Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

• Chen Hao studies murals recounting the fall of the Fengyue Kingdom. They show Princess Fengyue using the Underworld Fire against invading vampires and werewolves, releasing a Stone Statue Ghoul army from beneath the earth, and ultimately unleashing a firestorm that destroys the kingdom. She survives, then burns herself to death in grief.
• The final mural suggests the Underworld Fire was divided among the werewolves, vampires, and a tomb—possibly the tomb where Chen Hao and the others are trapped.
• When Master Liu tries to open a coffin, the chamber’s mechanism activates. The stone exit closes, white Underworld Fire engulfs the doorway, and the flames spread across the tomb. A young man is burned to death while trying to escape.
• Chen Hao checks the surrounding rock and attacks the sealed door with his Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist, but it has no effect. The impact instead shakes the tomb and threatens to bring it down.
• As the group despairs in the suffocating heat, Ma Big Beard prepares to use grenades to blast a way out. Just before he acts, someone stops him, insisting there is still hope.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao pieces together the kingdom’s history and feels Princess Fengyue was unfairly blamed for a disaster caused by her desperate attempt to save others. In the present crisis, he stays composed, investigates, and tries to protect the group from Ma Big Beard’s reckless plan.
• Ma Big Beard shifts from grim acceptance—joking and sharing a cigarette with Chen Hao—to a final, self-sacrificing attempt to break through with grenades.
• Master Liu, usually seen by the group as capable of finding a solution, is overwhelmed by despair, worsening the others’ panic.
• The trapped group turns to Master Liu for reassurance, while Chen Hao and Ma Big Beard share a brief moment of humor and solidarity amid the danger.

Significant themes

• Heroism misremembered: Princess Fengyue’s attempt to save her kingdom ends in catastrophe, leaving her associated with destruction.
• The danger of tampering with the unknown: Opening the coffin triggers the deadly trap.
• Desperation versus hope: The group’s fear grows as the fire closes in, but Chen Hao’s restraint and the intervention at the end keep a possibility of escape alive.

Key plot points

• Trapped in an ancient tomb by deadly underworld fire, Ma Big Beard’s team prepares to die. Chen Hao instead summons the Stone Statue Ghoul, betting that it has a connection to the flames.
• The Ghoul absorbs all the fire, saving the group. The tomb then begins collapsing, and Chen Hao leads everyone to safety.
• Ma Big Beard thanks Chen Hao, who pretends he had no part in the rescue. The team retreats, while Chen Hao returns to Rakshasa.
• At Rakshasa, Hua Qiang is surprised to see Chen Hao back and orders men to search the area after he leaves.
• Chen Hao finds CC asleep, then explains that he plans to use the dog for an important mission against Rakshasa. He demonstrates the Ghoul’s power: the underworld fire can now be controlled through its body, though Chen suspects he possesses only one of three portions.
• Chen Hao concludes that his next destination is America, where he hopes to find the remaining fire.
• The next morning, Ghost Gate summons Chen Hao to its main hall. A corpse lies there alongside the battered disciples who had tried to kill him. Gui Jianchou acts politely but ominously; Hua Qiang angrily confronts Chen, who feigns ignorance.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao proves resourceful by deducing the Ghoul’s link to the underworld fire. He gains a powerful new means of controlling it and becomes more openly determined to retaliate against Rakshasa. His playful deflection contrasts with his calculated plans.
• Ma Big Beard shifts from despair to gratitude after Chen saves his team. He recognizes Chen’s role but agrees not to reveal it, then parts on friendly terms.
• The Stone Statue Ghoul is revealed to be capable of devouring underworld fire and serving as a conduit for Chen’s control of it.
• CC is startled by the Ghoul’s presence, revealing that even he considers it dangerous. Chen teases him, then recruits him for a mission.
• Hua Qiang grows increasingly hostile toward Chen, while Gui Jianchou maintains a courteous façade that suggests suspicion and tension.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and risk: Chen survives by testing a bold theory rather than accepting apparent defeat.
• Power and its limits: Chen gains control over part of the underworld fire but recognizes that its full strength remains beyond his grasp.
• Deception and concealed motives: Chen hides his role in the rescue and masks his intentions at Rakshasa and Ghost Gate.
• Revenge and escalating conflict: His plans against Rakshasa set up a wider confrontation, while the morning summons signals that the conflict is already closing in.

Plot points and events

• After Hua Bei’s body is found, Gui Jianchou and Hua Qiang accuse Chen Hao of killing him. Several Ghost Gate disciples join in, but Chen Hao demands evidence. Hua Qiang has none, since he had disabled the surveillance cameras before the operation.
• Hua Qiang attacks Chen Hao. Chen Hao’s Spirit Beast, CC, intercepts him and proves overwhelmingly strong, knocking Hua Qiang back with a single paw strike.
• Hua Qiang uses his fourth-grade Ice Ghost Shield, but CC shatters it with a dragon-shaped phantom unleashed by his roar. Hua Qiang suffers little physical damage, yet is shaken by the defeat.
• Gui Jianchou stops the confrontation, tells Hua Qiang to stand down, and offers Chen Hao a conciliatory explanation. Chen Hao remains suspicious, believing Gui and Hua Qiang had been working together.
• Gui takes Chen Hao and CC through heavily guarded corridors to the Ghost Cave, the sect’s forbidden area. He says he will show Chen Hao a sixth-grade technique and a Spirit Array. Chen Hao wonders what Gui is planning.
• At the bottom of the cave, Chen Hao is stunned by what he sees; the chapter ends before revealing it.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Hao remains cool under accusation, challenges the group to produce proof, and refuses to be intimidated. His distrust of Gui Jianchou deepens despite Gui’s polite manner.
• CC displays formidable strength and a new dragon-shaped attack, defeating Hua Qiang’s prized technique and earning Chen Hao’s praise.
• Hua Qiang moves from anger and accusation to humiliation and disbelief after CC defeats him; Gui’s command forces him to withdraw.
• Gui Jianchou shifts from questioning Chen Hao to stopping Hua Qiang and offering access to the Ghost Cave. His motives remain unclear, keeping Chen Hao wary.

Significant themes

• Evidence versus accusation: Chen Hao resists being condemned by unsupported claims.
• Power and intimidation: CC’s strength overturns Hua Qiang’s attempt to dominate the confrontation.
• Deception and mistrust: The disabled cameras and Gui’s shifting approach suggest hidden agendas.
• Forbidden knowledge and suspense: The Ghost Cave and promised treasures set up a new mystery.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao and CC enter a cavern where the Ghost Gate’s Fiend-Slaying Spirit Array feeds yin spirits into the Fiend-Slaying Cauldron. Chen Hao realizes the array creates spirits while the cauldron stores them; it contains over a thousand.
• Gui Jianchou demonstrates the Ghost Gate’s powerful sixth-grade technique, Death God’s Scythe, drawing yin spirits and spiritual energy—including Chen Hao’s—from the cavern to form a massive scythe-bearing apparition.
• The attack threatens Chen Hao, but he guesses Gui is testing and intimidating him rather than intending to kill him. Chen stays composed, and Gui stops the strike just before it lands.
• Gui offers Chen the technique’s manual, but reminds him of their agreement to hand over CC. Chen pretends a baby’s rubber toy stick controls CC, demonstrating this with commands and getting Gui to try it.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Hao remains wary and resourceful, concealing his abilities and correctly reading Gui’s motives. He uses humor and deception to avoid surrendering real control over CC.
• Gui Jianchou displays formidable power and tries to assess Chen’s strength and pressure him into compliance. He is both impressed by Chen’s composure and credulous enough to test the supposed toy-stick control.
• CC supports Chen’s ruse, obeying his commands while ignoring Gui until Gui holds the stick.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Gui’s technique demonstrates the vast gap in force between him and Chen.
• Cunning and restraint: Chen survives by reading intentions and withholding his trump cards rather than meeting strength with strength.
• Deception and comic relief: The fake control device turns a dangerous negotiation over CC into an absurd gag.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao discovers that a rubber baton lets him control CC and persuades Sect Master Gui Jianchou that it is a Spirit Artifact capable of making him CC’s master.
• To “bind” the baton, Chen Hao tricks Gui into draining a basin of blood. CC deliberately knocks the basin over, ruining Gui’s effort. Chen Hao then fakes a quick ritual and declares the binding successful.
• Gui believes CC now obeys him and takes the dog away, while Chen Hao secures permission to study the Death God’s Scythe technique and the Fiend-Slaying Spirit Array for three days.
• Gui allows Chen Hao into the Ghost Cave because he assumes the Ghost Gate’s poison in Chen Hao’s body will keep him under control. Chen Hao immediately begins studying the manual.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao proves quick-witted and manipulative, exploiting Gui’s desire for a spirit beast to gain access to forbidden teachings. He secretly coordinates with CC during the staged ritual.
• Gui Jianchou is gullible and eager to own CC. He sacrifices a dangerous amount of blood, then grows weak and furious when CC ruins the basin. Despite his anger, he remains pleased to have CC and confidently assumes Chen Hao is controlled by poison.
• CC resents Gui and understands Chen Hao’s scheme. He deliberately overturns the blood, then reluctantly plays along as Gui’s supposed new master.
• Chen Hao pretends to scold CC, but privately praises him. Gui misreads CC’s bark as obedience and promises to treat him lavishly.

Significant themes

• Deception and mistaken assumptions: Chen Hao’s sham binding succeeds because Gui believes what he wants to believe.
• Power and control: Gui thinks the baton makes him CC’s master and poison gives him leverage over Chen Hao, but both sources of control may be illusory.
• Cunning over strength: Chen Hao secures valuable access through acting and improvisation rather than force.
• Hubris and suspense: Gui doubts Chen Hao can master the technique or array in three days, while the chapter hints that Chen Hao is far from an ordinary Qi Refiner.

Key plot points and events

• After mastering Death God’s Scythe from one reading, Chen Hao realizes it needs a vast supply of yin spirit power to reach its full strength. He understands that Gui Jianchou’s Fiend-Slaying Spirit Array and Cauldron were meant to provide that energy.
• Chen Hao believes the Golden Cudgel can substitute for the cauldron, so he turns his attention to copying the spirit array, which continuously generates yin spirits.
• He asks the Saintess whether the array can be moved into Guanghan Palace. She says it cannot, but reproducing it by drawing it is possible.
• The Saintess agrees to help him recreate the array within their three-day window, despite her damaged soul power. She guides him using her expertise in wood grain.
• After dozens of failed attempts, Chen Hao successfully draws the first spirit line in just over ten minutes and continues through the night. The Saintess believes he can finish, while the Ghost Gate disciples monitoring him mistake his conversations with unseen companions for signs of madness.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows resourcefulness and ambition: he recognizes how to replace the cauldron, seeks a practical shortcut, and persists through repeated failures. His experience with talismans helps him understand that spirit arrays resemble enlarged talismans.
• The Saintess remains weakened but agrees to work with Chen Hao. Her confidence in his talent grows, and she praises his unusually rapid grasp of array-drawing.
• Qin Meng teases Chen Hao for repeatedly seeking the Saintess and boasts that she can answer his questions. When she cannot, she later becomes impressed by Chen Hao’s ability.
• Chen Hao and the Saintess form a working partnership, while Qin Meng shifts from jealousy and skepticism to admiration.

Significant themes

• Preparation and hidden trump cards: Chen Hao wants an ongoing supply of yin spirits to power Death God’s Scythe and charge the Golden Cudgel, while keeping dangerous abilities concealed.
• Talent, practice, and perseverance: Chen Hao’s quick insight is impressive, but success still requires sustained effort and repeated attempts.
• Cooperation under constraints: The Saintess’s expertise and Chen Hao’s aptitude may overcome her weakened condition and the limited time available.

Plot points and events

• While Gui Jianchou recovers from his injuries, CC enjoys being pampered by Ghost Gate attendants. Hua Qiang reports that Chen Hao appears to have gone mad, but Gui warns him not to be fooled and orders him to keep watch.
• CC tries to communicate that he wants spirit medicine by drawing pictures and acting them out. Gui and Hua Qiang repeatedly misunderstand him, providing comic relief, until Gui finally guesses correctly.
• Gui orders Ghost Gate’s remaining 30–40 low-grade spirit pills brought out, reasoning that feeding CC will strengthen him for the upcoming negotiations with the Ancient Dragon. He hopes CC’s strength will help Ghost Gate gain fame and advance his own ambitions.
• Before Gui can savor the pills’ value, CC swallows every pill—and the jade bottles—with one gulp. Gui is devastated by the enormous loss.
• Meanwhile, Chen Hao continues practicing the Fiend-Slaying Spirit Array, improving from 85 runes in one attempt to nearly 100. A momentary sensation of remote object retrieval suggests he may be approaching the fourth realm, the Qi Controlling Realm. The Saintess encourages him to use his training to break through.

Character developments and interactions

• CC remains clever, greedy, and mischievous, while taking advantage of Gui’s affection and generosity. His failed attempts to communicate expose the gap between his intelligence and the humans’ understanding.
• Gui Jianchou grows increasingly attached to CC and willingly spends valuable resources on him, though his generosity is partly driven by ambition. CC’s pill binge quickly tests that indulgence.
• Hua Qiang is cautious about wasting the sect’s resources but cannot persuade Gui to change course; his repeated misinterpretations of CC add to the humor.
• Chen Hao demonstrates rapid improvement and may be on the verge of a cultivation breakthrough. The Saintess supports and encourages him.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts comic misunderstanding with the serious discipline of cultivation.
• Ambition and attachment shape Gui’s choices: he pampers CC both out of fondness and in hopes of strengthening Ghost Gate’s reputation.
• Progress through persistence is reflected in Chen Hao’s repeated failures and steady improvement.
• CC’s appetite highlights the cost and unpredictability of power, as valuable resources disappear almost instantly.

Plot points and events

• After three days of practice, Chen Hao completes all 222 strokes of a sixth-rank spirit array, succeeding with help from the Spirit-Gathering Array, the Saintess’s guidance, his talisman knowledge, and his own talent and persistence.
• To make the array produce yin spirits, he places dragon bone, blood, scale, and meat at its four corners. Their power transforms the Fiend-Slaying Spirit Array into the Dragon Spirit Array, whose dragon energy shakes the Crescent Pendant realm. He positions the Golden Cudgel at its center to absorb the spirits it produces and asks the Saintess to accelerate the process with the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Someone approaches the cavern, so Chen Hao leaves the pendant realm. Gui Jianchou arrives with CC and announces they are departing for Ancient Dragon. Chen Hao conceals his success, pretending the array and cultivation technique are too difficult for him.
• Gui Jianchou transfers more than a thousand yin spirits from the Fiend-Slaying Cauldron into a jade bracelet, strengthening his Death God’s Scythe. He then gathers over two hundred Ghost Gate disciples and controlled Qi Refiners for a mission, threatening them with poison pills and promising an antidote if they return.
• Wang Jian asks Chen Hao whether to take his pill. Before Chen Hao can answer, a man who hid his dose suffers a violent, fatal reaction. The others panic and swallow their pills.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao proves his focus and resilience by completing the array, while remaining shrewd enough to hide his achievement from Gui Jianchou. His reunion with Qin Meng briefly turns affectionate: they embrace in excitement, then both grow embarrassed.
• Qin Meng supports Chen Hao silently during the final stroke and shares his excitement over the array’s new name.
• The Saintess offers technical guidance and recognizes how extraordinary Chen Hao’s accomplishment is. She also gently breaks the tension after his embrace with Qin Meng.
• Gui Jianchou appears recovered but diminished after losing blood. He manipulates his followers with threats and false reassurance, while Chen Hao maintains a respectful façade. Chen Hao and CC exchange knowing looks; CC appears to have been well treated during their separation.
• Wang Jian shows greater caution than before by hiding his pill, but Chen Hao warns that it is now too late to avoid the dose.

Significant themes

• Collective effort and individual talent: Chen Hao’s success depends on his abilities as well as the Saintess’s instruction and other sources of power.
• Power and transformation: Dragon materials elevate an existing array into something far more potent, suggesting Chen Hao’s growing capacity to turn rare resources into strategic advantages.
• Deception and survival: Chen Hao hides his progress from Gui Jianchou, while Gui Jianchou uses coercion and misinformation to control his followers.
• Fear as control: The lethal consequences of missing a pill make the group obey Gui Jianchou, even as they prepare for an uncertain mission.

Plot points and events

• Wang Jian panics after taking what he thinks is a second poison, but Chen Hao reveals the earlier “Seven-Day Intestine-Breaking Pill” was only chocolate. Before the operation, Chen Hao warns him that the Ghost Gate may use his group as cannon fodder and gives him a dragon scale for protection.
• Chen Hao travels with Ghost Gate Master Gui Jianchou to the Ancient Dragon’s hidden mountain stronghold. Gui explains that an alliance between Rakshasa and the Ancient Dragon could make Rakshasa powerful enough to control Huaxia’s underworld—and perhaps overthrow the government.
• Chen Hao agrees to Gui’s offer of loyalty, though he is only pretending in order to investigate Rakshasa’s plans. During the journey, most of the convoy splits off, leaving only a few cars.
• At a cliff, the group meets Yin Buzhou, master of Rakshasa’s Yin Gate, and Black Veil. Yin and Gui use a hidden mechanism in an inscribed stone stele to open a passage through the cliff.
• Inside lies a secluded, lush mountain valley containing unusual wildlife and distinctive buildings. Chen Hao and the others descend by a rope slide and are welcomed by an Ancient Dragon elder, who says the clan chief is expecting them.
• Chen Hao notices that Rakshasa’s hundreds of missing members have still not arrived and wonders what Gui is planning.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains cautious and observant, concealing his true purpose while assessing Rakshasa’s ambition, its allies, and the hidden Ancient Dragon base. He is struck by the valley’s extraordinary scenery and recognizes the elder’s red bird as a spirit beast.
• Wang Jian is relieved to learn he was never poisoned and trusts Chen Hao’s warning and gift, though he is uneasy about being sent into danger.
• Gui Jianchou openly reveals Rakshasa’s expansionist ambitions and continues trying to recruit Chen Hao. He is affectionate toward CC and withholds the dog’s true identity from Yin.
• Yin Buzhou appears formidable and commands the Yin Gate; he and Gui coordinate closely to arrange entry into the Ancient Dragon.
• Black Veil notices Chen Hao but fails to recognize him because Chen Hao has concealed his identity.
• CC reacts exuberantly to the valley’s wildlife, providing comic relief.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Chen Hao’s false loyalty, the secret entrance, the divided convoy, and the unexplained absence of Rakshasa’s followers all suggest that crucial plans remain concealed.
• Power and political ambition: The proposed alliance threatens to extend Rakshasa’s influence beyond the underworld and challenge the government.
• Trust and protection: Chen Hao warns Wang Jian and gives him a potentially lifesaving scale, even as he suspects the Ghost Gate may sacrifice him.
• Mystery and discovery: The concealed valley, spirit beasts, and unfamiliar landscape reveal a world beyond ordinary experience.

Plot points

• Chen Hao and his companions arrive at Ancient Dragon’s Council Hall, where Patriarch Long Aotian and his son Long Xiaotian meet them alongside eight elders and their spirit beasts.
• The visitors negotiate an alliance. Rakshasa offers to share its spirit-array knowledge and Corpse-Controlling Art, but asks Ancient Dragon to raise its offer from one spirit beast to four.
• Ancient Dragon’s representatives object, emphasizing how rare and costly spirit beasts are. After tense bargaining, Gui Jianchou lowers the demand to three, and Long Aotian counters with two.
• Long Aotian’s people are alarmed by his concession, since spirit beasts are exceptionally scarce and can greatly strengthen their owners. A pact with a beast can also extend a person’s lifespan; Long Aotian’s renewed youth is evidence of this.
• Before the sect masters answer, Long Aotian’s granddaughter, Long’er, rushes in and clings to him, lightening the tense mood.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Aotian is courteous but authoritative in negotiations. He keeps his temper under control, silences the hot-headed elder Long Wei with a quiet command, and shows unusual generosity by offering two spirit beasts. His stern demeanor softens completely around Long’er.
• Gui Jianchou and Yin Buzhou negotiate together, presenting Rakshasa’s knowledge as valuable bargaining leverage. They press for more beasts but compromise when Long Aotian holds firm.
• Long Xiaotian, Long Aotian’s son and second-in-command, openly resists the request and reacts angrily to Long’er’s mischief, while she cheerfully defies him.
• Long Wei challenges the visitors bluntly, but immediately obeys when Long Aotian orders him to sit.
• Long’er is playful, affectionate, and confident that her grandfather will protect her. Her arrival draws every spirit beast’s attention and breaks the hall’s oppressive atmosphere.
• Chen Hao observes the powerful people and spirit beasts, taking in the gathering’s intimidating scale.

Significant themes

• Power and bargaining: The alliance talks reveal the competing leverage and pride of the two groups.
• Scarcity and value: Spirit beasts are rare, expensive to raise, and central to Ancient Dragon’s status and strength.
• Life and nature: A spirit beast’s willing gift of its origin can extend human strength and lifespan, making such bonds profoundly coveted.
• Authority and family: Long Aotian’s firm leadership contrasts with his affectionate indulgence of Long’er, while the family’s teasing adds warmth to a formal political meeting.

Plot points and events

• Long’er notices Chen Hao’s husky, CC, because the spirit beasts reacted strongly when she arrived. Chen Hao and CC both suspect there is something unusual about her.
• Long’er understands CC’s barks and insists that he is a spirit beast who can speak like a human. Gui Jianchou initially tries to pass him off as an ordinary dog, but Long’er confirms her claim by getting CC to bark.
• The spirit beasts grow jealous when Long’er cuddles CC. Led by the White Tiger, they surround him, and the White Tiger attacks after CC provokes him.
• CC answers the attack with a powerful Dragon’s Roar. The spirit beasts submit in fear, and the roar affects creatures throughout the valley—and even prompts a muffled growl from a cave on the mountaintop.
• With CC’s abilities now impossible to conceal, Gui Jianchou admits that he is a spirit beast who can transform into a kirin.

Character developments and interactions

• Long’er is revealed to have an uncanny ability to understand spirit beasts and command their respect. She stays composed when the beasts gather and scolds them as if they were unruly children.
• CC shifts from nervousness at being singled out to brazen teasing, then demonstrates immense power by overpowering the White Tiger and the gathered beasts.
• Chen Hao silently watches, increasingly convinced that Long’er is extraordinary, but does not intervene when CC is frightened.
• Gui Jianchou tries to conceal CC’s identity, then concedes the truth once the Dragon’s Roar exposes it.
• Long Aotian and Long Xiaotian initially doubt Long’er, but her certainty and the beasts’ reactions force them to take her seriously. The White Tiger, usually an imposing leader, is shown to defer to Long’er—until CC’s taunts ignite his pride.

Significant themes

• Hidden nature and mistaken appearances: CC looks like an ordinary, comical husky but is a powerful spirit beast; Long’er’s unusual gift is likewise revealed through her interactions.
• Hierarchy and authority: Long’er can command the spirit beasts, while CC’s Dragon’s Roar establishes an even greater power that makes them submit.
• Pride and provocation: The White Tiger’s dignity turns a tense gathering into a fight after CC deliberately insults him.
• Revelation and rising mystery: CC’s roar reaches the mountain summit and stirs something in a dark cave, hinting at a larger threat or presence.

Plot points and events

• Gui Jianchou tries to prove CC can transform into a kirin, staging an elaborate ritual and ordering the dog to change. CC does nothing, leaving Gui and the Rakshasa delegation embarrassed.
• Gui privately offers CC Spirit Pills to cooperate, but CC still refuses. Chen Hao denies having any control over CC, frustrating Gui further.
• Long’er speaks with CC and concludes that its spiritual awareness surpasses that of Ancient Dragon’s Sacred Dragon, an ancient python revered by the clan.
• Because Long’er’s judgment carries enormous authority, Long Aotian and Long Xiaotian take the claim seriously. Long’er tells her grandfather something that makes him reconsider Ancient Dragon’s planned alliance with Rakshasa.
• Long’er takes CC aside to investigate. Their playful conversation reveals that CC claims to possess impressive powers, including the ability to roar like a dragon, and that its real owner is somewhere among the Rakshasa group.

Character developments and interactions

• Gui Jianchou becomes increasingly desperate to demonstrate CC’s abilities. His theatrical efforts win him ridicule rather than credibility, while Yin Buzhou openly distinguishes his failed “ritual” from Long’er’s genuine communication.
• CC remains uncooperative with Gui but engages readily with Long’er, boasting about its powers and teasing her. It says its “daddy” is not Gui, though it does not yet identify the person.
• Long’er shows both warmth and authority: she bonds playfully with CC, then turns the conversation toward a potentially decisive question for her clan.
• Long Aotian and Long Xiaotian initially doubt the claims but trust Long’er’s expertise. Long Aotian recognizes that confirming CC’s nature could change Ancient Dragon’s political choice.
• Chen Hao keeps his distance, letting Gui believe he has no influence over CC.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: CC looks like an ordinary husky, while Long’er senses extraordinary intelligence and power.
• Trust and authority: Ancient Dragon’s leaders rely on Long’er’s unique ability to communicate with spirit beasts.
• Political leverage: Whether CC is truly exceptional may determine if Ancient Dragon needs an alliance with Rakshasa.
• Comic embarrassment: Gui’s failed performance contrasts sharply with Long’er’s authentic connection to CC.

Key plot points

• Long’er learns from CC that his owner, Chen Hao, may be able to solve the Ancient Dragon clan’s serious problem. CC refuses to identify Chen Hao, saying he is undercover, but boasts that his “daddy” can handle anything.
• Long’er tells her grandfather, Long Aotian. Though hopeful, he refuses to rely on CC’s claim without proof and asks her to arrange a private meeting with the owner that night.
• With a possible alternative to an alliance, Long Aotian postpones negotiations with Rakshasa until the next day. Gui Jianchou and Yin Buzhou object, but he firmly holds his ground.
• Long’er privately asks CC to invite Chen Hao to meet her at midnight. Chen Hao silently accepts, while CC teases him for being quick to answer a woman.
• Gui Jianchou and Hua Qiang try to question CC through their mime-and-guess game, but get nowhere. Gui Jianchou and Yin Buzhou suspect CC’s revelations caused Long Aotian to delay the alliance; despite the setback, they intend to continue their plan.
• Chen Hao receives word from the Jade Emperor that his Heavenly Court Shop has been approved. He is granted brief access to the Heavenly Stele Passage the next morning, but the Jade Emperor demands repayment of 200,000 Daoist Merit Points within fifteen days or threatens to shut down the shop.

Character developments and interactions

• Long’er shifts from curiosity about CC’s owner to taking an active role in arranging a meeting that could change her clan’s decision.
• Long Aotian moves from seeking Rakshasa’s help to asserting his authority once he sees another possible solution, while still demanding proof before committing.
• CC remains boastful and mischievous: he wins Long’er’s confidence, keeps Chen Hao’s identity secret, and needles Chen Hao about his romantic priorities.
• Gui Jianchou and Yin Buzhou become wary of CC’s influence and frustrated by the delay, but remain committed to their larger plan.
• Chen Hao balances his undercover role with the opportunity to help the Ancient Dragon clan, while also pursuing his shop plans and negotiating with the Jade Emperor.

Significant themes

• Leverage and choice: A possible alternative gives Long Aotian the confidence to resist pressure from Rakshasa.
• Trust versus proof: The clan’s hopes hinge on CC’s claims, but Long Aotian insists on verifying them.
• Secrecy and miscommunication: Chen Hao’s undercover identity and CC’s unusual communication with others create both suspicion and comic confusion.
• Power and obligation: The Jade Emperor’s favor comes with a substantial debt and a strict deadline.

Plot points and events

• After accepting the Jade Emperor’s order to open a Heavenly Court shop, Chen Hao finds it under the name “Charlatan Shop.” He lists his Earth snacks, drinks, and toys, pricing some popular items as low as one Daoist Merit Point to attract customers.
• Chen Hao promotes the shop in the group chat and gives out red packets. The immortals react with curiosity and enthusiasm: Sun Wukong endorses the spicy strips, while others ask about prices and unfamiliar products.
• Supreme Lord Lao complains that Chen Hao may be taking his customers, and the God of Wealth also contacts him. Chen Hao invokes the Jade Emperor’s authority and argues that his food does not compete with their pills, artifacts, or other goods. Their objections quickly subside, teaching Chen Hao the value of having a powerful backer.
• Later, Chen Hao meets Long’er and Long Aotian. They ask for his help, and Long Aotian takes him to the Ancient Dragon Clan’s sacred site on Divine Dragon Mountain.
• After passing heavily guarded paths and reaching the mountaintop, Chen Hao uses the Heavenly Eye Art to see a giant snake inside a cavern—before his hosts have explained what lies there.
• The creature, the Ancient Dragon Clan’s divine beast and totem named Python, is enormous but visibly frail. Long’er tends to it tearfully, and Long Aotian explains its importance to the clan.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Hao proves resourceful as a new merchant, using low prices, promotion, and red packets to draw attention. He also handles business rivals by pointing out the Jade Emperor’s support. At the sacred site, his ability to perceive hidden things surprises Long Aotian and Long’er.
• Long Aotian moves from testing Chen Hao’s willingness to help to trusting him enough to reveal the clan’s most sacred place. His concern for Python is evident.
• Long’er greets Chen Hao warmly and jokes about what his Spirit Beast has told her, then shows deep affection and distress over Python’s condition.
• Sun Wukong acts as Chen Hao’s enthusiastic customer and informal promoter. Supreme Lord Lao and the God of Wealth react as established merchants wary of competition, but defer once the Jade Emperor is mentioned.

Significant themes

• Power and patronage: The Jade Emperor’s backing protects Chen Hao from complaints and demonstrates how authority shapes relationships.
• Commerce and competition: Chen Hao’s affordable shop challenges established Heavenly Court businesses, while the group’s reactions help build interest.
• Trust and hidden knowledge: Long Aotian seeks an unlikely ally, and Chen Hao’s unexpected insight earns him respect.
• Duty and devotion: The clan’s guarded sacred site and Long’er’s care for Python show the creature’s spiritual and emotional importance to the Ancient Dragon Clan.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao learns that Python, Ancient Dragon Clan’s sacred beast, has grown weak and is nearing the end of its lifespan after a failed attempt to evolve.
• Using the Heavenly Eye Art, he discovers a rare substance inside Python’s head: water essence, a powerful water-element spirit source. The Saintess explains that spirit sources are exceptionally valuable for cultivation and are necessary for advancing to the core formation realm.
• Ancient Dragon had planned to ally with Rakshasa in hopes of finding an array to prolong Python’s life or using corpse control to make it move again. Chen Hao challenges the idea that reanimating a corpse would truly save it.
• When Python cries out in pain, Chen Hao offers to try to save it, estimating a 70–80% chance of success.
• He sets three conditions: Ancient Dragon must dissolve its alliance with Rakshasa, ally with the National Congress, and—if Python itself agrees—give him its water essence. Long Aotian accepts the first two immediately but reacts angrily to the third, since surrendering the essence could cost Python centuries of accumulated power and its chance to evolve.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao moves from observing Python to proposing a risky bargain. He recognizes the water essence’s value but insists that Python, not its clan, must decide whether to give it up.
• Long Aotian reveals how desperate he is to preserve Python: he would accept almost any price and even considers corpse control a form of hope. His desperation turns to anger when Chen Hao asks for the water essence.
• Long’er shows deep affection for Python, comforting it and becoming hopeful when Chen Hao offers help. She is asked to translate his proposal to the beast.
• The Saintess provides crucial knowledge about water essence and the cultivation breakthrough it can enable, recalling that its absence once stalled her own progress for decades.

Significant themes

• Love and desperation: Python’s importance to the clan drives Long Aotian toward extreme, morally troubling solutions.
• Consent and sacrifice: Chen Hao leaves the final decision to Python, even though the water essence may be essential to its future.
• The cost of survival: Saving Python may require it to give up its accumulated power and prospects for evolution.
• Power and opportunity: A rare treasure that could transform Chen Hao’s cultivation is bound up with another creature’s life and autonomy.

Key plot points and events

• The sacred Python refuses to surrender the Water Essence at first. Chen Hao secretly shows it dragon blood, which captivates the creature and makes it agree to the exchange.
• Long Aotian distrusts Chen Hao and insists on staying, but Long’er confirms that the Python is willing—and even eager—to give up its Water Essence. She leads her grandfather outside so Chen Hao can treat it privately.
• Chen Hao gives the dying Python a large amount of dragon blood. The creature revives and transforms into a true boa, shedding its black scales and developing distinctive feelers and whiskers.
• Long Aotian and Long’er discover the transformation and celebrate. The boa then honors its promise by releasing its Water Essence, despite the cost to its strength and future potential.
• The boa collapses from exhaustion, but Long’er confirms it is not seriously harmed. Chen Hao absorbs the Water Essence, which enters his meridians and greatly boosts his power.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao uses secrecy and negotiation to secure the Water Essence, but also saves the Python with dragon blood. He remains focused on completing their bargain even amid the family’s celebration.
• Long’er acts as mediator between Chen Hao, her grandfather, and the Python. She trusts the creature’s choice and later celebrates its evolution with genuine affection.
• Long Aotian shifts from anger and suspicion to astonishment and joy when the Python transforms, though he also recognizes the Water Essence’s great value.
• The Python/boa chooses to accept Chen Hao’s offer and sacrifices the Water Essence—even though doing so weakens it and closes off the possibility of becoming a flood dragon. Its decision reflects gratitude and resolve.

Significant themes

• Choice and consent: As Chen Hao insists, the Python’s decision belongs to it; Long’er confirms it acts freely.
• Exchange and sacrifice: Chen Hao trades dragon blood for the Water Essence, while the boa gives up much of its cultivation and future prospects in return.
• Transformation and renewal: The dragon blood saves the Python and enables its evolution into a true boa.
• Trust amid suspicion: Long Aotian doubts Chen Hao, but the outcome proves that Chen Hao’s unusual bargain benefits the sacred beast as well as himself.

Key plot points and events

• After Chen Hao saves Python, the creature’s water essence settles in his kidneys. Long Aotian explains that this gives Chen Hao the power of the water element—a major step toward the Spirit Communion Realm and, eventually, Core Formation. Though Chen Hao is only in the Third Realm, he has obtained one of the required elemental powers unusually early.
• Chen Hao leaves the mountain after reminding Long Aotian of their agreement. Long’er tries to persuade him to remove his mask, but he departs without answering.
• Remembering that the Heavenly Stele will open at dawn, Chen Hao checks the Charlatan Shop and discovers that his goods have sold out, earning him 111,479 Daoist merit points.
• At the Heavenly Stele, he finds only two options: exchange 100,000 merit points for one lifespan point or one cultivation point. Unsure how much lifespan a point would restore, and pressed by a countdown, he chooses cultivation.
• The cultivation point floods his body with energy, enabling him to control spiritual power beyond himself and manipulate objects remotely. Chen Hao breaks through from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm, the Qi Controlling Realm, reaching its middle stage.

Character developments

• Chen Hao gains the water element through Python’s water essence and advances dramatically in cultivation. He also shows growing confidence in using the Heavenly Stele as a shortcut to power.
• Long Aotian is grateful and impressed by Chen Hao, explaining the significance of his unexpected gift and reaffirming that he will honor their agreement.
• Long’er remains curious about Chen Hao’s identity, specifically wanting to see his face beneath his mask.

Significant themes

• Unexpected rewards and reciprocity: Chen Hao saves Python and, in return, receives a rare treasure that advances his cultivation.
• The cost of power: Chen Hao must choose between trying to recover sacrificed lifespan and improving his cultivation, with no clear information about the exchange rate.
• Luck, commerce, and ambition: His shop’s success gives him access to the Heavenly Stele, and his breakthrough leaves him eager to earn more merit points and buy further advancement.
• Cultivation as discipline—and shortcut: Remote Object Retrieval is usually mastered through years of practice, but the Stele lets Chen Hao surpass that effort almost instantly.

Character interactions

• Long Aotian teaches Chen Hao how the five elements relate to the organs and the stages of cultivation, while expressing respect for his achievement.
• Chen Hao and Long Aotian part on friendly terms, with Chen Hao reminding him of their pact.
• Long’er’s playful attempt to see Chen Hao’s face is rebuffed when he simply pats her head and leaves.
• At the Heavenly Stele, Chen Hao faces an impersonal countdown and must make a consequential choice alone.

Plot and events

• After advancing to the Fourth Realm, Chen Hao discovers that the Jade Emperor charged him 110,000 Daoist Merit instead of the agreed 100,000. The Jade Emperor dismisses the extra deduction as a “processing fee.”
• At the Ancient Dragon’s main hall, Rakshasa leaders Gui Jianchou and Yin Buzhou press Patriarch Long Aotian for a decision on their long-negotiated alliance. Long announces that the Ancient Dragon has unanimously decided against it and offers compensation.
• Gui appears to accept the cancellation, but the Rakshasa have arranged a surprise attack. An explosion blasts open the Ancient Dragon’s cliff entrance, allowing reinforcements to descend, while Rakshasa members strike an Ancient Dragon elder from behind. Gui reveals that refusing the alliance means death, and Long orders his clan to fight back.
• Chen Hao turns against the Rakshasa, killing two of their members. Gui orders him killed, and Hua Qiang attacks with poisonous green gas. Chen is unaffected by it and charges Hua Qiang, who expects to overpower him with the Ice Ghost Shield.
• Chen unleashes the Divine Dragon Tail Whip, a colossal golden strike that overwhelms the shield. The chapter ends as Hua Qiang faces the attack, apparently doomed.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows greater power and confidence after reaching the Fourth Realm. His immunity to poison and devastating technique make him a dangerous surprise for the Rakshasa.
• Long Aotian stands firm against Gui’s pressure and quickly mobilizes the Ancient Dragon once the attack begins.
• Gui Jianchou shifts from negotiation to open hostility, revealing that the alliance talks were overshadowed by the Rakshasa’s willingness to use violence. He values Chen’s talent but ultimately orders his execution after Chen defects.
• Hua Qiang eagerly seeks revenge on Chen, but underestimates him and sees his confidence collapse when the poison and shield fail.
• Yin Buzhou helps set the ambush in motion, signaling a subordinate before the Rakshasa’s reinforcements arrive.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and power politics: The alliance negotiations prove to be a prelude to violence, with trust giving way to an ambush.
• Loyalty and divided allegiances: Chen’s choice to fight the Rakshasa turns him into a target but positions him against their aggression.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Hua Qiang dismisses Chen as weaker, only to be caught off guard by his abilities.
• Humor amid danger: The opening exchange about the Jade Emperor’s “processing fee” contrasts with the chapter’s escalating bloodshed.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao kills Hua Qiang with a single Divine Dragon Tail Whip, shocking Rakshasa and enraging Gui Jianchou. Long Aotian keeps Gui Jianchou occupied, while Chen Hao reveals his identity to Black Veil.
• Rakshasa’s forces are initially in danger, but reinforcements arrive on corpse-controlled birds: Sha Tian, master of the Rakshasa Gate, and the mysterious master of the Demon Gate. With all four gate masters now present, the battle escalates.
• Sha Tian transforms into a towering purple giant and attacks Long Aotian’s group. Long Xiaotian counters by mounting the spirit beast White Tiger. Long Aotian recognizes the Demon Gate master—reportedly a sixth-realm fighter—as the greatest threat and sends two elders to rally the Ancient Dragon forces below.
• Chen Hao fights Black Veil, using his Golden Cudgel’s newly formed dragon-shaped yin spirit and the “Myriad Transformations” technique to create numerous clones.
• Black Veil relies on evasive movement and razor-edged black gauze, repeatedly avoiding Chen Hao’s direct attacks. Chen Hao endures the cuts, then uses a deliberate ground strike to spread cracks beneath him. Samadhi true fire erupts across the area, trapping and consuming Black Veil.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao becomes more openly confident and strategic: after revealing himself, he uses clones to manage Black Veil’s allies and turns Black Veil’s evasiveness against him rather than pursuing him with ordinary attacks.
• Black Veil shifts from smug confidence to terror when he realizes Chen Hao’s attack targets the ground, not his body. His belief that he can evade every direct strike proves mistaken.
• Long Aotian takes command of the defense, keeps Gui Jianchou from reaching Chen Hao, assesses the Demon Gate master’s strength, and organizes reinforcements.
• Long Xiaotian boldly challenges Sha Tian with White Tiger’s help.
• Sha Tian arrives as a formidable fifth-realm opponent, while the Demon Gate master’s composure and apparent sixth-realm power make him an ominous looming danger.

Significant themes

• Power and changing momentum: Rakshasa’s apparent advantage shifts repeatedly as reinforcements arrive and Chen Hao demonstrates new abilities.
• Overconfidence and adaptation: Black Veil trusts his evasiveness too much; Chen Hao wins by changing the target and exploiting its limits.
• Loyalty and collective defense: The Ancient Dragon elders coordinate against a larger invasion, while Rakshasa’s masters unite to support their forces.
• Revelation and escalation: Chen Hao’s unmasking and the arrival of all four gate masters turn a concealed confrontation into an all-out, high-stakes battle.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao kills Black Veil with a single devastating strike, terrifying nearby Rakshasa fighters and briefly clearing the battlefield around him.
• The Demon Gate Master arrives and reveals that Rakshasa targeted the Ancient Dragon Clan because it wanted their spirit beasts—the one resource Rakshasa lacked. Long Aotian confronts him.
• Rakshasa’s reinforcements push Ancient Dragon’s fighters down the mountain, leaving the clan in grave danger.
• The Rakshasa Gate Master taunts Long Xiaotian and demands White Tiger. White Tiger bites its master, triggering Long Xiaotian’s transformation into a powerful, tiger-like form. He and White Tiger attack together, but the Gate Master counters with purple blade phantoms.
• The Demon Gate Master attacks Long Aotian with increasingly powerful fire techniques. Long Aotian’s Spirit Tortoise-enhanced Qi Armor withstands the first assaults, but four enormous flaming hands eventually force him to fight back.
• Seeing both duels locked in a stalemate, Chen Hao heads downhill to help the Ancient Dragon clansmen. He encounters a large Rakshasa force on its way to the battle and blocks their path.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao demonstrates formidable power but recognizes that the larger battle is still turning against Ancient Dragon. He shifts from observing the leaders’ duels to protecting the clan’s lower ranks.
• Long Aotian learns why Rakshasa attacked and fights the Demon Gate Master. His pride initially keeps him on the defensive, even as the flames overwhelm him, until he finally retaliates.
• Long Xiaotian transforms through White Tiger’s power, revealing a major bond between Ancient Dragon fighters and their spirit beasts. His grief and anger over the clan’s losses drive his attack.
• The Demon Gate Master is candid about Rakshasa’s greed and displays far greater mastery of fire than Chen Hao, testing Long Aotian’s defense with calculated attacks.
• The Rakshasa Gate Master covets Long Xiaotian’s transformation technique and meets the transformed fighter with confidence.
• CC is absent again; Chen Hao briefly thinks of the dog and complains about its tendency to disappear at crucial moments.

Significant themes

• Greed and exploitation: Rakshasa seeks to destroy Ancient Dragon for its spirit beasts and the power they provide.
• Partnership and shared power: Spirit beasts enhance their masters’ abilities, as seen in Long Aotian’s armor and Long Xiaotian’s transformation.
• Pride versus survival: Long Aotian delays attacking to avoid appearing weaker, showing how pride can hinder practical action.
• Collective peril and responsibility: Even powerful leaders’ duels cannot protect the whole clan from the advancing Rakshasa forces, prompting Chen Hao to intervene elsewhere.