Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Xiao Ming’s impressive control over the blast, alongside Qin Wuyou’s reputation and rankings, changes the group’s opinion of both newcomers. Fang Zheng quickly becomes friendly with Xiao Ming.
• The four-person team introduces themselves: leader Yuan Zishan is a ninth-heaven Great Saint; Fang Zheng, a seventh-heaven Great Saint, is a Body Cultivator; and sisters Xiao Qingyu and Xiao Qingli specialize in formations and alchemy.
• The sisters recognize Xiao Ming’s name and privately wonder whether he is their former Xiao Family Young Lord. Believing his talent was crippled and that he must have died, they dismiss the possibility.
• Xiao Ming privately confirms to Qin Wuyou that the sisters are from the Xiao Family. He has little hostility toward them, since his grudge is against the family’s Main Line.
• The group accepts its mission, then gathers at Yuan Zishan’s courtyard. She projects a map of the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield, explains its geography and Supreme City, and begins briefing them on the mission.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Ming’s strength earns him immediate respect, while Qin Wuyou’s established reputation reinforces the newcomers’ confidence in him.
• Xiao Ming’s reaction to the sisters reveals his painful history with the Xiao Family, though he distinguishes collateral relatives from the Main Line he considers responsible.
• The sisters’ mistaken belief that Xiao Ming is dead creates dramatic irony: he is alive before them, but his assumed death may help keep the Main Line from noticing him.
• Yuan Zishan treats Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming as newcomers, carefully explaining the battlefield map. Qin’s questions and her thorough answers begin to build mutual respect.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus truth: The sisters mistake the living Xiao Ming for someone who must be dead.
• Reputation and demonstrated ability: Xiao Ming’s display quickly overturns the group’s initial assumptions.
• Family loyalty and resentment: Xiao Ming’s feud is directed at the Xiao Family’s Main Line, not every member of the clan.
• Preparation and teamwork: Yuan Zishan stresses learning the battlefield map before the mission, establishing the group’s need to coordinate and stay alert.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou accepts a mission to the dangerous Ten Thousand Races Battlefield. The Supreme Academy Headmaster rushes to stop him, fearing the academy will lose a rare genius.
• The Ancient Church Leader—absent for a thousand years—arrives at the academy. Rather than forbid Qin’s departure, he approves of the challenge and says Qin must prove himself. If Qin returns safely, the Leader will personally offer him the position of Divine Son.
• Several other powerful figures arrive. The Leader greets them with teasing, competitive banter, and they leave together to fight and drink.
• Qin senses their presence and realizes the visitors were supreme-peak powerhouses who appeared to be watching him. Alarmed, he resolves to leave the academy immediately.
• Unaware of the powerful visitors, Yuan Zishan and the others finish gathering supplies—talismans, array discs, and pills—and the six-person party departs through the Teleportation Hall.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou remains committed to the mission, but the unexpected attention from powerful figures makes him wary and eager to get underway.
• The Headmaster reveals his concern for Qin’s safety and his wish to recruit him into the Ancient Church, but defers to the Church Leader’s judgment.
• The Ancient Church Leader is confident and unconventional: he sees danger as a necessary test and treats Qin’s potential candidacy for Divine Son as something to be earned.
• The Leader’s playful, combative exchanges with the arriving powerhouses show their familiarity and rivalry. Meanwhile, Qin and his companions proceed separately, unaware of the Leader’s offer.

Significant themes

• Merit through danger: Qin must demonstrate his worth by facing a perilous battlefield.
• Ambition versus protection: The Headmaster wants to shield Qin, while the Church Leader believes genuine greatness requires risk.
• Hidden power and unequal awareness: Qin detects forces most people cannot, yet he remains uncertain about their intentions.
• Contrasting tones: Grave concern about Qin’s mission sits alongside the powerful figures’ casual jokes and eagerness to fight.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou, Xiao Ming, and their companions arrive in Supreme City, one of the Human Race’s Eight Great Main Cities on the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield.
• Fang Zheng and Yuan Zishan explain that the cities are major defensive strongholds, backed by the Heaven-Shaking Army. In a crisis, fleeing to one is the safest option.
• Qin Wuyou learns more about the Heaven-Shaking Army, including its powerful God of War position. His father currently holds that role.
• Qin recalls that his father has been missing for months. He worries that the Human Race’s apparent lack of alarm may be misleading: if rival races learned the God of War was missing, they might attack.
• The group visits Supreme Tower, where they feast on dishes made from demon beast meat. Qin discovers the food is both delicious and rich in spiritual energy. Fang Zheng and the women drink heavily, while Qin and Xiao Ming remain sober.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin’s awe at Supreme City gives way to concern as he connects the army’s leadership structure to his father’s disappearance. He remains observant even while others enjoy the outing.
• Yuan Zishan acts as an informed guide, explaining the battlefield’s defenses and the army’s importance.
• Fang Zheng is enthusiastic and exuberant, especially about Supreme Tower’s food; his appetite and eventual drunkenness amuse the women, who laugh at him.
• Qin and Xiao Ming take a more restrained approach to the meal, sampling the dishes and drinking little.

Significant themes

• Security and looming danger: Supreme City represents the Human Race’s protection, but the missing God of War may leave that security vulnerable.
• Power and political balance: The Heaven-Shaking Army’s immense strength makes it essential on the battlefield but potentially dangerous within Human Race territory.
• Family duty and isolation: Qin’s father’s service has kept him largely absent from his son’s life, while his disappearance now raises broader concerns.
• Different responses to uncertainty: The group relaxes over food, while Qin privately considers the possible consequences of the crisis.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou realizes he needs help finding news of his missing parents and decides to summon the Qin Family’s secret force, the Hidden Dragon Guard.
• He activates the black Lord of the Hidden Dragon token given to him by his father when he was twelve. A powerful dragon appears, and Qin Wuyou commands the Guard to come to him. He quickly seals the dragon’s aura to avoid alerting Supreme City.
• Elder Xuanji recognizes the token and reveals that it is supposedly the Human Emperor’s supreme treasure, once used to command all hidden dragons and containing the sealed fortune of the Human Race.
• Alarmed by the danger its exposure could bring, Qin Wuyou disguises and hides the token.
• He asks whether it contains the Human Emperor’s inheritance. Xuanji says it does not, but that it has another tremendous use, leaving its full significance unexplained.

Character developments

• Qin Wuyou shifts from uncertainty about how to find his parents to taking decisive action by calling on the Hidden Dragon Guard. Learning the token’s true origin excites him, but his caution quickly outweighs his ambition: he understands that possessing it could make him a target.
• Elder Xuanji, whose primordial spirit is recovering and merging with a Supreme body, demonstrates deep knowledge of ancient history. He interprets the token as a sign that Qin Wuyou may be destined to restore the Human Race’s former glory.

Character interactions

• Qin Wuyou summons the Hidden Dragon Guard with a brief command, though no members appear yet.
• Xuanji reacts with astonishment when he sees the token, then explains its legendary history and congratulates Qin Wuyou.
• Qin Wuyou questions Xuanji’s claims and probes for more information about the token, especially whether it contains the Human Emperor’s inheritance.

Significant themes

• Legacy and destiny: The token links Qin Wuyou and the Qin Family to the Human Emperor and the ancient Human Race.
• Power and danger: A priceless treasure can also be a liability, making secrecy essential.
• Uncertainty and foreshadowing: The Guard’s arrival and the token’s “tremendous use” remain unknown, setting up future developments.

Key plot points and events

• While Qin Wuyou is discussing the Hidden Dragon Token with Elder Xuanji, Dragon Nine arrives after following the token’s summons.
• Dragon Nine confirms that, although Qin Wuyou’s father entrusted the Hidden Dragon Guard to him six years earlier, Qin Wuyou is now its sole master.
• Qin Wuyou learns that the guard has two branches: the Hidden Guard gathers intelligence, while the Dragon Guard carries out direct action—especially killing.
• The Dragon Guard has only thirty-six numbered members. Dragon Nine, ranked ninth, is at the Eighth Heaven of the Great Saint Realm and can fight at the Ninth Heaven. He says those ranked above him are also Great Saints.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shifts from suspicion about a possible breach to exploring his new command. He tests the token’s power, verifies the guard’s loyalty, and assesses its size and strength.
• He is briefly disappointed that the Dragon Guard has only thirty-six members and no confirmed Supreme-level fighters. His casual display of power, however, impresses Dragon Nine.
• Dragon Nine begins the scene formal and composed, but Qin Wuyou’s strength leaves him unsettled and fully submissive. He worries that without Supreme-level power, he may not be strong enough to serve the Young Lord.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and authority: The Hidden Dragon Guard’s allegiance passes directly to Qin Wuyou, establishing him as its unquestioned commander.
• Power and perspective: Great Saints are elite by ordinary standards, yet Qin Wuyou’s unusual strength makes him judge them as insufficient.
• Hidden potential and resources: The token reveals access to a secretive force, though Qin Wuyou still lacks a full picture of its size and capabilities.

Plot points and events

• Dragon Nine apologizes to Qin Wuyou for being too weak, despite being a Great Saint. His reaction—and Elder Xuanji’s—shows how extraordinary Qin Wuyou’s strength and potential seem.
• Qin asks what cultivation method the Dragon Guards use. Dragon Nine reveals they practice the Seven Slaughter Divine Art, an imperial method once used by the Seven Slaughter Great Emperor to grow stronger through killing.
• The version the Guards possess ends at the Great Saint stage. Qin suspects either the Lineage lacks the complete art or is withholding its higher levels to prevent the Guards from becoming too powerful and difficult to control.
• Since Qin wants the Guards to advance beyond Great Saint, he gives Dragon Nine the Great Slaughter Divine Ability, a Heavenly Dao technique that may help them reach the Supreme Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shows both strategic ambition and confidence in his authority: he wants a stronger Hidden Dragon Guard and believes he can control even Supreme- or Emperor-to-be-level subordinates.
• Dragon Nine displays absolute loyalty, readily revealing the Guards’ method and accepting Qin’s gift. He is stunned by the divine ability.
• Elder Xuanji recognizes the Seven Slaughter Divine Art’s historical significance and, impressed by Qin’s prospects, worries that his own current power may not be enough to keep pace with him.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: A Great Saint can still be considered inadequate beside someone as formidable as Qin.
• Loyalty and control: The Lineage may limit the Guards’ growth out of fear they could become uncontrollable, while Qin trusts his own ability to command them.
• Growth through slaughter: Both the Seven Slaughter Divine Art and Great Slaughter Divine Ability link killing with absorbing power and advancing toward the Dao.

Key plot points

• Qin Wuyou passes Dragon Nine the Great Slaughter Divine Ability, testing whether he will become personally loyal rather than merely obey the Hidden Dragon Token.
• Dragon Nine pledges himself to Qin Wuyou and seals the commitment with a Heavenly Dao Oath. Qin Wuyou accepts him as one of his own.
• Dragon Nine knows little about the other Hidden Dragon Guards, since the Dragon Guard handles operations while the Hidden Guard manages intelligence.
• Qin Wuyou asks whether the Hidden Guard can help locate his missing parents and decides he must bring it under his control.
• Elder Xuanji explains that Su Yu learned of the parents’ disappearance because Xuanji accidentally overheard Qin Family members discussing it. One of them was addressed as “Thirteenth Master.”
• Qin Wuyou identifies him as his Thirteenth Uncle, his Dao Protector, and a Great Saint. He finds it suspicious that the Qin Family sent someone of that rank to search for his parents when it has several powerful Supremes.
• Suspecting a crisis within the Qin Family—or possible involvement by Qin Batian’s branch—Qin Wuyou issues a grim warning.

Character developments and interactions

• Dragon Nine shifts from formal obedience to devoted allegiance, accepting the risk of no longer serving the Qin Family’s Hidden Dragon Guard.
• Qin Wuyou proves willing to reward loyalty but insists on binding proof before placing trust in someone. He also shows strategic ambition, aiming to control the Hidden Guard.
• Elder Xuanji anxiously clarifies his role in the earlier leak, then provides information that sharpens Qin Wuyou’s suspicions.
• Qin Wuyou’s exchange with Dragon Nine moves from testing loyalty to discussing intelligence and his parents’ disappearance; his interrogation of Xuanji then turns the conversation toward danger within the Qin Family.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Personal allegiance is distinguished from obedience to an official token, and Qin Wuyou demands an oath rather than relying on words.
• Power and control: Qin Wuyou seeks to turn the Hidden Dragon Guard into a force loyal specifically to him.
• Secrets and uncertainty: The parents’ disappearance appears to be confidential, and limited information leaves its circumstances unclear.
• Political suspicion: The mismatch between Thirteenth Uncle’s rank and the danger of the mission suggests a serious upheaval—or possible intrigue—within the Qin Family.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou reasons that Qin Batian stands to benefit most from the disappearance of his parents and Thirteenth Uncle, though he lacks proof that anyone is orchestrating events.
• Dragon Nine reveals that the Hidden Dragon Guard has a message relay station in Heaven-Shaking City. Reaching it would let Qin Wuyou contact the Hidden Guard and obtain reliable intelligence.
• Grateful for the information, Qin Wuyou rewards Dragon Nine with a large supply of Saint Soul Pills and gives him a Voice Transmission Talisman. Dragon Nine vows to investigate the missing family members.
• Qin Wuyou waits overnight for the Hidden Dragon Guard to respond to the token he sent, but no one arrives. He decides to pursue information in Heaven-Shaking City.
• The next morning, he sets out with Yuan Zishan’s group. He had considered separating from them, but their route and familiarity with the battlefield make traveling together practical—and may help him complete their mission.
• After their identities and mission tokens are checked, the group leaves Supreme City and enters the barren wilderness.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shifts from suspicion to a concrete plan: contact the Hidden Guard, learn what happened to his family, and use the journey toward Heaven-Shaking City to advance his search. He also shows generosity toward Dragon Nine while maintaining control over the situation.
• Dragon Nine proves useful by sharing crucial information and renews his pledge of loyalty after receiving the pills.
• Elder Xuanji remarks on the extraordinary value of Qin Wuyou’s reward, underscoring how wealthy and powerful Qin Wuyou has become.
• Fang Zheng appears cheerful and sociable after a night of drinking, joking about returning to the tavern.
• Yuan Zishan remains cool and taciturn, taking the lead as the group departs. Qin Wuyou chooses to continue alongside her and the others.

Significant themes

• Suspicion and the search for truth: Qin Wuyou identifies a likely beneficiary of his family’s disappearance but recognizes the need for evidence.
• Information as power: His immediate priority is reaching the Hidden Guard’s network to uncover the facts.
• Loyalty and patronage: Qin Wuyou rewards Dragon Nine, strengthening their bond through both material support and mutual commitments.
• Pragmatism and cooperation: Rather than travel alone, Qin Wuyou joins the group because their route and experience serve his goals.

Key plot points and events

• As Qin Wuyou leaves Supreme City with Yuan Zishan and the others, he senses someone watching him. Elder Xuanji confirms the watcher was at least a Supreme-level cultivator, though he cannot identify them.
• Qin Wuyou suspects the watcher may be connected to his own family. Preparing for the worst, he touches the Bronze Coffin in his Storage Ring and considers using it against even a Qin Family Supreme.
• An azure-robed elder bearing a Qin token is revealed to be the watcher. He resents Qin Wuyou’s return and issues an Earthly Fiend Order marked with Qin Wuyou’s portrait and the command “Kill.”
• The chapter explains the history of the Heavenly Abyss, a vast natural barrier formed millions of years ago when a Qin Family ancestor sacrificed himself in battle, destroying hundreds of Supremes and thirteen Emperors-to-be.
• At the Human Race’s military encampment near the Abyss, Qin Wuyou’s grandfather—the former God of War—learns that his grandson has returned and is heading toward Heaven-Shaking City. He reacts with overwhelming joy.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou remains cautious and perceptive, quickly sensing danger despite failing to locate the observer. His willingness to turn the Bronze Coffin on a Qin Family member shows how far he is prepared to go.
• Elder Xuanji confirms that the threat is extremely powerful, deepening Qin Wuyou’s concern.
• Yuan Zishan gives Qin Wuyou a rare smile and urges the group to stay alert on their journey; he follows quietly, concealing his alarm.
• The azure-robed elder emerges as a hostile figure within the Qin Family, viewing Qin Wuyou’s return as a threat and ordering his assassination.
• Qin Wuyou’s grandfather and the veteran general display fierce affection and loyalty. Their emotional response underscores their devotion to Qin Wuyou and the Qin Family’s Main Line; they regard no one else as the true Young Lord.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and succession: The old retainers recognize Qin Wuyou alone as the Qin Family’s rightful Young Lord, despite Qin Batian’s status.
• Family betrayal: The assassination order comes from someone bearing the Qin name, suggesting the danger is rooted within the family.
• Sacrifice and protection: The Heavenly Abyss embodies the cost of defending the Human Race and the lasting legacy of the Qin ancestor who created it.
• Return and fate: Qin Wuyou’s reappearance draws him back into a dangerous political “vortex,” despite his years away in the Lower Realm.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Taixu learns that his grandson, Qin Wuyou, has returned from the Lower Realm and is currently at Supreme Academy, accompanying senior students on a mission to the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield.
• Qin Taixu initially celebrates, then becomes angry that Qin Wuyou joined Supreme Academy. Qin Meng suggests the young lord likely enrolled only to use its teleportation array to return to the Upper Realm.
• Worried about danger and unrest within the Qin Family, Qin Taixu orders Qin Meng to bring Qin Wuyou back safely. Qin Meng gathers ten battle generals and sets out to welcome him.
• Meanwhile, Qin Wuyou and his companions arrive at Beast Mountain, a training ground rich in treasures and demon beasts. Elder Xuanji recalls that ruins lie within the mountain, catching Qin Wuyou’s interest.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Taixu shifts from relief and affection to mock anger over his grandson’s choices. His threat to beat Qin Wuyou is clearly bluster; his real concern is protecting him.
• Qin Meng shows tact and loyalty, calming Qin Taixu’s anger and volunteering to escort the young lord personally.
• Qin Wuyou appears eager to explore Beast Mountain, especially after hearing about its ruins. He is traveling with Yuan Zishan’s group partly out of gratitude for their help getting him to the battlefield.

Significant themes

• Family affection beneath stern words: Qin Taixu’s scolding masks deep love and worry.
• Loyalty and protection: Qin Meng and the Qin forces mobilize to safeguard Qin Wuyou.
• Status versus personal choice: Qin Wuyou’s decision to attend Supreme Academy clashes with the family’s expectations of his elevated standing.
• Adventure and opportunity: Beast Mountain’s dangers, treasures, and ruins promise new discoveries.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou explains why he stayed to help Yuan Zishan: safely crossing the dangerous interrealm passage aboard the Heaven and Earth Treasure Ship left him owing her a favor.
• At Beast Mountain, Elder Xuanji reveals that it contains an emperor-to-be’s ruins. Qin Wuyou is excited by the prospect and realizes Xuanji’s claimed knowledge of ruins across the worlds may be genuine.
• Boasting about his past explorations, Xuanji admits to plundering ancient tombs—including those of the Heavenly God and True Immortal races—and using some of their ancestors’ bones to forge weapons.
• Qin Wuyou deduces that grave-robbing is Xuanji’s true profession. Xuanji confesses that his former imperial title was the Heaven-Stealing Emperor-to-be, a name reflecting his skill at theft.
• Xuanji describes how his notoriety made him hated even among humans: after being mocked, he robbed dozens of prominent human tombs in one night, prompting more than a dozen emperor-to-be cultivators to unite against him.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shifts from treating the mission as repayment for a favor to seeing it as a chance to benefit from Xuanji’s knowledge. Rather than condemning Xuanji’s past, he is impressed and eager to make use of his abilities.
• Elder Xuanji drops his carefully maintained image as a fate-divining emperor-to-be and reveals his embarrassing, though formidable, identity as a tomb robber. His boastfulness gives way to embarrassment when he realizes he has exposed himself.
• Their exchange is playful and revealing: Qin Wuyou probes Xuanji’s past, while Xuanji nervously wonders whether his reputation will tarnish his master’s standing.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus usefulness: Xuanji’s criminal past made him a pariah, but Qin Wuyou values his talents rather than judging him by convention.
• Hidden identities and secrets: Xuanji’s confident persona conceals an infamous history that slips out through his own boasting.
• Ambition and opportunity: The newly revealed ruins—and Xuanji’s knowledge of countless others—could turn Qin Wuyou’s mission into a much greater opportunity.

Plot points and events

• Elder Xuanji’s once-despised heaven-stealing art is revealed as a major asset to Qin Wuyou, who sees it as invaluable for entering tombs and ruins.
• Qin reassures Xuanji that his art is simply one of the Heavenly Dao’s great laws and should not be judged by society. Deeply moved, Xuanji renews his pledge of loyalty.
• Qin grants Xuanji the Great Shifting Divine Ability, which allows its user to escape instantly even through spatial barriers or law domains. Xuanji is astonished by Qin’s ability to imprint the technique directly and resolves to complete his physical-body fusion quickly, especially given the threat of an unknown Supreme expert.
• Meanwhile, Yuan Zishan’s group travels through Beast Mountain, killing several demonic beasts. Fang Zheng wants to pursue more for profit, but Yuan insists they conserve their strength and stay focused on the mission.
• After a day and night, the group reaches Earthfire Valley, where they must retrieve fire ganoderma from deep within a dangerous region filled with intense flames and fire-type beasts, especially giant Fire Butterflies.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shows practical appreciation for Xuanji’s abilities and compassion toward the prejudice he has endured. He strengthens their bond by giving Xuanji a powerful survival technique.
• Elder Xuanji moves from shame about his stigmatized art to renewed confidence and fierce loyalty toward Qin. The looming Supreme-level threat motivates him to prepare for action.
• Yuan Zishan demonstrates discipline and leadership, keeping the group on task and managing their strength.
• Fang Zheng remains eager and money-minded, but accepts Yuan’s authority when told not to pursue fleeing beasts.

Significant themes

• Prejudice versus personal worth: A stigmatized ability can still be powerful and valuable; social judgment does not determine its true worth.
• Loyalty and mutual support: Qin’s respect and generosity deepen Xuanji’s commitment.
• Prudence and focus: Yuan’s group must prioritize its mission over immediate rewards, while the dangerous destination raises the stakes.

Plot points and events

• Yuan Zishan leads the group along an Ice Road through Earthfire Valley, explaining that the Fire Butterflies are individually manageable but attack in large numbers and inflict fire poison.
• The group tries to avoid disturbing them, but halfway through they are spotted. The butterflies unleash blazing tornadoes, destroying the Ice Road and exposing everyone to the valley’s fire and poison.
• On Yuan Zishan’s orders, the Xiao sisters raise a defensive array while Fang Zheng charges forward and smashes the attacking butterflies with his Golden Great Club. Yuan uses the opening to get everyone past the swarm.
• The butterflies stop at the boundary of their territory. Yuan warns that the group has entered the Earthfire Spirit Serpents’ territory and that their venom can rapidly paralyze its victims; she tells everyone to keep antidotes ready.
• After only a short distance, the group encounters an enormous carpet of serpents stretching across the valley, with heaps of bones among them. The scale of the danger shocks even Yuan, and Fang Zheng suggests turning back.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuan Zishan demonstrates calm leadership, using her ice technique to counter the butterflies and directing the group under pressure. Despite her preparation, the sheer number of serpents unsettles her.
• Fang Zheng initially jokes and relishes the fight, attacking the butterflies with great force, but becomes alarmed when he sees the serpent horde.
• The Xiao sisters respond quickly to Yuan’s command, activating a protective array. Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming fit into the formation without needing further instruction.
• Yuan’s warnings keep the group coordinated and prepared, while Fang Zheng’s reluctance introduces doubt about whether they should continue.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and leadership: The group survives the butterfly attack by following commands and combining defense with offense.
• Escalating danger: Passing one threat does not mean safety; each territorial boundary brings a new and potentially worse obstacle.
• Nature’s territorial order: The butterflies are stopped not by defeat but by their instinctive refusal to enter another species’ domain.
• The cost of past failures: The bones in the valley show what has happened to others who attempted the crossing.

Key plot points and events

• The group discovers a vast swarm—hundreds of thousands—of Earthfire Spirit Serpents blocking their way. The Xiao sisters hide behind Yuan Zishan, while Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming remain calm.
• Qin Wuyou insists the serpents can simply be cut down. Fang Zheng argues that attacking would trap them between the serpents and the Fire Butterflies, so Yuan Zishan decides to retreat and offers to compensate the team for the failed mission.
• Qin Wuyou refuses to withdraw and advances alone. He unleashes a sword Dao domain, using the power of laws to annihilate every serpent in the valley in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou reveals that his power far exceeds what his companions expected. At eighteen, he has comprehended sword Dao laws and reached the Quasi-Supreme threshold, despite lacking the mana cultivation needed to enter the Supreme Realm.
• Xiao Ming stays composed because he has seen Qin Wuyou’s strength before, but even he is stunned by the sword Dao domain. He privately recognizes Qin as his master and marvels at his talent.
• Yuan Zishan shifts from cautious team leader, prepared to accept mission failure to protect everyone, to astonished admiration and respect for Qin.
• Fang Zheng initially warns Qin against recklessness, then is left questioning whether Qin is truly a new student. He realizes their usual dynamic has been reversed: Qin is the one capable of protecting the group.
• The Xiao sisters remain frightened and rely on Yuan Zishan for protection.

Significant themes

• Hidden, overwhelming talent: Qin’s youthful appearance and status as a new student conceal extraordinary strength.
• Courage versus caution: Yuan Zishan prioritizes the team’s survival, while Qin’s confidence is backed by power few understood.
• Power transforming relationships: Qin’s feat reshapes how his companions see and relate to him, replacing familiarity with awe and respect.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou’s group finishes crossing the Earthfire Spirit Serpent territory. Xiao Ming confirms that Qin once defeated a beast tide, astonishing the others and explaining why he could handle the serpents so easily.
• Qin reveals his Sword Dao Domain in combat, using it to slaughter hundreds of thousands of Earthfire Spirit Serpents. By refining the creatures’ remains, he advances to the Great Saint Realm, Eighth Heaven.
• A vast swarm of Earthfire Spiders blocks the group next. Qin destroys them with the same technique and absorbs their energy, advancing to Ninth Heaven.
• At the end of the valley, the group finds thousands of Fire Ganoderma. Yuan Zishan and the others acknowledge that Qin made the harvest possible and offer him the surplus. He instead asks Yuan to divide it equally among everyone.
• The group celebrates their unexpected windfall and promises to treat Qin to drinks. On their way out, Qin kills the Fire Butterflies that had previously guarded the route, gaining another cultivation advance and reaching Great Saint Tenth Heaven.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou grows stronger through each battle and gains confidence that more demonic beasts could carry him toward the Supreme Realm. He also shows generosity by sharing the Fire Ganoderma equally, earning his companions’ gratitude and affection.
• Yuan Zishan moves from uncertainty about the unexpected dangers to trusting Qin’s ability. She recognizes his contribution and takes responsibility for dividing the harvest.
• Xiao Ming bolsters Qin’s reputation by confirming the story of his earlier victory over a beast tide.
• Fang Zheng, the Xiao sisters, and Yuan Zishan shift from amazement at Qin’s power to warm camaraderie, joking and offering to host him once they return.

Significant themes

• Power and advancement: Qin turns each obstacle into an opportunity to strengthen his cultivation.
• Reputation and trust: Knowledge of Qin’s past feats changes the group’s understanding of what he can accomplish.
• Generosity and shared reward: Qin’s choice to distribute the valuable harvest fairly strengthens the group’s bonds.
• Unexpected opportunity: Dangers that would normally threaten the party become sources of gain because of Qin’s abilities.

Chapter Summary

• After harvesting demonic beasts in Earthfire Valley, Qin Wuyou’s cultivation rises three heavens, from Great Saint Seventh Heaven to Tenth Heaven, leaving him just short of the Supreme Realm. He celebrates the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield as an ideal place to grow stronger.
• Elder Xuanji completes his fusion with the body of a former Supreme. Though he has returned only to Supreme First Heaven, he is grateful to Qin Wuyou and now addresses him as “Master.” Eager to use his new body, Xuanji asks to explore nearby Emperor-to-be ruins and retrieve their treasures. Qin Wuyou lets him go but urges caution.
• Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming separate from Yuan Zishan’s group rather than return to Supreme City or the Supreme Academy. They continue through Beast Mountain, where both can strengthen themselves by refining demonic beasts.
• During their time there, Qin Wuyou turns every Divine Ability Seed within him into a genuine ability, achieving mastery of all Three Thousand Heavenly Dao Divine Abilities. These abilities fill and strengthen his Heavenly Dao Diagram to the level of an Emperor-to-be Armament. Its greater purpose, however, is to cultivate the abilities into Heavenly Dao Laws—paths to the Dao that could eventually allow the diagram to nurture Great Emperors.
• As Qin Wuyou finishes refining a pack of beasts, Xiao Ming warns him that something is wrong.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Qin Wuyou grows rapidly and shows both ambition and generosity: he is willing to fund Xuanji’s return to greater strength, while still prioritizing Xuanji’s safety. His long-term aim is not merely a powerful artifact, but a means of cultivating future Great Emperors.
• Elder Xuanji gains a physical body and renewed freedom. His gratitude deepens into open loyalty, and his confidence in his ability to raid the ruins reflects his formidable experience and unusual cultivation.
• Xiao Ming remains Qin Wuyou’s close companion and shares his appetite for growth, but ends the chapter by noticing an emerging threat or anomaly.
• Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming work together in Beast Mountain, taking advantage of its demonic-beast population now that they are free from the constraints of Yuan Zishan’s group.

Significant Themes

• Growth through opportunity: The battlefield’s dangerous regions provide exceptional resources for cultivation.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Xuanji’s rebirth strengthens his devotion to Qin Wuyou.
• Long-term ambition: The Heavenly Dao Diagram represents a grand project aimed at creating paths to enlightenment—and potentially many Great Emperors.
• Power balanced by caution: Qin Wuyou pursues strength but reminds Xuanji that survival matters more than treasure.

Plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou and Xiao Ming discover that more than a dozen Great Saint–rank assassins are lurking around them in Supreme City.
• Xiao Ming suspects the attack is tied to Qin Batian and the Qin Family’s internal power struggle. Several Qin Family branches have reason to challenge Wuyou’s position as Imperial Scion, so the exact faction behind the plot remains unclear.
• Xiao Ming offers to help Wuyou escape, but Wuyou assures him the assassins pose little threat.
• The assassins, members of the Earth Fiend Gate, launch an attack using their “Merging with the Light” concealment technique. Wuyou tracks them with his Fortune Eye, identifying their positions and even noting that only half have attacked.
• As the attackers hesitate, Wuyou unleashes Sword Qi that becomes fine threads, trapping the charging assassins in cocoon-like bindings. A witness is stunned that Wuyou has mastered Sword Refined into Threads at his age.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou displays confidence and composure, revealing how formidable his Fortune Eye and swordsmanship have become. He intends to uncover the true mastermind rather than react hastily.
• Xiao Ming shows loyalty and courage by offering to shield Wuyou, though he is surprised by Wuyou’s confidence.
• The assassins lose their confidence when Wuyou sees through their concealment and are caught off guard by his technique.

Significant themes

• Power and political rivalry: The assassination reflects factional conflict within the Qin Family over succession.
• Perception versus concealment: The assassins’ supposedly flawless stealth is defeated by Wuyou’s Fortune Eye.
• Composure and overwhelming strength: Wuyou’s calm contrasts with the assassins’ surprise and Xiao Ming’s concern.
• Loyalty: Xiao Ming is prepared to risk himself to protect his companion.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Wuyou uses the Great Fortune Art to expose a hidden Supreme assassin by disrupting his fortune power, briefly weakening him.
• The assassin conceals himself again using the power of laws, but Qin Wuyou glimpses his robe: its azure dragon emblem and “Qin” character identify him as an elder from one of the Qin Family’s branches.
• Qin Wuyou kills more than a dozen Great Saint Rank assassins with a burst of sword light, leaving Xiao Ming astonished.
• Qin Wuyou concludes the hidden attacker likely acted to help Qin Batian, who could become the sole Imperial Scion—and potentially patriarch—if Qin Wuyou and his parents were removed.
• He vows to punish Qin Batian if he finds proof of his involvement and suspects his parents’ disappearance is part of a larger plot.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shows exceptional power despite remaining at the Great Saint Rank. He stays composed after the attack, analyzes the political implications, and grows more suspicious and hostile toward Qin Batian.
• Xiao Ming again offers to protect his master, despite knowing he would be helpless against a Supreme. Witnessing Qin Wuyou’s strength deepens his loyalty and admiration.
• The assassin is revealed as a Qin Family branch elder. Alarmed by Qin Wuyou’s fortune-targeting technique, he withdraws and hides himself more carefully.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Qin Wuyou’s true abilities surpass what his rank—and the family’s assumptions—suggest.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Xiao Ming is willing to face certain death to protect his master.
• Family politics and succession: The attack connects Qin Wuyou’s safety, his parents’ disappearance, and Qin Batian’s ambitions.
• Fortune as power: Qin Wuyou’s unusual art can directly weaken an opponent, giving him a tactical edge even against a Supreme.

Key plot points and events

• After Qin Wuyou defeats a group of Earth Fiend Gate assassins, his servant Xiao Ming urges him to flee. He warns that the Gate is relentless and will likely send its strongest assassins—the Yama Rank—next.
• Qin asks Xiao Ming to explain the organization. Xiao Ming recounts the Gate’s legendary rise: it publicly announced a ten-day plan to assassinate an Emperor-to-be, prompting the target to host a huge, heavily guarded feast attended by hundreds of thousands, including other Emperors-to-be.
• Despite these precautions, the Emperor-to-be was killed on the tenth day. The Gate never explained how, leaving the world to suspect it had a Great Emperor among its ranks.
• Xiao Ming says the Gate has never failed a mission and ranks its assassins by their accomplishments: Ghost Generals can independently kill Saints; Blue- and Black-Faced Asuras can kill Saint Kings and Great Saints, respectively; and Yama assassins have each killed a Supreme alone.
• Qin is alarmed by the Yama Rank’s strength, though the immediate confrontation has ended.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou remains composed and analytical. He quickly recognizes that the Emperor-to-be used the feast as a public but effective way to gather protection. His curiosity about the Gate grows, but so does his concern about its threat.
• Xiao Ming acts as a cautious, knowledgeable adviser, urging Qin to leave and explaining the Gate’s history and hierarchy. His warnings emphasize the danger Qin faces.
• Their exchange contrasts Xiao Ming’s urgency with Qin’s calm assessment; Qin’s questions draw out the increasingly disturbing scale of the threat.

Significant themes

• The menace of reputation and mystery: The Gate’s unexplained success makes it more frightening than any confirmed power.
• Deception and strategy: Both the Emperor-to-be’s protective feast and the Gate’s public challenge conceal tactical purpose.
• Escalating danger: The defeated assassins are formidable, but the ranking system reveals that stronger foes may still be coming.

Key plot points

• Learning that the Earth Fiend Gate may send a Yama-Class assassin—an expert capable of killing a Supreme—Qin Wuyou realizes that a hidden ambush could be fatal and decides to leave as soon as possible.
• Xiao Ming explains that the assassins cannot strike inside the Human Race’s Eight Great Main Cities. A million years earlier, after a Yama assassin killed a city lord there, the Human Race’s Military God led a campaign against the Earth Fiend Gate and forced it to hand over the culprit and promise not to attack in those cities.
• Elder Xuanji returns from the Emperor-to-be ruins after only a few hours, carrying their treasures. He has also absorbed some resources that could not be removed, strengthening himself to the Supreme third heaven.
• Qin Wuyou gives Xuanji most of the collected resources, urging him to use them to advance quickly because Supreme-level enemies may soon arrive. Xuanji vows to protect him.
• Qin Wuyou brings Xuanji into the Heavenly Dao Diagram, whose extraordinary star-filled interior leaves him astonished.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Wuyou shifts from alarm to strategic resolve: he recognizes the danger of assassination and plans to seek safety in a Human Main City. He also shows trust and generosity toward Xuanji, prioritizing his disciple’s strength over keeping the treasures.
• Xiao Ming demonstrates loyalty by stepping in front of Qin Wuyou when Xuanji approaches, then explains the city’s protection.
• Xuanji returns stronger and dutifully reports his findings. Though tempted by the ruins’ riches, he accepts Qin Wuyou’s resources and commits himself to defending his master.
• Qin Wuyou recognizes the approaching figure before Xiao Ming does, reassuring him that Xuanji is an ally.

Significant themes

• The danger of hidden power: even a strong fighter may be helpless against a Supreme’s concealed ambush.
• Collective justice and deterrence: the Human Race’s united response established boundaries even for a formidable organization.
• Loyalty and shared strength: Qin Wuyou invests in Xuanji’s growth, while Xuanji pledges to repay that trust through protection.
• Power and responsibility: the legendary Military God’s actions suggest that defending a community can outweigh personal or institutional cost.