Chapter Summaries

Chen Hao and the others discover a series of barriers deep inside the cave. He smashes through a massive bluestone door with a single punch, then uses a flying sword to crack a much tougher heavenly mystic iron door. Beyond it lies an empty chamber blocked by a colossal, fifty-meter-high wall of the same metal, covered in ancient writing.
The writing is identified as the Eight-Nine Mystical Skill, a supreme Primordial Era body-cultivation art and cornerstone of the Chan Sect. Chen Hao explains that mastering it grants seventy-two transformations and notes that Yang Jian and Sun Wukong cultivated it. The skill emphasizes transformation, finesse, and physical defense, while Chen Siyao’s Azure Dragon Nine Transformations focuses on overwhelming power and can counter it.
Chen Hao remains composed while breaking the doors, but the enormous inscribed wall gives him an unusual moment of gravity. Chen Siyao notices his solemn expression and asks what the writing says. Yang Wanqing, dazzled by the prospect of the Seventy-Two Transformations, eagerly asks to learn the art, then decides she would rather stick with the Azure Dragon Nine Transformations because it lets her solve problems with a punch. Chen Siyao challenges her reasoning, creating a lighthearted exchange that contrasts Yang Wanqing’s blunt pragmatism with her own more thoughtful curiosity. Earlier, Yang Wanqing and Chen Siyao also play with the black bear, while Xiao Yue watches with an approving flick of her tail.
Key themes: the immense scale and mystery of ancient cultivation, the contrast between finesse and brute force, and the characters’ differing temperaments in the face of extraordinary discoveries.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao discovers that the cave’s iron wall bears the Chan Sect’s supreme secret art. He absorbs the entire fifty-meter wall into his Qiankun Bag, astonishing Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing.
• Behind the wall lies an apparently immense vein of Flame Spirit Stones, stretching deep beneath the Shushan mountain range. Chen Hao takes one stone and performs a divination, which reveals the cryptic omen: “Chaos breaks, the primal force awakens, heaven and earth are born anew.”
• Though visibly shaken by the prediction, Chen Hao says nothing more. He gathers a supply of stones, seals the cave entrance, and gives one to the black bear, instructing it to guard the place without harming visitors.
• The group leaves Fu Family Village and travels to Jincheng. Yang Wanqing eagerly anticipates hotpot, and the chapter ends as the group takes their seats at a popular, long-established restaurant.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao displays the extraordinary capacity of his Qiankun Bag and remains composed while collecting the treasure, but the divination briefly unsettles him. He protects the hidden vein by sealing the cave and setting the bear to guard it.
• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing are amazed by Chen Hao’s abilities and curious about his reaction to the omen, but they respect his silence and follow him. Yang Wanqing also forms a warm, playful bond with the now-docile bear, nicknamed “Bear Two.”
• The black bear shifts from a cave guardian to a cooperative protector, accepting Chen Hao’s instructions and a Flame Spirit Stone as its reward.
• On the journey, Yang Wanqing’s excitement about city life and food contrasts with Chen Hao’s reserve, while Chen Siyao takes charge of choosing where they will eat.

Significant themes

• Ancient power and hidden history: The secret art and vast mineral vein suggest that the cave conceals a past far greater than the group understands.
• Portents of upheaval: The divination hints at a world-changing renewal, foreshadowing major events.
• Power tempered by restraint: Chen Hao secures the treasure and protects the site without allowing the bear to hurt anyone.
• A shift from mystery to everyday life: The ominous discovery gives way to the lively streets and comforting ritual of a hotpot meal.

Plot and events

After a lavish hot-pot meal, Chen Hao, Chen Siyao, and Yang Wanqing visit Jincheng’s crowded ancient street. Yang Wanqing enthusiastically samples the local snacks despite having just eaten, while Siyao follows with her shopping bags. In a busy square, they discover a fitness streamer performing push-ups for livestream gifts: a major donor has challenged him to complete 30,000, and he has already done more than 20,000. The crowd and online viewers are watching closely to see whether he can finish—and whether he is cheating.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Wanqing remains exuberant and food-loving, eagerly eating through the outing and then rushing toward the crowd when she hears a spectacle. She remembers to bring Siyao and Chen Hao along and quickly investigates the livestream.
• Chen Hao stays composed and reminds Wanqing that overeating can hinder her spiritual cultivation.
• Chen Siyao shows affectionate care for Wanqing, wiping chili oil from her face and gently teasing her about eating so much.
• The trio attract attention as they walk together, with Chen Hao drawing admiring looks from passersby. Wanqing playfully points out the attention he receives and teases Siyao.

Themes

The chapter contrasts everyday pleasures and public entertainment with discipline: Wanqing indulges in food, while Chen Hao emphasizes restraint in cultivation. It also highlights the spectacle of livestream culture, where a physically extreme challenge draws a vast audience and invites scrutiny over its authenticity.

Key plot points and events

• Superman Da (Xu Yunda) completes 30,000 push-ups during a livestream, drawing huge crowds and roughly 1.5 million viewers.
• To keep the spectacle going, he announces a challenge: a randomly selected opponent will compete against him at ten push-ups for every one of their repetitions, with cash for participating.
• Xu singles out Chen Hao, hoping to boost his livestream’s appeal. Chen declines even when Xu raises the prize.
• Chen’s apprentice, Yang Wanqing, volunteers instead and proposes a one-to-one contest. Xu agrees, though he suggests she do squats while he does push-ups.
• The two maintain an astonishingly fast pace. Xu begins to tire after 5,000 push-ups, while Yang remains composed; by Xu’s 10,000th push-up, neither has clearly won.
• Xu ends the contest and proposes an actual martial-arts fight at his nearby school, offering 500,000 yuan to the winner and a consolation prize to the loser. The crowd erupts at the offer.

Character developments

• Xu Yunda / Superman Da is established as exceptionally strong and skilled at turning feats of endurance into livestream entertainment. His confidence gives way to surprise and respect when Yang matches him.
• Yang Wanqing displays extraordinary stamina and confidence, apparently strengthened by recent experiences and training. Her boldness may exceed her judgment: she has forgotten how badly the headless wooden monster once drove her back.
• Chen Hao remains reserved and uninterested in performing for the crowd, but quietly allows Yang to accept the challenge.
• Chen Siyao watches beside Yang during the contest, while the crowd and livestream audience become increasingly invested in the spectacle.

Significant themes

• Spectacle and fame: Xu uses escalating challenges and livestream attention to keep the audience engaged.
• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Yang surprises onlookers who assume she will quickly fail.
• Confidence and overconfidence: Yang’s new power has emboldened her, though her earlier defeat by the wooden monster suggests her confidence may be premature.
• Competition and escalation: When endurance fails to settle the contest, Xu raises the stakes by proposing a martial-arts fight.

Character interactions

• Xu tries to recruit Chen, but Chen refuses; Yang steps in and identifies herself proudly as Chen’s apprentice.
• Yang negotiates the terms and competes directly with Xu, while Chen gives her tacit permission.
• Xu initially patronizes Yang by offering her a different exercise, then becomes impressed by her performance and proposes a more serious contest.
• The crowd and livestream viewers react to each milestone, helping turn the challenge into a growing public spectacle.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yunda offers 500,000 yuan to anyone who can defeat him in the ring. Yang Wanqing eagerly accepts, wanting to test her strength after training in the Azure Dragon Nine Transformations.
• Chen Siyao senses that Xu is unusually powerful and worries for Yang. Chen Hao examines Xu with Divine Sense and discovers that a Flame Spirit Stone has greatly strengthened his body, though it has not given him proper fighting techniques.
• The group follows Xu to the Mount Qingcheng Sect’s martial arts hall. Xu introduces himself as a senior disciple, while Yang says she belongs to no school and identifies herself as Chen Hao’s student.
• Xu agrees to fight Yang first and hints that he would like to challenge Chen Hao afterward. Yang confidently warns him that he might not get the chance to strike Chen Hao.
• Xu privately instructs a junior disciple to edit and promote footage of his expected victory, hoping to raise the sect’s profile.
• A flashback reveals that Xu found and absorbed most of the energy from the Flame Spirit Stone. His strength and speed doubled, and he later defeated the sect leader through sheer physical power. The sect sent him to Jincheng to publicize the sect, with the livestream and Yang’s match intended as the start of his rise to fame.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Wanqing is eager, confident, and thrill-seeking; she treats the match as a chance to measure her new abilities, not merely win the prize.
• Chen Siyao shows perceptiveness and concern, recognizing Xu’s strength and quietly asking Chen Hao whether Yang can beat him.
• Chen Hao remains composed. He recognizes both the source and limitations of Xu’s power but gives no direct prediction, leaving Yang to face the challenge.
• Xu Yunda is disciplined and respected by his fellow disciples, but also ambitious and self-assured. He sees the match as a publicity opportunity and assumes he will win.
• The contrast between Xu’s confidence and Yang’s confidence sets up the coming fight; his disciples share his certainty, while Yang’s companions watch with more caution.

Significant themes

• Natural talent versus technique: Xu has immense physical power but lacks the systematic skill that Yang’s training may provide.
• Ambition and reputation: Xu and his sect use livestreaming and spectacle to build influence.
• Confidence under uncertainty: Both fighters appear sure of themselves, but Chen Hao’s assessment suggests that raw strength may not determine the outcome.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yunda frames his livestream match with Yang Wanqing as a showcase of Mount Qingcheng’s martial tradition, drawing a huge online audience.
• Before the fight, Chen Siyao urges Yang Wanqing to protect herself and not worry about losing. Yang tells her master, Chen Hao, she will not embarrass him; he simply tells her to stay within her limits.
• Qingcheng disciples dismiss Yang as a fragile amateur. She hears them and quietly resolves to prove them wrong.
• The fighters introduce themselves formally. Yang activates the Azure Dragon Nine Transformations, revealing a formidable aura that makes Xu abandon his contempt.
• Xu uses Mount Qingcheng’s Sky-Splitting Fist, while Yang attacks first. Their fists collide head-on: Yang steps back twice, but Xu is driven back five steps. The crowd is stunned by Yang’s clear victory in the first exchange.

Character developments

• Yang Wanqing shifts from carefree and playful to focused and dignified once the match begins. Her confidence is grounded in a desire to honor her master, and her skill exceeds what the Qingcheng disciples expect.
• Xu Yunda begins as a composed, self-assured promoter of his sect, but Yang’s aura makes him take her seriously. He meets her opening attack with his full strength.
• Chen Siyao shows protective concern for Yang, while Chen Hao offers calm, restrained encouragement.
• The Qingcheng disciples’ confidence reveals their prejudice and underestimation of Yang.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus ability: Yang’s cute, slight appearance conceals exceptional strength.
• Respect earned through action: Xu’s attitude changes when he senses Yang’s power, and the opening clash challenges the crowd’s assumptions.
• Honoring one’s teacher and tradition: Both fighters represent their respective lineages in a public match.
• Performance versus genuine skill: Xu promotes the event online, but the fight quickly shifts attention from spectacle to the competitors’ abilities.

Character interactions

• Xu publicly praises Yang’s endurance to build anticipation, then formally challenges her in the ring.
• Siyao offers Yang a caring warning; Yang responds with confidence and seeks Chen Hao’s approval.
• Yang exchanges formal courtesies with Xu before attacking. Xu answers directly with a powerful counter, and their collision overturns the Qingcheng disciples’ expectations.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Wanqing initially matches Xu Yunda’s strength in a close-range exchange, stunning the Mount Qingcheng disciples and the millions watching the livestream.
• Xu recognizes that Yang is inexperienced and uses feints, footwork, and repeated palm strikes to exploit her clumsy technique. She takes several painful blows but studies his attack patterns and recalls Chen Hao’s training.
• Under pressure, Yang steadies herself, anticipates Xu’s habits, and begins counterattacking. After being driven toward the ring’s edge, she evades his punch with a midair leap and lands a rapid three-kick combination.
• Yang follows up with a relentless series of punches. Xu’s borrowed power from the Flame Spirit Stone proves finite, while her Azure Dragon Nine Transformations sustains her strength. A final blow sends him crashing into a ring post.
• Unable to stand, Xu admits defeat. The venue falls silent, and the Mount Qingcheng disciples struggle to accept that their celebrated champion has lost.

Character developments

• Yang Wanqing grows from an inexperienced fighter into a quick learner. She controls her panic, applies Chen Hao’s lessons, reads Xu’s movements, and adapts in the midst of the fight.
• Xu Yunda begins confident and formidable, but his tactical advantage cannot overcome Yang’s improving skill and greater staying power. He accepts defeat bitterly but plainly.
• The Mount Qingcheng disciples shift from confidence in Xu to shock and doubt, especially as they reconsider the strength of Chen Hao, Yang’s master.

Significant themes

• Learning under pressure: Yang’s fighting ability develops rapidly through observation, practice, and danger.
• Technique and endurance versus limited power: Xu’s strength is impressive but temporary; Yang’s disciplined cultivation lets her keep pressing forward.
• Reputation overturned: Xu’s celebrated status and recent victory over the sect leader do not guarantee success against an unexpected opponent.
• Spectacle and public reaction: The livestream turns the duel into a viral event, while the audience’s amazement contrasts with the fighters’ serious struggle.

Character interactions

• Yang and Xu trade escalating attacks, with Xu exploiting her inexperience before she learns to anticipate him and take control.
• Yang draws on Chen Hao’s instruction during the fight, though he remains silent in the rest area.
• Xu’s defeat leaves the Mount Qingcheng disciples stunned; their attention turns to Chen Hao, wondering how powerful the master of such a student must be.

Plot points and events

• Yang Wanqing defeats Xu Yunda in their martial arts match. Xu honors his wager, transferring her 500,000 yuan and admitting the loss rather than hiding it.
• Yang is delighted by her first prize earned through her own skill. She asks Master Chen Hao whether she made him proud; he praises her but says more practice could have ended the fight sooner.
• Chen Hao, Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, and Xiao Yue return to their hotel. The group settles in for the night, and Chen Siyao asks whether they should return to Pengcheng the next day.
• Xu returns to Mount Qingcheng and reports his defeat to the sect leader. After watching the match, the leader recognizes Yang’s technique as an inherited art shaped by natural momentum, not merely hard training.
• Xu reveals that he never fought Chen Hao, but sensed he was far beyond his own ability. The sect leader concludes that even exceptional talents must acknowledge the greater masters and hidden geniuses in the world.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Wanqing shifts from fierce competitor to cheerful, affectionate student. Her victory boosts her confidence, though she accepts Chen Hao’s advice to train more.
• Xu Yunda moves from wounded disappointment toward humility and acceptance. He remains honest about losing and recognizes the gap between himself and Chen Hao.
• Chen Hao acts as a demanding but supportive mentor, offering measured praise alongside constructive criticism.
• Chen Siyao comforts Yang after the match and shares a warm, playful rapport with her.
• The Mount Qingcheng sect leader reassures Xu that his defeat does not negate his record-breaking achievement, while teaching him humility.

Significant themes

• There is always someone stronger, no matter how gifted or accomplished one may be.
• Defeat can foster humility and growth when accepted honestly.
• Skill may come from lineage and deep understanding, not simply practice or strength.
• Mentorship combines encouragement with the expectation of continued improvement.

Plot and events

• After losing his match to Yang Wanqing, Xu Yunda assumes the public will mock him. The next morning, his junior sister Little Zhou shows him that clips of the fight have gone viral, topping Doule’s trending list.
• Viewers and martial-arts commentators marvel at the fighters’ apparent displays of real skill, while famous sects repost the footage as proof that Huaxia’s martial-arts tradition endures. Xu’s reputation and the Mount Qingcheng Sect’s popularity rise sharply.
• Online discussion leads Xu to investigate Yang’s master, Chen Hao. Watching footage of Chen Hao’s extraordinary adventures, Xu realizes how far beyond his own experience that world is. He reflects that a mistaken challenge has unexpectedly changed his fortunes.
• At a hotel, Yang Wanqing learns that she is trending too. She dismisses the online claims that she can run across rooftops, then retreats under the covers to avoid attention. Chen Siyao messages Cai Jingwen about her, saying they will return the next day.
• Watching the ordinary city wake up, Siyao reflects that unseen people—including her brother—protect everyday life. Yang then cheerfully suggests going out for dan dan noodles, arguing that it does not violate her wish to keep a low profile.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yunda moves from expecting humiliation to recognizing the opportunity and larger world opened by the match. His calm, self-deprecating manner gives way to humility and awe.
• Little Zhou enthusiastically brings Xu the news and supports him as he watches the videos.
• Yang Wanqing remains unconcerned by fame, playful and practical even while claiming she wants to keep a low profile.
• Chen Siyao gently teases Yang, shares the news with Cai Jingwen, and reflects on the hidden work that preserves ordinary peace. Her exchange with Yang ends on affectionate, everyday humor.

Significant themes

• An unexpected reversal: A defeat that seemed likely to ruin Xu’s reputation instead makes him and his sect famous.
• Tradition meeting modern media: Viral videos bring martial arts to a broad audience and prompt renewed interest in its legacy.
• Ordinary life and hidden protectors: The peaceful routines of the public coexist with unseen dangers and the people who guard against them.
• Humility and perspective: Xu’s discovery of Chen Hao’s exploits puts his own ambitions and abilities into perspective.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao, Chen Siyao, and Yang Wanqing return to Pengcheng after their trip to Yizhou. Chen Hao reflects on what he gained there: an iron wall bearing the Eight-Nine Mystical Skill, a Flame Spirit Stone, a mysterious mineral vein, and a Chan Sect cultivation technique whose divination words feel significant.
• Back at Treasure Sky City, they reunite with Cai Jingwen and Li Li. Li Li is delighted to see Xiao Yue, who enthusiastically returns her affection.
• Cai Jingwen briefs Siyao on the company’s launch plans. The product has passed testing, promotional materials are ready, and the first batch will contain 1,000 sets. Jingwen proposes introducing it on Siyao’s livestream, where the product will be promoted as using Chen Hao’s formula.
• The product will be sold in diluted and full-strength versions, priced at 5,888 yuan and 12,800 yuan. Jingwen assures Siyao that the company has sufficient funds and production is underway.
• Siyao recounts their recent adventures, including encounters with dangerous creatures in an illusion and Qingqing’s victory over Xu Yunda. Hearing about these events reminds Jingwen that her own Vermilion Bird inheritance has shown no further signs.
• Siyao realizes Jingwen wants to ask Chen Hao about the inheritance and leaves them alone. Jingwen finally asks whether its silence means she made a mistake or whether the inheritance was meant to occur only once.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains thoughtful about the mysterious discoveries from Yizhou, while quietly supporting the reunion and company discussion.
• Chen Siyao is pleased by her rising popularity but modest about her ability to sell products. She relaxes when Jingwen explains that she only needs to introduce them, and she shows concern for the company’s finances. She also perceptively helps Jingwen speak privately with Chen Hao.
• Cai Jingwen appears polished and capable, confidently managing the product launch. Beneath her professional composure, she is anxious and disappointed about the apparent disappearance of her inheritance, especially when Siyao’s adventures bring it to mind.
• Li Li warmly reconnects with everyone and shows particular affection for Xiao Yue.
• Yang Wanqing enjoys her trending-list success and joins Siyao on the balcony while Siyao gives Jingwen privacy.

Significant themes

• Balancing cultivation and ordinary life: Mystical discoveries and battles sit alongside business planning and livestream marketing.
• Ambition and uncertainty: The company is poised to launch, while Jingwen faces unanswered questions about her inheritance.
• Support and trust: Siyao relies on Jingwen’s business judgment and helps create space for her personal conversation with Chen Hao.

Plot points and events

• Cai Jingwen asks Chen Hao about the Vermilion Bird inheritance. He explains that it remains intact but her body is still adapting, and that it unfolds in three stages: bloodline transformation, awakening her divine abilities, and finally integrating with the inheritance.
• Chen Hao advises her to meditate for fifteen minutes each day, focus on the mark between her brows without forcing it, and circulate energy once it begins warming naturally. Cai Jingwen thanks him and returns to the balcony.
• Cai Jingwen and Li Li leave, having arranged to launch the first presale of Coral Sea Time Beauty Cream during Chen Siyao’s livestream the next evening.
• On Sunday, Chen Siyao introduces the cream to her viewers, claiming it can make users look at least five years younger. She offers 1,000 sets for 5,888 yuan each.
• Some viewers accuse her of exploiting her fame and suggest her earlier adventures were staged to sell products. Other fans defend her, while many longtime viewers claim they are not interested and urge others not to buy.
• The moment Chen Siyao posts the presale link, all 1,000 sets sell out in 0.8 seconds. The “not interested” viewers immediately lament missing out, revealing that many had pretended not to want the cream so competitors would let their guard down.
• Chen Siyao realizes the chat’s apparent lack of interest was a collective bluff. She laughs in amused disbelief at her fans’ “sneaky” tactics.

Character developments and interactions

• Cai Jingwen gains a clearer understanding of her inheritance and receives a practical training routine from Chen Hao. She appears relieved and grateful, then shares a quiet exchange with Chen Siyao before rejoining her conversation.
• Chen Hao is calm and methodical as he explains Cai Jingwen’s condition and guides her without rushing her progress.
• Chen Siyao shifts from confident product promotion to brief uncertainty when the chat appears uninterested. After the instant sellout, her disappointment turns to amusement as she recognizes the fans’ deception.
• The fans divide between critics who distrust the promotion and loyal viewers who defend Chen Siyao. Many others secretly want the product while publicly claiming otherwise, creating a playful contest over the limited stock.

Significant themes

• Patience and gradual growth: Cai Jingwen’s inheritance requires time, adaptation, and disciplined practice rather than force.
• Trust and skepticism: The product launch prompts questions about whether a streamer’s personal adventures and commercial work are genuine.
• Community and loyalty: Fans defend Chen Siyao and enthusiastically support her business, even while jokingly competing with one another.
• Public words versus private intentions: The fans’ feigned indifference turns the presale into a comic revelation of their true enthusiasm.

Plot points and events

• After Chen Siyao’s beauty cream sells out instantly, she tells viewers that more will be available through the company’s official website. Skeptical commenters keep joking that they will not buy it, while the livestream returns to gaming with Chen Hao.
• The next morning, Siyao streams Chen Hao’s martial-arts practice. His calm, striking movements draw millions of viewers, who largely ignore Siyao to watch him.
• Viewers begin discussing alarming reports from Mount Lao: people have seen enormous, unusual creatures, including horned wolves and giant butterflies. They also share footage of internet celebrity General Pan Feng fighting Xu Yunda, a leading martial artist, nearly defeating him.
• A rumor claims Pan Feng gained a powerful legacy and treasures at Mount Lao, transforming from an ordinary person into an expert in just half a month. The story sparks a rush of treasure seekers, despite government warnings and a closure of the scenic area. People are already entering the vast mountain illegally, and disappearances and injuries have begun.

Character developments

• Chen Siyao is pleased by her brother’s popularity but privately feels overlooked by viewers. Her admiration and affection for Chen Hao deepen as she reflects on how he has always protected their family.
• Chen Hao remains reserved and focused, practicing martial arts as usual; his presence continues to dominate Siyao’s livestream.
• General Pan Feng emerges as a mysterious new figure whose reported rise in strength fuels the Mount Lao rumors.

Significant themes

• Online fame and skepticism: Viewers’ reactions shift quickly from accusing Siyao of staging events to eagerly buying her products and watching Chen Hao.
• The supernatural entering public life: Strange beasts and sudden martial-arts breakthroughs suggest that the world is becoming increasingly mysterious.
• Greed and reckless ambition: The promise of quick power and wealth drives people to ignore official warnings and risk their lives.
• Family loyalty: Siyao’s thoughts emphasize Chen Hao’s quiet, longstanding role as her family’s protector.

Character interactions

• Siyao responds to viewers about the sold-out product, then shifts attention back to gaming with Chen Hao.
• Viewers praise Chen Hao’s practice and urge Siyao to keep the camera on him, provoking her comic private jealousy.
• Siyao asks the audience about Mount Lao, and they direct her to trending videos and explain the reported danger, prompting her to investigate the story herself.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Siyao recognizes that the strange events at Mount Lao resemble those at Shushan, where animals cultivated and Flame Spirit Stones were found. Chen Hao notices traces of the same energy on General Pan Feng but says he will go only when the opportunity arises.
• At a guesthouse, Qin Xiaoyu, Ye Chendong, Wu Tian, and Ying Wenjie study reports and a map of Mount Lao. They suspect a powerful energy source near Giant Peak is causing mutations and attracting ambitious families. Though the mountain is sealed, Qin Xiaoyu expects to get them access, and the group plans to enter.
• At the Special Affairs Bureau camp, Director Qin Zheng confirms that an energy source likely lies in the mountain, but says the crisis differs from Shushan: the main dangers are leaked information, disorder, and civilians entering recklessly—not an impassable formation. He refuses to call on Chen Hao, insisting the Bureau must handle its own responsibilities.
• The four young visitors are assigned to Wu Qingya’s Third Squad for energy detection and lookout duty. In the forest, Ying Wenjie’s detector points deeper into the mountain. A gigantic, dangerous mosquito suddenly dives at him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao is eager to connect Mount Lao’s events with Shushan and asks Chen Hao whether he will intervene. His calm, noncommittal reply leaves the decision open.
• The four young people share different motives: Qin Xiaoyu takes charge of the map work, Ye Chendong connects the evidence to past events, Wu Tian stresses the stakes for his family, and Ying Wenjie hopes to meet Chen Hao.
• Qin Zheng treats the young visitors warmly but firmly sets boundaries, explaining why Chen Hao should not be used as hired muscle. Ying Wenjie accepts the answer outwardly but privately considers using exclusive information to draw Chen Siyao to Mount Lao.
• Wu Tian is pleased to learn his cousin Wu Qingya is present. Once inside the mountain, the group follows Qingya’s lead as the danger becomes immediate.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: The families view energy stones as essential to their future, while Qin Zheng argues that the Bureau must take responsibility for managing crises.
• Ambition versus public safety: The scramble for access to the energy source risks worsening disorder and endangering civilians.
• Uncertainty and escalating danger: Mount Lao’s hidden source, mutations, and dense forest suggest a threat the characters do not yet understand.

Key plot points and events

• Ying Wenjie’s group encounters enormous mutated insects in the forest. The team kills several, while Qin Xiaoyu deftly slices a giant mosquito in half.
• A giant, heavily armored python blocks their route. Wu Qingya orders his team to shoot its eyes with armor-piercing rounds, killing it. He warns that the forest’s interior may be even more dangerous.
• The group realizes they are walking in circles when they find Qin Xiaoyu’s sword marks and their own footprints. Wu Qingya marks their route with caution tape, but they later find the same marker again.
• Qin Xiaoyu identifies the forest as a Bagua trapping formation based on Qimen Dunjia. Using a compass and her knowledge of the formation, she leads everyone through its Gate of Life.
• The forest opens into a carefully arranged grove of ancient trees bearing worn symbols. Beyond it, the group discovers a vast complex of ruins hidden in the mountains.
• Wu Qingya orders a cautious, spread-out search and warns everyone not to touch carvings or statues. The chapter ends as the group explores deeper into the ruins.

Character developments

• Qin Xiaoyu demonstrates both combat skill and specialized knowledge: she kills the mosquito, detects the group’s looping path, and navigates the formation.
• Wu Qingya remains a decisive and cautious leader, responding quickly to the python and organizing the search.
• Ying Wenjie is visibly out of his depth among the giant creatures and relies on the others, though he adds a light comic note by admitting his fear.
• Wu Tian contributes practical observations and helps assess the footprints and ruins.

Significant themes

• The dangers of the unknown: Even the forest’s outskirts contain powerful mutated beasts, and the deeper areas promise greater risks.
• Knowledge as survival: Qin Xiaoyu’s understanding of ancient formations proves as essential as weapons.
• A hidden past: The carefully planted forest, carved trees, and concealed ruins suggest deliberate human or ancient design.
• Caution and cooperation: The group survives by combining combat ability, leadership, observation, and specialized expertise.

Character interactions

• Qin Xiaoyu teases Ying Wenjie for ducking behind her after the mosquito attack; he responds sheepishly.
• Wu Qingya gives the team clear instructions during the python fight and later warns them about the forest’s dangers.
• When the group becomes lost, Wu Qingya consults Qin Xiaoyu, who takes the lead and guides everyone out.
• At the ruins, Wu Qingya directs the team while the others follow and begin a careful exploration.

Key plot points

• Wu Qingya’s team reaches a sealed chamber deep in Mount Lao’s ancient ruins. They carefully blast through its stone wall and discover a cache of glowing, heat-radiating energy stones.
• Tests confirm the stones contain the same energy associated with the Primordial Daoist Grounds. The team collects samples and returns to the command center, where officials and professors begin examining them.
• Preliminary tests suggest the stones can dramatically improve physical strength and internal energy. Ye Chendong advances to peak dark force, while Wu Tian also benefits.
• Qin Xiaoyu continues absorbing energy long after the others stop. She breaks through to the transformation realm, an unprecedented achievement for a twenty-four-year-old martial artist.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Qingya balances respect for the ruins with the urgency of the mission, ordering a controlled breach and documenting the inscriptions. He later gives Cao Shoujun and Qin Zheng a thorough report.
• Qin Xiaoyu reveals her exceptional talent: she guides the team out of the Bagua Maze Formation and then achieves a historic cultivation breakthrough.
• Ye Chendong and Wu Tian are astonished by the stones’ power and quickly gain strength from them.
• Ying Wenjie is eager to benefit from the discovery but hesitates because he lacks an inherited cultivation method, highlighting his disadvantage compared with established martial families.
• Cao Shoujun, Qin Zheng, and the professors treat the discovery as both a major scientific find and a potential turning point for martial cultivation.

Significant themes

• Ancient history meets modern investigation: The team uses specialized instruments and controlled explosives to explore mysterious ruins while trying to preserve their cultural value.
• Power and unequal opportunity: The stones can transform martial ability, but access to effective cultivation traditions remains uneven.
• Exceptional potential and rising stakes: Qin Xiaoyu’s breakthrough signals that the newly discovered energy may reshape the hierarchy of modern martial arts.

Key plot points and events

• Cao Shoujun recognizes the Flame Spirit Stone’s extraordinary power after Qin Xiaoyu’s overnight breakthrough from hidden force to the Transformation Realm. He decides the discovery must be reported to higher authorities.
• Professor Li identifies the ruin inscriptions as belonging to the little-known Ancient Lao Kingdom. Repeated references to “Jiulong,” its legendary dragon-born founder, suggest the legend may have historical roots.
• The expedition organizes a much larger return to the ruins. Qin Zheng is put in charge, with orders to explore the site fully, decipher its inscriptions, and collect relics and energy stones.
• At dawn, a heavily equipped team of operatives, researchers, and martial artists treks back to the ruins. They establish a guarded field camp while professors begin documenting and sampling the site.
• Geological scans at the Flame Spirit Stone discovery point indicate extensive underground cavities with strong energy readings, suggesting large deposits of stones beneath the ruins. The team must find a way underground.
• Ying Wenjie sends selected photos and videos of the discoveries to Chen Siyao.

Character developments

• Qin Xiaoyu is still absorbing the reality of reaching the Transformation Realm at just twenty-four, a feat she never expected.
• Qin Zheng takes command of the expanded expedition, showing decisive leadership and emphasizing both security and systematic investigation.
• Ying Wenjie feels excluded from the martial-arts world because he lacks an ancient-family background and cannot participate in the others’ cultivation discussions. He instead documents and shares what he has witnessed.
• The professors are excited by the chance to study an unknown script and civilization, while remaining focused on careful research.

Character interactions

• Cao Shoujun consults Qin Zheng about reporting the stone’s power and later entrusts him with leading the expedition.
• The professors debate the script’s identity; Professor Li explains the evidence, while Professor Wang connects “Jiulong” to the kingdom’s founding legend.
• Qin Xiaoyu, Ye Chendong, and Wu Tian discuss the stone’s effects and the potential disruption to the balance of power. Ying Wenjie listens silently from the edge of the conversation.
• Qin Zheng coordinates the operatives and researchers, assigning teams to secure the site, protect the scholars, and investigate the energy-stone deposit.

Significant themes

• Power and social upheaval: The Flame Spirit Stones could transform individuals and reshape the balance of the martial-arts world.
• History meeting legend: The inscriptions may confirm that stories about the Ancient Lao Kingdom and Jiulong preserve real history.
• Discovery and risk: The expedition’s growing scale reflects the value of the ruins, but the dangerous terrain and unknown underground spaces demand caution.
• Belonging and exclusion: Ying Wenjie’s outsider status contrasts with the extraordinary powers and privileged backgrounds of the martial artists.

• The expedition reaches the ruins: Ying Wenjie shares footage of Mount Lao’s Ancient Lao Kingdom ruins with Chen Siyao, hoping she will join him. She warns him to be careful but does not come. She is avoiding the site because her fame previously drew huge crowds to Xuantan Hall, and bringing more visitors to dangerous Mount Lao could cause casualties.
• An underground passage is discovered: Professors uncover a concealed entrance beneath the square. Its stone walls bear Ancient Lao writing, and cold air carrying the smell of dust and blood rises from the darkness. Special Affairs Bureau scouts descend to investigate while the researchers examine the inscriptions.
• The ruins’ history is revealed: Professor Li identifies the site as the Ancient Lao Kingdom’s ancestral sanctuary, where rulers sought protection in times of crisis. Their legendary ancestor, Jiulong, was believed to be an immortal dragon’s son. The Ancient Lao people survived the kingdom’s destruction and later founded Nanzhao, but records suggest their remaining population continued guarding Mount Lao into the Ming Dynasty.
• A sudden disappearance remains unexplained: According to the inscriptions, the people preparing for an ancestral ceremony vanished within a single day. Professor Li compares their fate to other lost ancient civilizations, but cannot explain what happened. The revelation unsettles Ying Wenjie and Qin Xiaoyu; she senses danger as she looks between the ominous sky and the dark passage. The chapter ends when the scouts return from below.
  Character developments and interactions: Ying Wenjie’s excitement about the expedition is tempered by disappointment when Chen Siyao cannot join him. Chen’s absence reflects her growing awareness of how her celebrity can endanger others. Professor Li provides the group with a startling historical account, while Qin Xiaoyu’s concern heightens the group’s foreboding.
  Themes: The chapter links modern internet fame and crowd behavior with real-world danger, while emphasizing the instability of historical knowledge, the mystery of vanished peoples, and the fear of what may lie beneath the ruins.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Zheng leads the team and professors down a steep, cold tunnel after scouts report no immediate danger—only a huge quantity of human bones.
• They enter an immense underground chamber containing tens of thousands of skeletons. The bones show no obvious wounds or signs of struggle, suggesting the people died suddenly.
• A clear, five-meter-wide bluestone path runs through the skeletons. Their orderly positions suggest they were kneeling in worship toward the far end.
• Following the path, the team discovers a massive, solid bronze altar, over fifty meters across. Its size astonishes the researchers as seemingly beyond the Ancient Lao People’s known technological capabilities.
• The altar bears ritual writing in the Ancient Lao script. Professor Li reads that in the thirty-first year of the Jiajing era, the people gathered there in response to a message from their ancestor Jiulong and Heaven’s command. He concludes they survived into Ming times and were likely buried there that day.
• Wu Tian dismisses the idea of immortals, but Professor Li notices that the altar’s lines seem to form a pattern, raising a new mystery.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Zheng shifts from relief at the lack of immediate casualties to firm command, organizing the team and prioritizing the professors’ safety.
• Wu Qingya helps guide the group and studies the altar, openly questioning how the Ancient Lao could have created it.
• The professors, especially Li Songlin and Chen Jingshan, move from shock to careful investigation. Li interprets the inscription and the skeletons’ positions; Chen is shaken by the scale and construction of the bronze altar.
• Ying Wenjie is physically sickened by the sight of the bones, while Qin Xiaoyu and several team members also struggle with horror.
• Wu Tian challenges supernatural explanations, contrasting his blunt skepticism with the team’s growing unease.

Significant themes

• The cost of ancient ritual: The vast, orderly mass death suggests an entire people died during a ceremony or gathering.
• Limits of historical knowledge: The altar’s scale and the inscription challenge assumptions about Ancient Lao history and technology.
• Faith versus skepticism: References to ancestors, Heaven, and “immortals” prompt disagreement over supernatural explanations.
• Mystery and foreboding: The sudden deaths, red-lit chamber, and unexplained pattern on the altar leave the discovery unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Qin Xiaoyu notices that the bronze altar’s patterns are writing, not decoration. Professor Li identifies them as Primordial Script, an exceptionally rare script older than Ancient Lao Script, and copies part of the inscription.
• Professor Li gives Ying Wenjie a copy to show Chen Hao, who may be able to decipher it.
• The altar begins to shake and glow. As the tremors intensify, Ying Wenjie wonders whether the legendary Jiulong is emerging.
• Professor Li recalls seeing similar symbols at the Palace Museum, annotated with the word “seal.” He concludes that the structure is not an altar but a seal holding an evil entity, and warns everyone to flee.
• Qin Zheng immediately orders an evacuation. The team escorts the professors out despite their reluctance to abandon notes and instruments.
• The ruins and tunnel shake violently as debris falls. Just after the group escapes, the underground plaza collapses, leaving a huge, dark sinkhole where the altar stood.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Xiaoyu demonstrates sharp observational skill by recognizing the patterns as writing.
• Professor Li shifts from scholarly investigation to urgent alarm once he recognizes the inscription’s possible purpose. His warning prompts the evacuation.
• Ying Wenjie connects the tremors to Jiulong and dismisses a skeptical professor’s objections, referring to the High God—suggesting knowledge or beliefs beyond the academics’ understanding.
• Qin Zheng acts decisively under pressure, organizing the evacuation without hesitation.
• Wu Qingya prioritizes people over research, physically pulling professors away from their equipment and records.
• The Special Affairs Bureau operatives follow Qin Zheng’s orders, using alternating cover to protect the academics as they retreat.

Significant themes

• Knowledge as both discovery and danger: Deciphering the ancient symbols reveals that the site may be a prison, not a place of worship.
• Conflict between skepticism and belief: The academics question supernatural explanations, while Wenjie and Li take the possibility of a sealed entity seriously.
• Duty over discovery: The team abandons valuable research to save lives.
• Escalating mystery and peril: The collapse confirms that something has disturbed the ruins, though what lies beneath remains unknown.

Key plot points and events

• Professor Li’s pit collapses, but heavy, rhythmic impacts begin rising from beneath it, suggesting that something sealed underground is awakening.
• Qin Zheng orders the team back to camp and establishes a full defensive perimeter. Professor Wang realizes the tremors are coming from the surrounding forest as well as the ruins.
• Hairless, eyeless beasts emerge from the forest, ruins, and collapsed pit. Professor Wang identifies them as Taotie from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, noting their eyes glow beneath their forelegs.
• The Taotie advance in disciplined waves and attack without fear or apparent pain. Qin Zheng orders the team to open fire.
• Modern weapons initially hold the beasts back, but their numbers press close to camp. The operatives keep firing until the attack dwindles and finally stops.
• More than a thousand Taotie are killed, forming a corpse wall around the camp. The operatives cautiously inspect the bodies and report that none remain alive.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Zheng takes command under pressure, organizing the defense and giving clear, decisive orders. His calm authority contrasts with the danger and the professors’ fear.
• Professor Li is exhausted by the pit’s collapse and reacts ambiguously to it, while his earlier warning that something evil was sealed there proves ominously relevant.
• Professor Wang shifts from observing the tremors to recognizing the threat and identifying the beasts, bringing legendary knowledge into the unfolding crisis.
• Ying Wenjie tries to help Professor Li, but Li refuses assistance. Ying later stands beside Professor Wang as the creatures appear.
• The Bureau operatives follow Qin Zheng’s orders, forming a perimeter and coordinating their fire to protect the professors and camp. The professors respond with fear but remain trapped in the center, with no safe route to flee.

Significant themes

• Myth meets reality: The Taotie, known from ancient legend, are revealed to be real.
• The limits of control: The team’s weapons can kill the beasts, but the creatures’ relentless numbers and coordinated advance make the situation perilous.
• Leadership amid terror: Qin Zheng’s discipline and rapid decisions help the group withstand an overwhelming attack.
• Awakening danger: The pounding from beneath the collapsed pit foreshadows a deeper threat beyond the battle the team has just survived.