Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan’s group resumes the exam scenario at Border City and follows Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan to Drum Tower Street Subway Station, where Lu Chenzhou and the cultivators are preparing for a monster assault.
• Inside the station, the group learns that the battle has paused, but Lu Chenzhou expects an all-out attack soon. Jiang Xueyao uses the station’s array to reveal and kill an invisible monster.
• Xu Yuan senses danger outside and warns that the wind is unusual. Lu Chenzhou dismisses him and orders him punished, but Lu Qingxuan argues for sending a scout instead.
• Yang Xiaobing defends Xu Yuan, and Lu Chenzhou orders the two to investigate a tunnel. Jiang Xueyao then also reports sensing something and is sent after them.
• A powerful female ghost appears in the sky and unleashes a wave of gray mist toward the station. This confirms Xu Yuan’s warning. Lu Chenzhou orders everyone to prepare, while Lu Qingxuan privately questions his leadership.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan remains confident and strategically detached, recognizing events from earlier versions of the scenario. He correctly detects the coming attack and seems almost eager to be sent away from the main group.
• Yang Xiaobing shows courage and loyalty by standing up for Xu Yuan despite her fear.
• Jiang Xueyao demonstrates her combat ability by killing the invisible monster, then backs Xu Yuan’s warning with her own observation.
• Lu Chenzhou is revealed as uncertain and reactive: he dismisses a valid warning, threatens Xu Yuan, and gives little practical direction once the threat is confirmed.
• Lu Qingxuan acts as a more considerate leader, defending the scouts and noticing Lu Chenzhou’s poor command. His doubts about their relationship and relative authority begin to surface.

Significant themes

• Leadership and judgment: Lu Chenzhou’s failure to take warnings seriously contrasts with Lu Qingxuan’s caution and concern for his people.
• Knowledge and foresight: Xu Yuan’s familiarity with the scenario lets him perceive a threat others miss.
• Loyalty and solidarity: Yang Xiaobing and Jiang Xueyao support Xu Yuan when doing so puts them at risk.
• Power and responsibility: The Crown Princes’ competing approaches suggest deeper tension over who should command and how authority should be used.

Character interactions

• Xu Yuan and Lu Chenzhou clash when Xu Yuan warns of danger and Lu Chenzhou treats the warning as insubordination.
• Lu Qingxuan intervenes to prevent Xu Yuan’s punishment and objects to using him and Yang Xiaobing as expendable scouts.
• Yang Xiaobing openly backs Xu Yuan, while Jiang Xueyao later confirms that she too sensed danger.
• Lu Qingxuan and Lu Chenzhou’s exchange exposes growing friction: Lu Qingxuan privately resents being disregarded, while Lu Chenzhou insists on command authority.

Key plot points and events

• Han Chaoshen, a Nine Luminaries teacher who helped block two students from admission, refuses to apologize and hides in his residence, convinced the scandal will pass. During cultivation, his spiritual power suddenly runs wild and kills him. At the end, he realizes the emperor had punished him for insulting the imperial family—and that Xu Yuan’s presence at the Black Flame Bar had unsettled him into saying things he otherwise would not have.
• In the tunnel, Xu Yuan receives a Communication Talisman from the Crown Prince. He believes the team’s accomplishments should secure their place in the Special Admission Test, despite Lu Chenzhou’s attempt to disqualify them.
• Xu Yuan, Yang Xiaobing, and Jiang Xueyao decide to keep investigating rather than simply wait for the test to end. Zhang Pengcheng arrives with orders: he will continue scouting under Lu Chenzhou’s military command, while the others investigate Border City’s destruction under the Crown Prince’s secret orders.
• Xu Yuan rejects a convenient vertical shaft as potentially dangerous and leads the group through a connecting passage. In the quieter tunnel, he reasons that the city’s fall may have begun when its City-Guarding Grand Formation’s operations center was destroyed.
• Because the matter may involve dangerous, sensitive forces—including demons and the All Things Unity Society—Xu Yuan requests that their next investigation be observed by only one highly trusted teacher or respected Great Cultivator.

Character developments and interactions

• Han Chaoshen moves from resentment and self-justification to a late, futile understanding of his mistake. His refusal to apologize and confidence in political protection give way to fear and regret.
• Xu Yuan shifts from wanting to watch Lu Chenzhou face consequences to feeling responsible for the coming danger. He takes charge of the group’s route and investigation, and shows caution about revealing sensitive information.
• Yang Xiaobing worries that the team has been eliminated, but accepts Xu Yuan’s reassurance and eagerly joins the investigation.
• Jiang Xueyao insists on continuing partly because she holds Lu Chenzhou responsible for injuring her. She follows Xu Yuan’s lead despite initially questioning his choices.
• Zhang Pengcheng supports the group by taking on tunnel scouting, allowing their work to proceed under the Crown Prince’s orders without abandoning the existing military task.

Significant themes

• Accountability and political power: Han assumes his connections will shield him, but his offense against the imperial family proves fatal.
• Judgment and consequences: Xu Yuan’s composure unsettles Han, while Han’s own fear and poor choices shape his downfall.
• Trust and discretion: The group’s investigation may expose threats too dangerous for public scrutiny, prompting Xu Yuan to limit who can observe it.
• Courage and responsibility: Rather than retreating when danger approaches, Xu Yuan and his companions choose to continue investigating.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan’s unusual demand for privacy is granted by the emperor: from then on, only the emperor can observe his side of the examination.
• Xu Yuan leads Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing away from Drum Tower Street Subway Station as Ghost Entities launch a massive attack nearby. He heads for the City-Guarding Grand Formation’s control center, relying on his memory of the city map.
• At the control center, the group detects hidden Ghost Soldiers. Xu Yuan, Jiang, and Yang combine their attacks—Spirit Threads, Talismans, swords, lightning, and the Formation Disc—to overwhelm and defeat them.
• Inside a nearby office building, they find two apparently injured men. Xu Yuan suspects a trap and attacks; the men reveal their speed and combat ability, confirming his suspicions.
• The pair fight the impostors. Yang’s poison plants force one enemy to retreat, allowing Xu Yuan’s returning sword to kill him. His body transforms into a Mountain Goblin, revealing that demons are involved in the city’s destruction.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows strategic caution by seeking privacy and moving toward the formation’s control center. He is resourceful in combat and takes responsibility for protecting his companions. His joking confidence continues to provoke playful irritation from Jiang and Yang.
• Jiang Xueyao initially worries Xu Yuan’s demand could backfire, but Yang’s support helps her accept his choice. She fights effectively with her sword and formation skills, though the demon’s exposure leaves her shaken.
• Yang Xiaobing openly supports Xu Yuan and proves both tactically sharp and quick to protect others. Her Talismans and poison plants play a key role in the battles.
• The three display growing trust and coordination, especially when exchanging weapons and combining their abilities. Their teasing, teamwork, and quick mutual defense give their partnership a more familiar, relaxed quality.
• The emperor demonstrates confidence in Xu Yuan by restricting observation of his actions to himself.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Yang backs Xu Yuan despite uncertainty, while the emperor grants his request.
• Teamwork and adaptability: The group combines different abilities and changes tactics when conventional attacks seem ineffective.
• Deception and hidden truth: The wounded men are disguised demons, and Xu Yuan’s suspicions expose the larger threat.
• Courage amid uncertainty: The characters press forward through a city under attack, confronting dangers they do not yet fully understand.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan, Yang Xiaobing, and Jiang Xueyao discover that a Demon Race infiltrator has been controlling Border City’s defensive Grand Array. The emperor arrives, kills the disguised demon and several others, and leaves the trio to continue investigating.
• At the array’s control room, Jiang Xueyao finds the Formation Disc intact and operating the Great Taiyin Ice-Wind-Water Condensation Array. Xu Yuan deduces that Ghost Entities can pass through because they are not vulnerable to its water, ice, or wind powers.
• Jiang begins reconfiguring the array around her dual thunder-and-fire Spiritual Roots, which should be more effective against Ghost Entities. While she works, Yang guards the building with her newly developed Blazing Spores, driving back a group of unknown adult Cultivators.
• Xu Yuan warns Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan about the Demon Race’s involvement. Lu Qingxuan leaves the battle at Drum Tower Street Subway Station to investigate, while Xu carefully frames his team’s role as having acted on the Crown Prince’s orders.
• Lu Qingxuan connects the Demon Race’s recent push for peace talks and joint exploration to its fear that the Zhou Tian Instrument could expose what happened ten years earlier.
• A blood-red waterfall erupts near the subway station, spreading a sinister aura across the city. Xu recognizes it as the Ghost Entities’ Nine Nether Boundary-Settling Grand Array.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan demonstrates sharp reasoning, identifying the defensive array’s weakness and recognizing the new Ghost Entity formation. He also acts pragmatically: he warns the Crown Prince but protects his team’s position when discussing responsibility for events at the subway station.
• Jiang Xueyao accepts that her initial understanding of the array is incomplete, asks Xu for advice, and takes responsibility for altering the city’s defenses using her Formation Arts and dual Spiritual Roots.
• Yang Xiaobing supports Jiang by securing the building and reveals her improved explosive spores. Though skeptical that others will appreciate the warning, she accepts Xu’s decision to send it.
• Lu Qingxuan responds decisively to the evidence, leaving the battle to investigate. He realizes the Demon Race may have been concealing its role in Border City for a decade.
• The emperor’s intervention gives the investigation official weight, while Xu’s team and Lu Qingxuan begin cooperating despite the confusion and danger at the subway station.

Significant themes

• Conspiracy and buried history: The Demon Race’s involvement suggests Border City’s fall was part of a long-running scheme, and that the truth could reshape human–demon relations.
• Reasoning through evidence: Xu’s conclusion comes from combining intelligence with combat tests, rather than relying on assumptions about how the array should work.
• Responsibility under pressure: Xu warns others even though they may ignore him, while Jiang accepts accountability for modifying the city’s defenses.
• Trust, credit, and self-preservation: Xu helps the Crown Prince but carefully avoids implicating his team in events they did not witness.
• Escalating danger: The red waterfall reveals that the Ghost Entities’ threat is far larger than a compromised defensive array.

Plot points and events

• The Ghost Entities’ Nine Nether Boundary-Settling Grand Array activates, raising a blood-red curtain over the city and signaling that an invasion is imminent.
• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan leaves the group to investigate the Drum Tower Street Subway Station and uncover what happened ten years earlier. Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing stay behind to help protect the city: Jiang works on repairing the City-Guarding Grand Formation, while Yang plants defensive plants.
• The city’s live-streaming Formation Discs suddenly depart. Xu Yuan infers that the emperor has ordered the truth concealed, apparently to protect Lu Chenzhou, who has been exposed as the Ghost Entities’ “Anchor Point.”
• Xu Yuan senses an enormous force approaching from beyond the world. He concludes that a Demon or Ghost army is being transported toward the Zhou Tian Instrument, likely intending to kill the Examinees and attack the human leaders outside.
• Using Covert Plunder, Xu Yuan acquires a Demon Tiger Tally, which can command up to three hundred Demon Soldiers.
• He then uses Heaven-Stealing to redirect the approaching transport carrier. When the change he first attempts proves too costly, he makes it simpler, sending the carrier to Demon Race territory. The immense shadow disappears, apparently averting an immediate attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan maintains a calm, ordinary façade while secretly assessing threats and protecting his own survival. He believes Jiang Xueyao may eventually understand his actions, and promises not to summon the Crown Prince when she is around. His instinctive power and caution show that he is increasingly capable—but remains focused on gaining time and strength rather than risking himself in a major war.
• Jiang Xueyao stays committed to repairing the city’s Grand Formation. She questions Xu Yuan’s choices and senses that he is becoming more mysterious, though she does not know the full extent of his abilities.
• Yang Xiaobing supports the defense, then rests to recover her Spiritual Power. Her lighthearted exchange with Xu Yuan contrasts with the growing danger.
• Lu Qingxuan prioritizes investigating the past over remaining at the defense site, leaving Xu Yuan and the others to continue their work.

Significant themes

• Self-preservation amid catastrophe: Xu Yuan repeatedly weighs the fate of the city against his need to survive and grow stronger.
• Secrecy and public truth: The removal of the live-streaming discs suggests that powerful figures may suppress evidence even as the invasion threat becomes clear.
• Appearance versus reality: Xu Yuan performs the role of an unremarkable student while concealing extraordinary powers and intentions.
• Power and responsibility: Jiang’s effort to repair the formation represents collective defense, while Xu Yuan’s intervention quietly prevents a much larger attack.

Key plot points and events

• After repeatedly using Heaven-Stealing, Xu Yuan becomes dizzy and receives a warning: his body and soul are too weak to withstand a Third Tier Whisper ability. He realizes he must raise his cultivation quickly and restores himself with pills.
• Heaven-Stealing has shifted the battle elsewhere. The examination ends abruptly, returning Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing to the hall. The Human Emperor and Lu Qingxuan are absent.
• At Drum Tower Street Subway Station, the Human Emperor and Referees find Lu Chenzhou marked with Runes that make him an Anchor Point for the Ghost Entities. The Referees judge the situation beyond saving and say the Zhou Tian Instrument must be shut down.
• Lu Qingxuan explains that Lu Chenzhou mistook the Ghost Entities’ attack array for a human escape array and lowered the defenses. This let the monsters slaughter the Cultivators and left Lu Chenzhou cursed as a route into the human world.
• Lu Chenzhou denies responsibility, then insists the disaster is beneficial because he now knows what happened and can someday become emperor and kill those who know. The Human Emperor urges him to admit his mistake and begin again.
• Lu Chenzhou refuses, tries to seize Lu Qingxuan, and is killed by the Human Emperor with a single blow. The chapter ends with the Cultivators silently witnessing his death.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan recognizes the physical and spiritual cost of using powerful abilities and resolves to improve his cultivation.
• Lu Chenzhou moves from denial to delusion, showing that fear, entitlement, and ambition prevent him from accepting responsibility. His final attempt to grab Lu Qingxuan confirms his refusal to change.
• Lu Qingxuan remains composed and protective, first defending his brother from their father and later hoping he will confess. He ultimately accepts that Lu Chenzhou has rejected his last chance.
• The Human Emperor shifts from anger and disappointment to offering Lu Chenzhou a path toward redemption, but kills him when he attacks rather than repent.

Significant themes

• Power has a cost: Xu Yuan’s body and soul cannot safely wield abilities beyond his level.
• Responsibility and accountability: Lu Chenzhou’s catastrophic mistake is compounded by his refusal to acknowledge it.
• The danger of privilege and fear: His status has insulated him from consequences, while fear drives disastrous choices.
• A final chance at redemption: The emperor offers confession and a fresh start, but the choice—and its consequences—remain Lu Chenzhou’s.

Character interactions

• Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing reunite after the examination abruptly ends.
• The Referees report the crisis to the Human Emperor, while Lu Qingxuan presses for further investigation.
• Lu Qingxuan explains the truth to Lu Chenzhou and tries to shield him from their father, then silently urges him to take responsibility.
• The Human Emperor gives Lu Chenzhou a chance to confess, but Lu Chenzhou instead attacks Lu Qingxuan, prompting the emperor’s fatal response.

Key events

• After Lu Chenzhou dies, the emperor orders Lu Qingxuan to silence the witnesses and conceal what happened, then leaves the blood-soaked subway station.
• The emperor recognizes the importance of Xu Yuan’s discovery: the monsters are likely unaffected by water, ice, or wind. He prepares for an attack by activating the Imperial Family’s protective array, putting on ancient armor, and equipping himself with several heirloom treasures.
• He orders the palace’s Grand Array changed and raises the alert to “National Ruin,” with orders to kill intruders. While waiting, he learns that Commandery Princess Chunle has gone to watch the examination and is upset that Xu Yuan is absent. Grateful that she brought Xu Yuan, he awards her an island and valuable treasures.
• The Imperial Preceptor, Jiang Yunsheng, arrives and argues that changing the array could alarm the Demon Race and disrupt peace negotiations. The emperor agrees to meet with him and the Demon Envoys—but then exposes Jiang’s treachery.
• Jiang reveals that a force of 300,000 Demon Soldiers and nine Demon Kings is meant to attack and destroy the palace. He says the dynasty is finished because the emperor never inherited the Imperial Family’s full authority and secrets.
• Jiang tries to summon the invading force, but nothing happens: Xu Yuan’s Heaven-Stealing has secretly transported the demons and their equipment back to Demon Race territory. Unaware of this, Jiang is left alone with the emperor.
• The emperor immobilizes Jiang, condemns him for conspiring since the tragedy in Border City ten years earlier, and kills him with a single slap. He vows to annihilate Jiang’s family and take revenge on the Demon Race for Chen Zhou.

Character developments and interactions

• The emperor shifts from controlled, cautious preparation to open fury when Jiang’s betrayal becomes clear. Beneath his composed public manner, he is grieving Chen Zhou and determined to exact vengeance.
• Jiang Yunsheng goes from acting as a trusted, reasonable adviser to revealing himself as a traitor. His confidence collapses when the attack he expected fails to arrive and he realizes how outmatched he is.
• Xu Yuan never appears, but his earlier actions determine the confrontation’s outcome: by removing the Demon forces without alerting their exam-taking allies, he unintentionally leaves Jiang stranded.
• Lu Qingxuan mourns Lu Chenzhou and reflects bitterly that he might not have survived the mission either.
• The emperor and Chunle are connected indirectly through Xu Yuan: the emperor notices her concern and rewards her for bringing someone whose discoveries benefited the court.

Significant themes

• Unseen consequences: Xu Yuan’s self-interested or inadvertent actions reshape a major political plot without his knowledge.
• Betrayal and failed schemes: Jiang’s conspiracy depends on an army that is no longer where he believes it to be.
• Grief and vengeance: The emperor’s response to Jiang is driven by the death of his son, Chen Zhou, and the events of ten years earlier.
• Public calm versus private danger: The emperor maintains a genial, casual façade while preparing for catastrophe and concealing immense killing intent.

Plot points and events

• In the underground tunnel, scout Zhang Pengcheng uses an activated Formation Disc that detects nearby monsters. Remembering Xu Yuan’s hint that “only speed is unbreakable,” he realizes that running quickly away from the expected battle may be safer than staying to fight.
• Zhang kills an invisible monster detected by the Formation Disc, then races past Xinzhou Station and toward Rainbow City Station, reporting his progress by Talisman. Ghost Entities arrive at the site of the kill but follow their orders to assemble at Drum Tower Street rather than pursue him.
• Near Rainbow City, a gigantic black hand seizes Zhang. His sword cannot harm it, and he realizes the Zhou Tian Instrument cannot suppress exceptionally powerful monsters. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator teleports him back to the hall.
• Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing wait for the test to end, eating and speculating about the delay. More examinees return, including Demon Race participants who say they were sent to reinforce the subway station, became trapped in the monster attack, and were eliminated.
• Xu Yuan concludes that the impending battle is unlikely to go as it did ten years earlier: the examinees now know Magic Arrays can counter the monsters. He waits, confident that Lu Chenzhou’s role as the Ghost Entities’ Anchor Point will soon be exposed.

Character developments

• Zhang Pengcheng shifts from anxious uncertainty to decisive action, applying Xu Yuan’s advice and prioritizing speed and survival. His escape ends when he encounters a monster too powerful for the test’s usual limits.
• Xu Yuan remains outwardly relaxed and playful, but privately stays focused on the larger conspiracy and anticipates Lu Chenzhou’s exposure.
• Yang Xiaobing is anxious about her score, while Jiang Xueyao remains calm.
• Niu Sheng resents being ordered into a dangerous charge as cannon fodder.

Themes and interactions

• Strategy over brute force: Zhang survives ordinary dangers by using speed and judgment, but the exceptionally powerful creature demonstrates the limits of individual strength.
• Class and privilege: Zhang’s thoughts reveal the Nine Luminaries’ discrimination against commoners, helping explain his ambition to enter Luofu University.
• Knowledge changes outcomes: Xu Yuan expects the examinees’ awareness of Magic Arrays to alter the coming battle and expose the Ghosts’ plan.
• Character interactions: Xu Yuan’s cryptic advice guides Zhang from afar; the three friends joke and share food while waiting; and Xu quietly questions Niu Sheng about the failed reinforcement to assess the battle’s progress.

Key plot points and events

• Niu Sheng invites Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing to a friendly sparring session. Jiang Xueyao fights him first, and their match stretches beyond a hundred exchanges.
• While watching, Xu Yuan notices the Demon Envoys gathering outside. Suspecting trouble, he sends his concealed Golden-Armored Skeleton toward them with the stolen Tiger Tally, hoping to prevent a fight.
• He realizes the Envoys are activating a long-distance teleportation array to flee. Inferring that the Demon Race’s scheme has been exposed—and that the emperor may be moving against them—Xu Yuan insults them until his “Honor Among Thieves” ability triggers. The Skeleton steals their valuables just as the Envoys and array vanish, sending the loot to Xu Yuan.
• Jiang Xueyao defeats Niu Sheng’s argument about her handling of his heavy blows by showing him her powerful battle armor.
• Xu Yuan is about to spar with Niu Sheng when a crash shakes the hall. They learn that the Zhou Tian Instrument has exploded. Lu Chenzhou had withdrawn the defenses to welcome a world-breaking teleportation array; the explosion occurred at the height of the battle.
• The First Highness is said to have been injured and taken back to the palace. Xu Yuan and the others suspect the explosion may have been deliberately caused to halt the examination and conceal the truth about past events. They return to the main hall to find out what happened.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan remains opportunistic and cautious: he tries to avoid being caught in a larger conflict, but quickly turns the Envoys’ escape into a chance to plunder them. The explosion deepens his suspicion that powerful figures are manipulating events.
• Jiang Xueyao shows confidence and technical skill in combat, while calmly demonstrating that her armor can withstand the blows Niu Sheng claims she ignored.
• Niu Sheng is enthusiastic and playful, mixing sparring with his habit of writing dramatic accounts of fights. When danger appears, however, he retreats behind the others.
• Yang Xiaobing stays quiet during the sparring but reacts quickly to the explosion, deploying Talisman Soldiers and a defensive vine.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Envoys’ apparent preparation for conflict is actually an attempt to flee, while the official account of the Zhou Tian Instrument’s explosion may conceal a deliberate intervention.
• Self-interest amid political danger: Xu Yuan prioritizes finishing his examination and staying safe, yet seizes opportunities when they arise.
• Power, reputation, and control: Niu Sheng’s written narratives, Jiang Xueyao’s demonstrated armor, and the authorities’ apparent handling of the explosion all show how people shape or manage what others believe.

Character interactions

• Jiang Xueyao and Niu Sheng’s friendly but competitive sparring blends genuine martial exchange with teasing and Niu Sheng’s urge to record events.
• Xu Yuan jokes with Niu Sheng before their planned match, then positions himself protectively between Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing when the hall shakes.
• The group shares unease over the First Highness’s absence and the suspicious timing of the explosion, and follows Jiang Xueyao’s suggestion to investigate.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• After returning from the expedition, Xu Yuan and the others are praised for gathering valuable intelligence. The Human Emperor declares the Special Admission Test over and announces that examinees with enough merit will receive school offers or choose rewards.
• Once the examinees leave, the Human Emperor orders immediate preparations for war, summoning the realm’s leaders to a council the next day.
• He travels alone to the former border city of Yanmen and reflects on his late brother, his son Chen Zhou, and the constraints of ruling. Grieving his son’s death, he decides to take revenge and unleash his full strength.
• The emperor invades Demon Race territory, destroys multiple cities with his Heaven-Burning technique, then faces a vast demon army led by several Demon Kings. As they argue over a missing clan treasure, he attacks, beginning a one-man assault against the Demon Race.
• Back at the test venue, the examinees remain unaware of the invasion. Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing relax over food and a card game. Their conversation turns to Jiang’s difficulties with the Imperial Family and unwanted marriage expectations.
• Xu Yuan jokes that Jiang should openly threaten anyone who insists on marrying her. Though embarrassed, she considers trying his advice.
• Xu Yuan receives word that his prospective master, Mo Daosheng, is still debating the Dao, delaying the disciple-acceptance ceremony. Tang Yunyu adds that Xu Yuan may have placed first in the test.

Character developments

• The Human Emperor (Lu Chaowu): Reveals the grief and frustration behind his composed public manner. He has restrained himself for ten years to preserve peace, but his son’s death drives him to abandon restraint and seek vengeance.
• Xu Yuan: Remains relaxed and mischievous amid major political events. He offers Jiang practical—but crude—advice and learns he may have ranked first.
• Jiang Xueyao: Shows irritation toward the Imperial Family and its marriage schemes, but trusts Xu Yuan enough to seek his advice. Her willingness to consider confronting the issue marks a shift from avoidance.
• Yang Xiaobing: Acts protectively toward Jiang, worrying that her candid remarks might be overheard.
• Lu Qingxuan: Maintains a calm, controlled public presence despite the expedition’s serious consequences.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal desire: The emperor’s role has kept him from fighting freely, while his grief now pushes him to prioritize vengeance.
• The cost of power and leadership: The emperor’s reflections show how ruling has shaped both his life and his family’s.
• Public composure and private turmoil: The celebratory test ceremony contrasts with the emperor’s grief and the looming war.
• Agency and confrontation: Jiang’s discussion with Xu Yuan centers on whether to keep avoiding unwanted pressure or confront it directly.
• Irony and dramatic contrast: The students enjoy a peaceful gathering while an unprecedented battle unfolds beyond their knowledge.

Character interactions

• The Human Emperor publicly praises the examinees, then privately orders officials to prepare for war.
• He addresses his dead brother at Yanmen, explaining the burdens of the throne and his decision to avenge his son.
• Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing share teasing banter over cards; Jiang complains about the imperial princes, while Yang tries to keep their conversation private.
• Xu Yuan encourages Jiang to confront unwanted marriage pressure, and she cautiously agrees to try.
• Tang Yunyu updates Xu Yuan by message about the delay in his ceremony and his likely first-place result.

Plot points

• Xu Yuan receives an unexplained phone call, but keeps the conversation to himself. He later discovers that he has stolen a World-Breaking Halberd, a Demon-Subduing Sacred Relic that can break out of a world or pierce restrictions. Using it in the Mortal Realm would amount to ascending, so he decides it is too valuable to sell.
• The Special Admission Test ends, and Xu Yuan concludes that he wants to take only enough public-facing work to cover his cultivation expenses. He promptly reverses course, however, when Jiang Xueyao reminds him that she had already arranged an endorsement deal for him with the Jiang Household.
• The group relaxes by playing a mobile game. Jiang Xueyao refuses a summons from the Crown Prince; Xu Yuan later agrees to meet him.
• The Crown Prince, Lu Qingxuan, privately considers pursuing Jiang Xueyao and orders someone from the Azure Phoenix Group to investigate her feelings.
• Jiang Xueyao runs into Zhao Na and Liu Yunyun, who tell her the Crown Prince is considering consorts and appears interested in her. Taking Xu Yuan’s advice to stop avoiding the issue, she answers that the Crown Prince should be “castrated.” Zhao Na mistakes the word for praise until Jiang clarifies it on her phone.
• Lu Qingxuan asks Xu Yuan what should be done with the Demon Clan Disciples after the Demon Race’s failed killing-array plot. Xu Yuan recommends telling them the truth and letting them go, since they were used as cannon fodder. The Crown Prince also learns from Xu Yuan that Jiang Xueyao has threatened anyone who pursues her.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains outwardly calm and irreverent, even around the Crown Prince. His discovery of the relic reveals the extraordinary value of what he has taken, while his stated desire to focus on cultivation clashes comically with his willingness to accept lucrative work for Jiang Xueyao.
• Jiang Xueyao begins acting more directly to protect her freedom, using Xu Yuan’s blunt advice despite the possible cost to her reputation. Her refusal to meet the Crown Prince contrasts with Zhao Na’s eagerness to gain his favor.
• Lu Qingxuan appears intrigued by Xu Yuan’s candid, peer-like manner, but remains convinced of his own suitability for Jiang Xueyao. His interest leads him to pursue information about her.
• Xu Yuan and Lu Qingxuan discuss the fate of the Demon Clan Disciples; Xu Yuan’s practical compassion contrasts with the Crown Prince’s consideration of political strategy.
• Xu Yuan, Yang Xiaobing, and Jiang Xueyao share a relaxed gaming session, emphasizing their easy companionship amid the political tension.

Significant themes

• Freedom and agency: Jiang Xueyao rejects being treated as a prospective consort and chooses a deliberately blunt response.
• Power and moral responsibility: The relic offers immense power, while Xu Yuan’s advice about the Demon Clan Disciples considers their exploitation rather than simply their enemy status.
• Public image versus personal priorities: Xu Yuan weighs fame and income against cultivation, and Jiang is willing to risk her reputation to avoid an unwanted match.
• Comedy and irreverence: Gaming, Xu Yuan’s casual manner with the Crown Prince, and the misunderstanding over “castrate” puncture the chapter’s political drama.

Key plot points

• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan asks Xu Yuan what reward he wants for his contributions. Xu Yuan asks only to enter Luofu—and to ensure Yang Xiaobing can enter too—then thanks him for the Diamond Invulnerability technique.
• After Xu Yuan leaves, Lu Qingxuan learns that a hidden observer reported “lie,” not “good”; the misunderstanding leaves him confused and worried about what the woman actually said.
• Xu Yuan is abruptly transported back to the burning ruins of Yanmen in Border City, where an unfamiliar Foundation Establishment Cultivator congratulates him on his exam performance.
• The stranger reveals detailed knowledge of Xu Yuan’s connections and position, including his ties to the All Things Unity Society, Lu Yiyi, Jiang Xueyao, and Fu Xiuyi. He says the Demon Race’s plan failed because of an “accident.”
• Xu Yuan realizes the stranger was likely the traitor behind the Demon Race’s attempted invasion: Xu Yuan had disrupted the plan by sending away a troop transport summoned through the Zhou Tian Instrument.
• The stranger claims the Zhou Tian Instrument—and its makers—belong to an ancient, hidden civilization that has survived every catastrophe.
• Rather than recruit Xu Yuan, the group intends to kill him and use his human skin and identity as a disguise, replacing him with one of their own agents.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains casual and pragmatic when discussing rewards, prioritizing his place at Luofu and Yang Xiaobing’s admission. Once confronted, he quickly pieces together the stranger’s role in the failed invasion, though he conceals his suspicions behind polite questions.
• Lu Qingxuan tries to reward Xu Yuan and is impressed by his gratitude, but later becomes flustered by the report that the woman “lied.”
• The stranger shifts from praising Xu Yuan to explaining that his reputation and relationships make his identity valuable. He presents the planned replacement as a matter of “the greater picture,” treating Xu Yuan as expendable.
• Xu Yuan and the stranger engage in a tense exchange: Xu Yuan probes for information while the stranger reveals enough to explain the danger, then signals his companions to attack.

Significant themes

• Identity and dehumanization: Xu Yuan’s “skin” becomes a literal symbol of how enemies view his identity and relationships—as tools to exploit.
• Betrayal and hidden agendas: The apparent exam setting conceals a larger conspiracy involving the Demon Race and a traitor.
• Individual versus the greater good: The stranger justifies murdering Xu Yuan for civilization’s supposed “true glory,” contrasting grand ideals with ruthless violence.
• Uncertainty and concealed power: The Zhou Tian Instrument’s origins and the ancient civilization behind it reveal that the human world may understand far less than it believes.

Key plot points

• Xu Yuan is ambushed by six conspirators who plan to strip off his skin and impersonate him. He uses his Immortal Species powers to redirect the attackers’ Mystic Arts, kill five of them, and turn the surviving leader’s attacks against him.
• The heavy use of his powers begins to distort Xu Yuan’s body, but he temporarily advances to the Sixth Qi Refining Layer and regains control.
• The surviving man mistakes Xu Yuan for an Old God and reveals that the “eternal kingdom” lies in the depths of the Ninefold Nether Underworld. He refuses to disclose the group’s objective. Xu Yuan wounds him with the World-Breaking Halberd and escapes through a tear in the void.
• Back in the main hall, Xu Yuan rests while Yang Xiaobing massages him. He resolves to cultivate faster, investigate the human-skin threat, and protect those close to him from being replaced.
• The wounded conspirator teleports to a secret base, but everyone there has forgotten his identity. He dies after warning them that Xu Yuan is supposedly an Old God’s host. His corpse and even the surrounding stench are repeatedly forgotten until the body decays away.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shifts from apparent helplessness to decisive, lethal action. Though exhausted and physically strained, he recognizes the danger to his loved ones and becomes more determined to grow stronger.
• Yang Xiaobing offers quiet comfort, gently massaging Xu Yuan while he recovers.
• The surviving conspirator goes from confidence to reverence and desperation: he calls Xu Yuan an Old God, then dies unable to convince his own allies that he exists.
• The secret-base sentries and their leader dismiss the man as an impostor, apparently unaware that their memories have been altered.

Significant themes

• Identity and memory: The skin-stealing plot threatens physical identity, while the conspirator’s disappearance from others’ memories makes identity itself unstable.
• Power and vulnerability: Xu Yuan can defeat the ambush, but wielding his hidden powers damages his body and cannot replace the need to cultivate.
• Isolation and unseen danger: Xu Yuan fears that people close to him may already have been replaced, while the conspirator dies utterly forgotten.
• The incomprehensible supernatural: Xu Yuan’s powers are interpreted as godlike, underscoring the gulf between ordinary people and the forces at work.

Key plot points and events

• After the admission test, Xu Yuan is exhausted and drinks Imperial-family Spirit Liquid to recover. Jiang Xueyao gives him two crates, explaining that her household supplies it.
• The Crown Prince releases the Demon Clan disciples, but reports that war has begun. Tang Yunyu confirms that humans and demons are fighting along the border.
• Jiang Xueyao warns that demon forces have entered human territory and are advancing toward Jiangnan Province by water, with Jiangbei City in their path. She tells Xu Yuan and Yang Xiaobing to return by the official teleportation array and not travel on their own, promising her household will protect them.
• Xu Yuan recognizes a strange aura on an Enforcement Cultivator as similar to that of the person who previously tried to skin him. He follows the trail and discovers the man has discarded the skin of a teacher who helped organize the test.
• Xu Yuan’s “Honor Among Thieves” ability activates after he insults the culprit, stealing the human skin and its storage bag. Inside, he finds an identity booklet revealing that the skin’s owner, Chen Heng, was a Golden Core spy embedded in the Jiang Residence, with detailed intelligence on its staff.
• Xu Yuan burns the skin and calls out to someone who appears to be nearby.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan recovers some strength but remains wary of the upheaval. Though he initially worries about losing his peaceful routine, he recognizes that defending Jiangnan may become necessary. His instinct for detecting the spy and his unusual theft ability help uncover a serious threat.
• Jiang Xueyao shows concern for Xu Yuan by supplying him with Spirit Liquid and warning him about the approaching war. She also reassures him and Yang Xiaobing before leaving to respond to the crisis.
• Yang Xiaobing is anxious that the war could interrupt her cultivation. Xu Yuan tries to comfort her and agrees to follow Jiang Xueyao’s safety instructions.
• Xu Yuan and Jiang Xueyao share a trusting, lightly teasing exchange: he accepts her aid and calls her “my lord,” while she reminds him of his role as a guest elder.
• Xu Yuan and the disguised spy never meet directly, but Xu Yuan’s discovery exposes an infiltration plot targeting Jiang Xueyao’s household.

Significant themes

• War disrupting ordinary life: Xu Yuan’s concern for food, safety, and cultivation contrasts with the sudden spread of war.
• Loyalty and protection: Jiang Xueyao takes responsibility for those under her care, while Xu Yuan begins to consider defending the place he calls home.
• Hidden threats and vigilance: A spy has infiltrated the Jiang Residence under a stolen identity, showing that danger comes not only from the advancing demon army.
• Power used unexpectedly: Xu Yuan’s strange ability turns an offhand insult into a means of uncovering crucial intelligence.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The emperor consults Fu Xiuyi on how to respond after the Demon Race used peace talks as cover for an assassination attempt. Fu Xiuyi argues that the Human Race must retaliate decisively and offers to kill Mo Daosheng herself. The emperor is relieved by her resolve and considers appointing her Imperial Preceptor, replacing the disgraced Jiuli candidate.
• After the Special Admission Test, Xu Yuan confronts a Royal Armed Guard who suspects his identity. Xu Yuan uses his ability to inspect the guard’s belongings and secretly steals the last human skin in the guard’s storage bag with help from his Golden-Armored Skeleton and coffin.
• When the guard threatens to report him, Xu Yuan intimidates him with a display of power. The guard, wary of provoking someone important, leaves. Xu Yuan is relieved to avoid a fight but worries that many beings may be disguised in human skins.
• Xu Yuan examines the stolen skin and discovers it is not human, but apparently belongs to a Ghost Entity.
• A system message reveals that he has made indirect contact with the ancient kingdom beneath the Nine Nether and glimpsed the high-level Dark Crown Competition. To unlock it, he must first survive the Nine Nether Prefecture qualifiers, whose entry conditions remain unknown.

Character developments

• Fu Xiuyi shows that she remains a formidable fighter more than a political leader: she eagerly embraces the prospect of battle and prioritizes protecting the Human Race. The emperor’s trust in her grows.
• The emperor shifts from seeking counsel to planning action. He sees Fu Xiuyi as a reliable ally and considers elevating her above the Jiuli faction.
• Xu Yuan proves resourceful and cautious, using deception, theft, and intimidation rather than risking a direct battle. His curiosity and ambition intensify after learning the Dark Crown Competition might help him escape the attention of another Immortal Species.

Significant themes

• Retaliation and responsibility: The emperor worries that war will harm ordinary people, while Fu Xiuyi insists that failing to answer an attack could bring even greater suffering.
• Trust versus deception: Political betrayal and the threat of beings wearing stolen skins make identities—and alliances—uncertain.
• Survival and ambition: Xu Yuan puts his safety first but is drawn toward a dangerous competition that could offer a way out of a larger cosmic threat.
• Power and political change: Jiuli’s betrayal weakens its influence, creating an opportunity for Luofu and Fu Xiuyi to rise.

Character interactions

• Fu Xiuyi and the emperor: Their candid exchange reveals mutual trust, shared martial instincts, and contrasting concern for the costs of war.
• Xu Yuan and the disguised guard: The guard probes Xu Yuan’s identity; Xu Yuan deflects suspicion, steals the guard’s remaining skin, and forces him to withdraw without a full confrontation.
• Xu Yuan and the system: The system reframes his discovery as the first step toward a potentially valuable competition, giving him a new goal but no clear path to it.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan returns home after the Special Admission Test, checks on his hospitalized mother, and learns that his friend Zhao Afei is organizing a welcome-back dinner.
• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan visits and reports that his team has uncovered links between the Ghost Monsters and the All Things Unity Society. They are also searching for Yanmen Border City, an important artifact made by Lu Qingxuan’s uncle.
• Lu Qingxuan invites Xu Yuan to join his investigative team. Xu agrees, then asks him to hurry the test results so he can bring his mother good news.
• Lu Qingxuan arranges for Xu’s result to be calculated early: Xu placed first by a wide margin and is admitted to the Skyscraping Divine Palace at Luofu University.
• The announcement completes the “Lone Walk in the Dark” event. Xu receives two Blank Historical Branches in total, and his ongoing renovation project advances.
• As first-place examinee, Xu receives a token granting him first choice from the imperial treasury. Lu Qingxuan escorts him and privately advises him to look among the neglected shelves.
• Xu initially considers taking a powerful suit of armor, but instead recognizes a dust-covered silver mask as a likely piece of his mysterious Truth set. He chooses the Final Gaze Mask.
• Lu Qingxuan releases the mask’s seal, revealing only a small strength boost. After the Crown Prince leaves to fetch armor, Xu secretly puts it on. His two existing Truth items activate its real power and unlock the set’s three-piece effects.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan is relieved by his admission and eager to share the good news with his mother. He also shows growing confidence in choosing rewards, trusting his instincts about the mask over the more obvious armor.
• Lu Qingxuan treats Xu as a valued ally and patronizes him informally, offering him a place on his team and helping him secure his results and treasury privilege. His private warning about the shelves shows he is looking out for Xu.
• Their relationship grows warmer: Xu agrees to join the team and appreciates the Crown Prince’s help, while Lu Qingxuan sees Xu as a promising associate.
• Xu’s devotion to his mother is emphasized when he explains why he wants the test result quickly.

Significant themes

• Impermanence and hidden truth: The mask appears to be a modest ornament, but its true value is concealed until Xu wears it alongside the other set pieces.
• Merit and connections: Xu’s first-place result earns him special privileges, while Lu Qingxuan’s influence helps him receive his result promptly.
• Loyalty and patronage: Xu’s choice to join Lu Qingxuan’s team signals an emerging political alignment, and the Crown Prince responds with practical support.
• Family devotion: Xu’s first concern after returning is his mother, and he wants to bring her reassuring news.

New revelations

• The Final Gaze Mask is the third piece of the Truth set, and wearing it with the other two items grants Xu the title Apostle of Truth, a Soul Art inheritance, stronger scaling effects, and Resonance—an ability that guides him toward the set’s fourth piece.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan reaches the Fifth Qi Refining Layer, gaining five strength points. He realizes his equipment set’s bonuses will continue to work beyond the Qi Refining Realm.
• The Crown Prince, Lu Qingxuan, gives Xu Yuan a powerful Ming King Radiant Armor, which he secretly removes its restriction runes from so Xu Yuan can wear it without attracting attention.
• Zhang Pengcheng arrives hoping to spar with Xu Yuan, but joins the group for dinner instead. Lu Qingxuan comes too, playfully implying that Xu Yuan’s armor depends on his being invited.
• At the night market, Xu Yuan reunites with Zhao Afei, who has been fighting at an underground fight hall after meeting Liu Wenqian. Xu Yuan urges him to stop and focus on cultivation, offering to introduce him to proper training and help him pursue admission to Luofu.
• When Liu Wenqian’s cousin insults Xu Yuan and tries to interfere, Lu Qingxuan sends him flying with a word, and Zhang Pengcheng intimidates the rest with his sword technique. Liu Wenqian leaves, threatening to report Afei’s underground fighting to the school.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan is increasingly powerful and confident, but also protective of his friends. He steers Afei away from risky fights and uses his connections to offer him a better path.
• Lu Qingxuan shows his generosity by giving Xu Yuan valuable armor, while remaining authoritative and casually intimidating when challenged.
• Zhang Pengcheng is eager to improve through sparring, but also demonstrates formidable sword skill and loyalty to Xu Yuan.
• Zhao Afei is excited by the money and thrill of underground fights, yet readily gives them up when Xu Yuan offers him a chance to train and attend Luofu. The threat of school discipline leaves him anxious.
• Liu Wenqian appears friendly toward Afei but is tied to the underground fight scene; her cousins’ conduct suggests their relationship with Afei also involves betting on his matches.

Character interactions

• Xu Yuan and Lu Qingxuan trade courteous thanks and teasing, with the Crown Prince using the armor to secure an invitation to dinner.
• Zhang Pengcheng and Xu Yuan maintain a friendly rivalry, while Zhang treats Afei as a new brother.
• Afei warmly welcomes Xu Yuan’s companions, mistaking their assumed names—“Chen Haonan” and “Shanji”—for signs of impressive connections.
• Xu Yuan’s group confronts Liu Wenqian’s cousins when they insult Xu Yuan and threaten Afei’s prospects.

Significant themes

• Friendship and loyalty: Xu Yuan and his companions rally around Afei when he is in trouble.
• Mentorship and ambition: Xu Yuan encourages Afei to replace dangerous shortcuts with disciplined cultivation and a longer-term goal.
• Power and status: Xu Yuan’s new strength, the armor, and his companions’ abilities shift how others treat the group.
• Risk and consequence: Afei’s underground fights bring money and excitement but could jeopardize his education.

Key events

• Xu Yuan and Lu Qingxuan reassure Zhao Afei that he is safe, and praise his progress as a boxer. Over dinner, Xu Yuan shares lessons from the Special Admission Test.
• Zhang Pengcheng recounts being attacked by a giant black hand at deserted Rainbow City Station. Xu Yuan suspects the ghosts there were engaged in some hidden operation, but decides to investigate later.
• A gang arrives to confront the diners. Its leader, Brother Sheng, recognizes Lu Qingxuan’s Golden Core cultivation and kneels. Under Lu’s questioning, he reveals that the boxing house planned to exploit and cripple Zhao Afei through a rigged match, using a fabricated emergency involving Liu Wenqian to pressure him into betting.
• Lu orders the gang to turn themselves in, invoking the law. Zhao Afei remains uneasy, but Lu insists the law will give them a chance to reform. Unseen cultivators make clear that anyone who refuses will face brutal punishment.
• After the meal, Lu is summoned to the palace. There he finds rows of demon heads, including those of the Demon King and Mo Daosheng. The emperor is absent, and Lu is told to govern in his stead. He accepts the Storage Bag containing the imperial jade seal.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan stays watchful and protective of Zhao Afei, gently easing his anger and teasing him about his innocent relationship with Liu Wenqian. He also notices the mystery at Rainbow City Station.
• Zhao Afei demonstrates loyalty to Xu Yuan and grows more confident in his boxing, but is shaken by the gang’s betrayal. He turns to Lu for reassurance about justice.
• Lu Qingxuan uses his authority calmly to expose the racket and order the gang to surrender. His casual night out ends with him unexpectedly assuming greater responsibility for the empire.
• Zhang Pengcheng contributes a clue about the station attack, though he remains mostly focused on his meal.
• Brother Sheng shifts instantly from swagger to submission once he recognizes Lu’s power, then confesses the scheme. His men and Liu Wenqian are left to confront the consequences.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Zhao Afei trusts Xu Yuan completely, while the gang’s apparent friendliness hides exploitation.
• Law and justice: Lu publicly urges faith in the law, though the cultivators’ private plans reveal a far harsher version of justice.
• Hidden threats and mysteries: The attack at Rainbow City Station suggests covert ghost activity beyond the known battle.
• Duty and succession: The emperor’s unexplained departure and Lu’s receipt of the jade seal turn a relaxed evening into a major transfer of authority.

Key plot points and events

• After the Demon Race’s delegation is massacred, Emperor Lu leaves to hunt three Demon Kings. Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan takes charge, orders the empire’s defenses mobilized, summons military and financial officials, and declares a war of survival against the demons.
• Zuo Lingjing, hunted and with nowhere else to turn, reaches Xu Yuan’s home after the guards depart. There she encounters a bizarre masked man who effortlessly empties and restores her treasure bracelet. His immense power and cryptic remarks frighten her, but she decides to wait for Xu Yuan.
• Xu Yuan returns and recognizes Zuo Lingjing as the maid he had taken from Lu Chenzhou. He gives her food and sends her to another room while he speaks privately with the masked visitor.
• Xu Yuan prepares for a possible fight, but the visitor says it is not yet time. He explains that he and Xu Yuan’s power once belonged to the same body, and that the gods transformed Xu Yuan’s ability into a divine power. He warns that war is coming and demands Xu Yuan choose between the short-lived species and the Immortal Species; neutrality will not be tolerated.

Character developments

• Lu Qingxuan shifts from observer to decisive wartime leader, accepting his father’s apparent position and acting with ruthless resolve.
• Zuo Lingjing arrives terrified, grieving her companions, and facing execution, but chooses to trust that Xu Yuan offers her a chance to survive.
• Xu Yuan remains outwardly calm despite sensing the visitor’s danger. He protects Zuo Lingjing while preparing for confrontation, then listens to the visitor’s warning.
• The masked visitor reveals himself as a being connected to Xu Yuan’s power and presents the coming conflict as an unavoidable choice.

Significant themes

• War and loyalty: The human–demon conflict escalates, while Xu Yuan faces a broader struggle between species.
• Survival and refuge: Zuo Lingjing’s desperation drives her to seek safety with someone tied to her enemy.
• Identity and shared origins: The visitor’s account suggests Xu Yuan’s power—and perhaps his nature—is linked to an ancient shared existence.
• The rejection of neutrality: Both Lu Qingxuan’s orders and the visitor’s ultimatum frame the coming conflict as one in which everyone must choose a side.

Character interactions

• Lu Qingxuan receives only a brief explanation of the Emperor’s departure, then takes command and issues orders to officials and military leaders.
• Zuo Lingjing cautiously questions the masked man, is unnerved by his power, and waits until Xu Yuan returns.
• Xu Yuan recognizes Zuo Lingjing, offers her food, and separates her from the visitor before activating an isolation array.
• Xu Yuan and the visitor begin with mutual readiness for violence, but shift to a tense conversation about their shared past and the coming war.

Key plot points

• Xu Yuan rejects an Immortal Species figure’s demand that he choose a side, challenging its authority and asking what it can offer him.
• The figure reveals that the short-lived species’ coming war will provide the Immortals with souls to consume and strength to return to their true home. It also warns that the Human Dynasty may change hands within two months.
• The figure wants Xu Yuan’s uniquely developed Whisper ability. It proposes merging with him so the Immortals can access his power while he gains theirs, but Xu Yuan sees little value in the exchange.
• When negotiations fail, the figure uses Fate Whisper to write a future in which its Gaze disrupts Xu Yuan’s cultivation and causes him to die.
• Xu Yuan counters with Peerless Hero, writing a favorable outcome: his master Fu Xiuyi will save him and help him break through.
• The figure escalates by summoning the Demon Race to attack. Xu Yuan writes that the Human Emperor and Fu Xiuyi will defend him, exploiting the fact that the Immortal does not understand how powerful human experts are.
• The figure tries to write that the demons will kill the Human Emperor, but the attempt is rejected as impossible. Xu Yuan concludes that the Immortal’s manipulation of Fate has limits and declares that it has fallen behind.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains defiant and self-possessed. He refuses to be judged or ordered around, values his independence, and shows concern for the short-lived species despite the Immortal’s accusation that he has grown attached to them. Under threat, he quickly adapts his own ability to counter Fate Whisper.
• The Immortal figure shifts from demanding allegiance to trying to recruit Xu Yuan, then resorts to manipulating Fate when persuasion fails. Its confidence falters when Xu Yuan exposes the limits of its knowledge and power.
• Their conversation is a contest of authority and leverage: the figure claims kinship and superiority, while Xu Yuan insists that shared origins do not give it the right to control him. The figure’s attempt to use Xu Yuan’s feelings for humans against him instead reveals its strategic assumptions.

Significant themes

• Choice and autonomy: Xu Yuan rejects forced allegiance and asserts the right to decide whom to protect.
• Power and negotiation: The figure’s offer fails because it cannot provide Xu Yuan with something he considers valuable.
• Fate versus agency: Both characters use Whisper to shape future events, but Xu Yuan’s counter-writing demonstrates that Fate manipulation is constrained by what can plausibly happen.
• Knowledge and misjudgment: The Immortal underestimates human strength and Xu Yuan’s ingenuity, turning its apparent advantage into a weakness.