Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Three players—Liu Bi, Lin Quanyong, and Wang Jiu—advance from outer to inner disciples. Their progress brings Qin Shujian a major influx of Life Source.
• Qin spends 10,000 Life Source to raise the Origin Canon to level fifteen, strengthening his cultivation and defensive abilities. He then uses 3,000 to bring the Ming King Prison-Splitting Blade to consummate mastery, choosing these upgrades over advancing the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Step.
• Qin visits the newly built Hall of Martial Training. Zheng Fang reports that it is nearly ready to provide instruction in cultivation and martial arts. They agree the sect should focus on steadily establishing itself in the Liangshan True Domain rather than pursuing rapid expansion.
• Qin considers how to strengthen the sect. Since killing players is both restricted and likely to provoke retaliation, he favors recruiting them instead. He also briefly considers hunting evil fiends for sacrificial offerings, though he has no clear way to find them.
• Zeng Hong and the other elders return from fighting the rebels, all alive but several badly injured. A rebel expert who broke through the mortal-domain shackles was killed by heavenly punishment, but not before seriously wounding Fu Gang and Xu Yuanming. The campaign also cost the imperial forces over ten thousand soldiers and the life of Bingjiang City’s commander.
• Qin learns that the rebellion was linked to Marquis Yifeng, who had founded the Great Feng Kingdom before Great Zhao crushed it. The surviving rebels had fled to the Xining Plains.
• Qin creates Identity Tokens for the sect’s NPCs and plans to establish a Mission Hall. NPCs will be able to earn contribution points through missions and exchange them for sect benefits, though they cannot accept missions through the player system.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian grows stronger and becomes more convinced that the sect—not solitary fighting—is the best means to accelerate his progress. He weighs the danger of antagonizing players against the benefits of recruiting them, and remains cautious about delegating control over contribution points.
• Zheng Fang takes responsibility for organizing the sect’s teaching structure. He advises prioritizing stability and development within Liangshan, a view Qin agrees with.
• Zeng Hong and the returning elders report the campaign’s unexpected dangers candidly. Their injuries reveal that the rebels were stronger than the sect had anticipated, even though the group returned without losing anyone.
• Qin trusts only his original subordinates with authority over contribution points, foreshadowing the importance of loyalty and oversight as the sect’s administration grows.

Significant themes

• Institution-building over individual power: Qin sees that a sect can generate growth and influence more effectively than fighting alone.
• Pragmatism and restraint: He avoids indiscriminate attacks on players and favors recruitment, while recognizing the Origin Sect’s limited standing among older sects.
• Growth through systems: Teaching, identity tokens, missions, and contribution rewards turn the sect into an organized structure rather than a loose gathering of disciples.
• Trust and control: As the sect develops, Qin must decide who can be trusted with valuable administrative authority.

Key plot points

• Wang Jiu spends nearly all his contribution points to become an Inner Sect Disciple, learns the complete Martial Entry Chapter of the Origin Canon, and enters the Library Pavilion. Advancing to Elite Disciple remains a distant goal.
• Liu Dazhong’s group faces the consequences of his failed prediction: the rebels surrendered instead of retreating, leaving them waiting in the rear and earning no contribution points or experience. Miao Yuqing angrily confronts him.
• The Origin Sect establishes its Mission Hall and posts an escort mission for the Chengyun Trading Company. Though most players are below the required cultivation level, the mission’s ten places are quickly filled by eligible sect members.
• Qin Shujian uses missions to manage the sect’s growth: he funds village expansion, orders Ninth-Rank Treasure Armor for Outer Sect Disciples, and expels several members whose loyalty has fallen below zero.
• After reviewing the finances, Qin discovers that the sect’s large income is quickly consumed by daily expenses. He posts a long-term mission offering contribution points for valuable natural resources, intending to generate supplies and revenue.
• With Life Source above fifteen thousand, Qin upgrades the Origin Canon to level sixteen. His Astral-Breaking True Essence improves, but he remains unsure how much his Longevity level has extended his lifespan.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Jiu makes a major advancement in sect rank, trading most of his accumulated rewards for access to higher-level training and the library.
• Liu Dazhong is left ashamed and silent under criticism from Miao Yuqing and their group, whose trust in his judgment has been damaged.
• Qin Shujian increasingly acts as a pragmatic sect administrator, balancing recruitment, missions, security, finances, and cultivation. He recognizes that the sect’s wealth is limited despite its growing player base, and treats disciples as the means to sustain its operations.
• Xu Yuanming manages the sect’s accounts and gives Qin a frank picture of its finances. Ran Yuan guards the Library Pavilion and explains the access rules to Wang Jiu.

Significant themes

• Growth brings costs: More disciples and higher cultivation increase the sect’s expenses, making expansion financially precarious.
• Contribution and advancement: Access to ranks, training, and rewards depends increasingly on contribution points, motivating disciples to take missions.
• Pragmatism and control: Qin uses incentives, resource gathering, loyalty checks, and expulsions to keep the growing sect useful and secure.
• Uncertain power and mortality: Qin’s cultivation rises dramatically, yet even he cannot tell how long his enhanced lifespan will last.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian decides to cultivate the Blazing Flame Art manually rather than spend life source upgrading it. The Liangshan Domain Lord title’s cultivation-speed bonus makes his progress exceptionally fast.
• After half a day, he raises the art to Level 5; after five days of near-continuous training, he reaches Level 8. Its blazing qi gives his true essence a scorching quality, strong enough to leave a burned handprint on stone. He is pleased, though progress slows at higher levels.
• In the Wanyong Mortal Domain, player Zhao Meng publicly attempts to become the first player to reach the True Martial Realm and become a Domain Lord. He uses an Essence-Boosting Pill to advance his cultivation, then attacks the domain’s revealed shackles with a Third-Grade Sharp Weapon.
• The shackles do not break, and the domain’s trial unleashes a devastating storm of lightning. Zhao Meng’s Third-Grade Treasure Armor is destroyed, and he disappears, apparently killed. His failed attempt and its video spread widely, prompting other players to reconsider or postpone their own attempts.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian discovers that personal cultivation can save life source and finds satisfaction in making progress through effort. He continues training alone, while people nearby notice the unusual energy but largely ignore it.
• Zhao Meng is ambitious and eager for fame, presenting his breakthrough as a public spectacle. His confidence in his expensive equipment proves misplaced.
• The watching players are divided: they hope Zhao Meng succeeds but also feel envy and apprehension. After witnessing his apparent death, they become much more cautious about challenging domain limits.

Significant themes

• Effort versus shortcuts: Qin’s patient cultivation offers a resource-saving alternative to direct upgrades.
• The cost of ambition and fame: Zhao Meng’s bid for recognition ends in catastrophic failure.
• Risk, uncertainty, and progress: Becoming a Domain Lord may offer unknown benefits, but the danger is unmistakable.
• Different responses to challenge: Qin embraces steady practice, while Zhao Meng takes a high-profile gamble.

Key plot points and events

• More than half a month has passed, and players are beginning to reach the True Martial Realm. Progress remains limited because high-grade cultivation manuals are scarce and expensive.
• Players at the Origin Sect scramble to earn contribution points. Their main aim is to become inner sect disciples and gain access to the complete Martial Entry portion of the Origin Canon, which can lead to a True Martial breakthrough.
• The Mission Hall posts three escort missions. The most demanding requires three True Martial Realm cultivators, so Qin Shujian and the elders accept it on behalf of the Origin Sect.
• Qin accompanies elders Zeng Hong, Qiu Ping, and Cao Sheng to meet a Chengyun Trading Company caravan bound for the Xuanxu True Domain.
• The caravan has recently been ambushed by powerful True Martial experts. Its Guest Elder, Gan Zhongming, killed two attackers but was badly injured. He fears the next attack may involve Inner Astral Realm experts.
• When Qin introduces himself as the Origin Sect’s sect master, steward Li Chongshi realizes he is the Liangshan Domain Lord and is greatly reassured. Qin asks about the ambush, and Li explains what happened.

Character developments and interactions

• The players become increasingly focused and pragmatic about advancement, treating contribution points as an investment and competing to reach inner sect status.
• Qin Shujian shows a measured approach to reform: he is considering making contribution points more central to sect life but plans to introduce changes gradually. He also takes personal responsibility for the escort mission, though he says he has separate business in the Xuanxu True Domain.
• The elders eagerly accept the mission, motivated in part by their own need for contribution points to study manuals.
• Li Chongshi moves from anxiety about the caravan’s safety to relief and confidence once he recognizes Qin’s authority.
• Gan Zhongming is experienced and capable but wary: despite his victory in the ambush, he believes the threat will escalate and doubts that ordinary True Martial experts can protect the next shipment.

Significant themes

• Advancement and scarcity: Access to cultivation manuals and contribution points shapes both player ambition and sect life.
• Investment and institutional change: Players accept that progress requires resources, while Qin considers gradually restructuring the sect’s economy around contribution points.
• Escalating danger and uncertain alliances: The caravan’s attack suggests a continuing threat, making the Origin Sect’s strength and Qin’s intervention increasingly important.
• Status and authority: Qin’s identity as Domain Lord immediately changes Li Chongshi’s expectations and sense of security.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian joins the Chengyun Trading Company’s caravan as it travels toward the Xuanxu True Domain, honoring his relationship with the company while hoping to avoid unnecessary involvement.
• He meets Gan Zhongming, the company’s True Martial Realm guest elder. Gan recognizes that Qin’s strength is impossible to gauge and suspects it is far beyond his own.
• While resting in the carriage, Qin reflects on his cultivation: he has advanced the Origin Canon to level seventeen and can freely switch between inner and outer astral energy. He believes he is now a formidable True Martial Realm expert even beyond his own domain.
• A masked force of over a hundred attackers prepares an ambush inside Liangshan True Domain. Their leaders wear five different colored masks and plan to kill everyone, seize the goods, and flee the domain before its Domain Lord can intervene.
• Gan Zhongming senses danger and alerts the caravan. The guards form a defensive ring around the wagons, while Gan, Li Chongshi, and the Origin Sect elders prepare to fight.
• The attackers launch a coordinated assault. Five powerful masked fighters engage the caravan’s True Martial Realm defenders. Qiu Ping clashes with a black-masked opponent, using the Blazing Fire Palm he learned from the Origin Sect’s Library Pavilion.
• The defenders are outmatched: most are at the True Martial first level, while their opponents appear to be at least the third. Qin initially watches from his carriage, but when he sees the fight turning against his companions, he takes up Thousand Mountain Blood and steps out.

Character developments

• Qin Shujian remains restrained and strategic, preferring not to draw attention to himself, but he will intervene when the caravan’s defenders are in real danger. His cultivation has also advanced substantially, giving him confidence in his strength outside Liangshan.
• Gan Zhongming is cautious and perceptive. He quickly recognizes Qin’s exceptional, unreadable strength and acts promptly when he senses the ambush.
• Qiu Ping shows the practical benefits of the Origin Sect’s resources: after only a few weeks of practice, he can use a high-grade martial technique in a serious battle.
• Li Chongshi remains composed under pressure, organizing the caravan’s defenses despite being a relatively new True Martial Realm cultivator.

Significant themes

• Strength and territory: A Domain Lord’s authority is formidable within their own True Domain, but the attackers believe Qin’s influence will vanish once they escape its borders.
• Preparation and unequal power: The caravan organizes quickly, yet its defenders are still badly outmatched by the attackers’ stronger fighters.
• Mentorship and institutional growth: The Origin Sect’s Library Pavilion gives its elders access to powerful techniques, helping them develop their abilities.
• Restraint versus responsibility: Qin wants to focus on cultivation and avoid attention, but his connection to the trading company—and the danger to its people—draws him into action.

Character interactions

• Qin and Gan exchange formal greetings; Gan’s assessment of Qin’s unfathomable strength reinforces Qin’s imposing reputation.
• Li Chongshi coordinates with Gan and the caravan guards, while the Origin Sect elders stand ready to support the company.
• Qiu Ping directly confronts a black-masked attacker, demonstrating his newly acquired technique.
• Qin watches the battle from a distance at first, then leaves the carriage as the defenders begin to lose ground. The chapter ends as he enters the fight.

This chapter is an author’s update note rather than part of the story. The author says they posted 36 chapters today—about 110,000–120,000 Chinese characters—and are too exhausted to post more. They hope the large update and a Silver Alliance will help the book reach the bestseller top ten tomorrow, and ask readers for tips and monthly votes, promising to deliver any bonus chapters earned by tip thresholds. They also recommend enabling auto-subscription and announce that future updates will arrive around 8 p.m.

Plot and events

• Qin Shujian arrives during a caravan’s battle with masked attackers. His saber’s intent halts the fighting, and he kills the white-masked leader—a powerful Inner Astral expert—with one strike.
• The other four Inner Astral fighters try to flee. Qin pursues and kills them, while Li Chongshi, Gan Zhongming, Zeng Hong, and the others finish off the remaining attackers.
• The caravan suffers heavy losses: more than thirty dead and over fifty wounded. The attackers’ identities remain unknown, and their bodies disappear according to the world’s rules.
• After the wounded are treated and the cargo checked, the caravan continues. It crosses the Liangshan True Domain without further incident and reaches its border two days later.
• Zeng Hong and the other Origin Sect elders complete their assignment and depart. Qin stays with the caravan, bound for the Xuanxu True Domain, and tells Zeng Hong he expects to return within a month.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin demonstrates the full force of his Outer Astral cultivation and his new Ming King Prison-Splitting Blade technique, decisively overpowering Inner Astral opponents. He also gains over ten thousand Life Source from the five experts.
• Qin reflects that the blade technique works especially well alongside his Black Tiger Saber Technique and its developed blade intent.
• Li Chongshi is shaken by Qin’s power and remains deferential, later thanking him and the Origin Sect for saving the caravan. Despite grief over the casualties, he quickly resumes responsibility for the wounded and cargo.
• Zeng Hong and the other elders acknowledge that protecting the caravan was their duty, accept Li’s gifts, and leave after completing the assignment. Qin and Li part on respectful terms as the caravan crosses into the Cangxi True Domain.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Qin’s strength transforms a desperate battle and reinforces the influence of both his name and the Origin Sect.
• Duty and gratitude: The escorts fulfill their obligation, while Li expresses sincere thanks for their aid.
• The cost of violence: Even after victory, the caravan mourns its dead and tends to its many wounded.
• Life and death in this world: Bodies vanish after death, a familiar fact that shapes how people handle loss and remembrance.

Summary

• Qin Shujian enters the Cangxi True Domain for the first time. Crossing out of Liangshan causes him to lose the cultivation bonus granted by his own domain, briefly weakening him before his seventh-level True Martial cultivation compensates. He receives no territorial warning, suggesting the area may not belong to a unified faction.
• The Chengyun Trading Company’s caravan, recently attacked by five Inner Astral experts, meets a group from the Golden Sun Sect. Elder Ding Ziqiu and three young legacy disciples—Du Yu, Cai Yun, and Zhao Xiuzhi—join the journey. The sect’s reputation deters potential bandits.
• Ding is surprised the caravan survived its attackers and assumes an Outer Astral expert protected it. Li Chongshi explains that Qin intervened. Ding initially speaks dismissively of Qin’s Domain Lord status, reasoning that Qin is outside his own domain and has only recently risen to power.
• Li warns him that Qin is traveling in the next carriage, then reveals—by writing it on the table—that Qin is already an Outer Astral expert. Ding is astonished and asks to meet him.
• Qin declines through Li, claiming he is cultivating. In truth, he heard the men’s conversation and chooses not to meet Ding: he considers access to a Domain Lord something that should not be granted casually. The caravan rests and then continues, while Qin resumes cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian shows growing confidence and authority. He keeps to himself, protects his status, and focuses on advancing his cultivation rather than cultivating relationships with the Golden Sun Sect.
• Li Chongshi acts as intermediary and diplomat. He is careful not to disturb Qin without permission and discreetly corrects Ding’s assumptions.
• Ding Ziqiu moves from curiosity and skepticism to shock and respect after learning Qin’s true strength. His initial careless remark highlights how little outsiders understand Qin’s rapid rise.
• The legacy disciples are introduced as courteous young representatives of the Golden Sun Sect, though they have little direct involvement in the events.

Themes

• Power and reputation: The Golden Sun Sect’s emblem discourages bandits, while Qin’s hidden presence explains the caravan’s survival.
• Status and respect: Qin’s refusal to meet Ding reinforces the distance between a Domain Lord and ordinary sect elders.
• Rapid advancement and uncertainty: Qin’s swift rise to Outer Astral strength astonishes those accustomed to the usual pace of cultivation.
• Crossing boundaries: Leaving Liangshan removes Qin’s domain-based advantage and places him in unfamiliar political territory.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian travels with the Chengyun Trading Company’s caravan through the Cangxi True Domain. Although the Golden Sun Sect has assigned an escort, Qin’s presence as an Outer Astral Realm Domain Lord makes the caravan exceptionally safe.
• During the journey, Qin cultivates in his carriage. He advances the Blazing Flame Art to its first True Martial level, awakening powerful yang fire, then spends 25,000 life-source points to raise the Origin Canon to level eighteen. Player activity has supplied him with another 30,000 points.
• After three days, the caravan reaches the boundary of the Cangxi True Domain. Elder Ding Ziqiu and the Golden Sun Sect disciples end their escort there.
• The caravan enters the Xuanxu True Domain, where disciples of the powerful Heavenly Blade Sect take over. They escort it to Bifeng City, a major city in Northcloud Prefecture.
• At the Chengyun Trading Company’s branch, Qin is welcomed by Head Steward Lin Wanyou. The two sit down to share rare spirit tea that Lin has specially brought out for him.

Character developments

• Qin Shujian continues prioritizing cultivation, using the quiet journey and life source gained by his followers to strengthen both his fire art and Origin Canon. His growing power impresses everyone around him.
• Li Chongshi remains deferential to Qin and values the protection his reputation provides, while also maintaining cordial relations with the sect escorts.
• Ding Ziqiu is relieved that the journey passes peacefully and leaves once his assignment is complete.
• Lin Wanyou greets Qin warmly, showing respect for his status and an eagerness to cultivate their relationship.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation as protection: The Golden Sun and Heavenly Blade Sects’ banners deter trouble, while Qin’s presence further raises the caravan’s security.
• Cultivation and progress: Qin converts both time and life source into rapid advancement, reflecting his disciplined ambition.
• Networks and mutual respect: The journey depends on cooperation among a trading company, powerful sects, and influential cultivators.

Character interactions

• Li Chongshi and Ding Ziqiu cooperate despite Qin making the Golden Sun escort largely unnecessary; both recognize the value of the sect’s protection and standing.
• Du Yu and the other disciples regard Qin with awe, recognizing that his achievements place him far beyond their own level.
• The Golden Sun Sect formally hands the caravan’s protection over to the Heavenly Blade Sect at the domain border.
• In Bifeng City, Lin Wanyou and Qin exchange friendly greetings, and Lin offers him premium spirit tea as a sign of hospitality and respect.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian visits Lin Wanyou, chief steward of the Chengyun Trading Company, to obtain information about how Mortal Domains form and about the Evil Fiends within them. Lin provides it free, hoping to build a relationship with Qin, whom he believes is an unusually powerful and promising Domain Lord.
• Lin invites Qin to an auction, but Qin declines, saying the Origin Sect needs his attention. Lin accepts the refusal graciously and escorts him from Bifeng City.
• Meanwhile, the Origin Sect continues to grow through its players’ efforts. They gather treasures and ores for contribution points, and the village beneath Liangshan becomes a major hub for trading and sharing quests. The sect now has about three thousand player members.
• As players spread into other regions, they compete with local players over resources, often provoking fights. The Origin Sect’s remote location and its thirty-tael entry fee also limit recruitment.
• Liu Dazhong, an Inner Sect Disciple known as “Liu Dacui” for boasting and leading unprofitable expeditions, struggles to recruit a team. Miao Yuqing steps in and secures five players for a trip to the Endless Mountains.
• Liu explains that their section of the mountains lies within the Shenhua Mortal Domain, where restrictions keep demonic beasts at or below the tenth martial-entry level. The group agrees to prioritize collecting treasures, with the finder receiving forty percent of the loot and the rest divided among the helpers.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian remains focused on the Origin Sect and its advancement, refusing distractions despite Lin’s hospitality.
• Lin Wanyou sees Qin as a valuable ally and offers useful information as a gesture of goodwill.
• Liu Dazhong is confident in his progress as an Inner Sect Disciple but suffers from a poor reputation among fellow players.
• Miao Yuqing recognizes Liu’s recruitment failure and efficiently takes over.
• The recruited players are wary of Liu but agree to cooperate after negotiating a clear loot-sharing arrangement.

Significant themes

• Ambition and advancement: Qin seeks knowledge that could help the Origin Sect rise further, while players pursue levels, resources, and contribution points.
• Reputation and trust: Liu’s history makes recruitment difficult, and the lack of automatic loot distribution means parties must rely on character and negotiated terms.
• Competition and conflict: As players expand into new territories, rivalry over resources turns readily into combat.
• Pragmatic alliances: Lin’s generosity and the players’ expedition agreement show how cooperation is often built around mutual benefit.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• While traveling back to the Origin Sect, Qin Shujian receives repeated notifications that the sect’s elders are advancing rapidly. Zheng Fang and Wang Tiezhu have reached True Martial third level, with Wang—despite starting behind Zheng—progressing especially quickly.
• After nearly a month away, Qin returns to Liangshan and learns that the sect is functioning smoothly. In that time, 385 otherworlders (players) have become inner disciples, though none has yet reached the True Martial Realm.
• Qin discovers that the sect’s treasury has grown from just over 20,000 taels to 270,000 taels, mostly through players exchanging natural treasures for contribution points and the sect selling those treasures.
• He orders Xu Yuanming to spend most of the funds on cultivation manuals, martial arts, and standardized sect uniforms, expanding the Library Pavilion and giving players more reasons to earn contribution points.
• Qin also asks Xu to investigate medicinal pills through the Chengyun Trading Company, considering whether they could help strengthen the sect or become another source of profit.
• Qin posts ongoing missions to locate Demon Calamities and newly formed Mortal Domains. Both offer 50 contribution points and a True Rank, Low Grade martial art, drawing strong interest from disciples and players alike.
• Qin concludes that the sect’s next stage of growth depends on acquiring Xiantian Spirit Objects and defeating Evil Fiends to raise its power rank.

Character developments

• Qin Shujian increasingly thinks like both a sect leader and an entrepreneur. He sees the players’ rapid progress and spending as a system to cultivate, reward, and keep engaged, while also planning to strengthen the sect through new resources and opportunities.
• Wang Tiezhu emerges as a particularly promising elder, advancing faster than Zheng Fang despite having started at a lower level. Qin considers whether to invest more in his development.
• Xu Yuanming remains the sect’s trusted financial administrator, reporting its wealth and agreeing to oversee major purchases and investigate medicinal pills.

Significant themes

• Growth through cultivation and infrastructure: The sect’s concentrated spiritual energy and access to better manuals accelerate advancement.
• Incentives and mutual benefit: The sect turns players’ desire for contribution points into wealth, resources, and greater sect strength.
• Pragmatic leadership: Qin treats money as a means to build capability rather than something to hoard.
• Power and expansion: The sect’s future depends on improving its rank and securing powerful resources, not merely on internal training.

Character interactions

• Qin questions the elders about the sect’s progress, with Zheng Fang reporting the players’ advancement.
• He consults Xu Yuanming about finances, directs him to purchase manuals, martial arts, and uniforms, and asks him to investigate medicinal pills.
• Qin’s new missions motivate players and disciples by offering access to valuable techniques, reinforcing the contribution-point economy that links their efforts to the sect’s growth.

Key plot points and events

• After Marquis Yifeng’s rebellion is crushed, Cheng Zhong escapes with the marquis’s three-year-old heir, carrying out Lin Shixiong’s final request. The imperial court places a bounty on both of them, and a trusted former comrade betrays Cheng Zhong, forcing him to flee despite severe wounds.
• Cheng Zhong hides with the heir in an abandoned Mountain God Temple, treats his injuries, and reflects on whether the child could ever restore their cause. Remembering the fallen rebels, he renews his resolve and sets out at dawn.
• Back at the Origin Sect, Qin Shujian receives new martial techniques and cultivation manuals from the Origin Sect’s trade. He puts the True Rank manuals on the Library Pavilion’s third floor and publicizes their availability.
• Qin advances the All-Encompassing Origin-Returning Art to its eleventh layer. Its new trait, Rivers Embrace the Sea, expands his dantian and increases his True Essence by ten percent, revealing the art’s potential for further growth.
• Thinking ahead to the stage beyond the peak of the True Martial Realm, Qin decides not to relocate the Origin Sect. He travels to the edge of the Liangshan True Domain and discovers the seven-colored heaven and earth barrier, which appears to separate this world from what lies beyond.

Character developments

• Cheng Zhong shifts from a trusted rebel general to a hunted protector. Though he doubts the heir’s ability to lead a comeback, loyalty to Lin Shixiong and the dead keeps him committed.
• Qin Shujian grows stronger and more strategic, recognizing the Origin-Returning Art’s unusual potential and beginning to plan for advancement beyond his current realm while remaining committed to Liangshan.
• Heir Apparent Yifeng, only three years old, is now the fragile surviving symbol of the defeated rebellion.

Themes and interactions

• Loyalty and betrayal: Cheng Zhong honors his promise to Lin Shixiong, but is betrayed by someone he considered a trusted comrade.
• Hope amid defeat: The heir represents a possible future for the rebellion, even as Cheng Zhong doubts the odds.
• Ambition and limits: Qin weighs the Origin-Returning Art’s potential against the costs and constraints of cultivation and the True Domain.
• Protection and dependence: Cheng Zhong cares for the young heir, who accepts his help with gratitude and good manners.
• Exploration and the unknown: Qin’s discovery of the world’s boundary introduces a larger mystery beyond the Liangshan True Domain.

Chapter summary

• Qin Shujian investigates the world’s edge. At the Heaven and Earth Barrier, he is drawn toward a mysterious seven-colored light and nearly touches it. A sudden premonition of death breaks its hold on his mind. A pebble thrown at the barrier disappears on contact, and the light vanishes from view after he walks away. Uneasy about forces beyond his understanding, Qin decides not to approach the barrier again. He suspects the faint movement he glimpsed beyond it may have been a new Mortal Domain forming.
• Players search for a Demon Calamity. After Qin posts a mission seeking information on Demon Calamities or newly formed Mortal Domains, players flood the forums with reward offers. Wang Jiu, hoping to earn a valuable True Rank martial art, helps gather information while keeping the mission’s details secret. He also practices the Origin Canon in real life; players have discovered that cultivation can replace sleep, though it has not yet produced true energy.
• Wang Jiu earns his reward. He reports that a Demon Calamity is underway in the Desolate Void Mortal Domain. Impressed by Wang Jiu’s unusually high loyalty for a player, Qin takes him to the Library Pavilion and lets him choose one True Rank, Low Grade martial arts manual. Qin then replaces the manual with a fresh copy. He refuses to distribute such techniques widely because doing so would devalue them, provoke other factions, and undermine the Origin Sect’s advantage.
• The threat becomes urgent. Before Qin can organize an investigation, Gu Feng—now nearing the True Martial Realm—arrives with news. An evil fiend has escaped its seal in the Desolate Void Mortal Domain, triggering a calamity that has spread across the region. Its forces have grown strong, and the Marquis of Northcloud has summoned the sects to fight. Qin recognizes that Northcloud is the prefecture where his sect is based.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian shows caution after encountering the barrier’s mind-affecting light, but remains alert to opportunities and threats. He rewards Wang Jiu while carefully protecting the sect’s resources, then shifts his attention to the impending crisis.
• Wang Jiu is ambitious and financially motivated, yet demonstrates unusual loyalty and provides useful intelligence. His cultivation of the Origin Canon reflects players’ curiosity about whether in-game practices can affect real life.
• Gu Feng has advanced rapidly in cultivation and now serves as the messenger of a major regional emergency. His serious report prompts Qin to recognize the danger’s scale.
• Qin and Wang Jiu interact as sect leader and informant: Qin verifies Wang Jiu’s loyalty, then rewards his information. Qin and Gu Feng speak as allies, with Gu Feng delivering the news that turns a search mission into a call to war.

Significant themes

• The unknown and the limits of power: The Heaven and Earth Barrier suggests realities beyond what even a True Martial cultivator can understand.
• Cultivation and experimentation: Players test whether fictional cultivation practices can produce real-world benefits.
• Information, loyalty, and reward: Wang Jiu’s report shows how the sect relies on players’ initiative while incentivizing service.
• Power and institutional control: Qin limits access to high-level manuals to preserve their value and the Origin Sect’s influence.
• Escalating danger and cooperation: The Demon Calamity is no longer merely a target of investigation; it demands action from the region’s sects.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Feng tells Qin Shujian that the Demon Calamity has consumed the entire Desolate Void Mortal Domain and is advancing toward the true domains. Unlike the previous, region-bound disaster, this could threaten all of Northcloud Prefecture and potentially overwhelm even the imperial forces.
• The Marquis of Northcloud has summoned sects and factions to help contain the calamity while elite experts hunt the Evil Fiend. In return, participants will gain access to a newly formed mortal domain whose Evil Fiend has already been suppressed.
• Qin agrees to join the effort and plans to assess the danger at Ancient-Suppressing City before deciding how to proceed. He recognizes that an Evil Fiend powerful enough to leave a true domain could become nearly unstoppable outside it.
• Gu Feng offers to seek alchemy manuals and materials for Qin, but warns that training an alchemist is difficult and costly. Qin says he understands.
• Qin spends life source to advance the Origin Canon and perfect the Ming King Prison-Splitting Blade, bringing his strength to the pinnacle of the true domains.
• He encounters Zhang Ergou, an old figure from his early days. Qin remembers Zhang as the person who set him on the path of cultivation, though he is unsure whether he once stabbed him from behind. Zhang remains respectful and is thrilled that Qin remembers his name.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian balances ambition with caution: he welcomes the chance to confront the calamity but understands its scale could endanger the true domains. He also continues rapidly strengthening himself and shows unexpected sentiment toward Zhang Ergou.
• Gu Feng acts as a trusted intermediary, bringing the Marquis’s request and offering practical help with Qin’s alchemy interests. His influence and prospects are closely tied to his relationship with the Origin Sect.
• Zhang Ergou is revealed as an inner steward at the Origin Sect, loyal and capable. Qin’s recognition gives him hope that his fortunes may improve.
• Qin and Gu Feng part on cordial terms; Qin then treats Zhang with warmth, while Zhang responds with deference and excitement.

Significant themes

• Escalating catastrophe: A disaster confined to one region has grown into a threat capable of spreading across domains, underscoring how quickly unchecked corruption can become a wider crisis.
• Power and preparation: Qin’s rapid advancement makes him formidable, but the looming Evil Fiend demonstrates that even great strength may not guarantee safety.
• Opportunity amid danger: The reward of entering a new mortal domain turns a perilous military mission into a strategic opportunity for participating factions.
• Loyalty and remembrance: Qin’s recognition of Zhang Ergou highlights the lasting significance of early relationships, even amid the demands of leadership.

Plot and events

• Qin Shujian recalls Zhang Ergou, a former low-level disciple who has advanced to the tenth martial-entry level. He plans to give him guidance, hoping to help the Origin Sect gain another True Martial expert.
• The next day, Qin travels to Ancient-Suppressing City in the Lingxi True Domain at the Marquis of Northcloud’s invitation. The city was built to contain fiendish disasters, and Qin detects demonic qi already seeping into the area, suggesting the Demon Calamity may be worse than expected.
• Qin is escorted into the city and then to the Marquis’s secondary residence, where sect leaders and other experts have gathered. The meeting appears to be at the discussion stage rather than the start of a military campaign.
• Inside the banquet hall, Qin encounters familiar figures Guihai Chuan and Yang Zhongning. Guihai greets him warmly, drawing the attention of other guests and prompting Water Moon Sect leader Qi Yunshu to identify and toast him.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian remains ambitious and confident, particularly hoping to strike the decisive blow against the Evil Fiend. He is also struck by the Marquis’s immense influence and the extraordinary strength of his household.
• Zhang Ergou is shown to have made major progress, prompting Qin to take a personal interest in his growth.
• Guihai Chuan treats Qin as a respected peer, indirectly raising Qin’s standing among unfamiliar leaders.
• Qi Yunshu recognizes Qin and makes a courteous introduction through a toast.
• Qin speaks politely with city guard Wu Gang, who guides him to the residence. He also questions the Marquis’s servant Xiao Zhong, discovering that even a household servant is a True Martial expert.

Significant themes

• Power and status: The strength of the Marquis’s staff and the confidence of his servants reveal the Marquis’s exceptional authority.
• Gathering danger: Demonic qi has reached Lingxi before the calamity itself, foreshadowing a serious threat.
• Recognition and reputation: Qin is little known beyond nearby regions, but Guihai’s greeting quickly makes the other experts reconsider his importance.
• Cultivation and mentorship: Qin’s wish to guide Zhang Ergou reflects the Origin Sect’s potential growth and Qin’s role in developing its members.

Chapter Summary

At the Origin Sect’s celebration, Qin Shujian’s reputation as both a Domain Lord and an unusually fast-rising outer astral cultivator spreads among the visiting sect leaders. They greet him respectfully and seek to establish ties, though no one makes an excessive show of deference. Qin uses the lull to inspect the powerful guests with his Spirit Eye, discovering that it reveals only names and cultivation levels for experts of their rank. He wonders whether the ability can be upgraded but has no way to test it.
The Marquis of Northcloud, Xiao Chengfeng, arrives and commands the room’s respect. Though he has ruled for more than two centuries, he looks middle-aged. He explains the severity of the Demon Calamity: three Evil Fiends have escaped their seals, and the Desolate Void Mortal Domain has become a demon domain. Its demonic forces number in the tens of millions, and the calamity may soon spread beyond it, threatening all of Northcloud Prefecture.
Xiao has requested a million soldiers from the court and summoned military experts, but help will take time to arrive. He therefore orders every sect to send at least a thousand people of the entering martial sixth layer or higher to the front lines. Experts at the true martial seventh layer or above must accompany him into the Desolate Void Mortal Domain to reseal or kill the Evil Fiends. When the Cloudmist Sect’s master asks to contribute fewer fighters, Xiao reminds him of the sects’ obligations to the court; the master quickly withdraws his objection.
The sects are given three days to send their forces and are issued Northcloud Prefecture passage tokens, allowing them to travel freely through its 3,600 cities. Qin recognizes the token’s usefulness: it lets him enter other factions’ territories without triggering a warning, though he must return it afterward.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Qin Shujian gains recognition from the gathered leaders and quietly assesses their strength. He remains observant and practical, particularly pleased by the token’s potential use.
• Xiao Chengfeng is shown as courteous but authoritative. His mild response to the Cloudmist Sect’s hesitation underscores the power he wields and the danger of defying him.
• The sect leaders respond with caution to the crisis. The Lingxi True Domain sects readily agree to help, while the Cloudmist Sect master briefly resists before conceding under pressure.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Qin’s status changes how others approach him, while Xiao’s authority shapes the entire gathering.
• Duty versus self-interest: The sects must commit fighters despite the cost to their own forces.
• The scale of catastrophe: The Demon Calamity threatens to grow from a regional crisis into a prefecture-wide disaster.
• Practical opportunity amid danger: Even as Qin prepares for a dangerous conflict, he notices how the passage token can serve his own purposes.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian leaves the Marquis of Northcloud’s Secondary Residence and runs into Guihai Chuan. Guihai asks him to fight once Qin reaches the True Martial Tenth Level, framing it as a spar. Qin accepts the prospect without hesitation, privately warning that he might beat Guihai to death.
• Qin reflects on the Marquis of Northcloud’s immense reach and on Xiao Chengfeng’s frightening power, then returns to the Origin Sect using his Passage Token.
• He spends ten thousand life source to announce a large-scale player mission: eradicate the Demon Calamity in the Desolate Void Mortal Domain. Players eagerly accept, drawn by the promised experience and contribution points.
• Qin chooses to take the players rather than Origin Sect’s NPCs: players can grow stronger through combat and revive if killed, whereas NPC deaths are permanent. He leads several thousand players toward the disaster zone, far exceeding the thousand-person quota requested by the Marquis.
• The Desolate Void Mortal Domain has been transformed into a demon domain. An immense army of skeletons, powerful Skeleton Knights, Giant Skeletons, and Vengeful Spirits pushes toward its borders, where hundreds of thousands of troops are fighting to contain them.
• General Xiao Yunsong dismisses sect members fighting independently as foolish. When a Skeleton Knight crosses into the True Domain and becomes dramatically stronger, killing or wounding dozens of soldiers, True Martial experts destroy it. Xiao then orders all troops below the Outer Astral stage into the battle.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Shujian remains confident and pragmatic. He accepts Guihai Chuan’s challenge, recognizes the Marquis’s power, and exploits the players’ unusual ability to gain strength and return after death.
• Guihai Chuan seeks a future contest with Qin, suggesting ambition or a desire to measure their relative strength.
• The players respond enthusiastically to the mission, treating the Demon Calamity as a valuable source of advancement and rewards.
• Xiao Yunsong is stern and military-minded. He distrusts the sects’ independent approach but adapts as the crisis worsens, committing more soldiers to the fight.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: A “spar” between sect leaders carries real stakes, and Qin refuses to back away from the implied challenge.
• Pragmatism and expendability: Qin distinguishes between irreplaceable NPCs and revivable players, using the latter as his main force.
• Opportunity amid catastrophe: Players see the Demon Calamity not only as a threat but as a chance to grow stronger.
• Escalating danger: The Skeleton Knight’s sudden increase in strength upon entering the True Domain shows that the threat becomes more formidable beyond the Mortal Domain.

Key events

• Xiao Yunsong commands more than a thousand True Martial Realm soldiers into the fight, but recognizes that they can only ease the pressure: most demons emerging from the Mortal Domain are Inner Astral Realm strength.
• The Demon Calamity has overrun the Desolate Void Mortal Domain in just half a month. Xiao expects only to hold it back while awaiting orders from the Marquis of Northcloud.
• Qin Shujian arrives with Origin Sect’s players. After presenting his Passage Token, he asks the army to open a path so his disciples can fight independently. The players are initially stunned by the brutal reality of battle, then charge toward the demons when Qin urges them on.
• Qin proceeds to the Marquis’s command tent. There, the Marquis explains that three Evil Fiends have brought the calamity to its peak and that, if it escapes the Mortal Domain, it could produce enormous numbers of True Martial enemies.
• The Marquis reveals that four of his retainers are Divine Martial experts. They, the Marquis, and the sect leaders will lead an assault into the Desolate Void Mortal Domain; the sects are to help clear obstacles and destroy or seal the Evil Fiends.
• The Marquis and four experts take flight, demonstrating an ability beyond True Martial cultivators. Qin and the other sect experts follow at great speed. The players watch in astonishment, joking that the newcomers look like immortal cultivators.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yunsong is pragmatic and cautious: he knows his troops cannot end the calamity and settles for buying time.
• Qin Shujian takes responsibility both for his disciples and for joining the elite assault. His interest in the Divine Martial Realm grows, and he closely studies the experts’ unexplained ability to fly.
• The Marquis of Northcloud commands the gathering with calm authority, making clear that the meeting is not an open debate and quickly ordering the force to move out.
• The players shift from shock at the battlefield’s violence to eager anticipation of combat and rewards, then marvel at the experts’ flight.
• Guihai Chuan reacts strongly to the revelation of the Divine Martial Realm, suggesting that it stirs his ambition or unsettles him.

Significant themes

• The scale of the crisis: ordinary military strength can delay the calamity, but not stop it.
• Hierarchy and power: True Martial experts are formidable locally yet outclassed by Divine Martial figures and the demons.
• War’s reality versus spectacle: the players’ virtual expectations are jolted by the sight of real slaughter.
• Ambition and discovery: Qin’s curiosity about higher realms reflects the chapter’s emphasis on power, potential, and the unknown.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Shujian and other powerful figures fly into the Desolate Void Mortal Domain, apparently to strike at the source of the Demon Calamity. Players are astonished to see them—and to witness NPCs flying.
• While the elite group advances, players and sect disciples continue fighting the seemingly endless skeleton hordes. The Origin Sect players adopt a rotation system: each group attacks at full strength, then withdraws so others can fight without exhausting themselves.
• The Demon Calamity’s victims rise again as undead and attack their former companions, forcing survivors to kill people they once fought beside.
• Fallen Bone Demons arrive. Their flight lets them bypass defenses and enter the Lingxi True Domain, where their power surges to at least true martial sixth level. They devastate the army from above, causing heavy casualties and creating more undead.
• Xiao Yunsong responds with a powerful bow and silver arrow. His shot destroys one high-level demon, continues through five more, and seriously wounds a sixth.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Dazhong demonstrates how far the players have advanced, using the first move of the true-rank saber art Ming King Prison-Splitting Blade to kill a Skeleton Knight. His brief distraction nearly gets him hit, and Miao Yuqing recognizes that the powerful figures’ advance is likely a decapitation strike.
• The players show practical discipline by acknowledging their limits and coordinating their efforts rather than attempting to fight the horde alone.
• Sect disciples’ grief over fallen companions turns to horror when the dead revive and attack them. They are forced to overcome their reluctance and defend themselves.
• Xiao Yunsong remains composed under pressure and takes direct action when ordinary troops and Outer Astral experts cannot reliably reach the airborne attackers.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming scale and cooperation: Individual strength matters little against millions of enemies; coordination and endurance are essential.
• Death and corrupted loyalty: The dead return as enemies, turning grief and attachment into a battlefield danger.
• Adaptation under pressure: Players use rotation tactics, while the army adjusts to the Fallen Bone Demons’ aerial advantage.
• The cost of war: Casualties rapidly swell the enemy ranks, making each loss more than a single death.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yunsong’s archery kills multiple Fallen Bone Demons at once, including a True Martial expert, rallying the defenders. But the demon horde keeps growing, and towering Evil Corpses join the attack.
• The players facing the invasion are overwhelmed by enemies, but many remain upbeat because they have earned mission rewards and can respawn nearby. Liu Dazhong, under attack by an Evil Corpse, angrily drags them back into the fight.
• Meanwhile, the Marquis of Northcloud’s group pushes into the demon-corrupted Desolate Void Mortal Domain. Qin Shujian, Guihai Chuan, and other True Domain experts clear the way while the Marquis and his Divine Martial retainers conserve their strength for the Evil Fiend.
• The group encounters giant Evil Corpses. Their power varies with the domain: they would be at peak True Martial outside a Mortal Domain and peak Spirit Martial outside a True Domain. Qin Shujian quickly destroys one with his spirit weapon, Thousand Mountain Blood, while others struggle against them.
• Sensing the Evil Fiend nearby, the Marquis orders everyone to unleash their full strength. They clear the remaining enemies and hurry deeper into the domain.
• Qin Shujian gains enough life source to advance, but avoids a breakthrough inside the Mortal Domain, fearing heavenly retribution. He instead spends 10,000 life source to raise the Ming King Prison-Splitting Blade from Peak Perfection to Heaven-Man Unity.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yunsong demonstrates exceptional skill and leadership, coordinating archers and boosting morale.
• The players treat the desperate battle with irreverent humor, focused on experience, contribution points, and resurrection—until Liu Dazhong’s danger forces them into action.
• The Marquis of Northcloud remains cautious, preserving strength for the main threat. His anger grows as he sees the domain’s land and life ruined by demonic qi.
• Qin Shujian displays overwhelming combat ability, impressing the group, and shows restraint by postponing a potentially dangerous breakthrough.
• Guihai Chuan is notably effective against the demons because of his blade intent; he and Qin Shujian help eliminate the Evil Corpses.

Significant themes

• Escalating catastrophe: New, stronger monsters continually appear, turning an already desperate defense into a larger crisis.
• Strength and restraint: Power matters, but judgment—such as conserving strength or delaying advancement—can be just as important.
• The cost of corruption: Demonic qi transforms both creatures and territory, leaving the domain nearly lifeless and possibly ruined for centuries.
• Different responses to danger: The players’ pragmatic humor contrasts with the commanders’ strategic focus and the Marquis’s concern for the land under his rule.