Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao’s group forces captive Nine Blades leader Arugan to guide them to his camp. They restrain him and his wounded men overnight.
• Arugan warns that the Sacred Domain is surrounded by a deadly Mist Forest, where Nine Blades’ Gu techniques kill anyone who enters without a Sacred Envoy and special medicine.
• Chen Hao learns that the Gu afflicting Elder Qin is the Yin Spirit Gu, a high-level technique that feeds on a person’s soul. Arugan cannot remove it because he is only an outer disciple.
• The next day, the group reaches the Mist Forest. Arugan insists it is lethal; when Chen Hao threatens to make him enter, Arugan faints in terror, confirming that his fear seems genuine.
• Chen Hao volunteers to test the forest, reasoning that he and Xiang Wencun were unaffected by gu worms in their drinking water. He secretly knows his Celestial Immortal Art protects him from poison.
• Chen Hao enters the mist and remains unharmed. Xiang Wencun rushes in after him and is also unaffected. As Qin Yumo and Qin Kai consider following, CC blocks them, leaving the danger unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao balances forcefulness with restraint: he intimidates Arugan but never intends to kill him. He also takes a personal risk to save Elder Qin, concealing his true immunity behind a plausible explanation.
• Arugan reveals useful information about Nine Blades and the Yin Spirit Gu. His panic in front of the forest undercuts his earlier hostility and supports his warning.
• Qin Yumo is distressed about her grandfather and deeply moved by Chen Hao’s willingness to risk himself for her family.
• Xiang Wencun openly opposes Chen Hao’s risky plan, then impulsively follows him into the mist when she sees he is unharmed.
• CC acts protectively at the end, preventing Qin Yumo and Qin Kai from entering.

Significant themes

• The chapter questions simple divisions between good and evil: Arugan argues that, like fire, power can help or harm depending on how it is used.
• It emphasizes loyalty and sacrifice, particularly Chen Hao’s determination to help Qin Yumo’s grandfather.
• Trust, uncertainty, and hidden knowledge drive the danger: Chen Hao’s safety depends on an ability he keeps secret, while the others must decide whether to trust Arugan’s warning.
• The Mist Forest remains a source of suspense: Chen Hao and Xiang Wencun’s survival offers hope, but CC’s intervention suggests the threat may not be over.

Plot points and events

• Near the Mist Forest, CC finds a recently killed snake and alerts Chen Hao to many animal carcasses along the forest’s boundary. Chen Hao realizes that entering may be extremely dangerous.
• Chen Hao leaves Qin Yumo and Qin Kai outside to watch Arugan and wait for up to ten days. Yumo protests and tearfully vows to wait for Chen Hao, but he enters the forest with Xiang Wencun and the reluctant CC.
• Inside, they encounter dense mist, deepening darkness, and an unnerving silence. At their campsite, Xiang reveals she feels mysteriously drawn into the forest. A strange light approaches later that night.
• The light belongs to an armed man who asks where their guiding “sacred emissary” is. When Chen Hao says Arugan brought them, the man attacks, declaring that anyone entering without an emissary must die.
• Chen Hao protects Xiang and fights back. The man’s Qi Armor reveals him to be at the peak of the third realm. Chen Hao’s Overlord Blade Slash wounds his hand and knocks his saber away. The chapter ends as Chen Hao realizes the attacker is himself a sacred emissary.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows caution by recognizing the forest’s danger, concern for Xiang’s safety, and confidence in combat. His joking bravado contrasts with his quick protective response when the emissary attacks.
• Qin Yumo makes her attachment to Chen Hao unmistakable, promising to wait for him for life. Qin Kai tries to calm her and honor Chen Hao’s instructions.
• Xiang Wencun remains close to Chen Hao and admits to feeling an unexplained pull toward the forest, hinting at a deeper connection. She teases him about Yumo’s feelings, while he responds with flirtatious banter.
• CC is comic relief: he warns them of danger but then tries to avoid entering, sleeps through the approaching threat, and panics when it appears.
• The emissary’s rigid hostility turns a hoped-for meeting into a fight, despite Chen Hao’s attempt to establish goodwill.

Significant themes

• Danger and uncertainty: The forest’s boundary is marked by animal remains, while its interior hides threats in the fog and darkness.
• Loyalty and attachment: Yumo refuses to abandon Chen Hao, and Chen Hao puts himself between Xiang and danger.
• Humor amid peril: Banter and CC’s cowardice lighten an otherwise ominous journey.
• Destiny or unseen forces: Xiang’s inexplicable attraction to the forest suggests that their journey may be more than a deliberate choice.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao recognizes that finding the Sacred Envoy may lead to the Sacred Domain, but the Envoy’s flute summons a gigantic, eyeless maggot that charges through the Mist Forest.
• Chen Hao, Xiang Wencun, and CC flee. Chen Hao persuades CC to fight by promising him a bite of dragon meat, but the maggot immediately knocks the dog aside.
• Chen Hao withstands one charge with Holy Light Protection, then uses the Golden Cudgel and the Infinite Heavenly Spirit to unleash a devastating Earth-Shattering Staff Strike. It badly wounds the maggot and the Sacred Envoy, but neither is defeated.
• With the maggot charging again, Chen Hao throws all twenty Purple Thunder Pearls. They are swallowed, then erupt in the maggot’s body, summoning heavenly lightning that kills it and badly burns the Sacred Envoy. Chen Hao is also knocked unconscious.
• Xiang Wencun wakes Chen Hao. He takes a Qi-Replenishing Pill, quickly recovers much of his spiritual energy, and then approaches the Sacred Envoy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao moves from alarm and desperation to resourceful resolve, using several abilities and improvised tactics despite being outmatched. He learns firsthand the strength of the Infinite Heavenly Spirit and the value of the Qi-Replenishing Pill.
• CC initially avoids the fight and comically crashes into a tree while looking backward. He agrees to attack for the promised dragon meat, but is quickly defeated.
• Xiang Wencun is pushed clear of danger by Chen Hao and later stays beside him, anxiously checking on him after the lightning strike.
• The Sacred Envoy begins confident, taunting Chen Hao and relying on the maggot—his “Holy Pet.” Chen Hao’s counterattacks surprise him, and the final lightning strike leaves him badly injured.
• The banter between Chen Hao and CC provides comic relief amid the danger, while Xiang Wencun’s concern underscores the group’s dependence on one another.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness under pressure: Chen Hao survives by adapting and using every available weapon, even when his strongest attack fails.
• Power and its limits: Holy Light Protection and the enhanced staff strike are formidable but insufficient on their own; the Purple Thunder Pearls prove decisive.
• Uncertainty and risk: Chen Hao’s gamble with the unreliable pearls succeeds when he has no safer option.
• Loyalty and companionship: Despite the jokes and fear, Chen Hao protects Xiang Wencun, who in turn remains with him after the battle.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao finds Sacred Envoy Du Lutai gravely injured by the lightning and uses Golden Needles to keep him alive. Though Du Lutai refuses to help at first, Chen Hao briefly relieves his pain, then pretends to leave. Du Lutai gives in and agrees to lead them to the Sacred Hall, while warning that meeting the Saintess is up to them.
• Chen Hao rapidly heals Du Lutai with his needles and Blue Light Potion. Du explains that the Mist Forest’s invisible Gu Powder is deadly, though Chen Hao and Xiang Wencun somehow crossed it safely.
• Du leads the group to a rope bridge overlooking Nine Blades’ secluded Sacred Domain, but says he lacks the rank to enter. Chen Hao, Xiang Wencun, and CC cross into the valley.
• Guards initially challenge them, but Xiang Wencun persuades them to escort the visitors to a fortified stronghold. While waiting, Chen Hao notices a guard using a phone and wonders whether it has reception; his own phone finds no signal.
• The guard who went to notify the Sacred Hall returns with a blunt refusal: the Hall will not receive them, and they must leave.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao combines medical skill, strategic thinking, and bluffing to secure Du Lutai’s cooperation. He remains wary of the guards and curious about the domain’s technology.
• Du Lutai begins hostile and defiant, but pain and Chen Hao’s offer of survival force him to cooperate. Chen Hao’s healing impresses him and changes how he views his captor.
• Xiang Wencun questions Chen Hao’s decision to save their former attacker, shares his confidence in the bluff, and uses a warm, persuasive approach to win the guards over. She is captivated by the valley’s beauty.
• CC provides comic relief by immediately pursuing a female dog in the stronghold.
• The guards shift from suspicion to apparent hospitality, only for the Sacred Hall to reject the visitors, ending the chapter on a setback.

Significant themes

• Cleverness and leverage: Chen Hao secures cooperation through a mix of compassion, medical expertise, and calculated pressure.
• Wonder and the unknown: The Sacred Domain’s lush, thriving landscape contrasts sharply with the deadly Mist Forest.
• Hierarchy and exclusion: Du Lutai’s limited status keeps him outside the Sacred Domain, while the visitors’ access is controlled by its authorities.
• Appearances and uncertainty: The easy welcome seems promising, but the final refusal reveals that gaining entry to the Sacred Hall will be harder than expected.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao refuses to leave Nine Blades after Sacred Hall rejects his request to meet. When guards surround him and Xiang Wencun, she releases a piercing sonic attack that knocks them unconscious.
• Sacred Hall confronts Chen Hao and demonstrates overwhelming Fourth Realm strength, using telekinesis to pull him toward him. Chen Hao breaks free with the Golden Cudgel and pushes Sacred Hall back with Overlord Blade Slash, but realizes he is badly outmatched.
• Xiang Wencun’s second sonic attack disrupts Sacred Hall long enough for Chen Hao to strike him with Earth-Shattering Staff Strike. The blow hurls Sacred Hall into the Tower Stronghold, but he emerges largely unharmed, protected by Qi Armor.
• As Sacred Hall prepares to keep fighting, Chen Hao’s phone receives messages. He uses Monkey Hair to create numerous copies of himself, distracting Sacred Hall while he reads a message from Sun Wukong.
• Sun Wukong explains that the Giant Spirit Art requires swallowing the Giant Spirit God’s blood. Chen Hao drinks the stored drop, triggering a surge of spiritual energy that tears through his meridians—until the cultivation method reappears.
• While Chen Hao endures the painful transformation, Sacred Hall identifies the real Chen Hao and charges. Chen Hao instinctively punches back, unleashing a hurricane and a massive, lifelike white tiger formed from qi.
• Sacred Hall is forced to brace behind his Qi Armor. The storm devastates nearby buildings and sweeps the guards away.

Character developments

• Chen Hao remains determined and resourceful despite being outclassed. He shifts from trying to negotiate and fight directly to using Xiang Wencun’s ability, his clones, and finally the Giant Spirit Art’s catalyst. His new power appears to raise him far beyond his previous Second Realm level.
• Sacred Hall begins as an arrogant, confident powerhouse, amused by Chen Hao’s resistance. Chen Hao’s unexpected attacks first surprise him, then the tiger-shaped qi leaves him genuinely stunned, though he remains standing.
• Xiang Wencun proves a powerful ally, using her sonic attacks to incapacitate the guards and interrupt Sacred Hall. The effort of repeated attacks visibly weakens her.
• Sun Wukong contributes indirectly by discovering the Giant Spirit Art’s requirement and sending Chen Hao the crucial information.

Significant themes

• Courage against overwhelming odds: Chen Hao refuses to back down, even when facing a vastly stronger opponent.
• Resourcefulness and cooperation: Chen Hao survives through improvisation and Xiang Wencun’s timely support rather than strength alone.
• Power gained through risk: The Giant Spirit God’s blood may unlock new abilities, but its dangerous energy nearly destroys Chen Hao.
• Unexpected transformation: Chen Hao’s sudden manifestation of Fifth Realm-like power overturns Sacred Hall’s assumptions about what a Second Realm cultivator can do.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao openly challenges the guards and Sacred Hall, insisting on being heard; Sacred Hall responds with threats and attacks rather than allowing him to explain.
• Xiang Wencun repeatedly intervenes on Chen Hao’s behalf, first incapacitating the guards and later disrupting Sacred Hall at a critical moment.
• Sacred Hall’s frustration grows as Chen Hao’s clones appear to ignore him and check their phones, while Chen Hao uses the distraction to pursue a possible breakthrough.
• Sun Wukong’s message reaches Chen Hao during the fight, connecting the confrontation to the wider cultivation world and providing the key to his sudden power surge.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao’s punch devastates the square, revealing that the Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist’s apparent weakness came from his limited strength—not the technique itself. The Giant Spirit God’s Blood lets him unleash its full power, but its immense spiritual energy is still threatening to overwhelm him.
• Chen Hao attacks Sacred Hall with the Earth-Shattering Staff Strike. Sacred Hall counters with his strongest technique, Earth-Shattering Earth Break, but Chen Hao’s blow crushes the earthen tentacles and buries him in a massive trench.
• Chen Hao’s power keeps escalating. He forms blood-colored Qi Armor and breaks through from the Second Realm to the Third Realm during the fight—an extraordinary feat that astonishes Sacred Hall.
• Guided by the Giant Spirit Art, Chen Hao transforms into a towering, red-skinned giant. He easily swats aside Sacred Hall’s attacks and batters him until Sacred Hall gives up.
• As Chen Hao prepares to finish the fight, a flute melody sounds and vines surge from the woods toward him, interrupting the battle.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao goes from surprised by his own strength to an increasingly dangerous, nearly uncontrollable force. He must keep releasing the Giant Spirit God’s Blood’s spiritual power or risk dying from its pressure. The Giant Spirit Art begins changing both his body and appearance.
• Sacred Hall shifts from confidence and excitement at having a worthy opponent to disbelief, fear, and eventual surrender. Though wounded and outmatched, he initially keeps fighting to avoid losing face in front of his clansmen.
• The guards flee in terror as Chen Hao’s power and size grow; afterward, they help pull Sacred Hall from the trench.
• CC remains comic relief, boasting to a frightened dog that he can grow larger and is strong enough to spar.
• Chen Hao and Sacred Hall’s exchange turns from mutual battle fervor into a one-sided beating: Sacred Hall challenges him, then calls a halt, but Chen Hao says Sacred Hall forfeited his chance earlier and continues attacking.

Significant themes

• Hidden potential and mastery: A technique’s rank does not determine its full power; the practitioner’s strength shapes what it can achieve.
• Power’s cost and danger: Chen Hao’s sudden strength is accompanied by the risk that his body cannot contain the spiritual energy fueling it.
• Transformation and escalation: The Giant Spirit Art makes Chen Hao physically and spiritually more powerful, but also more monstrous and intimidating.
• Pride and the limits of courage: Sacred Hall keeps fighting partly to preserve his standing, yet ultimately recognizes the gulf between them and gives up.

Plot points and events

• Sacred Hall traps Chen Hao and his spirit beast, CC, in a mass of vines. The Saintess arrives and attacks Chen Hao with spiritually empowered wooden posts, overwhelming him and leaving him unconscious.
• Xiang Wencun pleads for Chen Hao. When the Saintess sees her, she abruptly stops the attack, frees Chen Hao and CC, and declares them honored guests of Nine Blades. She seems to recognize Xiang Wencun, though Xiang Wencun has never met her.
• The Cloud Valley Adept appears among the Saintess’s entourage. He remains hostile toward Chen Hao but cannot act against him under the Saintess’s orders.
• Chen Hao wakes inside the Crescent Pendant and argues with Qin Meng. He learns she has been unable to help because the Golden Cudgel damaged her soul power.
• Chen discovers that the Giant Spirit God’s Blood has advanced Guanghan Palace’s restoration to 55% and strengthened his abilities: he has reached the early third realm, learned Qi Armor, advanced his Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist and Heavenly Eye Art, and gained Yin-Yang Eyes.
• After recovering, Chen wakes five days later in Nine Blades, where Xiang Wencun has kept watch over him. She confirms that the Saintess has treated their group as honored guests and helped heal his injuries. Chen remains suspicious about the unexpected welcome.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao endures a severe defeat but gains significant cultivation and technique upgrades from the Giant Spirit God’s Blood. Even while badly injured, he first asks whether Xiang Wencun is safe.
• Xiang Wencun risks intervening to save Chen. Her appearance triggers an unexplained, deeply affectionate response from the Saintess.
• The Saintess shifts from ruthless executioner to welcoming protector as soon as she sees Xiang Wencun, suggesting a hidden connection or expectation.
• CC initially helps Chen fight the vines but is captured as well.
• Qin Meng reveals that the Golden Cudgel’s effect left her too weak to respond to Chen’s calls; their exchange ends with Chen apologizing.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and concern: Chen and Xiang Wencun show mutual care amid danger.
• Power and vulnerability: Chen’s new strength does not prevent him from being overwhelmed, and its source nearly kills him.
• Mystery and reversal: The Saintess’s sudden change of heart—and her apparent connection to Xiang Wencun—raises questions about their past or fate.
• Consequences and responsibility: Chen’s use of the Golden Cudgel has harmed Qin Meng, forcing him to recognize the cost of his actions.

Key plot points

• After two more days of rest, Chen Hao can walk again. His use of the Yellow Emperor’s Book of Changes has repaired his damaged meridians enough to avert lasting disability.
• He and Xiang Wencun see the peaceful life inside Nine Blades’ stronghold, prompting Chen Hao to reconsider the clan’s bad reputation and Arugan’s question about the nature of good and evil.
• The Saintess welcomes Chen Hao and learns he is looking for Cloud Valley Adept. After Chen explains how the Adept harmed Elder Qin, the Saintess orders him found—but he has vanished. She accepts responsibility on behalf of Nine Blades and gives Chen Hao the method to break the Yin Spirit Gu.
• The Saintess takes Chen Hao and Xiang Wencun to Nine Blades’ ancient sacred caves. Murals there depict a Saintess who looks remarkably like Xiang Wencun, including one more than four hundred years old.
• Another mural appears to show the cave itself and a figure drawing a pattern with a flame. The Saintess explains that the pattern, called Wood Grain, has been damaged for a century and cannot be repaired by ordinary means.
• Chen receives a message that Supreme Lord Lao has finished forging his Dragon Claw Immortal Artifact, enabling him to wield samadhi true fire. He realizes he may be the flame-bearing figure in the mural. The chapter ends with the Saintess asking whether he recognizes that person.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao recovers physically and begins questioning the assumptions he held about Nine Blades. The murals and the new artifact leave him confronting the possibility that he is tied to the clan’s ancient legend.
• Xiang Wencun is at ease with the Saintess, suggesting they have grown close during Chen’s recovery. She is stunned to discover her likeness in centuries-old murals.
• The Saintess shows compassion and accountability by helping Chen despite his earlier conflict with her. She also reveals that she has brought the pair to the sacred site to test whether the murals’ prophecy is real.
• Chen and the Saintess move from wary respect to a potentially consequential exchange: she suspects Chen may be the person who can restore Wood Grain, while he is unsure whether to confirm it.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus truth: Nine Blades’ peaceful community challenges its sinister reputation.
• Fate and identity: Xiang Wencun’s likeness in ancient murals, and Chen’s possible role in the flame-bearing scene, suggest that the past may be linked to them.
• Responsibility and restoration: The Saintess accepts responsibility for a clansman’s alleged wrongdoing, while the clan’s generations-long effort to repair Wood Grain reflects its duty to preserve its heritage.

Plot points and events

• The Saintess explains that Nine Blades’ ancient murals identify Xiang Wencun as its twenty-third Saintess and Chen Hao as the person destined to help restore the tribe’s damaged pattern. She is confident the prophecy will come true.
• Chen Hao summons the Dragon Claw Immortal Artifact. It bonds with his right palm, granting him a powerful dragon-claw form.
• Red Boy sends Chen Hao the Samadhi True Fire. Chen Hao transfers the dangerous flame into the Golden Cudgel, transforming its surface into glowing, lava-like crimson.
• Chen Hao struggles to work out how to repair the intricate wood grain: it must be restored in one flawless, continuous motion, and he cannot identify where to begin.
• While examining a mural, Chen Hao spots a faint figure and uses Heavenly Eye Art to reveal an elderly female ghost. She identifies herself as a remnant soul of Nine Blades’ eighteenth Saintess, sealed inside the wood grain for centuries to guide the prophesied restorer.
• The remnant soul shows Chen Hao how the broken lines connect. Using Samadhi True Fire through the Dragon Claw, he softens the otherwise unworkable material and begins repairing it. The ghost recognizes him as the person from the legend.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao moves from skepticism and frustration to action, gaining the Dragon Claw and Samadhi True Fire. He remains cautious about the fire’s immense destructive power but finds a way to use it precisely.
• Xiang Wencun learns she is destined to become the twenty-third Saintess, giving meaning to the mysterious force that drew her into the mountains.
• The current Saintess trusts the murals’ prophecies and urges Chen Hao to fulfill his role.
• The eighteenth Saintess’s remnant soul emerges as a guide, though her excitement and bluntness amuse and irritate Chen Hao. She is initially frightened by Samadhi True Fire, then delighted when it works.

Significant themes

• Prophecy and destiny: The murals connect Xiang Wencun and Chen Hao to Nine Blades’ future.
• Inheritance and duty: Successive Saintesses preserve knowledge and prepare the way for those who follow.
• Power and restraint: Samadhi True Fire can reshape the wood grain but could also destroy the chamber or mountain if mishandled.
• Cooperation across generations: Chen Hao’s tools and abilities combine with the remnant soul’s centuries-old knowledge to make restoration possible.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao finishes repairing the Nine Blades’ Wood Grain. Its light returns, and the chamber trembles.
• The Wood Grain recognizes Chen Hao, granting him wood power and the method for drawing its seventh-grade spirit pattern. The power strengthens wood spells and lets him control nearby wood, though he cannot yet use its full potential.
• The current Saintess, Gula, celebrates the restoration of the clan’s protective totem.
• Chen Hao persuades the Eighteenth Saintess’s remnant soul to enter his Crescent Pendant, where it can be nourished rather than fading away. Inside, she immediately clashes comically with Qin Meng over who controls the place.
• At a clan celebration, Xiang Wencun tells Chen Hao she has decided to stay with the Nine Blades. She admits she envied Liu Yan for being loved by him and regrets letting her own chance with him pass. She then kisses him beneath the stars.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is exhausted by the repair but gains a powerful new ability. He also shows concern for the Eighteenth Saintess by offering her shelter in his pendant.
• Xiang Wencun accepts the possibility that she and Chen Hao may never be together, yet reveals the depth of her feelings and chooses to remain with the clan. Her farewell becomes a passionate, bittersweet moment with him.
• Gula is overwhelmed with gratitude for the Wood Grain’s restoration and treats the Eighteenth Saintess’s supposed message as a solemn charge to revive the Nine Blades.
• The Eighteenth Saintess moves from preparing to depart for the Netherworld to staying in the pendant, where her proud, teasing personality quickly emerges in her quarrel with Qin Meng.
• The Saintess and Xiang Wencun briefly discuss Xiang Wencun’s feelings; the Saintess suggests her role may require a life without marriage.

Significant themes

• Fate and missed chances: Xiang Wencun wonders whether her place with the Nine Blades is destiny, while grieving the relationship she might have had with Chen Hao.
• Love and sacrifice: She chooses to stay despite her feelings, and their kiss makes their connection both tender and painful.
• Legacy and renewal: Repairing the Wood Grain restores the Nine Blades’ protection and inspires hope for the clan’s future.
• Mortality and belonging: The remnant soul avoids fading away by finding a new home, while the final shooting star underscores how beautiful moments can be brief.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao leaves the Nine Blades tribe. Xiang Wencun tearfully says she will remain with them and wait for his return; he promises to visit.
• CC also bids farewell to his pregnant dog companion, Ahua, boasting that he will come back to see her and the puppies.
• A Sacred Envoy guides Chen Hao out of the Mist Forest. At the camp outside, Qin Yumo and Qin Kai welcome him, but he is subdued by leaving Xiang behind.
• Chen Hao explains that Xiang chose to stay and tells the siblings about the Nine Blades’ heritage and its uncanny prophecy. He rejects Qin Kai’s claim that the tribe is crooked, praising its humanity instead.
• Qin Kai reveals that Yumo moved Arugan’s camp closer to the forest because she was worried about Chen Hao. His teasing and her embarrassed retaliation draw a faint smile from Chen Hao.
• Chen Hao, Yumo, and Kai set off through the mountains. After three days without finding an exit, they follow gunfire to a remote village.
• The village is eerily silent, shrouded in mist, and strewn with corpses. Chen Hao spots four armed, masked men. A mysterious figure attacks them, and Chen Hao charges in, accusing them of murdering the villagers.
• As Chen Hao strikes, one of the men calls out, “Chen Hao, stop! It’s me!”—ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiang Wencun chooses belonging with the Nine Blades over leaving with Chen Hao, while openly expressing her attachment and hope he’ll return.
• Chen Hao leaves with mixed feelings but has gained respect for the Nine Blades through what he learned in the Sacred Domain.
• Qin Yumo’s worry for Chen Hao is exposed by Kai’s teasing; she tries to hide her feelings, but her actions reveal them.
• Qin Kai shows anxiety about Xiang staying behind and playfully needles his sister about her concern for Chen Hao.
• CC provides comic relief with his shamelessly sentimental farewell to Ahua.

Significant themes

• Farewell, attachment, and loyalty: Xiang’s choice, Chen Hao’s promise to return, and CC’s exaggerated goodbye all center on separation and devotion.
• Belonging and moral judgment: Chen Hao challenges outsiders’ assumptions about the Nine Blades, emphasizing their humanity and heritage.
• Concern masked by humor: Yumo’s feelings emerge through Kai’s teasing, briefly easing Chen Hao’s sadness.
• Violence and uncertainty: The massacre and masked gunmen abruptly shift the story from travel and reunion to danger, with the final recognition hinting at an unexpected connection.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao is about to attack three figures in a fog-covered village when one calls out, revealing himself as Fang Lei. Chen Hao has also arrived with Qin Yumo and Qin Kai, and the two men compare how they ended up there.
• Corpses throughout the village begin twitching and rising. The group flees, pursued by the reanimated dead. When one attacks a soldier, Chen Hao destroys it, but its corrosive green fluid sprays onto the man and burns through his protective gear and flesh. The team is forced to leave him behind.
• Fang Lei explains that reports of strange creatures and disappearances in the Wolong Mountains led to a military investigation. The attacks are linked to a spreading fog: living beings that enter it die and later revive as aggressive corpses filled with acid-like green fluid. The dead cannot cross beyond the fog, and its origin remains unknown.
• At the military camp, Chen Hao agrees to help Fang Lei investigate, honoring a favor he owes him, in exchange for borrowing a helicopter.
• Chen Hao gives Qin Yumo a method to destroy the Yin Spirit Gu affecting Elder Qin, which should work after seven days of daily treatment. He assumes she will return home, but she is offended by the suggestion that she came only to save her grandfather.
• Qin Yumo initially appears to leave with Qin Kai, then secretly returns, choosing to stay with Chen Hao. Their parting awkwardness turns into mutual smiles, though Chen Hao’s is rueful.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows quick reflexes and considerable strength, but the death caused by the corrosive fluid leaves him shocked and helpless. His sense of loyalty leads him to offer Fang Lei help. He is oblivious to Qin Yumo’s feelings and misreads her reason for traveling.
• Fang Lei is revealed as the commander of a well-equipped military operation. He is grateful and excited to have Chen Hao’s help, while remaining uncertain about why Chen Hao was unaffected by the fog.
• Qin Yumo reacts strongly to Chen Hao’s assumption that she should leave once her grandfather’s treatment is arranged. Her return makes clear that she wants to remain with him, though she expresses it playfully rather than directly.
• Qin Kai departs for Capital City, leaving Qin Yumo behind.

Significant themes

• The unknown and the supernatural: The fog, reanimated bodies, and corrosive fluid present a threat that science and military force have yet to explain.
• Loyalty and reciprocal kindness: Chen Hao chooses to help Fang Lei because he remembers Fang Lei’s earlier assistance.
• Misunderstanding and unspoken affection: Chen Hao treats Qin Yumo’s journey as purely practical, while her decision to stay hints at deeper feelings.
• The cost of intervention: Chen Hao’s attempt to save the fallen soldier unintentionally exposes him to the lethal fluid, underscoring how dangerous the new threat is.

Key plot points

• In her office, Liu Yan keeps accidentally signing Chen Hao’s name on contracts and denies that she misses him. When he finally calls after half a month without contact, she bursts into tears, then laughs as he explains that he had been out of signal range in the mountains. They talk for over half an hour.
• Back at camp, Fang Ying reunites warmly with Chen Hao and invites him to drink with her and her brother, Fang Lei. She assumes Chen Hao brought Qin Yumo as a romantic interest; Qin Yumo claims to be his girlfriend, leaving Fang Ying embarrassed and Chen Hao baffled.
• A helicopter arrives carrying Li Pai, a senior National Congress and Kirin official who announces that he will take over Fang Lei’s mission. He mocks Fang Lei’s choice of adviser, Chen Hao, and boasts of having brought Sun Dexing, a powerful Qi Refiner from the Capital Gate.
• Li Pai’s men try to intimidate Chen Hao. A buzz-cut fighter cannot even move Chen Hao’s wrist, revealing that Chen Hao is no ordinary adviser. Li Pai then challenges him to prove himself against Wu Lei, a formidable martial artist.
• Fang Lei explains that Li Pai is trying to seize the mission’s military merit, which earns Kirin valuable rewards and recognition. Chen Hao agrees to face the challenge.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Yan reveals how deeply she misses and worries about Chen Hao, despite her stubborn denial. Chen’s apology and teasing quickly restore her spirits.
• Chen Hao remains relaxed and confident under provocation, while his growing strength becomes evident when he effortlessly withstands the buzz-cut man’s grip.
• Fang Ying is delighted to see Chen Hao again but is thrown off by Qin Yumo’s claim that she is his girlfriend.
• Fang Lei is proud of Chen Hao but concerned that Li Pai’s takeover attempt—and Sun Dexing’s involvement—will complicate the mission.
• Li Pai is arrogant and politically competitive, using his rank and hired allies to undermine Fang Lei and claim credit.
• Sun Dexing dismisses Chen Hao as insignificant, while Wu Lei’s challenge sets up a likely test of strength.

Significant themes

• Longing and reassurance: Liu Yan’s reaction shows the emotional cost of Chen Hao’s absence.
• Power and rivalry: Li Pai uses authority and force to compete for mission credit.
• Strength beneath appearances: Chen Hao is underestimated as a “random nobody,” but his composure and ability challenge that assumption.
• Recognition and reward: Kirin’s military-merit system explains why the mission has become a contest for status and resources.

Key plot points and events

• Li Pai stages a public confrontation to defend the soldiers’ honor, selecting elite fighter Wu Lei to challenge Chen Hao. He expects Chen to lose quickly and bets Sun Dexing on the outcome.
• Chen Hao pauses to warm up, drawing mockery from Wu Lei and Li Pai’s group. Instead of attacking Wu Lei, he punches the ground, creating a broad crater and cracks that shake the camp and its helicopter.
• Terrified by the display, Wu Lei falls to his knees before Chen Hao can strike him. Chen warns him not to look down on others and leaves the ring.
• Fang Lei and Fang Ying openly ridicule Li Pai’s side. Li Pai storms off, while the soldiers crowd around Chen Hao, eager to learn how he developed such strength.
• At dinner, the group plans the next day’s operation to investigate the deadly mist. Chen Hao agrees to help, both out of gratitude to Fang Lei and concern for the people at risk.
• That night, Chen Hao has nowhere to sleep: Qin Yumo has gone into the tent early, and Fang Ying refuses to share his tent, joking that Chen Hao might compromise his “innocence.”

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains calm under pressure and reveals overwhelming supernatural strength. He uses a display of power rather than a direct fight to end the confrontation, then accepts the dangerous mission.
• Wu Lei, previously celebrated as the camp’s strongest soldier, is reduced to panic and submission, exposing how badly he misjudged Chen.
• Li Pai tries to humiliate Chen and undermine Fang Lei, but his confidence turns to fury and embarrassment after Chen’s display.
• Fang Lei and Fang Ying trust Chen’s abilities and use his victory to taunt Li Pai. Fang Lei’s earlier rescue of Chen also motivates Chen to help with the operation.
• Sun Dexing joins Li Pai’s wager, underestimating Chen and hoping to profit from the bet.
• Qin Yumo admires Chen’s strength, while CC playfully treats his display as a chance to tease her about her feelings.

Significant themes

• True strength versus arrogance: Chen’s power exposes the folly of judging others by appearances, while Wu Lei’s and Li Pai’s confidence collapses.
• Honor and humiliation: Li Pai invokes military honor, but his challenge becomes a spectacle that humiliates his own side.
• Responsibility and compassion: Chen joins the investigation not only to repay a debt but also to prevent further deaths.
• Comic relief amid danger: The camp’s rivalry, CC’s imagined teasing, and Fang Ying’s theatrical refusal lighten the serious threat posed by the mist.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao spends the night outside before mosquitoes drive him into Qin Yumo’s tent. They share the cramped space, though Chen Hao awkwardly keeps to himself.
• The next morning, Fang Ying teases Chen Hao about sleeping in Qin Yumo’s tent. Chen Hao insists they are only friends, but admits their relationship has become increasingly ambiguous.
• Fang Lei briefs Chen Hao on a mission: the deadly fog around a mountain village is spreading rapidly, and the team must discover its source. Li Pai and Sun Dexing join the operation, complicating Fang Lei’s position because Li Pai may take over and claim credit.
• Qin Yumo insists on joining Chen Hao, objecting when he calls CC along but initially refuses her. The group travels to the mountains in a convoy.
• Chen Hao and CC scout ahead without gas masks, since Chen Hao is immune to the fog. In the deserted village, Chen Hao finds a strange rune in a ruined hut.
• Sun Dexing identifies the fog as the work of a vast spirit array, with the rune serving as one of its markings. Li Pai praises Sun while using the discovery to disparage Chen Hao. Fang Ying challenges him, but Fang Lei stops the argument so they can focus on breaking the array.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao and Qin Yumo: Their closeness is increasingly apparent, though Chen Hao remains awkward and avoids defining their relationship. Qin Yumo’s insistence on joining the mission shows her determination to stay by his side.
• Chen Hao and CC: Their playful, familiar relationship continues; CC’s eagerness for promised dragon meat provides comic relief.
• Fang Lei: He is focused on solving the crisis quickly, while also worrying that Li Pai’s involvement could cost him authority and recognition.
• Li Pai and Sun Dexing: Li Pai uses Sun’s expertise to bolster his own position and criticize Chen Hao. Sun speaks confidently about the array, though Chen Hao had independently suspected the same explanation.
• Fang Ying: He remains loyal to Chen Hao and confronts Li Pai’s insults, but yields when Fang Lei urges the team to stay focused.

Significant themes

• Growing intimacy and ambiguity: Chen Hao and Qin Yumo’s relationship is changing, even as he continues to call it friendship.
• Duty versus personal ambition: The spreading fog threatens lives, but rank, credit, and rivalry distract some of the officials.
• Expertise and recognition: Chen Hao finds the rune, yet Sun’s public explanation gives Li Pai an opportunity to undermine him.
• Humor amid danger: The tent, mosquito, and CC exchanges contrast with the deadly threat facing the mountain village.

Plot points and events

• Captain Fang Lei reluctantly considers letting Master Sun Dexing break the spirit array. Sun’s associate, Li Pai, makes clear that Fang’s military credit will go to their side if Sun succeeds—and threatens to report Fang if he obstructs them.
• Chen Hao interrupts and says Sun is not the only one capable of breaking the array. He challenges Sun and Li Pai to a contest: whoever fails must leave, and Sun adds that the loser must also kowtow and apologize.
• The groups search separately. While Sun finds additional runes, Chen Hao explains that locating the array’s core—not merely its runes—is what matters. Using the Heavenly Eye Art to trace spiritual energy, he discovers a large rune near the village boundary, but recognizes it is only a powerful relay, not the core.
• Beyond the boundary, Chen Hao detects a vast cemetery. Before he can investigate it, Sun arrives, mistakes the relay rune for the core, and claims credit.
• Chen Hao warns Sun not to touch the rune, cautioning that destroying it could destabilize the array. Fang orders his soldiers to guard it, but Li Pai threatens them with his gun. Sun then blasts the rune despite Chen’s warning.
• The spiritual energy immediately becomes chaotic, the fog churns, and everyone senses danger. Sun insists this is normal, while Chen angrily tells him to stop showing off. At the chapter’s end, hurried footsteps begin sounding through the fog.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains composed and confident, relying on his spiritual perception rather than appearances. He protects Fang from Sun and Li Pai’s political maneuvering, then tries to prevent Sun from making a reckless mistake.
• Fang Lei moves from a difficult choice between military credit and responsibility for public safety to trusting Chen’s judgment. His anxiety grows as Sun appears to make progress, but he ultimately backs Chen and orders the rune guarded.
• Sun Dexing is proud of his rune knowledge and eager to claim credit. His confidence turns into dangerous overreach when he dismisses Chen’s warning and attacks the rune.
• Li Pai uses pressure and threats to secure advantage for his side, first cornering Fang politically and later forcing Fang’s soldiers away at gunpoint.
• Chen’s contest with Sun turns their rivalry into an explicit test of skill, while Fang’s reliance on Chen puts him at odds with Sun and Li Pai.

Significant themes

• Pride versus sound judgment: Sun’s arrogance leads him to act without understanding the rune’s role.
• Knowledge and perception: Chen’s careful tracing of spiritual energy contrasts with Sun’s reliance on experience and assumptions.
• Political ambition versus public safety: Li Pai and Sun prioritize credit and competition, while Chen and Fang recognize the danger to others.
• Unintended consequences: The destruction of a misunderstood part of the array destabilizes the fog, setting up an emerging threat.

Chapter summary: “The Giant Corpse”

Key plot points and events

• As Chen Hao’s group tries to leave the mist, countless corrosive-blood corpses charge them from every direction. Machine-gun fire initially slows them, but the horde soon overwhelms the soldiers’ defenses.
• Fang Lei and the others fight to protect the group, but several soldiers die when green blood corrodes their masks. Chen Hao recognizes the attackers from an earlier encounter and urges an immediate retreat.
• During the withdrawal, the corpses break through the right flank. Sun Dexing ignores Chen Hao’s warning, and soldiers are caught in the ensuing assault. Chen Hao uses his Monkey Hair to create dozens of clones, helping contain the horde while Qin Yumo and CC reinforce the endangered flank.
• As another wave threatens to collapse the retreat, Chen Hao confronts Sun Dexing and unleashes a powerful strike: a white tiger formed from his spiritual energy blasts the corpses backward. The display stuns the group and makes Sun Dexing abruptly abandon his defiance.
• The group presses on, only to find itself surrounded by corpses that are no longer attacking. A colossal, grotesque creature assembled from human heads and limbs emerges from the mist, leaving everyone overwhelmed by fear.

Character developments

• Chen Hao takes command in the crisis, repeatedly directing the retreat and protecting others. He reveals a formidable technique—“giving form to qi”—though its power falls short of what he achieved with the giant spirit god’s blood.
• Qin Yumo remains concerned for Chen Hao but acts decisively, fighting alongside CC to help the soldiers.
• Fang Lei responds courageously to his men’s deaths, rushing into the horde and helping lead the withdrawal.
• Sun Dexing is shown to be powerful but arrogant: he dismisses Chen Hao’s warning and nearly gets the group caught. Chen Hao’s display of strength quickly silences his hostility.
• CC proves exceptionally tough, fighting the corpses with little harm from their corrosive blood.

Significant themes

• Leadership and responsibility: Chen Hao repeatedly prioritizes the group’s survival and tries to coordinate people who do not always heed him.
• Cooperation under pressure: The group’s defense depends on different people and abilities working together, from soldiers’ gunfire to the fighters’ powers.
• Power and arrogance: Sun Dexing’s refusal to listen contrasts with Chen Hao’s practical leadership, while Chen Hao’s strength earns immediate respect.
• Horror and escalating danger: The seemingly endless horde gives way to a more disturbing threat—the silent, colossal corpse—raising the danger beyond ordinary combat.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao shields Qin Yumo and later works with her and CC to protect the retreat.
• He warns Sun Dexing about the right flank, but Sun Dexing snaps at him and ignores the warning; after Chen Hao saves the situation with his white tiger attack, Sun Dexing retreats into an awkward, conciliatory response.
• Fang Lei and Chen Hao coordinate the withdrawal, while Fang Lei’s concern for his soldiers drives him to fight at close range.
• The chapter ends with the group united in stunned fear before the giant corpse.

Plot points and events

• Surrounded by a horde of undead and blocked by a giant corpse, Chen Hao organizes a breakout: Fang Lei, Fang Ying, and Qin Yumo lead the others toward the giant, while Chen Hao, Sun Dexing, and Li Pai hold off the rear attack.
• Chen Hao’s Earth-Shattering Staff Strike knocks the giant corpse down, giving the group a chance to move. It soon revives and unleashes corrosive green blood from its many mouths.
• Chen Hao shelters Qin Yumo with his Qi Armor, but most of the others are caught in the rain. Several soldiers die protecting Fang Lei, while Fang Ying escapes much of the attack by hiding in a hollow tree.
• After the rain stops, Chen Hao attacks again. The Golden Cudgel’s Samadhi True Fire burns through the giant corpse’s defenses and destroys it, along with the Yin Spirit powering it. Chen Hao absorbs the spirit into the cudgel.
• A mysterious man hidden in the fog is hurt through his connection to the Yin Spirit, then escapes. With the giant destroyed, the surrounding corpses collapse and become inert.
• Chen Hao treats the wounded with a Blue Light Potion. Of the twenty-plus soldiers, only four survive; the group is left grieving.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao establishes himself as the group’s decisive strategist and protector, then shows anger at the soldiers’ deaths and compassion toward the survivors.
• Qin Yumo trusts Chen Hao and is briefly captivated when he protects her; later, she rushes to shield him from the giant, despite being unable to withstand it.
• Fang Lei is devastated by the soldiers who sacrifice themselves to protect him. Chen Hao offers condolences and medicine, but leaves him space to grieve.
• Sun Dexing and Li Pai resent being assigned to the dangerous rear guard, but obey and fight until the horde collapses.
• The mysterious man’s bond with his lifebound Yin Spirit is revealed: when Chen Hao’s fire burns it and the cudgel absorbs it, the man is injured.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Soldiers give their lives to save Fang Lei.
• Leadership under pressure: Chen Hao’s quick planning and combat decisions create the group’s only chance to escape.
• Loss and survival: The victory comes at an immense human cost, leaving the survivors in mourning.
• Hidden power and mystery: The Samadhi True Fire and the mysterious man’s connection to the undead hint at larger forces behind the attack.

Plot points and events

• Sun Dexing and Li Pai survive the corrosive blood, but both are badly burned. Sun Dexing is especially upset when he learns Chen Hao has no Blue Light Potions left.
• With the team too injured to continue, Chen Hao sends Qin Yumo back with the others while he investigates alone. Li Pai suspects Rakshasa, a group known for spirit arrays and corpse manipulation, is behind the giant corpse.
• Chen Hao finds the array’s core and a cave filled with corpses and a vast drug stash. A Rakshasa member speaks to him through a corpse, admitting the group killed villagers who opposed its trafficking operation and built the array to resist authorities.
• The Rakshasa member offers Chen Hao money and membership. Chen Hao refuses, destroys the speaking corpse, and uses samadhi true fire to burn the drugs. He then smashes the array’s core, clearing the fog. The unseen Rakshasa member threatens revenge.
• Back at camp, Chen Hao finds Sun Dexing and Fang Lei fighting. Fang Lei blames Sun for the deaths of their comrades; Sun rejects responsibility and insists the mission’s commander is to blame. Sun knocks Fang Lei down repeatedly, and Fang Ying moves to defend him before being stopped.

Character developments

• Chen Hao acts decisively and independently, confirming Rakshasa’s involvement and choosing to destroy the drug operation rather than accept its bribe. He knowingly makes a powerful enemy.
• Li Pai identifies Rakshasa as the likely culprit, but his ties to Capital Gate keep him from intervening in the conflict at camp.
• Qin Yumo is anxious about Chen Hao going alone but follows his wishes and takes the team back.
• Sun Dexing is vain about his injuries and defensive about the mission’s failure, showing little sympathy for the dead.
• Fang Lei is overwhelmed by grief and anger over his fallen men and directly confronts Sun.
• Fang Ying is fiercely loyal to Fang Lei and is ready to fight Sun despite the power imbalance.

Themes and character interactions

• The chapter contrasts Chen Hao’s moral resolve with Rakshasa’s greed and self-justification: the criminal calls the villagers ungrateful while admitting they were murdered for resisting him.
• Loyalty, responsibility, and grief drive the camp conflict. Fang Lei demands accountability, while Sun deflects blame; Li Pai’s political and organizational loyalties leave him unwilling to step in.
• Chen Hao and the Rakshasa member exchange threats and taunts, turning the destruction of the drugs into a direct declaration of war between them.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao returns to the clearing just as Sun Dexing insults the fallen soldiers. He demands that Sun kneel and apologize; Sun refuses, and they fight.
• Sun uses his fourth-realm ability to manipulate the earth, then unleashes a powerful lightning attack through a fourth-grade spirit artifact. Chen Hao survives unharmed, shatters Sun’s Qi Armor, and takes him by the throat.
• Though furious, Chen Hao does not kill Sun. He forces him to kneel and kowtow toward the soldiers’ tents. The soldiers remove their caps and observe a moment of silence for their dead comrades.
• Li Pai and Sun leave by helicopter that night. Chen Hao reveals that he has broken the spirit array, allowing Fang Lei’s men to recover and bury the bodies.
• Chen Hao tells Fang Lei that the Rakshasa is involved. Fang Lei reports the information to his superiors. Chen plans to leave the next morning, and Fang Ying is to see him off.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows both overwhelming strength and restraint: he defends the dead soldiers’ dignity, withstands Sun’s strongest attack, and stops short of killing him.
• Sun Dexing shifts from arrogant confidence to fear and humiliation when Chen proves impervious to his artifact.
• Fang Lei and Fang Ying are relieved by Chen’s return. Fang Lei warns him about the artifact, then expresses deep gratitude after Chen helps recover the fallen.
• Li Pai tries to halt the fight and appeals to Sun, but cannot prevent Chen from forcing an apology.
• Qin Yumo rushes toward Chen when he disappears in the smoke; CC confidently assures her that he will be fine.

Significant themes

• Respect for the fallen: Sun’s insult sparks the confrontation, and the soldiers’ silent tribute affirms their shared grief.
• Power paired with restraint: Chen can defeat Sun decisively but chooses humiliation and apology over killing him.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Chen’s defense of Fang Lei’s men deepens their bond, while Fang Lei openly acknowledges his debt.
• Duty amid loss: Even after Sun’s departure, the group’s focus remains on recovering and honoring their dead.