Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan discovers that many giant End of the World swords, controlled together with the Night Rain Sword Seal, form an incomplete Rune in the void. He decides to keep investigating it secret until he reaches Foundation Establishment and can learn the higher-level Star Surge Swordsmanship.
• Returning to his new home—arranged by Jiang Xueyao after the Archaeological Institute was destroyed—he finds the refrigerator stocked to his tastes and a note inviting him to visit her island as a guest elder.
• A bamboo-hatted swordsman appears and attacks without warning. Xu Yuan defends himself with dozens of small Flying Swords, wrecking much of the living room in the clash.
• The attacker identifies himself as a Demon-Slaying Envoy of the Ruin Gate, then recognizes Xu Yuan’s Nameplate and realizes Xu is a highly trusted operative with the Sage’s recognition and authority to handle special assignments. Believing Xu to be a powerful undercover master, he apologizes and pays generously for the damage.
• The Envoy explains that he attacked because Xu seemed suspiciously out of place among the All Things Unity Society’s leaders: he looked poor. He asks whether the Ruin Gate should coordinate with Xu’s work; Xu tells him not to inquire into his operations and allows him to report to the sect master.
• Xu learns that the Ruin Gate’s ambition is to reclaim the Nine Nether Prefecture. After the Envoy leaves, Xu asks Zhai Qingya to arrange repairs and a place for him to stay. Zhai also mentions that Xu may be asked to act in a film once school begins, and Xu agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows growing confidence and fascination with his new sword techniques, while remaining cautious about the mysterious Rune. He thinks quickly during the confrontation, shifting from intending to kill the attacker to accepting him once he recognizes their shared allegiance. He also welcomes the compensation and is mindful of the expenses ahead.
• The Demon-Slaying Envoy moves from suspicion and aggression to awe, deference, and practical support after examining Xu’s Nameplate. His blunt remark about Xu’s poverty briefly irritates Xu, though it also explains why he became suspicious.
• Jiang Xueyao is present through her thoughtful provisions and warm invitation, suggesting she has taken care to make Xu comfortable.
• Zhai Qingya (“Duck Bro”) acts as a helpful ally, arranging repairs, accommodation, and potential entertainment work. Their easy, friendly conversation reinforces their rapport.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and mistaken identity: Xu’s understated appearance leads others to misread him, while his Nameplate and swordsmanship reveal his concealed importance.
• Secrecy and caution: Xu keeps the Rune’s nature and his broader operations to himself, knowing that premature attention could be dangerous.
• Power balanced with everyday concerns: Even amid supernatural intrigue, Xu worries about a wrecked home, money, food, and lodging.
• Unexpected ambition and new roles: The chapter pairs the Ruin Gate’s grand political goal with Xu’s surprising willingness to pursue a film career, treating worship and fame as potential sources of power.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan rests after arranging house repairs. Zhao Afei visits and gives him a gourd of top-grade pills, supplied by his grandfather in gratitude for Xu Yuan’s help.
• Yang Xiaobing joins them. She spars with Afei, easily winning but praising his improvement, and the three spend a relaxed afternoon chatting about cultivation, school, and an upcoming concert.
• Xu Yuan reflects on the Immortal Species power he possesses. A brief, unsettling sensation makes him feel intensely aware of his body, but he finds no obvious problem and returns to the conversation.
• Once his friends leave, Xu Yuan enters the Border City Battle training match, hoping Blind Eye’s strengthened curse-devouring ability will let him investigate the human-skin phenomenon safely.
• He finds several human skins trying to merge in an alley. Instead of attacking, he watches, hoping to learn more and eventually show Lu Yiyi.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains generous and at ease with his friends, while accepting the pills as useful preparation for the selection tournament. Unbeknownst to him, he has just passed a dangerous Heart-Demon Tribulation: his experience inhabiting wildly different game characters lets him separate himself from the Immortal Species’ influence and retain his human identity.
• Zhao Afei is excited by his special training and plans to aim for Luofu. His spar with Yang Xiaobing shows clear progress, though she remains far stronger.
• Yang Xiaobing is friendly and confident, encouraging Afei while teasingly challenging him to spar.
• The three friends share easy camaraderie, shifting from cultivation talk to school gossip before their separate obligations call them away.

Significant themes

• Human identity versus power: Xu Yuan’s Immortal Species abilities threaten to blur the boundary between himself and something inhuman, but his sense of self holds firm.
• Hidden dangers and unseen trials: Xu Yuan survives a major spiritual crisis without recognizing it, suggesting that some threats operate beneath conscious awareness.
• Friendship and ordinary life: Casual conversation and companionship reconnect Xu Yuan with his humanity.
• Curiosity over force: In Border City, he chooses to observe the human skins rather than destroy them, prioritizing knowledge that may help others.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan watches five merging Human Skins and uses his Wind Observation skill to learn that they are valuable former heroes. He wins their favor with Ultra-Advanced Flattery.
• The Human Skins ask him to investigate conditions in the Nine Nether World. Since his existing pass only grants access to the Second Layer, they give him a Sixth Layer Stay Permit and tell him to survive and cultivate until he can obtain a Human Skin of his own.
• A powerful figure wearing a Ghost Entity’s Visored Helmet arrives and burns the Human Skins to ash with a magma staff. It considers killing Xu Yuan for speaking with them, but dismisses him as too insignificant. Xu Yuan survives by flattering it.
• Xu Yuan realizes he has a scheduling problem: he must go to Luofu that night, but also has a Selection Tournament match whose outcome affects his chance to enter the Dark Crown competition.
• Back at the hospital, he checks on his mother and brings Zuo Lingjing, who has been staying there while cultivating, with him.
• Tang Yunyu takes Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing by Flying Boat to Mount Luofu for the Early Admission enrollment ceremony. She offers Xu Yuan the chance to replace the selected student and speak for the freshmen. He declines, not wanting to displace someone who has prepared for the role.
• Xu Yuan learns the ceremony includes speeches, performances, discussions of the Dao, a welcome ceremony, and dormitory assignments. He is interested in the Dao discussions but worries the event will interfere with his tournament obligations and considers finding a stand-in.
• As they near the school, Xu Yuan asks whether their Master, Fu Xiuyi, is present. Learning that he is not, Xu Yuan visibly relaxes and quickly disguises his reaction.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows quick opportunism and social skill: he uses flattery to gain a valuable pass and avoid danger. He also reveals that he cares little for ceremonial honors, prioritizing cultivation and competition instead.
• The Human Skins move from mocking Xu Yuan to recruiting him, though their gift of the pass is paired with the warning that he must become stronger to be of use.
• The helmeted figure demonstrates overwhelming power and contempt for weak ghosts, but lets Xu Yuan live because killing him would be beneath it.
• Tang Yunyu respects Xu Yuan’s choice but remains suspicious of his motives, particularly after he reacts oddly to the news that their Master is absent.
• Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing tease Xu Yuan for declining a chance to gain attention. Both are also intrigued by the ceremony’s opportunity to witness or take part in Dao discussions.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Xu Yuan’s new Sixth Layer permit represents a sudden rise in access, but his weakness leaves him vulnerable to stronger beings.
• Cunning over force: Flattery proves more effective than combat in both encounters, allowing Xu Yuan to turn potentially dangerous situations to his advantage.
• Ambition versus worldly recognition: Xu Yuan rejects public honors because he sees them as distractions from mastery, while those around him recognize their prestige and opportunities.
• Conflicting obligations: His cultivation and tournament ambitions collide with the expectations of an important institutional ceremony.

Plot points and events

• Tang Yunyu leaves Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing at Luofu’s ferry dock. The women reflect on reaching the prestigious school and on Luofu’s growing influence, which has renewed aristocratic interest in Jiang Xueyao.
• Xu Yuan privately tells Jiang and Yang that the emperor and Crown Prince intend to investigate Border City with the Zhou Tian Instrument that night. He explains that this secret mission conflicts with his Luofu entrance ceremony.
• He introduces Zuo Lingjing, a wanted former maid of Lu Chenzhou. Zuo recounts Lu’s abuse and killings of female cultivators, explaining why she sought Xu Yuan’s protection.
• Zuo can impersonate Xu Yuan through a bloodline Divine Might. She will attend the ceremony in his place while he handles his mission. Jiang gives her a Spirit Treasure bracelet to conceal her aura, and she leaves with Jiang and Yang.
• Xu Yuan enters the woods and meets Bai Yuanze and two subordinates. One threatens to expose Zuo’s presence unless Xu Yuan does his assigned work. Xu’s silent, controlled stare unsettles Bai, who rebukes the subordinate.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Xueyao reflects on how her choice to support Xu Yuan and come to Luofu has become advantageous. She remains sharp and protective: she recognizes Zuo from a wanted notice, but after hearing her story, offers help.
• Yang Xiaobing is horrified by Lu Chenzhou’s crimes and responds with open compassion, promising to protect Zuo.
• Zuo Lingjing is shown as capable yet deeply traumatized and humble. She thanks the women for believing and helping her.
• Xu Yuan demonstrates trust in Jiang and Yang by sharing sensitive information and entrusting Zuo to them. He also remains composed under the organization’s veiled threat.
• Bai Yuanze recognizes the danger in provoking Xu Yuan and intervenes before the confrontation escalates.

Significant themes

• Compassion and protection: Jiang and Yang choose to help a fugitive victim rather than condemn her for being wanted.
• Power and political calculation: Luofu’s rising status reshapes how aristocratic families treat Jiang Xueyao.
• Secrecy and impersonation: Xu Yuan’s mission requires Zuo to take his place, while her identity must remain hidden.
• Threats and restraint: Xu Yuan’s quiet presence communicates danger without overt force, and Bai understands the warning better than his subordinates.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan confronts Commander Bai Yuanze and his two subordinates after they discover he is sheltering a fugitive Royal Maid. Bai decides the threat to Xu is more serious than the risk of defying the royal family: he kills one subordinate and the other cuts off his own hand and begs forgiveness.
• Xu gives Bai a detailed military deployment document containing intelligence on the Human Empire’s forces. Bai confirms it is valuable and prepares to leave.
• Bai gives Xu a Ghost Hide and the seal needed to use it. Xu reveals he already has a Blood Devour Emblem, which Bai uses to authorize him to claim the dead subordinate’s bloodline.
• Xu asks about the Society President’s plan to provoke the Human Emperor and expose a weakness. Bai admits he knows only that these were the President’s words.
• Before the Selection Tournament begins, Xu performs Blood Devouring. The ritual reveals nine bloodline paths; he climbs one rung on the Netherworld Passage path. His bloodline and Identity rise, allowing him to control a “hide”-type shell without incurring an immortality curse.
• Xu tests his existing Ghost Bat Hide, transforming into a bat and gaining access to its abilities. He also examines Bai’s One-Horned Ghost Wyrm Hide, learning that its Earth-Boring power will awaken as the species matures.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan resolves to grow stronger quickly and reach Foundation Establishment. He resents being underestimated because of his low cultivation and wants to live among humans without constantly relying on his concealed Immortal Species power.
• His Blood Devouring breakthrough expands his practical abilities: he can now control Ghost Hides and access the Mystic Arts of the beings they represent.
• Bai Yuanze shows pragmatic loyalty to Xu, sacrificing one subordinate and severely punishing another to prevent them from becoming liabilities. He also recognizes Xu’s growing value and tries to win his confidence with useful gifts and intelligence.
• The surviving subordinate demonstrates fearful adaptability by maiming himself to prove he will not betray Xu.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Xu’s low cultivation causes others to underestimate him, while his rising bloodline status grants him new capabilities.
• Pragmatism and loyalty: Bai protects Xu not through sentiment alone, but because careless subordinates threaten both of them.
• Cross-species power and identity: Xu’s human and Immortal Species nature lets him understand and wield a ritual designed around bloodlines and other species.
• Growth through danger: Xu treats the coming Selection Tournament as a chance—and an urgent necessity—to strengthen himself.

Character interactions

• Xu’s silent standoff with Bai gives Bai room to act; Bai handles the subordinates before Xu needs to intervene.
• Xu and Bai exchange military intelligence, a Ghost Hide, and information about the President’s plan, reinforcing their alliance while leaving the larger strategy unclear.
• After Bai departs, Xu acts on the opportunity created by the Blood Devour Emblem, absorbs the dead man’s bloodline, and tests the Ghost Hides alone.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan discovers that wearing crafted skins grants him the creature’s abilities: the Ghost Bat skin lets him fly and provides three skills, while the Ghost Flood Dragon skin offers powerful underground movement. He wonders whether human skins could transfer a person’s talents and suspects the All Things Unity Society’s techniques may originate in a hidden kingdom within Ninefold Nether.
• Xu Yuan enters the third Selection Tournament round, set in the real Ninefold Nether Underworld of ten years earlier. He must survive three punishments to win another Blank Historical Branch. The rest periods between rounds are shrinking, now down to five hours. He uses Azure Heaven Draws Yellow Springs to enter the event.
• At Luofu, Zuo Lingjing—disguised as Xu Yuan—waits with Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing for the new students’ assignments. A young man asks to test Xu Yuan’s Flying Sword Art, but the disguised Xu Yuan defers the fight until the Enrollment Ceremony.
• Pei Shiyu, a formidable transfer student from Jianzhou who aims to become Luofu’s top newcomer, challenges him next. Yang Xiaobing claims Xu Yuan is injured; Pei appears to accept the explanation, but privately knows it is false and sends others to provoke him and gauge his strength.
• When another challenger approaches, Jiang Xueyao steps in and fights him herself. Pei interprets Xu Yuan’s continued avoidance as possible evidence that his reputation is exaggerated, though he is wary of provoking Xu Yuan’s powerful and complicated background.
• Above the clouds, Fu Xiuyi overhears Pei’s quiet insult and reacts with a frown.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan becomes increasingly intrigued—and uneasy—about the transformative potential of skin-crafting.
• Zuo Lingjing carefully maintains Xu Yuan’s disguise, avoiding combat because revealing her own Mystic Arts or cultivation could expose her.
• Yang Xiaobing supports the deception by inventing an injury; she and the disguised Xu Yuan are relieved when Pei initially backs off.
• Jiang Xueyao is more alert than the others. She recognizes Pei’s persistence and protects Xu Yuan’s cover by confronting a challenger herself.
• Pei emerges as ambitious, perceptive, and calculating: he wants public victory and an inner-sect position, and he organizes repeated tests rather than accepting Xu Yuan’s excuses.
• Fu Xiuyi’s reaction suggests she may take offense at Pei’s judgment or become involved.

Significant themes

• Identity and transformation: Skins may let Xu Yuan assume not just another form but another being’s capabilities.
• Deception and exposure: The Luofu group must keep Xu Yuan’s disguise intact while navigating public challenges.
• Ambition and reputation: Pei’s drive for status turns the newcomers’ gathering into a contest of strength and prestige.
• Escalating pressure: The tournament’s shrinking breaks and Pei’s persistent probing both signal that the characters have less room to rest or evade danger.

Plot and events

• Xu Yuan enters the Second Layer of the Nine Nether Prefecture, a corpse-sand wasteland dotted with grand structures built by different Ghost Entity factions. He joins the “Survival Faction,” a group of Pale Ghosts whose palace impresses him.
• The faction’s leader reveals its true purpose: the Pale Ghosts intend to eat Xu Yuan and take his White Bone Baseball Bat. Xu Yuan fights back, using the bat’s ability to split an eyeball into many damaging projectiles, while its life-draining effect helps him recover from the leader’s heavy blows.
• When the leader traps him with Ghost Shadow Strike, Xu Yuan secretly sends his Jade-Gap Sword flying with Deep Dive and kills the leader. He then uses Ghost Devour on the dead ghosts, absorbing some cultivation and memories. He learns that powerful ghosts live underground, while surface factions prey on newcomers.
• Xu Yuan sacrifices the remains to improve Ninefold Nether Bonecraft, which can now create more capable defensive or offensive structures. He also reaches the middle stage of the Eighth Qi Refining Layer, though the ghosts’ corrupted power limits how much he can absorb.
• With time before the announced “big one” arrives, Xu Yuan uses Heaven-Stealing to return briefly to the First Layer, changes his clothes and hairstyle, then teleports back. Pretending to be the slain newcomer’s stronger older brother, he tricks another faction into guiding him toward its headquarters—planning to fight through the Second Layer’s surface groups.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains curious and playful, but proves increasingly calculating: he studies the factions, exploits their assumptions, and turns their predatory customs against them.
• The Pale Ghost leader’s confidence and prejudice toward “Ordinary Ghosts” lead it to underestimate Xu Yuan. It boasts about the value of control arts, only to be killed by the sword it fails to notice.
• Xu Yuan briefly shares a friendly exchange with the masked man at the First Layer palace, who offers him food and compliments his new appearance.
• At the end, Xu Yuan adopts a false identity to manipulate a Skeleton recruiter, who eagerly welcomes him into another faction.

Significant themes

• Predation and hypocrisy: Each surface faction claims territory and community while hunting newcomers for their gear and power.
• Strength through ingenuity: Xu Yuan wins through the combination of Combat Gear, hidden abilities, and deception—not raw strength alone.
• Prejudice and misjudgment: The Pale Ghosts dismiss Xu Yuan as weak because of his kind, enabling his counterattack.
• Cultivation’s costs and limits: Ghost power can strengthen Xu Yuan, but its corrupted nature makes absorption risky and inefficient.
• Survival as opportunity: The tournament’s simple requirement—to survive—gives Xu Yuan room to pursue his own aggressive strategy.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan thanks the Skeletons in the White Bone Temple for giving him a chance to train. Using invisible Spirit Light Threads, he cuts through their attacks and fights wave after wave, improving his Night Rain Swordsmanship.
• His two “younger brothers”—both Xu Yuan in disguise—arrive separately in the Nether Prefecture. One presents himself as a powerful cultivator, and the yellow-haired “Zang Ai” claims to have reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. When the ghosts fail to guide him to their boss, he kills them with a White Bone Baseball Bat and uses Ghost Devour to absorb what little strength and knowledge they offer.
• With the “big one” due soon, Xu Yuan heads to the palace and builds a Fine Grade underground shelter, the Air-Raid Well, reinforcing it with bone and runes. He hides inside just before a catastrophic storm strikes.
• The palace collapses above him. A woman’s supernatural wailing shakes the world, and afterward dangerous currents of Five Elements Source Power make it too risky to leave the well.
• While waiting, Xu Yuan uses his notebook to enter the Border City Battle training match. He clears the Curse Shadow with his Blind Eye Combat Gear, then chooses to cultivate at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
• His training helps him correct risks from advancing too quickly, deepen his understanding of the Hundred Meridians Return to Truth Scripture, and improve his Summon Gods and Ghosts technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan is resourceful and opportunistic: he turns enemies into training partners, uses disguises to mislead the ghosts, and prepares a fortified shelter before the disaster. He is also eager to reach Foundation Establishment and unlock his system’s next ability.
• The Skeletons initially mock Xu Yuan, then attack in increasing numbers; their assault becomes the swordsmanship training he sought.
• The Ghost Entities are wary of the disguised “brother,” but their hesitation to help leads to their deaths.
• Xu Yuan’s exchanges with the notebook show his practical mindset: rather than wait helplessly through the catastrophe, he uses the time for cultivation.

Significant themes

• Preparation and adaptability: Xu Yuan anticipates danger, builds shelter, and adapts when circumstances change.
• Growth through risk: Combat and cultivation both push him toward greater skill and strength.
• Power and opportunism: Xu Yuan treats dangerous encounters as chances to advance, while remaining focused on the larger goal of Foundation Establishment.
• Survival amid the unknown: The storm and crying suggest a threat far beyond ordinary enemies, leaving Xu Yuan isolated and cautious.

Plot points and events

• After ending an idle session, Xu Yuan gains steadier Spiritual Power and raises the Hundred Meridians Return to Truth Scripture by one level. His two Golden-Armored Skeletons and Coffin now assist more effectively when he uses the spell.
• He starts another session to investigate the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Releasing thirty Spirit Light Threads causes a figure resembling the Former Crown Prince to appear, who recognizes that Xu Yuan is not “Yiyi.” Xu Yuan retreats before learning whether the figure is truly the Crown Prince or a dangerous shadow, and his Blind Eye must rest after absorbing too much Curse Shadow.
• A violent upheaval shakes the Second Layer of the Nine Nether Prefecture. Xu Yuan hears an Immortal Species crying out in agony and realizes the chaos may come from a battle between powerful beings—not necessarily the world-ending disaster the local Ghost Entities believe it to be.
• The upheaval stirs buried objects into reach, prompting the Divine Temple to hold a special sale. Xu Yuan buys an apparently unconscious Dried Corpse for information. It says the disaster is rumored to stem from a failed Bloodline Ascension Experiment and may last about three hours, though nobody knows the full truth.
• Xu Yuan resells the Dried Corpse and Coffin, but the corpse is killed by a flying Giant Bone Sword during transport. He buys the damaged goods back, retrieves the sword, and discovers it is the Spirit Treasure Blade of Betrayal: whoever picks it up becomes its master and is inevitably stabbed by it; its victim dies.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan continues to rely on experimentation and the notebook’s idle sessions, but grows more cautious as their results expose dangers he cannot explain.
• He questions the Paper Strip about the sale and the origins of the Divine Temple’s goods. The Paper Strip insists the Shop sells only ownerless items, contrasting its supposed ethics with Xu Yuan’s admitted thefts.
• Xu Yuan treats the Dried Corpse as a source of local knowledge, then tries to help it when it appears dead—only to learn it was merely unconscious. Their brief exchange yields rumors, not reliable answers.
• After the corpse dies in transit, Xu Yuan accepts responsibility and pays to buy it back, though he remains focused on salvaging useful information and equipment.

Significant themes

• Knowledge under uncertainty: Reports about the disaster conflict, and even supernatural records provide incomplete answers.
• Power and collateral damage: The battle between Immortal Species reshapes an entire realm, while ordinary beings and objects are swept up in its consequences.
• Pragmatism and morality: Xu Yuan presents himself as acting for good, yet repeatedly bargains, exploits opportunities, and jokes about stealing.
• Dangerous opportunity: The upheaval offers access to valuable treasures, but acquisition itself can bring lethal consequences—as the cursed sword demonstrates.

• The sword’s first punishment is survived: The Blade of Betrayal activates its power, but Xu Yuan uses Deep Dive to evade the strike, sealing the sword in a Parallel World. He recalls that he must survive three punishments and avoids touching the sword directly by tying it behind his back.
• Xu Yuan escapes the collapsing well: As impacts from outside crack the White Bone Well, he uses his Nine Nether Prefecture Sixth Layer residence permit and Heaven-Stealing to teleport away. The heads that bar access tell him he cannot enter the Sixth Layer before reaching Foundation Establishment, then send him back. When the original well collapses, Xu Yuan rebuilds it with Ninefold Nether Bonecraft. His ability “You’ve Made Me Excited” raises the skill’s level, allowing him to create a sturdier Rare-grade well that shields him from the storm.
• The Overseer proposes a plan: The Overseer reveals that an Immortal Species woman Xu Yuan met earlier has a true body on this layer. Her bloodline elevation failed, leaving her too fragile to fight at full strength. The Overseer wants to use Whisper—with Xu Yuan’s notebook—to enter her memories and alter her past, hoping to gain useful intelligence and bring Xu Yuan into Nine Nether Prefecture’s inner ranks.
• Xu Yuan navigates a memory scenario: The notebook places him in the past as the woman’s twin sister. At age seven, he must decide how to save her from a burning house. He chooses to carry her out, then devises a way to get her over a wall and escape together. The revised memory shows both girls surviving, and the notebook confirms the change does not affect any major historical event.
  Character developments and interactions: Xu Yuan remains resourceful under pressure, but must also conceal how little he knows about the Overseer’s plans; he carefully acts as though he understands the Ruin Gate’s conflict with the All Things Unity Society. The Overseer, pleased by Xu Yuan’s apparent cooperation, admits that neither of them knows exactly what the memory operation will yield. Their partnership is therefore built on mutual trust—or, in Xu Yuan’s case, convincing performance—while they test an unprecedented ability together.
  Significant themes: The chapter explores survival through adaptability, the risks of seemingly arbitrary punishment, and the malleability of memory and the past. It also highlights the gap between power and knowledge: even the Overseer lacks a clear plan, while Xu Yuan must improvise and manage appearances to protect his secrets.

Plot points

• During the notebook’s text-based exploration, Xu Yuan chooses to accept a betrothal for his young character, reasoning that it will bring support and can be ended later.
• The notebook’s progress abruptly stops: unseen enemies have detected the Overseer and activated a dimensional defense. The Overseer withdraws, shielding Xu Yuan temporarily and leaving him to decide whether to continue exploring in person later.
• Xu Yuan realizes the enemies were tracking the Overseer, not necessarily him. He returns to the First Layer of Nine Nether Prefecture, where the masked man welcomes him and offers tea.
• A vast force scans Ninefold Nether, identifies Xu Yuan as a Netherworld Passage descendant who belongs on the Second Layer, and forcibly sends him there. The Overseer’s mark disappears, ending his surveillance.
• Newly independent, Xu Yuan chooses not to summon the notebook yet, wary of the unknown enemies. When the Second Layer’s violent tremors begin, he uses Ninefold Nether Bonecraft to burrow underground and finds a crowded ghost refuge.
• He secures entry by offering a Spirit Treasure-level sword as payment, though he keeps it attached to himself with a Spirit Light Thread rather than handing it over.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shifts from relying on the Overseer’s protection to acting independently. He is cautious about the notebook and the mysterious forces, but also confident enough to test his own resilience.
• The Overseer shows concern by shielding Xu Yuan and withdrawing to divert the enemy’s attention. His departure frees Xu Yuan from being monitored.
• The masked man treats Xu Yuan’s return casually, sharing tea and reflecting that turmoil is normal in Ninefold Nether.
• At the refuge, Xu Yuan bargains with its burly keeper, using his valuable sword to gain shelter while retaining control of it.

Significant themes

• Freedom and independence: The Overseer’s mark is removed, giving Xu Yuan control over his movements—but also leaving him without that protection.
• Caution amid hidden powers: Xu Yuan postpones further investigation because the enemy’s capabilities remain unknown.
• Resourcefulness and adaptation: He uses his Bloodline status, cultivation techniques, and bargaining skills to navigate danger.
• Power and vulnerability: Even an Immortal Species must contend with surveillance, forced relocation, and the hazards of Ninefold Nether.

Key plot points

• Xu Yuan refuses to let the horned-helmeted man reclaim the sword, then waits out a catastrophic disturbance underground. When the shelter’s ghosts try to stop him leaving, he cuts them all apart with Spirit Light Threads—but his Ghost Devour ability fails, revealing that the supposed ghosts are part of a larger deception.
• The horned man re-forms and threatens Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan escapes with Heaven-Stealing and discovers that the shelter was inside the mouth of a giant Gray Serpent.
• The serpent attacks as the second of Xu Yuan’s three Sin Punishments. It is struck by the Spirit Treasure-grade Blade of Betrayal, whose power, “Devour the Master,” makes the sword kill whoever wields it. The serpent survives, however, by arranging for other Ghost Entities to take the fatal blows.
• The serpent reveals that it used the Gaze System’s power, but Xu Yuan suppressed it with his stronger Immortal Species ability. It also admits that the All Things Unity Society has bred monsters like it in the Ninefold Nether, foreshadowing the danger they will pose when the Nether connects to the human world.
• The serpent gives Xu Yuan a “Pardon” token and claims it will protect it. Xu Yuan lets the serpent go but distrusts the token, sending it far away before moving off.
• A woman Xu Yuan has met before appears as the third Sin Punishment. She explains that the token was a trap: its appearance alerts her and draws her in to finish the punishment. But she chooses not to attack, judging Xu Yuan too dangerous and her own life more valuable.
• The scene shifts to Mount Luofu, where the Enrollment Ceremony is about to begin. Lu Qingxuan spots “Xu Yuan” beside the hostile Jiang Xueyao and summons him to speak.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains cool and calculating under pressure. He detects the ghosts’ shared expression, escapes the serpent’s trap, and avoids taking unnecessary risks with the token. His concealed Immortal Species power and ability to survive successive punishments make him increasingly formidable.
• The Gray Serpent proves cunning rather than merely monstrous: it uses decoys to survive the sword and tries to manipulate Xu Yuan with the token. Its knowledge of the Sin Punishment system suggests the trials are deliberately engineered.
• The gray-robed woman shifts from a looming threat to a pragmatic observer. She admits the trap and declines to fight Xu Yuan, showing that fear and self-preservation outweigh her assignment.
• At Mount Luofu, Jiang Xueyao stands armed and furious beside the person presented as Xu Yuan, while Lu Qingxuan’s curiosity is piqued by reports that Xu Yuan was injured despite appearing fine.

Significant themes

• Deception and perception: The shelter’s inhabitants, the serpent’s mouth, and the “Pardon” token all conceal their true purpose; Xu Yuan survives by questioning appearances.
• Power and survival: Strength matters, but caution, escape abilities, and clever use of tools matter just as much.
• Foreshadowing and wider danger: The serpent’s Immortal Species bloodline and the All Things Unity Society’s experiments point toward a future threat to the human world.
• Self-preservation over duty: Both the serpent and the third Punishment seek ways to avoid death, even while participating in a deadly system.

• Xu Yuan kills Gray Snake: Angered that Gray Snake—a creature with diluted Immortal Species blood—used a “pardon” token to lure him into being eaten, Xu Yuan enters the One-Horned Ghost Wyrm’s skin and hunts Gray Snake underground. He traps it in a vision of colorful clouds, then uses Ghost Devour to kill and consume it. The woman does not intervene, and Gray Snake’s supposed patron never comes to its aid.
• Xu Yuan grows stronger: Absorbing Gray Snake’s Original Strength pushes Xu Yuan beyond the peak of Ninth Layer Qi Refining, allowing him to begin Foundation Establishment. He postpones it to avoid triggering a heavenly tribulation in the dangerous ruins. He also sacrifices a bone from Gray Snake’s remains to advance Ninefold Nether Bonecraft: his creations can now reach Rare grade, and he can choose a profession to guide their development.
• The woman identifies him—incorrectly, but usefully: The woman calls Xu Yuan an expert from the Ninefold Nether Ruins, apparently recognizing the One-Horned Ghost Wyrm skin. She uses that claim to quiet the watching monsters. Xu Yuan is puzzled because she knows he is connected to the Ruin Gate, yet treats him as someone specially sent outside to gain experience and military merit. He decides not to challenge the contradiction, sensing they are operating under an unspoken understanding of each other’s identities.
• A cryptic exchange reveals the past: Xu Yuan and the woman each speak as though they understand the other’s situation, though neither truly does. When she asks how ghost entities have failed to uncover his identity, Xu Yuan cites the fall of Yanmen and the All Things Unity Society’s leader obtaining a Flood Dragon. The woman explains that, in the past, a lord rode a True Dragon into space and later fell in the Mortal Realm. His failure divided the hidden Guixu Kingdom within the Ninefold Nether, giving rise to both the All Things Unity Society and the Ruin Gate.
  Character developments and interactions: Xu Yuan’s anger at Gray Snake’s insult to his status as an Immortal Species drives him to act decisively; afterward, he uses the woman’s mistaken assumptions to draw out historical secrets. The woman remains composed, helps maintain the façade of Xu Yuan’s supposed status before the watching monsters, and speaks with teasing detachment about the kingdom’s past.
  Key themes: Pride and status among powerful beings; strength gained through risk and strategic restraint; the danger of concealed identities and misread intentions; and the political consequences of a failed attempt to transcend the world.

Key plot points and events

• On Mount Luofu, Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan invites Xu Yuan onto the viewing platform, but Jiang Xueyao privately warns him not to. Lu Qingxuan changes the invitation, asking Xu Yuan to meet him after the discourse. The surrounding students’ interest in Xu Yuan creates pressure, so Yang Xiaobing messages him.
• In Nine Nether Prefecture, Xu Yuan discusses the All Things Unity Society and the Ruins with a woman from an imprisoned group. She offers him a Waist Token granting access to the profession hall on the seventh layer in exchange for the Ghost Bat’s skin. Xu Yuan accepts and hands it over.
• The trade ends the third punishment and selection round. Xu Yuan receives a Blank Historical Branch and a short return to the real world ten years later; the Competition will resume in five hours.
• Before Xu Yuan leaves, the woman—Yalita—reveals that survival may depend on earning the favor of a powerful Immortal Species. She believes the Overseer is cultivating events on Earth toward a future “harvest,” and that Xu Yuan, its first authorized entrant, may help create enough value for others to survive.
• Xu Yuan agrees to work with Yalita, but insists she follow his instructions. She tells him how to summon her using the power of Whisper, and he departs.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan remains guarded and pragmatic. He accepts a useful reward without treating the deal as a major risk, then recognizes that Yalita’s generosity reflects his connection to the Overseer.
• Yalita shifts from a calculating trader to a hopeful potential ally, disclosing her survival plan and seeking authorization to cooperate with Xu Yuan.
• Lu Qingxuan shows eagerness to connect with Xu Yuan, while Jiang Xueyao quietly intervenes to keep him off the platform.
• Yang Xiaobing notices the students’ growing interest and acts quickly to manage the situation.

Significant themes

• Survival through usefulness: Yalita argues that weaker beings might be spared if they provide value to a far stronger power.
• Power, influence, and hidden allegiances: Xu Yuan’s presumed connection to the Overseer changes how Yalita treats him and reveals the tension between competing organizations.
• Trust under uncertainty: Xu Yuan accepts an alliance while setting clear conditions, remaining wary of motives and unseen forces.
• Reputation and exposure: On Mount Luofu, even a public invitation could alter Xu Yuan’s standing and attract unwanted attention.

Character interactions

• Jiang Xueyao communicates privately with Lu Qingxuan to prevent Xu Yuan from joining him on the platform; Lu Qingxuan accommodates her warning.
• Yalita bargains with Xu Yuan, exchanging the profession-hall token for the Ghost Bat’s skin, then asks to cooperate with him.
• Xu Yuan tests Yalita’s intentions, accepts her proposed alliance on his terms, and learns how to summon her.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan returns to the present after completing the first two layers of the Nine Nether trials. He has only five hours before his next deadly challenge and has reached the limit of Qi Refining, but lacks time to advance to Foundation Establishment.
• Yang Xiaobing tells him the Crown Prince, Lu Qingxuan, has asked him to speak for the new students at Luofu’s Enrollment Ceremony. Zuo Lingjing is standing in for him and is anxious about facing the Imperial Family.
• Sensing danger, Xu Yuan recalls that the All Things Unity Society may be planning to shock the Human Emperor. He suspects Lu Qingxuan will be assassinated at the ceremony to provoke the emperor and destabilize the Empire. Though history requires a change of dynasty, Xu Yuan reasons that Lu Qingxuan need not die for that to happen.
• Xu Yuan uses the Border City Battle competition as a temporary route to contact the Ruin Gate. By repeatedly restarting the scenario, he persuades its mustached leader that the Society’s forces are overwhelmingly superior, eventually convincing him to relocate.
• Xu Yuan obtains a long-term contact number from the Ruin Gate, then returns to the forest and secretly meets Lu Qingxuan. After verifying the number, he warns the organization that the All Things Unity Society will attack the Crown Prince during the ceremony and frame the Ruin Gate.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan shows quick strategic thinking and a growing willingness to intervene in history, while carefully seeking a way to preserve the larger historical outcome.
• Lu Qingxuan demonstrates trust in Xu Yuan by meeting him secretly in disguise and taking his warning seriously.
• Zuo Lingjing is portrayed as capable but nervous around the Imperial Family.
• The Ruin Gate leader is initially defiant and dismissive of Xu Yuan’s warnings, but eventually accepts the threat and orders his people to relocate.

Significant themes

• Fate versus intervention: Xu Yuan tries to prevent Lu Qingxuan’s death without violating the requirement that the Human Race’s dynasty change.
• Trust and proof: Xu Yuan relies on his credentials and carefully arranged evidence to persuade both the Ruin Gate and the organization he contacts.
• Improvisation and resourcefulness: He uses repeated competition resets, disguises, and an unusual phone contact to solve urgent problems despite severe time constraints.

Character interactions

• Yang Xiaobing alerts Xu Yuan to the ceremony’s unexpected demand, prompting him to return.
• Xu Yuan repeatedly argues with the Ruin Gate leader, adjusting his warning until the man believes him and evacuates his group.
• Xu Yuan and Lu Qingxuan meet privately; Lu Qingxuan provides a phone, and Xu Yuan uses it to report the planned assassination before telling the Crown Prince directly.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan tells Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan that the All Things Unity Society intends to provoke the emperor, find his weakness, and assassinate Lu Qingxuan. He also warns that the Society’s enemy, the Ruin Gate—possibly connected to the Ninefold Nether—may appear.
• To protect Lu Qingxuan, Xu Yuan has Zuo Lingjing use Body Escape to attach herself to him, ready to teleport him away if danger strikes. Lu Qingxuan leaves, frustrated that Xu Yuan withholds details to preserve his cover.
• Xu Yuan receives a call from Qi Canghai, the hidden leader of the All Things Unity Society. Qi orders him to lure Lu Qingxuan away from Peerless Hall after the Crown Prince’s public ceremony, offering a Foundation Establishment Pill and possibly a car as payment.
• Qi probes Xu Yuan’s loyalty by bringing up several Society members Xu Yuan has killed. Xu Yuan explains that they attacked him, while claiming his friendship with Bai Yuanze is based on their shared love of cars. Their playful argument about racing briefly derails the assassination discussion.
• After the call, Xu Yuan warns Lu Qingxuan about the Society’s plan but cautions that Peerless Hall may not be safe: Qi could be trying to make the Crown Prince lower his guard. Xu Yuan suggests contacting the emperor. Lu Qingxuan hesitates because his father expects elaborate plans; Xu Yuan insists that getting the emperor back and fighting through is plan enough.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan balances his undercover role with protecting Lu Qingxuan. He readily accepts Qi’s assignment, apparently convincing the Society of his loyalty, while secretly passing the information to the Crown Prince. His confidence and irreverent humor persist even in the face of an assassination plot.
• Lu Qingxuan is anxious about being killed and relies on Xu Yuan’s warning, but remains cautious about involving his father without a carefully prepared strategy.
• Zuo Lingjing obeys Xu Yuan’s urgent order without hesitation and becomes Lu Qingxuan’s concealed safeguard.
• Qi Canghai treats Xu Yuan as a useful operative, testing his allegiance before giving him the mission. His weariness shows when Xu Yuan and Bai Yuanze turn the conversation toward racing.
• Bai Yuanze and Xu Yuan reveal an easy, teasing rapport through their competitive dispute over driving skill.

Significant themes

• Deception and double loyalty: Xu Yuan pretends to serve the Society while secretly undermining its plan.
• Protection amid uncertainty: Even seemingly safe locations may be traps, so Lu Qingxuan’s survival depends on distrust and preparation.
• Practical action versus elaborate strategy: Xu Yuan favors direct action; Lu Qingxuan is constrained by his father’s preference for intricate plans.
• Humor under pressure: Xu Yuan’s jokes and the racing banter contrast with the seriousness of the assassination threat.

Plot points and events

• During the Enrollment Ceremony, fireworks prompt Xu Yuan to reflect on his peaceful life before being reincarnated—and how impossible that peace is in a world threatened by conflict.
• Students challenge Xu Yuan to a public debate and fight. He agrees to attend, but receives a message from Lu Qingxuan saying that someone is keeping watch over him.
• The person who approaches Xu Yuan is actually the Human Emperor disguised as the Crown Prince. He questions Xu Yuan’s motives for infiltrating the All Things Unity Society and asks his view of peace through force. Xu Yuan says lasting peace requires fighting for it rather than compromising with threats. Pleased, the emperor asks about the Society’s plans; Xu Yuan reports everything he knows and earns the emperor’s approval.
• Xu Yuan learns that Zuo Lingjing’s mission has been canceled. She is still disguised as him, so he meets her by the lake and lets her hide on him. She is shaken by her close encounter with the Imperial Family.
• Xu Yuan returns to the ceremony and rejoins Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing, while the emperor—still disguised as Lu Qingxuan—takes the stage.
• Xu Yuan receives a message confirming that the All Things Unity Society is about to act. A huge Flood Dragon then appears and threatens to destroy Mount Luofu. Xu Yuan recognizes its body as Jingzhe’s, who died ten years earlier, and suspects the Society’s Inner Leader, Qi Canghai, is controlling it. The long-planned assassination begins.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains committed to protecting his quiet life, but accepts that confronting threats is necessary to preserve peace. He is candid and composed when questioned by the emperor.
• The Human Emperor personally tests Xu Yuan’s loyalty and convictions, then trusts him enough to hear his intelligence and praises his service.
• Zuo Lingjing’s fear after the encounter reveals how dangerous the Imperial Family feels to her; she returns to Xu Yuan for protection.
• Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing are relieved when Xu Yuan returns, since his presence prevents suspicion from falling on Zuo Lingjing’s impersonation.
• Xu Yuan keeps his friends and the ceremony participants unaware of the emperor’s disguise and the ongoing covert maneuvering.

Significant themes

• Peace and force: Xu Yuan argues that peace must be defended rather than won through appeasement.
• Duty versus personal peace: Xu Yuan longs for an easy life but repeatedly puts himself in the path of danger.
• Masks and deception: The emperor impersonates the Crown Prince, while Zuo Lingjing impersonates Xu Yuan; appearances conceal the true identities and plans driving the ceremony.
• Threat beneath celebration: The Enrollment Ceremony’s pageantry is abruptly overturned by the Society’s attack.

Plot points and events

• During the gathering on Mount Luofu, masked attackers and Ghost Entities launch an assault as the mountain’s altered ice-and-wind Grand Array activates. The hidden entities obstruct the defenders, while a Flood Dragon plunges toward Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan.
• A summoned divine spirit engages the dragon. Qi Canghai appears on its back and seems to kill the Crown Prince, but Xu Yuan realizes the victim was a Substitute Talisman.
• Lu Qingxuan contacts Xu Yuan and reveals that his father, the emperor, is impersonating him at Peerless Hall. Xu Yuan publicly directs the attackers toward the hall, then secretly meets the real Crown Prince and escorts him across the Square.
• Xu Yuan reports to Bai Yuanze that he has brought the Crown Prince out. Bai replies that the figure with Xu Yuan must be a fake, and says the President is close to succeeding.
• At Peerless Hall, the disguised emperor confronts Qi Canghai. He claims an imperial trap has been laid; the attack on the hall destroys much of it, and the two leaders fight. Qi identifies himself as the Lord of the Ruin Gate.
• Xu Yuan follows a voice’s instructions and brings Lu Qingxuan into a defensive formation occupied by supposed students. He recognizes one as a Ruin Gate Overseer. Before the chapter ends, nearby cultivators hear that the group has declared itself part of the Ruin Gate, and the student’s expression changes.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan acts as a quick-thinking double agent: he helps Lu Qingxuan evade danger while making his words audible to the attackers, manipulating their movements. He remains wary even after entering the defensive formation.
• Lu Qingxuan proves prepared and composed, relying on a substitute talisman and his father’s impersonation to keep the assassination plot from succeeding as intended.
• Qi Canghai directs the assault, but his confidence is shaken by the imperial trap. His interaction with Lu Qingxuan becomes a direct contest of claims, strategy, and force.
• Jiang Xueyao recognizes the danger of the altered array and stops Yang Xiaobing from following Xu Yuan. Yang obeys, though she is frustrated at being unable to help.
• Bai Yuanze’s message casts doubt on whether Xu Yuan’s apparent success is real and suggests the attackers’ broader plan may still be advancing.

Significant themes

• Deception and layered identities: The apparent Crown Prince, the emperor’s impersonation, Xu Yuan’s misleading directions, and the hidden Overseers make appearances unreliable.
• Strategy versus force: Both sides use decoys, arrays, and information to shape the battle, not just combat.
• Trust and uncertainty: Xu Yuan must work with people whose loyalties and intentions are difficult to verify.
• Power and vulnerability: Even a royal gathering becomes chaotic when hidden forces exploit gaps in its defenses.
  Reference note: The chapter ends on a cliffhanger: the Ruin Gate’s presence in the Square may have been exposed, and the student’s reaction leaves Xu Yuan’s safety—and the Crown Prince’s—uncertain.

Key plot points

• The chaos at Mount Luofu’s Enrollment Ceremony escalates into an attack involving a Flood Dragon and the All Things Unity Society’s Devil Master of Dao Annihilation. Xu Yuan warns his supposed Ruin Gate allies that the Society may be trying to provoke the emperor into destroying the Ruin Gate.
• Bai Yuanze reveals that the Crown Prince beside Xu Yuan is the real one, while the figure in Peerless Hall is a fake. Xu Yuan leads the Crown Prince away from the fighting, unaware that his actions also draw the Crown Prince’s guards away.
• Fu Xiuyi intervenes, kills the Flood Dragon with a single strike, and drives the Devil Master to escape. Emperor Lu Chaowu then appears, revealing that he had also been present and has killed many attackers.
• With the assault defeated, the ceremony resumes. Xu Yuan receives the Ruin Gate’s divine mask, Mountain God, which can split the earth and shatter what stands on it.
• Xu Yuan asks whether his undercover work can end, but Lu Qingxuan says he must continue gathering intelligence. The emperor agrees, insisting that Xu remain undercover to uncover the organization’s connection to the Ghost Entity.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan proves resourceful under pressure, protecting the Crown Prince while maintaining his cover. He is pleased that the Ruin Gate seems to trust him, but frustrated at being asked to continue undercover.
• Bai Yuanze praises Xu’s performance and shows concern for his safety, advising him to abandon the mission once Fu Xiuyi appears. Xu privately finds him more considerate than Qi Canghai.
• Lu Qingxuan reassures Xu that his efforts helped defeat the attackers, but persuades him to stay undercover. He then tells the emperor that Xu has agreed to continue.
• Fu Xiuyi demonstrates overwhelming power, killing the Flood Dragon and forcing the Devil Master to flee.
• Emperor Lu Chaowu is delighted by the battle and its casualties, and sees Xu’s continued infiltration as an opportunity to expose the larger conspiracy.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and deception: Xu’s apparent allegiance to the Ruin Gate helps protect the Crown Prince, while his true role remains concealed.
• The cost of duty: Xu wants to stop pretending to be an enemy, but those in power prioritize the intelligence he can gather.
• Power and revenge: The emperor’s satisfaction in killing his son’s attackers reveals how grief and vengeance shape his rule.
• Unanswered mysteries: Xu wonders whether the Ruin Gate’s divine masks and the Society’s human-skin technique derive from different parts of Gui Xu’s power.

Key plot points and events

• After Xu Yuan helps resolve the crisis, Lu Qingxuan promises him a major reward on the emperor’s behalf. Bai Yuanze and an unknown sender repeat almost exactly the same assurances, prompting Xu Yuan to resent how formulaic the organizations’ messages are.
• Impressed by Xu Yuan’s talent and strategic thinking, the emperor orders Lu Qingxuan to prepare a Foundation Establishment Pill for him. He also teases Lu Yiyi that Xu Yuan’s cultivation may soon make them a better match; she protests, flustered.
• Fu Xiuyi raises the many challenges Xu Yuan has missed while handling the emperor’s affairs. The emperor summons Xu Yuan, who eagerly asks whether he may now beat his challengers. Fu Xiuyi permits him to fight, with one condition: he must not kill anyone.
• Fu announces a public Dao debate, giving students a chance to display their abilities and attract an Elder as a mentor. Xu Yuan volunteers as their “touchstone,” quickly turning aside an eager challenger with his sword.
• Xu Yuan invites everyone who challenged him earlier to come forward. He drives back several opponents at once, while Yang Xiaobing and Jiang Xueyao cheer him on. Lu Yiyi also applauds, to the emperor’s bemusement.
• Xu Yuan faces Pei Shiyu, a celebrated new student who had repeatedly challenged him and aims to be the class’s top student. They exchange more than a hundred sword strikes, then pause.
• Pei claims his Imago is stronger than Xu Yuan’s. Rather than continuing the duel, Xu Yuan puts away his sword and says he is about to enter the “second stage” of his transformation. The crowd is baffled, and the chapter ends on the cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan moves from feigned reluctance about his reward to eager anticipation of fighting. He is confident, quick-witted, and unusually willing to use psychological tactics rather than relying only on force.
• The emperor recognizes Xu Yuan’s ability beyond combat and wants to guide him into serving the country. His teasing of Lu Yiyi suggests he is matchmaking.
• Lu Yiyi is visibly embarrassed by the emperor’s suggestion, though she later openly enjoys Xu Yuan’s performance.
• Fu Xiuyi supports her disciple and gives him permission to answer his challengers, while setting a clear limit against killing.
• Pei Shiyu presents himself as a formidable, ambitious rival. Xu Yuan’s cryptic shift from swordplay to talk leaves him—and everyone watching—uncertain.
• Yang Xiaobing, Jiang Xueyao, and Zuo Lingjing show concern and loyalty, backing Xu Yuan after the earlier impersonation and challenges.

Significant themes

• Strategy versus brute strength: The emperor values Xu Yuan’s capacity for cunning and problem-solving, especially in governance and crisis.
• Competition and recognition: The Dao debate offers students a public route to prestige and mentorship, while Xu Yuan’s victories establish his presence at Luofu.
• Restraint and control: Xu Yuan is encouraged to fight, but must know when to stop; his precise opening victory demonstrates skill without unnecessary harm.
• Confidence and misdirection: Xu Yuan’s conversation with Pei suggests that perception and psychological maneuvering may matter as much as swordsmanship.