Chapter Summaries

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er attended dinner with the Jade Grove Clan chief and learned that the clan had survived in the forest for nearly a thousand years under a deity’s protection. The clan chief invited them to a sacrificial ceremony in two days, leaving Shen Fei wondering what the clan meant by a deity.

• A scholar escorted Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er from their guest room to dinner with the clan chief.
• At the reception hall, Shen Fei met the silent deputy clan chief, Tie Xiong, while the clan chief welcomed the guests.
• The scholar translated the clan chief’s remarks as Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er ate and exchanged polite responses.
• The scholar explained that the Jade Grove Clan’s ancestors fled the Empire’s fall and demon beast tide, then settled in the forest under a deity’s protection.
• Shen Fei considered whether the supposed deity had been an exceptionally powerful demon spirit master, and Xiao Ning'er shared his questions.
• The scholar told Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er that the clan chief hoped they would attend a sacrificial ceremony in two days.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er agreed to attend the Jade Grove Clan’s ritual, then discussed what the clan meant by its deity’s protection. Shen Fei remained unconvinced that the deity was merely an ancestor’s rescuer and planned to investigate during the ritual.

• Shen Fei agreed to the clan chief’s invitation, and the chief toasted him and Xiao Ning'er while Tie Xiong watched Shen Fei warily.
• The scholar told Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er that someone would show them around the village the next day and invite them to a ritual at dusk the day after.
• After the scholar escorted them to the guest house, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er discussed the clan’s deity and considered whether it had once been a powerful Demon Spirit Master.
• Shen Fei doubted that a one-time rescue explained the clan’s claim of ongoing protection and decided to seek clues at the ritual.
• Xiao Ning'er noted that Tie Xiong had watched Shen Fei, and Shen Fei said the deputy chief was understandably cautious of the two outsiders.

Xiao Ning'er realized she and Shen Fei had to share a room in the village guest cabin and grew embarrassed about sleeping near him. Shen Fei slept on the bamboo cot, and Xiao Ning'er eventually fell asleep wondering about the village ritual they would investigate the next day.

• Xiao Ning'er noticed the cabin had one proper bed and a makeshift bamboo cot, and blushed at the thought of sharing the room with Shen Fei.
• Shen Fei asked Xiao Ning'er what was wrong, and she insisted that nothing was bothering her.
• Shen Fei teased Xiao Ning'er by asking whether she was scared, and she denied it before putting out the oil lamp with her soul force.
• Shen Fei moved to the bamboo cot and fell asleep while Xiao Ning'er remained on the bed, listening to his steady breathing.
• Xiao Ning'er watched Shen Fei briefly, then turned to the wall and fell asleep thinking about exploring the village and learning about the ritual.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er discussed whether the Jade Grove Clan could be persuaded to return to Glory City, but worried that their faith in the village deity would keep them from leaving. They set out with Scholar Lu to look around the village and learn more about its people and their situation.

• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er woke, cultivated, and ate the breakfast delivered by the young scholar in the gray robe.
• Xiao Ning'er suggested bringing the villagers to Glory City, and Shen Fei noted that their devotion to the deity might stop them from leaving.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er prepared to explore the village, but a guard gave Shen Fei a note asking them to wait for Scholar Lu because demon beasts had appeared nearby.
• Scholar Lu arrived and led Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er along the village path, where they saw its houses, gardens, craftspeople, and children.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er saw how hunger had left many villagers gaunt and learned that scarce food and the village's dependence on its god kept them from leaving. They returned to the guesthouse resolved to wait for the ceremony the day after tomorrow and discover what the god was.

• Shen Fei gave ration cakes to two undernourished children who ran into him in the village.
• Shen Fei asked the Scholar whether the villagers lacked food and could leave, and learned that Demon Beasts restricted farming and hunting while the villagers relied on their god to survive.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er observed the villagers' hunger and weakness as the Scholar showed them around the village.
• The Scholar told Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er that the ceremony would take place the evening after tomorrow and that someone would come to fetch them.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er discussed the villagers' faith and agreed to wait for the ceremony to see what the god was.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er discovered a demon beast horde approaching the Jade Grove Clan's village and went to join the clan leader's defense. The clan leader and Tie Xiong faced a black gold rank three-star demon beast and five gold rank beasts, while Shen Fei stepped up beside the clan leader.

• While cultivating, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er sensed a black gold rank demon beast approaching the village.
• The village guards began evacuating the villagers in an orderly fashion, and the gray-robed scholar told Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er that a small beast horde was prowling nearby.
• Shen Fei wrote that the scholar should take them to the clan leader, and Xiao Ning'er followed him toward the village outskirts.
• At the wasteland, Shen Fei saw the clan leader confronting the black gold rank three-star demon beast while Tie Xiong and three gold guards watched five gold rank beasts.
• Shen Fei strode up beside the clan leader as the scholar prepared to relay information.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er joined the Chief’s group as they faced a Black Gold Rank 3-Star Demon Beast and five Gold Demon Beasts. The Chief agreed to let Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er engage the stronger beast while the others fought its pack, and Xiao Ning’er’s opening lightning attack barely scratched it.

• Shen Fei sent the Chief a message proposing that he and Xiao Ning’er fight the Black Gold Rank Demon Beast while the two chiefs dealt with the Gold Demon Beasts.
• The Chief assessed Shen Fei and Xiao Ning’er, then nodded and accepted their plan.
• Shen Fei fused with the Shadow Mantis and charged while Xiao Ning’er fused with the Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow and swept toward the beast from above.
• The Chief, Deputy Chief Tie Xiong, and the three Gold Guards attacked the five Gold Demon Beasts, splitting them into separate groups.
• The Black Gold Rank Demon Beast moved to aid its pack, but Shen Fei intercepted it as Xiao Ning’er hurled a Thunder Spear at its head.
• The beast blocked the Thunder Spear with its forepaw, and the attack left only a shallow mark on its scales.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er killed the three-star Black Gold Rank Demon Beast by exploiting an old injury in its hind leg. After the clan chief and the others finished fighting the Gold Demon Beasts, they praised Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er for surviving and defeating it.

• Xiao Ning'er’s first two Thunder Spears failed to pierce the Black Gold Rank Demon Beast’s defenses, while Shen Fei noticed an old scar on its left hind leg.
• Xiao Ning'er struck the scar with a Thunder Spear, weakening the beast’s leg, and Shen Fei severed its tendons and ligaments.
• Shen Fei climbed onto the wounded beast and cut through its neck, killing it as Xiao Ning'er landed beside him.
• The clan chief and Deputy Chief Tie Xiong finished off the Gold Demon Beasts and saw that Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er had already defeated the Black Gold Rank beast.
• The clan chief praised Shen Fei, Tie Xiong nodded to him, and the Scholar wrote that he and Xiao Ning'er were incredible.

After the beast pack was defeated, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er returned to the village and recovered from the battle. As Shen Fei watched her cultivate, Xiao Ning'er began pushing against her bottleneck.

• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er praised each other's actions in the fight as they walked back to the village.
• Deputy Chief Tie Xiong examined the Black Gold Rank Demon Beast's wounds and watched Shen Fei leave.
• The chief welcomed the villagers back and arranged a celebratory distribution of meat while Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er rested and cultivated.
• Shen Fei recovered most of his Spiritual Power and noticed Xiao Ning'er's power rising beyond its usual level.
• Shen Fei quietly watched as Xiao Ning'er continued cultivating and pressed against her bottleneck.

Xiao Ning'er broke through to gold five-star rank after cultivating, while Shen Fei watched. They went to sleep preparing to witness the Jade Grove Clan's sacrificial ceremony and discover what its deity was.

• Xiao Ning'er reached gold five-star rank as her Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow phantom grew stronger.
• Xiao Ning'er woke from her cultivation and told Shen Fei she had advanced from gold rank 2-star during their trip and was nearing black gold rank.
• Shen Fei told Xiao Ning'er to sleep because they would investigate the deity the next day.
• Xiao Ning'er ate, then went to bed while Shen Fei settled on the bamboo cot.
• Xiao Ning'er fell asleep, knowing she and Shen Fei would attend the sacrificial ceremony the next day.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er watched the villagers prepare offerings for an afternoon ritual and learned that a Black Gold Rank Demon Spirit was required. The Scholar told them they would see the deity that night, and they returned to their room to cultivate while preparations continued.

• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er woke, cultivated, and found the village busy preparing for a ritual.
• The Scholar showed Shen Fei the offerings and explained that the villagers needed a Black Gold Rank Demon Spirit for the ritual.
• Shen Fei told the Scholar they had never heard of a deity, and the Scholar replied that they would see it that night.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er decided not to interfere with preparations and returned to their guest room to cultivate.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er attended the Jade Grove Clan’s solemn sacrificial rite at a cave on the village’s eastern edge. A Black Gold Rank Demon Spirit lay among the offerings as the gathered villagers fell silent and the carvings above the cave briefly glowed.

• The Scholar invited Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er to attend the rite and led them to the eastern clearing.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er passed through a gathered crowd of nearly a hundred young villagers toward the cave.
• Shen Fei saw the Chief and Deputy Chief Tie Xiong waiting beside the cave with an offering table and a Black Gold Rank Demon Spirit.
• The villagers fell silent, and the carvings above the cave entrance briefly glowed in the twilight.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er watched the Chief perform a ritual that drew faint spiritual power toward a cave, where black mist accepted a Demon Spirit offering. After the mist withdrew and the ritual seemed complete, it emerged again with greater force and drifted toward the crowd.

• The Chief danced before the cave, drawing faint spiritual power from the silent crowd toward its entrance.
• Black mist emerged from the cave, and Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er felt its immense pressure.
• The Chief placed the Demon Spirit before the entrance, and the mist took it into the cave.
• The Chief turned to address the crowd as people began to relax, and Shen Fei prepared to leave with Xiao Ning'er.
• The black mist emerged again, larger and more forceful, and drifted toward the crowd.

A black mist from the cave formed unfamiliar characters that the Scholar interpreted as an invitation from the Deity for Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er to enter. Shen Fei decided they should accept, and he stepped toward the invitation.

• The black mist passed the Chief and the crowd before stopping in front of Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er.
• The mist condensed into two unfamiliar characters that neither Shen Fei nor Xiao Ning'er could read.
• The Scholar wrote that the Deity invited them both inside.
• Shen Fei said they should enter because the Deity likely meant them no harm, and Xiao Ning'er agreed.
• Shen Fei took a step toward the characters.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er followed the cave passage to a chamber where a powerful black-mist figure took shape and addressed them in the ancient language of the Empire. Shen Fei explained that they came from Glory City, founded by the Empire’s remnants, and still spoke its language.

• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er passed through the cave entrance and followed a descending passage to a stone chamber.
• Shen Fei bowed to the black mist above the chamber’s stone platform and asked why it had summoned them.
• The black mist formed an arm-length humanlike figure whose aura seemed stronger than Shen Hong’s and at least Legend Rank.
• The figure spoke in the ancient language of the Empire, surprising Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er.
• Shen Fei told the figure that the Empire had fallen and that he and Xiao Ning'er came from Glory City, whose people still used the Empire’s language.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er learned from the little figure that he was a wounded Spirit God who wielded the dark law and had summoned them because their auras held something unusual. The chapter ended with him asking them to do something for him.

• Shen Fei told the little figure that Glory City was about twenty days away.
• The little figure revealed that he was a Spirit God who wielded the dark law and explained how laws governed the world.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er learned that the time law stood above the light and dark laws, and that many Spirit Gods had vanished after the Empire fell.
• The little figure said he had slept beneath the forest for over a thousand years and had awakened after sensing Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er's unusual auras.
• The little figure told Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er that he needed them to do something for him.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er agreed to lead the Jade Grove Clan villagers back to Glory City, and Shen Fei persuaded the injured Spirit God to travel with them by showing that Xiao Ning'er knew a powerful cultivation technique. The Spirit God left the chamber as a wisp of black mist, preparing to join them.

• The Spirit God asked Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er to take the Jade Grove Clan villagers to Glory City and offered to teach them laws in return.
• Shen Fei agreed to help the villagers and invited the Spirit God to return to Glory City with them, where someone might help with their recovery.
• At Shen Fei's request, Xiao Ning'er recited the opening section of her cultivation technique for the Spirit God.
• The Spirit God judged the technique exceptionally powerful and agreed to travel with Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er while avoiding the use of their powers.
• The Spirit God shrank into a wisp of black mist and drifted into a crack in the chamber wall.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er received the Dark Law and Law of Thunder, then began absorbing them to strengthen themselves for protecting the migrating villagers. Shen Fei’s Shadow Mantis absorbed the Dark Law and unleashed a strange, enduring slash within his Soul Sea.

• A mysterious voice gave the Law of Thunder to Xiao Ning'er and the Dark Law to Shen Fei, allowing them fifteen days to digest the laws and grow strong enough to protect more than a thousand villagers.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er sat down to absorb their respective spheres after preparing themselves.
• Shen Fei guided the Dark Law’s aura into his Soul Sea, where his Shadow Mantis awakened and merged with it.
• The Shadow Mantis grew denser and sharper, then made a slash that left a weighty dark afterimage in Shen Fei’s Soul Sea.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er spent fifteen days absorbing the dark and thunder laws, strengthening their spirits and advancing their cultivation. Shen Fei broke through to black gold rank 3-star, while Xiao Ning'er stabilized at black gold rank 1-star as they prepared for the journey back through the Dark Forest.

• Shen Fei watched Mantis absorb the dark law while Xiao Ning'er guided the thunder law through her meridians and strengthened the Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow.
• During the first seven days, Mantis greatly improved his speed and Shadow Stealth, while Xiao Ning'er formed Thunder Spears faster and made them split in flight.
• On the twelfth day, Mantis had absorbed about eighty percent of the dark law as Shen Fei neared black gold rank 2-star, and Xiao Ning'er broke through to black gold rank 1-star.
• On the evening of the fourteenth day, Mantis absorbed the rest of the dark law and Shen Fei advanced to black gold rank 2-star, while Xiao Ning'er completed her thunder-law integration and stabilized at black gold rank 1-star.
• Early on the fifteenth morning, Shen Fei opened his eyes, circulated the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art, and discovered that he had reached black gold rank 3-star.

After finishing their cultivation, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er met Mingyu, who learned their names and told them to leave the stone chamber. They emerged into the clearing, where a guard spotted Mingyu and ran toward the village shouting.

• Shen Fei assessed his new strength and joined Xiao Ning'er as she woke from cultivation.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er nearly approached each other before Mingyu's cough interrupted them.
• Mingyu introduced itself by name, learned Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er's names, and sent them out.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er left the cave and found the Chief, Deputy Chief, Scholar, and several guards waiting in the clearing.
• A young guard saw Mingyu hovering behind them, panicked, and ran toward the village shouting.