Chapter Summaries

Zhang Yuan secretly recovered while pretending to be drunk, advancing his cultivation and spiritual root before planning his next steps in Roselight Capital. Chi Guanguan told him Bai Fu was safe and explained that the ancient gods were mostly pre-heaven divine saints, many of whom had been purged by Great Luo.

• Zhang Yuan refined the wine’s potency, advanced to the nascent soul middle stage, restored his spiritual root to low-grade heavenly, and reached the fate lord realm.
• Zhang Yuan planned to search the Imperial Academy and Upper Nether Academy for information about the Six Heavens Demon King Palace, then find and kill Miao Jin before leaving Roselight Capital.
• Zhang Yuan remembered Bai Fu, and Chi Guanguan assured him she was safe in the city while attempting her final heaven-and-earth trial.
• Zhang Yuan asked Chi Guanguan about river gods, and she explained that such gods were mostly pre-heaven divine saints who had been purged by Great Luo.

Zhang Yuan discovered the two [Chaos Platform] fragments in his Sea of Consciousness, then returned to his room to find Wei Liu beneath his quilt. Wei Liu confessed that she had feelings for him and asked him not to reject her because she did not have long to live.

• Zhang Yuan learned that the Great Luo had purged the gods and noticed the two [Chaos Platform] fragments in his Sea of Consciousness.
• Chi Guanguan urgently told Zhang Yuan to check what was happening outside.
• Zhang Yuan woke in bed and found Wei Liu hiding beneath his quilt.
• Wei Liu insisted she was acting of her own will and reminded Zhang Yuan that he had called himself a Householder Daoist.
• Wei Liu admitted her feelings and pleaded with Zhang Yuan not to reject her because she did not have long to live.

Key events

• Wei Liu kisses Zhang Yuan and begins undressing, but he stops her before things go further. He explains that he has a fiancée and hints that pursuing the affair could bring disaster.
• Wei Liu accepts that she has no claim to an official place in his life and says she does not expect him to interfere with his marriage.
• When Zhang Yuan asks why she believes she has little time left, Wei Liu reveals purple fur spreading across her shoulder. It is the curse suffered by cultivators who draw power from the [Ninefold Calamity-Subduing Palace]: the fur consumes their vitality until they become mindless evil ghosts.
• Wei Liu estimates that she has about twenty years left. Her relative, Wei Huai, is much worse off, with the curse in his brain and perhaps only six months to live.
• Zhang Yuan realizes he cannot cure the curse himself, but believes he can seek help from powerful allies. He promises Wei Liu he will save her. She assumes he is only comforting her and falls asleep against him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan briefly gives in to the moment but regains control, gently stopping Wei Liu out of loyalty to his fiancée and concern over the consequences. He is protective and resourceful, already considering whom he might ask for help.
• Wei Liu is bold in pursuing Zhang Yuan, yet accepts the limits imposed by his engagement. Her resignation about her shortened life suggests she has grown accustomed to the curse and its consequences.
• Their physical closeness shifts from seduction to tenderness: Zhang Yuan comforts her and examines her affliction, while Wei Liu finds calm in his embrace.

Significant themes

• Desire versus duty: Zhang Yuan must balance his attraction to Wei Liu against his commitment to his fiancée.
• The cost of power: The Wei Household’s borrowed demonic power offers strength but gradually destroys its practitioners.
• Hope amid resignation: Wei Liu believes her fate is fixed, while Zhang Yuan sees a possible remedy and refuses to accept her prognosis.
• Power and vulnerability: Even formidable cultivators can be at the mercy of forces only the highest powers can undo.

Key plot points and events

• The morning after Zhang Yuan spends the night at the Wei Residence, palace servant Hong Sha arrives with maids to escort him back. The household maid initially refuses, misunderstanding the claim that Zhang Yuan is the new ruler.
• Zhang Yuan is surprised to learn that the Zhaoxia court has made him ruler, though his earlier remarks about taking power had been casual. He suspects the Grand Libationers are pursuing some plan, but agrees to return and investigate.
• He reassures the sleeping Wei Liu that he will be safe, then enters the Imperial City and retrieves the Thunder Pearl he had left at Clear Sound Hall.
• At Nine Saints Hall, Zhang Yuan jokes that the hall should be renamed “One Saint Hall.” He rejects the Dragon Throne as inauspicious, blows it away with magic, and sits on an ordinary chair instead.
• The court—including officials and members of the former ruling family—formally welcomes him. When Grand Libationer Ruan Jiang begins explaining the kingdom’s appeal for help against the Demon King Palace, Zhang Yuan interrupts to establish whether, as ruler, he has final authority over everyone and everything.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shifts from dismissing his claim to rule as a joke to accepting the position temporarily so he can learn the court’s intentions. He remains irreverent and self-assured, using humor and displays of power to set the tone.
• Hong Sha is relieved when Zhang Yuan agrees to return: the mission is her chance to redeem herself after offending Zhao Lian and avoid punishment.
• The Wei household maid is left bewildered by Zhang Yuan’s unexpected status and presence in Wei Liu’s room.
• The ministers and former royal family greet Zhang Yuan with a mixture of fear, resentment, and hatred. The two Grand Libationers treat him as sovereign and appear prepared to enlist him against the Demon King Palace.
• Zhang Yuan’s exchange with Ruan Jiang shows that he intends to define his power before hearing the court’s demands.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Zhang Yuan’s authority is proclaimed through court ritual, but he immediately tests what that authority actually means.
• Suspicion and political maneuvering: Though he has discounted the idea of a hidden supernatural plot, Zhang Yuan still suspects the Grand Libationers have an agenda.
• Irreverence toward tradition: His rejection of the Dragon Throne and mock renaming of Nine Saints Hall challenge the kingdom’s established symbols of rule.
• Fear and uneasy loyalty: The court’s formal welcome contrasts with the hostility and anxiety visible among its members.

Plot points and events

• After Ruan Jiang confirms that the ruler may act as he wishes, Zhang Yuan orders Miao Jin killed for personal reasons. Qi Han appears to comply, but clarifies that he has sent Miao Jin to the Heavenly Prison.
• Miao Tianwu protests his grandson’s apparent death and attacks Qi Han’s judgment. Qi Han sends him to the prison as well.
• Zhang Yuan threatens to use [Thunder Pivot] to destroy the Imperial City unless Qi Han explains himself. Satisfied by the prison explanation, Zhang Yuan turns to securing the kingdom’s wealth.
• He demands the kingdom’s treasures, then learns that cultivators’ valuables are kept in the Zhaoxia Imperial House’s vault. When he suggests capturing Zhao Lie and torturing him for its location, Zhao Lian reveals that she knows where it is.
• Zhang Yuan praises Zhao Lian as his “worthy helpmeet” and invites her closer. She sits on his leg, glaring at him, and he quietly insults her figure.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan immediately uses his new authority to settle grudges and pursue treasure. His threats and casual cruelty make clear that he treats rulership as an opportunity for personal gain.
• Qi Han tries to contain Zhang Yuan’s demands without openly defying him, redirecting apparent killings into imprisonment and preventing the threatened destruction of the city.
• Ruan Jiang is cautious and troubled, but yields information rather than risk provoking Zhang Yuan.
• Zhao Lian regrets bringing Zhang Yuan to the capital, recognizing that her attempt to recruit him for the city’s defense has ended with him seizing power. Despite her resentment, she helps by revealing the vault’s location and endures his teasing.
• The ministers’ fear and unease grow as Zhang Yuan’s orders repeatedly threaten lives and the kingdom’s resources.

Significant themes

• Power without restraint: Zhang Yuan’s authority lets him openly pursue private grudges and material gain.
• Pragmatic submission: Qi Han, Ruan Jiang, and Zhao Lian maneuver around Zhang Yuan’s demands to prevent worse consequences.
• Dark comedy and humiliation: The scene’s deadly threats are undercut by Zhang Yuan’s flippant manner and his teasing of Zhao Lian.

After dismissing court, Zhang Yuan learned from Zhao Lian that the [Nether Void Death-Inscribing Palace] threatened Roselight Capital with another attack, potentially led by its Demon King. He agreed to look for a solution, then demanded to inspect the Zhao Xia Imperial Family's treasury.

• Zhang Yuan dismissed court after spending the day evading serious discussions with Qi Han, Ruan Jiang, and the officials.
• Once they were alone, Zhao Lian asked Zhang Yuan what he was plotting, and he challenged her about the Zhao Xia Imperial Family's intentions.
• Zhao Lian explained that Qi Han and Ruan Jiang had made Zhang Yuan King to keep him in the capital as a safeguard, and warned that the next attack might bring the [Nether Void Death-Inscribing Palace]'s Demon King.
• Zhang Yuan agreed to think of a solution for Bright Dawn Kingdom, then told Zhao Lian to take him to the imperial treasury so he could collect payment and inspect his own holdings.
• Zhao Lian suppressed her anger and led Zhang Yuan toward the treasury.

Zhang Yuan explored the Zhao Xia Imperial Family’s vast underground treasure vault with Zhao Lian, finding rare treasures and a collection of cultivation spells. After eating a valuable artifact material to nourish his spiritual root, he stayed behind to study spells while Zhao Lian left.

• Zhao Lian led Zhang Yuan into the imperial family’s underground treasure vault and warned him not to take too much.
• Zhang Yuan surveyed the vault’s immense stores and judged that its treasures rivaled the Mysterious Court’s sect vault.
• Zhang Yuan searched for materials needed by the Form and Spirit Cultivation Method and found a piece of nether heaven gold crystal stone.
• Zhang Yuan ate the stone to nourish his spiritual root, startling Zhao Lian.
• Zhang Yuan examined the vault’s books, challenged Zhao Lian about the family’s collection, and learned that the books there held cultivation techniques and spells.
• Zhang Yuan asked Zhao Lian to leave and stayed to study spells suited to his cultivation.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yuan calls for Chi Guanguan inside his sea of consciousness. She is sulking, accusing him of being a shameless philanderer, but still sends him toward a suitable spell.
• He selects the Three Netherworlds World-Devouring Great Hand Seal, a powerful Soul Dao art with three stages: a soul-killing finger, a soul-devouring seal that restores Magic Power, and a world-devouring hand that combines both abilities.
• Using his own Daoist attainment, Zhang Yuan quickly learns two more Soul Dao techniques: the Ghost King God-Protecting Shield, which uses ghosts as a defensive barrier, and the basic Soul-Gathering Art, which lets him store Soul Power in an object. He gathers the treasury’s wandering ghosts into a jade seal.
• Ready to test his new abilities, Zhang Yuan teleports to the Ministry of Justice prison and finds Miao Jin there, but not Miao Jin’s powerful grandfather, Miao Tianwu.
• Miao Jin boasts to his fellow prisoners that his family’s influence will let him marry the Third Princess. Zhang Yuan appears behind him and kills him with a single blow.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows confidence in his cultivation, learning complex spells quickly and preparing deliberately before acting. He remains mildly concerned about Chi Guanguan despite her irritation, and considers buying her pastries to cheer her up.
• Chi Guanguan is jealous and offended by Zhang Yuan’s reputation with women. Though she refuses to speak to him, she still helps him choose a spell.
• Miao Jin remains arrogant and overconfident, relying on his grandfather’s status and expecting political rewards. His boasts are cut short by Zhang Yuan’s sudden attack.
• Miao Jin’s fellow prisoners flatter him, then warn him too late when Zhang Yuan appears.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: Zhang Yuan expands his abilities before pursuing his target, combining offensive, defensive, and supportive Soul Dao techniques.
• Jealousy and affection: Chi Guanguan’s anger contrasts with the care she continues to show Zhang Yuan.
• Arrogance and consequences: Miao Jin’s confidence in family connections cannot protect him from the danger he has ignored.

Plot and key events

• Zhang Yuan finishes refining Miao Jin’s soul and notices something abnormal: despite Miao Jin’s cultivation, his soul is unusually weak and damaged, yielding less power than a wandering ghost. He wonders whether this is a broader flaw in the Blood-Furnace Lamp-Lighting Path.
• When Miao Jin’s fellow prisoners realize Zhang Yuan has killed him, Zhang Yuan kills them all to prevent anyone identifying him.
• As he prepares to escape, Zhang Yuan discovers a concealed figure in the cell: a powerful, indistinct presence with gleaming golden eyes. The figure condemns Zhang Yuan’s deep sins, karma, and slaughter, but says he is not an enemy and asks who Zhang Yuan is.
• Before Zhang Yuan can question him, Miao Tianwu—the Miao patriarch and a seventh-realm cultivator—races to the prison, enraged by his grandson’s death.
• Zhang Yuan escapes the prison just before Miao Tianwu crushes it, killing the remaining prisoners and jailers. Miao Tianwu tracks Zhang Yuan and attacks with devastating blood-essence techniques, smashing through the city wall.
• Zhang Yuan narrowly evades the attacks, using his “Three Netherworlds World-Devouring Great Hand Seal” to interrupt Miao Tianwu’s spear strike long enough to teleport away. Miao Tianwu pursues him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan remains cool and pragmatic, killing witnesses without hesitation and prioritizing escape over learning the mysterious figure’s identity. Miao Tianwu’s power forces him to reconsider his dismissive view of Blood-Furnace cultivators.
• Miao Tianwu is introduced as a formidable, furious grandfather whose grief and rage drive him to pursue Zhang Yuan relentlessly.
• The concealed figure appears powerful and perceptive, recognizes the weight of Zhang Yuan’s actions, and claims not to be his enemy—leaving his identity and motives uncertain.
• Zhang Yuan briefly faces the hidden figure, then abandons that encounter when Miao Tianwu’s attack presents the more immediate danger.

Significant themes

• Violence and karma: The mysterious figure frames Zhang Yuan’s killing spree as a heavy burden of sin and karma.
• Power and misjudgment: Zhang Yuan learns that even a lineage he considered inferior can produce overwhelming force.
• Uncertainty and survival: A potentially important encounter is cut short by immediate danger, and Zhang Yuan’s survival instincts take precedence over curiosity.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Yuan and Miao Tianwu fight above the Rosy Capital after Zhang killed Miao Jin. As residents gather to watch, Zhang uses twelve heavy mystic orbs to disarm and knock Miao Tianwu from the sky.
• He proclaims himself the Seventh Eroding the Sun Demon King and falsely promises that people who see or worship him will gain years of life and blessings. The city panics, though some residents—including Wei Liu—kneel.
• Zhang secretly sends Wei Liu a lifespan-extending fruit, taken from the Zhaoxia Imperial House’s treasury.
• He unleashes a devastating finger technique, claiming it is only a minor punishment. Miao Tianwu refuses to retreat, ready to shield the city and its people.
• Xie Jingxin arrives and cuts the attack apart with one sword stroke. Zhang recognizes that he cannot defeat both her and Miao Tianwu, so he threatens them and escapes by repeatedly traversing space.
• Once safely hidden in an alley, Zhang reflects that killing Miao Jin nearly got him into serious trouble: Miao Tianwu arrived almost immediately, and Xie Jingxin joined the fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows both impressive strength and caution. He uses intimidation and theatrical claims to control the crowd, but retreats as soon as the odds turn against him. His private gesture toward Wei Liu contrasts with his public deception.
• Miao Tianwu is driven by grief and vengeance, but his resolve extends beyond his grandson: he stands his ground to protect the Rosy Capital’s people.
• Xie Jingxin intervenes decisively, demonstrating that her swordsmanship can neutralize Zhang’s formidable technique. She also recognizes that he is weaker than when they fought in White Tree City.
• Wei Liu responds devoutly to Zhang’s supposed promise, while the wider population reacts with fear and confusion.
• Zhang’s clash with Miao Tianwu becomes a public spectacle, and Xie Jingxin’s intervention turns it into a three-way confrontation—one Zhang avoids rather than risk losing.

Significant themes

• Performance and deception: Zhang’s demon-king persona and promises are fabricated, used to manipulate public perception.
• Duty and protection: Miao Tianwu’s refusal to retreat reflects responsibility toward the people behind him, not merely personal revenge.
• Power and its limits: Zhang can overwhelm Miao Tianwu temporarily, but faces danger when a stronger opponent arrives.
• Public belief and fear: The city’s reactions show how easily a display of power can provoke panic or worship.

Zhang Yuan met the Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King, who revealed that he had not ordered the invasion of Roselight Capital and suspected the Underworld-Penetrating Soul-Severing Palace was responsible. They agreed to investigate its Demon King together and split the spoils.

• Zhang Yuan identified the figure in the alley as Zhao Lie, Lord of the Nether Void Death-Inscribing Palace, and learned his title was the Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King.
• The Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King denied ordering the invasion of Roselight Capital and said another Demon King might have impersonated him.
• Zhang Yuan and the Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King suspected the Underworld-Penetrating Soul-Severing Palace had orchestrated the invasion.
• The Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King proposed that they investigate the palace together and split the spoils, and Zhang Yuan agreed.

Plot points

• After the [Execution-Baleful Death-Cutting Demon King] departs, Zhang Yuan concludes their meeting was accidental but that the Demon King may be a trustworthy ally if he prepares carefully. He then uses Spatial Traversal to return to the Wei Residence.
• Wei Kan broods over Zhang Yuan’s relationship with Wei Liu, convinced his own drunken carelessness allowed the match to happen. Though Zhang Yuan seems suitable in status and ability, Wei Kan worries about his apparent lustfulness and the attention his looks may attract.
• Wei Kan sends a maid, Xingyu, to keep an eye on Zhang Yuan and ensure he behaves appropriately.
• Excited to hear Zhang Yuan has returned, Wei Liu pretends to be indifferent, but asks Xingyu to apply light makeup. When Zhang Yuan arrives, she rushes into his arms and asks where he went during the day.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan is cautious about his new connection with the Demon King, but affectionate and teasing with Wei Liu.
• Wei Kan reveals his protective, anxious side as a prospective father-in-law. He resents the relationship but recognizes that his own drinking may have helped bring it about.
• Wei Liu tries to appear composed and unconcerned, yet her excitement, makeup, and embrace show how much she cares for Zhang Yuan.
• Xingyu playfully encourages Wei Liu’s romantic feelings while also taking Wei Kan’s instruction to supervise the couple seriously.
• Wei Kan and Xingyu clash gently over Wei Liu’s engagement: he frets, while she sees the couple as a natural match. Zhang Yuan and Wei Liu’s reunion is warm and teasing.

Significant themes

• Drinking and regret: Wei Kan blames his past drunkenness for the situation, giving the chapter its comic refrain: “Drinking ruins everything!”
• Appearance versus inner feeling: Wei Liu denies caring while openly preparing for Zhang Yuan, and Wei Kan worries that Zhang Yuan’s charm may conceal an unfaithful nature.
• Trust and caution: Zhang Yuan’s possible alliance with the Demon King contrasts with Wei Kan’s suspicion of Zhang Yuan’s intentions.

Plot points

• Zhang Yuan tells Wei Liu he spent the day posing as emperor at the Third Princess’s request. Wei worries the invitation was a trap and offers to accompany him next time with their allies, both for support and to represent the Wei Household. Zhang agrees.
• After leaving Wei Liu before dawn, Zhang returns to the Imperial City. He had meant to visit Wei Kan, but was turned away.
• To make sure Zhao Lian knows he is back in the palace, Zhang uses Spatial Traversal to appear beside her bed. He wakes her, startling her into attacking him.
• Zhao asks about the night’s events: Miao Jin was killed, along with other prisoners, and the General of Heavenly Might fought the Seventh Eroding the Sun Demon King above the Rosy Capital. She believes Miao Jin may have been collateral damage in a larger plan.
• Zhang pretends to be surprised and agrees with her theory, then leaves after teasing her about staying up late and protecting her skin.

Character developments and interactions

• Wei Liu shows concern for Zhang and offers practical political support, drawing on her family’s standing. Zhang accepts and jokes about making the Imperial Court endure an extravagant, deliberately foolish feast.
• Zhang Yuan remains confident and calculating: he returns quickly to avoid arousing Zhao Lian’s suspicion and carefully acts uninformed about Miao Jin’s death.
• Zhao Lian is exhausted but alert and forceful, reacting instinctively when Zhang appears in her bedroom. She shares what she knows, though she studies his performance with some suspicion.
• Zhang and Zhao’s exchange is comic and antagonistic: he calls her “still awake” after waking her, flatters her to reinforce his cover, then annoys her with a remark about her appearance.

Significant themes

• Political mistrust and strategic appearances: Zhang manages what others believe by carefully controlling where he is seen and what he claims to know.
• Power and protection: Wei Liu’s offer highlights how family influence can provide a measure of security in the imperial court.
• Humor amid danger: The threat surrounding Miao Jin’s death contrasts with the teasing, exasperated exchanges between Zhang and Zhao.

Plot and key events

• After leaving Zhao Lian’s palace, Zhang Yuan wanders through the Imperial City with Chi Guanguan, who has emerged from his Sea of Consciousness.
• Chi Guanguan criticizes him for creating romantic complications, especially with Wei Liu, and worries about how he will explain matters to his master.
• She proposes that once Zhang Yuan helps resolve the problem affecting her true form, she can use her Mystery to take him and Wei Liu far away—beyond even his master’s reach. Zhang Yuan agrees and jokes that they would be eloping.
• Zhao Lian catches up with Zhang Yuan. She pointedly offers to arrange his enthronement, but he declines, unwilling to bind himself more deeply to the kingdom through its karma.
• Zhao Lian then asks him to contact the Great Heng Empress for help: the Rosy Capital is threatened by the Nether-Void Death-Inscription Palace and the appearance of the Seventh Sun-Eroding Demon King. Zhang Yuan agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan shows genuine concern for Chi Guanguan, though he is also evasive and playful about his romantic entanglements. His reluctance to become ruler reflects awareness of the spiritual and political burden involved.
• Chi Guanguan moves from stern reproach to a more sincere, intimate proposal to flee with Zhang Yuan and Wei Liu. Her flustered reaction to his teasing hints at affection and possessiveness.
• Zhao Lian shifts from sharp-edged remarks to a grave appeal for aid. Her concern is for the threatened Rosy Capital, and she seeks Zhang Yuan’s influence rather than pressing him to claim the throne.

Significant themes

• Affection, jealousy, and romantic complications: Chi Guanguan challenges Zhang Yuan over Wei Liu and imagines escaping together.
• Freedom versus obligation: The proposed flight contrasts with Zhang Yuan’s growing ties to the kingdom and its political fate.
• Power and responsibility: Zhang Yuan avoids formal enthronement because of its karmic cost, yet agrees to help protect the capital.
• Danger and dependence: The Rosy Capital’s multiple threats leave Zhao Lian relying on Zhang Yuan to reach a powerful potential ally.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Lian asks Zhang Yuan to contact Tan Chencheng, the Great Heng Empress, for help against three powerful Devil Kings threatening the Rosy Capital.
• Zhang agrees, but warns that the message may not reach Tan Chencheng: she is far away, and contacting other powerful allies could expose Zhang’s location to their enemies.
• Zhao Lian offers the full support of the Zhaoxia Imperial House. Zhang jokes that it no longer exists and teases her about his enthronement and their marriage; she refuses to force the issue.
• Zhang tells Zhao Lian he will send her a list of what he needs. After he leaves, she checks her face and realizes his comment about her dark circles was only a tease.
• Seeking further protection, Zhao Lian decides to court the Wei Household and other cultivators. She invites Wei Liu to the palace for breakfast, hoping to build goodwill despite their strained relationship.
• Wei Liu arrives at dawn, furious and convinced the invitation is a deliberate provocation. Zhao Lian is baffled by her hostility, and Wei Liu says an “utterly vicious woman” has angered her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan is cautious and strategic: he agrees to seek help but recognizes the risks of exposing himself and knows he may ultimately have to face the Devil Kings without outside aid. His teasing banter with Zhao Lian shows growing familiarity.
• Zhao Lian shifts from playful bargaining with Zhang to serious preparations to defend the capital. She considers seeking support from Wei Kan, the Sword Saint, and Lord Knocking Nether, hoping their combined strength can deter the Devil Kings.
• Wei Liu arrives already convinced Zhao Lian is challenging her, revealing how distrustful and combative their relationship remains.
• Zhao Lian and Wei Liu misunderstand each other: Zhao intends a diplomatic gesture, while Wei interprets it as a declaration of war.

Significant themes

• Alliance-building amid danger: Zhao Lian seeks multiple safeguards rather than relying on one possible source of help.
• Trust and exposure: Zhang must weigh the value of contacting allies against the danger of revealing his whereabouts.
• Humor amid tension: Teasing, flirtatious banter, and the absurd breakfast confrontation temper the looming threat.
• Rivalry and miscommunication: Zhao Lian’s attempt at diplomacy immediately collides with Wei Liu’s suspicion.

Key plot points and events

• With morning court not scheduled that day, Zhang Yuan sets out to research records about the Six Heavenly Demon Kings at Roselight Capital’s academies.
• He follows a group of Upper Nether Academy students to the academy, insisting his visit is a normal inspection because he is the academy’s honorary libationer.
• The students tell their teacher that a “leering Daoist” followed them. Zhang Yuan has already slipped into the grounds, where he objects to the description and blames the absent True Lord Ceased Light Punishes Thoughts for his reputation.
• Zhang Yuan locates the Scripture Pavilion through divination and enters it. Faced with its vast collection, he realizes that reading everything may take far longer than he has.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yuan is curious and eager to study, but also self-justifying and comically untroubled by how suspicious his behavior looks. He uses his official standing to rationalize the visit, then resorts to stealth when the students’ alarm threatens to expose him.
• Chi Guanguan, resting on his shoulder, questions whether following the students is strange. She accepts his explanation only half-heartedly and suggests their “leering Daoist” description may be fair.
• The students’ nervous report to Mister Lu, the teacher on gate duty, contrasts with Zhang Yuan’s self-image as a dignified visitor.

Significant themes

• Comedy through self-deception: Zhang Yuan repeatedly reframes questionable conduct as reasonable, while the narration highlights the gap between his claims and his actions.
• Learning versus practical limits: His enthusiasm for research meets the overwhelming scale of the academy’s library—and his diminished Divine Sense.
• Status and responsibility: Zhang Yuan’s position as ruler and honorary libationer gives him legitimate access, but does not prevent him from behaving like an intruder.

Zhang Yuan met Ruan Yu, a pale Scripture Pavilion attendant and daughter of Grand Libationer Ruan Jiang, then searched the pavilion for records about the six heavenly demon kings. He found two ancient silk manuscripts describing demon kings and their palaces in the Northern Central Region and Central South.

• Zhang Yuan mistook Ruan Yu for an evil ghost and prepared to attack her, but Chi Guanguan stopped him and explained that she was alive.
• Ruan Yu introduced herself as a Scripture Pavilion attendant and explained that her cultivation gave her unusually powerful consciousness and knowledge of every book in the pavilion.
• Zhang Yuan asked where to find records about the six heavenly demon kings and the Six Heavens Demon King Palace, then hurried upstairs before Ruan Yu could offer further help.
• Armed academy students asked Ruan Yu about a suspected thief, and she identified Zhang Yuan as the academy's new Libationer after verifying his Command Token.
• Zhang Yuan found two ancient silk manuscripts describing the Miasma-Ravaging Silent-Qi Demon King and the Death-Severing Baleful Fiend King, along with their palaces.

Zhang Yuan discovered that the Six Heavens Demon King Palace led down to the Nether Bureau, where he could recover his dao domain, but an attempt to lure him through a neglected door revealed a hidden True Lord's scheme. He left the academy floor unharmed and realized the scheme likely extended across the Roselight Capital.

• Zhang Yuan studied the academy's manuscripts, took two copies of the Six Heavenly Ancient Gods account, and found records linking the Six Heavens Demon King Palace to the Nether Bureau.
• Zhang Yuan learned that the Nether Bureau lay beneath the palace and could lead him to his lost dao domain, letting him combine his two goals in one journey.
• Zhang Yuan sensed something important behind a decayed door but abruptly abandoned his plan to open it and descended to Ruan Yu and the academy students.
• Chi Guanguan confirmed that a concealed conceptual image had tried to influence Zhang Yuan, and that she had suppressed it.
• Zhang Yuan concluded that a True Lord's scheme likely covered the whole Roselight Capital and resolved to be more cautious.

Key plot points and events

• Still wary after encountering a True Lord’s power in the Upper Nether Academy’s Scripture Repository, Zhang Yuan briefly suspects student Cao Xu of being a pawn. He frightens her, then decides she is probably innocent and leaves.
• Zhang tells Cao Xu to collect reward money from Grand Libationer Ruan Jiang. After Zhang departs, Ruan confirms that he is a legitimate new Libationer—but also warns the students that he has a reputation for pursuing women. He nevertheless grants Cao Xu two extra months’ stipend at Zhang’s request.
• Zhang heads to the Imperial Academy to continue searching its Scripture Repository. Despite the recent threat, he is confident that his defenses—and Chi Guanguan’s help—will protect him.
• Chi Guanguan enthusiastically urges him onward, privately considering whether she might seize the chance to seal him and bring him away from danger. Zhang enters the academy and finds another fragment of the history of the Six Heavenly Ancients, describing the eastern Nether-Seeking Soul-Separation Palace and its Demon King.

Character developments

• Zhang Yuan recognizes that his fear has made him overly suspicious, but remains bold and determined to pursue his research despite the True Lord’s attack.
• Cao Xu goes from terrified confusion to astonishment when she unexpectedly receives extra pay.
• Ruan Jiang acts as a reassuring authority for the students, while also offering a teasingly unflattering account of Zhang’s romantic reputation.
• Chi Guanguan is eager to protect Zhang, though she also hopes to restrain his reckless behavior by taking him away herself.

Character interactions

• Zhang intimidates Cao Xu, then directs her to Ruan Jiang for compensation.
• Ruan Yu and the other students report Zhang’s visit to Ruan Jiang, who confirms Zhang’s identity and grants Cao Xu the stipend.
• Zhang and Chi Guanguan share a spirited exchange: she urges him to charge ahead, and he takes up the challenge.

Significant themes

• Suspicion and caution: Zhang’s reaction shows how a brush with hidden power can make him see threats everywhere.
• Courage and recklessness: He refuses to let danger interrupt his investigations, though his confidence may itself be hazardous.
• Mystery and discovery: The newly found manuscript adds another piece to the larger history of the Heavenly Ancients.
• Unexpected kindness and humor: Cao Xu’s reward offers a light, comic contrast to the chapter’s supernatural danger.

Zhang Yuan returned to Roselight Capital and learned that the Demon King Palace had launched another attack, with a corpse tide threatening the city. He went to the wall and prepared to use the Sun-Eroding Demon King Palace to rout the tide and draw the hidden demon king’s attention.

• Zhang Yuan left the Imperial Academy, found the Wei Residence deserted, and went to the Imperial City to seek Zhao Lian.
• Qi Han told Zhang Yuan that the Demon King Palace had attacked four hours earlier and that Wei Kan, Libationer Ruan, and General Miao had gone out to meet the enemy.
• Zhang Yuan accompanied Zhao Lian, Qi Han, and the ministers to the city wall, where he saw Wei Liu, Wei Jianxing, Ruan Yu, Cao Xu, Wei Kan, and Miao Tianwu fighting the corpse tide.
• Zhang Yuan reasoned that he needed to rout the corpse tide to attract the demon king watching from behind, but avoided using techniques that could reveal his identity.
• Zhao Lian placed a crown on Zhang Yuan’s head, and he brought out the Sun-Eroding Demon King Palace, calling it the sun’s afterglow.