Chapter Summaries

Plot

• Zhang Yuan drives back the Five Black Dragon Lord with a powerful sword strike, giving him enough time to bring the Truth-Seeking Ritual Array nearly to completion.
• With the East Sea Dragon Lord subtly helping, Zhang Yuan makes a final dash toward Sky Mountain’s summit, where he intends to prove the Dao. The other True Lords watch anxiously, while the True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance secretly welcomes his attempt, believing it will kill him.
• Just before Zhang Yuan reaches the summit, the Supreme Demon Immortal Bone Body calls out for someone to act. A shattered Stone Platform then appears through a rift in space and crashes into Zhang Yuan, knocking him down the mountain. The platform lands on the summit in his place.
• Zhang Yuan survives the impact and realizes it has revealed a fatal flaw: his dharma body lacks a spiritual root. His dharma body, Dao Domain, and divine wonder are therefore incomplete, making his planned Dao attainment certain to fail.
• He concludes that the interrupted attempt saved his life and identifies the True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance as the likely architect of the trap.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows determination in pressing toward the summit, then responds to his apparent defeat with unexpected calm. The revelation turns that calm into clear understanding: he recognizes that his confidence rested on an incomplete foundation.
• Five Black Dragon Lord is forced to retreat but considers having his true body intervene. He decides against it because the watching True Lords could escalate the conflict.
• East Sea Dragon Lord discreetly assists Zhang Yuan, to Ao Xiu’s delight. Zhang Yuan acknowledges the help, though only perfunctorily.
• Ao Xiu excitedly celebrates her father’s intervention from inside Zhang Yuan’s robes.
• Chi Guanguan tries to comfort Zhang Yuan after his fall, but he tells her he has gained an insight rather than suffered a simple defeat.
• True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance appears relaxed because he expects Zhang Yuan’s attempt to prove the Dao to be fatal; the chapter’s ending reveals Zhang Yuan has recognized him as the probable schemer.

Significant themes

• Hidden flaws beneath apparent achievement: Zhang Yuan seems ready to prove the Dao, but his missing spiritual root makes his progress dangerously incomplete.
• Deception and intervention: The fall looks like an attack designed to thwart Zhang Yuan, yet it inadvertently exposes the deeper trap awaiting him.
• Fate and survival through failure: What appears to be a devastating setback prevents a guaranteed death.
• Power and political restraint: The True Lords’ presence shapes what the Five Black Dragon Lord dares to do, while unseen forces influence events from beyond the immediate battle.

Zhang Yuan survived the trap laid by [True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns] when [True Lord Hunlun Zhaopan] appeared and revealed an upper-grade golden position. Zhang Yuan learned that Hunlun was an ancient Great Luo, but remained uncertain why he had intervened.

• Zhang Yuan realized [True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns] had planted a hidden trap to kill him when he pursued true-seeking Dao attainment, and he concealed that he had discovered it.
• The Lords of Heaven and Earth recognized the newly appeared stone platform as an upper-grade golden position and prepared to guard against its unknown master.
• [True Lord Hunlun Zhaopan] appeared above Sky Mountain, and his arrival was announced throughout the Five Realms Heavens.
• Zhang Yuan wondered why Hunlun had helped him and asked Chi Guanguan about the unfamiliar True Lord.
• Chi Guanguan explained that Hunlun was a famous Primordial Era Great Luo who commanded the upper-grade golden position [Chaos Platform], but she knew little else.

True Lord Hunlun Zhaopan descended in his true body and challenged the Lords of Heaven and Earth, while Zhang Yuan resumed his attempt to reach Sky Mountain's summit. Hunlun Zhaopan welcomed a three-mystery divine ability that annihilated him, seeking to abandon his Great Luo status and enter the Nether Bureau to reincarnate.

• True Lord Hunlun Zhaopan revealed that he had deliberately helped Zhang Yuan awaken, then invited the Recent Antiquity True Lords to descend and meet him.
• True Lord Qingji Huiyu falsely claimed Hunlun Zhaopan was his relative, while True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns and the other Lords of Heaven and Earth stayed in the Great Void.
• Zhang Yuan recovered from being struck down and charged toward Sky Mountain's summit again to prove the Dao.
• A bright moon appeared, and the Sun-Moon Mystic Light descended toward Hunlun Zhaopan with the profound mysteries of annihilation, sky-leaping, and limitlessness.
• Hunlun Zhaopan welcomed the attack, intending to relinquish his Great Luo status and enter the Nether Bureau; the mystic light annihilated his true body and shattered the stone platform.

Key plot points

• Sun-Moon Arcane Radiance instantly kills the injured Primordial Great Encompassing, True Lord Hunlun Zhaopan, before he can act against Zhang Yuan. The gathered powers of the Five Realms fall silent, then try to explain away the death by emphasizing Hunlun’s weakened condition.
• Hunlun’s death leaves the supreme demon immortal bone body to stop Zhang Yuan’s attempt to attain the Dao. Gravely weakened, the demon decides to sacrifice his body rather than let Zhang Yuan succeed and later destroy his remaining forces and contingencies.
• The demon invokes Luo Tian Dou, consuming the materials and foundation of his body until only his head remains, attached to a powerful, black-hole-like void that sucks in everything nearby.
• Zhang Yuan is struck by the Arcane Radiance while climbing Sky Mountain again. Having learned from his earlier fall, he catches himself halfway up and prepares to try once more.
• The demon’s new suction then drags Zhang Yuan downward and threatens to pull even his Dao domain from the Great Void within his body. Unable to resist alone, Zhang Yuan calls for help. An unseen power lends him enough strength to keep moving forward, though he remains trapped in the struggle.

Character developments and interactions

• The supreme demon immortal bone body shows his ruthless pragmatism: although badly injured, he willingly sacrifices his current form to block Zhang Yuan and preserve a chance to return. He also suspects that True Lord Hunlun’s failed intervention was a disastrous choice.
• Zhang Yuan remains resilient and resourceful. He adapts to the Arcane Radiance’s interference, then asks for aid when the demon’s suction proves too strong. His inner thoughts reveal suspicion that True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance is behind the assistance—and a desire to repay him, despite accepting the help.
• The Heavenly observers respond to Hunlun’s death with fear disguised as rationalization, exposing how deeply the Arcane Radiance intimidates them.

Significant themes

• Power and fear: The effortless killing of a Primordial Great Encompassing unsettles the entire Heavens of the Five Realms.
• Sacrifice and survival: The demon gives up his present body to preserve the possibility of a future return.
• Persistence amid interference: Zhang Yuan keeps pursuing the summit despite repeated attacks and setbacks.
• Uncertain alliances: Zhang Yuan accepts aid from a figure he distrusts, suggesting that survival may require cooperation with suspected rivals.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yuan continues climbing Sky Mountain despite the pressure from the Stone Sentinel and the suction of the Supreme Demon Immortal Bone Body. His Truth-Seeking Imago grows stronger with every step until it can resist the black hole’s pull on its own.
• With Zhang Yuan only a few meters from the summit, the Supreme Demon Immortal Bone Body intensifies the suction by merging its remaining head and divine sense into the black hole. The force begins swallowing First God Cult followers; Tan Duanchang protects those he can and leads them out of the mountain range.
• The strengthened pull stops Zhang Yuan and begins dragging his Dao Domain, the Great Cavern Yin-Spectacle Immortal Domain, out of his inner Great Void. Because a Dao Domain is essential for Truth-Seeking Dao Attainment, losing it would make reaching the summit pointless.
• Zhang Yuan asks Chi Guanguan whether she can get him away if he reaches the top. She confidently promises she can, though privately she knows she may need to risk her true body and sacrifice this strand of her divine sense.
• Rather than keep resisting, Zhang Yuan deliberately lets his Dao Domain emerge into the world. The black hole seizes it, but with the Domain no longer behind him, the suction on Zhang Yuan eases. He rushes the remaining distance and reaches Sky Mountain’s summit as the Domain disappears into the black hole.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows persistence and strategic resolve. Faced with an opponent he cannot overpower, he turns the attack on his Dao Domain into an opening to complete the climb. He also trusts Chi Guanguan’s assurance without demanding proof.
• The Supreme Demon Immortal Bone Body grows increasingly desperate and enraged as Zhang Yuan nears success. Having failed to stop him by ordinary means, it targets the Dao Domain essential to his advancement.
• Chi Guanguan reassures Zhang Yuan and is willing to risk her true body’s intervention to honor her promise, even though she conceals how uncertain and dangerous the rescue would be.
• Tan Duanchang recognizes that the crisis is beyond his ability to affect and prioritizes evacuating the surviving First God Cult followers.

Significant themes

• Persistence under overwhelming pressure: Zhang Yuan keeps advancing despite forces that should exceed a Great Unity cultivator’s capacity.
• Strategy over brute force: His apparent surrender of the Dao Domain becomes the means to reach the summit.
• Trust and sacrifice: Zhang Yuan relies on Chi Guanguan, while she is prepared to endanger herself for him.
• The vulnerability of advancement: Extraordinary preparation and resolve cannot erase the gap between a lower cultivator and a Great Encompassing True Lord, who can attack even the foundations needed for Dao attainment.

Plot points

• Zhang Yuan reaches Sky Mountain’s summit, but the black hole has swallowed his Dao Domain and is draining his remaining Celestial Imago and Blood Essence.
• The Mysterious Court’s two Great Immortal Lords ask whether he can still attempt Truth-Seeking Dao Attainment. The Lords watching from the Great Void assume that, without a Dao Domain, he is doomed to fail.
• The True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance considers secretly dispersing the black hole so Zhang Yuan can try again—and die in the process. He stops when Zhang Yuan says he will proceed anyway.
• Zhang Yuan approaches the Metal Position Stone Sentinel, then laughs and mocks both the First God and the True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance for their lack of intelligence and strategy.
• His apparent attempt to claim Stone Sentinel is a feint. He uses his remaining Imago to propel himself toward the damaged Chaos Platform and absorbs its two largest fragments into his Sea of Consciousness. Since its former holder has fallen, Zhang Yuan hopes the vacant Upper Metal Position is still claimable.
• The True Lord realizes Zhang Yuan has seen through his scheme and changed targets, and angrily calls him cunning.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan remains composed despite his losses. Rather than give up, he spots an unexpected opportunity in the vacant Chaos Platform and acts on it with a deliberate deception.
• The True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance shifts from satisfaction at Zhang Yuan’s setback to alarm when he recognizes Zhang’s true aim and realizes his own plan has been exposed.
• The First God, whose Divine Sense is inside the black hole, is enraged by Zhang Yuan’s insult.
• The two Great Immortal Lords express sympathy and curiosity, but are left baffled by Zhang Yuan’s laughter and sudden maneuver. The observing Lords likewise move from assuming he is doomed to watching his unexpected play unfold.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity under pressure: Zhang Yuan turns the loss of his Dao Domain into a chance to claim another powerful position.
• Deception and strategic misdirection: His feigned approach to Stone Sentinel hides his real target.
• Defiance and confidence: Even amid apparent defeat, Zhang Yuan refuses to act like a doomed man and openly taunts powerful enemies.

Plot points and events

• [True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance] realizes Zhang Yuan has seen through his scheme and attacks him with the immense power of the [Windy Peng Fruit], pinning him down as he tries to take a third piece of the [Chaos Platform].
• Chi Guanguan warns Zhang Yuan to stop at two pieces and escape before the strike kills him. Zhang accepts that he cannot reclaim his Dao Domain today and considers asking Ji Guang to help later.
• First God, now a black cloth sack, sends the swallowed [Great Cavern Yin-Spectacle Immortal Domain] through the Nether Bureau’s East Gate, then disperses as his power runs out. He believes his maneuver has secured his revival and left Zhang Yuan unable to retrieve his Dao Domain.
• Zhang Yuan taunts [True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance], who remains wary of possible allies but sees no sign of help. Just as the attack lands, [Unimpeded Foot] arrives in golden light and carries Zhang Yuan away, leaving no trace.
• The Dragon Lords search unsuccessfully for Zhang Yuan. At the East Sea, the East Sea Dragon Lord reveals that a friend from the Primordial Era returned Ao Xiu safely. Ao Xiu protests that involving Zhang Yuan is dangerous, but her father teases her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan remains composed and defiant under lethal pressure. Though frustrated about losing his Dao Domain, he stays optimistic and mocks his attacker before his sudden rescue.
• True Lord of Ten Thousand Cycles of Balance drops his pretense and resorts to direct violence. His frustration deepens when Zhang escapes after years of scheming.
• First God acts ruthlessly and confidently, using the Nether Bureau as a place to hide the immortal domain. He assumes Zhang is finished, unaware that Zhang has escaped.
• Chi Guanguan pragmatically restrains Zhang’s greed and helps him get away.
• Ao Xiu is safely reunited with her father but is anxious for Zhang’s safety; the East Sea Dragon Lord responds with affectionate teasing.

Significant themes

• Scheming versus adaptability: elaborate plans fail when their target remains resourceful and unexpected help intervenes.
• Greed and survival: Zhang must abandon immediate gains to preserve his life.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: First God and the True Lord both mistake temporary advantage for lasting victory.
• Loyalty and connection: unseen allies and personal ties shape events, from Chi Guanguan’s intervention to Ao Xiu’s concern for Zhang.

Chapter Summary: “Go Out for a Stroll”

Key plot points and events

• After Zhang Yuan’s failed attempt to prove the Dao, the Mysterious Court is left badly damaged, though its people mostly escape with minor injuries.
• Zhang Yuan survives and disappears. The Chaos Platform’s fragments retreat into the Void-Hiding Heaven and Earth; powerful beings fail to intercept them. Its metal-position status remains intact, and its imago can eventually reunite.
• Xu Lingyin sees Zhang Yuan’s failure as an opportunity to pursue Sky Mountain’s metal position herself, while Immortal Lord Liujing is conflicted about whether Zhang Yuan’s survival is good or bad.
• At Sun-Moon Cliff, Xiao Yuanjun confronts Li Huixi for stopping her from going to Zhang Yuan’s aid. Li Huixi says Zhang Yuan was bound to fail and argues that a Lower Metal Position was beneath him.
• Xiao Yuanjun announces that she is “going out for a stroll,” evidently intending to intervene elsewhere. Li Huixi lets her go but tells her she must return after dealing with their opponents.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Xiangning privately admits she does not want Zhang Yuan to become a True Lord, since he is already difficult to control. Still, she is intrigued by the metal-position imagos he possesses and plans to obtain one herself. She cannot trace him because Chi has hidden his karma.
• Xu Lingyin turns Zhang Yuan’s failed attempt into a personal mission: she intends to inherit his plan and claim Sky Mountain’s position.
• Immortal Lord Liujing remains wary of Zhang Yuan, yet recognizes he is not wholly evil and feels uneasy about wishing him dead.
• Xiao Yuanjun and Li Huixi reveal contrasting forms of concern for Zhang Yuan. Xiao Yuanjun wants to support him as his master; Li Huixi is composed and strategic, judging that Zhang Yuan should aim higher than a Lower Metal Position. Their banter also hints at Li Huixi’s ties to Xiao Yuanjun and looming conflict with the Ancient Lords.

Significant themes

• Ambition and status: The value of a Dao achievement depends not only on succeeding, but on attaining a position worthy of one’s potential.
• Power and control: Several characters consider Zhang Yuan’s possible rise in terms of how difficult he would become to command.
• Failure as opportunity: Zhang Yuan’s setback creates a path for Xu Lingyin and leaves the struggle over Sky Mountain unresolved.
• Conflicted judgment: Characters weigh their personal loyalties and rivalries against their doubts about Zhang Yuan’s nature.

Plot and events

• After the golden light carries Zhang Yuan away from Sky Mountain, he finds himself badly injured and drifting through the Outer Chaos. With the last of his strength, he uses [Ninefold Harmonizing Qi] to protect and propel himself toward the Five Great Realms.
• Chi Guanguan arrives intending to meet him, but finds he has already moved on. A deadly beam of Sun-Moon Arcane Radiance pursues her; she calmly escapes using [Space-Leaping].
• Zhang Yuan wakes while descending into the desolate Crimson Firmament Rosy Radiance Realm. He lands near a ruined temple and takes shelter.
• He realizes his Dharma Body is nearly mortal in strength unless he can recover his Dao Domain. Despite his losses, he retains two Imagos of the [Chaos Platform], which improve his prospects of proving the Dao.
• Chi Guanguan’s Divine Sense is gone from his Sea of Consciousness, and Ao Xiu is also absent. Alone, Zhang Yuan reflects on the cost of his survival and on Qin Tianyi’s death. As thunder sounds and rain approaches, an unidentified person invites him inside.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan survives but is severely weakened, recovering only enough strength to move and descend. He recognizes both the price he has paid and the potential value of his new Imagos. Though he jokes about enjoying the quiet, he feels the absence of his companions.
• Chi Guanguan has sacrificed the Divine Sense accompanying Zhang Yuan to save him, then faces danger herself and escapes without panic. Her actions deepen Zhang Yuan’s sense of debt to her.
• Ao Xiu is no longer with Zhang Yuan; he assumes Ao Xiu has returned home.
• Qin Tianyi, though absent, remains on Zhang Yuan’s mind. Zhang mourns his death during truth-seeking and the unfair circumstances surrounding it.
• The chapter ends with a stranger offering Zhang Yuan shelter, setting up a new encounter.

Significant themes

• The cost of survival: Zhang Yuan’s escape depends on Chi Guanguan’s sacrifice, while his injuries leave him almost powerless.
• Isolation and companionship: With Chi Guanguan’s presence gone and Ao Xiu absent, Zhang Yuan must face the aftermath alone.
• Ambition and risk: The benefits of the Chaos Platform Imagos offer hope, but the deaths of Qin Tianyi and others underline the peril of pursuing Dao attainment.
• Chance and uncertainty: Zhang Yuan’s landing place and the unknown host both point toward an unpredictable next stage.

Zhang Yuan sought shelter from the rain in a ruined temple, where he encountered a suspicious escort group while his body and cultivation were weakened. As he considered how to learn where he was, Chi Guanguan identified the place as the Crimson Firmament Roselight Realm.

• Zhang Yuan entered the ruined temple after a refined young man invited him in to escape the coming rain.
• Zhang Yuan sensed unusual auras from Wei Jianxing and two young companions, while the group discussed whether to kill him and decided against acting rashly.
• Zhang Yuan overheard the group’s conversation but spared them, resolving to draw information from them about his location.
• Chi Guanguan appeared beside Zhang Yuan and told him that he was in the Crimson Firmament Roselight Realm.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Yuan arrives in the Crimson Firmament Roselight Realm and is surprised to find Chi Guanguan with him, despite believing her Divine Sense had dispersed.
• Chi explains that, as a Great Luo who commands [Unimpeded Foot], she can reach places she has previously marked—including Zhang Yuan’s Dao Domain and Sea of Consciousness—almost instantly.
• Chi identifies the realm as a promising place to recover Zhang Yuan’s lost Dao Domain, [Great Grotto Yin-Scenery Immortal Domain]. She reasons that the Nether Bureau’s North Gate, once located in the far north of the Dust-Dyed Realm, should now be in the far north of the unified Five Realms—within the Crimson Firmament Roselight Realm.
• Zhang Yuan considers asking [True Lord Ceased Light Punishes Thoughts] to retrieve the Dao Domain, but rejects the idea: he distrusts the old ghost and fears being exploited or having something planted in his Dao Domain.
• Because Zhang Yuan is unknown in this realm and his enemies are unlikely to search for him here, he sees an opportunity to pursue his goals without attracting the attention of powerful Lords of Heaven and Earth.

Character development and interactions

• Zhang Yuan moves from uncertainty about Chi’s appearance to accepting that she is truly present. He recognizes that she can find him whenever she chooses, though he is not pleased by the prospect.
• Chi is proud of her power and lightly criticizes Zhang Yuan for being difficult to keep track of. Despite her teasing, she considers his safety and notes that staying apart from her hunted true body gives him more freedom.
• Zhang Yuan shows caution and independence by refusing to rely on a powerful but untrustworthy ally. He instead begins forming a plan he can carry out himself.

Zhang Yuan’s plan

• Travel toward the Nether Bureau’s North Gate and recover his Dao Domain.
• Gather the materials needed by the “Form and Spirit Cultivation Method” to restore his spirit root to the level of an Immortal Spirit Root.
• Build combat strength by cultivating both the qi refining to immortality path and the qi sea uniting spirit dao, keeping open the possibility of becoming either a Great Immortal Lord or a Divine Master.
• Once his Dao Domain, spirit root, dharma body, and cultivation are ready, pursue true-seeking Dao attainment with [Chaos Platform].

Significant themes

• Independence and trust: Zhang Yuan prefers a risky journey of his own over depending on someone he believes may betray him.
• Opportunity in exile: An unfamiliar realm that initially seems inconvenient may offer safety and a chance to rebuild.
• Preparation and ambition: Zhang Yuan turns setbacks into a staged plan for restoring his power and ultimately proving the Dao.
• Freedom and pursuit: Chi’s ability to reach him contrasts with Zhang Yuan’s attempt to find room to act beyond the gaze of his enemies.

Key plot points and events

• A violent storm drives the travelers into a ruined temple. Zhang Yuan notices that the cold wind carries a trace of profound yin death qi, dangerous even to powerful cultivators.
• A three-meter-tall Mountain Patrol Envoy appears at the entrance and hurls a harpoon at Wei Jianxing. Pan Zhong deflects it, but the attack makes clear that the group has been discovered.
• The Envoy smashes through the temple gate and reveals himself as an armored general with a fish’s head. Pan Zhong attacks, briefly cracking one of his scales, but the general overpowers him with a punch and sends him crashing into the wall.
• Wei Jianxing learns that Wei Liu needs one incense stick to prepare her killing move, while Wei Huai needs two. He and Wu Qing step forward to hold the general off and buy Wei Liu time. The general notices Wei Liu and Wei Huai as the greatest threats and reaches to reclaim his harpoon.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan remains calm and observant, studying the deathly wind rather than joining the others’ argument or immediately entering the fight.
• Wei Jianxing defends his decision to invite Zhang Yuan inside, then takes charge when the group is attacked, coordinating their defense.
• Wei Liu and Wei Huai are reserved but capable; they prepare powerful attacks that require time. Their working together contrasts with their relatives’ earlier bickering.
• Wu Qing challenges Wei Jianxing’s judgment but ultimately cooperates with him in the fight.
• Pan Zhong reacts fastest to the harpoon and attacks the Envoy, but is badly wounded. Wei Jianxing focuses on keeping the group’s plan moving rather than checking on him.
• The Wei relatives’ relationship seems cordial but not especially close; Wu Qing and Pan Zhong are outsiders who accept their authority.

Significant themes

• Dangerous environments: The storm and death-tainted wind signal that the surrounding realm itself is hostile.
• Teamwork under pressure: The group must coordinate and protect those preparing decisive attacks, despite earlier disagreements.
• Power and vulnerability: Pan Zhong’s skilled strike damages the Envoy but cannot overcome his strength, leaving the group racing against time.

Zhang Yuan stole the Fish-Head General’s spear and tried to stop him with an improvised flame spell, but it had no effect. As the monster attacked, Wei Liu completed her killing move and transformed her arm and knife into a demonic weapon.

• Zhang Yuan picked up the Fish-Head General’s spear and kept it when it failed to return to its owner.
• The Fish-Head General charged Zhang Yuan, whose flame spell was extinguished by the monster’s yin qi.
• Zhang Yuan dodged the Fish-Head General’s hand chop and retreated beside Wei Liu and Wei Huai.
• Zhang Yuan asked Chi Guanguan for an outer dao spell, but she could not find one suitable for his cultivation.
• Wei Liu told Zhang Yuan he was noisy, then raised a knife as killing intent, yin qi, and ghostly energy gathered around her.
• Wei Liu’s arm transformed into a muscular Evil Ghost Arm, and her knife became a Giant Blade wreathed in demon flames.

Wei Liu killed the Fish-Head General with a blazing Giant Blade, and Zhang Yuan concealed his origins by claiming to be a Wandering Daoist from another realm. Wei Jianxing revealed that his household had received help from an outsider, but Wei Liu stopped him before he disclosed more, leaving Zhang Yuan to question the group's real purpose.

• Wei Liu summoned a purple-black, Giant Blade and killed the Fish-Head General, then refused to explain her technique to Zhang Yuan.
• Wei Jianxing and Wu Qing checked on Wei Liu and Zhang Yuan, and Wei Jianxing asked Zhang Yuan about his flame spell.
• Zhang Yuan claimed he was a Wandering Daoist from Heaven-Reaching City and said his spell was called Demon-Slaying Divine Fire.
• Wei Jianxing told Zhang Yuan that cultivators from other realms had visited the Wei Household and that a Great Cultivator had eased the household's longstanding affliction.
• Wei Liu stopped Wei Jianxing from revealing more, and Zhang Yuan asked whether their claimed shipment escort was real.

Plot points and events

• After Zhang Yuan asks about the group’s purpose, Wei Jianxing explains that they are a party preparing to slay a demon king at the Nether Extinction Heavenly Palace, one of six demon-king palaces that dominate much of the realm and threaten its people.
• Wei Jianxing invites Zhang Yuan to join. Zhang initially refuses, saying he has other goals and does not want to risk his life on an uncertain mission.
• Wei reveals that the demon-king palaces contain most of the realm’s Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures—the very resources Zhang needs. Zhang immediately reconsiders and joins, presenting his decision as righteous service.
• Zhang questions Wei further and learns that he has arrived in the Central Hub, near the Northern Plains. The Nether Extinction Heavenly Palace lies between them, so joining the party also suits his route.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shifts from wary outsider to eager recruit once he learns the palace may hold valuable treasures. His lofty talk about helping others contrasts humorously with his practical motive: restoring his Spiritual Root and advancing his cultivation.
• Wei Jianxing is candid about the mission and persuades Zhang by explaining its potential rewards. He warmly welcomes Zhang, believing his strength will improve the party’s chances.
• Pan Zhong encourages Wei to tell Zhang the truth, describing him as a good-hearted man; Zhang is pleased by the compliment, though Pan is puzzled by his sudden smile.
• Wei Liu distrusts or teases Zhang, scoffing that he perks up at the mention of money. Zhang ignores her.
• Wu Qing, Wei Liu, Wei Huai, and Pan Zhong watch for Zhang’s answer, aware that his abilities could help them.

Significant themes

• Idealism versus self-interest: The party frames its quest as a fight to protect the world, but the prospect of treasure is also a major incentive; Zhang’s own commitment is plainly driven by need.
• Survival and practical ambition: Zhang prioritizes his cultivation goals and avoids danger until the mission aligns with them.
• Humorous hypocrisy and reputation: Zhang’s polished claims of benevolence mask a pragmatic calculation, while others’ judgments of his character shape the group’s trust.

Key plot points and events

• After questioning Wei Jianxing’s group, Zhang Yuan learns that the fish-headed attacker was a low-ranking Mountain Patrol Envoy serving the Six Heavens Demon King Palace. Though individually weak, such envoys can summon more powerful ghost deities, so the group had been right to kill him quickly.
• Zhang Yuan judges the group’s combat ability to be poor, though Wei Liu’s exceptionally powerful saber technique—and Wei Huai’s similar ability—make them useful companions. Wei Jianxing avoids explaining the secret behind Wei Liu’s move.
• Zhang Yuan reflects that his cultivation is still too low and decides to seek a better outer-dao method. His spiritual root has improved to a low-grade earth-tier five-element root, making him capable of pursuing stronger cultivation.
• He chooses the Great Qian Primordial Soul-Refining Scripture, a powerful method he memorized earlier. Its soul-devouring practice is especially suited to a realm full of ghosts.
• Zhang Yuan begins cultivating in the ruined temple. His technique draws in both spiritual energy and nearby wandering ghosts, crushing the ghosts into soul power and consuming them. Wei Jianxing’s group watches in alarm and questions whether Zhang Yuan is truly a proper Daoist.

Character developments

• Zhang Yuan shows confidence in his assessment of others and a pragmatic drive to improve. He recognizes the limits of his current cultivation, draws on the resources he has accumulated, and begins using a method that blurs the line between orthodox cultivation and demonic practice.
• Wei Jianxing and his companions are revealed to be comparatively weak and wary of powerful authorities and hidden techniques. Their reaction to Zhang Yuan’s cultivation exposes their unease about his nature.
• Wei Liu is established as possessing a devastating but secret killing move; Wei Huai appears to have a similar technique.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: Even a low-ranking demon official can threaten an entire group if allowed to summon reinforcements.
• Cultivation as adaptation: Zhang Yuan chooses his method according to his aptitude and surroundings, using accumulated knowledge and resources to advance.
• Blurred moral boundaries: Zhang Yuan’s soul-devouring method makes him resemble the very demonic beings he opposes.
• Secrets and uncertainty: The group conceals the nature of Wei Liu’s technique, while Zhang Yuan’s own conduct leaves his identity open to question.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yuan questions Wei Jianxing’s group about the Mountain Patrol Envoy and assesses their strengths and weaknesses; Wei Jianxing deflects questions about Wei Liu’s technique.
• When Zhang Yuan begins cultivating, the group’s curiosity turns to fear as they witness him consume ghosts. Their final reaction—“Is he... really a proper Daoist?”—captures the growing distrust and ambiguity surrounding him.

Plot points and events

• After a night of cultivation in the ruined temple, Zhang Yuan advances from early to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, increasing his spiritual power by about thirty percent. He expects his progress to slow after Golden Core and reminds himself not to grow complacent.
• The others have spent the night sleepless amid the ghostly disturbances. Zhang jokes that he spent the night “delivering wandering ghosts”; Wei Liu dismisses the claim, and the group clearly doubts him.
• The party leaves the temple as the rain eases. Zhang keeps himself dry with a spiritual-power barrier, claiming it is the ordinary Water-Repelling Art, though he is actually using crude force rather than a proper technique. He notices Wei Liu’s umbrella also keeps the rain away from her.
• Walking at the back, Zhang speaks with Chi Guanguan and asks her to teach him a spatial-movement Great Immortal Art. Having lost his Dao domain—and with it access to Golden Chariot—he wants a way to escape danger.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows rapid cultivation progress but remains aware of its limits. He conceals his true Dao status and improvises when questioned, while maintaining a cheerful, irreverent manner.
• Wei Jianxing tries to keep the group moving and asks about Zhang’s apparent rain-repelling technique, revealing his limited exposure to other realms’ cultivation methods.
• Wei Liu is blunt and distant: she rebukes Zhang for talking too much, though she also identifies his barrier as the Water-Repelling Art.
• Chi Guanguan is bored and misses the pastries that vanished with Zhang’s Dao domain. Despite this, she avoids using mystery to travel to the domain’s location because she fears the Nether Bureau would detect or expel her.
• The group tolerates Zhang’s odd behavior because they invited him along, even though they remain suspicious of his claims.

Significant themes

• Caution and concealment: Zhang hides his Dao status, while Chi avoids a dangerous rescue attempt that might alert powerful beings.
• Progress and humility: Zhang’s swift advancement is tempered by his recognition that later cultivation will be harder.
• Adaptation after loss: Without his Dao domain and Golden Chariot, Zhang seeks a replacement escape technique.
• Humor amid danger: The group’s mistrust, Zhang’s invented explanation, and Chi’s longing for pastries lighten an otherwise uncertain journey.

Plot points and events

• Chi Guanguan teaches Zhang Yuan the key cultivation principles of the spatial Great Immortal Art “As the Emperor Personally Walked,” giving him a remarkably thorough explanation. Zhang is confident he can master it without further help.
• The group travels through the barren, rain-soaked Crimson Firmament Rosy Radiance Realm and reaches the outskirts of White Tree City. Wei Jianxing explains that the city is protected by a powerful white tree that repels baleful energy, ghosts, and fierce deities. Its ruling White Household is a renowned Sword Immortal Lineage.
• Zhang Yuan hopes to buy a Spirit Sword there, since drawing his current sword consumes some of its stored Divine Ability Imagoes.
• Before the group can continue, Zhang Yuan suddenly pulls Wei Liu out of the way of a massive axe that crashes down where she was about to step. A crocodile-headed warrior and four fish-headed soldiers then surround the party.
• The attackers are agents of the Nether Extinction Heavenly Palace, seeking revenge for the Mountain Patrol Envoy the group killed the previous night. Their leader identifies himself as the Bone-Listening King.
• Pan Zhong tries to talk his way out of the confrontation, but the Bone-Listening King ignores him and attacks, ending the chapter as he swings his axe at Pan Zhong.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan receives Chi Guanguan’s carefully prepared instruction and shows confidence in his ability to learn. He also demonstrates quick reflexes by saving Wei Liu, though his warning and teasing afterward leave her more puzzled than grateful.
• Chi Guanguan reveals how invested she is in Zhang Yuan’s progress: she learned the art herself in advance and is ready to provide further help if needed.
• Wei Liu offers Zhang Yuan a brief, sincere thanks, then withdraws from his talk and focuses on the threat.
• Wei Jianxing provides information about White Tree City and helps the group understand its strategic importance.
• Pan Zhong stays composed and attempts diplomacy, while the others quietly hope Wei Liu and Wei Huai can prepare an escape plan.

Significant themes

• Preparation and mentorship: Chi Guanguan’s teaching highlights the value of patient, tailored guidance.
• Danger and vigilance: Even near a safe haven, the group remains exposed to sudden attacks in a hostile realm.
• Power and survival: The Bone-Listening King’s refusal to negotiate shows how little diplomacy matters when a stronger enemy has already decided to kill.

Pan Zhong and Wei Jianxing's group fought the Bone-Listening King and its Mountain Patrol Envoys while Wei Liu and Wei Huai gathered power for their killing moves. Just as the Bone-Listening King attacked Zhang Yuan, a woman arrived and sent it flying.

• The Bone-Listening King wounded Pan Zhong and ordered its Mountain Patrol Envoys to capture the others.
• Pan Zhong fought off three Mountain Patrol Envoys while Wei Jianxing and Wu Qing tried to hold back the Bone-Listening King.
• Zhang Yuan used the Purple-Gold Gourd to knock away a Mountain Patrol Envoy threatening Wei Liu and Wei Huai, then promised to handle the remaining threats.
• The Bone-Listening King knocked Wei Jianxing and Wu Qing aside and charged at Zhang Yuan as Wei Liu and Wei Huai gathered power.
• A woman cried, “Do not harm my lord!”, shattered the Bone-Listening King's axe, cut through its armor, and sent it flying.

Plot and events

• In the mist, the Bone-Listening King’s axe is destroyed by a powerful sword technique, and he is badly wounded. The attacker is Bai Fu, the famed Sword Immortal of White Tree City.
• Bai Fu arrives to protect Zhang Yuan and the Wei Household survivors. Wei Jianxing, Pan Zhong, and Wu Qing thank her, relieved that she has turned the tide.
• To everyone’s surprise, Bai Fu kneels before Zhang Yuan and calls him “Master.” Zhang Yuan recognizes her as Lu Zhiming, whose soul was forced into a female body after his clan refined him into a pill. He is startled to find her alive and now at ninth-turn Qi Refinement Perfected.
• The Bone-Listening King tries to exploit Bai Fu’s concern for Zhang Yuan by attacking him, but Bai Fu intercepts him and drives him off. The Mountain Patrol Envoys flee with their king.
• Bai Fu pursues them with the Heavenly Inheritance Sword Scripture’s tracking qi light, which may kill the already injured Bone-Listening King and scatter the envoys’ souls. She then checks on Zhang Yuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Fu appears far stronger than the survivors expected, and her devotion to Zhang Yuan has become strikingly deferential. Her repeated use of “Master” unsettles him.
• Zhang Yuan is surprised both by Bai Fu’s survival and by her changed manner. He tells her she need not call him master and wonders whether the change is connected to Old Ghost Ji Guang, rather than the sword scripture.
• The Bone-Listening King proves ruthless and opportunistic, targeting Zhang Yuan when he cannot defeat Bai Fu, but is forced to retreat.
• Wei Jianxing, Pan Zhong, and Wu Qing recognize Bai Fu’s reputation and express gratitude for her rescue.

Significant themes

• Power and protection: Bai Fu’s strength decisively reverses the battle and shields the group.
• Identity and transformation: Lu Zhiming’s forced change into Bai Fu—and her altered behavior—raises questions about what has changed beyond her body.
• Loyalty and control: Bai Fu’s submission to Zhang Yuan contrasts with his discomfort at being treated as her master.
• Reputation versus reality: Bai Fu surpasses even the formidable rumors surrounding her.