Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng’s sword slips through Leng Wuya’s golden Divine Realm, astonishing the assembled observers. His blade exploits fleeting gaps in the realm—an approach Sword Spirit identifies as “Cook Ding Butchers the Ox,” cutting through spaces between obstacles.
• The strike wounds Leng Wuya and forces the Protector Deity possessing him to leave his body. The possession has drained both host and deity, and Leng Wuya’s power collapses.
• Tang reveals that he can summon a deity too: Wang Yufu appears and engages Leng Wuya’s weakened Protector Deity in a clash of Yang Spirit-level power.
• Facing Tang alone, Leng Wuya concedes. Before Tang can respond, Pu Anhe of the Golden Body Combat Order charges in, eager to fight, and attacks with a powerful golden fist.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng is revealed as a patient, prepared strategist whose apparent straightforward sword strike concealed a precise plan. He can identify and exploit weaknesses in an opponent’s Divine Realm, and he has access to a summoned Protector Deity.
• You Mengde’s long familiarity with Tang gives him confidence that Tang has a hidden advantage, even when the others doubt him.
• Leng Wuya loses his supernatural advantage once his Protector Deity is forced out and chooses to concede rather than face Tang directly.
• Wang Yufu enters the fight as Tang’s summoned ally, while Pu Anhe shows his impulsive, battle-hungry nature.

Significant themes

• Skill over brute force: Tang wins by perceiving and exploiting minute flaws rather than matching Leng Wuya’s power head-on.
• Preparation and hidden resources: Tang’s victory reflects careful planning and concealed capabilities.
• The costs of borrowed power: Leng Wuya’s temporary Yang Spirit strength depends on possession, which drains both him and the deity.
• Reversal and adaptation: Tang turns the Tongling Wuji Order’s summoning advantage against it.

Character interactions

• You Mengde’s faith in Tang contrasts with the other observers’ disbelief.
• Sword Spirit’s rare praise helps the group understand how Tang’s swordsmanship works.
• Tang forces Leng Wuya’s Protector Deity out, then counters the Order’s summoning technique with Wang Yufu.
• Leng Wuya concedes to Tang, but Pu Anhe immediately interrupts the aftermath by challenging him.

Key events

• Tang Changsheng defeats Pu Anhe in a spar by piercing the Golden Body Combat Order disciple’s supposedly near-impenetrable Combat Golden Body. Pu Anhe is left shaken because he cannot understand how the subtle, graceful sword strike wounded him.
• The Taiyi Immortal Sword Order disciples identify Tang’s technique as the restored Great Expansion Sword Art, made whole after Tang recovered its lost diagram. Its power depends on rare insight rather than prolonged practice.
• Determined to discourage others from treating him as an easy target, Tang accepts Nan Wuming’s challenge and attacks first.
• Nan counters with the Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace’s Ghost King Claw, a powerful supernatural ability that can withstand Tang’s sword light.
• Tang divides his sword light, sending one strand after the claw and another toward Nan. Nan reveals he can summon multiple Ghost King Claws and appears ready to trap the attack. Tang responds by splitting off another sword-light strand.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng demonstrates exceptional talent and growing confidence, using both Great Expansion Swordsmanship and the advanced Sword Light Division technique. His calm manner contrasts with his resolve to prove himself.
• Pu Anhe, normally eager for combat, is rattled by Tang’s inexplicable strike and withdraws rather than risk continuing.
• Nan Wuming projects arrogance and treats the duel like a contest he expects to control, but Tang’s successive attacks test that confidence.
• Li Chuanhai, previously the only disciple known to master Sword Light Division, reacts with resentment when Tang displays it too.
• Qin Qingyan and the other Taiyi disciples cheer Tang, impressed by his skill; the watching disciples are surprised by how powerful the restored sword art is.

Significant themes

• Insight and talent: Great Expansion Swordsmanship cannot simply be learned through hard practice; Tang’s mastery marks him as unusually gifted.
• Power and respect: Tang recognizes that others are willing to challenge or exploit him because they consider him weak, so he uses the sparring matches to establish his standing.
• Pride and rivalry: Tang’s accomplishments provoke admiration from some disciples and envy from others, while the duel with Nan becomes a public test of competing sect techniques.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng defeats Nan Wuming in a demonstration of Sword Light Division, expanding his sword light from three streams to four and finally five.
• Nan Wuming concedes, though he makes clear he has not used all his hidden abilities. Tang responds diplomatically, preserving his senior’s dignity.
• Tang’s victory spreads his reputation and deters others from targeting his Cave Abode.
• Zheng Qing, threatened by Tang’s growing stature, begins obstructing him, mistakenly suspecting he wants to become Sect Leader.
• As disciples rush to the Great Wild Marsh to rescue others, Tang stays at Cloudtail Mountain to oversee the Earth Qi of his newly established Cave Abode. He welcomes reinforcements passing through and becomes better known among the Immortal Sect disciples.
• After more than ten days, an exhausted Taiyi disciple arrives through Liberation by Violence, having sent out his Primordial Spirit. Tang quickly shelters him in a piece of Precious Jade.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng reveals that his Nine Luminaries Heavenly Heart Method and Primordial Yang Heart Lamp Method let him divide his consciousness and spiritual sense exceptionally well, enabling fivefold sword light despite his Yin Spirit stage. He is also tactful toward Nan Wuming and helpful to the wounded disciple.
• Nan Wuming recognizes Tang’s strength and concedes gracefully, while retaining pride in his own untapped abilities.
• Zheng Qing grows jealous and anxious about Tang’s possible influence, while Li Chuanhai is also left resentful after Tang’s display.
• Qin Qingyan admires Tang and wants to spend time with him, but Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai hurry the group into the Wilds, preventing them from getting closer.
• Tang’s rescue of the fleeing disciple begins a new encounter, as the badly weakened spirit seeks his protection.

Significant themes

• Hidden ability and recognition: Tang’s extraordinary skill overturns assumptions about his rank and earns him respect.
• Ambition and insecurity: Tang has no immediate interest in leadership, but Zheng Qing’s fear of being displaced drives conflict.
• Duty and personal limits: Tang wants to help with the rescue effort, but responsibilities to his new Cave Abode keep him behind.
• Trust and vulnerability: The fleeing disciple entrusts his fragile spirit to Tang, who responds with immediate protection.

Key plot points and events

• A wounded disciple returns alone from the Wilds, his Yin Spirit damaged after the group following Zheng Qing angered several Demon Kings and was lured into a Forbidden Ground. He escaped by abandoning his Physical Body.
• Over the next few days, disciples from several Immortal Sects retreat as well. Their scattered, overconfident expedition struggles with the Southern Borderlands’ harsh conditions and the Demon Kings’ counterattacks.
• Zheng Qing and the Taiyi Immortal Sword Order’s disciples are eventually driven back before reaching the Great Wild Marsh. Hundreds of embarrassed disciples gather at Tang Changsheng’s Cloudtail Mountain.
• A force of more than ten thousand Demon Soldiers, assembled by the Thirteen-Road Demon Kings, advances on Cloudtail Mountain. Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai lead a Great Expansion Sword Formation into battle, but Tang Changsheng sees that it is failing to disrupt the enemy ranks.
• Qin Qingyan asks Tang Changsheng to take charge. He agrees to support the fight, with Qin’s help in directing the unfamiliar sword formation.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng shows clear judgment and practical leadership, recognizing that the disciples’ earlier failures stemmed from poor coordination and Zheng Qing’s inability to assess the larger conflict. He also identifies the enemy’s tactical skill.
• Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai lead the initial charge but are contrasted with Tang’s more cautious approach; Zheng’s earlier decisions have already led his group into repeated trouble.
• Qin Qingyan increasingly trusts Tang, viewing him as more dependable than Zheng or Li, and chooses to seek his guidance rather than join their attack. She readily offers her assistance.
• Mountain Girl, though absent from the battle, emerges as the likely strategist behind the Demon Kings’ disciplined formation and their growing unity.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence versus preparation: The sect disciples’ status and confidence cannot compensate for unfamiliar terrain, poor coordination, and underestimating their opponents.
• Leadership and strategy: Tang’s ability to read the battle contrasts with the impulsive charge, while Mountain Girl’s organization has transformed a once-weak coalition into a serious force.
• Unity and responsibility: The disciples must cooperate across sect and rank, and Tang recognizes that he cannot simply watch fellow members of his Order lose.

Plot points and events

• As the Immortal Sect forces gain the apparent upper hand against the demons, Tang Changsheng senses that something is wrong and urges his allies to wait rather than rush into the battle.
• He watches the Demon Soldiers’ orderly retreat and recognizes it as a feint: their formation has not truly broken.
• Tang organizes a rescue force, taking the lead in the Taiyi Immortal Sword Order’s Great Expansion Sword Formation. You Mengde and his disciples support them with the Azure Sea Illusory Life Formation.
• Tang’s warning proves correct. Hidden demons and roughly a hundred thousand Ghost Soldiers spring the trap, surrounding and scattering the Immortal Sect disciples across the battlefield.
• Tang’s small force—fewer than forty Yin God disciples—charges into the encirclement to break through and rescue the trapped fighters. Their combined formations begin to turn the battle.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng displays keen tactical judgment, calm patience, and the ability to divide his attention between combat and deep cultivation insights. His remarkable spiritual talisman also reveals his exceptional cultivation potential.
• Qin Qingyan readily trusts Tang and follows his lead, despite her fellow disciples’ surprise.
• You Mengde recognizes Tang’s insight and publicly defers to his judgment, reinforcing Tang’s growing standing among the disciples.
• The Taiyi female disciples move from amusement and impatience toward respect as Tang’s ability becomes increasingly evident.

Significant themes

• Foresight over apparent advantage: A seemingly winning battle can conceal an enemy’s trap.
• Trust and leadership: Tang earns obedience not through rank or boasting, but through sound judgment.
• Unity and coordinated strength: The sword and illusion formations amplify the disciples’ power and make their daring counterattack possible.
• True ability revealed through action: Tang’s talent becomes undeniable through both his talisman’s brilliance and his tactical success.

Character interactions

• Qin Qingyan backs Tang’s instructions, while her disciples initially mock her confidence in him.
• You Mengde asks Tang for guidance and promises to follow his orders.
• Tang restrains the eager disciples from joining the fight too soon, then rallies Qin, You Mengde, and their forces when the trap is sprung.
• The disciples’ initial doubts give way to admiration as Tang leads them into the encirclement.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng leads the Great Expansion Sword Formation alongside You Mengde’s Azure Sea Illusory Life Formation. Their coordinated attack cuts through a Demon Soldier squad, then breaks a Ghost Domain and kills its towering Ghost General.
• Rather than chase fleeing enemies, Tang directs the formations to keep breaking through enemy lines and rescuing trapped Immortal Sects disciples.
• Using his unusual ability to perceive weaknesses in the chaotic battlefield, Tang identifies gaps in the Demons’ disorganized ranks. He gathers rescued disciples into squads and units, turning scattered fighters into an organized force.
• Other respected disciples follow his example and form forces of their own. Faced with three organized groups, the Demons withdraw.
• After the victory, Qin Qingyan asks whether they should pursue. Tang remains calm, and the chapter ends before his answer.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng demonstrates tactical insight, disciplined leadership, and composure. He is not merely powerful: he reads the battlefield, chooses his moment, and prioritizes rescuing and organizing allies over pursuit.
• Qin Qingyan is openly admiring and proud of Tang, especially after others had doubted him. Her enthusiasm leads her to imagine pursuing the Demons and pressing on to rescue Ying Tiecheng.
• You Mengde shows how closely he understands Tang’s intentions, responding to his strategy without needing detailed instructions.
• The rescued disciples gain confidence as Tang’s leadership turns their desperate situation into a coordinated victory.

Significant themes

• Cooperation multiplies strength: The two formations work together as blade and hammer, achieving far more than either could alone.
• Order versus disorder: The Demons’ lack of coherent command leaves them vulnerable, while even simple organization makes the Immortal Sects’ forces much stronger.
• Leadership and restraint: Tang’s success comes from clear judgment and prioritizing the larger objective, not from pursuing every enemy.
• Seeing hidden structure: Tang’s ability to recognize weaknesses in what appears to be chaos gives him a decisive advantage.

Character interactions

• Tang gives direct orders to his formations and to rescued disciples, quickly bringing them under control.
• He and You Mengde coordinate seamlessly; You understands and carries out Tang’s plan.
• Qin Qingyan’s admiration contrasts with the earlier doubts of other disciples, whose views shift after witnessing the victory.
• Tang’s example inspires other leaders to organize their own groups, helping unite the scattered Immortal Sects fighters.

Plot points and events

• After Tang Changsheng’s victory, he advises against pursuing the retreating demons, noting that their orderly retreat may conceal a trap.
• Pu Anhe, a powerful Yang Spirit disciple of the Golden Body Combat Order, ignores the caution and leads more than two hundred followers after the demons. His group initially overwhelms their rear guard, but the demons unleash a vast charge of Savage Beasts and hidden demon experts. Pu Anhe’s formation breaks, and dozens are wounded.
• Once the demons are committed to withdrawing, Tang Changsheng unexpectedly orders the others to pursue. His group chases them for dozens of miles, killing many while the demons offer little resistance. He then ends the pursuit and lets them escape.
• The battle leaves over two hundred wounded, including Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai, but no one dead. Wang Yufu and Tang suspect Mountain Girl’s side deliberately spared the Immortal Sect disciples.
• The chapter ends with Tang Changsheng appearing in the Netherworld and waiting for Mountain Girl, who arrives in a carriage drawn by two spotted leopards.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng demonstrates not only caution but also the judgment to recognize when circumstances have changed. His successful pursuit convinces the others that his insight surpasses theirs.
• You Mengde, who had thought he might match Tang, accepts that he lacks Tang’s ability to make difficult decisions under pressure.
• Pu Anhe is shown to be exceptionally strong and courageous, but his confidence leads him into a costly, poorly timed pursuit.
• Qin Qingyan readily backs Tang’s decision, while becoming visibly irritated when the Taiyi Immortal Sword Order’s female disciples crowd around him.

Themes

• Judgment over raw strength: Pu Anhe’s formidable power cannot compensate for a misjudged moment; Tang’s timing turns the same retreat into an opportunity.
• Leadership and trust: Tang earns growing loyalty by repeatedly proving his decisions right.
• Mercy amid war: The absence of deaths, despite the scale of the fighting, suggests the demons are deliberately limiting casualties.
• Humility and self-knowledge: You Mengde recognizes the gap between his own abilities and Tang’s.

Character interactions

• The disciples initially defer to Tang after his victory, but Pu Anhe’s independent charge tests his warning—and ends disastrously.
• Tang’s followers hesitate at his sudden order to pursue, yet Qin Qingyan and others trust him enough to follow.
• You Mengde’s private comparison with Tang shifts from rivalry to admiration.
• Wang Yufu raises the possibility that Mountain Girl means the Immortal Sects no harm; Tang agrees, setting up their renewed meeting.

Key plot points and events

• Mountain Girl secretly meets Tang Changsheng to seek peace between the Demon Kings and the Immortal Sects.
• She explains that the Demon Kings initially tried to avoid conflict, but Immortal Sect disciples attacked demons indiscriminately, forcing the Demon Kings to fight back. Their strike near Cloudtail Mountain, she says, was a warning rather than an attempt to kill.
• Tang makes clear that an apology alone will not settle matters. Mountain Girl offers the Thirteen-Road Demon Kings’ submission and a promise not to encroach on the Immortal Sects, but Tang holds out for more.
• She then offers to help rescue Immortal Sect disciples trapped in the Great Wild Marsh in exchange for a promise that the sects will leave the Demon Kings alone afterward. Tang accepts, but reveals that Immortal Sect elders have already arrived—news that alarms her.

Character developments

• Mountain Girl emerges as shrewd and politically perceptive. She recognizes the Immortal Sects’ overwhelming strength and negotiates on behalf of the Demon Kings, while flattering Tang to win his cooperation.
• Tang Changsheng remains outwardly courteous but calculates the balance of power carefully. He is tempted by the chance to rescue Ying Tiecheng and strengthen Cloudtail Mountain’s standing, yet reminds Mountain Girl that the Immortal Sects have sent reinforcements.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: The Demon Kings may win local battles, but both sides understand that the Immortal Sects hold far greater power.
• Negotiation through strength: The Demon Kings’ offer follows armed resistance; Tang expects concessions rather than accepting peace on their terms.
• Self-interest and uncertain trust: Both characters pursue practical advantages, and neither can be sure the other will keep their promises.
• Misjudgment and escalation: The disciples’ arrogance and indiscriminate attacks turn an avoidable conflict into a broader confrontation.

Character interactions

• Mountain Girl appeals to Tang’s ambition and standing, presenting him as the one Immortal Sect figure the Demon Kings respect.
• Tang challenges her account of events and makes her improve her offer, while hiding his own strategic calculations behind a genial manner.
• Their bargain appears promising, but Tang’s revelation about the arriving elders shifts the balance and leaves the negotiations under pressure.

Plot points and events

• Mountain Girl recognizes that provoking the Immortal Sects would be disastrous and approaches Tang Changsheng seeking peace—and effectively offering herself to their service.
• Tang explains that the sects’ leaders have been watching events. Their limited intervention so far reflects how badly the disciples performed: a humiliating defeat would have forced the sects to act directly to restore their reputation.
• On Cloudtail Mountain, True Lord Wu and True Lord Qian arrive with five Yang Spirit True Persons. Rather than reprimand the assembled disciples, they praise them for acting together to rescue Ying Tiecheng, then declare that the disciples must finish the task themselves. The elders retreat into a treasured Cave Abode to observe.
• The disciples realize this is a test of their ability to cooperate. They decide they need a leader and begin organizing into competing groups.

Character developments and interactions

• Mountain Girl shows caution and political awareness, choosing negotiation over resistance.
• Tang Changsheng is presented as a capable strategist whose earlier leadership helped the disciples recover from defeat. His reputation makes him the leading choice for many.
• True Lord Qian thanks the disciples for rescuing his disciple, Ying Tiecheng; True Lord Wu makes clear that the sects will not rescue them or complete the mission for them.
• Qin Qingyan publicly endorses Tang, calling him the most capable choice, and helps rally others to him.
• The disciples divide among leaders: Tang’s group attracts more than half; Leng Wuya, respected for seniority and past leadership, gathers over two hundred; Pu Anhe, admired for courage and self-sacrifice despite his losses, retains a smaller following.

Significant themes

• Cooperation versus division: The disciples’ earlier failures stemmed from acting as isolated individuals; success now depends on unity and coordination.
• Leadership and earned trust: Tang’s practical achievements—not merely seniority—make him the most popular candidate, while other leaders draw support through experience or bravery.
• Testing and accountability: The Immortal Sects deliberately leave the disciples to solve the crisis, forcing them to prove their competence.
• Power and prudence: Mountain Girl’s approach reflects the danger of challenging institutions far stronger than herself.

Key plot points and events

• Factions among the Immortal Sect disciples have taken shape. Tang Changsheng leads the largest coalition, while Leng Wuya commands another, and Nan Wuming’s small Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace group stands independently. Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai, unable to gather their own followers, have joined Leng Wuya.
• In the Spring Waters Painting, True Lord Wu and True Lord Qian discuss the disciples’ choices and the need for unity. The elders see the crisis as both a rescue effort and a test of leadership.
• Tang Changsheng orders the disciples to pool their forces. Their Military Tallies provide nearly 300,000 Ghost Soldiers and 20,000 Magical Weapons, which together form a powerful Ghost Domain and a vast battle array.
• Leng Wuya’s formation is similarly formidable, drawing on the Tongling Wuji Order’s expertise in summoning troops. Nan Wuming’s group is smaller but exceptionally powerful, backed by the Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace’s command over Ghost Dao forces.
• Tang’s coalition is judged the strongest at Cloudmist Mountain. With the other leaders waiting on him, Tang takes the initiative and orders the summoning of Fengyun.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng emerges as the leading organizer: he turns scattered personal forces into a unified army and accepts responsibility for the next move.
• Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai’s decision to abandon their fellow sect disciple damages their standing in True Lord Wu’s eyes and may jeopardize Zheng Qing’s future prospects.
• Leng Wuya attracts those who do not join Tang and benefits from his sect’s summoning traditions.
• Nan Wuming asserts his group’s independence, reflecting the Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace’s strength and pride.
• True Lord Wu and True Lord Qian agree that the crisis is meant to reveal capable leaders, but they remain observers rather than intervening.

Significant themes

• Unity and loyalty: The chapter contrasts cooperation under Tang with Zheng Qing and Li Chuanhai’s choice to support an outsider.
• Leadership through action: Tang’s ability to rally forces and make decisions may earn him recognition as a leader among the next generation.
• Collective strength: Individually modest contingents become formidable when combined.
• Rivalry and ambition: The great sects’ competing influence is reflected in the disciples’ separate coalitions, especially the Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace’s refusal to serve under another faction.

Key plot points

• Tang Changsheng leads roughly 400 Immortal Sect disciples, 300,000 Ghost Soldiers, and 20,000 Magical Weapons into the Wilds beneath artificial dark clouds that protect the ghosts from sunlight.
• After crossing difficult, pathless terrain, the army reaches Screen Mountain, stronghold of the Thirteen-Road Demon Kings.
• Tang refuses to wait for the other Immortal Sect leaders, including Leng Wuya, and orders an immediate advance.
• Instead of fighting, the Demon Kings raise a white flag and invite Tang to meet them. They explain that they recognized him from his actions at Cloudmist Mountain and consider him the only leader worthy of their allegiance.
• Tang accepts the invitation, confidently praising the talents of the disciples accompanying him. After speaking privately with the Demons, he sees the thirteen Demon Kings and tens of thousands of soldiers kneel in surrender.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng displays decisiveness, composure, and confidence. He risks meeting the enemy alone, challenges their motives, and boosts his followers’ morale by praising them in front of the Demons.
• Qin Qingyan is eager for revenge after past defeats but grows alarmed when Tang approaches the Demon stronghold alone. Her concern reflects the danger the group still perceives.
• The Immortal Sect disciples move from anticipating a hard-won battle to stunned disbelief. The enemy’s recognition of Tang strengthens their trust in him, while his words make them feel valued and ready to defend him.
• The Demon Kings shift from feared adversaries to willing subjects, openly crediting Tang’s earlier achievement and declaring their respect for him.

Significant themes

• Reputation and leadership: Tang’s deeds have earned recognition even among former enemies, making his authority persuasive without a battle.
• Confidence and morale: His calm resolve and public praise help unite and embolden his followers.
• The power of reputation over force: An army assembled for combat wins a major victory through recognition and surrender rather than violence.
• Appearance and uncertainty: The disciples expect another ambush or a brutal fight, but the encounter overturns their assumptions.

Plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng returns after subduing the Thirteen-Road Demon Kings, stunning the assembled disciples and winning widespread admiration. His achievement leads many to wonder whether he could rise to the rank of a leading disciple.
• Pu Anhe, Leng Wuya, and their followers arrive and are equally astonished. Leng admits—again—that he is no match for Tang.
• The army camps at Screen Mountain for two days to keep the Demon Kings in check and plan a route into the Great Wild Marsh, still thousands of li away.
• The route is fraught with danger. Seven Immortals Mountain is guarded by deadly miasma and the powerful Seven Immortals Old Devil, former master of the Thirteen-Road Demon Kings. Beyond it lie swamps inhabited by a Black Flood Dragon.
• Tang has the leaders pool their knowledge and devise a strategy. They decide to lure the Seven Immortals Old Devil away from his mountain and fight him elsewhere. The Demon Kings will be key to carrying out the plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang’s authority and reputation grow rapidly; even powerful peers recognize his ability. He leads the planning rather than trying to solve the problem alone.
• Leng Wuya openly acknowledges Tang’s superiority, while Pu Anhe and the other leaders accept Tang’s command despite retaining some freedom over their own forces.
• Mountain Girl’s past leadership is revealed: she helped the Demon Kings rebel against the cruel Old Devil and repeatedly defeated his attacks.
• The Demon Kings’ surrender is shown to stem not only from fear of the Immortal Sects but also from their long-standing conflict with the Old Devil.

Significant themes

• Reputation and leadership: Tang’s deeds attract potential followers and elevate his standing.
• Collective wisdom: Strategic planning depends on pooling expertise and giving capable people a voice.
• Civilization versus savagery: The chapter contrasts the organized, assimilated Demon Kings with the Old Devil’s brutal, unassimilated nature.
• Power and danger: The Demon Kings are formidable locally, yet the Wilds contain threats far beyond them.

• Mountain Girl’s challenge and the trap: Three days after the provocation, Mountain Girl leads troops to Seven Immortals Mountain. Its beautiful seven-colored mist is actually deadly poison, survivable only by the Old Devil’s scorpion descendants. Confident and unaware of the wider Immortal Sects’ campaign, the Old Devil sends his general Jie Nan and a large force down to crush her.
• The ambush: Mountain Girl’s challenge is a lure. Tang Changsheng orders the trap sprung, and the scorpion demons are surrounded by an overwhelming coalition: hundreds of thousands of Yin Soldiers, tens of thousands of Demon Soldiers and Magical Weapons, and elite Immortal Sect disciples. The force quickly captures or kills the five hundred scorpion demons—nearly half the Old Devil’s troops.
• Jie Nan’s resistance: The huge, hammer-wielding scorpion general proves exceptionally dangerous. He cuts through thousands of Yin Soldiers, whose arrows eventually wear down the demons’ bodies. The coalition’s Magical Weapons then pierce and crack Jie Nan’s shell. Poison, one of the scorpion demons’ greatest advantages, is ineffective against the bodiless Yin Soldiers.
• Character developments and interactions: The Seven Immortals Old Devil’s arrogance and isolation leave him complacent and unaware of the threat gathering beyond his mountain. Mountain Girl acts as bait, while Tang Changsheng takes charge of the ambush. Jie Nan displays formidable strength and ferocity, but even he is gradually overwhelmed by the coalition’s numbers and tactics.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts individual power with coordinated force, showing how planning and overwhelming numbers can defeat seemingly invincible enemies. It also highlights the danger of complacency and the limits of relying on a single advantage—in this case, the scorpions’ poison against opponents it cannot affect. The chapter ends mid-battle as Jie Nan is surrounded and wounded, leaving his fate unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Yufu arrives after the battle at Seven Immortals Mountain’s foot, where Jie Nan and nearly all five hundred Scorpion Demons have been killed. The allies prepare to attack the mountain.
• The Seven Immortals Old Devil, enraged rather than intimidated, descends in a vast, seven-colored cloud. Its sweet, fermenting scent gives way to a foul stench.
• Tang Changsheng leads a sword assault. The Old Devil’s black qi first blinds the attackers’ spiritual senses and weakens their swords, but Tang’s Primordial Taiyi Divine Talisman releases Clear Light, enabling the swords to strike his Primordial Spirit Dharma Body.
• Tang’s technique is revealed as Ten Thousand Swords Pay Homage to the Sect, a rare and demanding secret art previously mastered by only the current Taiyi Immortal Sword Order leader in three hundred years.
• The allies follow with the Blue Sea Tide Rise technique and successive coordinated attacks. The Old Devil is wounded and driven toward the mountain, but is caught in a formation of twenty thousand Demon Soldiers.
• His poisonous Divine Realm corrodes weapons and kills the soldiers who approach, demonstrating why he is such a formidable opponent.
• As he tries to break through the formation, a meteor-like streak of fire strikes him. Flaming Divine Generals appear and surround him, continuing the assault.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng displays exceptional skill and leadership. His mastery of Ten Thousand Swords Pay Homage to the Sect saves weaker disciples and becomes a major revelation to his fellow cultivators.
• The Seven Immortals Old Devil shifts from arrogant confidence to fear when the coordinated attacks leave him unable to retaliate or escape. Even so, his poisonous Divine Realm proves deadly.
• Wang Yufu helps establish the allies’ initial momentum after the Scorpion Demons are defeated.

Significant themes

• Cooperation and layered tactics: The allies combine sword techniques, large-scale attacks, and a Demon Soldier formation to keep the Old Devil off balance.
• Hidden mastery and reputation: Tang’s rare accomplishment changes how others view him and underscores the prestige of his order’s secret art.
• Power’s cost and danger: The Old Devil’s poison destroys both weapons and lives, showing that overwhelming force can still carry terrible risks.
• Pride and vulnerability: The Old Devil’s arrogance draws him into an encounter where coordinated enemies can exploit his confidence.

Character interactions

• Tang directs the sword assault, while the Taiyi disciples’ swords respond together to his Clear Light.
• Zheng Qing, Li Chuanhai, and their companions recognize the significance of Tang’s technique and react with shock.
• Disciples from multiple factions join successive attacks, followed by the Demon Soldiers’ formation.
• The flaming Divine Generals take up the fight as the Demon Soldiers’ formation is threatened.

Plot points and events

• The Tongling Wuji Order intervenes against the Seven Immortals Old Devil, sending eighteen flaming Divine Generals and thirty-six White Light Divine Generals into battle.
• The Old Devil’s poisonous Divine Realm devastates the attackers: all thirty-six White Light Generals are destroyed, badly injuring their disciples through backlash. Leng Wuya and the others withdraw their remaining Generals to avoid further losses.
• The Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace retaliates with more than a hundred costly Vermilion Bright Jade Flame Divine Thunderbolts. The barrage breaks the Old Devil’s Divine Realm and damages his dharma form.
• Thirteen more flame-wreathed Generals appear. Tang Changsheng realizes they are Lu Yuanzhen’s creations: Wishfire shaped by divine thought and powered by the Primordial Yang Divine Lamp, rather than the Tongling Wuji Order’s traditionally refined Generals.
• Lu Yuanzhen repeatedly summons new Generals despite the Old Devil’s poisonous counterattack and the backlash he suffers. The wounded Old Devil tries to flee toward Seven Immortals Mountain.
• Sword attacks, the Azure Sea Illusory Life Formation, and Lu Yuanzhen’s immense merged Divine General strike in succession. The Old Devil is torn apart, then burned away before he can reassemble. Lu Yuanzhen draws his remaining essence into the lamp to be refined.

Character developments and interactions

• Leng Wuya and the Tongling Wuji Order begin confidently but quickly recognize that their Generals cannot withstand the Old Devil’s poison without risking catastrophic losses. They retreat rather than persist for pride’s sake.
• The Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace demonstrates its power—and its determination to defend its standing among the Upper Three Sects—by spending lavishly on thunderbolts.
• Tang Changsheng identifies Lu Yuanzhen’s distinctive technique and explains how his Wishfire Generals differ from the Order’s.
• Lu Yuanzhen emerges as the decisive force: even after his creations are destroyed and he suffers backlash, he keeps attacking, prevents the Old Devil’s escape, and ensures he cannot recover.

Significant themes

• Collective force and cooperation: Several sects’ attacks weaken the Old Devil before Lu Yuanzhen delivers the finishing blow.
• Power and its costs: The battle’s techniques carry serious risks, including destroyed Generals, disciples’ injuries, and backlash to Lu Yuanzhen.
• Resourcefulness and persistence: Lu Yuanzhen’s ability to recreate his Wishfire Generals outlasts the Old Devil’s defenses.
• Pride and reputation: The Vermilion Bright Nether Void Palace’s attack reflects its rivalry with the other great sects, while the Tongling Wuji Order learns that bravado cannot overcome a lethal advantage.

Plot points and events

• After capturing the Seven Immortals Old Devil, Tang Changsheng orders the Immortal Sect forces to eliminate every remaining threat on Seven Immortals Mountain.
• The disciples and their troops spend three days and nights clearing the mountain, then burn it. The fire disperses its poisonous miasma, leaving the area safe from the old danger.
• The expedition advances toward the Great Wild Marsh, where Ying Tiecheng is believed to be trapped and the exceptionally venomous Black Flood Dragon is said to dwell.
• Tang tries to lure the Flood Dragon out, but it does not respond, so the group enters the swamp. They face poisonous creatures and powerful Nature Spirits but, for three days, are not attacked by the dragon.
• On the fourth day, the fog parts to reveal the immense ruins of Huo Li En Ge City, also known as Sky-Reaching Fortress or the City of Heaven-Piercing Heights. Tang senses a dangerous disturbance in spacetime and warns that they have reached a Forbidden Ground.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang’s successful leadership has strengthened the group’s confidence in him. He remains decisive, ordering the mountain purged and pressing onward to rescue Ying Tiecheng despite the dangers.
• The disciples’ earlier arrogance has faded after repeated setbacks; they now approach the Forbidden Ground warily.
• Tang’s unusual perception, still shaped by his experience of “Yin Exhaustion, Yang Emergence,” lets him see reality as distorted lines and recognize the black-hole-like phenomenon as a spacetime disturbance.
• Wang Yufu recognizes the ruins and identifies them as Huo Li En Ge City, surprising the others with the city’s sudden appearance.

Significant themes

• Collective strength and disciplined cooperation: The Old Devil is defeated without casualties because the sects coordinate effectively.
• Prudence and prevention: The forces eliminate the mountain’s lesser creatures to prevent them becoming future threats.
• The limits of power: The Wilds’ chaotic spacetime can endanger even powerful immortals, making caution essential.
• Mystery of the past: The ancient, otherworldly city suggests remnants of lost worlds and introduces a new, uncertain danger.

Plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng’s group discovers Sky-Reaching Fortress, where the long-sought Black Flood Dragon is battling a gigantic, upright ape-like monster.
• Though both creatures wield extraordinary power, the ape has the advantage: it hurls enormous stones that badly injure the dragon, while the dragon’s poisonous breath is slow to harm the ape.
• Tang Changsheng keeps his larger force hidden and leads thirty experts toward the fortress, hoping to exploit the fight.
• By the time they arrive, the dragon is gravely wounded. The ape tears up stone pillars and hurls them after it, knocking it down near Tang Changsheng’s party.
• Tang Changsheng orders an attack. Using the Jade Ruyi—one of his Treasured Artifacts—he strikes the dragon’s skull with overwhelming Pure Yang force, crushing it before it can defend itself.

Character developments

• Tang Changsheng proves himself a calculating opportunist: he avoids risking his full force and waits until the dragon is weakened before striking. His swordsmanship is not his real strength; his artifacts are.
• Lu Yuanzhen is presented as far more powerful than he appears, with the potential to amplify his strength through the Primordial Yang Divine Lamp and Lü Yuanhua’s aid.
• The Black Flood Dragon, initially an imposing force seemingly immune to lightning, is revealed to be vulnerable to the ape’s brute strength and ultimately to a sudden, targeted attack.
• The giant ape is shown as ferocious and physically dominant, pursuing the wounded dragon relentlessly.

Significant themes

• Power and scale: Even beings at the Yang Spirit stage can differ enormously in raw strength.
• Opportunity and strategy: Tang Changsheng’s restraint and timing matter as much as force; he attacks only when the dragon is vulnerable.
• Hidden strength: Tang’s true capabilities lie in his Treasured Artifacts, while Lu Yuanzhen’s full power remains largely unrevealed.

Character interactions

• The ape and the Black Flood Dragon engage in a brutal contest, each inflicting serious damage on the other.
• Tang Changsheng commands the mixed force of sect disciples, rogue cultivators, and Demon Soldiers, keeping them concealed until he sees an opening.
• Tang’s party does not challenge the ape directly. Instead, Tang exploits the dragon’s defeat and delivers the decisive blow himself.

Key plot points

• Tang Changsheng crushes the Black Flood Dragon’s head with a Magical Artifact, and Lu Yuanzhen and the other experts quickly finish it off.
• A giant ape on Sky-Reaching Fortress retaliates by hurling a massive boulder. The group dodges, realizing its attacks are too dangerous to face directly.
• Lu Yuanzhen assaults the ape with his Primordial Yang Divine Lamp, burning into its Sea of Consciousness. The group follows with a barrage of attacks, leaving it near death.
• The ape reveals itself as Hongdong, a Savage Beast able to draw on Earth Qi. It channels power from underground to heal its wounds.
• Tang Changsheng also feels that earth power through the Hongdong Bloodline he awakened earlier. It greatly strengthens him and offers an immediate path to Yang Spirit.
• He rejects the tempting breakthrough, recognizing that it would establish an earth-aligned Dao Foundation and abandon the Taiyi Immortal Sword Order’s proven Great Dao. Hongdong’s healing is consequently slower because Tang has drawn away much of the earth power.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng shows restraint and long-term resolve, refusing an easy advancement that could permanently divert his cultivation path. He and Hongdong unexpectedly draw on the same source of power, diminishing what the beast can use.
• Lu Yuanzhen acts decisively after the Flood Dragon falls, then turns his attention to the ape and lands a crucial spiritual attack.
• Hongdong is immensely powerful and resilient, but dim-witted; despite its ability to recover through Earth Qi, it is weakened both by prior combat and by Tang’s share of that power.
• The assembled experts coordinate their attacks, but remain wary of the ape’s overwhelming physical strength.

Significant themes

• The cost of shortcuts: Immediate power may jeopardize long-term growth.
• Cultivation as a chosen path: Forming a Dao Foundation is a lasting commitment, not merely a convenient breakthrough.
• Power and its limits: Even extraordinary strength depends on sources that can be contested or depleted.
• Resolve over temptation: Tang prioritizes a proven, demanding path over an unknown alternative.

• Plot/events: No story events occur. The author thanks readers for their tips and monthly votes, and considers switching to a three-times-daily update schedule—morning, noon, and evening. The rest of the chapter lists supporters by Qidian coin amount.
• Character development: There is no fictional character development; the author briefly addresses readers directly.
• Themes: Gratitude, reader support, and the relationship between audience contributions and the author’s publishing schedule.
• Interactions: The author acknowledges readers collectively and names contributors in donation tiers of 10,000, 1,000, 500, and 100 Qidian coins.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Changsheng and his allies attack the Savage Beast Hongdong, preventing it from recovering. Lu Yuanzhen’s Wishfire disrupts the beast’s power and cuts off its supply of earth energy.
• With Hongdong weakened, Tang Changsheng unleashes a heavy, earth-yellow Sword Qi that smashes apart its head. Lu Yuanzhen gathers the flames and claims the Primordial Spirits of Hongdong and the Black Flood Dragon for refinement.
• The group searches the ruined Sky-Reaching Fortress, a once-grand city caught in chaotic spacetime and said to contain rare treasures. Tang Changsheng and Lu Yuanzhen stay behind to keep watch while the others explore.
• The fortress remains dangerous: other Savage Beasts lurk among the ruins, and skirmishes break out, though none are as powerful as Hongdong.
• Tang Changsheng’s Pure Yang Golden Elixir is wearing off after more than six months. His cultivation has reached the Dark Nether stage and fourth Secret Aperture, but further progress will be slower.
• At the end, Tang Changsheng and Lu Yuanzhen sense the strange lines in Tang’s vision beginning to ripple, suggesting a new disturbance.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Changsheng demonstrates growing power and control, using an unusually forceful form of Sword Qi to finish Hongdong. He also shows consideration by encouraging others to search the fortress while he and Lu Yuanzhen keep watch.
• Lu Yuanzhen proves pivotal in disrupting Hongdong and secures the monsters’ Primordial Spirits. He accepts Tang’s suggestion that the others be given a chance to find treasure, easing his unease over taking the greatest prize.
• Wang Yufu motivates the group by describing the fortress’s history and the valuable discoveries previously found there.
• Tang and Lu share a quiet understanding: both forgo treasure hunting to protect the group and the unstable site.

Significant themes

• Cooperation and shared reward: The group’s combined efforts defeat a foe that would have been difficult to overcome alone.
• Prudence amid opportunity: Treasure hunting is tempting, but the fortress’s instability and dangers require someone to stand guard.
• Power and its limits: Tang’s elixir-fueled progress has advanced his cultivation, yet its effects are finite, and continued growth will demand patience.
• The uncertainty of spacetime: The fortress may vanish without warning, and the rippling lines at the chapter’s end hint that reality remains unstable.