Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Having reached late Qi Refining, Jiang Yang has more than doubled his magic power, but still chooses to cross the lake by boat rather than risk draining himself with sword flight.
• He arrives at the Ancestral Court during a crowded Court Examination gathering. While waiting, he listens to disciples debate what the examination will test and who might succeed.
• At the Dewlit Ancestral Court, Jiang Yang admires its ancient mountain, glowing formations, jade plaza, and inscriptions. The immense words “Sole Sovereign of the Vast Sea” nearly overwhelm his spirit sense, and Bai Tang warns him not to keep looking.
• Jiang Yang and Bai Tang discuss the sect’s uncertain origins. Bai Tang suggests Rain Xiang Mountain may be a branch of the Celestial River Jellyfish’s immortal lineage.
• Seeing hundreds or thousands of examination candidates, Jiang Yang reflects on how few can become direct disciples and why the sect holds the examination.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang shows greater power but remains practical and composed. He is curious about the Ancestral Court and increasingly perceptive about the sect’s selection system.
• Bai Tang acts as a knowledgeable, protective guide, cautioning Jiang Yang about the stele and offering a theory about the sect’s ancient inheritance.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yang keeps polite but brief exchanges with disciples who approach him, remaining mostly apart from their social groups.
• His quiet exchanges with Bai Tang deepen his understanding of the Ancestral Court and the meaning of the Court Examination.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and tradition: The Ancestral Court’s age and imposing relics suggest a lineage far older and grander than ordinary records reveal.
• Merit and opportunity: The examination offers lower-ranking disciples a chance to be noticed, even though the sect ultimately favors exceptional talent.
• Humility before power: Jiang Yang’s encounter with the stele shows how even a trace of a great cultivator’s intent can exceed his understanding.

Key plot points and events

• Tai Fu Wei travels through the Great Void with his young descendant, Tai Pei’er, to attend a ceremony at Rain Xiang Mountain.
• On the journey, Fu Wei warns Pei’er to behave cautiously at the High Sect. He also laments that his household’s elders are short-sighted and dependent on his authority.
• At Rain Xiang Mountain, Fu Wei is welcomed by three Purple Mansion True Persons: Xuan Di, Xuan Xi, and Xuan Yi. Their senior, Xuan Guang, is absent, supposedly in seclusion.
• In the palace, Pei’er stands behind Fu Wei rather than take a seat. She is introduced to the True Persons and asked about her cultivation plans.
• Pei’er says her future is her ancestor’s decision. Fu Wei reveals that she will cultivate the Tai Lineage’s “Rare Earth” tradition, with the aim of preparing her to break through to Purple Mansion.
• Xuan Yi criticizes Lineages for clinging to their own inheritances, but Xuan Di restrains him and diplomatically acknowledges that Sects and Lineages follow different rules.

Character developments

• Tai Pei’er is polite, observant, and careful in an unfamiliar political setting. Though she is eager to see the High Sect’s disciples, she understands the risks of offending its leaders.
• Tai Fu Wei is protective of Pei’er and sees her as a promising heir. His complaints reveal anxiety about the Tai Lineage’s declining talent and his successors’ inability to manage without him.
• Xuan Di acts as a courteous host and mediator, gently questioning Pei’er while preventing Xuan Yi’s criticism from escalating.
• Xuan Yi comes across as blunt and dismissive of Lineage-based inheritance, while Xuan Xi tactfully helps deflect questions about the absent Xuan Guang.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and succession: Fu Wei’s hope rests on Pei’er because the previous generation has failed to produce capable successors.
• Sect versus Lineage: The exchange exposes differing values: Sects emphasize institutional rules, while Lineages preserve family inheritance.
• Caution and political etiquette: Pei’er’s restraint and the True Persons’ careful courtesies show the importance of managing thoughts, speech, and status.
• Mortality and responsibility: Fu Wei’s private awareness that even powerful cultivators must die contrasts with his household’s dependence on him.

Character interactions

• Fu Wei alternates between scolding and indulging Pei’er, who reassures him about his household and wins permission to attend.
• The hosts receive Fu Wei respectfully, but their evasiveness about Xuan Guang signals guardedness around sect secrets.
• Pei’er answers Xuan Di formally and keeps her thoughts controlled, wary of his mind-reading divine power.
• Xuan Yi’s rebuke prompts Xuan Di to intervene, preserving courtesy between the High Sect and its dependent Lineage.

Plot points and events

• The Heavenly River Palm Lineage’s Ancestral Court opens its gates for a disciple-selection ceremony, presided over by the Purple Mansion True Person Xuan Di.
• Jiang Yang tries to look directly at Xuan Di and is struck with severe eye pain. Bai Tang explains that even restrained divine powers can harm those who stare at a True Person.
• Xuan Di announces the Court Examination: the disciples must enter the High Firmament Thunder Palace, an ancient, damaged treasure that creates cloud-based Spirit Puppets and Mirage Realms.
• Tai Fu Wei explains that the palace’s puppets cannot exceed Foundation Establishment strength, making it dangerous enough to test disciples but not usually fatal.
• A disciple emerges after failing on the second floor. He explains that contestants must defeat a Spirit Puppet to advance, and that each cleared floor rewards them with a Spirit Stone.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang remains curious and eager to understand what he is seeing. His painful experience gives him a firsthand lesson in the distance between ordinary disciples and powerful cultivators.
• Bai Tang uses the incident to teach Jiang Yang respect and caution, though she admits she deliberately let him learn the lesson the hard way.
• Tai Pei’er watches the ceremony and asks her ancestor questions about the palace, showing her interest in its history and purpose.
• Tai Fu Wei explains the artifact’s origins and limitations, while criticizing Xuan Di’s habit of setting this same unusual test.
• The disciple who returns shares what he learned, accepts his defeat with composure, and leaves after explaining the rules to the crowd.

Significant themes

• The overwhelming gap in power: Xuan Di’s presence alone can injure disciples who look at him, underscoring the danger and authority of divine power.
• Learning through experience: Jiang Yang’s curiosity brings real consequences, turning Bai Tang’s warning into a lesson he is more likely to remember.
• Adaptability and uncertainty: The unfamiliar examination unsettles disciples who prepared for conventional tests, forcing them to face a challenge they cannot predict.
• Merit through trial: The palace rewards progress floor by floor, making advancement depend on each contestant’s ability to overcome its trials.

Key plot points and events

• As the Court Examination continues at High Firmament Palace, another disciple reaches the third floor, prompting more onlookers to attempt the test.
• Jiang Yang meets Zhou Yanwei, who has finished filling in at the General Affairs Office now that Martial Uncle Lin has returned. Zhou explains that his family, the Pingwu Zhou Lineage, has elders looking after him, so he has little reason to seek a peak master.
• They discuss Fang Xu, who has long hoped to join White Elm Peak but has been out of sight for months.
• Lin Jingfeng arrives and enters the palace amid excited attention. Zhou explains that Lin began cultivation late, is now in his forties, and is respected for his fighting ability, courage, loyalty, and righteousness.
• Zhou reveals that disciples who pass the examination but are not accepted by any peak receive a Foundation Establishment Pill. Older disciples like Lin may be taking the examination chiefly for this reward.
• Once the entrance crowd thins, Jiang Yang decides to enter the palace and begin his own attempt.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang shows growing confidence after reaching late Qi Refining, though he modestly credits luck. He listens closely to Zhou’s account of the examination and considers the sect’s motives before entering.
• Zhou Yanwei is warm and supportive toward Jiang Yang, but discreet about his own privileged lineage and careful not to pry into Jiang’s progress. He offers encouragement as Jiang departs.
• Lin Jingfeng is introduced as a veteran disciple whose late start and limited aptitude have not prevented him from earning respect through bravery and integrity.
• The reunion between Jiang Yang and Zhou is friendly and familiar; Zhou’s final blessing sends Jiang Yang into the palace on an optimistic note.

Significant themes

• Lineage and opportunity: Zhou’s family connections provide security, while other disciples must rely on the examination.
• Perseverance and earned respect: Lin’s courage and character have won esteem despite his age and poor aptitude.
• Institutional incentives: The Foundation Establishment Pill gives overlooked disciples a practical reason to compete, suggesting the examination serves broader purposes than selecting peak disciples.
• Ambition and restraint: Jiang Yang is eager to test himself but waits rather than force his way through the crowd, then proceeds calmly when the moment is right.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yang exits the Transformation ceremony, drawing attention with his striking appearance. Although few recognize him, the Azure Nether Stele soon reveals that he is rapidly climbing the Heavenly Tower.
• Tai Pei’er recognizes him as the future [Autumn’s Arrival] Sword Immortal. Remembering his later fame and battlefield feats from her previous life, she is eager to make his acquaintance before he becomes someone she can only admire from afar.
• Inside the tower, Jiang Yang and Bai Tang discuss the cloud-qi spirit puppets. Bai Tang warns that their shifting forms and traces of illusion may make later floors dangerous; Jiang Yang takes her advice seriously.
• Jiang Yang dispatches an ambushing puppet on the eighth floor with a precise, thread-thin One Qi Faces the Sun. His refined sword technique lets him defeat it swiftly, and he continues upward without hesitation.
• Outside, spectators debate Jiang Yang’s speed and compare him with Senior Brother Lin, while the True Persons watch the trial through a water mirror. Tai Pei’er becomes so absorbed in watching Jiang Yang that she spills tea; her ancestor notices and comments on Jiang Yang’s exceptional looks.

Character development and interactions

• Jiang Yang appears composed and confident. His swordsmanship has improved greatly over six months: he can now compress his sword qi into a fine, concealed strike rather than unleashing a broad, power-consuming attack. He also reads the puppets’ tactics and rewards with calm practicality.
• Bai Tang acts as a perceptive adviser, analyzing the puppets and warning Jiang Yang about possible illusions. He listens and acknowledges her caution.
• Tai Pei’er reveals a personal, forward-looking interest in Jiang Yang, shaped by memories of his future achievements. Her excitement contrasts with her composed role serving tea to her ancestor.
• The onlookers are divided between curiosity about Jiang Yang and loyalty to more established climbers such as Senior Brother Lin. Their argument exposes how easily others’ accomplishments become a source of factional pride.

Significant themes

• Fate and foreknowledge: Tai Pei’er knows Jiang Yang’s future greatness while he is still an obscure Qi Refining disciple.
• Skill through refinement: Jiang Yang’s progress is shown not merely as greater power, but as improved precision, concealment, and judgment.
• Appearance and reputation: His looks first attract attention, while his extraordinary performance quickly gives observers a reason to remember his name.
• Competition and perspective: The disciples treat tower rankings as a major contest, whereas the True Persons view the struggle as minor entertainment.

Key plot points and events

• Tai Pei’er reflects on her family’s Rare Earth cultivation path, which can lead to the Purple Mansion but offers no further advancement. Though she has followed it in a previous life, she now wants to change her fate and pursue a higher path.
• She believes befriending Jiang Yang at the approaching opening of Clear Isle Mountain’s Blessed Land could give her a chance to change her Dao path. When her ancestor, Tai Fu Wei, notices her emotional reaction, she hides her thoughts behind a bashful smile.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Yang continues climbing the thirty-six-floor Heavenly Tower, conserving magic power as Spirit Puppets grow more numerous.
• On a later floor, he encounters an illusion of himself. Their matching sword attacks cancel each other out, until Jiang Yang uses a more advanced sword-flight technique to destroy the double.
• The floor’s reward is an ancient Jade Slip containing “Spirit Summoning and Command,” a spell Jiang Yang had once encountered through Zhou Yanwei but declined to learn.

Character developments

• Tai Pei’er is determined to break with her past and escape the limits of her family’s cultivation tradition. Her ambition is tempered by caution: she conceals her knowledge of the future and her plans from Tai Fu Wei.
• Jiang Yang shows discipline and tactical adaptability. He conserves his strength, studies the mirror-like opponent, and wins by using a technique the illusion cannot imitate or counter.
• Tai Fu Wei appears perceptive enough to notice Pei’er’s emotional shift, but accepts her innocent-looking explanation without suspecting her true thoughts.

Significant themes

• Changing fate and seizing opportunity: Pei’er sees the Blessed Land as a chance to alter the course of her life.
• Tradition versus self-determination: She rejects a powerful but limiting family Dao path.
• Concealed knowledge and uncertainty: Pei’er must guard her secrets from supernatural abilities that can read fate or thoughts.
• Adaptation and resourcefulness: Jiang Yang succeeds not by overpowering his opponent with repeated attacks, but by changing his approach.
• Ancient knowledge and cultivation: The newly acquired spell hints at a form of power whose effectiveness may not depend simply on cultivation level.

Character interactions

• Tai Pei’er carefully masks her excitement when questioned by Tai Fu Wei, who interprets it as youthful attraction to Jiang Yang.
• Jiang Yang’s encounter with his double becomes a contest of mirrored techniques; he breaks the stalemate with an unexpected sword-flight move.
• The Jade Slip connects Jiang Yang to Zhou Yanwei, whose earlier offer of the spell gives the discovery a sense of coincidence and continuity.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yang discusses the ancient Spirit Summoning and Command technique with Bai Tang, noting that its methods range from formally summoning spirits to forcibly binding them.
• As Jiang Yang advances through the Heavenly Tower, the trials become dramatically harder. The Spirit Puppets can imitate his skills and cultivation, and on the next floor he faces two copies of himself.
• Outside the tower, disciples watch the rankings on the Azure Nether Stele. Lin Jingfeng reaches the twenty-seventh floor, Cen remains close behind, and Fang Xu makes rapid progress despite his poor reputation. Some disciples argue over whether Fang has genuinely changed.
• Zhou Yanwei expresses confidence in Jiang Yang, though he admits he was not merely trying to rescue another disciple from embarrassment.
• Tai Pei’er asks her ancestor, Tai Fu Wei, who might reach the summit. He explains that the floors beyond the thirtieth become so powerful that even she would likely have to flee.
• Tai Fu Wei reveals that the actual requirement is only to reach the doorway of the thirtieth floor. The higher floors are not required; the undisclosed challenge is designed to test the disciples’ perseverance and draw out their potential.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang remains composed but recognizes that the Tower’s rising difficulty is serious; facing two versions of himself raises the stakes.
• Bai Tang stays quiet and cautious at the Ancestral Court, but offers a thoughtful assessment of the technique’s coercive nature.
• Tai Pei’er cleverly uses her curiosity about Jiang Yang to approach Tai Fu Wei without appearing suspicious.
• Fang Xu is the subject of debate: some disciples continue to resent him, while others believe he has become gentler.
• Zhou Yanwei shows sincere faith in Jiang Yang’s ability.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and hidden potential: The Tower’s undisclosed finish line pressures disciples to continue beyond what they think they can manage.
• Appearance versus reality: Reaching the summit seems to be the goal, but the true test is lower—and the apparent purpose of the trial is not its only purpose.
• Power and coercion: The spirit technique’s increasingly forceful methods raise questions about consent and control.
• Reputation and change: The argument over Fang Xu shows how past behavior shapes whether others will believe someone has changed.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yang and Bai Tang discuss the ethics and structure of spirit-command techniques.
• Disciples watching the Tower debate the contenders, especially Lin Jingfeng, Jiang Yang, and Fang Xu.
• Zhou Yanwei reassures a fellow disciple who publicly backed Jiang Yang.
• Tai Pei’er draws Tai Fu Wei into explaining the Tower’s real purpose and the secret threshold for passing.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yang defeats two Spirit Puppets on one floor by shielding himself and swiftly using Sword Qi. He collects Warm Sun Spirit Sprout Pills, a welcome supply of the medicine that has supported his rapid cultivation.
• He presses onward while carefully monitoring his magic power. Having spent roughly thirty percent by floor twenty-two, he recognizes that he must conserve strength to reach the tower’s summit.
• Other disciples struggle on different floors: Cen Jin is exhausted and fears she will have to wait another ten years; Lin Jingfeng conserves power by taking a Qi-Replenishing Pill; Fang Xu tries to rein in his temper while fighting.
• After two hours, most competitors have been expelled, leaving only a small number of names on the stele. Lin Jingfeng is thrown out from floor thirty, badly bruised but composed.
• Lin reports that the floor-thirty puppet was extraordinarily fast and seemed to possess Foundation Establishment-level cultivation. His account shocks the crowd and fuels doubts about whether anyone can complete the trial.
• Some disciples speculate that, if nobody reaches the goal, the ranking may determine the outcome—and assume Lin’s first-place result makes him the likely choice.
• That hope collapses when Jiang Yang’s name appears on floor thirty-one, surpassing Lin’s record.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang shows discipline and strategic judgment: he fights quickly, values his supplies, and adjusts his approach as the trial grows more demanding.
• Lin Jingfeng demonstrates experience and preparation, maintaining a reserve of magic power. Though defeated, he remains dignified; his confidence in being the strongest combatant is shaken by Jiang Yang’s progress.
• Cen Jin is physically and magically drained, revealing the mounting cost of the trial.
• Fang Xu attempts to control his aggressive temperament, suggesting both a flaw and an effort to improve.

Significant themes

• Endurance and resourcefulness: Progress depends not only on strength but on pacing, preparation, and conserving magic power.
• Escalating trials and uncertain limits: The tower’s difficulty rises sharply, making even elite cultivators question whether success is possible.
• Ambition and competition: Rankings shape the disciples’ hopes, and Jiang Yang’s unexpected advance overturns their assumptions.
• Fear and restraint under authority: The crowd privately questions the trial but avoids openly criticizing the powerful True Person patriarch.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yang’s earlier connection with Dan Ruo proves useful: her recommendation led him to a pill he now finds in the tower.
• The expelled disciples crowd around Lin, asking about the thirty-first floor and treating his defeat as evidence of the trial’s severity.
• A disciple’s criticism of the patriarch is immediately silenced by another, exposing the group’s fear of authority.
• Lin’s apparent claim to first place is challenged when the crowd sees Jiang Yang advance to floor thirty-one.

Key events

• After six months of training, Jiang Yang enters the Heavenly Tower’s thirtieth floor, where Bai Tang warns him of an ambush.
• He faces an unusually powerful Spirit Puppet whose strength has reached Foundation Establishment level. It attacks with overwhelming force and can dissolve into mist or Spirit Cranes, making it difficult to hit.
• Determined not to retreat, Jiang Yang uses his Clear-Wave Mystic Shield and Spirit Oak sword to defend himself and counterattack. He is struck hard enough to suffer minor injuries, but survives by reacting quickly and exploiting the puppet’s apparent lack of intelligence.
• Observers watching through a water mirror are impressed. Jiang Yang’s performance attracts the attention of several Purple Mansion True Persons, and True Person Dongmen proposes that he transfer to the Yi Sword Gate to pursue sword cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang shows growing confidence and a strong appetite for challenges. Though he recognizes the danger, pride in his fellow disciples and faith that the trial is survivable keep him fighting. His combat instincts and adaptability become clear as he shifts from his rusty sword to Spirit Oak.
• Bai Tang acts as a cautious adviser, warning him of danger and the gap in cultivation, while respecting that she cannot intervene directly.
• Tai Pei’er watches anxiously and admires Jiang Yang’s skill, privately judging him a formidable fighter and cheering him on.
• The True Persons, especially Tai Fu Wei, praise Jiang Yang’s ability. Dongmen openly tries to recruit him, suggesting that his sword talent would be wasted at Rain Xiang Mountain.

Significant themes

• Courage and perseverance: Jiang Yang refuses to give up despite facing an opponent far above his level.
• Talent forged through struggle: His combat skill emerges through repeated challenges and quick adaptation.
• The limits of cultivation rank: Jiang Yang’s skill lets him contend with a stronger foe, but the puppet’s True Essence still exposes the danger of the realm disparity.
• Recognition and ambition: His trial performance draws powerful observers and raises the possibility that his future path—and allegiance—may be contested.

Key plot points and events

• During the Court Examination, the True Persons discuss the emerald Spirit Sword Jiang Yang is carrying. They speculate that its rare wood-aspect lineage may be cracking wood, an evolution of the ancient thunder-wood tradition.
• True Person Xuan Di shuts down further discussion, both to avoid probing the affairs of powerful figures and to protect Jiang Yang’s privacy. The examination concludes, and the disciples are summoned.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Yang struggles against a Spirit Puppet on the thirtieth floor of the Heavenly Palace. His attacks repeatedly fail, his Magic Power dwindles, and the puppet’s blows threaten to seriously injure him.
• A powerful sword strike finally pierces the puppet’s chest. Jiang Yang and Bai Tang realize the sword’s thunderous sound and vibrations disrupt the mist holding the puppet together. Following Bai Tang’s advice, Jiang Yang channels all his remaining power into White Rainbow Pierces the Sun and destroys it.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang is pushed to the edge of his confidence but refuses to give up. He adapts quickly once he recognizes the opening and wins through persistence and a decisive use of his sword.
• Bai Tang demonstrates experience and sharp insight, identifying the sound-based weakness before Jiang Yang does.
• True Person Xuan Di reveals a protective attitude toward Jiang Yang, while remaining cautious about the mysterious origins of his weapon.

Character interactions

• True Person Dongmen challenges Rain Xiang Mountain’s ability to cultivate sword practitioners; Xuan Di calmly insists the sect can teach Jiang Yang, prompting Dongmen to leave.
• Other True Persons respectfully drop the subject when Xuan Di makes his wishes clear.
• In the trial, Bai Tang gives Jiang Yang urgent tactical guidance, and Jiang Yang trusts and acts on it immediately.

Significant themes

• Persistence under pressure: Jiang Yang continues despite exhaustion and fear of failure.
• Insight and adaptation: Victory comes not from greater force alone, but from recognizing how sound can disrupt the puppet’s mist.
• Inheritance and hidden history: The discussion of cracking wood suggests ancient traditions may survive through transformation, while Jiang Yang’s sword carries secrets beyond his current understanding.

Plot points and events

• After defeating the Spirit Puppet on the thirtieth floor, Jiang Yang reflects that even an incomplete Foundation Establishment opponent is far stronger than a Qi Refining cultivator. Bai Tang explains that the transformation of magic power into true essence creates a gap that cannot easily be overcome.
• Jiang Yang recovers only part of his depleted magic power before the tower’s warning urges him onward. He takes the puppet’s unfamiliar, jade-white Spirit Treasure and enters the thirty-first floor.
• Faced with another Spirit Puppet and trapped with no room to retreat, Jiang Yang gives up the fight and uses his Identity Token to withdraw.
• Outside, disciples gather around him, impressed by his progress and appearance. A Sovereign Edict announces that Jiang Yang, Lin Jingfeng, Fang Xu, and Jiang Junrui have been selected for an audience with the True Persons. The selection surprises the crowd, since Jiang Yang was the only one known to reach the thirty-first floor.
• The four cross a Rainbow Bridge into a palace. They bow before the True Persons, and the chapter ends as Jiang Yang gets his first clear look at the seated cultivators.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang shows persistence and tactical caution, but also recognizes the limits imposed by the difference between cultivation levels. He withdraws rather than fight a hopeless battle, and remains courteous and loyal to those who helped him.
• Bai Tang offers earnest guidance, emphasizing the overwhelming advantage of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Lin Jingfeng is injured but stays to await the results; his delight at being selected shows how much the outcome matters to him.
• Fang Xu warmly acknowledges Jiang Yang’s rise and suggests they now treat each other as equals. Jiang Yang responds with gratitude, remembering Fang Xu’s earlier help.
• The disciples’ admiration and envy contrast with the selected cultivators’ respectful behavior toward one another. In the palace, the True Persons’ presence silences Bai Tang and creates an oppressive atmosphere.

Significant themes

• The limits of strength: Jiang Yang’s success against the Spirit Puppet does not erase the gulf between cultivation stages.
• Perseverance and judgment: Continuing to the next floor takes resolve, while knowing when to withdraw is also a form of sound judgment.
• Recognition and status: The examination unexpectedly elevates several candidates, prompting both celebration and regret among those left behind.
• Courtesy and loyalty: Jiang Yang’s modesty and continued respect for Fang Xu show that advancement need not erase past bonds.

Plot points and events

• The Court Examination’s strongest candidates are invited to request a peak or reward.
• Jiang Junrui asks to join Chong’e Peak. True Person Li Xia accepts him, pleased to gain a pupil after recently losing one.
• Fang Xu chooses White Elm Peak, but his intended master is unavailable and does not wish to teach. Fang receives a Foundation Establishment Pill instead. Lin Jingfeng, recognizing his limited prospects, likewise asks only for a pill and is granted one.
• Jiang Yang is called next. Though his cultivation aptitude is modest, Xuan Di recognizes his exceptional sword talent. Before Jiang Yang can finish asking to join Dawn Rain Peak, Great True Person Xuan Guang arrives unexpectedly and claims him as a disciple.
• Xuan Di tries to use his fate-divining power to investigate Jiang Yang, but Xuan Guang blocks him with a gesture, warning him off.
• Tai Pei’er, watching from the corner, is alarmed: in her memories, Jiang Yang was meant to become Xuan Xi’s disciple at Dawn Rain Peak, so Xuan Guang’s intervention signals a major divergence.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Junrui’s quiet potential is rewarded with a place at a prestigious inner peak.
• Fang Xu and Lin Jingfeng show restraint, accepting pills rather than pressing for placements they cannot secure.
• Jiang Yang’s future is abruptly redirected by Xuan Guang, whose sudden personal interest suggests Jiang Yang is more significant than he appears.
• Xuan Di’s curiosity and authority are checked by Xuan Guang, leaving him uneasy.
• Tai Pei’er’s confidence in the course of events is shaken as her foreknowledge begins to fail.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and limits: A disciple’s wishes matter, but a peak must also be willing to accept them.
• Talent beyond conventional measures: Jiang Yang’s weak cultivation aptitude is offset by extraordinary sword talent.
• Fate and uncertainty: Tai Pei’er’s expected future changes, while Xuan Guang prevents Jiang Yang’s fate from being examined.
• Power and hierarchy: Xuan Guang’s seniority commands immediate deference, and his intervention overrides the ceremony’s expected course.

Key plot points and events

• Tai Pei’er is puzzled that Jiang Yang, whom she remembers fighting for Dawn Rain Peak, has now been claimed by True Person Xuan Guang. She suspects circumstances changed after the battlefield but cannot explain the shift.
• Xuan Di begins to understand why Xuan Guang intervened. He recognizes that an unnatural fondness for Jiang Yang had influenced him, despite his usually steady state of mind. Once alerted, he cuts off those thoughts, shaken by the possibility that his feelings were not entirely his own.
• Xuan Guang formally takes Jiang Yang as his disciple. He tells him to go to Fushu Peak after the ceremony and meet him, then leaves at once, explaining that only his illusory incarnation attended while his true body remains in seclusion.
• After the other True Persons depart, Tai Pei’er approaches Jiang Yang and introduces herself. She admires him and is delighted to meet him, though she privately recognizes him as the formidable “Sword Immortal Autumn’s Arrival” from her memories. Jiang Yang, unaware of her history with him, remains modest and assumes she is a high-ranking heir.
• Tai Pei’er leaves when her ancestor calls, privately confident they will meet again soon.
• Alone at last, Jiang Yang contacts Bai Tang and recounts Xuan Guang’s unexpected offer. Bai Tang reassures him that his unease is natural and that refusing a powerful Purple Mansion cultivator was not a realistic option. Bai Tang views the appointment as an auspicious sign of Jiang Yang’s destiny.
• Bai Tang abruptly senses someone approaching and falls silent.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang is surprised and uneasy about being claimed so quickly, but remains deferential and humble. He does not recognize Tai Pei’er’s personal admiration or the reputation she associates with him.
• Xuan Di shifts from spontaneous affection toward Jiang Yang to suspicion and alarm after Xuan Guang’s warning. He recognizes that his own judgment may have been subtly affected.
• Tai Pei’er is excited to meet Jiang Yang and carefully makes his acquaintance, hiding how strongly his past deeds have impressed her.
• Bai Tang acts as Jiang Yang’s confidant, offering practical reassurance while interpreting Xuan Guang’s arrival as fate.

Significant themes

• Influence and discernment: Xuan Di’s unexplained fondness raises doubts about whether even a True Person’s feelings and judgment can be manipulated.
• Fate and sudden opportunity: Bai Tang sees Jiang Yang’s new master as a timely sign that his path is unfolding as destined.
• Reputation versus self-perception: Tai Pei’er remembers Jiang Yang as a celebrated warrior, while he dismisses his own achievements as luck and sees himself as merely average.
• Power and limited choice: Jiang Yang’s acceptance is treated as an honor, but the gathering makes clear that declining a powerful True Person is scarcely an option.

Plot points and events

• True Person Xuan Di brings Jiang Yang to meet his new master, True Person Xuan Guang, in a mountain garden.
• Xuan Guang conjures a flowering twig into a lively green-clad maid and sends her to guide Jiang Yang to his senior brother, Xingjian.
• Once Jiang Yang leaves, Xuan Di tells Xuan Guang that the youth’s destiny seems unnervingly impossible to read: it appears ordinary at first, but beneath Xuan Di’s divine sight it is an empty, indivisible whole.
• Xuan Di worries that Jiang Yang may bring danger to the sect and suggests avoiding him or sending him away. Xuan Guang insists they cannot risk interfering with whatever powerful figure may have placed Jiang Yang in their path.
• They decide to keep Jiang Yang close as Xuan Guang’s disciple, open the Dao Canon to him, and provide whatever spiritual energy he needs for the path he chooses.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang behaves respectfully toward his new master, though he is still unfamiliar with him. He is surprised by Xuan Guang’s conjured maid.
• Xuan Di is anxious and suspicious, unsettled by his inability to read Jiang Yang’s destiny. His concern reflects his responsibility for the sect’s affairs.
• Xuan Guang remains calm and pragmatic. He presents the discipleship as a favorable connection and chooses to manage uncertainty by keeping Jiang Yang nearby.

Character interactions

• Xuan Di escorts Jiang Yang to Xuan Guang and then discusses his concerns with his senior brother.
• Xuan Guang assigns the maid to guide Jiang Yang to Xingjian.
• Xuan Di urges caution and questions why Xuan Guang accepted Jiang Yang; Xuan Guang counters that rejecting him could offend the unseen power behind him.

Significant themes

• Fate and uncertainty: Jiang Yang’s destiny resists conventional divination, suggesting that ordinary ways of understanding fate may not apply to him.
• Pragmatism and risk management: The sect chooses to accommodate and observe Jiang Yang rather than provoke a potentially greater danger.
• Power and responsibility: The possibility of an unseen powerful figure shaping events influences the elders’ decisions and limits their freedom of action.

Plot and key events

• Wei Rui, a maid magically created from a flowering branch, guides Jiang Yang down Fushu Peak, where abundant spiritual energy and an untouched, springlike landscape reflect the ideal of harmony with nature.
• Jiang recognizes the fragrant tea shrubs as the source of Xiang Mountain Timely Rain, a tea he previously tasted. They reach a simple courtyard, where Bi Xingjian welcomes him.
• Bi introduces himself as Jiang’s Fourth Senior Brother and explains that their master has taken six disciples. The first died long ago and was never formally counted; the current eldest, Daoist Zhi Yu, is a Purple Mansion cultivator stationed away from the sect. Second Senior Sister Cong Ya is in seclusion attempting a breakthrough, and Third Senior Sister Chu Qingjian is often away traveling.
• Bi says Jiang’s arrival means he is no longer the youngest. They share tea, which helps Jiang’s spirit sense grow. A black cat then appears, and Bi identifies it as Butterfly-Bearing, the eighth son of True Person Xuan Yan, whom he is raising.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang is curious about the peak and its tea, but also discreetly appreciates that its few residents offer him privacy for his own secrets.
• Bi Xingjian is warm and welcoming, though he admits he rarely leaves his courtyard. He praises Jiang, jokes about no longer being the youngest, and patiently introduces the absent or busy senior disciples.
• Wei Rui efficiently carries out her mistress’s instructions before returning to report.
• The senior disciples are characterized through Bi’s account: Zhi Yu is powerful and stationed elsewhere; Cong Ya is pursuing advancement; Chu Qingjian is sociable and restless.

Significant themes

• Nature and cultivation: Fushu Peak’s unaltered landscape and rich spiritual energy embody the Daoist ideal of following nature.
• Solitude and independence: With most disciples absent, the peak is quiet and allows Jiang room to cultivate privately.
• Mentorship and belonging: Bi’s welcome and the tea-sharing establish Jiang’s place in the disciple family, while the senior-junior hierarchy shapes their exchange.

Key plot points

• Jiang Yang wonders whether Butterfly-Bearing, Bi Xingjian’s black cat, might share a mother with Little Sixteen. Both are offspring of the same prestigious breeds, though Butterfly-Bearing resembles his black-jade father while Little Sixteen takes after his civet mother.
• Bi explains that Butterfly-Bearing has an unexplained inborn deficiency: despite his noble lineage, his intelligence has not awakened even after decades. Jiang Yang notices the cat’s crossed eyes.
• Butterfly-Bearing unexpectedly pushes his fish toward Jiang Yang, showing a gentle, generous nature. Jiang Yang comforts Bi, suggesting things may still improve; their conversation makes the two men more at ease with each other.
• Bi takes Jiang Yang to his new residence on Fushu Peak. The “cave abode” is an empty, level clearing—because their master forbids altering the mountain’s natural terrain.
• Bi offers to grow Jiang Yang a dwelling using his Yi Wood cultivation. He explains that Yi Wood fosters growth and healing, while the peak’s natural integrity gathers spiritual energy. He begins casting the spell.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang responds to Butterfly-Bearing with sympathy and warmth, and reassures Bi without dismissing his concern. He is initially confused by the bare clearing but accepts the explanation.
• Bi Xingjian reveals his lingering affection for Butterfly-Bearing, though he has learned to accept the cat’s condition. He takes a friendly, practical role toward Jiang Yang, while teasingly criticizing the senior sister who once left him with a similar clearing.
• Butterfly-Bearing is presented as mentally impaired but affectionate and unselfish; sharing his food forms the chapter’s most touching moment.

Significant themes

• Kindness beyond intelligence: Butterfly-Bearing’s generous gesture suggests that compassion does not depend on intellect.
• Acceptance and hope: Bi has stopped worrying constantly, while Jiang Yang still leaves room for improvement.
• Harmony with nature: The master’s prohibition against reshaping Fushu Peak reflects respect for natural order; Yi Wood cultivation works with that order to create a home.

Plot points

• Bi Xingjian uses Yi Wood magic to create a simple, tranquil courtyard for Jiang Yang on Fushu Peak. He promises to find a suitable spirit tree—an elm—and have basic furnishings arranged.
• After Bi leaves, Jiang Yang reflects on how often he has had to move and wonders whether to return to his old abode. He asks Bai Tang, who says she feels uneasy because Fushu Peak is under Jiang Yang’s master’s control. She believes they will remain undiscovered as long as they keep their distance.
• Jiang Yang decides not to return to Morning Rain Peak. Bai Tang says she has already severed her connection to the Vine Sword left there, so it will simply wither.
• Jiang Yang eagerly sorts the rewards he received from True Person Xuan Di: Spirit Stones, Talismans, materials, Spirit Gold, and Elixirs useful for Late Stage Qi Refining.
• Among the jade slips, he examines the Shuo-Hui Twin Polarities Mystic Eye Manifestation, an ancient art for cultivating balanced yin-and-yang Mystic Pupils. Its promised abilities are impressive, but it requires two Purple Mansion Spirit Treasures—Shuo Yang and Hui Yin—so Jiang Yang cannot practice it for now.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yang is grateful for Bi Xingjian’s generosity and adapts pragmatically to his new home. His delight in sorting the rewards shows his excitement about the material benefits of his recent trials, while his questions to Bai Tang reveal how much he now relies on her.
• Bi Xingjian treats Jiang Yang warmly and generously, offering help without acting superior despite his higher cultivation.
• Bai Tang is unusually quiet and uneasy on Fushu Peak. Her exchange with Jiang Yang shows both her caution and their growing familiarity; she is touched that he remembered her Vine Sword.
• True Person Xuan Di does not appear, but his carefully chosen rewards shape much of Jiang Yang’s attention.

Significant themes

• Generosity and mentorship: Bi’s gifts and practical assistance help Jiang Yang settle into his new life.
• Displacement and belonging: Jiang Yang has grown attached to his former abode but accepts another move, while Bai Tang’s discomfort highlights the risks of their new surroundings.
• Cultivation’s promise and limits: Valuable techniques may remain unusable until the right rare resources are obtained.
• Growing companionship: Jiang Yang’s concern for Bai Tang and her quiet response suggest their bond is deepening.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yang examines several rare jade slips, including two Purple Mansion Spirit Treasures whose techniques are far beyond his ability, and stores them away.
• He identifies a soft, cloudlike treasure dropped by the defeated Foundation Establishment Spirit Puppet. Bai Tang names it the Mist-Rain Mirage Cloud, a Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure of the Cloud Qi path.
• Bai Tang explains that the cloud is valuable spirit material suited to being refined into an artifact or woven into a robe. Jiang Yang realizes it could make a fitting return gift for Shang Qingzheng, who previously gave him a treasure.
• A Spirit Steward arrives to furnish Jiang Yang’s new residence. Once arranged, the modest courtyard feels more like a home to him than the grand abodes and palaces he has visited.
• Jiang Yang writes Shang Qingzheng a letter on a piece of cloth because he has no paper. He tells her about his recent experiences, passing the Court Examination, and joining Fushu Peak; he also expresses regret that he did not become True Person Dawn Rain’s disciple. He sends the Mist-Rain Mirage Cloud as a thank-you gift by Spirit Crane, then settles down to meditate.

Character developments

• Jiang Yang shows gratitude, humility, and independence: he values treasures he earns himself and wants to repay Shang Qingzheng rather than simply accept her generosity. He also prefers a modest, personal home over extravagant surroundings.
• Bai Tang is knowledgeable and gently instructive, teasing Jiang Yang while guiding him toward understanding the cloud’s value and its potential as a gift.
• Shang Qingzheng, though absent, remains important to Jiang Yang, who thinks of her warmly and wants to maintain their connection.

Significant themes

• Earned rewards and reciprocity: Jiang Yang takes particular pleasure in what he obtains through his own efforts and seeks to return kindness.
• Practicality over display: He values comfort and a sense of home more than grandeur.
• Mentorship and learning: Bai Tang’s explanations help Jiang Yang recognize the treasure’s uses and significance.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yang asks Bai Tang about the cloud; Bai Tang explains its nature and hints at a suitable use, prompting Jiang Yang to think of Shang Qingzheng.
• The Spirit Steward efficiently furnishes Jiang Yang’s courtyard, and he thanks her before she leaves.
• Jiang Yang sends Shang Qingzheng a personal letter and gift, while Bai Tang watches over his shoulder, ready to critique his writing.

Key plot points and events

• On a clear, frosty night, Shang Qingzheng and Li Zhouying go to the bamboo groves to gather jade bamboo essence, a rare form of spiritual qi needed for Shang’s cultivation.
• The process is demanding: they must find mature jade bamboo on suitable nights, strike it with a Jade Pestle, and collect the resulting qi in a Heavenly Sound Conch. Their first strike succeeds, and they work together to gather more.
• A Spirit Crane arrives with a letter from Jiang Yang and a small white cloud. Shang recognizes the delivery as his and hurriedly hides the accompanying cloth from Li Zhouying.
• Li Zhouying identifies the cloud as a Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure and teases Shang about her generous “friend.”
• Flustered and unwilling to explain, Shang snatches the treasure and runs off, calling, “Not telling you!” She abandons the gathering for the night and promises to continue the next day.

Character developments

• Shang Qingzheng shows independence and care in gathering her own qi, believing personal effort may improve her chances of success. The gift from Jiang Yang reveals her emotional attachment: she is delighted and touched, but also worries he may have sacrificed too much to obtain it.
• Li Zhouying is supportive and practical, helping with the tedious gathering and treating it as a favor entrusted to her. Her teasing curiosity also brings out Shang’s embarrassment and secrecy.
• Jiang Yang, though absent, becomes more significant through his letter and valuable gift, suggesting both his progress and his concern for Shang.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance and responsibility: Shang prefers to prepare personally for her breakthrough rather than rely entirely on others.
• Friendship, affection, and generosity: Jiang Yang’s costly gift suggests deep care, while Shang’s concern is as much for his hardships as for the treasure.
• Trust and privacy: Shang’s reluctance to disclose the relationship creates playful tension with Li Zhouying.

Character interactions

• Shang and Li Zhouying begin with light teasing, then cooperate smoothly in gathering qi; Li Zhouying reassures Shang that helping is no burden.
• Li Zhouying’s questions about the gift turn their friendly banter into affectionate teasing. Shang’s evasions, blushes, and abrupt escape leave Li Zhouying amused but curious.

Plot points

• Shang Qingzheng rushes home to read Jiang Yang’s long-delayed letter, leaving Li Zhouying behind; she resolves to apologize later.
• Jiang Yang’s letter reveals that he placed first in the Court Examination and became True Person Xuan Guang’s disciple on Fushu Peak. He sends Shang a soft, frost-white spirit treasure, the Mist-Rain Mirage Cloud, and asks how she has been.
• Shang is delighted by his success and touched by the gift. She playfully squeezes the cloud, lets her cat, Little Sixteen, play with it, then begins writing a reply.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Yang practices swordsmanship on Fushu Peak, learning to contain his Sword Qi and avoid damaging the surrounding plants. He reflects that restraint, like release, is part of the sword’s way.
• Xuan Guang summons Jiang Yang and asks about his plans for his Dao path. Jiang Yang admits he lacks enough knowledge to choose wisely, but says he wants a broad, powerful inheritance. Xuan Guang explains that no path guarantees success, though the sect has several great Dao traditions, and prepares to elaborate.

Character developments and interactions

• Shang Qingzheng shows deep affection and concern for Jiang Yang, while her teasing treatment of his gift hints at playful intimacy. She also recognizes that his new position gives him time to establish himself before they reunite.
• Jiang Yang continues to grow as a thoughtful cultivator, balancing ambition with awareness of his limited experience. He speaks respectfully with Xuan Guang while probing for the strongest available path.
• Xuan Guang treats Jiang Yang with warmth and unusual openness, inviting him to consider his own aspirations rather than simply prescribing a tradition.
• Little Sixteen seeks Shang’s attention and plays with the cloud treasure, briefly sharing in her joy.

Significant themes

• Affection across distance: Jiang Yang and Shang maintain their bond through letters and gifts despite being separated by different peaks.
• Ambition and self-knowledge: Jiang Yang wants a powerful Dao but recognizes he does not yet understand the choices before him.
• Restraint as mastery: His sword practice suggests that control and care are as important as force.
• The path depends on the practitioner: Xuan Guang stresses that an inheritance may offer a great road, but cultivation ultimately depends on one’s own effort.