Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Tang Yan lies unconscious and grievously injured in the Divine Seclusion Mountains. His spiritual root and Golden Core have been torn out, and his cultivation destroyed. He has been unable to wake for two days, suffering intense pain and hunger.
• A gossip-obsessed system keeps him company by revealing scandals about powerful tiger demons nearby, including both spouses’ affairs. Tang Yan is disgusted by the details and urges the system to help him instead.
• Tang Yan recalls his life before transmigration: he was a famous modern entertainer who had just criticized a melodramatic cultivation-romance novel online. He then woke inside the novel as its most devoted—and doomed—supporting character.
• In the novel, Tang Yan is the Tang family’s fake young master and a celebrated prodigy. The real heir, Tang Feiyang, resents him and arranged to have his cultivation ruined while Tang Yan was traveling alone.
• The original Tang Yan’s devotion to the novel’s second female lead leads him to make extreme sacrifices for her, including giving up his Nascent Soul and eyes. His soul is eventually annihilated.
• Two men sent by Tang Feiyang arrive to hunt Tang Yan. The system reveals that they intend to assault him rather than kill him immediately, which it bizarrely labels “good news.”

Character developments

• Tang Yan: Sharp-tongued, pragmatic, and horrified by the role he has inherited. Though physically helpless, he recognizes the danger of following the original character’s self-destructive path and reacts with fear and sarcasm.
• The system: A gleeful, indiscreet gossip machine. It prioritizes scandal over Tang Yan’s urgent needs and treats his continued survival—regardless of the threat—as a positive outcome.
• Tang Feiyang: Established as Tang Yan’s jealous rival and the mastermind behind the attack that crippled him.

Character interactions

• Tang Yan repeatedly tries to steer the system away from lurid gossip and toward practical help, but the system keeps indulging its fascination with scandals.
• The system reports Tang Feiyang’s role and the attackers’ intentions; Tang Yan answers with sarcasm, then alarm when he learns what “good news” means.
• Tang Feiyang does not appear directly, but his orders shape the immediate threat facing Tang Yan.

Significant themes

• Subverting the doomed-romantic-supporting-character trope: Tang Yan recognizes the absurdity of the original character’s total devotion and intends to survive rather than repeat it.
• Dark comedy amid danger: The system’s cheerful gossip and twisted definition of “good news” contrast with Tang Yan’s severe injuries and vulnerable situation.
• Betrayal, jealousy, and exploitation: Tang Yan’s status as the fake heir makes him the target of resentment, while the original story’s romance exploits his willingness to sacrifice everything for someone else.

Plot points and events

• While unconscious, Tang Yan overhears two of Tang Feiyang’s lackeys planning to assault him. The system explains that this danger matches the original story, where Xu Zhenzhen was meant to rescue him.
• Tang Yan persuades the system to let him wake early. Though the lackeys mistake his flirtatious invitation for consent, he is baiting them: when one leans in, Tang Yan kills him with a concealed low-grade magical dagger.
• The surviving lackey attacks. With his golden core gone, cultivation destroyed, and body badly injured, Tang Yan cannot withstand the blow; he is flung into a tree and badly hurt.
• As the lackey prepares to finish him, a sudden sword strike kills the attacker. Tang Yan wonders whether Xu Zhenzhen has arrived, then collapses from his injuries.

Character developments

• Tang Yan shows quick thinking and nerve despite his fear and physical weakness. He uses the enemy’s arrogance against them, but the fight leaves him even more gravely injured.
• The system bends its rules to help Tang Yan wake up, then teases him about his apparent eagerness. It also hints that it was waiting for someone to intervene.
• The lackeys underestimate Tang Yan because they believe he is helpless; their predatory intent leads to one’s death and the other’s defeat.

Significant themes

• Survival and resourcefulness: Tang Yan relies on deception and a hidden weapon when he cannot fight on equal terms.
• Vulnerability and power: His former status as a prodigy contrasts sharply with his present helplessness after losing his cultivation.
• Dark comedy: Tang Yan’s panicked inner monologue and the system’s teasing undercut the chapter’s danger.
• Fate and plot: The events echo the original story, while the system’s intervention and Tang Yan’s choices alter how they unfold.

Character interactions

• Tang Yan argues with the system over waking early; their exchange mixes his desperation with the system’s dry humor.
• He feigns interest to draw the first lackey close, then kills him.
• The second lackey threatens and attacks Tang Yan, but an unseen rescuer kills him before he can strike again. Tang Yan passes out unsure whether the rescuer is Xu Zhenzhen.

Key plot points and events

• After Tang Yan collapses, Xiao Jixue appears and unexpectedly saves him, carrying him to his spirit vessel. Before leaving, he burns the two men who had been pursuing Tang Yan to ashes.
• Xu Zhenzhen arrives at the scene shortly afterward, senses that she has missed a major opportunity, then learns that Wei Lianyi has been found and orders her group to pursue her.
• Aboard the vessel, Xiao Jixue refuses help from his fellow disciples and treats Tang Yan himself. He discovers that Tang Yan’s spiritual root has been removed, his Golden Core destroyed, and his body pushed to the brink of death. Xiao uses a supreme-quality healing pill and his own spiritual energy to stabilize him, then cleans and dresses him in his own robes.
• Several days later, Tang Yan wakes in unfamiliar surroundings. The system explains that Xiao Jixue—novel’s future villain—is the one who rescued him.
• The system proposes a mission: win Xiao over and prevent him from becoming evil. Success would let Tang Yan return to his original world, while affection could also earn points for a future reward shop. Tang Yan reluctantly accepts, assuming the goal is simply to become Xiao’s friend.
• Just as Xiao approaches, the system reveals that he is a dragon. Tang Yan does not understand the warning, and then freezes when he sees Xiao’s face.

Character developments

• Xiao Jixue breaks from his usual detached, fastidious nature by rescuing Tang Yan and personally tending his severe injuries. His unexplained concern suggests an unusual connection or growing emotional investment.
• Tang Yan shifts from fear and suspicion to cautious acceptance of the system’s mission. He insists he is straight and intends to pursue friendship rather than romance, though he remains unaware of the system’s suggestive hints.
• Xu Zhenzhen shows frustration at missing a perceived opportunity and hostility toward Wei Lianyi, whom she is actively hunting.

Character interactions

• Xiao’s rescue and hands-on care contrast sharply with his disciples’ disbelief at seeing him carry a bloodied stranger and refuse their assistance.
• The system encourages Tang Yan to reform Xiao, while Tang Yan resists the possibility of romantic involvement; their exchange is humorous and undercuts the seriousness of his situation.
• Tang Yan’s first meeting with the approaching Xiao is left on a cliffhanger as he recognizes the man and reacts with astonishment.

Significant themes

• Unexpected compassion: Xiao’s actions challenge his reputation for aloofness and foreshadow the possibility that his villainous future can be changed.
• Fate and redemption: Tang Yan is tasked with intervening in Xiao’s future, raising the question of whether affection and companionship can avert his downfall.
• Powerlessness and survival: Tang Yan’s catastrophic injuries underline his vulnerability and dependence on others.
• Comedy amid danger: Tang Yan’s exaggerated panic about romance and the system’s teasing create humor alongside the chapter’s violence and serious stakes.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Yan recognizes Xiao Jixue as the man who was his sworn enemy in his modern life—and as the novel’s main villain. The system confirms his identity and secretly gives Tang a mind-reading ability, hoping to test the newly developed power.
• Tang recalls their fraught history: Xiao repeatedly interrupted girls who tried to approach Tang, later became a celebrated director, and attracted fans who shipped the two despite their antagonistic encounters.
• Tang is amused to remember recent gossip that Xiao had long been pining for an unattainable first love. He regrets not learning who it was before his own death and transmigration.
• Xiao brings Tang medicine for his serious injuries. They introduce themselves, and Tang realizes Xiao seems not to recognize him from their previous life.
• Xiao suspects the strange voice he heard came from Tang, but doesn’t understand Tang’s references to a “main villain.” Tang’s thoughts reveal that he dreads having to win Xiao over if Xiao remembers their past.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan is wary of his assignment and still carries resentment toward Xiao, though his memories also hint that their relationship was more complicated than simple hostility. He relaxes when he thinks Xiao has no memories of their modern lives.
• Xiao Jixue is considerate toward Tang, bringing him medicine, and quietly probes the unexplained voice. He also feels unsettled when Tang looks at him as if comparing him to someone else.
• The system acts mischievously, giving Tang mind-reading powers without his knowledge.
• Their exchange is polite on the surface, but Tang’s private thoughts and Xiao’s growing suspicion create tension.

Significant themes

• Past versus present: Tang measures this new encounter against their former relationship, while Xiao appears unaware of that shared history.
• Hidden feelings and misinterpretation: Tang’s recollections of Xiao’s tenderness clash with his belief that they were enemies; Xiao’s concern and displeasure remain unspoken.
• Fate and reluctant connection: The system’s apparent matchmaking task forces Tang to confront the prospect of becoming close to the person he resents.

Plot points

• Tang Yan recovers under Xiao Jixue’s care, but his injuries leave him unable to defeat even a Qi Refining cultivator.
• He meets Ten Thousand Swords Sect disciples Zhu Hua and Qin Shuang. They discover they can hear his unspoken thoughts, which reveal that their childhood friend Tang Chu is a Wraith plotting to lure them into a Lesser Secret Realm and destroy their souls.
• A message from Tang Chu inviting them to that very realm confirms the warning. Zhu Hua and Qin Shuang invent excuses and decline, though Tang Yan is puzzled because he believes they went.
• Zhu Hua learns Tang Yan is the former Tang Family prodigy whose cultivation has been lost. He and Qin Shuang admire him, mistakenly believing his thoughts come from the legendary Prophecy Art.
• Tang Yan’s thoughts also reveal that two passing cultivators are rushing to catch someone cheating. He and his new acquaintances all wish they could follow the drama.
• Days later, the sect disciples repeatedly gather whenever Tang Yan comes out, hoping to hear more gossip. Their curiosity has become so strong that they neglect cultivation and other work.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan remains outwardly composed and friendly, unaware that others can hear his thoughts or that they have mistaken his casual observations for supernatural prophecy.
• Zhu Hua and Qin Shuang shift from polite curiosity to alarm and caution after hearing Tang Yan’s warning. Their shared understanding helps them recognize that both can hear him.
• The other disciples become an eager audience, crowding around Tang Yan and treating his thoughts as a source of irresistible gossip.

Significant themes

• Hidden knowledge and fate: Tang Yan’s thoughts expose a deadly scheme before it unfolds.
• Irony and misunderstanding: His casual inner monologue is interpreted as a rare divine art, while he remains oblivious to its effect.
• Friendship and betrayal: Zhu Hua and Qin Shuang must question their bond with Tang Chu in light of the warning.
• Gossip as temptation: The disciples’ appetite for scandal increasingly distracts them from their responsibilities.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue announces that the group is nearly back at the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. His junior disciples react nervously, recalling the strict beatings he used to keep them in line.
• Xiao asks Tang Yan whether he will come with them. Since Tang Yan has lost his cultivation and would be vulnerable alone, the sect is his safest option. He also wants to stay near Xiao to fulfill his mission and see the drama involving the sect’s leading figures.
• Tang Yan agrees, raising Xiao’s favorability to 5. Xiao is pleased—until he realizes Tang Yan is eager to meet Nangong Lin and Wei Lianyi.
• At the sect, Tang Yan cannot fly under his own power, so Xiao carries him on his sword, Trace Snow. He slows their flight so Tang Yan can admire the mountains and buildings below.
• Tang Yan thinks he will stay by Xiao’s side and prevent him from becoming the villain he was destined to be. Xiao hears the thought and is deeply affected. His sword wobbles, Tang Yan grabs his waist, and Xiao’s favorability rises by 5 more points.

Character developments

• Tang Yan is cheerful and curious, viewing the sect as both a safe refuge and a chance to witness exciting gossip. Though he intends to help Xiao, he thinks of their relationship as friendship.
• Xiao Jixue shows growing concern and affection for Tang Yan. Tang Yan’s promise to stay with him stirs him emotionally, and even a small touch at his waist flusters him.
• Zhu Hua and the other disciples remain eager spectators, thrilled by the prospect of more gossip and wary of Xiao’s formidable discipline.

Significant themes

• Fate versus choice: Tang Yan hopes to keep Xiao from following the villainous path written for him.
• Unspoken feelings and misunderstanding: Xiao interprets Tang Yan’s promise as emotionally significant, while Tang Yan means it as a friendly commitment.
• Safety and dependence: Tang Yan’s lost cultivation leaves him reliant on Xiao, bringing them physically and emotionally closer.
• Comedy through dramatic irony: Tang Yan’s innocent intentions contrast with Xiao’s romantic reactions and the disciples’ gossip-hungry perspective.

Character interactions

• Xiao carefully offers Tang Yan a place at the sect and then carries him there, adjusting their flight so Tang Yan can enjoy the view.
• Tang Yan’s thoughts about staying by Xiao’s side make Xiao blush and lose control of his sword’s steadiness.
• When the sword shakes, Tang Yan clings to Xiao’s waist; Xiao tells him to hold tight and secretly enjoys his obedience.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue, Tang Yan, and the others return from a mission and gather at the Main Affairs Hall to report to Sect Leader Fu Shouci and the Peak Masters.
• Tang Yan silently asks his system for gossip. His thoughts are somehow audible to everyone in the hall, though no one can identify their source.
• The gossip reveals that Xu You’s daughter, Xu Zhenzhen, is not his biological child. His real daughter is Wei Lianyi—the heroine—and was switched at birth by Jiang Liu’er, a demonic cultivator who had once rescued Xu You and secretly loved him.
• Jiang Liu’er arranged the swap and later helped ambush Xu You’s wife, leaving him a widower. Wei Lianyi grew up abused and used as a medicine puppet, unaware of her true identity.
• Xu You initially rejects the claims, but recognizes details only he and Jiang Liu’er could know. His grief turns to fury as he realizes what happened to his wife and daughter.
• Tang Yan’s final revelation is that Xu Zhenzhen has left the sect to hunt Wei Lianyi. Xu You rushes out to protect his biological daughter.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu You shifts from angry disbelief to devastated certainty, then to a fierce desire for revenge and an urgent attempt to save Wei Lianyi.
• Fu Shouci and the Peak Masters are startled by the mysterious voice and the revelations. Fu comforts Xu You once he realizes the story may be true.
• Tang Yan remains oblivious to the audience hearing his thoughts, casually delivering increasingly shocking gossip.
• Xiao Jixue suspects the elders can hear Tang Yan too and quietly listens in.
• Zhu Hua and the other juniors eagerly follow the gossip, though they try to hide their interest when Xu You threatens punishment.

Significant themes

• Hidden identity and stolen inheritance: Wei Lianyi has been deprived of her family, status, and resources.
• Betrayal and concealed truth: Jiang Liu’er’s long-kept deception transforms Xu You’s understanding of his family and past.
• Fate and injustice: The heroine’s suffering contrasts with the privileged life of the impostor.
• Gossip as revelation: Tang Yan’s casual inner monologue exposes secrets that reshape the sect’s understanding of its members.

Key plot points and events

• Fu Shouci invites Tang Yan into the hall and secretly probes him with Divine Sense.
• Tang Yan’s protective system, the Purple Star Sea, violently repels the probe and warns Fu Shouci not to try again, injuring the powerful Sect Leader.
• Fu Shouci dismisses the group. As Tang Yan leaves with Xiao Jixue, his system begins sharing gossip aloud to everyone nearby.
• The gossip reveals that Fu Shouci broke off his engagement ten years earlier because he had fallen for another woman. Xiao Jixue interrupts before Tang Yan can hear—or reveal—the rest.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan remains cheerfully oblivious to the system’s protection and to the embarrassment his gossip causes.
• The Purple Star Sea acts as Tang Yan’s fiercely protective guardian, confidently shielding him from scrutiny while privately lamenting its airheaded host.
• Fu Shouci shifts from dismissive curiosity to wary respect after his probe backfires; he is then mortified when the system exposes his romantic past.
• Xiao Jixue is anxious to protect fragile Tang Yan, relieved when his master is the one hurt, and visibly embarrassed by the gossip. His interruption frustrates everyone else.
• The Peak Masters and Zhu Hua go from shock at Fu Shouci’s injury to eager fascination with the scandal, then disappointment when the story is cut short.

Significant themes

• Hidden power beneath an ordinary appearance: Tang Yan seems unremarkable, but an immense force protects him.
• Protectiveness and loyalty: The system and Xiao Jixue each guard Tang Yan in their own way.
• Gossip and public embarrassment: Secret romantic history becomes irresistible entertainment, undermining the elders’ dignified image.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue brings the exhausted Tang Yan to Purple Dawn Peak, his exceptionally spiritual-energy-rich home.
• He introduces Tang Yan to three servant disciples as a friend who should be treated like himself, then gives him a comfortable room beside his own so he can recover.
• Tang Yan, worn out but grateful, thinks Xiao Jixue is a wonderful person. Hearing this, Xiao Jixue quietly laughs and gains five affection points, bringing his total to 15.
• Elsewhere, Xu You uses a blood-linked jade pendant to track his biological daughter. After ten days of pursuing its signal from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, he reaches the Outer Divine Seclusion Mountains and follows the pendant’s beam into the forest.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jixue shows unexpected warmth and attentiveness toward Tang Yan, despite recognizing that he would once have been too cold and indifferent to do so. He finds Tang Yan’s easy gratitude endearing.
• Tang Yan revises his opinion of Xiao Jixue and feels safe and cared for in his new surroundings. Their bond deepens, though Tang Yan does not know Xiao Jixue can hear his thoughts.
• The servant disciples are surprised by Xiao Jixue’s special treatment of an uncultivated guest, but obey his instructions and become even more respectful toward Tang Yan.
• Xu You is consumed by fear for his newly discovered daughter and has pursued her without resting. The pendant leads him toward her location.

Significant themes

• Care and changing impressions: Xiao Jixue’s considerate actions challenge Tang Yan’s earlier prejudice, while Tang Yan’s gratitude highlights how meaningful simple kindness can be.
• Hidden intimacy and dramatic irony: Xiao Jixue hears Tang Yan’s private thoughts, creating a quiet, one-sided source of closeness.
• Parental devotion and urgency: Xu You’s relentless journey underscores his determination to find and protect his biological daughter.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Zhenzhen corners the badly injured Wei Lianyi in the forest after pursuing her for a month. Though Lianyi insists she has never wronged her, Zhenzhen says her very existence is an offense—and privately reveals that Lianyi is Xu You’s biological daughter. Zhenzhen fears that if Lianyi returns, she will lose her father’s love, status, and position in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
• Zhenzhen attacks Lianyi with a barbed whip. Lianyi, weakened and far below her opponent’s cultivation level, is nearly killed.
• Xu You intervenes, shattering the whip and badly injuring Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen lies to him, claiming Lianyi caused a demonic beast attack and that she struck in the heat of the moment. Xu You warns her not to abuse her power.
• Xu You recognizes Lianyi as his daughter despite being unable to sense her bloodline aura. Convinced that Jiang Liu’er tampered with their identities, he reveals the truth and asks Lianyi to return with him to the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
• Lianyi distrusts the claim at first. Xu You swears a binding Heavenly Dao oath that he is telling the truth and will protect her. After seeing the oath take effect, Lianyi agrees to go with him. Zhenzhen is left convinced that her position is lost.

Character developments

• Wei Lianyi moves from desperate resistance and despair to cautious hope. Even after being rescued, she remains wary and asks for proof before trusting Xu You.
• Xu Zhenzhen is exposed as motivated by fear of losing her privileged place and her father’s affection. She lies to Xu You, but her panic and resentment deepen when he openly favors Lianyi.
• Xu You shifts from a stern authority figure to a grieving, tender father. His immediate concern for Lianyi and willingness to stake his cultivation on an oath demonstrate his commitment to her.

Significant themes

• Identity and family: Lianyi’s true parentage overturns the roles the characters have lived with.
• Jealousy and insecurity: Zhenzhen’s fear of losing love and status drives her attempt to kill Lianyi.
• Trust and proof: Lianyi does not accept a powerful stranger’s claim without evidence; Xu You’s oath gives her reason to believe him.
• Power and protection: The vast gap in cultivation leaves Lianyi vulnerable, while Xu You’s intervention instantly changes the balance.

Character interactions

• Zhenzhen taunts and attacks Lianyi, who challenges her motives but is too injured to resist effectively.
• Xu You confronts Zhenzhen, who tries to manipulate him with a false account; his warning makes clear that being his daughter will not excuse wrongdoing.
• Xu You approaches Lianyi with tenderness, but Lianyi responds with suspicion. His oath bridges that gap, and she accepts his offer to return with him.

Key plot points and events

• A loud explosion from the kitchen sends Xiao Jixue rushing to check on Tang Yan. Tang emerges unharmed but covered in soot after accidentally blowing up the kitchen while trying to cook.
• Tang explains that he wanted to make longevity noodles for Xiao Jixue’s birthday. He knows Xiao has had a lonely, painful childhood and has celebrated his birthday with noodles in the past.
• Xiao reassures Tang that he was worried about Tang getting hurt, not the damaged kitchen. Tang agrees to stop cooking and promises to give him another birthday present.
• Xiao introduces Tang to his friends Huo Zeyu, Si Yu, and Lin Yichen. They welcome him, while Si Yu recognizes him as the Tang family’s missing “false young master” and wonders why he has no cultivation.
• Xiao and Huo resume their chess game as Tang watches with the others. Tang’s thoughts hint that he has learned some juicy gossip about Huo, catching everyone’s attention.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan shows gratitude and affection by making Xiao a birthday meal, despite his lack of cooking skill. His embarrassment and self-deprecating thoughts contrast with his sincere intent.
• Xiao Jixue reveals a warmer, more protective side. He is deeply moved that Tang remembered his birthday and worries about Tang’s safety, while also thinking about restoring Tang’s ability to cultivate.
• Huo Zeyu is startled by Xiao’s unusual tenderness toward Tang and becomes intensely curious about their relationship. He and the others can hear Tang’s thoughts, though the reason is not explained here.
• Si Yu and Lin Yichen greet Tang politely, then become intrigued when his thoughts suggest gossip about Huo.

Significant themes

• Care and chosen connection: Tang’s birthday gesture offers Xiao affection and recognition he rarely received growing up.
• Gratitude and reciprocity: Tang wants to repay Xiao for protecting and caring for him.
• Romantic tension and comic misunderstanding: Xiao’s tenderness, Tang’s earnest gestures, and the friends’ speculative reactions suggest a growing bond.
• Vulnerability and safety: Xiao’s concern reflects how fragile Tang remains in the dangerous cultivation world.

Key plot points

• Tang Yan’s inner “gossip” reveals that Huo Zeyu’s older brother, Huo Zerui, has brought 108 people—and assorted nonhuman beings—home over eighteen years. Their clashing schemes have turned the Huo household into a constant mess.
• Tang Yan laughs so hard that he accidentally sprays tea over Huo Zeyu, then continues privately marveling at the bizarre collection. He finds no comparable gossip about Huo Zeyu himself.
• While playing Go with Xiao Jixue, Tang Yan learns that Huo Zerui recently brought home a man who has stirred up a crisis: the man turned Zerui against his parents, provoked violence within the family, and framed him for the death of Huo Zeyu’s second uncle. He is reportedly a spy for the rival Lian Family, whose schemes threaten the Huo clan’s future.
• Tang Yan considers warning Huo Zeyu, but a family message arrives confirming that his second uncle has died and the Huo household is in chaos. Huo Zeyu rushes home.
• Xiao Jixue tells Si Yu and Lin Yichen that Dao Venerable Tian Ci severely injured his divine sense trying to investigate Tang Yan’s mysterious treasure. The friends decide not to probe Tang Yan and instead resolve to stay on good terms with him.

Character developments and interactions

• Huo Zeyu goes from embarrassed exasperation about his brother’s household to alarm and urgency when he hears of the real family crisis. He trusts Xiao Jixue and leaves promptly to help.
• Tang Yan is amused by the scandal but also recognizes the danger and considers warning his friend. His unusual ability to uncover hidden information becomes more evident.
• Si Yu and Lin Yichen enjoy the gossip and initially want to learn more, but Xiao Jixue’s warning makes them cautious. They choose friendship and cooperation over investigating Tang Yan.
• Xiao Jixue remains composed and considerate, serving Tang Yan tea and discreetly protecting his privacy by warning the others.

Significant themes

• Gossip and comedy contrast with the serious threat of deception, murder, and clan decline.
• Family loyalty is tested by manipulation and internal conflict.
• Hidden knowledge can be powerful and dangerous, encouraging discretion as well as curiosity.

• Plot events: Tang Yan returns to his room for a nap, realizes he has skipped lunch, and takes an unpleasant Fasting Pill. Meanwhile, Xiao Jixue asks Si Yu and Lin Yichen to help find a cultivation method suited to Tang Yan, whose Golden Core and cultivation are gone; both agree to seek help from their powerful families. Xiao then gives instructions to Purple Dawn Peak’s chore disciples and visits his master.
• A major plot change: News spreads through the sect that Medicine Peak’s Xu You has found his biological daughter, Wei Lianyi, and exposed Xu Zhenzhen as an impostor. In the original story, Wei should have escaped Xu Zhenzhen by jumping from a cliff, gained a major cultivation opportunity, and reunited with her family years later. Her early return leaves Tang Yan wondering whether his transmigration has altered the story.
• System revelation: The system tells Tang Yan that the novel became a real world when he arrived: its people are living individuals, and events may happen early, vanish, or change. It says the protagonists, Wei Lianyi and Nangong Lin, still have their world-saving role, but the plot may otherwise go off course. The system secretly enjoys the disruption and has been letting others hear Tang Yan’s thoughts without his knowledge.
• Character developments and interactions: Xiao’s efforts to help Tang Yan reveal his concern and tenderness, which Si Yu notices with teasing amusement; Lin Yichen also offers assistance. Tang Yan is unsettled by the altered events but relaxes when the system reassures him that Xiao Jixue need not become the villain if Tang Yan succeeds in winning him over.
• Themes: The chapter explores fate versus change, the shift from fictional plot to a living world, and the danger of assuming people are bound by scripted roles. It also highlights loyalty and care, especially Xiao’s quiet support for Tang Yan.

Key plot points

• After a three-year wait, Xiao Jixue returns and offers to bring Tang Yan to meet his master, Sect Leader Fu Shouci. With no cultivation method or safe place to go, Tang Yan agrees, though he worries that the Sect Leader will not accept a “cripple.”
• Xiao explains that Fu Shouci already knows Tang Yan’s history and talents and is willing to take him as a disciple. Joining the Ten Thousand Swords Sect will give Tang Yan protection and a secure place to stay.
• On the way, Tang Yan warns Xiao about Huo Zherui’s habit of bringing strangers home and suggests that Xiao alert his friend Huo Zeyu, since the Huo Family has enemies. Xiao agrees, moved by Tang Yan’s concern.
• At the Council Hall, Tang Yan finds the Sect Leader, most of the Peak Masters, and numerous disciples gathered for the acceptance. Though he thinks the crowd is excessive, they have assembled partly because they expect gossip from him.
• The sect’s senior members and disciples secretly know they can hear Tang Yan’s thoughts if they are at least Golden Core cultivators. They also know that the artifact spirit Xi Tong can invade their consciousness and has forbidden them from revealing this ability to Tang Yan. They suspect his treasure is an extraordinary Heaven-and-Earth Supreme Treasure.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan accepts Xiao’s offer with practical caution, still self-conscious about losing his cultivation. He also shows concern for Xiao’s friends, offering a warning that he says he would not bother giving otherwise.
• Xiao Jixue treats Tang Yan’s return to his life as emotionally significant, feels warmth at his concern, and takes responsibility for securing his place in the sect.
• Fu Shouci and the sect’s senior members are outwardly dignified but privately amused and eager for gossip. Their secret awareness of Tang Yan’s thoughts creates a humorous contrast with the formal ceremony.
• Xi Tong remains a powerful, controlling presence, enforcing secrecy by entering cultivators’ consciousness at will.

Significant themes

• Belonging and protection: Becoming Fu Shouci’s disciple offers Tang Yan safety and a legitimate home within the sect.
• Resilience and reputation: Tang Yan’s past suggests that, despite his current loss of cultivation, his extraordinary talent and perseverance could allow him to rise again.
• Secrecy and comic irony: Tang Yan believes the gathered elders are merely staring at a “useless disciple,” while they are actually drawn by his thoughts and the gossip they contain.
• Care beneath banter: Tang Yan’s warning for Xiao’s sake and Xiao’s emotional response show growing mutual concern.

Plot and events

• Tang Yan is formally accepted as Fu Shouci’s fifth direct disciple. He meets his fellow disciples and receives lavish welcome gifts: a Superior Spirit Treasure whip from Li Mo, a top-tier Purple-Gold Jade Token from Feng Sheng, and high-grade Formation Plates from Cui Yishu.
• Tang Yan is astonished that his sword-cultivator seniors are so wealthy. Xiao Jixue explains that they have lucrative side hustles; Feng Sheng cheerfully confirms she likes giving money to people she takes a liking to.
• Tang Yan completes the acceptance ceremony and receives more gifts, including several Sumeru Rings from the Peak Masters. He privately delights at going from penniless to rich.
• Fu Shouci abruptly leaves, prompting Tang Yan to think about something troubling involving his master’s lover. Everyone else eagerly hopes he will reveal more, but Tang Yan says nothing further.
• When Tang Yan and Xiao Jixue leave, the Peak Masters and disciples are left disappointed, having missed their chance to hear the gossip.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan is respectful and grateful, though wary of accepting such expensive gifts. His thoughts also reveal that he sees his seniors as people destined for tragic ends, alarming the others.
• Li Mo, Feng Sheng, and Cui Yishu each welcome Tang Yan warmly with generous gifts. Feng Sheng’s exuberant generosity and appetite for gossip stand out.
• Xiao Jixue acts as Tang Yan’s guide, explains Feng Sheng’s generosity, and helps him leave when the ceremony is over.
• Fu Shouci’s quick departure raises suspicion, while the Peak Masters and disciples silently fixate on Tang Yan’s cryptic thought about the Sect Leader’s lover.

Significant themes

• Found family and generosity: Tang Yan is welcomed into the sect with warmth and extravagant gifts.
• Dramatic irony and hidden knowledge: Tang Yan’s private thoughts hint at secrets and future misfortunes that the others desperately want explained.
• Gossip as comedy: The group’s barely concealed excitement over possible scandal contrasts with their outwardly composed behavior.

Summary

• After the Council Hall meeting, Xiao Jixue asks Tang Yan whether he wants a separate peak. Tang Yan immediately chooses to stay on Purple Dawn Peak, privately reasoning that he needs to remain close to Xiao. Xiao’s affection rises by five points, encouraging Tang Yan to believe his plan to keep Xiao from becoming a villain is working.
• Meanwhile, Fu Shouci visits Bai Yi, his lover. Bai Yi tells him he is three months pregnant, and Fu confirms the child is his. Overjoyed, he gives Bai Yi 500,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones and proposes that they hold a Dao Companion Ceremony. Bai Yi agrees reluctantly and privately appears worried.
• The Divine Medicine Sect visits the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to discuss their biennial Grand Competition. Its Grand Elder, Liang Qiu, and Fu Shouci have a long-standing rivalry, and Liang shows off his disciples. Fu mentally counters by boasting about his own disciples, including Tang Yan’s former achievements.
• When Tang Yan and Xiao arrive, Liang insults Tang as a useless cripple. Tang privately calls him an old geezer, provoking Liang—though Fu enjoys the exchange.
• Tang suddenly discovers scandalous gossip about Liang: Liang has been in love with a woman for years, and she is now pregnant with his child. The entire Ten Thousand Swords Sect appears to hear Tang’s unspoken thoughts, leaving Liang stunned.
• Tang’s next thought reveals the bombshell: Liang’s beloved woman is Fu Shouci’s lover. Fu and Liang are both left speechless, while everyone else is captivated by the scandal.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan remains focused on staying near Xiao and uses his inner thoughts to expose secrets, often without realizing others can hear them.
• Xiao Jixue responds warmly to Tang’s choice, though he keeps his feelings guarded.
• Fu Shouci shifts from delight at the prospect of fatherhood and marriage to shock at learning his lover may also be involved with Liang Qiu.
• Bai Yi accepts Fu’s money and proposal but seems uneasy, suggesting the pregnancy and relationship are more complicated than Fu believes.
• Liang Qiu and Fu Shouci begin the scene as rival sect leaders competing over their disciples; Tang’s revelations turn their rivalry into a personal crisis.

Themes

• Hidden truths and public exposure: Private affairs become impossible to conceal when Tang’s thoughts are heard.
• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: Fu celebrates what he believes is happy news, unaware of the apparent betrayal.
• Affection and influence: Tang interprets Xiao’s increased affection as progress toward changing Xiao’s fate.
• Comedy through contrast: Tang’s casual inner commentary clashes with the serious, explosive consequences it creates.

Plot points and events

• During a sect meeting, Fu Shouci tries to explain the upcoming Two-Sect Grand Competition, but Tang Yan’s gossip-filled inner thoughts distract everyone.
• Tang Yan discovers that Bai Yi has been involved with both Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu, leaving the two men—and the listeners—desperate to learn whose child Bai Yi is carrying.
• The mystery takes a stranger turn: Bai Yi is actually a male fox spirit who can transform into a beautiful woman. He is not pregnant; he fabricated the pregnancy to extort spirit stones from both men.
• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu realize they have been deceived for ten years, while the gathered elders and disciples react with shock, disgust, and fascinated gossip.

Character developments

• Tang Yan remains obliviously outspoken, uncovering the truth through his inner monologue while repeatedly embarrassing himself and disrupting the meeting.
• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu go from anxious rivalry and brief relief to stunned humiliation at having been fooled for a decade.
• Hou Yan, Liang Qiu’s eldest disciple, is shaken to discover this side of the master he deeply respected.
• Feng Sheng takes Tang Yan’s warning about scams literally and resolves to protect her wealth.

Themes

• The chapter plays comedy through overheard inner thoughts, escalating misunderstandings, and scandalous revelations.
• It mocks the vulnerability of even powerful, worldly figures to emotional and financial manipulation.
• Deception and appearances are central: Bai Yi’s convincing transformations let him maintain different identities for years.

Character interactions

• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu silently compete to hear Tang Yan’s revelations, then share mutual disbelief when the truth emerges.
• The hall’s elders and disciples collectively turn the scandal into gossip, judging Liang Qiu and sympathizing with the two deceived men.
• Tang Yan’s comments unintentionally reshape everyone’s understanding of Bai Yi, while Feng Sheng interprets his “anti-fraud” remark as practical financial advice.

Plot points and events

• During discussions about the Two-Sect Grand Competition, Tang Yan’s inner thoughts reveal that Bai Yi had used illusions to deceive Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu for ten years. Bai Yi’s inborn talent lets him create illusions that cultivators below the Mahayana stage cannot detect.
• Fu Shouci dismisses everyone and privately explains to Liang Qiu that Xi Tong, the artifact spirit inside Tang Yan, is responsible for the mysterious voice and the terrifying power that suppressed Liang Qiu’s divine sense.
• The two sect leaders agree that Xi Tong is overwhelmingly powerful, though its current aim seems to be exposing their secrets and humiliating them rather than causing physical harm.
• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu go to confront Bai Yi. Liang Qiu attacks, and Bai Yi reflexively fights back—forgetting to keep his voice sweet and feminine.
• His rough, masculine voice reveals the truth. Before the men can catch him, Bai Yi vanishes by creating an illusion. Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu decide to let him go for now.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu endure public humiliation over their past with Bai Yi, then find reluctant comfort in the fact that they suffered it together. Their private conversation also reveals their shared concern about Xi Tong’s power.
• Liang Qiu reacts more impulsively than Fu Shouci and attacks Bai Yi, but his lingering love prevents him from striking to kill.
• Bai Yi maintains his feminine disguise until he forgets to disguise his voice under pressure. His escape confirms that he can still evade both men.
• Tang Yan remains a source of scandal through his unfiltered inner thoughts, while Xiao Jixue quietly wonders how Tang Yan knows so much.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Bai Yi’s feminine presentation conceals his true identity, and his illusions fooled two powerful cultivators for years.
• Love and betrayal: Liang Qiu’s feelings persist despite Bai Yi’s deception, complicating his desire for revenge.
• Humiliation and secrets: Xi Tong’s power turns private histories into public embarrassment, unsettling even the most dignified figures.
• Power and restraint: The characters recognize Xi Tong’s immense strength, while Liang Qiu’s emotional attachment keeps him from delivering a fatal blow.

Key plot points and events

• The Ten Thousand Swords Sect’s internal competition begins, with winners set to represent the sect against the Divine Medicine Sect in a contest a month later.
• Tang Yan attends alongside his fellow disciples, while Sect Leader Fu Shouci and Divine Medicine Sect Grand Elder Liang Qiu oversee the event.
• Tang’s thoughts—and the system’s gossip—revive rumors about Fu and Liang’s encounter with the disguised Bai Yi. The gathered spectators mistakenly interpret the story as proof that both elders fell for Bai Yi and could not bring themselves to harm him.
• Tang reflects that the incident seems to have improved relations between the two elders. His speculation that the sects may avoid a future, disastrous conflict prompts Fu and Liang to take the possibility of someone deliberately sowing discord seriously.
• Tang notices Wei Lianyi, the female lead, watching him. After identifying her and realizing she has reached early Golden Core, he learns through his system-linked thoughts that she may have missed an opportunity at Thoughtless Cliff.
• Wei recognizes Tang as her benefactor and resolves to cultivate diligently and protect him.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan remains an unwitting source of gossip and misunderstanding. He treats the system’s claims as reliable and casually teases his stern master in his thoughts.
• Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu continue their prickly, argumentative relationship, but their shared concern about a possible plot against both sects draws their attention to the threat of future discord.
• Wei Lianyi shifts from observing Tang with interest to feeling grateful and protective toward him, crediting him with helping her reconnect with her father and recognize a missed opportunity.
• The sect members and spectators secretly follow Tang’s gossip instead of focusing fully on the Golden Core matches; their assumptions deepen the comic misunderstanding around Fu and Liang.

Significant themes

• Gossip and mistaken interpretation: Tang’s private thoughts and the system’s fabrications spark rumors that others accept as fact.
• Preventing conflict through trust: Fu and Liang’s improved rapport may help avert a future feud between their sects.
• Gratitude and loyalty: Wei’s appreciation for Tang leads her to vow to protect him.
• Destiny and opportunity: Wei’s rapid cultivation and possible missed chance at Thoughtless Cliff suggest that key opportunities can shape a character’s path.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Yan notices Xu Zhenzhen is absent from the competition. The system reveals that Xu You has imprisoned her after discovering her crimes: she stole Wei Lianyi’s bloodline, turned her into a tortured Medicine Puppet, and murdered Xu You’s cultivation partner.
• Xu You overhears Tang Yan’s unspoken thoughts and is overcome by guilt for Wei Lianyi and hatred for Jiang Liu’er and Xu Zhenzhen. Wei, however, bears him no resentment, recognizing that he has treated her well since her return.
• While watching the matches, Tang Yan thinks that he hopes to grow a new spiritual root and become a sword cultivator. He also reveals that a future demonic resurgence will devastate the Ten Thousand Swords Sect: most direct disciples will die, be crippled, or lose their sanity, and the sect will collapse in status.
• The senior cultivators are alarmed. They already know that demonic energy around ancient war ruins has been growing more volatile and that old Demon Clan remnants remain active, but Tang Yan’s prediction of a comeback is far worse than they expected.
• The matches briefly lose their intensity as the spectators wait for more information. When Tang Yan says nothing further, the disciples resume fighting—while the elders are left desperate for details.
• The system offers Tang Yan more gossip about Xu Zhenzhen, and the disciples eagerly settle in to listen.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu You becomes more protective and remorseful toward Wei Lianyi after learning the truth, while his affection for her deepens.
• Wei Lianyi remains calm and forgiving, choosing not to blame her father for things that have not yet happened.
• Tang Yan remains unaware that his casual inner thoughts are being heard and are alarming the sect’s leaders. His enthusiasm shifts easily from sword fights to gossip.
• The sect’s elders and disciples react to Tang Yan’s revelations with fear and concern; the direct disciples also vow to protect Wei Lianyi from Xu Zhenzhen.
• Feng Sheng and the other disciples enthusiastically anticipate the promised gossip, even setting aside their concern about the sect’s grim future.

Significant themes

• Hidden truth and unintended consequences: Tang Yan’s private thoughts expose secrets and future dangers to everyone around him.
• Family betrayal and forgiveness: Xu You’s deception by Jiang Liu’er has harmed his family, yet Wei Lianyi chooses compassion over resentment.
• Foreshadowing and collective survival: The warning of the Demon Clan’s return transforms a lively competition into a moment of existential concern.
• Humor amid danger: The elders’ urgent need for answers contrasts with Tang Yan’s oblivious enjoyment of the matches and the disciples’ eagerness for gossip.