Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Journey to Dao-Suppressing Mountain

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren’s Chaos Dao reaches the Flawless Stage, bringing him close to the Dao Birth and Dao Death realm—the threshold required to forge his own Great Dao. However, he realizes that cultivating the Chaos Immortal Path Technique alone is insufficient to make that breakthrough.
• During a thousand years of cultivation inside the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda—equivalent to a century outside—Lu Ren perfects three Primordial-Tier Immortal Dao Techniques:
  • Chaos Ancient Shield Art
  • Chaos Immortal Shadow Art
  • Chaos Return to Ruin Art
• With Lu Ren’s guidance and the Chaos Clan’s resources, Xing Canglan masters the Chaos Myriad Butterfly Art, while Long Xiaoman and Gu Qiyuan advance to the Four-Marked Battle Body realm.
• Lu Ren’s cultivation in the Chaos Dao does not improve despite perfecting three techniques. He acknowledges that Dao Birth and Dao Death is an extremely difficult bottleneck.
• Little Broken Tower warns Lu Ren that those who attempt to forge their own Great Dao have historically been destroyed by the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals. Lu Ren remains determined, believing that his mother’s survival suggests the Lord of Myriad Immortals may be wary of her—and perhaps of him.
• The Nine Supreme Families prepare for the long-awaited contest for the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, whose control would grant access to the Higher Realm Battlefield and dramatically increase a family’s power.
• The Chaos Clan assembles its competitors: Lu Ren, Xing Canglan, Long Xiaoman, and Gu Qiyuan. Together they possess three Four-Marked Battle Bodies and one Five-Marked Battle Body, giving them a reasonable chance of competing for first place despite their smaller numbers.
• The group travels aboard a Chaos Warship through the Chaos Battlefield and a teleportation formation to Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
• They arrive at a dangerous mountain range filled with hidden killing formations and murderous runes. At its center stands the immense, black Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, wrapped in nine-colored divine light.
• Long Xiaoman attempts to rush toward the pagoda, but Gu Chunxiao restrains him and warns that triggering the mountain’s formations could be deadly.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren grows significantly stronger, perfecting three powerful Primordial-Tier techniques and consolidating his Seventh-Step Supreme cultivation. Despite this progress, he becomes more aware of the immense challenge of forging the Chaos Great Dao.
• Xing Canglan advances through Lu Ren’s instruction and becomes one of the Chaos Clan’s key combatants.
• Long Xiaoman and Gu Qiyuan both break into the Four-Marked Battle Body realm through high-grade Battle Marks and the Chaos Clan’s assistance.
• Lu Ren displays increasing resolve and ambition. Rather than fearing the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals, he insists that he must attempt to forge his own Great Dao or remain permanently beneath others.
• Gu Chunxiao acts as the group’s experienced leader, assessing their chances and protecting them from the dangers of Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
• Long Xiaoman remains impulsive and eager for battle, immediately trying to approach the pagoda without considering the hidden formations.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus overwhelming power: Lu Ren chooses to challenge the established order despite the threat posed by the Ancestor of Myriad Immortals.
• The difficulty of transcendence: Perfecting powerful techniques does not guarantee advancement; the barrier between the Flawless Stage and Dao Birth and Dao Death remains immense.
• Preparation and collective strength: The Chaos Clan invests heavily in its Battle Bodies, emphasizing that victory depends not only on individual cultivation but also on resources, teamwork, and lineage support.
• Control over strategic power: The Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda is more than a treasure—it determines access to the Higher Realm Battlefield and could reshape the future of an entire Supreme Family.
• Danger hidden beneath opportunity: The pagoda promises immense power, but Dao-Suppressing Mountain is protected by ancient formations capable of killing even powerful cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Little Broken Tower warns Lu Ren about the fate of previous Dao-seekers, while Lu Ren counters with confidence in his mother’s influence and his own potential.
• Lu Ren praises Long Xiaoman and Gu Qiyuan for reaching the Four-Marked Battle Body realm, strengthening their camaraderie.
• Gu Chunxiao evaluates the team’s chances and encourages them to fight for first place despite their numerical disadvantage.
• The Chaos Clan sends the group off with collective blessings, showing their hopes are invested in the expedition.
• Long Xiaoman’s reckless excitement contrasts with Gu Chunxiao’s caution, as the elder physically stops him from entering the dangerous mountain formations.

Chapter Summary: “Battle Bodies of the Nine Clans Gather”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Chunxiao leads Lu Ren, Xing Canglan, and the others through Dao-Suppressing Mountain to the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, where the Battle Body competition will be held.
• Representatives from the eight Supreme Families are already gathered, including the Exquisite Immortal Clan, Star River Imperial Clan, Lihuo Flame Clan, Celestial Mystery Clan, Qingming Sword Clan, Xuantian Bone Clan, Nine Nether Clan, and Primordial Azure Heaven Clan.
• Lu Ren’s arrival attracts attention because he has reached the Seventh-Step Supreme Realm and possesses a Four-Marked Battle Body.
• A confrontation occurs between Lu Ren and Ancestor Xing Fu and Wang Xingchen. Lu Ren reminds them that Wang Xingchen previously schemed against him in the Ancient Forbidden Zone. Wang Xingchen remains arrogant and insists that Lu Ren is still far weaker than him.
• Gu Chunxiao warns Lu Ren and Xing Canglan about two especially dangerous opponents:
  • Yan Poyuan, the Heaven-Burning Immortal Ancestor of the Lihuo Flame Clan, a veteran Battle Body from the previous Immortal Era who has reached the Mid Seventh-Step Supreme Realm.
  • Tai Batian, a powerful Five-Marked Battle Body of the Primordial Azure Heaven Clan, ranked third among Five-Marked Battle Bodies.
• Other Battle Body prodigies, including Wang Xingchen, Meng Linglong, Yan Ming, Qingming Yijian, and Qingming Mufeng, are also present.
• A Taixu Immortal Sect ancestor establishes an Immortal Path Contract. The lineage of the competition’s winner will gain control of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, and any lineage that violates the agreement will have its Immortal Dao destroyed.
• All competitors and accompanying ancestors contribute blood essence to the contract, making the result binding.
• The competition is announced to have three rounds:
  1. A Battle Body trial
  2. A second elimination round
  3. One-on-one arena battles
• In the first round, the pagoda will suppress all Dao Rhymes, forcing participants to rely solely on their physical Battle Body strength. This creates a dangerous disadvantage for cultivators whose cultivation is powerful but whose Battle Bodies are weaker.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren displays confidence and composure despite facing hostility and numerous powerful opponents. His advancement to the Seventh-Step Supreme Realm has significantly increased his reputation.
• Wang Xingchen remains arrogant and dismissive, believing that his strength still places him far above Lu Ren. Their unresolved conflict is clearly positioned to intensify during the competition.
• Xing Canglan shows deep concern upon learning that Yan Poyuan is participating. Her knowledge of the Battle Body rankings and past figures establishes her as well-informed and experienced.
• Gu Chunxiao acts as a cautious mentor and strategist, identifying the strongest threats and warning Lu Ren and Xing Canglan not to underestimate them.
• Yan Poyuan is introduced as a terrifying veteran whose battle experience and destructive power make him one of the likely favorites.
• Tai Batian is established as another major contender because of his exceptional Five-Marked Battle Body and third-place ranking.

Significant Themes

• Physical strength versus cultivation: The first round strips away Dao cultivation, emphasizing innate Battle Body power and exposing weaknesses in those who rely heavily on Immortal Dao abilities.
• Rivalry and unresolved vengeance: Lu Ren’s conflict with Wang Xingchen reflects the consequences of past betrayal and sets up a likely confrontation.
• Competition among powerful clans: Control of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda gives the contest enormous political and strategic importance.
• Binding oaths and consequences: The Immortal Path Contract ensures that the competition’s result cannot be challenged without catastrophic consequences.
• Experience versus potential: Ancient veterans like Yan Poyuan will compete against younger prodigies such as Lu Ren, highlighting the tension between long battle experience and rapid cultivation growth.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren directly challenges Ancestor Xing Fu’s threats and rejects Wang Xingchen’s intimidation.
• Wang Xingchen taunts Lu Ren, claiming that the gap between them remains impossible to overcome.
• Gu Chunxiao privately briefs Lu Ren and Xing Canglan about Yan Poyuan and Tai Batian, emphasizing the dangers they pose.
• The various clan ancestors discuss and evaluate the competing Battle Bodies, particularly Xing Canglan, Wang Xingchen, Yan Poyuan, and Tai Batian.
• All participating factions publicly accept the Immortal Path Contract, uniting them under the competition’s rules while increasing the stakes of the final result.

Chapter Summary: Entering the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fifty Battle Body contestants from the Nine Supreme Families participate in the trial, including only three with Five-Marked Battle Bodies and many with Four-Marked Battle Bodies.
• The first round is unexpectedly announced as a pure Battle Body competition rather than an Immortal Dao trial. Strong contestants such as Lu Ren, Yan Poyuan, and Long Xiaoman are confident, while those with Three-Marked Battle Bodies worry about elimination.
• A Celestial Mystery Clan contestant challenges the fairness of the rules, but the white-robed elder argues that cultivators must survive in any environment to face the invading Evil Path Cultivators.
• All contestants enter the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, where they are randomly teleported to separate battlefields.
• Lu Ren arrives on a desolate ancient battlefield covered in blood and slaughter. A powerful restriction suppresses the Dao and prevents him from using his Dao Rhyme.
• The trial’s rules are revealed:
  • Every contestant begins with fifty points.
  • Each contestant’s Battle Body creates a phantom with equal strength.
  • Destroying any Battle Body Phantom grants one point, while having one’s own phantom destroyed deducts one point.
  • Fifty ordinary Battle Body Phantoms are hidden in each battlefield and also provide points when defeated.
  • The trial lasts three days, after which the top twenty contestants advance.
• The four Chaos Clan contestants suffer an additional ten-point deduction because the pagoda was once controlled by the Chaos Clan, placing them at a disadvantage.
• The trial begins, and Lu Ren’s first opponent is unexpectedly revealed to be Wang Xingchen’s Battle Body Phantom.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Remains calm and confident because his concealed Battle Body is actually capable of displaying the strength of a Seven-Marked Battle Body. The first round presents little danger to him, though the suppression of Dao Rhyme limits his other abilities.
• Long Xiaoman: Shows excitement at the Battle Body-focused rules, believing his Four-Marked Battle Dragon Physique can dominate other contestants. His mood changes to anger and concern after learning of the Chaos Clan’s ten-point penalty.
• Xing Canglan and Gu Qiyuan: Enter the pagoda alongside Lu Ren, establishing their participation in the same group, though they are teleported separately.
• Wang Xingchen, Xing Canglan, and Tai Batian: Are identified as possessing exceptionally powerful Battle Body Phantoms and are expected to be difficult for other contestants to defeat.
• Celestial Mystery Clan contestant: His objection to the trial’s fairness is silenced by the elder’s harsh reminder that real enemies will not provide fair conditions.

Significant Themes

• Survival over fairness: The elder emphasizes that cultivators must adapt to any battlefield, reflecting the harsh realities of the coming conflict with Evil Path Cultivators.
• Strength and luck: Advancement depends not only on combat power but also on locating hidden phantoms, avoiding the destruction of one’s own phantom, and making effective use of the three-day limit.
• Suppression and adaptation: The pagoda neutralizes Dao Rhyme, forcing contestants to rely entirely on their Battle Bodies and physical abilities.
• Hidden advantages and discrimination: The Chaos Clan’s penalty introduces an element of institutional disadvantage, making their advancement more difficult despite their strength.
• Uncertainty and competition: Since the contestants are separated and the rules are concealed until entry, they must make strategic decisions without knowing the full situation of the others.

Character Interactions

• The white-robed elder confronts the Celestial Mystery Clan contestant’s protest and uses the threat of Evil Path Cultivators to justify the brutal rules.
• Lu Ren, Xing Canglan, Long Xiaoman, and Gu Qiyuan enter the pagoda together, with Xing Canglan encouraging Lu Ren to proceed.
• The contestants collectively react with shock to the hidden phantoms, the scoring system, and especially the Chaos Clan’s ten-point deduction.
• The chapter ends with Lu Ren facing Wang Xingchen’s phantom, immediately creating a major confrontation at the start of the trial.

Chapter Summary: Battle Body Trial

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Xingchen’s Five-Marked Battle Body mirror image appears, displaying an unusually powerful aura. It attacks Lu Ren with meteor-like fists, but Lu Ren easily destroys the attacks and shatters the mirror image with a single palm.
• Lu Ren’s victory raises his score to 51, while Wang Xingchen’s score simultaneously falls from 50 to 49, revealing that destroying a participant’s mirror image reduces that person’s score.
• Lu Ren continues hunting Battle Body mirror images. His Seven-Marked Battle Body allows him to destroy most opponents effortlessly, including mirror images hidden inside mountains.
• Using the perception of his Eternal-Level Immortal Soul, Lu Ren locates concealed mirror images despite Dao Rhyme being restricted. Within one day, he raises his score to 100 out of a possible 150.
• Rather than collecting every point, Lu Ren decides that 130 points will be sufficient. He then focuses on destroying the mirror images of stronger participants, both increasing his own score and lowering theirs.
• Outside the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, the provisional rankings are revealed. Lu Ren ranks first, followed by Tai Batian, Wang Xingchen, and Xing Canglan. The Chaos Clan places four members in the top twenty, including Lu Ren, Xing Canglan, Long Xiaoman, and Gu Qiyuan.
• The Chaos Clan celebrates its strong showing, especially because its members had suffered a ten-point deduction during the first stage. The other Supreme Families react with jealousy and concern, while Xing Fu dismisses Lu Ren’s ranking as temporary luck.
• Lu Ren’s own Four-Marked Battle Body mirror image proves extremely difficult to defeat because it possesses Mountains and Rivers Shaking the World, Chu Shanhe’s powerful Battle Body divine ability. Most participants avoid fighting it, and only Wang Xingchen, Tai Batian, and Xing Canglan are capable of destroying it.
• After eliminating all fifty participant mirror images over two days, Wang Xingchen becomes confused about who destroyed his own mirror image, since none of the competitors he assessed seemed powerful enough to surpass him.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming combat strength, superior perception, and strategic restraint. Though capable of obtaining all 150 points, he chooses to stop at a practical target and then shifts tactics toward weakening rival participants.
• Wang Xingchen is established as a powerful and experienced Five-Marked Battle Body cultivator, but he is unsettled by the unexplained destruction of his mirror image. His confidence begins to give way to suspicion.
• Xing Canglan appears strong enough to defeat Lu Ren’s mirror image but deliberately refuses to do so, suggesting either cooperation, respect, or a desire not to hinder Lu Ren.
• Gu Chunxiao becomes openly ecstatic over the Chaos Clan’s rankings, temporarily abandoning his dignified image. His pride in the clan’s performance contrasts with the hostility of the other families.
• The other Supreme Families, particularly Xing Fu and the Lihuo Flame Clan’s ancestor, grow increasingly wary of Lu Ren and the Chaos Clan’s unexpected dominance.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus reputation: Lu Ren’s high ranking challenges established assumptions about the limits of a Four-Marked Battle Body.
• Strategy over brute force: Lu Ren does not simply maximize points; he deliberately targets influential opponents to alter the rankings.
• Hidden power and deception: Concealed mirror images, unexplained score changes, and Lu Ren’s seemingly ordinary Battle Body classification emphasize that appearances are misleading.
• Clan rivalry and political tension: The rankings intensify competition among the Supreme Families, especially as the Chaos Clan gains a major advantage.
• Uncertainty and rising suspicion: Wang Xingchen’s inability to identify his opponent foreshadows the revelation that Lu Ren’s true strength is far greater than expected.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren vs. Wang Xingchen’s mirror image: Lu Ren effortlessly overwhelms and destroys it, establishing the gap between their apparent Battle Body levels.
• Lu Ren and rival mirror images: Lu Ren’s mirror image frustrates most Four-Marked Battle Body cultivators, forcing them to retreat rather than fight.
• Gu Chunxiao and Xing Fu: Gu Chunxiao celebrates the Chaos Clan’s success, while Xing Fu attempts to minimize Lu Ren’s achievement and predict his eventual decline.
• Gu Chunxiao and the Chaos Clan ancestors: They discuss the importance of placing multiple members in the top twenty and gaining an advantage in the next round.
• Wang Xingchen and the unknown attacker: Wang Xingchen investigates the loss of his mirror image but cannot determine who defeated it, increasing the mystery surrounding Lu Ren’s abilities.

Summary of “Three-Day Rankings”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the end of the second day, the rankings change significantly:
  • Wang Xingchen takes first place with 131 points.
  • Tai Batian ranks second with 125 points.
  • Xing Canglan ranks third with 124 points.
  • Lu Ren rises to fourth with 120 points, surprising the family ancestors because his continued success can no longer be attributed to luck.
• The ancestors of the Nine Supreme Families discuss the implications of the rankings. The Star River Imperial Clan appears to have the strongest position, but the other clans still hope to seize first place and alter their Lineage’s future.
• On the third day inside the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda, the participants slow down because most of the powerful projected Battle Body mirror images have already been destroyed.
• Tai Batian and Wang Xingchen have eliminated all their projected Battle Body mirror images and begin searching for ordinary ones to increase their scores.
• Xing Canglan continues training herself through combat. She destroys ordinary mirror images and then encounters Tai Batian’s projected mirror image.
  • After more than a thousand exchanges, she finally destroys it, though she is left weakened.
  • She acknowledges that Tai Batian’s Battle Body possesses greater power than Wang Xingchen’s and would be extremely difficult to defeat directly.
• Lu Ren destroys Tai Batian’s projected mirror image with a single punch, demonstrating a vast gap between his strength and that of the others. He finishes with 130 points, believing this should be enough to advance.
• After the three-day trial ends, all fifty participants are transported outside the pagoda.
• The final visible rankings for the third day are revealed:
  1. Wang Xingchen — 146 points
  2. Tai Batian — 146 points
  3. Xing Canglan — 140 points
  4. Meng Linglong — 135 points
  5. Yan Ming — 132 points
  6. Lu Ren — 130 points
  • Gu Qiyuan ranks twentieth with 100 points.
• The ranking is not yet final because the four Chaos Clan participants will lose ten points. The participants also notice that Wang Xingchen and Tai Batian appear to be missing one point each, raising questions about what happened.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren establishes himself as one of the trial’s strongest participants. His fourth-place position and effortless destruction of Tai Batian’s mirror image reveal that his Battle Body is far more powerful than previously suspected.
• Xing Canglan shows perseverance and a desire for self-improvement. Rather than merely pursuing points, she uses the trial to test herself against powerful opponents. Her battle with Tai Batian’s mirror image strengthens her understanding of her own limits.
• Tai Batian is confirmed to possess the most powerful Battle Body among the major contenders in terms of raw force, though his projected image is ultimately destroyed by both Xing Canglan and Lu Ren.
• Wang Xingchen remains one of the leading competitors and ties Tai Batian for first place in the third-day ranking.
• The Chaos Clan maintains a strong overall showing, with several members remaining in the top twenty, though their eventual ten-point penalty may drastically affect the final standings.
• Gu Qiyuan improves from twentieth to nineteenth before later settling back at twentieth in the third-day ranking.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus perceived luck: Lu Ren’s repeated success forces observers to recognize that his achievements come from genuine Battle Body superiority rather than coincidence.
• Competition and Lineage destiny: The trial is portrayed as a struggle capable of changing the fate of entire Supreme Families, making the rankings politically and personally significant.
• Self-improvement through adversity: Xing Canglan treats combat as a means of tempering herself, emphasizing growth rather than simply winning.
• Uncertainty beneath apparent victory: Even after the third-day rankings are revealed, the results remain unsettled because of the Chaos Clan’s penalty and the unexplained missing points of the top two contestants.
• Hidden power and suspense: Lu Ren’s effortless victory hints that his true strength may be much greater than the other participants or family ancestors realize.

Character Interactions

• The ancestors of the Nine Supreme Families debate the significance of the changing rankings and compare the prospects of their clans.
• The Chaos Clan ancestor proudly points out that both Lu Ren and Xiao Man are performing well, while Gu Chunxiao emphasizes the Star River Imperial Clan’s numerical advantage.
• Xing Canglan battles Tai Batian’s projected Battle Body in an extended, exhausting confrontation. Their clash allows her to assess the overwhelming power of his Battle Body.
• Lu Ren later fights the same projected image and destroys it with one punch, implicitly contrasting his strength with Xing Canglan’s thousand-exchange struggle.
• The participants collectively react with confusion to the preliminary rankings, especially the apparent inconsistency in Wang Xingchen’s and Tai Batian’s scores.

Chapter Summary: Immortal Dao Trial Begins

Key Plot Points and Events

• The first trial’s results reveal that Wang Xingchen and Tai Batian each destroyed all one hundred Battle Body mirror images, confirming that another contestant may possess a hidden Five-Marked Battle Body.
• Wang Xingchen confidently declares that he will ultimately claim first place. Suspicion falls on Lu Ren because he inherited Chu Shanhe’s powerful Battle Marks.
• The Chaos Clan performs exceptionally well, placing four contestants in the top twenty. However, the white-robed elder deducts ten points from each of them.
• After the deduction, the final rankings place Wang Xingchen first, Tai Batian second, Meng Linglong third, Yan Ming fourth, Xing Canglan fifth, Lu Ren eighth, and Yan Poyuan twentieth. Gu Qiyuan falls out of the top twenty.
• The advancing contestants are given one day of rest before entering the second round inside the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda.
• The second trial takes place on an Ancient Battlefield. The twenty contestants must kill 100,000 flying immortal beasts, each worth one point.
• The beasts are projections with Fifth-Step Supreme Realm strength, but they do not attack. Instead, they flee rapidly, requiring the contestants to use Dao Rhyme-based attacks to kill them.
• Yan Poyuan takes an early lead, followed by Wang Xingchen, while Lu Ren initially struggles to remain in the top ten.
• After noticing that the beasts are too scattered to kill efficiently, Lu Ren uses Chaos Silk to attack clusters of beasts at once. He destroys nearly one hundred in an instant, regaining a position in the top ten.

Character Developments

• Wang Xingchen remains arrogant and highly confident, believing that no one can surpass him despite the possibility of another Five-Marked Battle Body.
• Tai Batian becomes serious after realizing that a hidden Five-Marked Battle Body may exist among the contestants.
• Lu Ren continues to emerge as a major threat. His inherited Battle Marks and powerful Chaos techniques allow him to compete with the strongest contestants.
• Xing Canglan maintains a strong position and is recognized as one of the contestants likely to enter the top ten.
• Yan Poyuan makes a dramatic rise, entering the top twenty after Gu Qiyuan’s penalty and then taking the lead in the second trial.
• Gu Qiyuan reacts humbly to his elimination from the top twenty, while Gu Chunxiao reassures him that his performance was still impressive.
• Long Xiaoman feels insecure because his Third-Step Supreme Realm cultivation is far weaker than that of the other contestants, though his companions encourage him to make the most of the opportunity.

Significant Themes

• Competition and hidden strength: The contestants constantly reassess one another, aware that undisclosed abilities—especially a possible Five-Marked Battle Body—could change the rankings.
• Adaptation and strategy: Raw power is not enough in the second trial. Efficiently handling the fleeing beasts becomes essential, forcing Lu Ren to alter his approach.
• Rise and decline in status: The rankings shift rapidly due to penalties and performance, showing how unstable the contestants’ positions are.
• Clan honor and pressure: The Chaos Clan’s strong showing brings pride but also highlights its long struggle to regain control and prestige.
• Determination despite disadvantage: Long Xiaoman’s weak cultivation contrasts with the overwhelming strength of the other contestants, emphasizing perseverance even when victory seems unlikely.

Character Interactions

• Tai Batian questions Wang Xingchen about the mirror images, prompting the revelation that another contestant may have achieved the Five-Marked Battle Body.
• Xingfu Ancestor watches Lu Ren suspiciously because of his connection to Chu Shanhe’s inheritance and sees him as a possible threat to the Star River Imperial Clan.
• Gu Qiyuan apologizes to Gu Chunxiao after failing to advance, but Gu Chunxiao comforts him and praises the Chaos Clan’s overall performance.
• Long Xiaoman expresses concern about his weak cultivation, while Xing Canglan and Gu Chunxiao encourage him to continue participating.
• During the second trial, Lu Ren observes the rapid progress of Yan Poyuan and You Yan, realizing that the other supreme clans possess powerful methods and pushing himself to develop a more efficient killing technique.

Chapter Summary: “Fierce Competition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Battle Body prodigies of the Nine Supreme Families begin slaughtering Fifth-Step Supreme Realm immortal beasts using Immortal Path Techniques and divine abilities.
• Most contestants kill the beasts easily, causing their points to rise rapidly and the rankings to change constantly. Even powerful contestants such as Yan Poyuan and Wang Xingchen temporarily fall in rank.
• The ancestors watching outside are shocked by the intense competition. They note that the trial will end once the combined points reach 100,000, meaning even strong contestants could still be eliminated.
• Yan Poyuan eventually regains first place due to his superior cultivation and profound Dao Rhyme. His supporters argue that deep Dao Rhyme will determine the final result.
• Xingfu Ancestor disputes this, claiming that victory depends more on the practical use of Dao Rhyme and Immortal Path Techniques. He wagers a Dao Restricting Soldier with Yan Jue Ancestor over whether Yan Poyuan or Wang Xingchen will finish with the highest individual score.
• As the trial continues, the strongest contestants separate themselves from the rest. Yan Poyuan and Wang Xingchen secure the top two positions, while Xing Canglan and Yan Ming hold third and fourth.
• The rankings gradually stabilize: Lu Ren rises to fifth, followed by Tai Batian, You Yan, Gu Xuanyou, Zhuge Qing, and Qingming Yijian. Meng Linglong initially remains outside the top ten.
• By the third day, most contestants’ points stop increasing because the immortal beasts have nearly been wiped out. Meng Linglong manages to enter the top ten, displacing Qingming Yijian and relieving the Exquisite Immortal Clan while disappointing the Qingming Sword Clan.
• The total score reaches 80,000, leaving 20,000 points before the trial ends. Lu Ren worries that his fifth-place position is not secure because the remaining rankings could still change.
• Long Xiaoman discovers a concealed region containing several thousand immortal beasts behind a hidden formation. Since he cannot kill them himself, he summons Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren realizes that eliminating these beasts could greatly increase his score and help him secure a place in the top ten, possibly even allowing him to compete for first place.

Character Developments

• Yan Poyuan: Demonstrates the advantage of his mid-Seventh-Step Supreme Realm cultivation and profound Dao Rhyme by reclaiming first place.
• Wang Xingchen: Proves exceptionally powerful by competing evenly with Yan Poyuan despite being one realm weaker, establishing himself as a serious contender.
• Xing Canglan: Secures third place but deliberately focuses on maintaining a top-ten position rather than challenging the leaders directly.
• Meng Linglong: Initially struggles because Dao Rhyme is not her specialty, but she ultimately breaks into the top ten, preserving the Exquisite Immortal Clan’s chances.
• Qingming Yijian: Falls out of the top ten after Meng Linglong overtakes him, weakening the position of the Qingming Sword Clan.
• Lu Ren: Becomes increasingly concerned about maintaining his ranking and seizes a major opportunity when Long Xiaoman discovers the hidden group of immortal beasts.
• Long Xiaoman: Though unable to kill the beasts effectively, he proves observant and resourceful by discovering the concealment formation and guiding Lu Ren to it.

Significant Themes

• Competition and uncertainty: Rankings shift rapidly, showing that no contestant’s position is safe until the trial ends.
• Cultivation versus technique: The chapter debates whether victory depends primarily on cultivation and profound Dao Rhyme or on the effective application of techniques.
• Strategic advantage: Observation, discovery, and cooperation become as important as brute strength, especially when Long Xiaoman finds the hidden beasts.
• Clan honor and pressure: The ancestors closely track the rankings, and each contestant’s success or failure directly affects the reputation and survival of their clan’s hopes.
• Opportunity and reversal: A hidden resource can completely reshape the competition, giving Lu Ren a chance to overturn the established rankings.

Character Interactions

• The ancestors debate the significance of Dao Rhyme and technique while watching their disciples compete.
• Yan Jue Ancestor and Xingfu Ancestor turn their disagreement into a wager involving a Dao Restricting Soldier.
• The Exquisite Immortal Clan anxiously supports Meng Linglong, while the Qingming Sword Clan reacts angrily to Qingming Yijian’s demotion.
• Long Xiaoman seeks Lu Ren’s help after discovering the hidden immortal beasts.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman form a practical alliance: Long Xiaoman locates the beasts, while Lu Ren has the strength to slaughter them and potentially secure a top ranking.

Chapter Summary: “Musk Fire”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman discover that several competitors—including Tai Batian, You Yan, Gu Xuanyou, Zhuge Qing, Nanming Yijian, and Meng Linglong—are rapidly gaining points.
• Their rankings begin to collapse, suggesting that someone has found and gathered a large concentration of immortal beasts.
• Lu Ren senses the beasts’ location and, with Long Xiaoman transformed into a massive Chaos War Dragon, races toward them.
• The source is revealed to be Yan Ming, who is using the alluring fragrance of Musk Fire within his body to attract thousands of flying immortal beasts.
• Yan Ming plans to burn all the gathered beasts at once with the Lihuo Immortal-Burning Art, potentially gaining first place and placing both members of the Lihuo Flame Clan near the top of the rankings.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman arrive before Yan Ming can complete the technique. Lu Ren interrupts him with a sword strike, provoking a confrontation.
• Lu Ren easily breaks Yan Ming’s blazing attack with the fully restored Chaos Ancient Sword, now a Dao Restricting Soldier, and his perfected Chaos Dao.
• Furious, Yan Ming summons a powerful black bead and unleashes a massive river of fire across ten thousand li. The attack threatens both Lu Ren and the immortal beasts, while also allowing Yan Ming to claim their points if they are burned.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren remains calm and observant under pressure, quickly identifying that the immortal beasts have been deliberately lured away. His confidence increases as the Chaos Ancient Sword returns to peak condition and his Chaos Dao reaches the flawless realm.
• Long Xiaoman displays loyalty and eagerness to help Lu Ren recover his ranking. His transformation into a gigantic Chaos War Dragon highlights his exceptional speed and physical power.
• Yan Ming is revealed to be calculating and ambitious. He has devised an effective strategy with Musk Fire to seize first place, but his confidence turns to fury when Lu Ren interferes.
• Yan Ming’s resentment toward Lu Ren deepens because of their previous conflict, in which Lu Ren used his Four-Marked Battle Body to suppress him.

Significant Themes

• Competition and strategic advantage: The rankings depend not only on direct combat but also on discovering and exploiting unique abilities, such as Yan Ming’s Musk Fire.
• Rivalry and revenge: Yan Ming’s current actions are driven by both ambition and his desire to settle an old grudge against Lu Ren.
• Power progression: Lu Ren’s perfected Chaos Dao and upgraded sword demonstrate his growing strength, while Long Xiaoman’s War Dragon form emphasizes the diversity of powerful cultivation paths.
• Risk and opportunism: Yan Ming’s plan allows him to gain enormous points, but his concentration on victory creates a dangerous confrontation that could cost him his advantage.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman cooperate closely, with Long Xiaoman carrying Lu Ren while using his superior flight speed to pursue the immortal beasts.
• Yan Ming and Lu Ren exchange hostile remarks, with Lu Ren mocking Yan Ming by thanking him for gathering the beasts.
• Their verbal confrontation immediately escalates into a duel between Lu Ren’s Chaos swordsmanship and Yan Ming’s Lihuo flames.
• Yan Ming deliberately directs his final attack so that Lu Ren must either block the flames or allow thousands of immortal beasts—and their valuable points—to be destroyed.

Chapter Summary: “Points Soar Straight to First Place”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Yan Ming launches a devastating attack with the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl, a powerful Dao-Restricting treasure capable of releasing nine flame spirits and creating a destructive sea of fire.
• Lu Ren protects the mountain range and the immortal beasts below with the Chaos Ancient Shield Art, forming layers of shields into a massive tortoise-shell barrier.
• Yan Ming intensifies his attack, eventually breaking through and destroying Lu Ren’s barrier.
• Lu Ren directly clashes with the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl using the Chaos Ancient Sword. Although he is forced backward, Yan Ming also fails to defeat him.
• During the battle, Lu Ren secretly kills all the immortal beasts in the area while defending against Yan Ming’s flames. This causes his points to surge from tenth place to first.
• Furious at losing the opportunity to gain those points himself, Yan Ming continues attacking Lu Ren. He reveals a powerful four-foot Lihuo Dao Ring, greatly strengthening his aura.
• Lu Ren warns Yan Ming that continuing to fight may cause him to fall out of the top ten, as Qingming Yijian is catching up in points.
• Yan Ming attempts to withdraw, but Lu Ren repeatedly attacks him with the Three-Eyed Demon Cauldron, forcing Yan Ming to defend himself with the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl.
• Yan Ming finally escapes using a flaming talisman, threatening to settle the score during the battle for the top ten.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman resume hunting immortal beasts. Lu Ren reveals that he has 51,000 personal points, only 1,000 ahead of Wang Xingchen, and intends to defend first place.
• Outside the trial, the sudden ranking changes shock the spectators. Gu Chunxiao proudly celebrates Lu Ren’s rise to first place, seeing it as an honor for the Chaos Clan.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates exceptional combat ability, strategic thinking, and composure. Rather than focusing solely on defeating Yan Ming, he uses the battle as a distraction to eliminate the immortal beasts and gain points.
• Lu Ren also reveals greater confidence and ambition. After reaching first place, he immediately plans to secure the ranking rather than becoming complacent.
• Yan Ming is shown to be extremely powerful, possessing both the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl and a four-foot Lihuo Dao Ring. However, his pride and anger make him vulnerable to Lu Ren’s tactics.
• Yan Ming becomes increasingly frustrated when Lu Ren repeatedly blocks him, steals the available points, and prevents him from safely withdrawing.
• Long Xiaoman continues to support Lu Ren and reacts with admiration and excitement. She is surprised by his hidden strategy and enthusiastically helps him continue the hunt.
• Gu Chunxiao expresses pride in Lu Ren, viewing his achievement as a major victory for the Chaos Clan.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Lu Ren wins the ranking advantage not by overpowering Yan Ming, but by using defense, deception, and multitasking.
• Competition and rankings: The chapter emphasizes how quickly fortunes can change in the Immortal Dao Trial, with Lu Ren moving from near eleventh place to first in only moments.
• Pride and emotional control: Yan Ming’s anger causes him to waste time fighting Lu Ren, while Lu Ren remains focused on his broader objective.
• Resourcefulness and hidden strength: Lu Ren reveals the Three-Eyed Demon Cauldron and a concealed technique, showing that his capabilities extend beyond his publicly known sword and shield arts.
• Persistence: Even after reaching first place, Lu Ren continues hunting immortal beasts because the lead over Wang Xingchen is narrow.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Yan Ming: Their confrontation is both a physical battle and a clash of personalities. Yan Ming relies on overwhelming flames and authority, while Lu Ren counters with patience, tactics, and provocation.
• Lu Ren and Long Xiaoman: Their relationship is cooperative and trusting. Long Xiaoman carries him through the trial, reacts to the battle, and follows his instructions without hesitation.
• Yan Ming and Lu Ren: Yan Ming regards Lu Ren’s use of the demonic cauldron as dishonorable, but Lu Ren dismisses such concerns, valuing effectiveness above appearances.
• Gu Chunxiao and Lu Ren: Gu Chunxiao’s reaction from outside the trial highlights the broader significance of Lu Ren’s achievement and his importance to the Chaos Clan.

Chapter Summary: “Strange Dao Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Immortal Dao Trial rankings remain highly competitive. Lu Ren is currently first in points, but Xingfu, Yan Jue, and other ancestors argue that points alone do not prove he has truly mastered the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda.
• Inside the pagoda, Lu Ren searches for more immortal beasts and believes his lead is secure after another five hundred flying beasts are killed.
• He is suddenly attacked by the Thirty-Six Battle Weapon Talismans, a powerful formation ranked twenty-first in the Dao-Restricting Chapter.
• Lu Ren deliberately lures the attacker away from Long Xiaoman, allowing her to escape. The attacker is revealed to be Emperor Lord Guixiang, possessing a Battle Body of the Celestial Mystery Clan.
• Guixiang admits that Lu Ren had already recognized his identity and explains the precarious political situation in the Ghost Path Great World. After Emperor Lord Guiyi’s death, Guixiang has been left vulnerable to the remaining Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord.
• Guixiang reveals that Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord is preparing a two-stage assault against the Immortal Path Great World:
  1. The Star River Imperial Clan, secretly allied with Strange Dao cultivators, will attempt to gain control of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda through Wang Xingchen.
  2. Regardless of whether that attempt succeeds, Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord plans to lead powerful forces in an assault on Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
• Lu Ren realizes that Dao-Suppressing Mountain and its inhabitants—the ancestors of the Nine Supreme Families and fifty elite Battle Bodies—could be destroyed or transformed into Strange Dao puppets.
• Although Lu Ren agrees that Wang Xingchen must be stopped, he doubts his ability to confront Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord directly. He also suspects that the enemy has already infiltrated the area, obtained maps of Dao-Suppressing Mountain’s formations, and prepared an ambush.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren remains calm and perceptive, quickly identifying both Guixiang’s possession and the Star River Imperial Clan’s allegiance to Strange Dao cultivators. However, the larger conspiracy finally causes him visible alarm.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang openly seeks Lu Ren’s protection and cooperation. His position has become dangerous after Guiyi’s death, forcing him to reveal Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord’s plans.
• Long Xiaoman follows Lu Ren’s command and retreats when the talisman attack begins, showing trust in his judgment.
• Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord emerges as a calculating and far-reaching enemy whose plans threaten both the Immortal and Ghost Path Great Worlds.
• Wang Xingchen becomes a crucial figure in the conspiracy, as his possible victory could give the Star River Imperial Clan control of the pagoda.

Significant Themes

• Power versus true control: Winning the rankings does not necessarily mean possessing genuine authority over the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda.
• Conspiracy and hidden allegiance: The Star River Imperial Clan’s secret submission to Strange Dao forces reveals that the competition is part of a much larger invasion plan.
• Political survival and shifting alliances: Guixiang’s attempt to ally with Lu Ren reflects the unstable balance of power in the Ghost Path Great World.
• Strategic warfare: The enemy’s two-step plan demonstrates the importance of preparation, infiltration, and fallback strategies.
• Burden of responsibility: Lu Ren must decide how to protect the Immortal Path Great World despite being vastly weaker than the forces arrayed against it.

Character Interactions

• The ancestors debate Lu Ren’s legitimacy and whether his first-place ranking reflects real control.
• Lu Ren protects Long Xiaoman during the talisman attack, ordering her to escape while he draws off the enemy.
• Guixiang confronts Lu Ren and appeals to their previous allegiance, asking him to thwart Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord’s plan.
• Lu Ren challenges Guixiang’s expectations, insisting that he is only a newly advanced Seventh-Step Supreme and may not be able to stop such a powerful enemy.
• Their conversation shifts from the pagoda competition to the imminent threat against Dao-Suppressing Mountain, ending with Lu Ren recognizing that the situation may already be an elaborate trap.

Chapter Summary: “Lu Ren’s Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emperor Lord Guixiang reveals that Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord has arranged an ambush near Dao-Suppressing Mountain. His forces include members of the Mong Luo Remnant Clan, an ancient Supreme Family renowned for its compatibility with Immortal Path Origin and mastery of Immortal Path Techniques.
• Lu Ren recognizes that Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord is using the Mong Luo Clan as his greatest trump card and concludes that a direct confrontation would be extremely dangerous.
• Lu Ren devises a counterstrategy: secretly notify the Four Great Dao Traditions and have them surround both Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord and the Star River Imperial Clan. He intends to eliminate both threats simultaneously.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang agrees to the plan and leaves to carry it out.
• Lu Ren recruits Long Xiaoman for a dangerous deception. He tells Long Xiaoman to help “act out a play,” warning that failure could endanger everyone.
• The second stage of the Immortal Dao Trial concludes. Lu Ren ranks first, followed by Wang Xingchen, Yan Poyuan, Tai Batian, Xing Canglan, You Yan, Gu Xuanyou, Zhuge Qing, Meng Linglong, and Yan Ming. Qingming Yijian fails to enter the top ten.
• Long Xiaoman angrily blames Lu Ren for killing too many immortal beasts and leaving him too few opportunities to earn points. Their argument escalates, and Long Xiaoman leaves Dao-Suppressing Mountain in apparent anger.
• Gu Chunxiao escorts Long Xiaoman safely through the mountain’s killing formations and out into the void.
• The hidden enemies monitoring Dao-Suppressing Mountain notice Long Xiaoman’s departure. Fearing that he may reveal their presence, they send a black shadow to pursue him.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates strategic intelligence and decisiveness. Rather than passively await Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord’s assault, he creates a plan to turn the ambush against the enemy and remove two major threats at once.
• Emperor Lord Guixiang shows increasing trust in Lu Ren, accepting the dangerous plan despite its potentially enormous casualties.
• Long Xiaoman appears childish, greedy, and quick-tempered, but his willingness to participate in Lu Ren’s deception suggests that he is more useful and cooperative than his behavior implies. His staged departure is likely part of the larger strategy.
• Gu Chunxiao acts as a stern but protective elder, reprimanding Long Xiaoman while still escorting him safely away from Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
• Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord is portrayed as a formidable and cautious enemy, willing to deploy the nearly lost Mong Luo Remnant Clan to ensure victory.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus strength: Lu Ren realizes that even powerful allies may be unable to defeat Ghost Venerable Emperor Lord directly, making deception and coordinated forces essential.
• Risk and sacrifice: The plan may cause heavy casualties, but Lu Ren accepts the danger as the only viable path to survival and victory.
• Deception and performance: Lu Ren’s plan depends on Long Xiaoman acting convincingly, blurring the line between genuine conflict and calculated manipulation.
• Ancient legacies and hidden threats: The Mong Luo Remnant Clan’s return highlights how buried powers from past eras continue to shape the present conflict.
• Unstable alliances: Multiple factions—including the Four Great Dao Traditions, Emperor Lord Guixiang’s forces, and Lu Ren’s group—must cooperate against mutual enemies despite distrust and competing interests.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Emperor Lord Guixiang discuss the ambush and jointly establish the counterattack plan.
• Lu Ren recruits Long Xiaoman through promises of rewards, then warns him seriously about the danger involved.
• Long Xiaoman quarrels with Lu Ren over the Immortal Dao Trial rankings and the distribution of immortal beasts.
• Gu Chunxiao rebukes Long Xiaoman’s arrogance but ultimately helps him leave Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
• The enemy forces observe Long Xiaoman’s departure and immediately treat him as a potential security risk, sending someone to eliminate or silence him.

Chapter Summary: “Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Xiaoman, transformed into his massive Chaos War Dragon form, flees through the Void Turbulence according to Lu Ren’s plan. He knows the Ghost Path Cultivators may send powerful pursuers after him.
• He is intercepted by Gui Churen, a powerful Early Seventh-Step Supreme Realm cultivator from the Mong Luo Remnant Clan. Gui Churen demands that Long Xiaoman become his mount or die.
• Gui Churen’s Rending Sword-Slash Art breaks through Long Xiaoman’s Chaos Dragon Cannon and wounds his head. Although Long Xiaoman’s Battle Body protects him from an outright fatal blow, he realizes the gap between them is enormous.
• Long Xiaoman unleashes his self-created Battle Body technique, the Chaos War Dragon Spear, but Gui Churen activates his Dao Ring and overwhelms the attack.
• As Long Xiaoman attempts to flee, Gui Churen uses a terrifying Dao Restricting Soldier shaped like a black triangular seal. Rather than allow his true Immortal Soul Body to be killed, Long Xiaoman sacrifices his Battle Dragon Physique as a decoy and escapes in the form of a small illusory dragon.
• Gui Churen collects the mangled remains of the abandoned Battle Body and reports to the mysterious “Lord Emperor,” claiming that Long Xiaoman will likely die in the Void Turbulence. The Lord Emperor orders everyone to remain cautious and wait until the competition ends.
• Meanwhile, at Dao-Suppressing Mountain, the final arena round of the competition begins. The first announced match is Lu Ren, ranked first, against Yan Ming, ranked tenth.

Character Developments

• Long Xiaoman demonstrates courage and determination but is forced to acknowledge the overwhelming strength of the Mong Luo Remnant Clan. His decision to abandon his Battle Dragon Physique shows strategic thinking and a willingness to sacrifice part of himself to survive.
• His use of the Chaos War Dragon Spear confirms that his Battle Body possesses exceptional potential, even though his cultivation is only at the Third-Step Supreme Realm.
• Gui Churen is established as a highly confident and ruthless fighter. Despite being only at the Early Seventh Step, his mastery of tearing-based techniques and use of a Dao Restricting Soldier make him vastly stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same level.
• Lu Ren’s earlier warning proves crucial, as his plan enables Long Xiaoman to survive the pursuit.
• Yan Ming appears determined and aggressive as he prepares to face the undefeated, first-ranked Lu Ren.

Significant Themes

• Survival through sacrifice: Long Xiaoman survives by giving up his Battle Dragon Physique, reflecting the chapter’s title and the “golden cicada sheds its shell” strategy.
• The gap between cultivation and combat power: Long Xiaoman’s powerful Battle Body cannot overcome the difference between his Third-Step cultivation and Gui Churen’s superior realm and techniques.
• Strategic deception: The apparent death of Long Xiaoman’s physical form allows his true body to escape, emphasizing the importance of wit over brute strength.
• Rising conflict and hidden schemes: The Ghost Path Cultivators and their “Lord Emperor” continue to operate secretly, while the competition’s final round raises the stakes for control of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren advises Long Xiaoman beforehand, warning him about the dangers of the pursuit and urging him to prioritize survival.
• Gui Churen confronts and humiliates Long Xiaoman, offering him the choice of becoming a mount or dying.
• Long Xiaoman responds defiantly, attacks with his Chaos Dragon Cannon and Chaos War Dragon Spear, and ultimately tricks Gui Churen by sacrificing his Battle Body.
• Gui Churen reports the outcome to the unseen Lord Emperor, who praises his caution but orders him to wait.
• The chapter closes with the competition’s elders announcing the first arena match between Lu Ren and Yan Ming, setting up the next major confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Lu Ren Battles Yan Ming Again

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren and Yan Ming are matched against each other in the competition after their previous conflict in the Ancient Forbidden Zone, where Lu Ren defeated Yan Ming and took his Battle Marks.
• Yan Ming, resentful of Lu Ren for also surpassing him in the points rankings, enters the battle determined to defeat him decisively.
• Yan Ming immediately activates his powerful Dao Restricting Soldier, the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl, ranked fourteenth in the Dao-Restricting Chapter. He combines it with his Lihuo Dao Ring and Immortal Path Origin to launch a powerful opening attack.
• The pearl’s innate ability, the Nine-Flame World-Burning River, unleashes a devastating sea of flames that appears capable of ending the fight instantly.
• Lu Ren counters by revealing that he possesses Three Dao Rings and channels his Chaos Dao through the Chaos Ancient Sword. His sword strike tears apart Yan Ming’s flame attack and sends the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl flying.
• Observers realize that Lu Ren’s Chaos Dao has likely reached the Flawless Realm, an astonishing achievement considering his relatively young age and short cultivation history.
• Lu Ren presses his advantage with a rapid series of sword strikes, forcing Yan Ming to use the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl defensively.
• Yan Ming’s Lihuo Dao Rhyme begins to weaken under the sustained assault. When Lu Ren launches an even stronger attack, the pearl transforms into a blazing sun but is shattered by the Chaos Ancient Sword.
• Lu Ren’s sword then strikes Yan Ming directly, sending him flying. The chapter ends with Lu Ren confidently challenging Yan Ming to reveal all his remaining abilities.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates that his strength is far beyond what the spectators expected. He relies not on a Dao Restricting Soldier but on his mastery of Chaos Dao and swordsmanship.
• His possession of Three Dao Rings and possible advancement of Chaos Dao into the Flawless Realm establish him as an exceptionally gifted and rapidly advancing cultivator.
• Yan Ming is shown to be powerful and well-equipped, but his confidence and reliance on the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl are undermined by Lu Ren’s superior Dao comprehension.
• Yan Ming’s hatred and desire for revenge push him to attack without holding back, yet he becomes increasingly frustrated when Lu Ren withstands and overwhelms his strongest techniques.
• Lu Ren remains calm and focused, especially in contrast to Yan Ming’s anger and desperation.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: The crowd assumes Yan Ming’s superior experience and treasure will secure victory, but Lu Ren reveals abilities far beyond their expectations.
• Dao comprehension versus magical treasures: The battle emphasizes that profound mastery of Dao can overcome even a highly ranked Dao Restricting Soldier.
• Youth and rapid advancement: Lu Ren’s achievement in cultivating Chaos Dao to the Flawless Realm highlights his extraordinary potential.
• Revenge versus composure: Yan Ming fights out of resentment, while Lu Ren maintains confidence and emotional control.
• Public reputation and rising prominence: Lu Ren’s performance further establishes him as one of the most formidable Battle Bodies of his generation.

Character Interactions

• Yan Ming openly provokes Lu Ren by referencing their unfinished battle and challenging him to compare their Dao Rhyme.
• Lu Ren responds through action rather than argument, repeatedly breaking Yan Ming’s attacks and overpowering his treasure.
• The spectators, ancestors, and allied observers debate the likely outcome, initially favoring Yan Ming because of his experience and powerful treasure.
• Gu Chunxiao and Xing Canglan discuss Lu Ren’s apparent lack of a major magical treasure, making his later victory with swordsmanship alone even more surprising.
• Lu Ren ends the exchange by taunting Yan Ming to use every remaining method, reinforcing the growing power imbalance between them.

Chapter Summary: Exhausting Dao Rhyme

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren confronts Yan Ming in the first match of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda finals.
• Yan Ming insists that Lu Ren cannot defeat him after neutralizing his strongest weapon, the Radiant Ember Profound Fire Pearl.
• Lu Ren deliberately prolongs the battle rather than ending it quickly. He hopes to receive a voice transmission from Long Xiaoman confirming that the Four Great Dao Traditions are coming to his aid. If no message arrives, he plans to conserve his strength for a later battle against Wang Xingchen.
• Yan Ming abandons reliance on his magic treasure and fights Lu Ren at close range using his Four-Marked Battle Body and Dao Rhyme.
• Yan Ming activates a self-created Battle Body technique based on the Dao of Burning Flames, causing his strength and aura to increase continuously over time.
• Although many spectators believe Yan Ming is suppressing Lu Ren, experienced figures such as Xingfu Ancestor and Yan Poyuan recognize that Lu Ren is merely defending and has not even activated the full power of his Battle Body.
• Lu Ren calmly blocks every attack with the Chaos Ancient Sword while expending very little Dao Rhyme.
• After three days and three nights of combat, Yan Ming exhausts all the Dao Rhyme in his body and collapses, while Lu Ren remains in peak condition.
• Lu Ren is declared the winner of the first match.
• Yan Poyuan accuses Lu Ren of humiliating Yan Ming, but Lu Ren argues that Yan Ming chose to fight to the end and deserves respect. Tai Batian supports Lu Ren’s interpretation.
• The second match begins: Wang Xingchen faces Meng Linglong. Though Wang Xingchen is favored, Meng Linglong’s exceptional immortal soul techniques give her a possible advantage.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates overwhelming control, patience, and strategic intelligence. Rather than overpowering Yan Ming immediately, he conserves energy and uses a defensive strategy to exhaust him. His composure reinforces that he is far stronger than most observers realize.
• Yan Ming: Shows determination and pride by refusing to surrender, even after realizing he cannot break Lu Ren’s defense. His willingness to exhaust himself fighting for the Lihuo Flame Clan earns him respect, though his desperation ultimately leads to defeat.
• Wang Xingchen: Remains confident in his own position and believes Lu Ren still cannot reach him because Lu Ren must first overcome Tai Batian and Fen Poyuan. He is briefly shaken when he realizes Lu Ren was never truly under pressure.
• Xingfu Ancestor: Correctly perceives Lu Ren’s true strategy and recognizes that Lu Ren is deliberately toying with Yan Ming.
• Yan Poyuan: Becomes angered by Lu Ren’s treatment of Yan Ming and views the prolonged battle as an insult to the Lihuo Flame Clan.
• Tai Batian: Defends Lu Ren, emphasizing that Yan Ming’s final stand was honorable and that Lu Ren did not disrespect him.
• Meng Linglong: Is introduced as the Exquisite Immortal Clan’s greatest Battle Body in an entire Immortal Era and as a specialist in immortal soul techniques.

Significant Themes

• Strength concealed beneath restraint: Lu Ren’s refusal to reveal his full power causes many to misunderstand the battle, highlighting the difference between apparent suppression and deliberate control.
• Endurance and resource management: The victory is achieved by conserving Dao Rhyme while forcing Yan Ming to exhaust his own reserves.
• Honor in defeat: Yan Ming’s refusal to surrender and Lu Ren’s acknowledgment of his courage present combat as a matter of dignity, not merely victory.
• Perception versus reality: Younger or less perceptive observers believe Yan Ming is winning, while experienced figures understand that Lu Ren controls the fight.
• Clan pride and destiny: Yan Ming fights not only for himself but also for the Lihuo Flame Clan’s chance to alter its fate, intensifying the emotional stakes.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Yan Ming clash directly, with Lu Ren maintaining a calm, defensive posture against Yan Ming’s increasingly furious attacks.
• Wang Xingchen interprets Yan Ming’s rising aura as a sign that Lu Ren is in danger, while Xingfu Ancestor corrects him and explains Lu Ren’s true advantage.
• Yan Poyuan criticizes Lu Ren, but Tai Batian intervenes to defend him and affirm the honor of fighting to the end.
• The chapter concludes by setting up the confrontation between Wang Xingchen and Meng Linglong, whose differing strengths—Wang’s overall power and Meng’s superior immortal soul techniques—create the next major conflict.

Chapter Summary: Ninefold Immortal Zither

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren returns to the Chaos Clan’s camp after defeating Yan Ming. Gu Chunxiao praises him but warns that the remaining opponents—especially Wang Xingchen, Tai Batian, and Yan Poyuan—are far more dangerous. Lu Ren remains determined to fight to the end.
• The next match begins between Meng Linglong and Wang Xingchen.
• Meng Linglong summons the Nine-Colored Immortal Zither, a Dao Restricting Soldier ranked twenty-third and uniquely capable of powerful immortal-soul attacks.
• Wang Xingchen immediately attempts to stop her from playing, knowing how dangerous the zither is. However, Meng Linglong launches several melodies in succession:

Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix

Ten Thousand Swords Return as One

Undead Slaughter Melody

• The fourth, fifth, and sixth melodies
• Wang Xingchen defends himself with the Star River Imperial Clan’s inherited technique, the Star River Soul-Guarding Technique, which protects against both immortal-soul and Immortal Dao attacks.
• Although his defense withstands the first six melodies, Meng Linglong shocks everyone by playing the seventh melody, Dream Fulfillment, Descent into Oblivion.
• The melody creates a Fulfilled Dream Jade Pillow, forcing Wang Xingchen into a dreamlike state. Its power cracks and eventually destroys his star phantom.
• Wang Xingchen becomes pale, staggers backward, and appears to fall asleep as the jade pillow descends toward him. Observers begin to believe that the tournament’s greatest favorite is about to lose.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates confidence and maturity, acknowledging the overwhelming strength of the Battle Bodies while refusing to retreat. He also reveals that he believes Meng Linglong’s soul attacks would be ineffective against him because of his Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda.
• Gu Chunxiao acts as a cautious mentor, reminding Lu Ren not to overexert himself against opponents with vastly greater accumulated cultivation.
• Meng Linglong is revealed to possess astonishing mastery of the Nine-Colored Immortal Zither. Despite her relatively short cultivation period of just over three hundred thousand years, her immortal-soul attainments have surpassed those of previous Exquisite Immortal Clan chiefs.
• Wang Xingchen displays exceptional preparation and defensive strength. His mastery of the Star River Soul-Guarding Technique allows him to withstand six melodies, but even he is seriously threatened by Meng Linglong’s seventh melody.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and preparation: Both Lu Ren and Wang Xingchen conceal powerful trump cards, emphasizing that the tournament’s strongest fighters are not easily measured by their initial performances.
• Accumulated cultivation versus natural talent: Lu Ren’s relative lack of cultivation experience contrasts with the Battle Bodies’ foundations built over several eras.
• The terror of immortal-soul combat: Meng Linglong’s attacks bypass ordinary physical defenses, using dreams, spiritual pressure, and soul-destroying melodies to overwhelm opponents.
• Limits of defense: Wang Xingchen’s seemingly absolute soul-protection technique is gradually pushed beyond its limits, showing that even the strongest defenses can be overcome by a sufficiently powerful technique.
• Competition among peerless prodigies: Every major contender possesses extraordinary, era-defying abilities, making the tournament unpredictable.

Character Interactions

• Gu Chunxiao and Lu Ren discuss his recent victory and the difficulty of the battles ahead.
• Meng Linglong and Wang Xingchen engage in a battle of offense versus defense: she continuously escalates her zither melodies, while he relies on his Star River Soul-Guarding Technique.
• The ancestors of the various clans comment on the battle, explaining the origins and power of Wang Xingchen’s technique and expressing shock at Meng Linglong’s ability to play the seventh melody.
• The chapter ends with the spectators—including the other Battle Bodies—believing Wang Xingchen may have been defeated and permanently trapped in Meng Linglong’s dream realm.

Chapter Summary: “Each Displayed Their Divine Powers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Linglong’s seventh melody, Dream Fulfillment, Descent into Oblivion, puts Wang Xingchen into a deep sleep and appears to end their match.
• The white-robed elder refuses to declare Wang Xingchen defeated because he is only unconscious, not incapable of fighting.
• Meng Linglong uses the Seven-Colored Exquisite Pagoda, one of her clan’s supreme treasures, to strike Wang Xingchen. The attack severely injures him but unexpectedly awakens him.
• Wang Xingchen reveals extraordinary defensive strength. Inspired by the dream in which he defeated everyone and claimed first place, he shatters Meng Linglong’s melody and overwhelms her with a rapid barrage of star-like punches.
• Wang Xingchen is declared the winner, while Meng Linglong apologizes to her clan’s ancestors. They reassure her that she fought well and that Wang’s Battle Body is unusually powerful.
• The hidden Ghost Path Cultivators observe the battles and discuss how dangerous the Battle Body prodigies may become, though they confidently plan to turn them into puppets.
• In the third match, Yan Poyuan defeats Zhuge Qing. Zhuge Qing can predict and evade his attacks through the Celestial Mystery Dao Rhyme, but Yan’s overwhelming power eventually breaks through her defenses.
• In the fourth match, Tai Batian defeats Gu Xuanyou after a lengthy exchange of more than a hundred moves. Tai’s Five-Marked Battle Body and powerful Primordial Azure Heaven Dao Rhyme overcome Gu’s sharp Profound Bone Dao Rhyme.
• The next match begins between Xing Canglan and You Yan. You Yan summons numerous terrifying Nine Nether Demonic Beasts, each seemingly possessing Seventh-Step Supreme Realm strength.
• Xing Canglan pierces the beasts with countless petals, but they remain unharmed and continue attacking. Gu Chunxiao identifies the technique as the legendary Undying Heaven-Charming Technique, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Wang Xingchen demonstrates remarkable endurance, resilience, and offensive power. His Five-Marked Battle Body proves far tougher than expected, and he gains confidence from the symbolic dream of becoming champion.
• Meng Linglong is shown to possess extraordinary techniques and powerful treasures, but her reliance on overwhelming force is ultimately defeated by Wang’s physical strength and determination. Despite losing, she earns her clan’s respect.
• Yan Poyuan confirms his dominance through raw combat power, overcoming Zhuge Qing’s superior prediction abilities.
• Zhuge Qing displays exceptional insight and evasive skill but cannot compensate for the difference in strength.
• Tai Batian proves that his Five-Marked Battle Body is extremely difficult to penetrate, allowing him to withstand Gu Xuanyou’s attacks.
• You Yan emerges as a dangerous and mysterious opponent, revealing a seemingly indestructible summoning technique.
• Xing Canglan remains calm and confident, but the Demonic Beasts’ inability to be destroyed presents her with an unexpected challenge.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus technique: Meng Linglong’s musical illusions and treasures are defeated by Wang Xingchen’s superior physical resilience and explosive attacks.
• Determination and self-fulfillment: Wang’s dream of victory becomes a motivating force, symbolizing his resolve to make his imagined success real.
• The limits of prediction: Zhuge Qing can foresee attacks, but foresight alone is insufficient against overwhelming power.
• The exceptional nature of Battle Bodies: The battles emphasize the prodigies’ unique physiques, especially the defensive might of Five-Marked Battle Bodies.
• Hidden danger and future conflict: The Ghost Path Cultivators’ plan to enslave the prodigies hints at a larger threat beyond the tournament.
• Invincibility and regeneration: You Yan’s Demonic Beasts introduce the theme of opponents who cannot be defeated through ordinary attacks.

Character Interactions

• Meng Linglong directly challenges the white-robed elder’s decision and attempts to force a victory by using the Seven-Colored Exquisite Pagoda.
• Wang Xingchen responds to Meng Linglong’s dream technique by declaring that he will turn its vision into reality, then defeats her decisively.
• Meng Linglong humbly apologizes to her clan’s ancestors, who comfort her and recognize Wang’s unusual strength.
• Yan Poyuan and Zhuge Qing’s battle contrasts her calculated evasiveness with his relentless attacks.
• Tai Batian and Gu Xuanyou engage in a prolonged battle showcasing their contrasting defensive and offensive Dao Rhymes.
• You Yan openly declares his intention to claim the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda for the Nine Nether Clan, while Xing Canglan confidently challenges him to reveal his full arsenal.
• Gu Chunxiao recognizes You Yan’s technique, signaling that the current battle may involve a rare and highly dangerous power.

Chapter Summary: Xing Canglan’s Bitter Battle

Plot points and events

You Yan reveals the lost Nine Nether Clan Immortal Path Technique, the Undying Heavenly Nightmare Technique. It grants his summoned Nine Nether Demonic Beasts temporary immortal bodies, allowing them to reform no matter how severely they are attacked. The elders recognize the technique and realize that Xing Canglan will struggle to defeat him.
Xing Canglan uses her Chaos Domain to seal the Demonic Beasts and rushes toward You Yan, attacking with the powerful Chaos Dragon Slaying Sword, ranked tenth in the Dao-Restricting Chapter. However, the You Yan she strikes turns out to be only a puppet or illusion, while his true body remains hidden. The Demonic Beasts then break free, surround Xing Canglan, and allow You Yan to reappear safely.
For three hours, Xing Canglan fights within the beasts’ siege, repeatedly dispersing them with her Chaos Dao Rhyme, only for them to instantly reform. You Yan attempts to exhaust her strength rather than confront her directly. The battle remains unresolved, though Lu Ren believes Xing Canglan is concealing a final trump card.

Character developments

• You Yan demonstrates that his strength and cunning have grown enormously. By mastering the supposedly lost Undying Heavenly Nightmare Technique, he greatly enhances his combat ability and relies on concealment, puppets, and attrition rather than direct confrontation.
• Xing Canglan displays strong battle awareness, quickly realizing that attacking the Demonic Beasts is pointless and attempting to target You Yan directly. She also defends the potential of Battle Bodies, suggesting that reaching the legendary Nine-Marked or Ten-Marked stages could transform the Immortal Path Great World. Despite being trapped, she remains composed and may still possess an undisclosed technique.
• The observing elders shift from confidence in Xing Canglan to concern over You Yan’s overwhelming methods. Lu Ren remains confident that Xing Canglan has not yet revealed everything.

Significant themes

• Immortal Dao versus Battle Body cultivation: You Yan argues that only the Immortal Dao can lead to true supremacy, while Xing Canglan maintains that an ultimate Battle Body could overturn the world’s power structure.
• Hidden power and strategic deception: You Yan’s use of a false body and concealed true form emphasizes that strength alone is insufficient when an opponent specializes in concealment.
• Attrition and endurance: The immortal Demonic Beasts create a battle Xing Canglan cannot win through ordinary attacks, steadily draining her Dao Rhyme and forcing her to seek a decisive breakthrough.
• The resurgence of the Nine Nether Clan: The recovery of a lost Immortal Path Technique signals that the Nine Nether Clan may be on the verge of returning to prominence among the supreme families.

Character interactions

• The elders of the various Supreme Families discuss and react with alarm to You Yan’s technique, while the Nine Nether Clan’s patriarch openly celebrates his clan’s advantage.
• You Yan taunts Xing Canglan, belittling the value of her Battle Body and praising the Immortal Dao.
• Xing Canglan counters by defending the possibility that a perfected Battle Body could change the entire world.
• Gu Qiyuan worries that Xing Canglan is allowing herself to be worn down, while Gu Chunxiao explains that she fears killing only another puppet rather than You Yan’s true body. Lu Ren ultimately suggests that she must be preparing a hidden killing move.

Summary: “Regrettable Defeat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xing Canglan battles You Yan and a large group of Nine Nether Demonic Beasts.
• Using the Chaos Myriad Butterfly Art, she seals the demonic beasts and then destroys You Yan’s giant protective beast with the Chaos Dragon Slaying Sword.
• Xing Canglan follows with the Chaos Star Net Technique, but You Yan survives by using the Nine Nether Abyssal Cloak, a powerful defensive treasure ranked sixteenth in the Dao-Restricting Chapter.
• She relentlessly attacks the cloak with her sword until she finally breaks through its defenses. However, the prolonged battle leaves her Dao Rhyme nearly exhausted.
• Xing Canglan attempts one final decisive strike, but the previously sealed Nine Nether Demonic Beast breaks free and sacrifices itself to weaken the attack.
• With Xing Canglan unable to continue, the remaining beasts overwhelm her and knock her from the sky. You Yan is declared the winner.
• You Yan boasts that he is destined to win the entire tournament, while Xing Canglan returns to her camp frustrated by her defeat.
• Gu Chunxiao comforts her, attributing You Yan’s sudden strength to the inheritance he received from a Nine Nether Clan expert.
• Three days later, the next tournament pairings are drawn:

Lu Ren vs. You Yan

Wang Xingchen vs. Tai Batian

• Yan Poyuan receives a bye into the semifinals.
• Lu Ren and You Yan exchange confident remarks before fighting. You Yan immediately summons numerous Nine Nether Demonic Beasts, clearly intending to repeat the strategy that defeated Xing Canglan.

Character Developments

• Xing Canglan demonstrates exceptional control over sealing, offensive, and sword techniques, nearly defeating You Yan despite fighting a battle of attrition. Her loss reveals the limits of her Dao Rhyme reserves and the danger of underestimating You Yan’s inherited treasures.
• You Yan proves that his newly acquired Nine Nether inheritance has dramatically increased his strength. His combination of demonic beasts, the Undying Heavenly Nightmare Technique, and the Nine Nether Abyssal Cloak makes him extremely difficult to defeat. His victory also increases his arrogance and confidence.
• Gu Chunxiao acts as a supportive elder, reassuring Xing Canglan and recognizing the significance of You Yan’s inheritance.
• Lu Ren remains calm and fearless. His statement that his “edge has always pressed forward without retreat” establishes his determination to confront You Yan directly rather than be intimidated by Xing Canglan’s defeat.

Significant Themes

• Attrition versus overwhelming defense: Xing Canglan attempts to exhaust You Yan, but his defensive treasure and regenerating demonic beasts allow him to outlast her.
• The importance of resources and endurance: Even superior techniques are ineffective when their user’s Dao Rhyme is nearly depleted.
• Inherited power and sudden advancement: You Yan’s transformation shows how powerful legacies and treasures can radically alter a cultivator’s position.
• Pride and confidence: You Yan’s victory fuels his arrogance, while Lu Ren’s confidence suggests he may challenge You Yan’s assumption of inevitable victory.
• Regret and resilience: Xing Canglan regrets failing to defeat You Yan, but the tournament continues, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Character Interactions

• Xing Canglan and You Yan engage in a tense battle of escalating techniques, with You Yan repeatedly surviving her attacks through his demonic beasts and defensive cloak.
• You Yan taunts Xing Canglan after winning, claiming she lost only because she faced him before his inevitable tournament victory.
• Gu Chunxiao consoles Xing Canglan and discusses the broader implications of You Yan’s rise.
• The tournament spectators and clan ancestors react with shock to the reversal of the battle and to You Yan’s powerful inheritance.
• Lu Ren and You Yan exchange verbal challenges before their match, with You Yan attempting to intimidate Lu Ren and Lu Ren responding with quiet confidence.

Chapter Summary: Chaos Immortal Shadow Art

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren battles You Yan, who controls nine Nether Demonic Beasts through the Undying Heavenly Nightmare Technique.
• Lu Ren repeatedly destroys the beasts with his Chaos Ancient Sword, but they continually reform from Nether Qi. Both fighters initially attempt to exhaust the other’s Dao Rhyme.
• Frustrated by the prolonged stalemate, You Yan fuses the beasts into three enormous demonic creatures and orders them to overwhelm Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren decides to end the fight quickly. He activates three Chaos Dao Rings and uses the Chaos Immortal Shadow Art, creating over a hundred powerful afterimages while rapidly charging toward You Yan.
• You Yan’s demonic beasts cannot intercept Lu Ren, who reaches him and unleashes the combined force of his afterimages against the Nine Nether Abyssal Transformation Cloak.
• Although You Yan withstands the attack and knocks Lu Ren back, Lu Ren secretly summons the Three-Eyed Demon Cauldron. The cauldron strikes You Yan, defeats him, and nearly crushes him before stopping.
• The white-robed elder declares Lu Ren the winner.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming composure, endurance, speed, and tactical intelligence. Rather than waste energy, he identifies You Yan’s reliance on the demonic beasts and waits for the right moment to strike.
• Lu Ren reveals that he has perfected the extremely difficult Chaos Immortal Shadow Art, a technique that requires a powerful Battle Body and creates a hundred overlapping afterimages.
• He also reveals his ability to control the demonic Three-Eyed Demon Cauldron, adding another unexpected weapon to his arsenal.
• You Yan begins confidently and attempts to provoke Lu Ren, but gradually becomes anxious as his beasts fail to stop Lu Ren. His pride and promised victory for the Nine Nether Clan collapse when he is defeated, leaving him angry and humiliated.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus brute force: Lu Ren wins not by directly overpowering every demonic beast, but by recognizing their limitations and bypassing them.
• Hidden strength and surprise: Lu Ren conceals both his mastery of the Chaos Immortal Shadow Art and his control of the Three-Eyed Demon Cauldron until they are decisive.
• Endurance and resource management: The opening exchange emphasizes the importance of conserving Dao Rhyme and forcing an opponent to exhaust himself.
• Pride and defeat: You Yan’s confidence turns into panic and resentment, showing how overconfidence can become a weakness.
• Changing perceptions: Lu Ren’s victory shocks the spectators and establishes him as a serious contender for first place.

Character Interactions

• You Yan taunts Lu Ren and challenges him to continue exhausting their Dao Rhyme, but Lu Ren calmly accepts and implies that You Yan will lose the endurance contest.
• When You Yan escalates by combining his demonic beasts, Lu Ren mocks his growing desperation.
• You Yan desperately commands his beasts to block Lu Ren, but their attacks repeatedly miss as Lu Ren’s afterimages evade them.
• After defeating You Yan, Lu Ren dismisses his complaint about the demonic weapon, stating that using it does not invalidate the victory.
• The spectators and major figures, including Wang Xingchen and Tai Batian, are astonished by Lu Ren’s performance and now recognize his ability to compete for the championship.

Chapter Summary: Wang Xingchen Battles Tai Batian

Key Plot Points and Events

• The spectators continue discussing Lu Ren’s impressive performance, particularly his powerful Immortal Path Technique and ability to wield demonic weapons. Many now regard him as a potential champion of the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda competition.
• Yan Poyuan dismisses Lu Ren’s chances, believing that a single Immortal Path Technique is insufficient to secure first place. Yan Ming urges him to defeat Lu Ren, and Yan Poyuan confidently agrees.
• The next match pits Wang Xingchen of the Star River Imperial Clan against Tai Batian of the Primordial Azure Heaven Clan.
• Both fighters are exceptional Battle Body prodigies. Wang Xingchen possesses a Five-Marked Battle Body, an Eternal Level Immortal Soul, and a Flawless Realm Star River Dao. Tai Batian is renowned for his extraordinarily powerful defenses and overwhelming combat strength.
• The battle begins with a fierce physical and Dao Rhyme exchange. Tai Batian attacks with tyrannical palm seals, while Wang Xingchen counters with meteor-like fists. They exchange more than a hundred blows without either gaining a clear advantage.
• Wang Xingchen uses the Star River Heaven-Burying Technique, summoning a vast river of stars empowered by Immortal Path Origin Power.
• Tai Batian responds with the Great Azure Tyrant Heaven Art, an inherited Primordial-Tier Immortal Dao Technique based on the Dao-Severing fist of his clan’s founding ancestor.
• Tai Batian’s Dao-Severing punch destroys Wang Xingchen’s river of stars and appears to strike him directly, leading spectators to believe Wang Xingchen has been defeated.
• However, Wang Xingchen uses a Star River movement technique to vanish and reappear above Tai Batian. He summons seven linked stars and attacks from above.
• Tai Batian is caught off guard, suffers heavy injuries, and becomes temporarily stunned by Wang Xingchen’s Immortal Soul attack. Wang Xingchen then overwhelms him with repeated star-like punches, sending him crashing into the ground.
• Wang Xingchen decisively defeats Tai Batian. With only Yan Poyuan remaining as a serious contender, he begins looking toward the next battle.

Character Developments

• Wang Xingchen demonstrates that his strength extends beyond physical combat and Dao techniques. His tactical intelligence, mobility, and hidden Immortal Soul attack allow him to overcome Tai Batian’s superior defenses.
• Tai Batian proves himself a formidable fighter, especially through his powerful Battle Body and the Great Azure Tyrant Heaven Art. However, his vulnerable Immortal Soul becomes the decisive weakness in the battle.
• Yan Poyuan grows more confident and openly dismissive of Lu Ren, setting up a likely confrontation between the two.
• Lu Ren’s reputation continues to rise among the spectators, though Wang Xingchen does not regard him as a serious threat.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Wang Xingchen wins not by overpowering Tai Batian directly, but by identifying and exploiting his Immortal Soul weakness.
• Hidden strength and surprise: The apparent defeat caused by Tai Batian’s Dao-Severing punch conceals Wang Xingchen’s escape and counterattack.
• Competition between great Lineages: The battle carries greater weight than the fighters’ previous matches because both are representing their clans in the struggle for the Nine Profound Dao-Suppressing Pagoda.
• The limits of defense: Even an extraordinarily powerful Battle Body cannot guarantee victory when a fighter’s Immortal Soul remains vulnerable.

Character Interactions

• Yan Ming encourages Yan Poyuan to punish Lu Ren, reinforcing Yan Poyuan’s hostility toward him.
• Wang Xingchen and Tai Batian engage in a direct, high-level contest of Battle Bodies, Dao Rhymes, and Immortal Path Techniques.
• After his defeat, Tai Batian recognizes that Wang Xingchen used an Immortal Soul attack and bitterly points out this hidden ability.
• Wang Xingchen calmly explains that he deliberately targeted Tai Batian’s weak Immortal Soul rather than attempting to break through his powerful defenses head-on.