Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan challenges the examiners to clarify whether Demon Race examinees can be killed “accidentally.” The Formation Disc confirms the test is a genuine contest for control, but says referees will prevent deaths—so contestants can fight without fear of killing anyone.
• With that assurance, Xu spends one combat and three general experience points. He greatly improves his Night Rain sword art and gains exceptional command of dark spirit, making him difficult to detect.
• Using dark spirit and Spirit Light Threads to climb and move through the blizzard, Xu ambushes Demon Race examinees. Referees repeatedly intercept his lethal-looking strikes and declare his targets eliminated. His rapid attacks draw nine referees and expose him to the remaining demons.
• Huang Li rallies the Demon Race examinees against Xu. Surrounded, Xu jumps off the cliff, then uses golden wings and his sword to escape to another section of the mountain.
• Xu confronts referee Lu Chenzhou about his hostility. Lu denies any bias and leaves, but Xu’s ability detects the lie.
• Xu’s Covert Plunder activates again, revealing a historical side quest: Zuo Lingjing, Lu’s maid, has stolen his stored treasures and fled toward Jiangnan Province to seek refuge with Xu. Xu immediately decides he will welcome her.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows that his polite questions conceal strategic intent. Once the rules are clear, he openly displays his growing combat skill, while using the storm and his abilities to stay elusive. He also recognizes Lu’s hostility and responds with a playful but decisive willingness to help Zuo.
• Yang Xiaobing and Jiang Xueyao realize that Xu is probing whether he can kill the demons without consequence. Yang calls him bold; Jiang watches him intently. Yang later signals agreement with him.
• The referees stop Xu’s attacks before they become fatal, but their interventions effectively confirm the exam’s rules and allow his targets to be removed from play.
• Huang Li turns the remaining demons against Xu, while Lu Chenzhou privately regards Xu as a dangerous future threat despite maintaining a neutral public stance.
• Zuo Lingjing’s story reveals a shift from gratitude toward Lu to grief, anger, and defiance. Unable to hurt him directly, she takes his treasures and seeks Xu’s protection.

Significant themes

• Rules and loopholes: Xu carefully tests the exam’s boundaries, then exploits what the examiners confirm.
• Power hidden in plain sight: His new abilities let him act boldly while the blizzard and the referees conceal the full extent of his skill.
• Trust, betrayal, and retaliation: Lu’s deception fuels Xu’s ability, while Zuo answers her own betrayal by stealing from him.
• Protection and loyalty: Xu’s final reaction suggests he will help Zuo rather than turn her away.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan realizes that, thanks to Honor Among Thieves, Lu Chenzhou’s costly actions may have left him broke. His anger turns into private amusement, though Lu remains a threat.
• While hiding above the Demon Race, Xu Yuan upgrades his Blind Eye Combat Gear and uses an invisible, speed-boosted Qiong Iron Sword to eliminate twenty-one of the thirty-five enemies guarding the cliffs.
• Lu Chenzhou exposes Xu Yuan’s hiding place while questioning how he could see through the snowstorm. Xu Yuan claims he memorized the terrain and positions, then provokes Lu by accusing him of betraying the Human Race. Lu departs before he loses his temper.
• Xu Yuan springs a trap: fifteen Flying Swords tear away a section of cliff, sending the remaining Demon Race contestants tumbling. Yang Xiaobing’s parasitic seeds attach to them and unfurl into wind-catching canopies, carrying them away.
• Xu Yuan, Jiang Xueyao, and Yang Xiaobing regroup and head for the summit. Xu Yuan uses Flying Swords as climbing footholds and Spirit Light Threads to lift the women. When Lu circles back, he finds them close to the summit.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan grows more confident and inventive, combining stealth, sword control, terrain knowledge, and teamwork. His humor and taunting of Lu mask his anger and his concern about Lu discovering the truth behind the maid’s disappearance.
• Lu Chenzhou remains hostile and suspicious, but Xu Yuan’s insults push him close to losing control. He leaves to restrain himself, then searches for the group and is startled by their rapid ascent.
• Yang Xiaobing demonstrates her skill with parasitic plants and supports the climb by reducing her and Jiang Xueyao’s weight with talismans.
• Jiang Xueyao recognizes the danger posed by stronger Demon Race contestants ahead and questions Xu Yuan’s unusual climbing plan. She and Yang cooperate calmly with him.
• The trio’s trust is evident: both women allow Xu Yuan to bind and lift them, while Yang contributes practical support.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity over brute force: Xu Yuan turns terrain, concealment, and equipment into decisive advantages.
• Cooperation and trust: Each member contributes distinct abilities to overcome the climb.
• Public duty versus private motives: Lu’s role as Examiner conflicts with his hostility toward Xu Yuan, while Xu Yuan’s jokes conceal a personal scheme.
• Reversal and humiliation: The Demon Race’s attempt to dominate the cliff turns into a rout, and Lu’s efforts to find Xu Yuan repeatedly fail.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Chenzhou considers knocking Xu Yuan and his companions from the cliff, but restrains himself because others are watching and he fears the consequences. Instead, he congratulates them on passing the climb and leaves.
• Back at the Imperial Palace, the emperor says Lu went too far but was acting under the Demon Race’s authority. He praises Lu for not attacking at the end and explains that future trials will be fairer.
• At his own palace, Lu discovers his maid, Sister Jing, has vanished. His hidden valuables and stashes have also been emptied, suggesting she found his secrets and fled with his savings.
• Xu Yuan, Yang Xiaobing, and Jiang Xueyao reach the summit. A teacher treats Jiang’s leg and secretly reveals that it will heal quickly, but Jiang must conceal that fact: her injury is intended to test other contestants’ judgment and affect team formation.
• The exhausted trio rests. Lin Weiliang announces that contestants must form teams of no more than five before the Demon Race begins issuing one-on-one challenges. Fights will continue until dawn, and losing means elimination.
• Other contestants avoid Xu Yuan’s group, judging them too exhausted and Jiang too injured to be useful. No one joins them.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Chenzhou reveals his inner conflict: he is furious and resentful, yet too fearful and constrained by rules to act on his impulses. His composure collapses when he realizes Sister Jing has disappeared with his hidden wealth.
• Xu Yuan is physically spent after bearing most of the fighting, but continues to recover in preparation for the next trial.
• Yang Xiaobing has also been drained by carrying Jiang up much of the cliff, yet remains attentive to her companions.
• Jiang Xueyao learns that her apparent disability is part of the examination. She expects Xu Yuan and Yang Xiaobing to stand by her, but keeps the secret to herself.
• The emperor reassures Lu that future rounds will be fairer; meanwhile, the three climbers rely on one another, though their visible exhaustion makes others reluctant to team up with them.

Significant themes

• Restraint and fear: Lu’s choice not to attack reflects the gap between his violent wishes and his unwillingness to bear the consequences.
• Deception and hidden motives: The trial’s rules, Jiang’s disguised recovery, and Sister Jing’s apparent theft all turn appearances into sources of uncertainty.
• Trust and loyalty: Jiang believes her companions will still choose to team with her, while their actions on the summit will soon put that confidence to the test.
• Unequal treatment and endurance: Xu Yuan’s group has already faced deliberate obstacles and now enters a team-based trial at a severe physical disadvantage.

Key events

• Xu Yuan’s group struggles to complete its five-person team. Many examinees avoid joining because Jiang Xueyao’s injured leg would leave the others to do all the fighting.
• Zhang Pengcheng and Tong Ni arrive just before the next round. Grateful for Tong Ni’s Soul Art, Zhang volunteers to fight alongside Xu Yuan while the women recover.
• When a bear demon challenges Tong Ni, Zhang takes her place. He defeats it with a relentless barrage of Earth-Shaking Slash attacks, then collapses from exhaustion—though he tries to disguise it with a joke about his sword needing rest.
• Huang Li, a lion-faced demon, calls Xu Yuan out. Jiang Xueyao says her leg has healed and insists on fighting in his stead. Xu Yuan, exhausted and low on Spiritual Power, accepts her offer.
• Wearing black-and-red armor and wielding the Divine Artifact Supreme Life-and-Death Demon-Slaying Sword, Jiang swiftly maims Huang Li with lightning-charged strikes. Referee Lin Weiliang stops the match and declares Jiang the winner; Huang is expected to survive but likely lose the ability to cultivate.
• When another demon insults Jiang and threatens her, she strikes again. The assailant is carried away, badly injured. Jiang then faces the surrounding demons and dares them to challenge her, defending her use of the sword and warning that she will now fight more seriously.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Pengcheng proves his strength and loyalty by taking Tong Ni’s match despite fatigue. His bravado contrasts humorously with how exhausted he is afterward.
• Tong Ni is eager to join Xu Yuan’s team and is protected by Zhang, who credits her Soul Art for helping them survive.
• Jiang Xueyao shifts from a sidelined, injured teammate to the chapter’s most formidable fighter. She repays Xu Yuan’s earlier support, revealing a fierce sense of responsibility and a lethal temper when provoked.
• Xu Yuan is too depleted to fight but trusts Jiang to take his place; his joking exchanges with Zhang lighten the tension.
• Lin Weiliang intervenes as referee, preventing Huang Li’s death and clarifying the consequences of Jiang’s attack. Jiang’s calm challenge to the demons escalates the confrontation.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and reciprocity: Zhang and Jiang step forward to protect teammates who helped them.
• Strength, endurance, and the cost of bravado: Zhang wins through persistence but is nearly too exhausted to stand afterward.
• Power and restraint: Jiang spares her opponents’ lives, yet her mercy leaves them gravely injured; her threats suggest that restraint may not last.
• Reputation and provocation: Insults and accusations turn a formal test match into a broader clash between Jiang and the Demon Race.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Xueyao’s display of the legendary Violent Spirit Flying Immortal Armor and Supreme Life-and-Death Demon-Slaying Sword frightens off the Demon Race’s next challenger. She returns to eat with her exhausted teammates.
• The Demon Race proposes a team battle, and four sixth-level Qi Refining opponents challenge Xu Yuan, Yang Xiaobing, Zhang Pengcheng, and Tong Ni simultaneously. Since most of the group is depleted, Jiang offers to fight—but Xu Yuan insists on taking the round himself.
• Xu Yuan positions himself upwind and uses the mountain’s gale and snow to turn metal-infused stones and sand into a vast, cutting storm. The attack batters the four demons and conceals Xu Yuan’s movement.
• One Tiger Demon survives the storm and boasts that Xu Yuan must be exhausted. Xu Yuan, hidden by Dark Spiritual Power, appears behind it and runs it through with his sword. He spares it rather than killing it, and Lin Weiliang declares him the winner. The team battle ends.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Xueyao proves both formidable and protective: her armor alone deters the enemy, and she offers to take on the team battle to spare her tired friends. She also recognizes Xu Yuan’s tactic, but keeps quiet so as not to reveal it.
• Xu Yuan shows confidence, tactical ingenuity, and growing skill with Spirit Light Threads and Metal Spirit. He combines the environment, misdirection, and Dark Spiritual Power to defeat stronger opponents, while obeying his teacher’s order to spare the last demon.
• The teammates are exhausted but supportive; they eat and recover while Xu Yuan steps in. Their shared teasing of his boastful manner adds a moment of humor.
• Lin Weiliang manages the rules and ultimately intervenes to ensure the defeated demon is left alive.

Significant themes

• Strategy over brute force: Xu Yuan turns wind, snow, sand, and stone into weapons, showing how creativity can overcome numerical and physical disadvantage.
• Teamwork and care: Jiang’s readiness to fight for her companions and Xu Yuan’s decision to shoulder the challenge reflect their mutual responsibility.
• Power and restraint: Xu Yuan’s victory is decisive, but he stops short of killing his opponent.
• Reputation and intimidation: Jiang’s extraordinary equipment—and Xu Yuan’s frightening, theatrical fighting style—reshape how the opposing side views the human team.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan prepares to rest after a previous battle, but a Demon challenges Yang Xiaobing. Knowing she is physically exhausted and better suited to supporting a team than fighting alone, Xu Yuan offers to take her place.
• Jiang Xueyao gives Xu Yuan a Ninefold Nether Shadow Sword, an Acquired Spirit Treasure whose wounds cannot heal and whose power is restricted to someone with a Dark Spirit Root. In return, Xu Yuan agrees to become a guest advisor to the Jiang Residence and support Jiang Xueyao when needed.
• Xu Yuan confronts Qian Jiu, who claims Yang Xiaobing is his weakness and tries to exploit Xu Yuan’s depleted Spiritual Power. Xu Yuan waits for Qian Jiu to attack, then strikes so quickly that he pierces the Demon’s breastplate. A Demon envoy intervenes before the wound becomes fatal.
• The Human Emperor approves a proposed fight to the death between the races. Xu Yuan accepts, then restores himself while waiting.
• A mutated Demon Lion tries to replace Qian Jiu as Xu Yuan’s opponent. Xu Yuan insists that Qian Jiu remain in the fight and challenges both Demons. Before the bout officially begins, the Lion kills Qian Jiu when he tries to concede, calling him a coward. The Referee then announces the start of the fight.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan shows loyalty and protectiveness toward his companions, but also increasing confidence and menace. The powerful sword excites him, and he willingly accepts a politically useful role to obtain it. He remains calm under provocation and is prepared to face two opponents at once.
• Yang Xiaobing feels both grateful for Xu Yuan’s care and frustrated by her own weakness. She steps aside, trusting his strength, though she watches anxiously.
• Jiang Xueyao takes decisive action to equip Xu Yuan with a weapon that could change the battle, while securing his allegiance to her family.
• Qian Jiu is shaken by Xu Yuan’s near-fatal strike. Terrified of dying, he considers surrender, but is killed by his own side before he can do so.
• The Demon Lion is portrayed as ruthless and contemptuous of surrender, presenting himself as a seasoned warrior.

Significant themes

• Protection and teamwork: Xu Yuan recognizes that Yang Xiaobing’s value lies in supporting others and refuses to let her be forced into an unfair duel.
• Power and obligation: The sword offers Xu Yuan a major advantage, but acquiring it also ties him to the Jiang Residence.
• Honor versus survival: Qian Jiu’s fear of death conflicts with the shame he expects if he retreats; the Lion’s execution of him shows how the Demon Race’s survival-of-the-fittest ethos punishes weakness.
• Escalation and spectacle: Repeated challenges grow into a public fight to the death, with both races’ leaders and spectators weighing in.

Character interactions

• Xu Yuan comforts Yang Xiaobing, takes her place, and reassures her after receiving the sword; Jiang Xueyao reinforces that reassurance.
• Jiang Xueyao and Xu Yuan form a practical alliance through the guest-advisor agreement.
• Qian Jiu attempts to provoke Xu Yuan by targeting his concern for Yang Xiaobing, but Xu Yuan turns the threat back on him.
• The Demon envoy intervenes to prevent Xu Yuan from killing Qian Jiu and argues for equal access to lethal weapons.
• The Emperor pushes both sides toward the deadly contest, while the Lion’s treatment of Qian Jiu establishes the brutal terms under which Xu Yuan’s next fight will begin.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan faces a succession of Demon Race challengers in a life-or-death contest on an exposed, snow-covered mountaintop.
• The first opponent, a Lion Demon, uses a prepared Black Cloud Barrier to hide his attack. Xu Yuan emerges almost immediately with the lion’s head, having killed him with a single sword stroke.
• During that fight, Xu Yuan secretly lays Spirit Light Threads beneath the snow. When an armored, thunder-and-fire-wielding Monster charges him next, the threads bind it, allowing Xu Yuan to stab it through the head.
• Two challengers calling themselves the Whitefeather Brothers demand to fight together, despite the one-on-one rules. Xu Yuan agrees, warning that he may need to use his unused Heavenly Dao blessing. Before the bout can begin, Demon Race envoys intervene.
• The emperor arrives and insists the fight proceed as promised. The envoys reveal that the “brothers” are actually five-year-old Phoenix princesses who came only to watch. Xu Yuan’s planted sword had already been poised to kill them, but the fight is called off.
• The emperor grants Xu Yuan ten minutes to rest. When he returns to the arena, no further Demon Race fighter comes forward.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan demonstrates overwhelming strength, tactical foresight, and composure. He kills quickly, prepares for future opponents even while fighting, and taunts the Demon Race over its reliance on human-made equipment. Though he boasts about his Heavenly Dao blessing, he has not needed to use it.
• The emperor shifts from amused observer to an intimidating defender of his promise and of the contest’s terms. Once the Phoenixes’ identities are explained, his anger gives way to amusement and he allows them to leave.
• The Phoenix sisters are revealed as young, spirited children rather than adult male fighters. Their playful, literal-minded exchange shows their innocence; the older sister is indignant that Xu Yuan’s sword would have killed her before she could see his blessing.
• The Demon Race envoys first attempt to manage the challenge, then urgently protect the princesses and explain their presence. Their intervention exposes the political stakes surrounding the Phoenixes.
• The Human Race audience, including Lu Qingxuan and the Crown Prince, recognizes the significance of Xu Yuan’s restraint and hidden abilities.

Significant themes

• Skill and preparation: Xu Yuan’s victory depends not only on strength but on planning, timing, and traps laid in advance.
• Fairness versus provocation: The Whitefeather Brothers try to evade the one-on-one rule by goading Xu Yuan, while the emperor insists on honoring the agreed terms.
• Power and restraint: Xu Yuan is formidable, yet the princesses’ age makes him unwilling to fight them; the emperor likewise backs away once their identities are known.
• Fragile peace: The Phoenixes’ safety matters to both races, since harming them could destroy the possibility of peaceful coexistence.
• Confidence and intimidation: Xu Yuan’s effortless victories leave the Demon Race without another volunteer, turning the unanswered challenge into a powerful ending.

Plot points and events

• The Phoenix sisters wait at a teleportation array to return to Kunlun. The younger sister realizes their absence from Kunlun may be part of a plot to trigger a war between the Human and Demon Races.
• Ghost Qi attacks them in the void, killing the Demon envoys. Rather than risk being corrupted, the sisters choose to burn themselves away. Their flames repel the attackers, but they appear doomed.
• The younger sister recognizes Thought Threads Xu Yuan left on her ankle and urges him to save them. Xu Yuan, meanwhile, receives prompts from his ability, Honor Among Thieves, offering a final chance to use Covert Plunder. He hesitates, then accepts.
• His power cannot plunder anything from the burning Phoenixes, so it alters events: a burst of Vacuum Astral Wind lets them preserve a final spark, which passes into the Netherworld and falls asleep in a fragment world connected to Xu Yuan’s Netherworld Passage Art.
• At the competition, the Demon Race sends no further challengers, so Xu Yuan wins by forfeit. He fears the Phoenixes’ apparent deaths will ignite war and connects the crisis to the Ghost Race’s approaching attempt to locate the Human Race.
• Taking Tang Yunyu’s hint, Xu Yuan returns to the Human side, greets Jiang Xueyao, and resumes eating. He unlocks the option to awaken the Gaze System’s basic skill, Disruption, and decides it may be needed if war begins.

Character developments and interactions

• The younger Phoenix sister moves from suspicion to insight, recognizing the broader conspiracy and asking Xu Yuan for help.
• The elder Phoenix sister trusts her younger sister’s judgment and joins her in choosing death over Ghost Qi corruption.
• Xu Yuan overcomes his instinct to avoid danger and activates his power to save the sisters’ last spark. He is alarmed by the prospect of war, but also checks his growing sense of superiority, reminding himself that neither Immortal Species nor “short-lived” races can be judged by appearances.
• Tang Yunyu discreetly guides Xu Yuan toward the next competition step, while Jiang Xueyao dismisses his exaggerated formality and lets him return to his meal. Xu Yuan also casually asks Pengcheng for buns.

Significant themes

• Peace threatened by manipulation: The sisters suspect powerful leaders may prefer upheaval, making their deaths a potential pretext for war.
• Choice and sacrifice: The Phoenixes would rather risk destruction than be corrupted.
• Power, responsibility, and restraint: Xu Yuan’s abilities may affect events on a huge scale, but he weighs the danger and recognizes the need to remain humble.
• Hope amid apparent loss: Though the sisters vanish, their surviving spark leaves open the possibility of their eventual return.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After surviving the night, the Human Race examinees learn that the next stage is a challenge-based Points Competition. Each challenge earns a point, a victory earns an extra point, and the points can be exchanged for Imperial Treasury treasures. The competition runs until noon, before the expected final test.
• While most students rest, eat, or consider their opponents, Xu Yuan boldly challenges every demon in the roster at once.
• Niu Sheng, an Ox Clan warrior, comes out but tries to deter Xu Yuan with a combat-analysis report and claims the sword makes the match unfair. Xu Yuan agrees to put away his powerful Ninefold Nether Shadow Sword, but Niu Sheng distrusts him, fabricates a report claiming he defeated Xu Yuan in a literary contest, then flees back into the demon formation.
• The Referee rules that Xu Yuan has won and awards him the full 100 points. No other demons dare accept his challenge, so Xu Yuan returns to rest.
• Inspired by Xu Yuan, Zhang Pengcheng challenges every demon. Unlike Xu Yuan, he is immediately surrounded by several demons who line up to fight him. He narrowly wins one match, then retreats to rest.
• Yang Xiaobing prepares to choose an opponent. Jiang Xueyao tells Xu Yuan privately that she wants to avoid involvement with the imperial family; he promises to keep her confidence.
• When Yang Xiaobing names a demon, that opponent refuses to appear, so the Referee awards her a point.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains confident and provocative, but his willingness to put aside his favored sword briefly shows he wants a genuine challenge as well as points. He is exasperated by Niu Sheng’s excuses and resolves to confront him later.
• Niu Sheng is presented as boastful but evasive: he complains about Xu Yuan’s weapon, invents a supposed victory over him, and escapes rather than fight.
• Zhang Pengcheng imitates Xu Yuan’s bold challenge, only to discover that the demons take him seriously. He proves capable by winning one bout, then wisely stops before exhaustion.
• Yang Xiaobing approaches the competition thoughtfully, viewing it as a chance to learn, while Xu Yuan advises her that conceding is acceptable.
• Jiang Xueyao reveals a private reluctance to engage with the imperial family, and Xu Yuan responds with discretion.
• The demons’ refusal to face Xu Yuan—and the named demon’s refusal to face Yang—shows how fear and strategic avoidance can shape the competition as much as combat.

Significant themes

• Strategy and endurance: Resting, choosing opponents, and knowing when to stop can matter as much as fighting.
• Weapons, fairness, and advantage: Niu Sheng objects to Xu Yuan’s sword, but Xu Yuan points out that humans are entitled to use tools against demons’ natural physical strengths.
• Reputation and intimidation: Xu Yuan’s prowess discourages opponents from challenging him, while Zhang Pengcheng’s bluff brings the demons rushing out.
• The value of rewards: Imperial Treasury treasures are especially appealing to students from poorer families, for whom equipment could change their prospects.
• Private loyalties and political caution: Jiang Xueyao’s reluctance to associate with the imperial family hints at tensions beyond the competition.

Plot points and events

• Yang Xiaobing continues scoring in the test. When a huge gorilla from the Demon Race is called to face her, it notices Xu Yuan’s killing intent and chooses a harmless “battle of words” instead. Xiaobing’s curiosity about its fur makes the gorilla uncomfortable, and it eventually forfeits, earning her another point.
• Lin Weiliang takes Xu Yuan aside and explains that three rewards cost 110 points. Since Xu Yuan has 100, he can make up the difference by offering an item the Imperial Family judges valuable.
• Xu Yuan submits the Golden Light Palm manual, reasoning that the emperor cannot dismiss as worthless a technique the Imperial Family deliberately provided to examinees. The emperor accepts it for ten points, bringing Xu Yuan to the threshold for the higher-tier reward.
• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan arrives to handle Xu Yuan’s redemption and asks whether Xu Yuan’s friends will appear in an interview livestream. Xu Yuan hesitates, especially over Jiang Xueyao, and declines on the grounds that the students may be unprepared for media attention.
• Lu Qingxuan probes Xu Yuan’s ties to the Jiang Household and his plans with Yang Xiaobing. Xu Yuan answers casually, presenting himself as loyal chiefly to whoever offers the better pay and benefits.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows strategic judgment: his offer of the manual both secures points and subtly forces the Imperial Family to acknowledge its value. He is also protective of Xiaobing, asking Jiang Xueyao to watch over her, and evasive when the Crown Prince questions his friends and affiliations.
• Yang Xiaobing remains cheerful and curious, turning a potentially dangerous encounter into a friendly exchange.
• The gorilla shifts from hostility to caution when it senses Xu Yuan’s threat, then uses a verbal contest to avoid fighting and ultimately forfeits.
• Jiang Xueyao pushes back against Xu Yuan’s protectiveness, but her earlier reluctance to be involved with the Imperial Family leaves him alert to Lu Qingxuan’s interest in her.
• Lu Qingxuan uses friendly conversation to investigate Xu Yuan’s connections and loyalties. Xu Yuan responds with humor and apparent pragmatism, avoiding a direct commitment.

Significant themes

• Strategy beneath humor: Xu Yuan’s playful, seemingly casual choices carry practical and political weight.
• Power and self-preservation: The gorilla avoids a fight after recognizing danger, while Xu Yuan navigates the Crown Prince’s questions carefully.
• Loyalty, money, and obligation: Lu Qingxuan tests where Xu Yuan’s allegiance lies; Xu Yuan claims that a worker follows the better offer, though his concern for his friends suggests deeper personal loyalties.
• The risks of public attention: Xu Yuan’s refusal to put his friends on a livestream reflects concern for their inexperience and hints at political complications surrounding Jiang Xueyao.

Key plot points and events

• After completing Lu Qingxuan’s tests, Xu Yuan is offered one of three sealed treasures as a reward for reaching 110 points.
• Lu Qingxuan subtly signals him to choose the leftmost box. It contains an ancient jade holding Diamond Invulnerability, an exceptionally rare Body Arts technique that only someone with a Metal Spiritual Root can cultivate.
• The technique is mutually exclusive with other Metal Spirit techniques, so learning it will prevent Xu Yuan from learning Golden Light Palm—and from using his plan to earn extra points through that route.
• Xu Yuan receives the technique’s instructions and begins cultivating it. Its first effect appears to be making his body exceptionally hard.
• Lu Qingxuan asks Xu Yuan to arrange a meeting with Jiang Xueyao. Xu Yuan warns that deceiving her into attending would anger her, citing her past reaction to lies about relationships.
• Lu Qingxuan investigates the incident. He learns that Song Huaijin lied to Jiang Xueyao about Xu Yuan and Yang Xiaobing; Jiang Xueyao confronted Xu Yuan, they fought, and she cut his sword in two. Convinced Xu Yuan was right to warn him, Lu Qingxuan abandons the plan to use a setup.
• Lu Qingxuan nevertheless authorizes top-tier production for Xu Yuan’s livestream, intended to publicize the alliance between the Human and Demon races.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains candid and pragmatic, openly admitting that he works for whoever pays more. He also demonstrates good judgment by refusing to deceive Jiang Xueyao, even when Lu Qingxuan asks him to help.
• Lu Qingxuan respects Xu Yuan’s honesty and chooses not to pressure him. He is revealed to have romantic feelings for Jiang Xueyao, but is unsure how to approach her without provoking her or attracting his father’s notice.
• Jiang Xueyao, though absent from the present-day scene, is characterized through the others’ accounts as fiercely intolerant of romantic deception and quick to act against it.
• Lu Qingxuan and Xu Yuan’s interaction shifts from a test and reward exchange to a more personal discussion: Lu Qingxuan seeks help with courtship, while Xu Yuan bluntly advises against his proposed approach.

Significant themes

• Honesty and trust: Xu Yuan’s straightforwardness earns Lu Qingxuan’s respect, while deception has already caused serious conflict.
• Power and specialization: The treasure offers great potential but demands a costly choice, illustrating how exceptional abilities can come with strict limitations.
• Romance and caution: Lu Qingxuan’s attraction to Jiang Xueyao clashes with her fierce independence and his uncertainty about how to approach her.
• Merit and opportunity: Xu Yuan’s rewards and Lu Qingxuan’s support reflect the value of talent, investment, and practical alliances.

Plot points and events

• After the morning tests, the examinees attend a lavish luncheon hosted by the Human Emperor for Demon Race envoys. The event is also a public display of peace, with news outlets livestreaming it.
• Xu Yuan sits at the back with the other examinees, where they can eat and chat freely. He grows uncomfortably full as his rising Life Force drives him to keep eating.
• A sudden shower of lights appears above him: he has earned 34 lights in the Nightmare-Level competition, with approval from all Nine Luminaries examiners and some Luofu examiners. Their comments reveal that the Crown Prince’s endorsement carries enormous influence.
• Xu Yuan realizes that a visible upgrade to his weapons or combat skills could attract suspicion. Since survival is his priority, he spends all the lights on Diamond Invulnerability.
• The upgrade teaches him the technique’s elementary level: his body can endure attacks that do not kill him outright, but afterward he must suffer and heal the accumulated damage.
• Xu Yuan unexpectedly spits blood while beginning to cultivate. Hidden cultivators check him and confirm that he is safe and practicing the technique.
• The emperor calls attention to Xu Yuan and asks to see the jade recording the art. It shatters in Xu Yuan’s hand. The emperor explains that the ancient technique’s jade breaks when it finds someone who has truly begun to cultivate it, and publicly declares that Xu Yuan has taken the first step.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shifts from enjoying the banquet to anxiously assessing the political and practical risks around him. He chooses a defensive technique over a conspicuous upgrade, prioritizing survival in the Nightmare-Level competition.
• The Human Emperor uses the public moment to praise Xu Yuan, presenting the shattered jade as proof of his talent. He also sees the encounter as a way to bolster his own political image and counter his master’s influence.
• Zhang Pengcheng jokes that the emperor must have been a back-row student; Tong Ni immediately hushes him, wary of being overheard.
• Yang Xiaobing notices Xu Yuan’s sweating and later has to be moved aside so hidden cultivators can examine him.
• Xu Yuan’s thoughts turn to the Crown Prince, Lu Qingxuan, and Jiang Xueyao. He recognizes that the Crown Prince’s support appears to reach deep into Nine Luminaries and worries Jiang Xueyao may be in danger.

Significant themes

• Public image versus reality: The luncheon’s rhetoric of friendship contrasts with the recent lethal conflict between the races.
• Power and political patronage: The examiners’ comments show how a leader’s endorsement can shape an institution’s judgment and a candidate’s prospects.
• Survival and concealment: Xu Yuan must grow stronger without drawing suspicion, so he favors a protective ability that can keep him alive.
• Performance and narrative control: The emperor turns an alarming accident into a public story of destiny and talent, shaping how the audience interprets it.

Plot points and events

• After Xu Yuan’s demonstration, the emperor publicly praises him and urges the students to prove themselves worthy of the techniques they learn. The applause confirms Xu Yuan’s standing, though he is embarrassed by the attention.
• The emperor announces the final test: examinees will enter an unstable “Past World” of the city destroyed ten years earlier and investigate what happened. Qi Refining Cultivators can move through it safely; Foundation Establishment guards may extract students from danger and return them at random locations.
• The value of the information students uncover will earn merit. A joint Human–Demon merit exchange offers major rewards, including a prestigious dual-school admission letter, rare armor, and a Foundation Establishment Pill. Xu Yuan and Yang Xiaobing are especially interested in the pill, which could spare its holder years of debt and uncertainty.
• Students receive an hour to prepare. During the banquet, Xu Yuan explains to Jiang Xueyao that his technique makes him durable enough to withstand attacks.
• Xu Yuan worries about Jiang Xueyao’s interest in combat and the Crown Prince’s desire for her. Feeling indebted to her, he begins devising a way to help.
• Xu Yuan gives a live interview about the Human–Demon partnership and the expedition. His offbeat remark about seeing a “pig demon” walk becomes an unexpected viral sensation, despite confusing the interviewer.
• The examinees prepare to enter the Past World. Xu Yuan takes one livestream disc and Zhang Pengcheng takes two; the three girls decline to stream individually, since the team will already appear on Xu Yuan’s broadcast.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains outwardly bashful and self-deprecating while recognizing that the emperor’s praise may protect him from unwanted scrutiny. He is eager to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill and increasingly concerned about repaying Jiang Xueyao’s kindness.
• Jiang Xueyao shows curiosity about Xu Yuan’s defensive technique and excitement at the expedition’s rewards. She quietly keeps Tong Ni from crowding into a photo with her.
• Yang Xiaobing shares Xu Yuan’s enthusiasm for the pill.
• Zhang Pengcheng applauds Xu Yuan but is privately jealous of his improvement; he later boasts about his own appeal and takes two livestream discs.
• Jiang Wanqing steers Xu Yuan’s interview back on track, while Zhai Qingya reports that his strange pig-demon remark has already gone viral.
• The emperor frames the expedition as both a historical investigation and a test of the students’ worth.

Significant themes

• Recognition and humility: Xu Yuan is publicly celebrated but remains embarrassed and eager to avoid trouble.
• Ambition and opportunity: The merit system turns the dangerous investigation into a chance to gain admission, wealth, and life-changing cultivation resources.
• Public image and media: The livestreams make the expedition a public spectacle, and an accidental joke proves more popular than Xu Yuan’s serious remarks.
• Loyalty and obligation: Xu Yuan’s concern for Jiang Xueyao stems from gratitude as well as friendship.
• Cooperation across divides: Human and Demon forces join together to investigate the disaster and share rewards.

Key plot points and events

• The emperor announces that the examinees will split into four groups for the Border City expedition: a Demon Race team led by a bull demon, the Crown Prince’s team investigating who destroyed the city, Lu Chenzhou’s team defending it, and a free-action group for those who prefer independence.
• Jiang Xueyao chooses to act freely with Yang Xiaobing, and Xu Yuan stays with them rather than joining the Crown Prince. Tong Ni joins the Crown Prince’s team. Zhang Pengcheng asks to livestream with Xu Yuan, who agrees.
• The emperor explains that the Zhou Tian Instrument will send them to a parallel version of Border City as it was ten years earlier. Ordinary enemies have been limited to Foundation Establishment strength, but the examinees will not know how far events have progressed when they arrive.
• Xu Yuan’s group appears outside the police station in police uniforms and equipment. Xu Yuan recognizes the city and intends to uncover the truth left by Lu Yiyi’s mother at Taihe Hall, though he plans to reach the East District indirectly.
• After a Flood Dragon appears over the West District, Zhang Pengcheng wants to film it, but Xu Yuan refuses, reasoning that the Demon Race examinees will already be investigating it.
• Xu Yuan receives a private message that he has seven chances to request help, provided he makes each request over the radio. He immediately arranges for a fueled passenger jet and a pilot to be ready at the airport. Jiang Xueyao understands the likely purpose: someone may need to escape. Intrigued by Xu Yuan’s thinking, Zhang Pengcheng follows the others.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan stays with his classmates, balancing his hidden investigation with caution and strategic planning. He also shows initiative by using one of his promised requests to prepare an aircraft.
• Jiang Xueyao remains wary of the Imperial Family and chooses independence. Her irritation with Xu Yuan fades when he publicly commits to staying with his classmates; she is also the first to grasp why he might need a plane.
• Yang Xiaobing supports Jiang Xueyao’s choice and looks to Xu Yuan when the group must decide what to do.
• Tong Ni wants the group to join the Crown Prince, partly for the opportunities his patronage could bring. Though disappointed when Xu Yuan declines, she accepts the separation without hostility.
• Zhang Pengcheng prioritizes the livestream and the chance to capture the Flood Dragon, but ultimately follows Xu Yuan’s lead and recognizes his ingenuity.
• The emperor’s arrangement of seven requests suggests he is cooperating with Xu Yuan’s effort to uncover Border City’s truth while keeping the help discreet.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus assigned roles: Examinees can choose organized teams or pursue their own plans.
• Trust and loyalty: Xu Yuan’s choice to remain with his classmates reinforces their bond, even as the group divides.
• Strategy over spectacle: Xu Yuan rejects the attention-grabbing Flood Dragon and focuses on clues and preparation.
• Hidden truths and impending danger: His investigation and the prepared escape route hint that the city’s history may be more dangerous than the exam’s controlled conditions suggest.

Plot and events

• With the Demon Race attacking Border City, Xu Yuan’s squad searches the devastated streets for clues while Zhang Pengcheng records the disaster for a live audience. Jiang Xueyao stays close to Xu Yuan, armored and ready to protect him.
• Xu Yuan spots a parrot inside an apparently closed bar. Its presence leads the group to Qianqian, a powerful Cultivator hiding behind the counter.
• Qianqian initially refuses to talk and tries to send them away. Xu Yuan pretends to leave, but the parrot recognizes him as a “Prophet” and persuades Qianqian to reconsider.
• Xu Yuan wins Qianqian’s attention by revealing that he has secured a plane and can escape Border City. He suggests that the Cultivators’ families could leave with him, giving them a reason to cooperate.
• Just as Qianqian asks what he wants, Xu Yuan receives a rare Dharma Lord-level spotlight reward from Supreme Ninth-Five. Among the possible upgrades is the previously unavailable skill “You’ve Made Me Excited,” which immediately catches his attention.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan shows strategic patience and confidence: he lets Qianqian dismiss him, then uses his plane and the prospect of rescuing her family as leverage. His exchange with her reveals his talent for controlling a negotiation.
• Jiang Xueyao remains vigilant and protective, but is impressed by Xu Yuan’s ability to turn a hostile encounter around.
• Zhang Pengcheng favors leaving to fight monsters and gather information. He is surprised when Xu Yuan accepts his suggestion, though Xu Yuan later resumes the conversation after the parrot intervenes.
• Qianqian shifts from wary and dismissive to interested once she believes Xu Yuan can offer her a way to protect her family.
• The parrot proves to be an unusually perceptive partner, able to assess people and identify Xu Yuan as a Prophet.

Significant themes

• Cunning over force: Xu Yuan secures a valuable lead through conversation rather than combat.
• Family as motivation: Even hardened Cultivators may be persuaded by the chance to protect loved ones.
• Performance and public approval: The squad’s actions are livestreamed, and Xu Yuan’s negotiation earns attention—and a powerful reward—from Supreme Ninth-Five.
• Survival amid catastrophe: The devastation of Border City frames every choice around danger, escape, and the city’s impending destruction.

Plot points

• Xu Yuan upgrades “You’ve Made Me Excited”. It can now target both living beings and items, with two uses per day. A preview shows that upgrading his Qiong Iron Sword would turn it into the more powerful Flying Jade, though Xu Yuan does not use the ability.
• He discovers the ability can also transform the bar counter into a “Striptease Bar Counter,” but declines because the event is being broadcast.
• Xu Yuan questions Qianqian about the survival practices used in Border City. In exchange for five seats, she reveals that residents wear special accessories containing storage space, Spirit Stones, and protective Magic Arrays.
• Xu Yuan connects this information to the city’s missing defenses: the City-Guarding Grand Formation has not activated, and he suspects it was infiltrated. He urges others to inspect its control center.
• The other teams receive orders to deploy Magic Arrays against invisible enemies. An Evil-Slaying Array strikes an unseen target, confirming that the arrays can detect and harm the Ghost Entities. Humanity has gained crucial intelligence in its first direct encounter with them.
• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan orders a formal report to his father.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan proves both resourceful and strategic: he chooses a valuable upgrade, avoids an embarrassing public transformation, and carefully draws useful information out of Qianqian. He presents his deduction theatrically to ensure the team takes it seriously.
• Qianqian bargains firmly, trading sensitive information for seats, but shares the method once Xu Yuan’s group agrees.
• Jiang Xueyao immediately backs Xu Yuan’s authority and recognizes the importance of his insight, calling him a genius.
• Yang Xiaobing and Zhang Pengcheng support Xu Yuan’s decision; Zhang then checks the sky and confirms the city’s defenses are absent.
• Lu Qingxuan responds to the confirmed discovery by preparing an official report.

Significant themes

• Knowledge as survival: Local experience and careful questioning reveal how to withstand the Ghost Entities.
• Preparation and adaptation: Magic Arrays provide a practical defense against enemies that cannot be seen.
• The power of timely information: Xu Yuan’s deduction changes events across multiple teams and may prevent the disaster that destroyed Border City ten years earlier.
• A turning point in history: Humanity’s first clash with the Ghost Entities produces an immediate, effective countermeasure.

Plot and events

At Black Flame Bar, Xu Yuan negotiates plane seats with Qianqian, an underground merchant. He refuses her offer to meet other criminal leaders, claiming the flight is reserved for powerful officials and security is strict. He then tries to learn about the dragon overhead without openly revealing his interest in East District Taihe Hall. Jiang Xueyao stops Zhang Pengcheng from asking a potentially costly, unnecessary question.
Qianqian says the Flood Dragon is searching for someone hidden away, while others want its corpse. When Xu Yuan asks who it seeks, she says that information is expensive—but then claims he cannot give her what she truly wants and prepares to dismiss him. Xu Yuan insists on helping. Qianqian reveals that her cultivation has stalled: her current manual reaches only Foundation Establishment Peak, and she needs a Dao Scripture capable of taking her to the Golden Core Realm. Xu Yuan agrees to obtain one and calls for a Dao Canon over the walkie-talkie.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan carefully steers the conversation, concealing his motives while building a business relationship with Qianqian. He presents himself as someone capable of helping her and treats her request as important.
• Qianqian shifts from testing and bargaining with Xu Yuan to making a sincere, formal appeal once she realizes he takes her problem seriously. Her knowledge of the Flood Dragon suggests possible ties to the All Things Unity Society, though her intentions remain unclear.
• Jiang Xueyao demonstrates strategic caution: she silences Zhang Pengcheng to prevent him from spending the group’s fragile trust on an unneeded question, and keeps the others composed.
• Zhang Pengcheng impulsively asks who the dragon is fighting, prompting Jiang Xueyao to restrain him.

Significant themes

• Information as currency: Questions, secrets, and trust all carry a price.
• Careful negotiation and relationship-building: Xu Yuan seeks lasting connections, not merely a single transaction.
• Hidden motives and uncertain loyalties: Qianqian knows more about the dragon than she reveals.
• Knowledge and opportunity: Access to a suitable cultivation text can determine a cultivator’s future and lifespan.

Key plot points

• Xu Yuan invokes his second imperial favor to summon help, grumbling that the emperor is already counting the favors he has used.
• Crown Prince Lu Qingxuan arrives with a Dao Canon for Qianqian. After examining her, he correctly identifies her three Spiritual Roots and a life-threatening Fire Poison that leaves her only one safe chance to form a Golden Core. The Canon is specifically suited to her condition.
• Qianqian, impressed by the accuracy of the diagnosis and Xu Yuan’s connections, accepts the Canon and places greater trust in him as a reliable business partner.
• Lu Qingxuan reveals that the Flood Dragon is close to losing a fight. Xu Yuan persuades him to stay at the Bar and send subordinates to scout instead, keeping the Crown Prince nearby for protection during the dangerous investigation.
• Xu Yuan asks Qianqian why the Flood Dragon is searching for Commandery Princess Chunle. She provides a video proving that Chunle’s mother had asked the Flood Dragon, Jingzhe, to become the princess’s Guardian and spirit beast.
• The video is broadcast to the outside world, exposing the truth to the public, the emperor and his court, and Princess Lu Yiyi herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan demonstrates resourcefulness and composure: he uses official status and imperial connections to build Qianqian’s trust, then tactfully keeps Lu Qingxuan close without revealing his real fears. He believes the Crown Prince may protect the group if the dangerous investigation turns against them.
• Qianqian moves from suspicion to gratitude and trust after Lu Qingxuan’s accurate diagnosis and the delivery of the Dao Canon. In return, she openly answers Xu Yuan’s questions and supplies decisive evidence.
• Lu Qingxuan helps Xu Yuan’s business and cooperates by staying behind, though he is initially eager to investigate the Flood Dragon himself. His departure from the City Yamen is explained by a message saying he has other important business.
• Jiang Xueyao silently questions Xu Yuan’s decision to involve the Imperial Family, knowing his reluctance to deal with them. Xu Yuan signals that he will explain later.
• Lu Yiyi watches the broadcast and is deeply moved: she learns that the Flood Dragon was meant to be her mother’s birthday gift and recognizes that Xu Yuan has finally uncovered the truth she had long been denied.

Significant themes

• Truth and public accountability: The live broadcast transforms private evidence into knowledge witnessed across the realm.
• Trust built through action: Xu Yuan earns Qianqian’s confidence through practical help, while her video provides proof rather than mere assertion.
• Protection and risk: Xu Yuan’s effort to keep Lu Qingxuan nearby reflects the danger surrounding the investigation and his concern for the group’s survival.
• Long-delayed revelation and emotional closure: The truth about the princess’s past brings a moment of recognition and hope to Lu Yiyi.

Key plot points and events

• Qianqian confirms that her video is genuine, exchanges a Voice Transmission Talisman with Xu Yuan, and leaves after giving him a bottle of Spirit Vermilion Fruit Wine.
• The group reviews what they have learned: Magic Arrays can defend against Ghost Entities, the city’s defenses failed because something went wrong at their control center, and the Flood Dragon’s identity and purpose are significant.
• The wounded Flood Dragon crashes near the city’s southwest corner and cries, “So that’s it!” before unleashing a catastrophic rain of fiery blood. The Bar is destroyed, but Lu Qingxuan and Jiang Xueyao’s arrays protect the group.
• Everyone contributes to their survival: Zhang Pengcheng tries to dig a tunnel, Yang Xiaobing braces the building with plants and later deploys a floating leaf, and Xu Yuan uses Spirit Light Threads to deflect much of the burning blood. When the ground collapses into an abyss, Xu Yuan binds the group with Metal Spirit Threads to slow their fall.
• Lu Qingxuan thanks Xu Yuan for having kept them away from the City Yamen, where the devastation was worst. Xu Yuan considers investigating the Flood Dragon’s fall and the Commandery Princess’s residence, but Lu Qingxuan privately warns him to seek imperial permission before approaching the palace.
• Taking the warning seriously, Xu Yuan decides they should investigate the site of the final battle involving Lu Chenzhou first. He publicly stresses that they must ask the emperor and Commandery Princess for permission before entering an imperial residence; the emperor is irritated by the idea but does not punish him.
• The group escapes the collapsing sinkhole. Lu Qingxuan freezes a broad ledge, Zhang Pengcheng clears falling debris, Jiang Xueyao prepares an offensive array, and Yang Xiaobing summons five White Cranes to carry them upward. They head toward Drum Tower Street Subway Station.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan continues balancing investigation with caution. He uses his foreknowledge to keep the group away from danger, but avoids revealing how much he knows. He also recognizes and appreciates Lu Qingxuan’s discreet warning.
• Lu Qingxuan proves useful as both a fighter and a political guide. His quiet advice helps Xu Yuan avoid provoking the emperor, and he takes responsibility for protecting the rear as they escape.
• Jiang Xueyao, Zhang Pengcheng, and Yang Xiaobing each demonstrate practical skill under pressure, helping defend the group and escape the collapse.
• Xu Yuan privately thinks Jiang Xueyao should set aside her feelings and recognize Lu Qingxuan’s usefulness. Her slight nod reassures him that she understands—though the exchange is played for humor.
• The emperor’s reaction shows that palace protocol matters, even when the explorers have legitimate reasons to investigate.

Significant themes

• Cooperation under pressure: The group survives because each person contributes a different ability.
• Knowledge and restraint: Xu Yuan’s foreknowledge helps, but acting too openly or recklessly could expose him or bring political consequences.
• Power and responsibility: Lu Qingxuan’s role as Crown Prince brings both practical authority and the burden of navigating imperial politics.
• The cost of catastrophe: The fiery rain and collapsing city reveal the scale of the disaster and leave the group facing an abyss—literal and investigative—as they pursue what happened.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan’s group escapes Border City aboard five White Cranes, flying through darkness while invisible Ghost Entities repeatedly trigger the Magic Arrays around them.
• Lu Qingxuan attacks the unseen enemies with wind and snow, but their Formation Discs begin to fail as the swarm closes in. When a powerful Mystic Art strikes, Lu Qingxuan’s shield protects the group from the worst of it.
• Xu Yuan pulls Yang Xiaobing and Jiang Xueyao behind him and parries several invisible attacks, taking a serious wound. At last, the group is teleported back to the examination hall.
• The Human Emperor congratulates the examinees but reports that the battle on Chen Zhou’s side is going badly and the Demon Race is also trapped in a stalemate. He orders everyone to rest while more Formation Discs are prepared for the next day.
• Niu Sheng approaches Xu Yuan and pays him in Spirit Stones to revise his account of their earlier encounter so that they are described as reconciled brothers. Xu Yuan accepts the bribe; Zhang Pengcheng mocks Niu Sheng but does not stop the bargain.
• Xu Yuan learns from agent Zhai Qingya that his actions have made him a national idol, especially his effort to protect Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing. He is disappointed that fame brings no immediate money, but agrees to keep performing well.
• That night, Xu Yuan reviews the day and learns that his fan count has passed one million. The resulting Divine Assistance stabilizes his ruined Divine Temple and begins revealing his unique Whisper skill tree.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan demonstrates courage by shielding the two women and fighting off attacks he cannot see, despite being badly injured. He also remains pragmatic and money-minded, readily accepting Niu Sheng’s payment and responding enthusiastically to the promise of future earnings from fame.
• Lu Qingxuan acts decisively against the invisible enemies and uses his shield to protect the group from a powerful attack.
• Yang Xiaobing and Jiang Xueyao are protected by Xu Yuan during the final assault; afterward, they watch quietly as he receives treatment.
• Niu Sheng tries to repair his exaggerated story about being Xu Yuan’s equal by bribing Xu Yuan to call them brothers. Xu Yuan accepts, while Zhang Pengcheng challenges Niu Sheng’s posturing.
• Zhang Pengcheng is impressed by Xu Yuan’s rising fame and asks how he can become famous too. Xu Yuan tells him that he would need to manifest an Imago.
• Zhai Qingya encourages Xu Yuan by explaining the value of his growing popularity, while candidly warning that he cannot monetize it until the exam ends.
• The Human Emperor recognizes the group’s achievement but remains focused on the broader military crisis.

Significant themes and revelations

• Courage amid uncertainty: The group must face enemies they cannot see, and Xu Yuan’s willingness to protect others marks him as a public hero.
• Fame, money, and performance: Xu Yuan’s celebrity grows, but he measures its value in practical terms and is motivated by the prospect of eventual income.
• Reputation as something negotiable: Niu Sheng’s payment shows how easily personal narratives can be rewritten for advantage.
• Creating one’s own path: The Paper Strip explains that Xu Yuan cannot gain conventional Whisper abilities; as a special Immortal Species, he must develop new ones himself.
• A rare opportunity: Xu Yuan’s million-fan milestone stabilizes his Divine Temple and opens the possibility of creating a third Whisper System ability. His first two abilities are Competition and Honor Among Thieves; the third image is still blank.