Chapter Summaries

Cheng Yu traveled toward Heavenly Gate Pass, reflecting on the Central Capital’s history and defenses. When a young woman tried to pressure him into rescuing her from a group of men, he handed her over to them and rode away.

• Cheng Yu reviewed the Central Capital Prefecture’s history and the four passes built to defend the Central Capital.
• Cheng Yu continued toward Heavenly Gate Pass, avoiding groups of young travelers and potential trouble.
• A young woman blocked Niu Ba and asked Cheng Yu to save her from the men pursuing her.
• Cheng Yu asked the woman’s cultivation realm, learned she was in the Void Dao realm, and said he could not help because he was weaker.
• When the woman insisted, Cheng Yu told her to stay put, pointed her out to the approaching men, and rode away on Niu Ba.

Cheng Yu and Niu Ba traveled toward Heavenly Gate Pass as rumors spread of a crisis involving Shen Qian and a demon military buildup. Cheng Yu realized his old plans had helped create the turmoil and continued onward, hoping his nephews could contain it.

• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba rested on the road, and Cheng Yu said he was going to the Northern Abyss Islands because his master might be there.
• A young lay Buddhist warned Cheng Yu that demons had massed on the Northern Abyss Islands after Shen Qian disappeared in human territory, raising fears of war.
• Cheng Yu suspected the crisis had grown from a plan he had set in motion as Shen Yu and worried that he could no longer influence events.
• Niu Ba explained that the Demon Son of Heaven had publicized Shen Qian's case, ordered her arrest, and issued an Edict of Self-Blame while keeping her on the demon register in honor of Cheng Yu's wishes.
• Cheng Yu recognized that Shen Tian had used the incident to demonstrate his virtue and protect his rule, then heard Niu Ba praise him as a Peerless Sage-Ruler.

Cheng Yu left Heavenly Gate Pass and traveled toward Beiyou Prefecture, where rumors of a possible conflict with the Demon Race had driven many people to flee. He parted ways with the powerful Tian Jianbai and continued across the wasteland with Niu Ba.

• Travelers at Heavenly Gate Pass discussed the Demon Dynasty's Moon King and the possibility of war in Beiyou Prefecture, while Tian Jianbai impressed the crowd by waiting his turn in line.
• Cheng Yu showed his Identity Token, told the soldier he was leaving to see the world, and passed through Heavenly Gate Pass.
• Tian Jianbai introduced himself as an outer disciple of Hunyuan Prefecture and asked whether Cheng Yu was connected to Qingfengzi, but Cheng Yu denied it.
• Cheng Yu and Tian Jianbai traveled together, discussed the Dao, and parted ways after leaving the mountain road.
• Cheng Yu stroked Niu Ba's head and continued toward the wasteland.

Cheng Yu and Niu Ba continued their journey through the wasteland toward the sky walkway, breaking up the long trip with stories about Passerby A. After reaching a lake, Cheng Yu began telling Niu Ba how Luo Xia met the love of his life in the Weird Nation.

• Cheng Yu resumed Passerby A's story, explaining that he met Luo Xia in the Weird World and that Luo Xia fought during the siege of Sea City in puppet armor.
• Cheng Yu stopped the story for the night, and he and Niu Ba slept through a drizzle before setting out again the next morning.
• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba traveled along a sparsely used road, passing unusual vehicles and finally reaching a large lake.
• Cheng Yu pitched camp by the lake, and after dinner he began telling Niu Ba about Luo Xia and the beloved he met in the Weird Nation.

Cheng Yu and Niu Ba traveled through the rain to the edge of the wasteland, where they rested before continuing toward the Skywalk. During the night, Cheng Yu recognized Shen Qian passing through the forest and reflected on how he had arranged the hardship that had shaped her life.

• Cheng Yu encouraged Niu Ba to keep traveling through the rain, and Niu Ba insisted on pressing on while asking Cheng Yu to tell him stories and pamper him.
• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba reached a forest at the edge of the wasteland and decided to rest before traveling to the Skywalk the next day.
• A domain-type Illusion Technique awakened Cheng Yu, and the System told him that its user was an acquaintance.
• Cheng Yu saw the pregnant Shen Qian enter the forest and recognized her despite her plain clothes and worn appearance.
• Cheng Yu recalled how, as Shen Yu, he had engineered Shen Qian's circumstances, then hoped she would endure the ordeal and returned to sleep.

Cheng Yu and Niu Ba traveled through a busy forest road, avoiding trouble with foreign cultivators while Cheng Yu entertained Niu Ba and a passing storyteller with the tale of Passerby A. They emerged from the forest and saw the legendary Skywalk ahead.

• Cheng Yu rode Niu Ba along the forest road and avoided provoking a passing cultivator from a minor race.
• Three junior disciples of the Fusang Divine Domain hurried past while apparently searching for Shen Qian.
• Cheng Yu paused his story about Passerby A, frustrating Niu Ba, and told him he would continue the next day.
• A wandering hero asked Cheng Yu about the story, then lost interest when Cheng Yu said he had heard it from a friend from another world.
• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba left the forest and saw the Skywalk.

Cheng Yu learned the legend of how the Skywalk and its enormous fish beast became a major transportation route, then made his way through the settlement to the Launch Platform. As his flying boat prepared to depart, a young woman sat beside him and the system warned that she was attempting information pollution.

• An old man told Cheng Yu that the Skywalk formed after the Northern Continent collided with the Eastern Continent and that the fish beast's passage through its spiritual wind gentled it.
• The old man explained that Qin Shuo later allowed the fish beast and its mother to travel across the Eastern Continent, and settlements grew wherever the beast rested.
• Cheng Yu struggled through the settlement's tangled streets and received a system warning that someone was subjecting him to information pollution.
• Cheng Yu boarded a flying boat at the Launch Platform, paid one Origin Stone, and waited for departure.
• A young woman sat beside Cheng Yu just before takeoff, prompting repeated system warnings about information pollution.

Cheng Yu traveled aboard a Flying Boat with Niu Ba and unexpectedly encountered Shen Qian, who recognized the bull as a member of the Demon Race. After leaving Shen Qian behind, Cheng Yu and Niu Ba continued toward the bow, while Cheng Yu worried that she might become a source of trouble.

• Cheng Yu watched Shen Qian deflect questions about her husband from a fellow passenger, and the Flying Boat took off along the Skywalk.
• Cheng Yu let Niu Ba out on deck, where Niu Ba sensed sadness and a plea in the cries of a Cloud Fish Beast.
• Shen Qian approached Niu Ba and said the Cloud Fish Beast was pleading with its mother not to leave, then questioned Cheng Yu about traveling with a Demon.
• Niu Ba defended Cheng Yu, saying he had saved him and promised to take him back to the Demon Race.
• Cheng Yu refused to discuss his relationship with Niu Ba, and the two walked toward the bow as Niu Ba began calling him Yun Yang.

Cheng Yu learned why the Fish Beast had mourned for decades: his mother had died, and the Heavenly Dynasty’s merchants had concealed it from him. As Cheng Yu tried to leave the Skywalk, disciples from the Fusang Divine Domain arrived searching for Shen Qian, and he moved closer to learn what they intended.

• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba watched the Fish Beast from the Flying Boat’s bow while Cheng Yu wondered why the Heavenly Dynasty’s experts ignored its sorrowful cries.
• A scholarly traveler explained that the Fish Beast’s mother had died fifty years earlier and had asked the merchants to hide her death from her young, childlike son.
• Cheng Yu learned that the Fish Beast had followed his mother’s last instruction to wait for her while crying for forty years, as officials watched only to ensure he did not disrupt the Skywalk.
• The scholar mocked poets who had praised the Fish Beast’s sorrow without knowing its cause, and Cheng Yu left with Niu Ba.
• A Heavenly Dynasty official accused disciples of the Fusang Divine Domain of challenging the Human Emperor’s authority, and a younger disciple said they were searching for someone missing from their domain.
• Cheng Yu realized the disciples were looking for Shen Qian, hid Niu Ba in his Spirit Beast Bag, and moved into the crowd to observe them.

Cheng Yu watched a battle erupt along the Skywalk as Broken-Heart Half-Demons attacked the flying boats and human experts moved to stop them. The fish beast’s spiritual energy grew unstable, and the Demon-Worshipping Cult revealed that it had already obtained what it came for.

• Cheng Yu noticed Shen Qian endure the fish beast’s ripples without revealing her distress while he searched for a way to escape the Skywalk.
• A Thunder Crow appeared, summoned a lightning storm, and fought a powerful human expert as Half-Demons attacked flying boats along the route.
• Cheng Yu recognized the attackers as Broken-Heart Half-Demons and realized their presence in the Eastern Continent suggested they were pursuing an important goal.
• Government and merchant fighters joined the battle after the Heavenly Dynasty expert called on the Sacred Land disciples to help suppress the demons.
• The fish beast’s cry made the Skywalk’s spiritual energy turn red until a convoy expert warned it about its mother, prompting it to calm down.
• A hoarse voice said the Broken-Heart Half-Demons had already obtained what they came for, and the convoy expert identified the speaker’s group as the Demon-Worshipping Cult.

A Demon-Worshipping Cult member used the Fish Beast, its dead mother’s body, and blood offerings to create a supposedly unprecedented great demon, unleashing a red spiritual storm across the Skywalk. Cheng Yu survived aboard a stranded Flying Boat and finally glimpsed the transformed Fish Beast as the experts fought ahead.

• The Demon-Worshipping Cult member revealed the Fish Beast’s mother’s corpse and provoked it into unleashing a red spiritual storm that disabled the Flying Boats.
• The Shipmaster tried to descend, but the contaminated Spirit Wind prevented the Flying Boat from moving, leaving passengers trapped.
• The cultist and the Broken-Heart Half-Demon’s allies argued over the Fish Beast and the promised Kunpeng bloodline as passengers were drained of blood and crumbled away.
• The cultist explained that he had corrupted the Fish Beast’s pure heart with negative emotions, violent spiritual energy, blood offerings, and a blood seed from the cult leader.
• A shock wave rocked Cheng Yu’s Flying Boat, and he caught sight of the transformed Fish Beast as the experts fought.

Human Emperor Qin Shuo learned that Shen Tian had mobilized Demon Dynasty forces to demand Shen Qian’s return and deployed forces to contain a possible war. At the Skywalk, a Fish Beast transformed into a terrifying Greater Demon and killed a Cave Profound expert with its roar, just as Shen Xuan arrived in dragon form.

• Qin Shuo received reports of Demon Dynasty forces gathering in the Northern Abyss Islands and near the Southern Continent, then ordered reinforcements to Beiyou Prefecture and Baiyue Prefecture.
• Qin Shuo considered Shen Tian’s demand for Shen Qian’s return and reflected on his own plan to overturn what seemed like predetermined fate.
• At the Skywalk, Cheng Yu saw the Fish Beast transform into a monstrous Greater Demon as a cloaked figure declared that its enemies would die.
• The transformed Fish Beast roared and reduced the official-robed man to bloody liquid, while the Thunder Crow fled.
• Shen Xuan appeared above Cheng Yu in the form of the National Fortune Divine Dragon and roared.

Shen Xuan arrived on the Skywalk and used Humankind Fortune to destroy the attackers, revive the dead, and restore the damaged Flying Boats. Seeing Shen Xuan point toward Beiyou Prefecture, Cheng Yu changed his plans and decided to persuade Shen Qian to help him reach the Northern Abyss Islands and find his master's remains.

• Cheng Yu recalled Shen Xuan's history and realized that his arrival meant the Skywalk's crisis would end safely.
• Shen Xuan's golden light destroyed the black-cloaked figure and Fish Monster, revived those who had died, and repaired the Flying Boats.
• Cheng Yu noticed Shen Xuan's attention toward Beiyou Prefecture and considered how the Demon Race's military buildup could delay his journey to the Northern Abyss Islands.
• Cheng Yu decided to escort Shen Qian back to the Demon Race in exchange for travel access and help locating Stillwater's burial place.
• Cheng Yu released Niu Ba briefly, then returned to the Flying Boat to wait until order was restored before speaking with Shen Qian.

Cheng Yu agreed to help Shen Qian if anything happened to her during childbirth, in exchange for her help gaining the Demon Dynasty’s approval to travel in the Northern Abyss Islands. As their month-long journey ended, Cheng Yu and his companions reached the Haiyou Mountains.

• Shen Qian admitted she was a member of the Demon Race and asked Cheng Yu why Niu Ba was traveling with him.
• Niu Ba told Shen Qian that he trusted Yun Yang and explained the lessons Yun Yang had taught him about judging people by their words and actions.
• Shen Qian offered to help Cheng Yu gain approval to operate in the Northern Abyss Islands and asked him to take her child to the Demon Race if she died in childbirth.
• Cheng Yu recognized Shen Qian’s Jade Token, accepted it, and agreed to her request.
• Shen Qian joined Cheng Yu and Niu Ba for the rest of the journey, and a month later they reached the Haiyou Mountains.

Cheng Yu, Shen Qian, and Niu Ba crossed the Haiyou Mountains, navigating a dangerous wetland while Cheng Yu taught Niu Ba to make his own decisions. After reaching a pool, Shen Qian asked Cheng Yu about his unusual outfit.

• Cheng Yu and Shen Qian chose to cross the Haiyou Mountains, and Niu Ba took his giant bull form to carry them along the trail.
• Cheng Yu told Niu Ba another Passerby A story and explained to Shen Qian that he taught Niu Ba because they were companions and he wanted Niu Ba to make wise decisions.
• Niu Ba chose to camp before entering a wetland, and Cheng Yu agreed with his decision.
• The group crossed the wetland, avoiding its muddy ground, swift currents, poisonous plants, and insects before reaching a pool.
• As Niu Ba played in the water, Shen Qian asked Cheng Yu about his unusual outfit.

Cheng Yu deflected Shen Qian’s attempt to probe him, while his resemblance to someone in her past left her unsettled. As the group continued through the Haiyou Mountains, Shen Qian struggled with her suspicions and pregnancy, and Cheng Yu and Niu Ba marked nearly a year of travel.

• Shen Qian examined Cheng Yu’s robe and tried to probe his information, but his title blocked her; his gaze reminded her of someone she feared, and she apologized.
• Cheng Yu reflected on how powerful figures might react to being unable to read his mind and planned to let them speculate about his connection to Shen Yu and Yunyangzi’s heaven-disliked body.
• Niu Ba woke Cheng Yu, and Shen Qian questioned Cheng Yu’s age before deciding she could not determine whether he was her Second Brother.
• Shen Qian prayed that her unborn child would not arrive yet as the group continued traveling through the Haiyou Mountains.
• After counting three empty bottles of Grain-Avoidance Pills, Cheng Yu realized they had traveled for almost a year, and he, Niu Ba, and Shen Qian shared what they had learned.

Cheng Yu and his companions encountered Wild Demons deep in the Haiyou Mountains and learned their settlements could guide them through the region. They waited for the Wild Demons’ leader, the “Hart,” to decide whether to meet them.

• Cheng Yu chose the highest nearby peak as their destination, but Wild Demons ambushed the group before they could reach it.
• Cheng Yu stopped Niu Ba from attacking, and Shen Qian spoke with the Wild Demons in their language.
• Shen Qian explained that the Wild Demons lived in connected settlements and asked them to take the group to meet their Hart.
• Cheng Yu told Niu Ba to stay cautious and prepare for the possibility of fighting their way through the mountains.
• An aged voice asked Cheng Yu and his companions who they were.

Cheng Yu stayed behind so Shen Qian and Niu Ba could leave, then revealed a terrifying technique to kill Hart and the Wild Demons who attacked him. He rejoined his companions and explained the technique’s danger, leaving them to continue through the mountains with a better understanding of his plans.

• Hart said Shen Qian and Niu Ba could leave but demanded that Cheng Yu stay because he would not let humans learn of the Wild Demons.
• Cheng Yu sent Shen Qian and Niu Ba away, then questioned Hart and learned that Hart wanted revenge on humans for his past abuse.
• After keeping Hart talking until his companions were far away, Cheng Yu summoned Little Red, which killed Hart and several Wild Demons.
• Cheng Yu reunited with Shen Qian and Niu Ba, explained that Little Red was dangerous and had devoured many Demon Monsters, and walked Niu Ba through his plans for the encounter.

Cheng Yu entertained Niu Ba and Shen Qian during their journey by teaching lessons and teasing Niu Ba. At night, he confirmed with the System that Shen Qian’s unborn child was who he suspected and planned to reach the Northern Abyss Islands before traveling across the Eternal True World.

• Cheng Yu explained how he had controlled his conversation with the wild demon, then taught Niu Ba to analyze their exchange while Shen Qian listened.
• Niu Ba and Shen Qian offered interpretations of Cheng Yu’s question to the wild demon, but Cheng Yu said he had only been curious.
• Cheng Yu entertained Niu Ba with riddles and stories, praised his interpretation of the well-frog story, and coaxed him into running another twenty thousand li.
• After dismissing class for the night, Cheng Yu asked the System whether Shen Qian’s unborn child was who he suspected, and the System confirmed it.
• Cheng Yu resolved to find Stillwater in the Northern Abyss Islands, handle his funeral, and travel through the Eternal True World if time allowed.

After a year of encounters with wild demons in the Haiyou Mountains, Cheng Yu discussed why they should not force the demons to leave their home. With his food supply running low and a long detour ahead, he decided to investigate the rumored Blood-Colored Valley and leave going around as a fallback.

• Niu Ba tried to persuade the wild demons to join the Demon Race, but most preferred to stay in the Haiyou Mountains.
• Cheng Yu comforted Niu Ba, explaining that the wild demons could choose their own fate and might be better off remaining in seclusion.
• Cheng Yu and Niu Ba identified the rumored Blood-Colored Valley beyond the peak and considered whether to go around it.
• Cheng Yu realized the inaccurate map had left his food supply critically low, and a detour could leave him without enough food to escape the mountains.
• Cheng Yu proposed scouting the edge of the forbidden ground before deciding whether to take the shortcut, and Niu Ba and Shen Qian agreed.