Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Chen Cuo learns that the black-and-white chess pieces were nurtured by six centuries of historians’ Human Thought. Their long worship turned them into Incense spirits who developed selves and attained the Divine Path—raising the possibility that the Evil Ghost could eventually do the same.
• Elder Sheng and Elder Shuai explain that the archive is a Peach Paradise, a reality that can be both real and illusory, changing according to thought. Peach Paradises generally arise when someone enters the fifth step, Beyond the Mundane.
• Chen realizes the two elders may have reached that realm. They clarify that their Peach Paradise is only a “shallow bank” beside history’s river: it lets them observe and record part of history, not encompass it all. They also hint that they face unusual restrictions.
• After the elders withdraw, Chen begins searching the archive with three goals: find guidance for his cultivation, discover orthodox qi-refining methods that might address his Divine Fire and Five Elements imbalance, and investigate the origin of the Nameless Breathing Technique.
• He selects a text titled Wheel-Turning Art, attributed to Xu Xun of the Jin Dynasty. Its opening seems to tug at the god within his heart. On the next page, he finds the heading An Overview of the Immortal Sects of Southern Jambudvipa.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo is shaken by the chess pieces’ history and increasingly alert to the dangers and mysteries of Incense spirits. Though eager to understand Peach Paradises, he recognizes the elders’ hints and refrains from pressing them. He then deliberately sets aside speculation and focuses on his practical cultivation needs.
• Elder Sheng and Elder Shuai act as guides, explaining the Peach Paradise’s shifting nature while keeping the full truth about themselves—and their restrictions—unclear. They give Chen access to the archive, offer help, then fall silent and become undetectable to his Divine Sense.

Significant themes

• Human belief shapes spiritual existence: centuries of attention can transform objects into beings with divine power.
• Reality and illusion are intertwined: the Peach Paradise is neither simply real nor false, but responsive to thought.
• Knowledge has limits: even advanced observers can witness only fragments of history, while Chen must pursue understanding step by step.
• The past guides the future: Chen turns to historical records and cultivation texts to decide how to proceed on his own path.

Plot points and events

• Chen Cuo reads in the East Observatorium and asks Elders Black and White whether the legendary Great Sage Equal to Heaven once wrecked the Heavenly Palace and was imprisoned beneath Five Elements Mountain. Elder Sheng says no such figure is known—and that a few hundred years ago, there was not yet a Heavenly Palace. The answer deepens Chen Cuo’s suspicions about how familiar legends relate to this world’s history.
• Chen studies The Wheel-Turning Art, which surveys the Immortal Sects of Southern Jambudvipa. It divides Daoist traditions into the ancient Guangcheng lineage and a range of “lesser paths,” while noting that the boundaries between orthodox and lesser traditions may change. Chen identifies several distinct Ways—Primordial Beginning, Merit, Incense, and Life and Death—and weighs which lineage would suit him.
• Elsewhere, Hou Andu learns that Chen has been staying at the East Observatorium. Fearing Chen’s apparent ability to kill from a distance, and still haunted by Hou Xiao’s death, he decides Chen must be killed quickly.
• Hou’s adviser, Ding Long, proposes exploiting a banquet Prince of Ancheng plans to hold to restore Chen’s reputation. The scholars organizing it have been troubled by The Painted Skin and suspect Chen is under an evil influence, so they have sought help from the Buddhist School. Hou sees an opportunity to use that intervention against Chen.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen is curious and cautious: he tests the elders’ knowledge, then turns to historical and sectarian texts rather than drawing firm conclusions from a single answer. He also recognizes the political risks of joining a tradition closely tied to the courts and considers the Guangcheng lineage instead.
• Elder Sheng is friendly and willing to guide Chen, but his denial of the Monkey King story leaves Chen questioning the world’s history.
• Hou Andu’s fear of Chen intensifies into a determination to act, despite his uncertainty about Chen’s powers. Ding Long serves as a calculating strategist, steering Hou toward the Buddhist School as a means to exploit the scholars’ suspicions.
• Prince of Ancheng’s planned public defense of Chen indirectly creates an opening for Hou’s scheme.

Significant themes

• Myth and history: Chen’s familiar legends may not match the world’s actual past; the Heavenly Palace’s apparent recent origins make him question how stories spread.
• The changing nature of orthodoxy: Sectarian status is fluid, and multiple complete spiritual Ways coexist.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: Chen seeks evidence before deciding what to believe or where to align himself.
• Fear as political fuel: Hou’s dread of Chen pushes him toward preemptive violence, while rivals plan to turn religious and public opinion against him.

Key plot points and events

• Hou Andu agrees to let Ding Long involve Buddhist monks in a campaign against Chen Fangqing, using the claim that Chen is possessed by an evil spirit as a pretext. Hou expects the monks to restrain Chen rather than kill him; he plans to deal with his political rivals by force and privately resolves to rely on his own power to advance.
• Ding Long arranges for Yu Ji’s nephew to recover from a Plague Spell, then expects Yu to seek Buddhist help. He sees the scheme as a chance to become Hou’s trusted adviser and hints that a separate development involving the Prince of Nankang could make matters more complicated.
• Yu Ji visits Jianyuan Temple and tells Temple Master Fanan about his nightmares. Fanan detects signs of an evil influence and warns that a force able to affect an Imperial Clan member could be exceptionally dangerous.
• Yu Ji adds that the Prince of Ancheng plans a literary gathering to restore Chen Fangqing’s reputation. Fanan suspects the prince may also be compromised. Yu Ji proposes changing the gathering’s date and location to surprise the supposed demon, offering himself as bait.
• Fanan alerts other temples. Yuanhui and Guishan Temple’s Presiding Monk arrive, hoping to repair their temple’s strained relations with the Blackwater Calamity Lord and the palace. Yuanhui supports confronting the threat decisively and offers Warrior Monks for a demon-sealing formation.
• When Fanan identifies Chen Fangqing as the suspected target, Yuanhui and the Presiding Monk recognize the name and abruptly withdraw Guishan Temple’s support, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Andu is calculating and politically pragmatic, but his private decision to depend on himself suggests deeper anxiety about Chen Fangqing and the forces around him.
• Ding Long is ambitious and manipulative. He steers Hou and Yu Ji toward a confrontation while concealing what he knows about Hou Xiao’s fate.
• Yu Ji shifts from seeking help for himself to planning an active role in exposing the threat. His concern for his nephew provides the immediate reason for his delayed visit.
• Fanan takes the danger seriously and coordinates with other temples, though he is cautious about Yu Ji risking himself.
• Yuanhui is motivated partly by institutional and political interests, not solely by religious duty. His sudden refusal to participate suggests Guishan Temple’s prior connection to Chen Fangqing—or to the larger situation—complicates the apparent plan.
• The chapter’s key interactions are strategic negotiations: Hou and Ding discuss using the Buddhists as cover; Yu Ji and Fanan organize a trap; and Yuanhui joins their effort until Chen Fangqing’s identity changes his position.

Significant themes

• Faith as political leverage: Religious institutions are drawn into court factionalism and may act for both spiritual and worldly reasons.
• Deception and competing plans: Multiple characters try to manipulate the timing, location, and meaning of the planned confrontation.
• Power and self-reliance: Hou believes political maneuvering is insufficient against Chen Fangqing and resolves to pursue power himself.
• Uncertainty and hidden affiliations: The final reversal suggests that the alleged threat, and the monks’ relationship to it, may be far more complicated than Yu Ji and Fanan assume.

Key plot points

• Fanan learns from Yuanhui that the Marquis of Linru County is a Reincarnated True Immortal, a fact known to several major Buddhist temples. The monks therefore doubt that the Marquis is behind the nightmares caused by his essay.
• Yuanhui questions how Yu Ji came to suspect the Marquis. Fanan recalls that Yu Ji had gathered many testimonies and brought The Painted Skin to the temple, where its black thoughts nearly disturbed Fanan’s Buddhist resolve.
• Yuanhui realizes Yu Ji may have been manipulated: a hidden force could be using the book and the nightmares to set Yu Ji against both the Marquis and the Prince of Ancheng. Rather than cancel Yu Ji’s planned gathering, the monks decide to let it proceed, hoping to expose whoever is behind the scheme and build ties with the two nobles.
• Meanwhile, Chen Cuo reflects on his studies in the Eastern Observatory’s library. With the aid of his Heart God and a Clarity Pill, he learns four spells and formulas, which strengthen his mental clarity.
• After mastering those basics, Chen Cuo finds he can finally touch a previously inaccessible jade slip. It contains the Pure Yang Single-Qi Redlight Formula, which absorbs him for a full day and night.
• The library elders feed Chen Cuo, then tell him to attend to his worldly affairs. He leaves without hesitation, accepting that the path to immortality requires severing worldly ties.

Character developments and interactions

• Fanan shifts from anxious certainty about Yu Ji’s suspicions to recognizing that he may have been deceived. He respects Yuanhui’s judgment and agrees to let the plan unfold.
• Yuanhui proves both cautious and strategic: he proposes using the gathering as bait to draw out the hidden manipulator, while turning the situation into an opportunity to connect with powerful figures.
• Chen Cuo grows in knowledge and mental discipline. His comprehension of compatible cultivation arts opens access to the jade-slip text, marking a significant step in his progress.
• The Black-and-White Elders quietly observe Chen Cuo’s breakthrough, then send him off with food and a reminder of the sacrifices his chosen path entails.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden influence: Evidence can be real yet interpreted wrongly when unseen forces manipulate events.
• Knowledge and personal compatibility: Chen Cuo learns that techniques become memorable only when he can deeply understand them and they suit his nature.
• Strategy over haste: The monks choose to let danger develop so they can identify its source.
• The cost of cultivation: Advancing toward immortality demands focus—and, eventually, separation from ordinary ties.

Plot points and events

• Shen Zunli warns Chen Cuo that a Secretariat Vice Minister’s faction plans to exploit the Prince of Ancheng’s evening banquet to move against him, likely under Hou Andu’s direction.
• Chen Cuo says he has a way to neutralize Hou Andu without confronting him directly: obtain an imperial decree sentencing him to death. He argues the decree would provide legitimate authority to kill a powerful official and give the action a proper political justification.
• Shen Zunli is alarmed by Chen’s blunt remarks about the emperor but agrees to relay the proposal to the prince.
• Chen receives an annotated copy of the Nine Songs from two elders, thanks them, and leaves. He misses visitors from the Prince of Nankang’s Residence.
• At his residence, the Prince of Ancheng agrees to seek the death decree, recognizing that the emperor may also want Hou removed. He nevertheless prepares a backup plan, since Hou has begun to act. The prince says he trusts Shen Zunli and is willing to spend political “Fortune” to eliminate Hou if necessary.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo is shown as confident, strategic, and irreverent toward imperial authority. He treats the death decree as a practical tool and directs Shen to pass his proposal on rather than debate it.
• Shen Zunli is cautious and visibly unsettled by Chen’s boldness. He warns him about the danger of his words, then carries the message faithfully to the prince.
• The Prince of Ancheng appears pragmatic and politically resolute. Though he regrets losing a capable general, he sees Hou as an intolerable threat and accepts the risk of acting against him.
• Bao Gan and Xu Fayan witness Chen’s departure; Xu admires him, while Bao Gan reproaches Xu for failing to build a connection with him.

Significant themes

• Legitimacy and power: Chen insists that even a necessary killing should be backed by legal authority, while also recognizing that decrees can serve political ends.
• Strategy over direct force: Removing the leader, Chen argues, can break an entire faction more effectively than meeting its strength head-on.
• Political danger and loyalty: The prince must weigh Hou’s military value against his threat to the court, while preparing for the costs of decisive action.

Key plot points and events

• After meeting the Prince of Ancheng, Shen Zunli decides to bring forward a banquet and speed up its preparations. A young woman, encouraged by her maid, considers attending in disguise to assess a prospective marriage match: the Marquis of Linru County.
• Chen Cuo returns to the Marquis’s Residence and learns that Chen Fangtai has been dismissed after a mutiny in Lingnan. Chen Cuo judges that the punishment is limited and likely temporary, since the emperor is protecting him.
• Chen He also reports that two sons of the late Chen Tanlang, who were left in the north as hostages, are finally returning. Their arrival has upset the Old Madam, so Chen Cuo agrees to visit her.
• Before he can leave, Chen Cuo receives a thought-message from the little pig and goes to meet it and Little Turtle.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Zunli shows growing urgency and caution after recognizing the Prince of Ancheng’s resolve.
• The young woman reveals that she expects to marry into the Imperial Clan for political reasons, but wants a reliable husband. Her maid encourages her to judge the Marquis for herself.
• Chen Cuo remains detached from status and family politics, but demonstrates sound political judgment. He sees Chen Fangtai’s dismissal as a warning rather than a permanent downfall and regards the returning half-brothers as another mortal entanglement.
• Chen He is anxious about the family’s weakened standing and the Old Madam’s distress; Chen Hai reacts uneasily to Chen He’s deferential praise of Chen Cuo.
• The little pig and Little Turtle discuss Chen Cuo’s progress. They believe his mind has gained clarity, his cultivation is stable, and he has passed an initial test. They also mention that an opportunity suited to his incomplete Five Elements awaits him, though a later test will depend on his ability to pursue a treasure.

Significant themes

• Political instability and family status: Chen Fangtai’s fall exposes the vulnerability of the household’s public standing.
• Duty versus detachment: Chen Cuo is drawn back into family concerns even as he prepares to leave the mortal world behind.
• Marriage as strategy: The young woman’s prospective marriage is framed as a political alliance, though personal steadiness still matters to her.
• Cultivation and testing: Chen Cuo’s spiritual progress is linked to discernment, character, and future trials.

Summary

Chen Cuo meets Little Pig and Little Turtle, who tell him that Old Dragon’s final wish was for him to recognize Old Dragon as his master. Chen accepts without hesitation, reaffirming the bond despite a thunderous sign that his spiritual path is being tested. Little Pig is pleased with his resolve and reveals that Old Dragon also left him an arrangement: Chen has a dangerous “ball of fire” within him that will need to be balanced by a supreme water-aligned treasure. He can seek it once his cultivation is strong enough.
The chapter then shifts to Chen Hua and Chen Kuang, two young men traveling to the Prince of Nankang’s Residence with their instructor, Gao Jujing. Gao urges them to act aggressively, exploiting their status as officials of Great Qi to intimidate the Southern Kingdom’s household. He also tells them to secretly administer pills from the Grand Shaman, and reveals his intention to kill their second brother so one of them can inherit his title. His manipulation frames Great Qi as their true protector and the Prince’s Residence as a place that does not regard them as family.
At the residence, the brothers are unsettled by the modest welcome through a side gate. Gao turns this into an insult, challenging the steward and reinforcing the youths’ sense of grievance. The steward identifies himself as a residence steward and learns Gao’s name before going to report their arrival.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo shows firm gratitude and loyalty by accepting Old Dragon as his master. His cultivation has stabilized, but the revelation about the inner fire introduces a future danger and quest.
• Little Pig acts as messenger and adviser, conveying Old Dragon’s wishes while keeping the details of the balancing treasure vague. Little Turtle supports him.
• Gao Jujing emerges as calculating and ruthless: he instructs the brothers to provoke the household, drug its members, and potentially murder a relative for political gain.
• Chen Hua readily follows Gao’s lead, while Chen Kuang shows more hesitation and questions their identity and tactics. Both are vulnerable to Gao’s pressure.
• The brothers’ first encounter with the residence steward becomes a contest over status, with Gao using their slight to heighten resentment.

Themes

• Discipleship and loyalty: Chen’s wholehearted acceptance of Old Dragon’s legacy affirms a bond that persists beyond death.
• Cultivation and peril: Chen’s spiritual progress brings both new responsibilities and a dangerous internal imbalance.
• Belonging and identity: The brothers are caught between family ties in the Southern Kingdom and allegiance to Great Qi.
• Manipulation and power: Gao turns cultural prejudice, political status, and a perceived insult into tools for control and destabilization.

Plot points and events

• Chen Cuo’s Mother receives Chen Hua and Chen Kuang, two sons of her late husband who have returned from the north with their teacher, the Northern Qi envoy Gao Jujing.
• She welcomes the young men but condescends to them, criticizing their northern upbringing and insisting they follow their celebrated elder brother, Chen Cuo.
• Gao challenges her remarks as an insult to Northern Qi and invokes his authority as the brothers’ teacher. He uses his overwhelming martial aura to intimidate her and Zhang Ju.
• Zhang Ju steps between Gao and the old madam, condemning the envoy for threatening a member of the imperial family and implicating his students in disrespect toward their mother.
• Gao boasts of Northern Qi’s military victories, then unleashes his Fist Intent. His force throws the guards aside and leaves the others shaken.
• As Gao presses his advantage, Chen Cuo arrives. His calm question about Northern Qi’s seizure of power and the Gao family’s identity dissipates the oppressive atmosphere.

Character developments

• Chen Cuo’s Mother is anxious about her family’s troubles and treats the returning boys with a mix of duty, prejudice, and insecurity. Gao’s attack leaves her frightened.
• Chen Hua and Chen Kuang appear timid before the old madam, but their admiration for Gao’s strength grows. They begin to accept his view that martial power commands respect.
• Gao Jujing proves both fiercely protective of his disciples and aggressively nationalistic. He turns a household disagreement into a physical show of force.
• Zhang Ju shows courage by defending the old madam despite Gao’s intimidating power.
• Chen Cuo enters with composure and a pointed historical challenge, immediately countering Gao’s momentum.

Significant themes

• Power versus words: Gao argues that martial strength, rather than literary culture, earns respect and authority.
• Family duty and authority: The dispute centers on whether the old madam or the teacher has the right to guide and defend Chen Hua and Chen Kuang.
• National rivalry and identity: The characters weaponize history, military success, and cultural heritage to assert superiority between Northern Qi and the southern kingdom.
• Humiliation and reputation: The old madam’s attempt to elevate Chen Cuo while putting the newcomers down creates resentment and exposes the family’s fragile standing.

Character interactions

• The old madam tries to establish authority over Chen Hua and Chen Kuang, while they silently question her praise of their elder brother.
• Gao openly confronts her, claiming parental standing as the brothers’ teacher.
• Zhang Ju challenges Gao and shields the old madam; Gao answers with threats and force.
• Chen Hua and Chen Kuang look to Gao as a model of strength.
• Chen Cuo’s arrival interrupts Gao’s intimidation and shifts the confrontation back toward argument.

Plot points

• Gao Jujing, a powerful martial envoy from Great Qi, overwhelms the household with his battlefield-honed Fist Intent. Chen Cuo’s mother warns him not to approach, but Gao attacks anyway.
• Chen Cuo reveals himself as a second-realm cultivator and counters with the Mind Daoist’s Black-and-White World ability, turning Gao’s attack back on him and badly injuring him.
• Gao tries to strike again, but Chen Cuo overwhelms his mind with Frenzied Thought and Myriad Manifestation Thought. He probes Gao’s memories and learns there is a secret behind the two boys’ presence.
• Chen Cuo judges Gao too dangerous to spare. When Gao attempts to invoke his imperial status and offer submission, Chen Cuo kills him with true fire.
• Chen Cuo orders Chen He to remove the body and clean the floor. The household is left shocked and fearful, while Chen Cuo notices the two boys and a curious spiritual response focused on the younger one.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo shifts from calm observer to openly dominant protector. He uses both cultivation and psychological insight, and shows little concern for the alarm his power causes. His unusual reaction to the younger boy suggests a possible connection to fate or Chen Fangqing’s original fortune.
• Gao Jujing is exposed as less fearless than his martial persona suggests. His battlefield confidence gives way to panic when his force and mind are controlled.
• Chen Cuo’s mother, Zhang Ju, Chen He, and the household move from terror under Gao’s pressure to stunned fear of Chen Cuo. His mother can only ask how he came to possess “immortal arts.”
• Chen Hua and Chen Kuang witness Chen Cuo’s strength with complicated shock. The two younger boys show fear, surprise, and a trace of admiration and closeness.
• Chen Cuo and Gao’s encounter is an abrupt reversal: Gao first threatens the household, then becomes helpless under Chen Cuo’s control.

Significant themes

• Power and reversal: The feared warrior is swiftly reduced to a captive, showing how quickly authority can change hands.
• Courage versus self-deception: Gao’s claims of fearless martial honor are undermined by his fear and willingness to bargain when death approaches.
• Fate and cause-and-effect: Chen Cuo tests whether Gao’s stated beliefs can shape his destiny, but the attempt fails, prompting questions about the nature of his new ability.
• Consequences of violence: Chen Cuo treats Gao’s malice and potential future danger as sufficient reason to kill him, while the household must absorb the consequences of witnessing that decision.

Key plot points and events

• After killing Gao Jujing, Chen Cuo tells his mother that he has become a cultivator, learned Spellcraft, and expects to leave home to pursue cultivation. He says he still has matters to settle and likely will not visit often.
• Chen Cuo takes the pills from his younger half-brothers, Chen Hua and Chen Kuang, and destroys them. Rather than punish them, he urges his mother to guide them fairly, promising to protect them if they behave properly.
• Zhang Ju worries that the court may blame Chen Cuo for killing a man from Qi. Chen Cuo says Gao was dangerous and that the emperor will soon owe him a favor, which should settle the issue.
• Yu Fang of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices arrives with an invitation. She recognizes that Chen Cuo has advanced to the Second Realm, and explains that Gao was likely a Qi spy. She promises to report the killing as a meritorious act and prevent trouble for the household.
• Yu Fang delivers an invitation from her Tower Commandant for Chen Cuo to visit that night. She also says that the item Chen Cuo asked Prince of Ancheng to obtain is now at the tower. Chen Cuo accepts.
• Watching from outside, Chuiyunzi receives a message from his sect: Great Hua Mountain is willing to offer the item needed to recruit Chen Cuo. He is pleased but puzzled by his master’s unusual generosity.

Character developments

• Chen Cuo shows both authority and restraint: he eliminates a dangerous opponent, reassures his family, and handles political risk calmly. His rapid cultivation progress also earns Yu Fang’s respect. He begins thinking about why cultivators do not simply overthrow mortal governments.
• Chen Cuo’s mother is proud and reassured by her son’s power, but his likely departure leaves her distressed.
• Chen Hua and Chen Kuang are frightened by Chen Cuo, yet his promise to protect them gives them some relief.
• Yu Fang shifts from casual confidence to solemn respect after sensing Chen Cuo’s strength, then becomes his advocate.
• Chuiyunzi is relieved that his sect is making a serious effort to recruit Chen Cuo, though he suspects there may be a hidden motive.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Chen Cuo uses strength to remove a threat while choosing guidance over punishment for his younger brothers.
• Cultivators and political authority: Chen Cuo’s power places him beyond ordinary legal constraints, raising questions about how mortal states remain stable.
• Family ties and departure: Chen Cuo’s rising ambitions contrast with his mother’s desire to keep him close.
• Reputation and political maneuvering: Yu Fang’s report can turn a potentially scandalous killing into an officially praised deed.

Character interactions

• Chen Cuo reassures his mother and gives her instructions on treating his younger brothers fairly.
• Zhang Ju voices concern about political repercussions; Chen Cuo and Yu Fang each explain why the killing should not bring blame.
• Yu Fang recognizes Chen Cuo’s advancement, apologizes for entering without permission, and offers both an invitation and political support.
• Chuiyunzi reflects on Chen Cuo’s growing importance and relays news of Great Hua Mountain’s offer.

Key plot points

• Yu Fang informs two Frontier Investigators that Gao Jujing, a concealed Second-Realm martial artist and suspected Qi spy, was killed by the Marquis of Linru County. She rebukes them for neglecting their duty and sends them to report and investigate Gao’s associates.
• At the Prince’s Residence, officials remove Gao’s body, while Prince of Ancheng assures the household it will not be implicated. Chen Cuo orders his brothers cared for and visits his younger sister, Chen Jiao.
• Chen Jiao admits she is frightened of leaving to cultivate and spending years away from her family. She realizes she would rather marry, raise children, and remain close to loved ones. Chen Cuo validates her choice, though he suspects the Immortal Sect’s wishes may be difficult to resist.
• Chen Cuo tells her he must travel far away. He believes moving forward is necessary to discover what is real—and to preserve the possibility of her ordinary life.
• That night, an urgent visitor arrives at the Lu Residence: Qiuyuzi’s Seventh Senior Brother, a white-haired sword-bearing cultivator. He says the Divine Treasury is tied to a calamity expected to strike Zhou in ten years, so the chosen candidates must return to the sect immediately and begin Foundation Establishment. He finds only Lu You present and asks where the other one is.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Fang shifts from reporting danger to sharply confronting the investigators, exposing their complacency and forcing them to act.
• Chen Cuo remains composed after the attack, takes responsibility for his family, and offers Chen Jiao thoughtful support. His affection for her is evident, even as he accepts a painful separation.
• Chen Jiao moves from uncertainty and concern about cultivation toward recognizing the life she genuinely wants. She is also reluctant to lose Chen Cuo.
• Qiuyuzi’s Seventh Senior Brother introduces a pressing deadline and raises the stakes around the Divine Treasury and the coming calamity.

Significant themes

• True desire versus imposed ambition: Chen Cuo urges Chen Jiao to trust her own wishes rather than pursue a life valued by others.
• Family, separation, and sacrifice: Chen Cuo’s journey may keep his sister safe, but it will also divide the family.
• Duty and complacency: Yu Fang’s rebuke shows the consequences of neglecting responsibility.
• Urgency and looming catastrophe: The ten-year calamity makes the cultivators’ preparations—and the missing candidate—a matter of great importance.

Key plot points

• Qiuyuzi’s senior brother, a white-robed Kunlun cultivator, asks for the Peach Blossom Fairy’s help in hunting a wicked Daoist from the Creation Dao. The fairy is not yet strong enough to wield safely, so the senior brother sends his own sword into Jiankang. It wounds the Daoist, but the target escapes as a remnant soul.
• Qiuyuzi cannot contact Chen Cuo, and they suspect Chen may be in a secret realm. He explains Chen’s unusual cultivation: the Way of Incense, a Buddhist heart-deity method, Nine-Dragon Divine Fire, and protection from dynastic purple qi.
• The senior brother considers this foundation unorthodox and argues that Kunlun’s priorities are shifting toward combat readiness because a major upheaval is coming. He proposes that Chen join the sect, enter the Divine Treasury, and later abandon his current cultivation to begin again with Kunlun techniques.
• Qiuyuzi objects that this would treat Chen as a tool and risk damaging his foundation. The senior brother remains unconvinced but agrees to meet Chen before making a final decision.
• In Jiankang, Chen reads an imperial edict but returns it, having learned what he needs from a glance. He recognizes that Li Duoshou, the Attendant Tower Commissioner, is likely a Longevity Realm expert.
• Li Duoshou and Yu Fang explain a plot involving Hou Andu. Hou’s allies have persuaded Vice Director Yu Ji to host a literary gathering at Green Willow Garden, where they plan to use Confucian righteous qi to suppress an alleged evil spirit. Chen realizes the affair concerns the old “Painted Skin Essay” scandal.
• Li reveals that Prince of Ancheng wants Chen to slay the villain publicly, both to clear Chen’s reputation and to avoid the appearance that the imperial family is punishing someone without trial. Chen sees the wider political motive: weakening the Literati’s influence and warning officials. The room falls silent.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiuyuzi vigorously defends Chen’s promise and potential, insisting that his varied cultivation does not negate his sincere commitment to the Dao. He resists the senior brother’s pragmatic plan.
• The white-robed senior brother is disciplined and politically cautious. His failed attempt to kill the Daoist demonstrates his power, while his concern over impending upheaval leads him to prioritize survival and the sect’s immediate needs over Chen’s long-term cultivation.
• Chen Cuo shows composure and political insight: he reads the edict quickly, detects Li Duoshou’s strength, and identifies the political purpose behind the proposed public confrontation.
• Li Duoshou and Yu Fang provide Chen with information about the literary gathering and Hou Andu’s scheme, while also attempting to enlist him in a politically useful public act.

Significant themes

• Orthodoxy versus unconventional paths: Chen’s eclectic cultivation challenges Kunlun’s standards, raising questions about whether a valuable foundation should be preserved or replaced.
• Survival versus cultivation: With upheaval approaching, the sect values combat strength and staying alive over slow, resource-intensive advancement.
• Individual worth versus institutional utility: Kunlun may recruit Chen less for his own sake than for the benefits he could bring to the sect.
• Reputation, justice, and political manipulation: The planned public slaying is framed as justice, but also serves to manage public opinion and curb the Literati’s power.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Cuo meets Li Duoshou, commander of the Attendant Tower, to discuss killing Hou Andu. Chen admits the attempt could be dangerous but argues that either Hou dies or, if Hou kills him, the resulting political and karmic backlash would weaken Hou.
• Li explains that the Attendant Tower recruits powerful cultivators and warriors to protect the realm from external threats. Its members do not simply serve whichever dynasty rules: “the realm” persists even as its rulers change.
• Li adds that the living are not the only force shaping the world. Even those who attain Longevity remain subject to life and death, prompting Chen to wonder whether life and death constitute a fundamental Dao.
• On his way home, Chen suspects the meeting was partly a test of his ability to kill Hou and recognizes that the planned attack could trigger a conflict between Prince of Ancheng’s faction and Hou’s. He resolves to prepare additional methods, since his Cause and Effect technique is not infallible.
• Li reports to Prince of Ancheng that Chen has the potential to attain Longevity and is unusually deliberate and capable. The prince accepts that Hou will resist and plans discreet support to handle the aftermath.
• The Green Willow Gathering is scheduled for three days later. Chen accepts an invitation and begins preparing. Little Pig warns that Chen may soon leave and urges additional arrangements, partly so he can continue supervising Chen’s cultivation on behalf of Old Dragon.

Character developments

• Chen Cuo shows confidence in confronting Hou, but also caution: he recognizes both the political stakes and the limits of his abilities. Li’s reflections push him toward a broader understanding of the relationship between life, death, and the world’s deeper laws.
• Li Duoshou reveals that the Attendant Tower’s loyalty is to the enduring realm rather than its current rulers. He regards Chen as a serious cultivator with the potential for Longevity, while remaining guarded about the dangers of the coming confrontation.
• Prince of Ancheng is pragmatic, supporting Chen’s move against Hou while preparing discreetly for its consequences.
• Little Pig reveals concern about Chen’s possible departure and his own responsibility to keep overseeing Chen’s cultivation.

Significant themes

• Power and political legitimacy: Chen’s challenge to Hou could destabilize political factions, while Hou’s possible murder of a royal-clan member could undermine his position.
• The enduring realm versus changing rulers: The Attendant Tower serves the realm itself, not any particular dynasty.
• Life, death, and the Dao: Li’s claim that even the immortal must face life and death leads Chen to consider whether mortality is a fundamental cosmic principle.
• Preparation and uncertainty: Chen’s power is substantial but not absolute, making foresight essential.

Character interactions

• Chen and Li negotiate candidly, each acknowledging the other’s motives and the risks of confronting Hou.
• Li’s explanation challenges Chen’s assumptions about the Attendant Tower and sparks his philosophical reflection.
• Li and Prince of Ancheng assess Chen’s abilities and coordinate a cautious response to Hou’s likely resistance.
• Chen accepts the Green Willow invitation and mobilizes his household; Little Pig then presses him to prepare for the possibility that he may not return.

Key plot points and events

• During three unusually quiet days before the Green Willow Gathering, Chen Cuo studies the arts he obtained from the Eastern Observatory. He masters most of them, but makes slower progress with the Pure Yang Single-Qi Redlight Formula, which can eventually produce powerful red light and withstand even Samadhi True Fire.
• Chen Cuo discovers that his Nameless Breathing Technique can draw in the noon sun’s Yang Qi and help him practice the formula more efficiently. He suspects he may condense its “single breath” far sooner than the method’s usual timetable. But he remains puzzled by the Nameless Technique’s extraordinary ability to absorb many kinds of energy, and by the mysterious beggar who taught it to him.
• Before leaving for the evening banquet, Chen Cuo tells his loyal attendant Chen Hai to remain at the Marquis’s Residence rather than follow him into cultivation. He gives Chen Hai a jade token promising future help and a talisman capable of warding off danger, teaching him its incantation.
• Daoist Qiuyuzi arrives and says he has someone to introduce to Chen Cuo. Without explaining further, he carries Chen Cuo away in a streak of light.

Character developments

• Chen Cuo grows more capable and resourceful, adapting an older cultivation formula to his unusual breathing technique. His curiosity about the origins of that technique remains unresolved. He also shows care and responsibility toward Chen Hai, refusing to make his attendant sacrifice his life to accompany him.
• Chen Hai is torn between loyalty to Chen Cuo and his desire to preserve the status he has built at the residence. Though deeply moved by Chen Cuo’s generosity, he accepts that their paths must diverge and vows to cherish the gifts.
• Qiuyuzi appears impressed by Chen Cuo’s rapid advancement, though he greets it with a rueful, complicated expression.

Significant themes

• Cultivation through adaptation: Chen Cuo combines different methods rather than following a prescribed technique rigidly.
• The limits of knowledge: The Nameless Breathing Technique’s origin and nature remain a mystery, even after Chen Cuo searches written records.
• Loyalty, care, and separation: Chen Cuo values Chen Hai’s service but refuses to demand that he give up his own life and future.
• A brief calm before change: The quiet before the Green Willow Gathering gives Chen Cuo time to prepare, but Qiuyuzi’s arrival signals that events are about to move again.

Character interactions

• Chen Cuo reassures Chen Hai that staying behind is acceptable and gives him practical protection as well as a promise of future aid. Chen Hai responds with gratitude and emotion.
• Qiuyuzi and Chen Cuo reunite after a period of missed chances. Qiuyuzi acknowledges Chen Cuo’s progress, then immediately takes him to meet an unnamed person.

Key plot points and events

• Qiuyuzi brings Chen Cuo to the Vast Sea Pavilion, a treasured Immortal Abode belonging to Kunlun’s seventh senior disciple, Hanyanzi. The pavilion’s plaque creates a powerful illusion, but Chen quickly breaks free of it.
• Before entering, Chen tells Qiuyuzi that Peach Blossom Fairy helped him and that he wanted to coordinate with her. The sword warns that only someone with the required cultivation—or a Blood Sacrifice—can wield it.
• Hanyanzi tests Chen with a surge of spiritual pressure. Chen’s Mind Daoist and Wisdom Sword let him withstand it, impressing Qiuyuzi.
• After examining Chen, Hanyanzi recognizes his unusually solid foundation and strong progress along the Divine Path, while noting that his qi cultivation is still limited.
• Hanyanzi offers Chen only one route into Kunlun: stop cultivating for roughly twelve years, complete a task for the sect in the Zhou Kingdom, then abandon his cultivation and start over, with compensation afterward.
• Chen rejects the arrangement. He argues that stagnation would damage the resolve he has struggled to build, and refuses to entrust his pursuit of the Dao to Kunlun’s promises.
• A newcomer interrupts: Jiezhuzi of the Cloudsky Sect. He criticizes Kunlun for treating Chen like a recruit to be bargained over and says he came to keep Kunlun from “swindling” him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo remains composed under the pavilion’s illusion, Hanyanzi’s probing, and the pressure of a senior cultivator. His refusal reveals how firmly he now values his aspiration to seek the Dao.
• Qiuyuzi supports Chen and initially expects Hanyanzi to accept him, but becomes uneasy as Kunlun’s conditions emerge. He tries to explain the situation, though Hanyanzi controls the conversation.
• Hanyanzi is courteous but detached. He acknowledges Chen’s talent, yet prioritizes Kunlun’s future needs over Chen’s ambitions; Chen’s reasoning visibly affects him.
• Jiezhuzi enters dramatically and openly challenges Kunlun’s treatment of Chen, introducing a rival sect’s interest.
• Chen and Hanyanzi engage in a direct debate over risk, opportunity, and the cost of postponing cultivation; Jiezhuzi’s intervention abruptly turns that private negotiation into a contest between sects.

Significant themes

• Personal ambition versus institutional demands: Chen refuses to sacrifice his own path for Kunlun’s plan.
• The Dao Heart and perseverance: Chen sees the will to advance as more precious than cultivation he could potentially regain.
• Trust and power: Kunlun asks Chen to accept years of uncertainty, while Chen questions why he should trust the sect with his future.
• Talent, shortcuts, and foundations: The discussion contrasts Chen’s rapid Divine Path progress with his still-developing qi cultivation.

Plot and events

• Jiezhuzi of Great Hua Mountain invites Chen Cuo (also called Chen Fangqing) to join its Jade Purity lineage, emphasizing that Chen can cultivate without abandoning his existing foundation.
• Hanyanzi confirms that a calamity will strike the northern Zhou Kingdom in ten years. It may coincide with the opening of a special Divine Treasury, a bequest left by an extraordinary figure that normally admits only unconstrained immortals and gods. Because true immortals can scarcely descend into the world, a Reincarnated Immortal such as Chen may be needed.
• Jiezhuzi clarifies that the calamity and the Treasury are connected but separate, and Chen will not be forced to participate. Great Hua Mountain’s invitation is primarily about cultivation, not exploiting him for the coming crisis.
• Given time to choose, Chen decides to join Great Hua Mountain. He thanks Qiuyuzi for his past help and promises to remember his kindness.
• Jiezhuzi celebrates the decision and takes Chen away. Hanyanzi accepts the outcome, while Qiuyuzi is disappointed. The Peachwood Sword teases Hanyanzi that Kunlun’s pride is bruised by losing Chen to a rival sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo/Chen Fangqing makes an independent choice, valuing a clear path to cultivation and Great Hua Mountain’s lack of pressure over Kunlun’s prestige. He remains gracious toward Qiuyuzi despite declining Kunlun.
• Jiezhuzi presents Great Hua Mountain as an open, principled alternative and is candid about the coming danger. He avoids using an additional inducement so Chen’s choice will be genuine.
• Qiuyuzi struggles between wanting Chen for Kunlun and respecting his freedom. He ultimately assures Chen there will be no resentment and says he helped him out of personal regard.
• Hanyanzi remains outwardly composed and insists that Chen’s choice belongs to him, though the Peachwood Sword suggests Kunlun’s rejection has unsettled him. His reassurance strengthens Lu You’s resolve about having chosen Kunlun.
• The sect leaders’ exchange contrasts Jiezhuzi’s persuasive warmth, Qiuyuzi’s personal regret, and Hanyanzi’s controlled acceptance.

Significant themes

• Freedom of choice: Sect affiliation and participation in future events are presented as Chen’s decisions, not obligations.
• Cultivation over immediate gain: Chen chooses a lineage and a long-term path rather than being swayed by prestige or promises.
• Detachment and regret: Hanyanzi warns Qiuyuzi not to turn disappointment into an inner demon; the Peachwood Sword exposes the pride beneath Hanyanzi’s calm.
• Uncertain consequences: Whether Chen chose rightly will only become clearer when events unfold in the Zhou Kingdom.

Key plot points and events

• In a bamboo cottage, Chuiyunzi worries that Jiezhuzi has not returned and wonders whether Great Hua Mountain should have revealed its supreme treasure to Chen Cuo. Nanmingzi tells him to stop fretting: Jiezhuzi has gone to meet Chen Cuo and assess his potential.
• Jiezhuzi arrives with Chen Cuo, and Nanmingzi and Chuiyunzi warmly welcome Chen as a fellow disciple. They reveal that their master has decided to accept him as a Personal Disciple, a significant honor even by the standards of the prestigious Great Hua Mountain.
• Jiezhuzi downplays formal ranks and sect prestige, encouraging the Daoists to focus on cultivation rather than comparison with other schools.
• Nanmingzi gives Chen a spotless white Initiation Spirit Jade, a sect token that can protect him, carry messages, and activate Great Hua Mountain’s ancient Guiding Grand Formation. The formation is supposed to draw a qualified newcomer to the mountain, cleanse their body, reveal their spiritual roots, and grant them a Daoist name.
• Chen, who has pressing worldly business—including dealing with Hou Andu and attending the Green Willow Gathering—agrees to activate the jade now. His blood spreads through it and makes it pulse like a heartbeat. Nanmingzi takes this as proof that Chen has deep immortal roots.
• After Chen leaves, Jiezhuzi exposes the real reason for the timing: the formation does not normally need six or seven hours to awaken. Their martial uncle arranged for Chen to be drawn in during the gathering, hoping to enhance his prestige. Jiezhuzi tells Nanmingzi that the deception will eventually need explaining.
• Jiezhuzi leaves to pursue a dangerous creature in Shu, hoping to make Azure Cloud Pills for the sect. He is confident Chen will face no trouble with Hou Andu and expects Chen’s recruitment to vindicate Great Hua Mountain in the eyes of Kunlun.

Character developments and interactions

• Chuiyunzi is anxious and openly enthusiastic about Chen’s admission, praising his talent and anticipating that he will bring glory to the sect.
• Nanmingzi is eager to secure Chen’s commitment, balancing politeness with urgency. He presents the jade and persuades Chen to use it immediately.
• Jiezhuzi is relaxed, perceptive, and skeptical of sect posturing. He recognizes the manipulation behind the accelerated timing and warns Nanmingzi to prepare an explanation.
• Chen Cuo is impressed by Great Hua Mountain’s offer but remains practical, mindful of his other obligations. He accepts the jade and cooperates, though he initially expects a more dramatic result.
• The Daoists’ warm welcome contrasts with their willingness to manipulate events for Chen’s benefit—and the sect’s reputation.

Significant themes

• Personal cultivation versus institutional prestige: Jiezhuzi argues that spiritual practice matters more than a sect’s rise or status.
• Trust and strategic deception: Great Hua Mountain’s recruitment is sincere, but its leaders engineer the timing of Chen’s initiation to boost his public standing.
• Belonging and identity: The jade and guiding formation symbolize Chen’s entry into a new spiritual community and the promise of a Daoist identity.
• Rivalry between sects: Jiezhuzi frames Chen’s future success as a chance to prove Kunlun wrong for passing over him.

Key events

• Chen Cuo leaves the Marquis’s Residence for Green Willow Garden, taking Little Pig and Little Turtle with him. His mother fears his departure but recognizes his new immortal status as a blessing for the family.
• Chen Jiao also leaves to attend the gathering with two friends. Though she jokes along with their excited chatter, she feels uneasy. Yu Fang notices her departure and reports that the gathering may become more complicated.
• Yu Fang and Lu Shouyi watch the General Who Conquers the North’s residence. They see a guarded convoy leave, carrying a sealed ox cart, but Lu tells Yu Fang to keep watch rather than follow.
• A mysterious woman in black, unseen by those around her—including Yu Fang and Lu Shouyi—overhears that the Southern Dynasty’s Attendant Tower is monitoring Hou Andu. She predicts Hou plans to kill Chen Fangqing, cow the emperor and Literati, and seize power.
• A crow familiar to the woman enters the general’s residence, transforms into a hook-nosed man, and slips into a blood-stained cellar. There he finds emaciated prisoners and hears monstrous roars from a firelit chamber. He wonders whether Hou Andu will attain immortality or succumb to a dangerous transformation.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo’s mother shifts from grief at the thought of losing her son to pride in what his advancement means for the family. She also orders protection for Chen Jiao, wary of Hou Andu.
• Chen Jiao masks her anxiety with humor while her friends focus on the excitement of the gathering and the chance to see celebrated scholars.
• Yu Fang is alert to the growing number of attendees and the political significance of the day; Lu Shouyi urges caution.
• The woman in black is detached and confident in her reading of Hou Andu’s intentions. Her exchange with the crow reveals disagreement over where she should observe events.
• The hook-nosed man is fascinated by Hou Andu’s gamble and by the evidence of violence and inhuman change beneath the general’s residence.

Significant themes

• Political upheaval and surveillance: Multiple factions watch Hou Andu as the court’s response takes shape.
• Ambition and dangerous transformation: Hou Andu’s bid for power may lead to immortality—or monstrous loss of self.
• Family attachment and separation: Chen Cuo’s mother welcomes his success but mourns the distance it creates.
• Hidden realities: Unseen observers, concealed identities, a secret convoy, and the cellar’s prisoners suggest that the public gathering masks darker events.

Key plot points and events

• Prince of Ancheng learns that Hou Andu is heading to the palace, where officials will discuss the Northern war. The prince regrets losing a capable commander but agrees that Hou has become a dangerous source of internal conflict. He plans to go to Green Willow Garden and gamble on whether Hou will be killed.
• Buddhist leaders gather at Guishan Temple and decide to use the day’s events to strengthen their ties with the court. They see the Marquis of Linru County as potentially important in the coming crisis, especially as the forceful Zhou ruler threatens Buddhist interests in the north.
• Daoist leaders meet separately. Zhou Youzi explains that the Marquis helped him and Yunmiaozi gain influence in the Attendant Tower, and warns that Buddhist temples are mobilizing against the Marquis. The Daoists agree that they must act to improve their own standing and compete with the Buddhists.
• Shen Family’s Young Lady and her attendant arrive outside Green Willow Garden in disguise to watch the Green Willow Gathering. They observe the arrival of prominent scholars, including Minister Yu and the famed young talent Jiang Yi.

Character developments and interactions

• Prince of Ancheng balances regret over Hou Andu’s military value with the belief that Hou must be eliminated. He treats the plan as a risky but necessary gamble; Shen Zunli supports the decision but appears uneasy.
• Yuanhui and the Buddhist masters act pragmatically, seeking court influence and anticipating a future religious crisis. They regard the Marquis as a possible ally.
• Zhou Youzi and Yunmiaozi use their new access to the Attendant Tower to rally Daoist leaders. The Daoists’ support for action reflects their desire to counter Buddhist political influence.
• Shen Family’s Young Lady displays confidence and knowledge as she explains the garden’s history and identifies the notable arrivals. Her attendant is curious and impressed by the gathering and its famous guests.

Significant themes

• Political maneuvering and factional rivalry: Buddhist and Daoist institutions compete for influence at court, while the prince weighs the cost of removing Hou Andu.
• The strain of war and weakened power: The southern kingdom’s losses leave it poorly positioned as the Northern powers prepare for another major conflict.
• Religion and political prophecy: Leaders interpret the rise of the Zhou ruler and the Marquis’s prominence as signs of a looming crisis.
• Reputation and public status: The scholars’ fame shapes the crowd’s behavior, while the gathering draws people eager to witness celebrated figures.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Cuo reflects that Yu Ji possesses powerful, apparently unrecognized thoughts resembling the Confucian power of Shen Zunli. Chen believes Hou Andu must act against him to complete a chain of cause and effect.
• Chen senses the returning “Old Beggar” at a street corner and rushes toward him.
• At the Green Willow Gathering, Yu Ji welcomes Jiang Yi, whose writing he admires, and encourages him to speak freely about the troubled affairs of state. The two join a gathering of prominent scholars and officials.
• Hou Andu’s subordinate Ding Long observes the assembled scholars, noting that their concentration of Righteous Qi would repel ghosts. He and a younger associate hint that the gathering’s circumstances are part of their work for the Great General.
• The garden fills with people of different ranks and purposes. Shen Family’s Young Lady waits for Chen Fangqing, while her maid goes to look for him.
• The maid overhears scholars criticizing The Painted Skin, an essay by the Marquis of Linru County, Chen Fangqing. A young woman from the Prince of Nankang’s household defends him, but Lu Le—who has written an attack on the essay—challenges her and exposes her family connection to Chen. The crowd turns its attention to the brewing literary dispute.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Cuo is focused on arranging a consequential confrontation with Hou Andu, but the Old Beggar’s sudden reappearance interrupts his thoughts.
• Yu Ji acts as host and mentor, drawing Jiang Yi into the gathering and encouraging frank discussion.
• Jiang Yi seeks Yu Ji’s counsel and joins the event as a celebrated young writer.
• Shen Family’s Young Lady remains composed while waiting for Chen Fangqing; her maid teases her about her feelings and takes initiative to search for him.
• The defending young woman shows courage by speaking against the scholars, but her support for Chen Fangqing becomes more vulnerable once her family tie is revealed.
• Lu Le uses the confrontation to revive the public controversy around The Painted Skin, turning a private literary criticism into a spectacle.

Significant themes

• Public reputation and literary rivalry: The gathering becomes a stage where essays are judged and personal disputes attract an audience.
• Courage versus social pressure: The young woman speaks up, while the crowd’s scrutiny and Lu Le’s status quickly unsettle her.
• Politics beneath respectable appearances: Ding Long’s presence suggests the scholarly event may serve a broader political purpose.
• Hidden power and cause and effect: Chen Cuo’s reflections connect unseen mental forces and deliberate actions to the larger chain of events.