Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Powerful Dao Rhyme”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dou Zhantian and twelve Ghost Elders, most of them second-step Supreme Realm experts, launch a combined attack on Lu Ren, believing his Transcendence Realm cultivation makes him vulnerable despite possessing a Battle Body.
• Lu Ren reveals that he has secretly broken through to the Supreme Realm. His immense Chaos Dao Rhyme erupts from his body and effortlessly shatters all incoming artifact attacks.
• Lu Ren explains that his prolonged battle with Dou Zhantian was deliberate: he knew Emperor Lord Guixiang was hiding nearby and used the conflict to lure him into revealing himself.
• Shocked by Lu Ren’s breakthrough—especially because the Taixu Dao Scripture was supposedly incapable of leading him to the Supreme Realm—Dou Zhantian attempts to escape.
• Hun Xian’er, who had prepared an immortal soul attack, strikes Dou Zhantian’s sea of consciousness while he is distracted. Dou Zhantian dies instantly, though Hun Xian’er is left severely weakened.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang and the Ghost Elders decide they must kill Lu Ren immediately. They hope to refine his Battle Body into a Ghost Path Puppet, which could allow Guixiang to enter Small Worlds above the eleventh tier.
• Lu Ren demonstrates his new strength by creating a three-foot Chaos Dao Ring and destroying the Ghost Elders’ coordinated artifact attacks.
• With one sword strike, he kills an early second-step Supreme Realm Ghost Elder, cleaving both his physical form and Strange Dao true body in half.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang summons the powerful Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron, an Immortal Slaying Soldier capable of harming even Lu Ren’s Battle Body.
• Lu Ren’s Chaos Sword Light overwhelms the cauldron and sends it crashing into Guixiang, injuring him and forcing him backward.
• Lu Ren attacks Guixiang directly while creating numerous phantom bodies to restrain the remaining eleven Ghost Elders.
• Guixiang repeatedly activates the cauldron, but Lu Ren’s Chaos Sword Light tears through its flames and sends damaging backlash into Guixiang.
• Guixiang and the surviving Ghost Elders finally combine their strength to activate the Gold-Burning Fire Formation. Fiery barriers and enormous flame beasts surround Lu Ren, setting up the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Undergoes a dramatic power reveal, advancing from the Transcendence Realm to the Supreme Realm. His three-foot Chaos Dao Ring, powerful Dao Rhyme, Battle Body, and Chaos Ancient Sword make him overwhelmingly stronger than his opponents. He shifts from defense and deception to openly dominating the battlefield.
• Dou Zhantian: His confidence collapses once Lu Ren’s true cultivation is exposed. He attempts to flee but is killed by Hun Xian’er’s surprise soul attack.
• Hun Xian’er: Displays careful preparation and tactical timing by ambushing Dou Zhantian’s soul. Although successful, the attack leaves her physically and spiritually weakened.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang: Moves from confidence to alarm as Lu Ren repeatedly overpowers his prized cauldron. Nevertheless, he remains determined because Lu Ren’s Battle Body could greatly benefit the Strange Dao if refined into a puppet.
• The Ghost Elders: Initially confident in their numerical advantage, they become frightened after Lu Ren kills one of them instantly. They ultimately support Guixiang in activating a powerful formation.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and strategic deception: Lu Ren conceals his breakthrough and deliberately prolongs his battle with Dou Zhantian to draw out the hidden enemy.
• The overwhelming power of cultivation breakthroughs: Lu Ren’s transition into the Supreme Realm completely changes the balance of power.
• Battle Body as both advantage and danger: Lu Ren’s Battle Body makes him exceptionally difficult to kill, but it also makes him a valuable target for enemies seeking to exploit or refine it.
• Pride versus adaptability: Dou Zhantian’s disbelief and Guixiang’s initial confidence contrast with Lu Ren’s preparation and ability to adapt.
• The cost of victory: Hun Xian’er succeeds in killing Dou Zhantian but is left weakened, while Guixiang suffers repeated backlash from his own weapon.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Dou Zhantian: Their battle is revealed to have been partly staged by Lu Ren, who uses Dou Zhantian as bait. Dou Zhantian’s disbelief turns to panic when Lu Ren reveals his Supreme Realm cultivation.
• Lu Ren and Emperor Lord Guixiang: Their confrontation becomes the chapter’s central conflict. Lu Ren directly challenges Guixiang’s authority and repeatedly defeats his Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron.
• Lu Ren and the Ghost Elders: Lu Ren uses phantom bodies to delay and restrain them, then overwhelms their combined attacks.
• Hun Xian’er and Dou Zhantian: Hun Xian’er exploits Dou Zhantian’s attempt to flee and kills him with a precisely timed immortal soul strike.
• Guixiang and the Ghost Elders: Guixiang commands the Ghost Elders to protect him and combine their power, culminating in the Gold-Burning Fire Formation against Lu Ren.

Summary: “Sweeping Through the Second Step”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A group of Ghost Path cultivators attacks Lu Ren using flame behemoths formed from the Gold-Burning Immortal Flame. Each creature possesses enough power to seriously injure a late-stage Second-Step Supreme expert.
• Lu Ren effortlessly destroys the flame behemoths with his Chaos Longsword, and the Gold-Burning Immortal Flame cannot damage his powerful Battle Body.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang consumes a Supreme Rhyme-Breaking Pill, temporarily raising his cultivation to the late stage of the One-Step Supreme Realm. He attacks Lu Ren with a crimson Immortal Slaying Sword strengthened by the flames.
• Lu Ren defeats Guixiang in a direct clash, forcing him to flee and abandon the Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron.
• The eleven Ghost Path cultivators seal the area with a fiery barrier and launch a coordinated artifact attack. Lu Ren uses Destiny Transfer, redirecting all the attacks onto Guixiang instead.
• Lu Ren then unleashes seven-colored annihilating lightning from his Dao Ring, instantly destroying all eleven cultivators, including their Strange Dao True Forms.
• Lu Ren pursues the severely injured Guixiang. Guixiang releases his Ghost Path Puppet and detonates it, hoping to seriously injure Lu Ren.
• Through Destiny Transfer, the destructive force is transferred back to Guixiang, shattering his physical body. Guixiang escapes only by separating his Ghost Soul from his body.
• Lu Ren and Hun Xian’er chase Guixiang’s fleeing Ghost Soul. Realizing he cannot win, Guixiang begs to negotiate and offers to submit to Lu Ren.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming combat power. His Battle Body renders the Gold-Burning Immortal Flame ineffective, while his swordsmanship allows him to defeat powerful opponents with ease.
• Lu Ren’s mastery of Destiny Transfer is revealed as especially terrifying: he can redirect attacks inflicted upon him back onto an opponent, turning Guixiang’s strongest techniques against him.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang shifts from arrogance and confidence to panic and desperation. He initially believes his pill, puppet, and Ghost Path techniques will overcome Lu Ren, but each is defeated.
• Guixiang’s willingness to surrender shows that his pride collapses when faced with certain death.
• Hun Xian’er remains allied with Lu Ren and follows the pursuit, though she is unable to use another immortal soul attack because her earlier attack exhausted her reserves.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength versus schemes: Guixiang relies on formations, artifacts, pills, puppets, and hidden techniques, but Lu Ren’s superior strength and abilities render them useless.
• The danger of underestimated opponents: Guixiang recognizes Lu Ren’s talent but still misjudges the extent of his Battle Body and Destiny Transfer.
• Pride and survival: Guixiang’s status as an Emperor Lord means little once he faces death; survival ultimately becomes more important than dignity.
• Reversal of power: Techniques intended to kill Lu Ren are redirected against their user, emphasizing the consequences of attacking someone whose true abilities are not understood.
• Retribution: Lu Ren refuses Guixiang’s offer of negotiation, reminding him that Guixiang showed no mercy when previously hunting him.

Character Interactions

• Guixiang initially commands the Ghost Path cultivators and takes personal responsibility for testing Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren and Guixiang clash directly, with Lu Ren decisively overpowering him.
• Hun Xian’er considers helping prevent Guixiang’s escape but lacks the strength after exhausting her soul attacks.
• Lu Ren kills the eleven Ghost Path cultivators and then pursues Guixiang personally.
• During the chase, Guixiang attempts to negotiate and even offers submission. Lu Ren responds skeptically, leaving the outcome unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Emperor Lord Guixiang Submits”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emperor Lord Guixiang, one of the four great Emperor Lords of the Ghost Path Great World, submits to Lu Ren after recognizing the overwhelming danger and Lu Ren’s extraordinary potential.
• Lu Ren requires him to sign the Supreme Evil Master-Servant Contract, a binding Ghost Path contract that punishes any thought of betrayal. Guixiang reluctantly agrees.
• As proof of loyalty, Guixiang leaves Lu Ren the Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron before departing. Lu Ren refines and stores the treasure.
• Lu Ren returns with Hun Xian’er and observes the ongoing battle between the Undying Demoness and the Void Sect Master.
• The Undying Demoness overwhelms the Void Sect Master despite his control of twelve Dao Restricting Soldier treasures. Her Dao of Severing Emotions and Annihilation, along with her powerful immortal body, proves too much for him.
• Just as the Undying Demoness is about to kill the Void Sect Master, the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals appears through an avatar and blocks her attack.
• The Ancestor challenges the Undying Demoness, and the two enter the Void Turbulence to fight without destroying Dou Luo Heaven. Their battle causes the Small World to tremble, alarming its inhabitants.
• The Void Sect Master accuses Lu Ren and his mother of opposing the Immortal Dao. Lu Ren rejects this accusation, arguing that pursuing one’s own Great Dao is not inherently rebellion and pointing out the Ancestor’s own history of cultivating the Divine Dao.
• The injured Void Sect Master attempts to suppress Lu Ren, but the Undying Demoness returns and cuts apart his attack.
• The Ancestor then concedes that the Undying Demoness has won and proposes renegotiating their cooperation.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates authority, caution, and strategic judgment by forcing Emperor Lord Guixiang to sign a binding contract rather than trusting a verbal pledge. His acquisition of the Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron further strengthens his position.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang abandons his former allegiance out of fear, pragmatism, and respect for Lu Ren’s potential. He believes submitting to someone who may achieve Dao Severance is not dishonorable.
• The Undying Demoness establishes overwhelming martial superiority, defeating the Void Sect Master and successfully confronting the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals.
• The Void Sect Master suffers defeat and humiliation. Although still powerful after being injured, he becomes increasingly desperate and resorts to attacking Lu Ren.
• The Ancestor of Myriad Immortals reveals that he is only using an avatar, suggesting that his true body cannot descend. After fighting the Undying Demoness, he adopts a more conciliatory attitude and seeks renewed cooperation.
• Lu Ren and the Undying Demoness display a strong mother-son bond. Lu Ren worries about her entering the Void Turbulence, while she reassures him that the confrontation cannot be avoided.

Significant Themes

• Submission to strength and potential: Guixiang’s decision reflects the cultivation-world belief that survival and advancement matter more than pride or former loyalties.
• Trust and control: Lu Ren’s insistence on the Supreme Evil Master-Servant Contract shows that alliances require enforceable guarantees.
• Freedom to pursue one’s path: Lu Ren challenges the idea that deviating from an established Dao is a crime, defending the right to pursue an individual Great Dao.
• Conflict between orthodoxy and independence: The confrontation highlights the tension between the Immortal Dao’s authority and cultivators who seek their own paths.
• Family loyalty: Despite the massive scale of the battles, Lu Ren’s primary concern remains his mother’s safety.
• Power and negotiation: Victory changes political relationships; once the Undying Demoness proves her superiority, the Ancestor is willing to reconsider cooperation.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Emperor Lord Guixiang interact through a tense submission and negotiation, ending with a binding master-servant agreement.
• Lu Ren reunites with and supports Hun Xian’er while returning from the Ghost Path conflict.
• The Undying Demoness and Void Sect Master engage in a decisive battle, with her ultimately overpowering him.
• The Undying Demoness and the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals confront one another as representatives of competing Great Dao forces, but their battle ends with the possibility of cooperation.
• The Void Sect Master verbally attacks Lu Ren’s legitimacy, while Lu Ren counters with a sharp philosophical argument.
• The Undying Demoness protects Lu Ren by returning in time to stop the Void Sect Master’s assault.

Summary: “Cooperation with an Immortal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Undying Demoness initially rejects cooperation with the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals, refusing to submit to him.
• The Ancestor insists on renegotiating their arrangement and privately explains that he is seriously injured and threatened by multiple Dao paths, including wraiths, demons, yao, and Buddhists.
• He offers the Demoness an equal partnership: he will help her complete the Path of Severing Emotions and Annihilation, establish a Great World, and condense a Great Dao Origin. In return, she must help him resist rival Great Dao powerhouses.
• The Ancestor also wants Lu Ren, who possesses the rare Battle Body and has inherited the Taixu Immortal Bone, to help suppress hostile forces on the Higher Realm Battlefield.
• The Demoness recognizes that the offer benefits her greatly but warns that she will retaliate if the Ancestor harms her son. He acknowledges the strength of her Dao and accepts the terms.
• After the agreement, the Ancestor orders the Taixu Sect Master to announce that Lu Ren possesses an unparalleled Battle Body. Lu Ren is granted permission to travel freely throughout the Thirty-Three Heavens and must be treated respectfully by anyone below the Ancient Ancestor realm.
• The Demoness prepares to leave the Immortal Path Great World, urging Lu Ren to remain and cultivate. She reassures him that their alliance is based on mutual use rather than surrender.
• Before leaving, she accepts Hun Xian’er as Lu Ren’s wife and asks the two to support one another.
• The Taixu Sect Master gives Lu Ren a Thirty-Three Heavens Void Silkworm, a treasure that allows him to travel directly between the Immortal Dao Small Worlds of the Thirty-Three Heavens.
• After refining it, Lu Ren discovers that it projects a map of the Thirty-Three Heavens into his consciousness. He and Hun Xian’er use the silkworm to return to Profound Luo Heaven.

Character Developments

• Undying Demoness: Demonstrates independence, caution, and fierce maternal protectiveness. Although she accepts the Ancestor’s help, she refuses to become his subordinate and frames the arrangement as an equal alliance.
• Ancestor of Myriad Immortals: Reveals his weakened position and political difficulties. His willingness to negotiate respectfully shows that he considers the Demoness a powerful and necessary ally.
• Lu Ren: Gains official recognition as a Battle Body and receives greater status and freedom within the Thirty-Three Heavens. He also becomes indirectly involved in the Ancestor’s broader struggle against rival powerhouses.
• Hun Xian’er: Is formally acknowledged by the Undying Demoness as Lu Ren’s daughter-in-law, strengthening her relationship with both Lu Ren and his mother.
• Taixu Sect Master: Moves from a possible enforcer against Lu Ren to an ally who delivers the Ancestor’s orders and equips Lu Ren for future travel and responsibilities.

Significant Themes

• Mutual exploitation and balanced cooperation: The alliance is not based on trust or submission but on both parties using each other to achieve their goals.
• Power and diplomacy: The Ancestor’s change in attitude shows that strength and strategic value can force even powerful figures to negotiate.
• Maternal protection: The Demoness’s primary concern remains Lu Ren’s safety, and she makes clear that any harm to him will have severe consequences.
• Responsibility accompanying recognition: Lu Ren’s Battle Body grants him privileges, but it also places him under an implied obligation to defend the Immortal Path Great World.
• Growth and wider horizons: The Void Silkworm expands Lu Ren’s access to the Thirty-Three Heavens, signaling his transition from a local cultivator to a figure involved in larger conflicts.

Character Interactions

• The Ancestor and the Undying Demoness engage in a tense negotiation, with the Demoness challenging his motives and conditions before agreeing.
• Lu Ren worries that his mother may have sacrificed her freedom for him, but she reassures him that the partnership is advantageous to both sides.
• The Demoness gives Lu Ren and Hun Xian’er her blessing, physically joining their hands and urging them to remain united.
• The Taixu Sect Master warns Lu Ren to keep his connection with the Ancestor secret, emphasizing the political sensitivity of the arrangement.
• Lu Ren and Hun Xian’er depart together for Profound Luo Heaven, beginning the next stage of their journey.

Chapter Summary: Profound Luo Heaven in Crisis

Key Plot Points and Events

• Profound Luo Heaven falls into turmoil after Lu Ren is abducted by Emperor Lord Guiyi. Most people believe Lu Ren was refined into a Ghost Path Puppet.
• Eighteen Immortal Dao Small Worlds from the Thirty-Second Heaven surround the Four Great Immortal Camps and the Immortal Dao Palace, demanding that Profound Luo Heaven surrender Lu Ren within one month.
• The invaders claim they want revenge for people Lu Ren killed on the Lower Realm Battlefield, but their real goal is likely to obtain his Taixu Immortal Bone and prevent Profound Luo Heaven from rising in power.
• During a meeting at the Immortal Dao Palace, Zhang Moquan reveals that Lu Ren survived, killed Emperor Lord Guiyi, and was later pursued by powerful Ghost Path Cultivators. Lu Ren had separated from Zhang Moquan to draw the pursuers away and conceal their return.
• Several immortal elders blame Lu Ren for bringing disaster upon Profound Luo Heaven, arguing that their world is too weak to protect someone carrying the Taixu Immortal Bone.
• After the one-month deadline expires, the hostile forces confront Palace Master Profound Luo and threaten to massacre hundreds of thousands of immortal soldiers in the Four Great Immortal Camps.
• Multiple powerful figures claim personal reasons for seeking Lu Ren, including the deaths of disciples, children, siblings, spouses, and other relatives.
• At the confrontation, a formidable Second-Step Supreme Realm expert arrives from the Twentieth Grade Heaven. Everyone assumes he has come to seize Lu Ren’s Taixu Immortal Bone.
• Instead, the elder identifies himself as the sect master of the Supreme Clarity Immortal Sect and congratulates Profound Luo Heaven for producing a rare “Battle Body,” suggesting Lu Ren’s true significance is greater than anyone present realizes.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Though absent from the chapter, he is revealed to have survived Emperor Lord Guiyi, killed him, and continued fighting after being ambushed by Ghost Path Cultivators. His actions show courage and a willingness to sacrifice himself to protect others.
• Palace Master Profound Luo: She is portrayed as exhausted and aged by the crisis but remains committed to protecting both Lu Ren and the innocent soldiers under her command. She refuses to yield to threats of mass slaughter.
• Immortal Dao Palace Master: Initially believes Lu Ren became a Ghost Path Puppet, but Zhang Moquan’s testimony gives him hope that Lu Ren may still be alive.
• Zhang Moquan: Reveals that he traveled with Lu Ren and deliberately concealed the information to avoid worsening the Palace Master’s grief or exposing Lu Ren’s position.
• Wang Tianzheng and the immortal elders: Their fear and self-preservation lead them to blame Lu Ren, highlighting their lack of faith in him and their concern over Profound Luo Heaven’s survival.
• The Supreme Clarity Sect Master: Appears as an extremely powerful and enigmatic figure. His respectful congratulations indicate that he may not be an enemy and that he understands Lu Ren’s true potential.

Significant Themes

• The burden of extraordinary power: The Taixu Immortal Bone brings Lu Ren immense potential but also places Profound Luo Heaven under threat.
• Fear versus loyalty: Some elders abandon Lu Ren and blame him, while Palace Master Profound Luo continues to defend him despite overwhelming pressure.
• Political manipulation: The invading forces use claims of revenge to justify aggression, while their broader objective is to seize Lu Ren’s bone and suppress Profound Luo Heaven.
• Misunderstanding and hidden truth: Most characters believe Lu Ren is dead or has become a puppet, while the truth of his survival remains concealed.
• The emergence of a greater destiny: The Supreme Clarity Sect Master’s reference to a rare Battle Body hints that Lu Ren possesses a unique status capable of attracting attention from far more powerful realms.

Character Interactions

• The Immortal Dao Palace Master questions Zhang Moquan about Lu Ren’s fate and reacts with surprise and renewed hope upon learning that Lu Ren survived.
• Wang Tianzheng and other elders argue that Lu Ren is responsible for the crisis, creating tension between those who want to protect him and those who prioritize Profound Luo Heaven’s immediate safety.
• Palace Master Profound Luo confronts the hostile experts and rejects their demand to surrender Lu Ren, warning that their slaughter of innocents will bring punishment.
• The Immortal Blade Sect Master and the brawny revenge-seeker challenge her, insisting that only Lu Ren’s surrender can satisfy them.
• The arrival of the Supreme Clarity Sect Master changes the balance of power. His intimidating presence alarms the gathered forces, but his unexpected congratulations toward Palace Master Profound Luo introduces a possible new ally and raises questions about Lu Ren’s Battle Body.

Chapter Summary: “The Name of a Battle Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Taiqing Sect Master arrives at the Immortal Dao Palace and reveals that Lu Ren has cultivated a Battle Body, a nearly unparalleled constitution said to appear only once in hundreds of thousands of years.
• The revelation shocks the Profound Luo Palace Master, the palace elders, and the cultivators from other Immortal Dao Small Worlds. Even the Profound Luo Palace Master had been unaware of Lu Ren’s achievement.
• The Taixu Immortal Sect has already spread the news and declared that Lu Ren should be treated with respect by everyone below the ancient ancestor realm.
• The Blade Immortal Sect Master and other visiting experts had originally come to force the Immortal Dao Palace to surrender Lu Ren and take his Taixu Immortal Bone. Upon learning that Lu Ren is now a Battle Body, they panic and flee.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master orders Bai Zixu to announce Lu Ren’s achievement throughout Profound Luo Heaven and grants him the title Holy King of the Immortal Dao Palace.
• A proclamation appears across the Four Great Heavenly Regions announcing that Lu Ren is “peerless beneath the heavens” and that Profound Luo Heaven is flourishing. The besieging forces withdraw, and other Small Worlds send experts to offer congratulations.
• Meanwhile, Lu Ren remains unaware of the upheaval. Traveling through the Void Turbulence with Hun Xian’er aboard the Sky Silkworm, he continues cultivating inside the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda.
• Lu Ren reflects on the difficulty of comprehending the Immortal Dao in the Supreme Realm. After ten years of cultivation inside the pagoda, he has made no visible progress.
• Upon arriving in Profound Luo Heaven, Lu Ren notices the celebrations and learns from a local resident that the joyous occasion is his own rise as a Battle Body.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren gains an extraordinary status. His Battle Body elevates him from a powerful prodigy to a figure respected even by Dao transmitters and considered comparable in prestige to ancient ancestors.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master shifts from surprise to immense pride and immediately formalizes Lu Ren’s honor by naming him Holy King of the Immortal Dao Palace.
• Bai Zixu enthusiastically supports Lu Ren and openly mocks the people who tried to seize his Taixu Immortal Bone.
• The Taiqing Sect Master acts as the messenger of the revelation and emphasizes the overwhelming prestige and deterrent power of a Battle Body.
• Wang Tianzheng reacts with jealousy and resentment, showing that Lu Ren’s success has deepened his personal hostility.
• Hun Xian’er continues accompanying Lu Ren and remains attentive to the strange excitement surrounding their arrival.
• The Blade Immortal Sect Master and allied forces are reduced from aggressors to frightened fugitives once Lu Ren’s true status becomes known.

Significant Themes

• Recognition of hidden greatness: Lu Ren’s achievement is celebrated throughout the world before he even learns of it, emphasizing the gap between his quiet cultivation and his enormous reputation.
• Power and status: A Battle Body functions as more than a talent; it grants social and political protection, forcing even powerful Dao lineages to show respect.
• The dangers of coveting another’s power: Those who sought Lu Ren’s Taixu Immortal Bone are immediately forced to retreat once they realize the consequences of provoking a Battle Body.
• Cultivation and limitation: Despite his exceptional constitution, Lu Ren still faces the difficult and slow process of comprehending the Immortal Dao.
• Prosperity tied to one individual: Profound Luo Heaven’s people view Lu Ren’s breakthrough as proof that their entire realm is flourishing.

Character Interactions

• The Taiqing Sect Master informs the Profound Luo Palace Master and the assembled experts of Lu Ren’s Battle Body, transforming the atmosphere from confrontation to celebration.
• Bai Zixu and the Taiqing Sect Master jointly condemn the factions that attempted to seize Lu Ren’s bone, while the threatened factions flee.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master entrusts Bai Zixu with spreading the proclamation and granting Lu Ren his new title.
• Lu Ren and Hun Xian’er discuss the unusual excitement in Profound Luo Heaven after arriving, but Lu Ren does not initially understand its cause.
• A local young man unknowingly tells Lu Ren about Lu Ren’s own achievement, creating an ironic ending in which the celebrated figure learns of his fame from an ordinary citizen.

Chapter Summary: “Return to Commander’s Manor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren learns that news of his having cultivated a Battle Body has already spread throughout Profound Luo Heaven, even before his return.
• He and Hun Xian’er travel to the Azure Dragon Commander’s Manor, where Mu Hanxue initially attacks them, mistaking their arrival for an intrusion. Once she recognizes Lu Ren, she happily welcomes him.
• Lu Ren reunites with Mu Hanxue, Lu Qi, and Ji Yue. He learns that Ming Lu Tian and the others have joined the Azure Dragon Annihilation Camp and are currently on a mission.
• Mu Hanxue explains that Profound Luo Heaven had recently been besieged by numerous Small Worlds. The Taiqing Sect Master revealed that Lu Ren had cultivated a Battle Body, frightening the attackers and preventing a catastrophic war.
• Furious that outside forces dared invade Profound Luo Heaven, Lu Ren decides to confront the Palace Master of the Immortal Dao Palace.
• Mu Hanxue also reveals that Lu Ren’s earlier suffering was the result of a deliberate conspiracy. During his appointment as Commander, the Ghost Path invasion had been arranged to frame him, while many Immortal Elders were conveniently absent.
• The conspiracy was organized by Wang Tianzheng and the Crane Clan. Lu Ren vows to kill Wang Tianzheng despite his connection to the powerful Star River Imperial Clan.
• Lu Ren arrives at the Immortal Dao Palace, where he is treated with great respect as both a Holy King and a Battle Body.
• He learns that his former master, Jiang Huanyu, has entered the Higher Realm Battlefield and possesses the strength of a One-Step Supreme, relying solely on his swordsmanship.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren returns far stronger and more influential after cultivating a Battle Body. His power and reputation now command respect across Profound Luo Heaven.
• His protective and vengeful nature becomes clear as he reacts angrily to the invasion of Profound Luo Heaven and the conspiracy against him.
• Mu Hanxue remains devoted to Lu Ren and has taken responsibility for managing the Commander’s Manor and its forces. She also demonstrates initiative by investigating the plot against him, though she admits the Crane Clan and Wang Tianzheng are too powerful for her to challenge directly.
• Lu Qi and Ji Yue show their happiness at Lu Ren’s return and remain connected to his faction.
• Qianye emerges as an important but mysterious figure, having uncovered the truth about Wang Tianzheng and the Crane Clan before leaving the manor.
• Jiang Huanyu’s growth is revealed: his sword Dao has reached the Flawless Realm, elevating him to Supreme-level strength.
• Xu Tianji, once celebrated as the foremost heavenly talent, now recognizes that Lu Ren has surpassed the reputation once associated with him.

Significant Themes

• Power and status: Lu Ren’s Battle Body has transformed his position, making him equal in status to the Immortal Dao Palace’s Palace Master.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Ren’s return strengthens his bonds with Mu Hanxue and his allies, while his immediate reaction to threats shows his determination to protect Profound Luo Heaven.
• Political conspiracy and injustice: The chapter exposes that Lu Ren’s past persecution was not accidental but the result of a calculated alliance between powerful factions.
• Recognition of true talent: The reverence shown by the Immortal Dao Palace disciples, as well as Jiang Huanyu’s advancement, emphasizes that genuine strength eventually surpasses titles and reputations.
• Rising conflict: Lu Ren’s vow to confront Wang Tianzheng foreshadows a major confrontation with the Star River Imperial Clan and the Crane Clan.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren jokes affectionately with Mu Hanxue after she attacks him, highlighting their intimate relationship as husband and wife.
• Mu Hanxue updates Lu Ren on the state of the manor, the invasion, and the conspiracy, serving as the main source of information about recent events.
• Lu Ren reunites warmly with Lu Qi and Ji Yue.
• At the Immortal Dao Palace, Lu Ren is respectfully greeted by the elders and disciples, reflecting his elevated status.
• He exchanges a friendly greeting with Xu Tianji, whose former pride has been replaced by reluctant admiration.
• Lu Ren’s discussion of Jiang Huanyu’s achievements reveals his deep respect for his master and his excitement about the possibilities of Jiang’s future sword cultivation.

Chapter Summary:

Star River Imperial Clan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren returns to the Immortal Dao Palace after successfully cultivating a Battle Body. Profound Luo Palace Master congratulates him and acknowledges that his status now rivals hers.
• Lu Ren reveals that the mysterious attackers who slaughtered the guards of the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range belonged to the Crane Clan. He also accuses Wang Tianzheng of deliberately luring the Immortal Elders Council away, enabling Emperor Lord Guiyi to capture him.
• Lu Ren demands that all Crane Clan Supreme Realm experts be exterminated and that Wang Tianzheng be executed.
• Profound Luo Palace Master agrees to deal with the Crane Clan but warns that Wang Tianzheng is protected by the powerful Star River Imperial Clan. She insists that the clan itself, rather than Lu Ren, must decide Wang’s fate.
• Lu Ren also demands apologies and valuable compensation from the Small Worlds that participated in the assault on Profound Luo Heaven and the Four Great Immortal Camps. The Palace Master agrees to send notices.
• Lu Ren receives permission to enter the Hidden Immortal Pavilion, where he studies several Chaos Immortal Path Techniques.
• He then visits the Immortal Elder Pavilion and confronts Wang Tianzheng directly, ending the chapter by threatening to “send him on his way.”

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His achievement of a Battle Body dramatically elevates his status and confidence. He becomes assertive, vengeful, and unwilling to overlook the schemes that nearly caused his death. He openly challenges powerful clans and demands justice rather than accepting calls for forgiveness.
• Profound Luo Palace Master: She respects Lu Ren as an equal but acts cautiously, attempting to restrain his anger and protect him from provoking the Star River Imperial Clan. She supports holding the Crane Clan accountable while redirecting Wang Tianzheng’s punishment to the clan’s own authorities.
• Wang Tianzheng: Revealed as the alleged mastermind who manipulated the Immortal Elders Council and helped expose Lu Ren to Emperor Lord Guiyi. Despite his confidence and backing from the Star River Imperial Clan, he becomes visibly threatened when Lu Ren confronts him.
• Zhang Moquan and the other immortal elders: They are curious about Lu Ren’s transformation and status, but their enthusiasm turns to nervousness when they witness his hostility toward Wang Tianzheng.

Significant Themes

• Power and status: Lu Ren’s Battle Body changes how the Immortal Dao Palace and other forces must treat him, but the chapter emphasizes that the Supreme Families possess influence far beyond a single Small World.
• Justice versus political authority: Lu Ren wants personal vengeance, while Profound Luo Palace Master argues that Wang Tianzheng’s fate must be handled through the Star River Imperial Clan and the Ancestral Heaven Society.
• Dignity and retaliation: Both Lu Ren and the Supreme Families are portrayed as unwilling to tolerate insults or attacks against their authority.
• Transformation through hardship: Lu Ren’s survival and cultivation have changed him from a vulnerable target into a formidable figure capable of demanding accountability from major powers.
• Hidden alliances and betrayal: The attack on Profound Luo Heaven was not merely an external invasion; it involved internal manipulation and cooperation between Wang Tianzheng, the Crane Clan, and the Ghost Path Cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Profound Luo Palace Master engage in a tense but respectful negotiation over punishment and political consequences.
• The Palace Master attempts to persuade Lu Ren to abandon personal vengeance, but he rejects the idea of being “magnanimous” toward someone who nearly caused his death.
• Lu Ren and Wang Tianzheng meet face-to-face for the first time since Lu Ren’s ordeal. Lu Ren uses false gratitude to mock Wang before revealing his killing intent.
• The chapter closes on Lu Ren’s direct threat against Wang Tianzheng, setting up an imminent confrontation.

Summary: “Questioning the Crane Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren accuses Wang Tianzheng of conspiring with the Crane Clan to open a teleportation passage and lure Ghost Path Cultivators into attacking him.
• Wang Tianzheng vehemently denies the charge, while other Immortal Elders defend him and insist there must be a misunderstanding.
• Refusing to accept Wang Tianzheng’s denial, Lu Ren captures him effortlessly despite his Half-Step Supreme Realm cultivation.
• Lu Ren takes Wang Tianzheng directly to the Crane Clan, declaring that he intends to expose the truth.
• His arrival alarms the Crane Clan. Lu Ren publicly demands that Patriarch He Zhanhui answer whether the clan killed the immortal soldiers guarding the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range and opened the passage that enabled Emperor Lord Guiyi to invade Profound Luo Heaven.
• He Zhanhui denies everything and claims the Ghost Path Cultivators were solely responsible, but his private reaction reveals fear that the clan’s involvement has been exposed.
• Lu Ren offers He Zhanhui one chance to confess, promising to kill only him if he cooperates. Otherwise, he threatens to eliminate every Supreme Realm expert in the Crane Clan.
• Elder He Zhen angrily intervenes and attacks Lu Ren, intending to test the strength of his newly achieved Battle Body. The chapter ends as He Zhen launches a powerful palm strike.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates a dramatic increase in confidence and authority after attaining a Battle Body. He acts decisively, captures Wang Tianzheng without difficulty, and openly challenges an entire Supreme Family.
• Wang Tianzheng shifts from confident denial to visible fear when Lu Ren approaches him. Even though he is a Half-Step Supreme Realm expert, he is powerless against Lu Ren and becomes a captive.
• He Zhanhui is outwardly composed and respectful toward Lu Ren, but privately panics, strongly implying that he knows the Crane Clan was involved in the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range incident.
• He Zhen emerges as an aggressive defender of the Crane Clan. His anger over Lu Ren’s threat leads him to attack, revealing the clan’s willingness to confront Lu Ren rather than confess.
• The Immortal Elders supporting Wang Tianzheng show their loyalty to him and their concern that Lu Ren’s actions could destabilize the Immortal Dao Palace.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus denial: Both Wang Tianzheng and He Zhanhui refuse to confess, despite Lu Ren’s accusations and the suspicious reactions surrounding them.
• Power and authority: Lu Ren’s Battle Body transforms his position. He can now intimidate established Supreme Realm forces and compel them to answer for past crimes.
• Hidden conspiracies and accountability: The Crane Clan’s apparent role in opening the passage and enabling the invasion suggests a larger political conspiracy within the Immortal world.
• Fear beneath appearances: The Crane Clan presents itself as dignified and innocent, while He Zhanhui’s private panic reveals the fear and guilt beneath that façade.
• Justice versus intimidation: Lu Ren seeks a confession but relies on overwhelming force and threats, raising questions about whether justice will be achieved through proof or power.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren confronts Wang Tianzheng directly, rejects his denials, and physically forces him to accompany him.
• The Immortal Elders defend Wang Tianzheng and attempt to prevent Lu Ren from harming him, but they cannot stop Lu Ren from leaving.
• Lu Ren publicly challenges He Zhanhui before the Crane Clan, while He Zhanhui maintains a polite but evasive posture.
• He Zhanhui and his elders privately discuss the danger of Lu Ren discovering their past actions.
• Lu Ren threatens the Crane Clan’s leadership with destruction unless He Zhanhui confesses.
• He Zhen breaks the standoff by attacking Lu Ren, setting up a direct battle between the Crane Clan’s Supreme Realm expert and Lu Ren’s Battle Body.

Chapter Summary: “Finally Confessed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren confronts the Crane Clan over its role in opening the passageway at the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range.
• Elder He Zhen, a Mid-Stage First-Step Supreme Realm expert and the Crane Clan’s strongest fighter, attacks Lu Ren but is defeated by a single palm strike.
• Lu Ren reveals overwhelming power, demonstrating that his Battle Body is far stronger than other Battle Bodies and that he has also reached the Supreme Realm.
• When the Crane Clan elders attack together, Lu Ren kills several First- and Mid-Stage Supreme Realm experts with a casual sweep of Dao Rhyme. Five of the clan’s eight Supreme Realm experts perish.
• Lu Ren threatens to exterminate the remaining Supreme Realm experts unless the clan confesses its crimes.
• He Zhanhui refuses to confess, insisting that the Crane Clan is innocent. Lu Ren then seizes the injured He Zhen and threatens to kill him.
• Under pressure, He Zhen confesses that He Zhanhui ordered deathsworn warriors to kill the immortal soldiers guarding the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range and open the passageway. He Zhanhui later murdered those warriors to eliminate evidence.
• He Zhen also reveals that Wang Tianzheng had privately met with He Zhanhui before the operation, implying his involvement.
• He Zhanhui finally admits that Wang Tianzheng manipulated him by promising to obtain Lu Ren’s Taixu Immortal Bone and use the resulting power to protect the Crane Clan.
• Lu Ren kills He Zhanhui, stating that the Yin Realm Ghost Ancestor will decide his ultimate fate, and then turns his attention to the immobilized Wang Tianzheng.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates terrifying growth and combat ability. His power is sufficient to overwhelm Mid-Stage Supreme Realm experts and slaughter several Supreme Realm cultivators effortlessly. He remains cold, controlled, and determined to expose the truth.
• He Zhanhui: Changes from defiant clan leader to a desperate, self-preserving coward. His refusal to confess indirectly causes the deaths of five clan Supreme Realm experts, and he ultimately betrays Wang Tianzheng to save himself.
• He Zhen: Initially fights Lu Ren but is defeated and badly injured. Faced with death, he abandons the clan leader and reveals the truth about the passageway operation.
• Wang Tianzheng: Is completely restrained by Lu Ren and unable to speak or move. His role in plotting against Lu Ren is exposed, leaving him awaiting judgment.
• Crane Clan: Suffers a devastating blow, losing most of its Supreme Realm experts and facing the possible collapse of its status as a Supreme Family.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and justice: Lu Ren’s strength allows him to punish those responsible despite the Crane Clan’s resistance.
• Guilt and confession: The chapter centers on whether the conspirators will admit their crimes, with the truth emerging only when their lives are threatened.
• Self-preservation and betrayal: He Zhanhui sacrifices his clan’s elders to protect himself, while He Zhen and He Zhanhui both betray others when confronted with death.
• Consequences of conspiracy: The Crane Clan’s secret operation threatens not only Lu Ren but also the clan’s survival and social standing.
• Moral responsibility: Lu Ren argues that He Zhanhui’s refusal to confess makes him responsible for the deaths of his own clan members.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and He Zhen clash directly, with Lu Ren decisively overpowering him.
• Lu Ren confronts He Zhanhui, repeatedly demanding a confession and condemning his selfishness.
• He Zhanhui and He Zhen are indirectly pitted against each other, as He Zhen’s confession exposes the clan leader’s crimes.
• He Zhanhui attempts to shift all blame onto Wang Tianzheng after his own involvement is revealed.
• Lu Ren ends the chapter by confronting Wang Tianzheng, preparing to force him to acknowledge his role in the conspiracy.

Chapter Summary: “Slaying Wang Tianzheng”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Tianzheng becomes terrified after witnessing Lu Ren’s overwhelming strength. Although Wang’s meridians are sealed, his fear makes it clear that he expects Lu Ren to kill him.
• More than a dozen Supreme Immortal Elders from the Immortal Elder Pavilion arrive in an immortal pavilion and block Lu Ren. They insist that Wang Tianzheng’s fate must be decided by the Ancestral Heaven Society, not by Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren refuses to back down and reveals his First-Step Supreme Realm cultivation and extraordinary Three-Foot Dao Ring. The Immortal Elders acknowledge his strength but decide to suppress him by joining forces.
• The elders activate the Immortal-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Formation, using the Myriad-Devouring Immortal-Swallowing Pavilion to drain Lu Ren’s Dao Rhyme. The formation successfully restrains him and appears capable of suppressing even stronger Supreme Realm experts.
• Lu Ren summons the Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron, an even more powerful Immortal Slaying Soldier. Its attack instantly destroys the formation, damages the opposing immortal pavilion, and sends the Immortal Elders flying while vomiting blood.
• After breaking free, Lu Ren formally declares that Wang Tianzheng deserves execution. The Crane Clan’s testimony has proven that Wang colluded with He Xiong and deliberately opened a passage to lure Ghost Path Cultivators in order to frame Lu Ren.
• Wang Tianzheng pleads for his life, citing his status as a prodigy of the Star River Imperial Clan. Lu Ren ignores his plea and burns him to death with the Gold-Burning Immortal Flame, destroying both his body and immortal soul.
• The Immortal Elders fear that the Star River Imperial Clan will retaliate, but Lu Ren accepts responsibility and openly challenges the clan to act against him.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren is shown to be extraordinarily powerful, decisive, and fearless. His Three-Foot Dao Ring and control of the Gold-Burning Qi-Transforming Cauldron establish him as far beyond ordinary First-Step Supreme Realm cultivators. He also demonstrates a strong commitment to justice—or at least to punishing those who betray and attack him.
• Wang Tianzheng shifts from arrogant confidence to complete terror. He relies on his imperial-clan status and the protection of the Immortal Elder Pavilion, but ultimately discovers that neither can save him from Lu Ren’s judgment.
• The Immortal Elders are confident in their collective strength and formation at first, but Lu Ren’s counterattack shocks and humiliates them. Their concern afterward shows that they prioritize avoiding conflict with the Star River Imperial Clan.
• He Zhen feels relieved that he exposed the truth about the Crane Clan’s crimes. He realizes that concealing the evidence might have led Lu Ren to massacre the entire clan.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus institutional protection: Lu Ren rejects the idea that Wang’s imperial connections should shield him from punishment.
• Power and authority: The chapter contrasts formal authority—the Ancestral Heaven Society, Immortal Elder Pavilion, and Star River Imperial Clan—with Lu Ren’s personal strength and willingness to act.
• Consequences of betrayal and conspiracy: Wang’s plot to frame Lu Ren results in the destruction of his body, soul, and political standing.
• Defiance and responsibility: Lu Ren acts despite the danger of provoking a powerful imperial clan and declares that he alone will bear the consequences.
• Overwhelming strength: The destruction of the formation emphasizes the vast gap between Lu Ren and the supposedly formidable Supreme Immortal Elders.

Character Interactions

• The Immortal Elders attempt to negotiate with and then threaten Lu Ren, but he rejects their claims that they are acting “for his own good.”
• The elders cooperate to suppress Lu Ren, only to be defeated when he reveals his superior immortal weapon.
• Wang Tianzheng begs Lu Ren for mercy and invokes his noble lineage, but Lu Ren responds with execution rather than words.
• The Immortal Elders warn Lu Ren about the Star River Imperial Clan, while Lu Ren answers with open contempt and confidence, declaring that the clan will not intimidate him.

Chapter Summary: “Bringing Treasures to Make Amends”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren publicly kills Wang Tianzheng, the Half-Step Supreme Realm prodigy of the Star River Imperial Clan, after discovering that Wang Tianzheng colluded with the Crane Clan to ambush and harm him.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master arrives with the Immortal Elders and criticizes Lu Ren for acting impulsively, but accepts that Wang Tianzheng’s crimes warranted death. She announces that the Immortal Dao Palace will publicize the criminals’ actions and convene the Ancestral Heaven Society.
• The Immortal Dao Palace issues two proclamations:
  1. Wang Tianzheng and the Crane Clan are exposed for plotting against Lu Ren.
  2. The factions that previously besieged Profound Luo Heaven are ordered to bring precious treasures and apologize.
• Profound Luo Heaven is thrown into an uproar. While many fear retaliation from the Star River Imperial Clan, others believe the clan may hesitate because Lu Ren is a rare Battle Body who has already entered the Supreme Realm.
• Lu Ren withdraws to the Azure Dragon Commander’s Manor and focuses on cultivating his immortal soul. To search for the Divine Dao Origin, he must not only reach the Supreme Realm but also raise his immortal soul to the Eternal Level.
• The various factions across the thirty-two heavens wait for the Star River Imperial Clan’s response before deciding whether to submit apologies.
• Bai Zixu informs Lu Ren that the Ancestral Heaven Society has chosen not to punish him. The Star River Imperial Clan remains silent, effectively allowing the matter to pass.
• Once this news spreads, the factions that had attacked Profound Luo Heaven immediately travel to Lu Ren’s manor bearing supreme treasures and other offerings.
• Nearly a hundred powerful visitors arrive, including numerous Second-Step Supreme Realm experts. Their goal is not merely to apologize to the Immortal Dao Palace but to win Lu Ren’s favor directly.
• The chapter ends with Luo Badao, Sect Master of the Blade Immortal Sect, presenting his beautiful daughter as an apparent “offering,” provoking mockery from the other factions, who suspect he intends to arrange a marriage or otherwise curry special favor with Lu Ren.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates an uncompromising sense of justice and confidence in his actions. Although prepared for conflict with the Star River Imperial Clan, he is relieved when no punishment is issued. He also shows long-term ambition by focusing on immortal-soul cultivation rather than merely strengthening his combat power.
• Profound Luo Palace Master: Acts as a cautious political leader. She recognizes Lu Ren’s strength and the justice of his actions but worries that his killing of Wang Tianzheng could provoke a devastating conflict.
• Bai Zixu: Serves as the bearer of reassuring news and remains supportive of Lu Ren.
• Luo Badao: Reveals himself as opportunistic and shamelessly pragmatic by bringing his daughter instead of conventional treasures, presumably hoping to form a closer connection with Lu Ren.
• Hun Xian’er, Lu Qi, Ji Yue, and Mu Hanxue: Assist Lu Ren in receiving and managing the visiting factions, emphasizing their continued roles as his close allies and representatives.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus political consequences: Lu Ren believes Wang Tianzheng deserved death, but the killing threatens to trigger conflict with an immensely powerful imperial clan.
• Power and influence: Lu Ren’s status as a Battle Body gives Profound Luo Heaven leverage it previously lacked. The Immortal Dao Palace uses his prestige to force other factions to make amends.
• Reputation and submission: The visiting factions’ willingness to bring treasures shows how quickly their attitudes change when Lu Ren’s strength and political protection become undeniable.
• Ambition and cultivation: Lu Ren’s pursuit of an Eternal-Level immortal soul highlights that true advancement requires more than battlefield strength.
• Humiliation and opportunism: The factions view apologizing as degrading, while Luo Badao attempts to turn the apology into a personal alliance.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and the Profound Luo Palace Master discuss his killing of Wang Tianzheng. She warns him about acting recklessly, while Lu Ren calmly justifies his actions through the evidence of Wang’s crimes.
• Bai Zixu reassures Lu Ren that the Ancestral Heaven Society—and by implication the nine Supreme Families—will not punish him.
• Hun Xian’er informs Lu Ren about the visitors, prompting him to leave seclusion and confront the situation personally.
• Luo Badao presents his daughter to Lu Ren as a form of amends, while another faction leader openly ridicules the gesture, exposing the competition and ulterior motives among the visiting powers.

Chapter Summary: Star River Imperial Clan Attacks

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Badao attempts to win Lu Ren’s favor by presenting a woman with the Innate Extreme Yin Enchanting Bone Immortal Physique as a potential Dao companion. Lu Ren shows no interest, exposing that the woman was merely recruited to help forge a connection with him.
• Several experts from different Small Worlds offer Lu Ren rare treasures, including a Nine Immortals Marrow-Washing Pill, Ten-Thousand-Year Nurturing Immortal Jade, Void Shifting Talisman, and Enlightenment Pill.
• Recognizing their usefulness, Lu Ren has Ji Yue, Lu Qi, and Hun Xian’er accept the gifts. He declares the visiting experts his friends and offers future assistance, satisfying them despite the cost of their offerings.
• Before the guests can leave, the Star River Imperial Clan arrives aboard a powerful Star River Warship. Their representatives accuse Lu Ren of killing members of their clan and humiliating its authority.
• The clan orders Lu Ren to return with them for questioning, threatening to destroy the Azure Dragon Commander’s Manor if he refuses.
• Lu Ren counters that the Star River Clan’s members colluded with the Crane Clan and helped bring Ghost Path Cultivators into the Immortal Path Great World, meaning the clan also bears responsibility.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master intervenes, questioning why the Star River Imperial Clan is pursuing Lu Ren after the Ancestral Heaven Society chose not to prosecute him.
• The clan reveals that its Tenth Ancestor has independently ordered Lu Ren’s arrest. Its representative also reveals himself to be a Battle Body, shocking the surrounding experts.
• Rejecting the Palace Master’s protection, the Star River Battle Body challenges Lu Ren to withstand three moves using only Battle Body power. If Lu Ren succeeds, the clan will spare him; if he fails, he must return with them.
• The chapter ends as the Star River Battle Body launches his first confrontation, stepping directly before Lu Ren and unleashing oppressive Taixu Power.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren remains calm, confident, and uninterested in superficial temptations or political flattery. He accepts useful treasures without becoming submissive, turning the gifts into a diplomatic alliance.
• He also demonstrates moral and political assertiveness by openly accusing the Star River Imperial Clan of complicity in the Ghost Path Cultivator incident.
• Luo Badao is shown to be calculating and eager to attach himself to Lu Ren’s rising status, but his plan fails when Lu Ren refuses the offered Dao companion.
• Ji Yue, Lu Qi, and Hun Xian’er act as Lu Ren’s trusted representatives, collecting the treasures and sharing his concern when the Star River Warship appears.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master attempts to defend Lu Ren and uphold procedural fairness, but her authority is challenged by the imperial clan.
• The Star River Battle Body is introduced as a powerful and prideful opponent who values imperial authority above questions of guilt or justice.

Significant Themes

• Power and political allegiance: The various experts offer treasures not purely out of generosity, but to secure Lu Ren’s friendship and protection.
• The dangers of imperial pride: The Star River Imperial Clan prioritizes its reputation and authority over determining the truth of the conflict.
• Justice versus authority: Lu Ren argues that guilt should be judged by facts, while the clan insists that no outsider has the right to punish its members.
• The rise of rival Battle Bodies: Lu Ren’s status as a Battle Body grants him influence, but the appearance of another Battle Body transforms the dispute into a test of equal prestige and strength.
• Diplomacy backed by strength: Lu Ren’s willingness to form alliances is contrasted with his refusal to compromise when directly threatened.

Character Interactions

• Luo Badao tries to flatter Lu Ren through his supposed daughter and rare gifts, but Lu Ren politely rejects the personal offer while accepting the treasures.
• Lu Ren establishes a friendly relationship with the visiting experts, who leave relieved that their investment has secured his goodwill.
• The Star River elder confronts Lu Ren with demands and threats; Lu Ren responds by challenging the clan’s version of events.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master defends Lu Ren against the clan’s unilateral judgment, but the Star River Battle Body dismisses her right to interfere.
• Lu Ren and the Star River Battle Body engage in a clash of principles: Lu Ren condemns the clan’s protection of its guilty members, while the opponent asserts that imperial dignity cannot be challenged. The argument culminates in their imminent three-move Battle Body duel.

Chapter Summary: “Battle Body Contest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Tianyun of the Star River Imperial Clan challenges Lu Ren to a battle-body contest, intending to crush Lu Ren’s confidence and make him avoid Wang in the future.
• Wang Tianyun, known as the Skyfall King, is revealed to be one of the Star River Imperial Clan’s three great battle-body prodigies. He became famous 300,000 years earlier and reportedly dominated two entire eras, even forcing many First-Grade Heaven Realm experts to avoid him.
• Wang proposes that they fight using only their battle-body power, limiting the contest to three moves.
• In the first exchange, Wang uses pure Taixu Power to strike Lu Ren. Although Wang’s control is superior and Lu Ren is knocked back farther, Lu Ren successfully withstands the attack.
• Wang then uses his self-created Star Battle Fist, incorporating his Stellar Dao. Lu Ren counters with the Ten Thousand Beasts Tribulation Aspect Fist. Their techniques collide in a destructive battle of meteors and beast phantoms, ending in a draw.
• For the third move, Wang unleashes his strongest attack, condensing countless fist shadows into a massive stellar meteor.
• Lu Ren finally stops holding back and answers with an Azure Dragon Phantom formed from his own battle-body power. The dragon pierces through Wang’s attack and continues toward him.
• Wang is forced to use Dao Rhyme to destroy the Azure Dragon Phantom. Since the contest was supposed to rely solely on battle-body strength, using Dao Rhyme means Wang has effectively lost.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates that, despite having cultivated his battle body only recently, his raw potential and power are extraordinary. He gradually grows more confident and ultimately defeats Wang in the battle-body comparison.
• Wang Tianyun is established as an immensely experienced and formerly overwhelming battle-body prodigy. However, his confidence turns into surprise when Lu Ren matches and surpasses him.
• Lu Ren’s restraint disappears during the final exchange, showing that he had not yet revealed his full strength.
• The observers, especially the Star River Imperial Clan elders, become shocked and unsettled as Wang’s supposed superiority is challenged.

Significant Themes

• Confidence and pride: The contest is intended to shatter Lu Ren’s confidence, but Wang’s own confidence is shaken instead.
• Potential versus experience: Wang possesses centuries of experience and refined control, while Lu Ren relies on astonishing natural power despite being relatively new to battle-body cultivation.
• Individual uniqueness: The chapter emphasizes that every battle body has distinct strengths and weaknesses, shaped by materials and foundations such as Taixu Immortal Bone, Primordial Mother Qi, Nine Tribulation Thunder Marrow, Xuanhuang Blood Crystal, and personal will.
• Strength under pressure: Lu Ren proves that true power is revealed when one faces a superior reputation without underestimating the opponent.
• Rules and honor: Wang’s use of Dao Rhyme technically violates the terms of the contest, confirming Lu Ren’s victory.

Character Interactions

• Wang openly provokes Lu Ren and claims that differences between battle bodies will guarantee his victory.
• Lu Ren responds calmly and accepts the challenge, respecting Wang as a fellow battle-body prodigy while remaining confident in his own strength.
• The surrounding cultivators and Ji Yue initially fear that Wang will defeat Lu Ren and cause them to lose their supreme treasure.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master recognizes the significance of Lu Ren blocking Wang’s first strike.
• The Star River Imperial Clan elders attempt to explain away Wang’s imperfect showing, but their confidence collapses after Lu Ren’s final attack.
• The contest ends with Wang forced to abandon pure battle-body combat, making Lu Ren the clear victor.

Chapter Summary: “The Third Ancestor Appears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren defeats Wang Tianyun after successfully enduring three attacks in a Battle Body contest, shocking everyone present.
• Wang Tianyun suspects Lu Ren’s Battle Body contains inscribed Battle Marks, but Lu Ren admits he has never heard of them.
• Although the Star River Imperial Clan initially wants to capture Lu Ren, Wang Tianyun honors the agreement and orders his people to withdraw.
• The Chaos Clan’s Third Ancestor, Gu Chunxiao, appears from hiding. He reveals that Lu Ren is a close friend of the Chaos Clan and that the Seventeenth Ancestor personally ordered him to protect Lu Ren.
• Gu Chunxiao warns the Star River Imperial Clan that harming Lu Ren could lead to war with the Chaos Clan. Intimidated, Wang Tianyun leaves with his clan.
• Gu Chunxiao tells Lu Ren that the Seventeenth Ancestor wishes to meet him, though he does not reveal why.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master explains the secret of Battle Marks: powerful marks condensed from Ancestral Realm Undying Battle Souls can be inscribed onto a Battle Body to greatly increase its strength.
• She teaches Lu Ren how to inscribe Battle Marks and warns that the process has at least a twenty percent failure rate. Failed inscriptions can destroy all previously inscribed marks.
• Lu Ren learns that the Progenitor of Ten Thousand Immortals possesses ten Battle Marks, astonishing him.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates extraordinary Battle Body talent by defeating Wang Tianyun despite having only recently cultivated his Battle Body. His confidence and fearlessness grow, and he begins learning how to further strengthen himself through Battle Marks.
• Wang Tianyun: Accepts defeat with dignity and honors his promise to withdraw, though he remains unwilling to let the matter go permanently. His defeat establishes Lu Ren as a serious future contender on the Battle Body Ranking.
• Gu Chunxiao: Reveals the Chaos Clan’s strong support for Lu Ren and acts as a powerful deterrent against the Star River Imperial Clan. His appearance confirms that Lu Ren has influential allies among the Supreme Families.
• Profound Luo Palace Master: Shows her own mastery of Battle Marks and becomes Lu Ren’s teacher on the inscription method. Her guidance reveals the dangers and potential of pursuing a stronger Battle Body.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and rising reputation: Lu Ren’s unexpected victory causes powerful cultivators to reassess him and recognize his future potential.
• Political alliances and protection: Lu Ren’s connection to the Chaos Clan shields him from immediate retaliation and demonstrates how personal relationships can influence conflicts among great powers.
• The risks of advancement: Battle Marks offer tremendous power but involve rare materials, long periods of cultivation, and severe consequences for failure.
• Honor and restraint: Despite the Star River Imperial Clan’s hostility, Wang Tianyun keeps his word after losing the three-move contest, preventing an immediate escalation.
• The pursuit of ultimate power: The example of the Progenitor of Ten Thousand Immortals inspires awe and shows how far Battle Body prodigies may go in pursuit of perfection.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Wang Tianyun clash over the strength of their Battle Bodies, with Lu Ren emerging victorious.
• Gu Chunxiao confronts the Star River Imperial Clan and makes clear that the Chaos Clan will defend Lu Ren.
• Gu Chunxiao informs Lu Ren of the Seventeenth Ancestor’s invitation, strengthening the mystery surrounding Lu Ren’s relationship with the Chaos Clan.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master explains Battle Marks to Lu Ren, demonstrates her own inscribed mark, and begins instructing him in the technique.

Chapter Summary: “Inscribe Battle Marks”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Profound Luo Palace Master tells Lu Ren that some experts have inscribed as many as seven Battle Marks, reminding him that his cultivation path remains long.
• He gives Lu Ren three Ancestral Realm Battle Marks and warns that Lu Ren must first remove all remaining Immortal Body aura from his newly formed Battle Body.
• Lu Ren decides to travel to the Chaos Clan and use the journey to cultivate. Before leaving, he takes the Nine Immortals Marrow-Washing Pill, the Ten-Thousand-Year Nurturing Immortal Jade, the Void Shifting Talisman, and the Martial Dao Pill.
• Lu Ren bids farewell to Hun Xian’er, Ji Yue, Lu Qi, and Mu Hanxue, asking the women to manage the Commander’s Manor and use the cultivation resources from his congratulatory gifts.
• During the ten-year journey through the Chaos Silkworm, Lu Ren enters the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda and refines the Nine Immortals Marrow-Washing Pill. The pill completely purifies his meridians, blood vessels, organs, and Battle Body, eliminating the Immortal Body aura.
• He attempts to inscribe the first Battle Mark. The process takes a hundred years, but the mark ultimately shatters and injures him.
• Little Broken Tower explains that the Void of Destiny Force doubles his chance of successfully inscribing Battle Marks—from twenty percent to forty percent—and that activating Void Destiny after a future failure can prevent already completed Battle Marks from shattering.
• After reaching the Chaos Realm, Lu Ren continues cultivating inside the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda rather than immediately entering the Chaos Clan.
• He begins inscribing a second Battle Mark. After another hundred years, the inscription succeeds, leaving a powerful golden Battle Mark across his body.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates patience, determination, and a steady Dao heart despite the danger and difficulty of inscription. His first failure does not discourage him; instead, he learns how to use the Void of Destiny Force more effectively.
• His Battle Body becomes fully purified of Immortal Body aura, making him eligible to inscribe Battle Marks.
• He gains a deeper understanding of the Void of Destiny Force and its defensive function, greatly improving his future prospects.
• The Profound Luo Palace Master acts as a mentor by providing the Battle Marks and warning Lu Ren about the necessary purification process.
• Little Broken Tower reveals important information about Lu Ren’s abilities, particularly the increased success rate and protection granted by Void Destiny.
• Hun Xian’er, Ji Yue, Lu Qi, and Mu Hanxue show strong affection and concern for Lu Ren, highlighting his close relationships and the emotional cost of his departure.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance in cultivation: Lu Ren continues after a painful failure and spends centuries refining his technique.
• Preparation before advancement: Purifying the Battle Body is presented as essential groundwork before attempting a higher-level breakthrough.
• Risk and reward: Inscribing Battle Marks carries a significant chance of failure and physical injury, but success greatly increases Lu Ren’s power.
• Growth through knowledge: Understanding the Void of Destiny Force transforms Lu Ren’s strategy and makes future attempts much safer.
• Duty versus personal attachment: Lu Ren leaves those close to him behind to pursue greater strength, while they remain responsible for maintaining his Commander's Manor.

Character Interactions

• The Profound Luo Palace Master advises Lu Ren and entrusts him with three Battle Marks.
• Lu Ren reassures and instructs the three women at the Commander’s Manor, though they reluctantly accept his departure.
• Mu Hanxue comes to see Lu Ren before he leaves, joining the emotional farewell.
• Lu Ren and Little Broken Tower discuss the failed inscription, clarifying the limits and advantages of the Void of Destiny Force.
• By the chapter’s end, Lu Ren has successfully inscribed his first Battle Mark and is poised to continue pursuing greater strength in the Chaos Realm.

Summary: “Returning to the Chaos Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren successfully inscribes his first Battle Mark into his Battle Body after relying on the power of the Void of Destiny. This dramatically strengthens him, allowing him to defeat First-Step Supreme Realm cultivators through physical power alone and challenge opponents below the Third Step when combined with his Dao Rhyme.
• Believing his Battle Body can continue improving, Lu Ren attempts to inscribe a third Battle Mark. The mark proves unstable and collapses after a hundred years, but the Void of Destiny prevents the failed inscription from damaging his existing Battle Marks.
• Encouraged by the potential of Battle Marks, Lu Ren leaves the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda and returns to the Chaos Clan.
• He is initially stopped by younger patrolling members who do not recognize him. Xing Xuan arrives, identifies him, and happily welcomes him as the former savior of the Chaos Clan.
• Xing Xuan escorts Lu Ren into the clan to meet the Third Ancestor and the Seventeenth Ancestor, both of whom have been waiting for him.
• Lu Ren reunites with Long Xiaoman, who has also cultivated a Battle Mark into his Battle Dragon Physique. Xiaoman boasts that he is now stronger than Lu Ren and challenges him to a match.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Becomes significantly stronger through his Battle Body cultivation. He gains confidence in the rapid growth potential of Battle Marks, while remaining cautious about the risks of failed inscriptions. His return to the Chaos Clan also shows his continuing ties to the people he once helped.
• Xing Xuan: Has advanced to the Nine Calamities Transcendence Realm and remains respectful and warmly supportive of Lu Ren. She acts as his guide and intermediary within the Chaos Clan.
• Long Xiaoman: Has matured in cultivation but not in personality. After successfully inscribing one Battle Mark, he becomes even more boastful and tries to claim superiority over Lu Ren.
• Younger Chaos Clan members: Their initial hostility turns into shock and admiration when they learn Lu Ren’s identity and remember his legendary role in saving the clan.

Significant Themes

• Power through persistence and innovation: Lu Ren’s Battle Body offers an alternative path to strength when advancement in the Supreme Realm becomes increasingly difficult.
• Risk and caution in cultivation: His failed attempt at a third Battle Mark highlights the dangers of pursuing greater power, even though the Void of Destiny protects him from serious consequences.
• Legacy and reputation: Lu Ren’s past deeds continue to influence the Chaos Clan, with later generations revering him despite never having met him.
• Friendship and continuity: His reunion with Xing Xuan and Long Xiaoman emphasizes the enduring relationships formed during earlier struggles.
• Humility versus boastfulness: Lu Ren remains calm and amused by Xiaoman’s bragging, contrasting with Xiaoman’s eagerness to prove himself.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren consults the “Little Broken Tower” about whether a failed inscription could destroy his existing Battle Marks, revealing his cautious but ambitious nature.
• Xing Xuan warmly welcomes Lu Ren, praises his achievements, and brings him into the clan despite his delayed return.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman reunite affectionately, but their meeting quickly becomes a playful rivalry when Xiaoman boasts about his Battle Mark.
• Xing Xuan attempts to restrain Xiaoman’s arrogance, while Lu Ren responds with good-natured amusement and accepts his challenge.

Chapter Summary: The Clan Chief’s Position

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman spar to determine who is stronger and who deserves to be called the “big brother.”
• Long Xiaoman activates the power of his single Battle Mark and attacks Lu Ren, but Lu Ren’s Battle Body proves equally powerful. After more than a hundred exchanges, neither can gain the upper hand.
• Lu Ren reveals that he also possesses a Battle Mark, surprising Long Xiaoman. Once Lu Ren activates it, he overwhelms Long Xiaoman and beats him back into his young dragon form.
• Gu Chunxiao arrives and explains that both Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman were fortunate to successfully inscribe a Battle Mark, since the success rate is only around twenty percent. Lu Ren reveals that the Profound Luo Palace Master gave him three attempts, of which one succeeded.
• Gu Chunxiao brings Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman to meet the Seventeenth Ancestor in the forbidden grounds. The discussion turns to Supreme Mountain and matters of great importance concerning the Chaos Clan.
• The Seventeenth Ancestor praises Lu Ren for his courage in confronting the Chaotic Era Evil Ancestor’s will, his possession of the Taixu Immortal Bone, and his ability to cultivate a Battle Body amid repeated crises.
• Gu Chunxiao reveals that Lu Ren once caused the Eighteenth Ancestor’s portrait in the Ancestral Shrine to manifest its spirit. The Eighteenth Ancestor’s final instructions named Lu Ren as the next chief of the Chaos Clan.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman are both stunned. Lu Ren rejects the idea, fearing the enormous backlash from the Chaos Clan and the other Supreme Families.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates that his Battle Body is stronger than Long Xiaoman initially expected. His newly inscribed Battle Mark allows him to decisively defeat Long Xiaoman. Despite being honored by the Chaos Clan’s ancestors, he remains practical and distrustful of the political consequences of becoming chief.
• Long Xiaoman: Begins the chapter arrogant and eager to establish himself as Lu Ren’s superior, but is humbled after Lu Ren reveals his own Battle Mark. His playful, boastful personality remains evident even after being beaten, as he complains humorously about “dragon abuse.”
• Gu Chunxiao: Acts as a guide and mediator, explaining the significance of Battle Marks and bringing Lu Ren before the senior ancestor.
• Seventeenth Ancestor: Gains a deeper appreciation of Lu Ren’s abilities and courage, while emphasizing the political turmoil that his appointment would cause.
• Eighteenth Ancestor: Though absent, his authority drives the central conflict through his ancestral command naming Lu Ren the future clan chief.

Significant Themes

• Strength and humility: Long Xiaoman’s pride is challenged when Lu Ren proves equally strong even before revealing his Battle Mark.
• Destiny versus personal choice: Lu Ren is selected by ancestral decree to lead the Chaos Clan, but he does not want the position.
• Prejudice and acceptance: The Chaos Clan traditionally rejects outsiders, making the decision to appoint a human as chief deeply controversial.
• Recognition earned through deeds: Lu Ren’s courage, survival, and accomplishments have earned him respect despite his outsider status.
• Political responsibility and danger: Leadership is presented not merely as an honor but as a source of hostility, ridicule, and potentially serious danger.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman engage in a competitive but humorous battle over seniority, ending with Lu Ren clearly asserting dominance.
• Gu Chunxiao teases Long Xiaoman for showing off and later explains the rarity of successfully inscribing Battle Marks.
• The Seventeenth Ancestor praises Lu Ren and acknowledges why the Eighteenth Ancestor chose him.
• Gu Chunxiao and the Seventeenth Ancestor jointly inform Lu Ren that he is the appointed successor to the Chaos Clan leadership, while Lu Ren firmly refuses the role.

Chapter Summary: “Supreme Mountain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Seventeenth Ancestor informs Lu Ren that Supreme Mountain contains an opportunity to advance his Immortal Soul to the Eternal Level, potentially through the Soul-Severing Immortal Pill.
• Supreme Mountain is an ancient forbidden region jointly guarded by the seven Supreme Families. Within it lies the Ancient Ancestor Hall, left behind by the powerful Three-Extremes Ancient Ancestor.
• Because all law powers are suppressed inside Supreme Mountain, only cultivators possessing Battle Bodies can enter.
• The Chaos Clan has only two available places, one already intended for Long Xiaoman. The second will be decided through a trial.
• Lu Ren agrees to become the Chaos Clan’s patriarch after learning about the opportunity and will compete against Long Xiaoman and Gu Qiyuan for the remaining entry quota.
• The Seventeenth Ancestor plans to keep Lu Ren’s patriarch identity secret temporarily, hoping he will demonstrate his abilities and earn the clan’s support before the announcement.
• Seven days later, the trial begins in the Chaos Clan’s central plaza, drawing the attention of elders and younger members alike.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His desire to reach the Eternal Level Immortal Soul motivates him to accept the patriarch position. He displays confidence, willingly entering the trial and believing no one can prevent him from reaching Supreme Mountain.
• Seventeenth Ancestor: Reveals himself to be strategically minded, using the Supreme Mountain opportunity to secure Lu Ren’s cooperation while also planning to strengthen Lu Ren’s reputation within the clan.
• Long Xiaoman: Remains supportive of Lu Ren and accompanies him around the Chaos Clan. Although already considered a likely candidate, he must still compete in the trial.
• Gu Qiyuan: Is introduced as the primary rival. A former-era genius and Early-Stage Third-Step Supreme Realm expert, he possesses a powerful Battle Body and a formidable reputation.
• Xing Xuan: Acts as Lu Ren’s guide and source of information, helping him understand the clan’s situation and identify Gu Qiyuan.
• Third Ancestor and Gu Chunxiao: Express concern over the fairness and difficulty of the trial, particularly because a stronger potential candidate is unavailable while in seclusion.

Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: Lu Ren’s pursuit of the Eternal Level Immortal Soul gives him a concrete reason to accept greater responsibility and opposition.
• Merit versus reputation: The Chaos Clan intends for Lu Ren to prove himself before revealing his patriarch status, emphasizing that authority must be supported by demonstrated ability.
• Competition among geniuses: The trial reflects the struggle between talents from different generations, especially Lu Ren, Long Xiaoman, and the legendary Gu Qiyuan.
• Fortuitous opportunities: The Soul-Severing Immortal Pill and the Ancient Ancestor Hall represent rare chances to overcome cultivation bottlenecks.
• Specialized strength: Since laws are ineffective in Supreme Mountain, Battle Bodies become the decisive qualification, highlighting the importance of adapting one’s cultivation path.

Character Interactions

• The Seventeenth Ancestor pressures Lu Ren by threatening to remove him from the clan, prompting Lu Ren to accept the patriarch position.
• He explains Supreme Mountain and its rewards to Lu Ren, then challenges him to prove his worth in the upcoming trial.
• Long Xiaoman supports Lu Ren and later gives him a tour of the Chaos Clan.
• Xing Xuan joins them, discusses the Supreme Mountain trial, and introduces Lu Ren to Gu Qiyuan.
• The clan’s ancestors debate whether Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman can defeat Gu Qiyuan, while Gu Qiyuan’s appearance at the plaza establishes the central rivalry for the upcoming trial.

Chapter Summary: Battle Mark Inscription Trial

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Qiyuan recognizes Lu Ren, an outer-clan prodigy who awakened the Chaos Heaven Domain’s divine ability, helped resolve a crisis within the Chaos Clan, conquered the Lower Realm Battlefield, and cultivated a Battle Body.
• With Supreme Mountain about to open, Gu Chunxiao announces a Battle Mark Inscription Trial to determine which two of the three candidates—Long Xiaoman, Gu Qiyuan, and Lu Ren—will represent the Chaos Clan.
• Although many clansmen object to an outsider competing, Gu Chunxiao explains that the Chaos Clan must prioritize its chances of success over tradition, since rival Supreme Families possess several members with three Battle Marks.
• Each contestant receives five Ancestral Battle Marks. After inscribing an initial mark, the Chaos Origin-Transformation Array will accelerate their inscription speed. The two contestants with the most successful Battle Marks will earn the Supreme Mountain entry slots.
• The trial begins beneath the Chaos Eye, with numerous elders powering the array.
• After a year, Long Xiaoman fails while attempting his second Battle Mark. Both of his existing marks shatter, leaving him with none.
• Gu Qiyuan successfully inscribes a second Battle Mark, greatly strengthening his Battle Body. Many believe he could secure a slot by stopping, but others expect him to attempt a third mark because of his ambitious nature.
• Lu Ren remains concealed within a barrier, preventing the others from observing his progress.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His reputation as an exceptional outsider is emphasized. He is confident in his ability to inscribe at least one Battle Mark and is determined to win a place in Supreme Mountain.
• Gu Qiyuan: He acknowledges Lu Ren’s extraordinary potential but remains competitive. His successful second inscription reinforces his strength and experience, though his ambition may drive him to take greater risks.
• Long Xiaoman: Initially confident in his superior Battle Dragon Physique, he suffers a major setback when his two Battle Marks are destroyed. His reaction reveals disappointment and uncertainty, though he continues with four marks remaining.
• Gu Chunxiao: Acts pragmatically, placing the clan’s prospects above concerns about tradition or outsider status. He organizes the trial and urges everyone to respect its outcome.
• The Chaos Clan: Its members are divided between pride in clan tradition and concern that excluding Lu Ren would weaken their chances at Supreme Mountain.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus tradition: Lu Ren’s participation challenges the Chaos Clan’s long-standing rule against outsiders entering Supreme Mountain.
• Competition and risk: The trial rewards strength but also punishes overconfidence, as shown by Long Xiaoman’s failed inscription.
• Ambition and perseverance: Gu Qiyuan’s willingness to continue despite already having a strong position highlights the dangers and rewards of pursuing greater power.
• Pragmatism over reputation: Gu Chunxiao argues that tangible success matters more than preserving appearances before the other Supreme Families.
• Uncertainty and hidden strength: Lu Ren’s concealed inscription process creates suspense about whether he will surpass the established clan prodigies.

Character Interactions

• Gu Qiyuan and the clan members react with surprise and concern upon seeing Lu Ren included in the trial.
• Gu Chunxiao publicly defends Lu Ren’s eligibility and explains the decision to hold the competition.
• Gu Qiyuan questions the trial’s rules, while all three contestants formally agree to participate.
• The contestants compete under the observation of the entire Chaos Clan, whose comments reflect their differing expectations of Long Xiaoman, Gu Qiyuan, and Lu Ren.
• Long Xiaoman’s failure and Gu Qiyuan’s success shift the crowd’s attention and establish Gu Qiyuan as the current frontrunner, while Lu Ren’s unseen progress remains the chapter’s central mystery.