. He easily overpowers the man and treats both Ruan Feiyan and Shu Xiaohua as captives, though he masks his threats with a pleasant manner.
• Ruan Feiyan is left mentally and physically shaken by her ordeal. She angrily threatens Mo Xie, but he disables her; despite herself, she notices the comfort of his embrace and immediately rejects the thought.
• The brocade-robed man reveals possessive feelings for Ruan Feiyan, rushing to attack Mo Xie out of jealousy. His confidence collapses when he is defeated almost instantly.
• Shu Xiaohua recognizes that Ruan Feiyan is being held captive, reacts with disgust, but yields when Mo Xie threatens her.
• The street’s onlookers mistake Ruan Feiyan’s helpless dependence on Mo Xie for romantic intimacy.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: Mo Xie’s strength lets him control others and move through Xiayu with little resistance.
• Appearances versus reality: Ruan Feiyan looks like a willing companion, while actually being unable to speak or escape.
• Overconfidence and vulnerability: Xiayu’s apparent lack of caution leaves its residents unprepared for an outsider like Mo Xie.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie arrives at Feixia Manor with Ruan Feiyan and Shu Xiaohua, who remain under the control of the Evil Fiend seeds.
• They meet Du Mei and her cousin, Du Wanjun. Du Mei recognizes Mo Xie as the Hunter Master who once saved her, while Du Wanjun—jealous and eager to prove his strength—challenges him.
• Mo Xie dismisses Du Wanjun’s boasts and continues walking. Enraged, Du Wanjun attacks with a blade of silvery seawater.
• Mo Xie stops the blade with a look, then knocks Du Wanjun down the mountain with a command. A series of terrifying lightning strikes follow, narrowly missing Du Wanjun and leaving him badly injured and humiliated.
• Du Mei and the two women are stunned by Mo Xie’s display of power, which seems far beyond that of an Advanced Mage.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie remains indifferent to Du Mei and Du Wanjun’s posturing, revealing overwhelming power with minimal effort.
• Du Wanjun, a proud and powerful local man, becomes jealous when Du Mei speaks of Mo Xie and challenges him. His defeat shatters his confidence and leaves him terrified.
• Du Mei is initially confused about Mo Xie’s presence and assumes he is a guest. After witnessing his strength, she is shocked and newly impressed by him, though disgusted by her injured cousin’s humiliation.
• Ruan Feiyan and Shu Xiaohua are subdued and exhausted under Mo Xie’s influence. They witness his power with awe.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Du Wanjun’s confidence in his standing on Xiayu collapses when faced with Mo Xie’s superior strength.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Du Wanjun’s possessiveness and wounded pride drive him to attack.
• Appearances versus reality: Mo Xie’s apparent mage rank badly understates his actual ability, while Du Mei’s simple assumptions obscure the situation around her.

Plot points and events

• Flying Rosy Villa is home to nine powerful elders of the Hidden Clan, whose long cultivation in the Earth Sacred Spring has made them exceptionally strong. The clan fears growing pressure from Sea Monsters and sees a Forbidden Curse Mage as essential to Xiayu’s survival.
• The elders bitterly discuss Song Feiyao, once their greatest hope, who they believe betrayed them. Le Nan is now a promising successor, but still years away from matching that strength.
• Le Nan reports that the Hunter Master hired for a training expedition has arrived, holding Shu Xiaohua and Ruan Feiyan. Seventh Grandma assumes he has come to challenge Xiayu and goes to confront him.
• The Hunter Master—called Mo Xie in most of the chapter—releases the women, but Ruan Feiyan reveals that he drank the entire Earth Sacred Spring. The clan erupts in anger.
• Ruan Feiyan warns that he defeated Du Wanjun, the strongest young member, with one move. The elders recognize that he cannot be dismissed as an ordinary outsider.
• More elders gather, including Purple Grandma, whose power appears greater than the others’. She questions Mo Xie about his grievance, then orders Shu Xiaohua to explain. Shu begins recounting the expedition and the women’s broken agreement with him.

Character developments and interactions

• The elders shift from contemptuous confidence to caution when they learn Mo Xie defeated Du Wanjun. Seventh Grandma remains furious, especially over the Sacred Spring’s loss; Grandpa Ye is more measured.
• Le Nan is anxious but quick to deliver the news, revealing her importance as the clan’s emerging young talent.
• Ruan Feiyan and Shu Xiaohua move from being held by Mo Xie to appealing to their elders. Ruan warns the clan about his strength; Shu’s account is poised to explain why he came.
• Mo Xie stays calm and openly defiant before the assembled elders. He lets the women go without concern, implying that he does not regard them as meaningful protection or threats.
• Purple Grandma takes charge by seeking an explanation rather than immediately attacking, while Shu Xiaohua’s account sets up a fuller confrontation over the expedition.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Xiayu’s elders are formidable, yet fear that the clan’s survival depends on producing a mage powerful enough to face external threats.
• Betrayal and broken trust: The elders’ resentment toward Song Feiyao and the dispute with Mo Xie both center on perceived disloyalty and broken agreements.
• Generational succession: Le Nan represents hope for the future, but the clan’s urgent dangers may arrive before she is ready.
• Arrogance versus underestimated strength: The elders initially dismiss Mo Xie, only to reconsider after hearing of his victory over Du Wanjun.

Plot points and events

• Purple Grandma learns that Xiayu’s women provoked Mo Xie first. She offers him a month in the sacred spring and safe passage afterward—provided he returns it and swears to keep Xiayu’s secrets.
• Mo Xie refuses, accusing the elders of planning to kill him regardless. He insults the assembled Xiayu people, who respond angrily.
• Grand Granny claims Xiayu’s Haidongqing God could defeat him and gives him until sunset to decide. Mo Xie dismisses her threat and crushes a silver Ice Crystal pendant.
• The pendant summons Qin Yuer, whose icy presence freezes the estate. The elders recognize her as a formidable opponent, possibly a Forbidden Curse Mage.
• Qin Yuer learns that the Xiayu elders tried to kill Mo Xie and immediately declares that they will die for harming him.
• Grandpa, Grand Granny, the pipe-smoking elder, and the other elders launch their strongest attacks: a giant wooden treant, a Wood Centipede Python, a fire spear technique, and powerful Super Level spells.
• Qin Yuer remains unfazed and begins her counterattack by casting Absolute Zero.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie stays defiant and distrustful, refusing the elders’ bargain. Once Qin Yuer arrives, he takes cover behind her and calls on her to deal with his enemies.
• Qin Yuer is introduced as immensely powerful, composed, and protective of Mo Xie. Her cool demeanor turns murderous when she hears he was threatened.
• Grand Granny maintains a calm, seemingly conciliatory front, but internally expects to kill Mo Xie even if he accepts. Her confidence in Xiayu’s strength is challenged by Qin Yuer’s arrival.
• The Xiayu crowd shifts from anger and arrogance to fear and wariness as they realize Qin Yuer may be stronger than their elders.
• The contrast between Mo Xie’s provocation and Qin Yuer’s protective response highlights their close, affectionate partnership.

Significant themes

• Pride and overconfidence: Xiayu’s belief in its superiority makes its people underestimate outsiders.
• Power and intimidation: The elders rely on threats and overwhelming force, while Qin Yuer’s entrance overturns the balance.
• Loyalty and protection: Qin Yuer’s immediate defense of Mo Xie demonstrates her devotion.
• Mistrust and coercion: The elders’ offer of safe passage is undermined by Grand Granny’s hidden intention to eliminate Mo Xie.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Yuer unleashes Absolute Zero, freezing the elders’ Destruction Magic and shattering it with a gesture. The attack defeats Xiayu’s grandparents, wrecks much of the hidden clan’s land, and leaves several elders badly injured.
• The Xiayu youths, including Ruan Feiyan, Shu Xiaohua, Du Mei, and Le Nan, watch their elders fall. Their confidence in the clan’s supposed superiority collapses.
• Qin Yuer returns to Mo Xie, who praises her power. The wounded elders refuse to give up their faith in Xiayu’s protector, the Haidongqing God, and summon her.
• The divine eagle arrives amid storm clouds and lightning, bound in crackling silver chains. A woman stands on her wing: Song Feiyao, a former Xiayu member whom the elders call a traitor.

Character developments

• Qin Yuer demonstrates overwhelming control of ice magic, defeating the clan’s elders with ease. Her playful exchange with Mo Xie contrasts with her devastating power.
• Mo Xie remains supportive and admiring, praising Qin Yuer after the battle.
• The Xiayu youths are forced to question the sheltered beliefs instilled in them by their grandparents and recognize their clan’s vulnerability.
• The elders, especially the eldest grandpa and Seventh Grandma, cling to the Haidongqing God as their last hope, even after their defeat.
• Song Feiyao reappears unexpectedly, renewing the elders’ shock and suggesting unresolved conflict between her and Xiayu.

Significant themes

• The collapse of illusion: Xiayu’s idealized self-image is exposed as a product of isolation and misinformation.
• Power and vulnerability: The clan’s defenses and reputation prove futile against an outside mage of great strength.
• Tradition versus reality: The youths’ inherited beliefs are challenged by what they witness firsthand.
• Confinement and suffering: The Haidongqing God’s silver chains complicate her majestic arrival, hinting that Xiayu’s protector may also be captive or in pain.

Character interactions

• Qin Yuer effortlessly overwhelms the elders, then shares a light, affectionate moment with Mo Xie.
• The youths grieve for their elders and their shattered faith, while the elders try to restore morale by invoking the Haidongqing God.
• The elders’ hostile reaction to Song Feiyao’s return reveals that her departure from Xiayu left a deep rift.

Key plot points

• Mo Xie condemns the Haidongqing God’s enslavement and asks Qin Yuer to free it. She freezes and shatters the Silver Thunder Chains, restoring the beast’s will and power.
• The elders realize their “guardian god” is free and furious. When Grand Granny accuses Mo Xie and Qin Yuer of conspiring with each other, Qin Yuer kills her with an icicle.
• The Haidongqing God unleashes decades of pent-up rage. Its lightning storm destroys Flying Rosy Villa and devastates Xiayu, killing many elders and others. Ruan Feiyan, Le Nan, and their companions escape within Qin Yuer’s safe zone.
• Song Feiyao reveals that Xiayu’s ancestors imprisoned the beast to conceal their own wrongdoing, and that the Black Phoenix Garment and annual “atonement” festival were rooted in that history. She had hoped to free the beast herself.
• Mo Xie explains the history of the Totem Beasts, whose past persecution resembles the Haidongqing God’s enslavement. He proposes using the surviving Xiayu people as a fighting force.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie acts on his belief that Totem Beasts must not be enslaved, and calmly leaves judgment of the elders to the freed beast. He later explains the Totem Beasts’ history to Song Feiyao.
• Qin Yuer decisively frees the Haidongqing God and fiercely defends Mo Xie from Grand Granny’s insult. She creates a safe zone that lets their allies escape the storm.
• The Haidongqing God changes from a bound instrument of Xiayu’s rule into a free, vengeful force, then celebrates its liberty and thanks Mo Xie.
• Song Feiyao is grateful to Mo Xie and mourns the destruction of her home, even as she sees the beast’s freedom as overdue justice. Her song becomes an act of atonement.
• The elders lose both their power and the beliefs that sustained their authority; their fear and despair contrast with their earlier confidence.
• Shu Xiaohua grieves Grand Granny’s death, but Ruan Feiyan and Le Nan restrain her to prevent her from rushing into danger. Mo Xie’s light teasing exchange with Qin Yuer briefly softens the aftermath.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus enslavement: The chapter condemns the control of the Haidongqing God and links it to the historic persecution of Totem Beasts.
• Accountability and atonement: Xiayu’s traditions masked its ancestors’ guilt; Song Feiyao’s song expresses remorse, while the storm delivers brutal consequences.
• Justice and revenge: The beast’s liberation brings justice for its suffering, but its revenge devastates Xiayu indiscriminately.
• Shattered beliefs and consequences: The elders’ authority collapses alongside their “guardian god,” leaving survivors to face an irreversibly changed homeland.

Key events

• With Xiayu nearly destroyed, Mo Xie asks Song Feiyao what she plans to do. She feels directionless now that her goal of freeing the Haidongqing God has been achieved.
• Mo Xie invites her to join the Evil Heaven Pavilion as the Haidongqing God’s Totem Guardian. Unsure whether she can trust him, Song hesitates, but the Haidongqing God signals that it trusts him and agrees to go.
• Mo Xie brings Song and Qin Yuer to the pavilion. There, the Haidongqing God meets the young Moon Moth Phoenix, whose lineage is connected to its own. Their reunion draws glowing Spirit Moths into a beautiful river of light.
• Yu Shishi, the Moon Moth Phoenix’s guardian, welcomes Song and reassures her that Xiayu’s past wrongdoing was not her fault. The Haidongqing God then uses its Thunder Totem Power to establish a bond with Song, accepting her as its guardian.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Feiyao moves from uncertainty and guilt toward trust and a new role. She accepts the Haidongqing God’s choice and is deeply moved by its acceptance.
• The Haidongqing God, though still carrying anger from enslavement, shows trust in Mo Xie, forms an immediate connection with the Moon Moth Phoenix, and chooses Song as its guardian.
• Mo Xie offers Song a future within the Evil Heaven Pavilion and respects her doubts rather than pressuring her.
• Yu Shishi welcomes Song warmly and helps ease her guilt. Qin Yuer teases Mo Xie about having two beautiful guardian companions, ending the chapter on a playful note.

Significant themes

• Trust and chosen bonds: The Haidongqing God’s confidence helps Song overcome her fear of trusting Mo Xie.
• Healing and atonement: Song’s guilt begins to lift as she is accepted by the creature she sought to save.
• Belonging and renewal: The reunion of the Totem Beasts and Song’s new place in the pavilion suggest that painful pasts can give way to new connections and purpose.

Plot points and events

• After returning from Xiayu, Mo Xie decides to turn the recovered Earth Sacred Spring into a cultivation sanctuary for deserving Evil Heaven Pavilion members. He reserves the energy in his Qilin Pendant for his own future breakthrough.
• Xiayu’s survivors begin rebuilding the island’s defenses, though some elders and mages were killed. Mo Xie recognizes that the Antarctic Emperor and Sea Emperor’s influence is spreading, foreshadowing a devastating land–sea war.
• Song Feiyao, now at the peak of Super Level but lacking transcendent power, volunteers to fight Demon Beasts and strengthen herself through battle. Haidongqing God settles on Feiyue Mountain while recovering.
• Mo Xie finds Lü Yi guarding the new sanctuary. He invites her to cultivate there, but she declines, believing the opportunity is better suited to younger mages.
• Back at the pavilion, Mo Xie finds Jiang Feng acting as his secretary. She explains that Bei Yue suggested the role as a way to repay Mo Xie for his Cultivation Resources. Chen Ying has returned to Imperial Capital Academy for its nomination battles.
• Mo Xie notices a phone notification and realizes it is his birthday.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie shifts from acquiring resources to building the pavilion’s long-term strength. He is also increasingly alert to the coming conflict and the spread of the Sea Emperors’ influence.
• Lü Yi remains active despite her age, choosing to guard the sanctuary rather than pursue further cultivation. Mo Xie’s concern for her reflects his respect and affection.
• Song Feiyao takes the initiative to seek strength through frontline combat.
• Jiang Feng chooses to help Mo Xie as his secretary, and the two settle into working together easily. Mo Xie accepts her decision, though he had hoped she would focus on cultivation.
• Qin Yuer is secluded, apparently learning a cultivation method from Ling; Ling herself continues recovering her soul and only appears occasionally.

Significant themes

• Preparation and collective strength: Mo Xie uses the Earth Sacred Spring to strengthen the pavilion rather than consume it himself.
• The cost of war: Xiayu’s casualties and the spreading influence of the Sea Emperors make the approaching conflict feel increasingly real.
• Generational sacrifice: Lü Yi declines a rare opportunity for herself, prioritizing younger cultivators.
• Loyalty and reciprocity: Jiang Feng’s offer to serve as secretary stems from wanting to repay Mo Xie’s generosity.

Plot points and events

• At Imperial Capital Academy’s Duel Arena, Mu Ningxue demonstrates her strength as an Advanced Mage, surrounding the venue with a powerful Ice Element domain and winning the crowd’s admiration.
• Spectators gossip about her rumored childhood connection to Mo Xie and speculate that she will represent the academy at the World Academy Competition.
• Watching from the stands, Mo Xie recognizes how rapidly Mu Ningxue has advanced since their return from Tianshan, when the Ice Crystal Bow stopped restraining her. He worries that the Mu Clan may continue to treat her as a vessel and refuse to release her.
• Mo Xie considers how to separate Mu Ningxue from the clan, reasoning that she cannot simply leave on her own. He thinks the Black Vatican might provide a pretext.
• Jiang Shaoxu unexpectedly joins him. She says her father has arranged matters for her Nomination Battle preparations and notes that the National Team needs a strong Psychic Element Mage. Seeing Mo Xie watching Mu Ningxue, she teasingly asks whether he came to see her or Mu Ningxue.

Character developments

• Mu Ningxue is presented as both strikingly beautiful and formidable. Her cultivation has surged now that the Ice Crystal Bow no longer limits her, and she appears poised to compete for a place at the World Academy Competition.
• Mo Xie admires Mu Ningxue’s progress but is increasingly concerned about her freedom and future under the Mu Clan. He is already considering a way to remove her from their control.
• Jiang Shaoxu appears confident about her prospects and her value to the National Team. Her playful approach also suggests familiarity and flirtatious interest in Mo Xie.

Significant themes

• Power and freedom: Mu Ningxue’s growing strength contrasts with her continued dependence on—and vulnerability to—the Mu Clan.
• Ambition and recognition: Her arena performance raises expectations that she will represent Imperial Capital Academy at the world competition.
• Reputation and romance: Spectators’ gossip about Mo Xie and Mu Ningxue, alongside Jiang Shaoxu’s teasing question, frames Mo Xie’s relationships as a subject of public curiosity.

Character interactions

• The crowd admires Mu Ningxue and debates her prospects, status, and rumored relationship with Mo Xie.
• Mo Xie watches Mu Ningxue’s match and privately weighs how to protect her from the Mu Clan.
• Jiang Shaoxu sits beside Mo Xie, discusses her National Team prospects, and challenges him to explain whom he really came to see.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Ningxue effortlessly wins her Nomination Battle by freezing all four opponents, confirming that she has reached the Advanced Level.
• After the match, Nan Rongni congratulates her and says she is likely to earn a place on the National Team.
• Mu Ningxue spots Mo Xie watching from the stands. She is delighted at first, but her mood shifts when Jiang Shaoxu sits beside him and clings to his arm.
• Jiang Shaoxu notices Mu Ningxue’s reaction and deliberately leans closer to Mo Xie, giving her a challenging look.
• Angry and unsettled, Mu Ningxue takes Nan Rongni with her and heads toward the stands to confront them.

Character developments

• Mu Ningxue demonstrates her formidable Ice Element power and her growing ambition to join the National Team. Her feelings for Mo Xie are also clear: she wants to remain close to him and become his ideal partner. Jiang Shaoxu’s behavior brings out her jealousy and anger.
• Nan Rongni is pleased with her own prospects for the National Team and acts warmly toward Mu Ningxue, though she is startled by Mu Ningxue’s sudden fury.
• Jiang Shaoxu is introduced as a popular, bewitching student. Her pointed display of intimacy with Mo Xie suggests she may be provoking Mu Ningxue.
• Mo Xie is shown watching Mu Ningxue’s match, but his connection to Jiang Shaoxu is left unclear.

Significant themes

• Romantic rivalry and jealousy: Jiang Shaoxu’s public closeness with Mo Xie turns Mu Ningxue’s admiration into confrontation.
• Ambition and family duty: Mu Ningxue wants the National Team opportunity partly to strengthen her family’s position.
• Power and reputation: Her decisive victory reinforces her status as a powerful contender.

Character interactions

• Mu Ningxue and Nan Rongni share an affectionate, familiar exchange after the match; Nan Rongni praises her and discusses their National Team prospects.
• Mu Ningxue’s tender reaction to seeing Mo Xie contrasts sharply with her anger when Jiang Shaoxu clings to him.
• Jiang Shaoxu openly challenges Mu Ningxue through her gestures, while Nan Rongni tries to check on the increasingly intimidating Mu Ningxue.