Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tuoba Wuqing reveals that Kui Wuji, the Wuji Ancestor, has a successor who will revive him.
• Tuoba Wudi explains that Kui Wuji's Yin Yang Secret Technique allows him to be revived through his successor.
• Lu Ren learns that Tuoshe's Secret Treasure requires four keys to open, and Kui Wuji possesses one.
• Tuoba Wudi decides to take Lu Ren as his disciple and passes on his Talisman knowledge and powerful talismans.
• Tuoba Wuqing receives Tuoba Wudi's legacy and rapidly advances in cultivation.
• Tuoba Wudi asks about the current state of the East Dragon Empire.

Character Developments

• Tuoba Wuqing: Advances from the 7th to the 9th level of the Heavenly Gang Realm after receiving Tuoba Wudi's legacy.
• Lu Ren (Gu Wuji): Accepts Tuoba Wudi as his master and gains access to advanced Talisman knowledge and powerful talismans.
• Tuoba Wudi: Decides to take Lu Ren as his disciple to ensure the safety of his clan and the East Dragon Empire.

Significant Themes

• Legacy and Succession: Tuoba Wudi passes on his knowledge and power to Tuoba Wuqing and Lu Ren to protect the East Dragon Empire and ensure its prosperity.
• Revitalization and Resurrection: Kui Wuji's Yin Yang Secret Technique allows him to be revived through his successor, highlighting the theme of life and death.
• Power and Knowledge: The desire for power and knowledge drives characters to seek out ancient secrets and legacies.

Character Interactions

• Tuoba Wuqing and Lu Ren: Tuoba Wuqing protects Lu Ren from Tuoba Wudi's initial killing intent, and they maintain a close relationship.
• Tuoba Wudi and Lu Ren: Tuoba Wudi takes Lu Ren as his disciple and passes on his Talisman knowledge and powerful talismans to him.
• Tuoba Wudi and Tuoba Wuqing: Tuoba Wudi passes on his legacy to Tuoba Wuqing, significantly boosting her cultivation and power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tuoba Wuqing and Tuoba Wudi discuss the East Dragon Empire's internal strife and Wuqing's mission to unite the factions.
• Tuoba Wudi uses his last wisp of soul power to teleport Wuqing and Lu Ren out of the ruins.
• The Old Drunkard returns, having supposedly killed Wan Kun.
• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing exit the ruins, hinting at obtaining the inheritance.
• The Old Drunkard leads Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing to Longsha Island, where he claims Wan Kun's corpse is located.
• Lu Ren discovers a hidden Talisman formation on the ship and attempts to escape with Tuoba Wuqing, triggering the Nine Serpent Annihilation Array.

Character Developments

• Tuoba Wuqing: She becomes more determined to unite the East Dragon Empire's factions after receiving her ancestor's blessing and guidance.
• Lu Ren: He demonstrates his strategic thinking and quick reflexes by detecting the hidden Talisman formation and attempting to escape.
• The Old Drunkard: He is revealed to be possessed by a Heavenly Demon and sets a trap for Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Betrayal: The Old Drunkard's betrayal highlights the theme of trust and its fragility in this world.
• Power and Ambition: The East Dragon Empire's internal strife and the Old Drunkard's actions showcase the corrupting influence of power and ambition.

Character Interactions

• Tuoba Wuqing and Tuoba Wudi: They share a heartfelt conversation about the empire's future and Wuqing's mission.
• Lu Ren and The Old Drunkard: Their interaction reveals the Old Drunkard's true intentions and Lu Ren's quick thinking.
• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing: They work together to escape the Nine Serpent Annihilation Array, demonstrating their teamwork and mutual trust.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing face the Old Drunkard and Wan Kun, who aim to kill Lu Ren and steal the Bodhi Seed.
• Lu Ren uses a sixth-tier talisman, the Myriad Ghost Skyfire Talisman, to kill Wan Kun.
• Lu Ren absorbs Wan Kun's Heavenly Demon Evil Qi, forming the fourth great tomb and enhancing his power.
• The Old Drunkard reveals himself as a Heavenly Demon and attacks Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren uses the Great Tomb Suppressing Prison Palm to injure the Old Drunkard.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates increased power and cunning, using a sixth-tier talisman and absorbing Heavenly Demon Evil Qi to enhance his strength.
• Tuoba Wuqing shows concern for Lu Ren and offers to help against the Old Drunkard.
• The Old Drunkard reveals his true form as a Heavenly Demon, showing his ruthless nature.
• Wan Kun is overconfident and underestimates Lu Ren, leading to his demise.

Significant Themes

• Power and strength: Lu Ren's absorption of Heavenly Demon Evil Qi increases his power, while Wan Kun's overconfidence leads to his downfall.
• Trust and loyalty: Tuoba Wuqing shows concern for Lu Ren and offers to help him against the Old Drunkard.
• Deception and true identity: The Old Drunkard's true form as a Heavenly Demon is revealed, highlighting the danger of deception.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing work together against their enemies, with Lu Ren taking on Wan Kun and Tuoba Wuqing facing the Old Drunkard.
• Lu Ren and the Old Drunkard clash, with Lu Ren ultimately gaining the upper hand using the Great Tomb Suppressing Prison Palm.
• Wan Kun underestimates Lu Ren, leading to his death at Lu Ren's hands.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren confronts the Old Drunkard, who reveals himself as a Heavenly Demon at the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
• Lu Ren's cultivation method, the Great Tomb Devouring Heaven Art, suppresses the Heavenly Demon, allowing him to defeat the Old Drunkard and absorb his Heavenly Demon Evil Qi.
• Lu Ren learns from the Old Drunkard that there are other Heavenly Demons on Myriad Crocodile Island, including the old island master, Wan E, who is a Demon General.
• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing decide to return to the Longsha Island and report their findings to their senior brothers.
• Lu Ren discovers a Five Elements Gu in the Old Drunkard's storage ring, which can seal Exotic Five Elements. It contains four types of mid-grade Exotic Five Elements.
• Lu Ren refines two Innate Spirit Stones, extracting ten drops of Innate Spirit Liquid, but fails to break through to the sixth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
• Lu Ren decides to sell some of his treasures at the Black Tiger Merchant Guild.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates his power and the effectiveness of his cultivation method against Heavenly Demons, further establishing his strength.
• Tuoba Wuqing shows concern for Lu Ren's safety and suggests they return to report their findings, indicating her growing trust in him.
• The Old Drunkard, despite being a Heavenly Demon, shows fear and begs for his life when faced with Lu Ren's power, highlighting the vulnerability of Heavenly Demons to Lu Ren's cultivation method.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between Heavenly Demons and martial artists, with Lu Ren's cultivation method providing a significant advantage against Heavenly Demons.
• The value of resources and treasures, such as the Five Elements Gu and Exotic Five Elements, and the potential wealth Lu Ren could gain from selling them.
• The difficulty of breaking through realms, even with powerful resources like Innate Spirit Liquid, emphasizing the challenges Lu Ren faces in his cultivation journey.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and the Old Drunkard engage in a power struggle, with the Old Drunkard eventually submitting to Lu Ren's strength.
• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing work together to decide their next course of action, showing a growing partnership between them.
• Lu Ren interacts with Auctioneer Gao Feng at the Black Tiger Merchant Guild, who recognizes Lu Ren from the Bodhi Seed auction and offers him a satisfactory price for his treasures.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren offers spirit herbs, weapon materials, martial arts manuals, and four five-hundred-year-old Exotic Five Elements to Gao Feng, a merchant guild representative.
• Gao Feng offers 25 million Mid-grade Spirit Stones for the Exotic Five Elements, with an option to auction them for a higher price.
• Lu Ren decides to wait for the auction, which is set for seven days.
• Lu Ren asks Gao Feng for Innate Spirit Essence, which he buys for 20 million Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• Unbeknownst to Lu Ren, he is being watched by an unknown person who vows revenge.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates his business acumen and decisiveness in trading, showing he's not just a fighter but also a shrewd businessman.
• Gao Feng reveals his knowledge of the market value of rare items and his willingness to negotiate prices.
• An unknown character is introduced, who holds a grudge against Lu Ren.

Significant Themes

• The value and rarity of Exotic Five Elements and Innate Spirit Essence in the Chaotic Sea Domain.
• The power dynamics and influence of sects and their disciples, as seen through Shen Guihai's reputation and actions.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Gao Feng engage in a business transaction, showcasing mutual respect and understanding of the market.
• The unknown character watches Lu Ren, indicating a potential future conflict or interaction.
• Shen Guihai's presence in the Gambling Arena sparks excitement and fear among the crowd, highlighting his reputation and influence.

Chapter Summary: “Great Tomb Evasive Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the Gambling Arena, Shen Guihai and his disciples learn that Lu Ren has returned to the Black Tiger Giant Ship. Because Lu Ren killed Lei Yuquan, they plan to assassinate him, believing Blood Saber Venerable will protect them despite Lu Ren’s connection to Heavenly Desolation Sword Peak.
• Shen Guihai discovers that Tuoba Wuqing is accompanying Lu Ren and orders his disciples to monitor them rather than attack immediately.
• At the inn, Lu Ren enters the Nameless Treasure Pagoda and burns fifteen million Mid-grade Spirit Stones to provide spiritual energy for cultivating the Bodhi Seeds.
• He refines the Innate Spirit Essence into ten drops of Innate Spirit Liquid. After absorbing them, he breaks through to the sixth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm. His combat strength now appears comparable to a ninth-level Heavenly Gang warrior.
• Lu Ren attempts to perfect the Myriad Manifestations Sword Skill but makes no progress despite thousands of years of cultivation within the pagoda. Xiao Man explains that he needs to cultivate Myriad Manifestations Sword Intent, possibly with the extremely dangerous ten-thousand-year Exotic Five Elements known as Senluo Illusory Water.
• Setting that goal aside, Lu Ren cultivates the third Great Tomb martial art, the Great Tomb Evasive Body. After a thousand years of practice, he reaches greater mastery. The technique is a powerful movement skill that should complement his swordsmanship and greatly improve his ability to evade and fight.
• The Bodhi Seeds produce three fruits, but Lu Ren decides to keep them rather than sell them.
• When the Black Tiger Giant Ship reaches shore, Tuoba Wuqing prepares to leave. Having obtained Tuoba Wudi’s inheritance, she must return to the East Dragon Empire to resolve its internal conflicts. She promises to seek Lu Ren’s guidance in swordsmanship later.
• Lu Ren remains behind because he has items stored with the Black Tiger Merchant Association and is waiting for the auction to conclude.
• After the auction, his four types of Exotic Five Elements sell for twenty-eight million Mid-grade Spirit Stones. After expenses and the cost of the Innate Spirit Essence, he receives seven million Spirit Stones and the Five Elements Gu.
• Gao Feng informs him that the ship will sail for roughly another seven days before reaching the shore of the Chaotic Sea Domain.
• As Lu Ren leaves the merchant association, a powerful killing intent suddenly descends from above, ending the chapter on the verge of an attack.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Advances to the sixth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm, significantly increasing his strength. He also masters the Great Tomb Evasive Body to a higher level and gains three Bodhi fruits. His growing abilities make him increasingly confident, but he still lacks the final insight needed to perfect his sword skill.
• Tuoba Wuqing: Moves into a new stage after receiving Tuoba Wudi’s inheritance. She returns to the East Dragon Empire to handle political and internal conflicts, while maintaining respect for Lu Ren and intending to learn from him.
• Shen Guihai: Becomes directly antagonistic toward Lu Ren and begins planning an assassination, though Tuoba Wuqing’s presence forces him to act cautiously.
• Xiao Man: Serves as Lu Ren’s adviser, identifying the connection between Senluo Illusory Water and the perfection of the Myriad Manifestations Sword.
• Gao Feng: Acts as the Black Tiger Merchant Association’s intermediary, handling Lu Ren’s auction proceeds and providing information about the ship’s route.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and progression: Lu Ren’s breakthrough and mastery of a new movement technique demonstrate his steady growth toward overwhelming combat power.
• Opportunity versus danger: Powerful resources such as the Innate Spirit Essence and Senluo Illusory Water can lead to enormous gains but carry serious risks.
• Preparation and restraint: Lu Ren chooses not to recklessly pursue Senluo Illusory Water and preserves the Bodhi fruits for future use, showing increasing patience and strategic judgment.
• Betrayal and revenge: Shen Guihai’s plan reflects the dangerous consequences of Lu Ren’s past conflicts and the influence of powerful sects and mentors.
• Political responsibility: Tuoba Wuqing’s departure emphasizes that inherited power brings obligations, particularly her need to stabilize the East Dragon Empire.

Character Interactions

• Shen Guihai and his disciples discuss avenging Lei Yuquan and coordinate surveillance of Lu Ren.
• Xiao Man advises Lu Ren about the limitations of practicing the Myriad Manifestations Sword through repetition alone.
• Lu Ren and Tuoba Wuqing part amicably, with mutual concern and a promise to meet again.
• Gao Feng informs Lu Ren of the auction results and the Black Tiger Giant Ship’s travel plans.
• The final appearance of an immense killing intent suggests that Lu Ren’s enemies have finally launched their attack.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren is targeted by a terrifying killing intent from above, narrowly avoiding a deadly strike from Shen Guihai, a senior disciple of the Wuji Saber Sect.
• Shen Guihai confronts Lu Ren, seeking revenge for his sect's disciples killed by Lu Ren, including Lei Yuquan, a disciple of the Blood Saber Venerable.
• Lu Ren offers three Bodhi Seeds as a reward to anyone who can kill Shen Guihai, but no one dares to intervene due to Shen Guihai's status and backing.
• Lu Ren and Shen Guihai engage in a fierce battle, with Lu Ren using his Myriad Manifestations Sword Technique and Shen Guihai employing his powerful Saber Momentum of the Sixth Heaven.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates significant growth in strength, managing to hold his own against Shen Guihai, a formidable opponent.
• Shen Guihai reveals his impressive combat abilities and confidence, showcasing his prowess as the Wuji Saber Sect's senior disciple.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and status within the Martial World: Lu Ren's offer of Bodhi Seeds fails to attract help due to Shen Guihai's influential backing.
• The importance of tempering oneself in battle for growth as a Martial Artist: Lu Ren's fighting spirit is ignited by Shen Guihai's strength.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren vs. Shen Guihai: The two engage in a intense battle, showcasing their skills and determination.
• Other Martial Artists: They watch the battle but refrain from intervening due to Shen Guihai's status and the potential consequences of offending the Wuji Saber Sect and the Hai Lan Dynasty.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren and Shen Guihai engage in a fierce battle, with Lu Ren using his Delusion Breaking Slash to tear through space.
• Shen Guihai unleashes his Eighth-grade Bloodline and sends wave-like saber energy towards Lu Ren.
• Lu Ren uses his Five Elements Reincarnation Exotic Art and Imperial Sword Slaying Emperor Art to counter Shen Guihai's attacks.
• Lu Ren reveals his Great Tomb Evasive Body technique, creating illusory afterimages to confuse Shen Guihai.
• Both combatants exhaust their True Qi, with Shen Guihai using his last reserves to repel Lu Ren and call for backup.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates significant improvement in cultivation speed and strength, worrying Shen Guihai.
• Lu Ren reveals his powerful movement technique, Great Tomb Evasive Body, which allows him to evade and strike unpredictably.
• Shen Guihai shows concern for his reputation and desperation to eliminate Lu Ren, even after exhausting his True Force.

Significant Themes

• The power of movement techniques and their strategic importance in battle.
• The consequences of overconfidence and underestimating one's opponent (Shen Guihai).
• The importance of True Qi management and conservation in prolonged battles.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Shen Guihai engage in a tense and brutal battle, with each trying to outmaneuver and outlast the other.
• Lu Ren's disciples watch the battle anxiously, warning Shen Guihai of Lu Ren's movements.
• Shen Guihai calls for backup from his disciples, Tao Jiang and Zhang Chi, indicating his desperation to defeat Lu Ren.

Chapter Summary: Mist Upon Mist

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren, despite having depleted much of his true energy, overwhelms Tao Jiang, Zhang Chi, and the other five Wuji Saber Sect disciples. He uses a massive five-fingered mountain technique to shatter their combined saber attack and knock all five from the sky.
• Enraged, Shen Guihai unleashes a secret art that detonates the Exotic Five Elements water within his body, temporarily more than doubling his strength. He pursues Lu Ren with the intent to kill him.
• Rather than fight Shen Guihai directly, Lu Ren relies on the Heavenly Grade Low-tier Great Tomb Evasive Body. Its three phantoms allow him to evade Shen Guihai’s powerful saber attacks.
• Lu Ren reaches the bow of the Black Tiger Giant Ship and escapes on the Heavenly Evolution Flying Sword, threatening to one day take revenge on Shen Guihai and the Wuji Saber Sect.
• Shen Guihai is left furious and humiliated. He has failed to kill Lu Ren, lost all five disciples, and sacrificed a precious seven-hundred-year-old exotic water to increase his strength.
• Lu Ren flies alone across the dangerous Chaotic Sea Domain toward the East Dragon Empire, despite the risk of attracting powerful sea Monstrous Beasts.
• A large fish-crocodile-like sea Monstrous Beast attacks him. Lu Ren survives by firing Nine Yang True Fire into its mouth, seriously injuring it and forcing it back into the sea.
• Exhausted, Lu Ren uses his Spatial Domain and Delusion Breaking Divine Void to conceal himself while recovering his true energy and navigating through the dense fog.
• The environment suddenly changes as freezing mist spreads around him. His vision, spiritual perception, and sense of direction are completely sealed.
• Xiao Man identifies the danger: Lu Ren has entered an illusion array created by the Senluo Illusory Water.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming combat strength, tactical restraint, and impressive mobility. Instead of confronting Shen Guihai’s temporary power boost, he chooses survival and escape. His confidence grows as he openly vows revenge against the Wuji Saber Sect.
• Shen Guihai reveals a powerful emergency technique but pays a heavy price by consuming his Exotic Five Elements water. His inability to kill Lu Ren leaves him enraged, disgraced, and frustrated.
• Tao Jiang, Zhang Chi, and the other disciples are shown to be completely outmatched by Lu Ren. Their coordinated attack fails almost instantly, and all five are defeated.
• Xiao Man continues to serve as Lu Ren’s source of advice and warning, correctly identifying both Shen Guihai’s secret art and the Senluo Illusory Water’s illusion formation.

Significant Themes

• Survival over pride: Lu Ren recognizes that Shen Guihai’s temporary strength is too dangerous to confront directly and prioritizes escape.
• The cost of power: Shen Guihai’s strength increase comes from sacrificing a valuable exotic water, showing that extraordinary power often demands a significant price.
• Hidden dangers of nature: Even after escaping Shen Guihai, Lu Ren faces deadly sea Monstrous Beasts and the mysterious illusion array of the Chaotic Sea Domain.
• Revenge and humiliation: Shen Guihai’s failure intensifies his hatred of Lu Ren, while Lu Ren’s escape establishes a future conflict between them.
• Strength and resourcefulness: Lu Ren survives through movement techniques, spiritual abilities, elemental fire, and careful use of his remaining energy rather than relying solely on brute force.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren decisively defeats the five Wuji Saber Sect disciples, provoking Shen Guihai’s furious intervention.
• Shen Guihai chases Lu Ren and attempts to force him into a final battle, but Lu Ren taunts him and escapes the ship.
• Xiao Man repeatedly analyzes the situation, explaining the source of Shen Guihai’s power and warning Lu Ren about the approaching dangers.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Man informing Lu Ren that he has been trapped in the Senluo Illusory Water’s illusion array, leaving him isolated and vulnerable in the mist.

Chapter Summary: Senluo Illusory Beasts

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren discovers that the strange phenomenon before him is an illusion array created by Senluo Illusory Water, a ten-thousand-year-old Exotic Water.
• Because Lu Ren possesses the Nameless Treasure Pagoda, he may be able to suppress and absorb the Exotic Water if he can reach its core. Obtaining it would strengthen his Five Elements Reincarnation Exotic Art and help him perfect the seventh sword of the Nine Tribulations Sword, the Myriad Manifestations Sword.
• Xiao Man warns that reaching the core requires passing through countless illusion arrays. These arrays can trap and exhaust even Martial Profound Realm experts, but their energy may allow Xiao Man to sense the Exotic Water’s location.
• Lu Ren enters an icy illusion realm and is attacked by powerful Senluo Ice Beasts, including a peak fifth-order beast.
• Following Xiao Man’s advice, Lu Ren uses Nine Yang True Fire, which is effective against the ice beasts. He kills the creatures with overwhelming swordsmanship, including a powerful dragon-shaped Sword Qi attack.
• Xiao Man warns that any surviving beasts would cause endless reincarnation, so Lu Ren uses the Myriad Manifestations Sword Qi to eliminate every remaining beast.
• The slain beasts dissolve into concentrated cold energy. Lu Ren absorbs it with the Great Tomb Devouring Heaven Art, using the energy to condense True Force and approach a breakthrough to the seventh level of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
• The illusion then shifts to a volcanic realm filled with Senluo Fire Beasts. Lu Ren uses the Blackwater King Serpent to counter their flames and quickly kills them as well, absorbing the resulting fiery energy.
• Although Xiao Man still cannot locate the core, he tells Lu Ren to continue, warning that the arrays will become increasingly powerful. Lu Ren eagerly advances into the next trial.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren becomes increasingly confident and aggressive. Rather than fearing the dangerous illusion arrays, he treats them as opportunities to obtain Senluo Illusory Water and strengthen his cultivation.
• His swordsmanship proves highly advanced: he uses Sixth-Heaven sword momentum, dragon-shaped Sword Qi, and the Myriad Manifestations Sword Qi to destroy large groups of enemies with ease.
• Lu Ren also demonstrates adaptability by switching between Nine Yang True Fire against ice-based enemies and the Blackwater King Serpent against fire-based enemies.
• His absorption techniques allow him to turn each trial into a source of cultivation energy, potentially accelerating his breakthrough.
• Xiao Man acts as Lu Ren’s guide and strategist, warning him about the dangers of the arrays and explaining their rules and elemental weaknesses. Though worried for Lu Ren, Xiao Man begins to recognize that the Nameless Treasure Pagoda gives him a real chance to challenge the Exotic Water.

Significant Themes

• Danger and opportunity: The illusion arrays are deadly traps, but Lu Ren transforms them into chances for cultivation and advancement.
• Adaptability and preparation: Success depends on using the correct elemental countermeasures and understanding the rules of each illusion.
• Power through perseverance: Rather than retreating from an apparently endless series of trials, Lu Ren chooses to continue pressing forward.
• Mastery over the elements: The ice and fire realms highlight Lu Ren’s ability to counter different elemental forces through his techniques and treasures.
• Risk and ambition: Lu Ren knowingly gambles his life against a ten-thousand-year Exotic Water because the potential rewards are enormous.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Man repeatedly cautions Lu Ren not to underestimate Senluo Illusory Water and explains how the illusion arrays function.
• Lu Ren initially questions Xiao Man’s strategy but accepts his guidance once he learns that clearing the arrays may reveal the Exotic Water’s location.
• During the battles, Xiao Man identifies the Senluo beasts’ weaknesses and instructs Lu Ren on which techniques to use.
• Lu Ren follows Xiao Man’s advice while relying on his own overwhelming combat ability, creating a partnership between Xiao Man’s knowledge and Lu Ren’s strength.

Chapter Summary: Endless Illusion Array, Breakthrough

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren falls into an enormous sea created by the third trial’s illusion array. The sea is filled with endless waves of Senluo Water Beasts, each wave larger and stronger than the last.
• Using the Emperor Slaying Sword and the Nine Tribulation Sword Technique, Lu Ren charges into the beasts and kills them by the hundreds. Their corpses dissolve into pure water energy, which he absorbs through the Five Elements Reincarnation Exotic Art.
• The increasingly powerful waves gradually exhaust Lu Ren’s True Qi. After surviving several waves, he reaches his physical and spiritual limit, while Xiao Man remains unable to locate the true position of Senluo Illusory Water.
• With Lu Ren nearly powerless and surrounded, Xiao Man despairs. Lu Ren prepares to use the Mystic Maiden Jade Pendant as a last resort, determined to survive because his death could cause Qin Yu to revert into the destructive Heavenly Net Blood Fiend Woman.
• At the critical moment, Senior Wuming briefly awakens within the Emperor Slaying Sword. A single sword strike destroys an entire wave of Senluo Water Beasts, giving Lu Ren the opportunity to absorb a massive amount of energy.
• Lu Ren uses this energy to break through from the sixth to the seventh layer of the Heavenly Gang Realm. His four Great Tombs condense seven drops of True Force, and his Great Tomb Devouring Heaven Art further absorbs the surrounding energy.
• After the breakthrough, Lu Ren’s strength increases dramatically. His Great Tomb True Qi, reinforced by Gang Qi and tablet inscriptions, becomes powerful enough to make him feel nearly invincible below the Martial Profound Realm.
• A new wave of beasts attacks, and Lu Ren eagerly rushes toward them, intending to test his newfound strength and vent his accumulated frustration.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates extraordinary endurance, combat ability, and determination under overwhelming pressure. His desperation turns into renewed confidence after reaching the seventh Heavenly Gang layer, revealing a major leap in power.
• Xiao Man: Remains alert and tries to identify Senluo Illusory Water’s true location, but the illusion array’s concealment defeats him. His confidence collapses when Lu Ren’s energy runs out, showing his concern for Lu Ren and awareness of the array’s deadly nature.
• Senior Wuming: Makes a brief but crucial intervention through the Emperor Slaying Sword. Though he can only act once before returning to dormancy, his assistance saves Lu Ren and enables the breakthrough.
• Qin Yu: Does not appear directly, but her potential transformation into the Heavenly Net Blood Fiend Woman provides Lu Ren with an additional motivation to survive.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance against overwhelming odds: Lu Ren refuses to surrender even when trapped in an apparently endless and unwinnable battle.
• Power gained through crisis: The relentless combat both tests Lu Ren’s limits and supplies the energy needed for his breakthrough.
• Hidden assistance and inherited power: Senior Wuming’s brief intervention highlights the importance of the Emperor Slaying Sword and the support concealed within it.
• Responsibility and sacrifice: Lu Ren fights not only for his own survival but also to prevent Qin Yu’s transformation and the chaos it could unleash across the Xuanhuang Continent.
• Destruction and rebirth: The water beasts repeatedly transform into energy after death, symbolizing how destruction can become the foundation for Lu Ren’s advancement.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren repeatedly consults Xiao Man about the nature of the illusion array and whether its controller can be located.
• Xiao Man warns Lu Ren that the beasts are endless and progressively stronger, while Lu Ren responds with confidence and chooses to fight head-on.
• When Lu Ren reaches the brink of death, Xiao Man expresses despair and recognizes that even finding Senluo Illusory Water may no longer be enough.
• Senior Wuming communicates briefly through the Emperor Slaying Sword, performs one decisive attack, and then returns to sleep. Lu Ren gratefully acknowledges his aid before using the opening to break through.

Summary: “Subduing Senluo Illusory Water”

Key plot points and events

• After breaking through to the seventh level of the Heavenly Gang Realm, Lu Ren’s strength increases dramatically. He easily destroys the Senluo Water Beasts that previously overwhelmed him.
• Guided by Xiao Man, he travels northwest through the endless beasts in search of the Senluo Illusory Water’s core.
• He discovers a horrifying mountain of bones surrounding a cave from which the Water Beasts emerge. Inside, he finds a transparent, beating “heart” that generates the beasts and powers the Senluo Illusion Array.
• When Lu Ren attempts to destroy the heart, it summons the spring eye of the Chaotic Sea Domain, intending to absorb its energy and break through the ten-thousand-year limit of high-grade exotic water.
• Lu Ren pierces the heart with the Emperor Slaying Sword enhanced by Nine Yang True Fire, causing its stored Illusory Water energy to erupt.
• He seals and absorbs the energy with his True Dragon Domain, potentially gaining enough power to advance toward the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
• The Senluo Illusory Water’s true form—a multicolored water mist—tries to escape, but Lu Ren captures it and stores it in the Nameless Treasure Pagoda.
• Xiao Man uses the Five Elements Gu to preserve the exotic water and joyfully enters the newly formed lake within the treasure pagoda.

Character developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates a major leap in combat ability after reaching the seventh Heavenly Gang level. His confidence grows to the point that he considers challenging a Martial Profound Realm expert, though he recognizes the danger of such a fight.
• He becomes more decisive and strategic, refusing to waste time fighting endless Water Beasts and focusing instead on capturing their source.
• Lu Ren successfully subdues a rare exotic water, expanding his resources and creating an opportunity for further cultivation.
• Xiao Man acts as Lu Ren’s guide and expert on exotic waters, identifying the core and explaining the spring eye and the exotic water’s potential evolution. His excitement reveals how valuable the Senluo Illusory Water is.

Significant themes

• Power and advancement: Lu Ren’s breakthrough showcases the dramatic benefits of cultivation progress and his growing ability to confront previously overwhelming enemies.
• Resource competition: The Senluo Illusory Water seeks to absorb the spring eye to evolve beyond its natural ten-thousand-year limit, while Lu Ren captures it for his own benefit.
• Transformation and limits: The chapter emphasizes that even powerful beings and exotic treasures possess boundaries, and surpassing those limits requires dangerous opportunities.
• Control over chaos: Lu Ren turns an endless, hostile environment into a source of power by locating, sealing, and absorbing its core energy.

Character interactions

• Xiao Man directs Lu Ren toward the core and explains the Senluo Illusory Water’s origins, age limit, and potential to become god-grade.
• Lu Ren relies on Xiao Man’s knowledge but takes the decisive actions himself, including attacking the heart and capturing the escaping true form.
• After the capture, Xiao Man enthusiastically claims the exotic water, jokingly addressing it as “Little Illusion,” while Lu Ren remains skeptical of its usefulness. Xiao Man’s reaction establishes that the subdued Senluo Illusory Water is far more valuable than Lu Ren initially realizes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren learns about the Senluo Illusory Water's uses and decides to bathe in it to advance his cultivation.
• An Lanxuan, Lu Ren's sixth senior brother, searches for Lu Ren. He learns that Lu Ren was chased by Shen Guihai, a disciple of the Wuji Saber Sect, across the Chaotic Sea Domain.
• An Lanxuan orders the Black Tiger Giant Ship to dock and await his news about Lu Ren's safety.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren breaks through two realms, reaching the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm, and gains the strength to potentially contend with someone in the Martial Profound Realm.
• An Lanxuan demonstrates his power and influence, striking fear into Liang Hu, the leader of the Black Tiger Giant Ship.
• Mingyue, the president of the Gambling Arena, shows knowledge of the situation and advises Liang Hu to pray for Lu Ren's safety.

Significant Themes

• Power and Influence: An Lanxuan's actions showcase the power and influence of the Heavenly Evolution Sword Sect and its disciples.
• Cultivation and Advancement: Lu Ren's breakthrough highlights the importance of cultivation resources and the dedication required for advancement.
• Consequences of Actions: Liang Hu's fear and Mingyue's advice emphasize the potential repercussions of actions taken against Lu Ren.

Character Interactions

• An Lanxuan and Liang Hu: An Lanxuan's interrogation of Liang Hu reveals the latter's fear and subservience towards the Heavenly Evolution Sword Sect.
• Lu Ren and An Lanxuan: Though not directly interacting in this chapter, their relationship as senior and junior brothers is emphasized, with An Lanxuan actively searching for Lu Ren.
• Liang Hu and Mingyue: Mingyue's appearance shows her awareness of the situation and her lack of willingness to help Liang Hu, highlighting her self-preservation instincts.

Chapter Summary: The Sea Monster Race Is Alarmed

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren trains inside the Nameless Treasure Pagoda, testing the immense power he gained from cultivating the Great Tomb Devours the Heavens Art.
• He learns that Senluo Illusory Water has two major uses:
  • It helps cultivate Myriad Manifestations Sword Intent.
  • It allows him to transform into anyone he has seen while concealing both his appearance and aura. However, maintaining the transformation consumes enormous amounts of true energy.
• Lu Ren permits Xiao Man to consume the three-thousand-year-old Black Snake King Water. After the Five Elements Gu’s seal is removed, the water transforms into eighteen giant black pythons, but Xiao Man easily swallows them all.
• Absorbing the Black Snake King Water causes Xiao Man’s power to surge dramatically. His body expands, demonic flames emerge, and his strength rises to roughly Lu Ren’s level, despite being limited by his current dragon body.
• Lu Ren considers absorbing the entire spring eye of the Chaotic Sea Domain, whose life force is extraordinarily powerful. Xiao Man warns that doing so would dry up the sea domain, kill its sea monsters, and provoke the wrath of the Sea Monster Race.
• Lu Ren discovers that he has left Senluo Illusory Water’s Illusion Array and is deep beneath the sea, near the spring eye. A large force of Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals arrives to investigate the disturbance.
• Realizing that fighting openly would summon even more powerful sea-monster experts, Lu Ren devises a deceptive plan. Using Senluo Illusory Water, he transforms into Wu Tianqiong and changes the Emperor Slaying Sword into the Yin Yang Wuji Blade, intending to frame Wu Tianqiong for the incident.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren becomes more confident in his expanding abilities and begins thinking strategically rather than relying solely on brute force. He considers exploiting Senluo Illusory Water’s disguise ability to escape and misdirect his enemies.
• Xiao Man demonstrates his terrifying innate power by devouring the Black Snake King Water in moments. His strength increases sharply, revealing that his potential may far exceed his current cultivation and physical limitations.
• Xiao Man’s attitude toward Lu Ren remains playful and boastful, but he also shows genuine concern when Lu Ren considers absorbing the spring eye and warns him of the consequences.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Lu Ren gains access to overwhelming resources, but using them carelessly could destroy an entire sea domain and provoke powerful enemies.
• Deception and identity: Senluo Illusory Water turns appearance and aura into tools of manipulation, allowing Lu Ren to conceal himself and shift blame onto another person.
• Hidden potential: Xiao Man’s rapid transformation after consuming the Black Snake King Water suggests that his true strength is far greater than his current body allows.
• Consequences of trespassing: The spring eye is treated as a sacred foundation of the Chaotic Sea Domain, making Lu Ren’s presence a direct threat to the Sea Monster Race.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren questions Xiao Man about the properties of Senluo Illusory Water, while Xiao Man explains its cultivation and disguise functions.
• Xiao Man boasts about consuming the Black Snake King Water, and Lu Ren watches in surprise as he effortlessly devours it and grows stronger.
• Xiao Man rebukes Lu Ren for considering the destruction of the spring eye, emphasizing the danger of provoking the Sea Monster Race.
• When the sea-monster army approaches, Xiao Man proposes fighting through them, but Lu Ren chooses a more cunning approach: disguising himself as Wu Tianqiong and framing the Holy Son of the Wuji Saber Sect.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren disguises himself as Wu Tianqiong, Holy Son of the Wuji Saber Sect, using the Senluo Illusory Water. He pretends to be attacking the Chaotic Sea Domain’s spring eye, intending to make the Sea Monster Race blame Wu Tianqiong rather than himself.
• As Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals rush to defend the spring eye, Lu Ren waits until they are close before unleashing saber qi, killing more than a dozen of them almost instantly.
• He flees toward the surface, but several ninth-level Heavenly Gang Realm Sea Monsters intercept him. Lu Ren kills them effortlessly with his Sixth Heaven Saber Intent.
• A powerful Sea Python leader, comparable to an early Martial Profound Realm expert, arrives with two subordinates and attempts to trap Lu Ren in a water cage.
• Although the Sea Python’s strength vastly exceeds his own, Lu Ren uses the Five Elements Reincarnation Exotic Art to raise his power and cuts through the cage.
• Lu Ren then uses the saint artifact Qingyun Tower, which he can now activate after reaching the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm, injuring and knocking back the Sea Python leader while wounding or suppressing the other two.
• He taunts the Sea Python leader, again identifying himself as Wu Tianqiong, and escapes toward the surface.
• Furious and shocked by Lu Ren’s escape, the Sea Python leader decides to report the incident to the Sea King. A mysterious powerful figure intervenes, declaring that they will personally capture Lu Ren.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates a major increase in power after reaching the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm. With his True Force, gang qi, four great tombs, saber techniques, and artifacts combined, he is nearly invincible below the Martial Profound Realm.
• He displays greater cunning, using the Senluo Illusory Water not only for disguise but also to create a political crisis between the Sea Monster Race and the Wuji Saber Sect.
• Lu Ren becomes increasingly bold and provocative, openly taunting his enemies while carefully retreating once his True Force reserves begin to run low.
• Xiao Man enthusiastically encourages Lu Ren’s deception and bloodshed, enjoying the chaos his impersonation of Wu Tianqiong will cause.
• The Sea Python leader is introduced as a powerful Profound Realm expert. Initially confident, it becomes enraged and unsettled after failing to contain a much weaker opponent.

Significant Themes

• Deception and misdirection: Lu Ren hides his identity and deliberately frames Wu Tianqiong, exploiting the tension between humans and Sea Monsters.
• Power versus realm: Although Lu Ren remains in the Heavenly Gang Realm, his techniques, artifacts, and special abilities allow him to challenge opponents above his cultivation level.
• Revenge and racial conflict: Humans and Sea Monsters already consider each other enemies, and Lu Ren’s attack intensifies their hostility.
• Risk and resource management: Lu Ren fights aggressively but recognizes his limits, especially the heavy consumption caused by the Senluo Illusory Water and Qingyun Tower.
• Arrogance and provocation: Lu Ren uses bold insults and the identity of Wu Tianqiong to humiliate the Sea Monsters and ensure they pursue the wrong target.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Xiao Man: Xiao Man supports Lu Ren’s scheme, praising his deceitful tactics and urging him to kill more enemies before fleeing.
• Lu Ren and the Sea Monster forces: Lu Ren massacres their defenders, announces himself as Wu Tianqiong, and claims to be punishing them for attacking human martial artists.
• Lu Ren and the Sea Python leader: The Sea Python tries to imprison and pursue him, but Lu Ren breaks free, wounds it with the Qingyun Tower, and escapes while mocking its inability to stop him.
• Sea Python leader and the unseen authority: After failing to capture Lu Ren, the leader reports the incident, prompting a more powerful figure—likely the Sea King or a similarly high-ranking entity—to personally take responsibility for hunting him.

Chapter Summary: Sea King of Chaos

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren escapes the depths of the Chaotic Sea Domain and reaches the surface after breaking through to the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
• As he flies toward the East Dragon Empire, he is intercepted by a powerful black-scaled sea dragon—the Sea King of Chaos, ruler of the deep sea.
• The Sea King mistakes Lu Ren for Wu Tianqiong, the Holy Son of the Wuji Saber Sect, and demands to know what happened to the Senluo Illusory Water, which mysteriously disappeared.
• Maintaining his disguise, Lu Ren invents a story claiming that the Senluo Illusory Water absorbed energy from the spring eye, attempted to break through its limits, and ultimately exploded.
• The Sea King initially considers sparing him but then decides to kill him because Lu Ren knows the location of the spring eye. It binds him in a violent waterspout.
• The Sea King offers Lu Ren a chance to live if he hands over the Wuji Ancestor’s inheritance and removes his blood mark from the Yin Yang Wuji Blade.
• Lu Ren refuses and boldly threatens the Sea King, pretending that he possesses the authority and destiny to unify the Eastern Profound Region. He even suggests that the Sea King submit to him.
• Before the Sea King can attack, the Blood Saber Venerable arrives, destroys the waterspout, and confronts the Sea King for threatening the Wuji Saber Sect’s Holy Son.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His breakthrough gives him greater confidence, allowing him to maintain an arrogant façade despite being genuinely afraid of the Sea King. He demonstrates quick thinking by fabricating an explanation for the Senluo Illusory Water’s disappearance and skillfully exploiting the Sea King’s fear of the Wuji Saber Sect.
• Sea King of Chaos: Revealed as extremely powerful, proud, and suspicious. Although it fears the consequences of killing a Wuji Saber Sect Holy Son, its greed for the Wuji inheritance and the Yin Yang Wuji Blade ultimately drives it toward violence.
• Xiao Man: Provides comic relief while acknowledging that he cannot defeat the Sea King directly. He hints that he possesses a costly method of intimidating or restraining it.
• Blood Saber Venerable: Makes a dramatic entrance as a powerful protector of the Wuji Saber Sect. His arrival immediately reverses Lu Ren’s dangerous situation.

Significant Themes

• Deception and identity: Lu Ren survives by impersonating Wu Tianqiong and using the reputation of the Wuji Saber Sect as protection.
• Power and intimidation: The chapter emphasizes how sect status, inherited authority, and reputation can be as influential as direct strength.
• Greed and ambition: The Sea King’s desire for the Wuji inheritance and divine weapon leads it to challenge a force far more dangerous than itself.
• Courage versus fear: Lu Ren is terrified internally but projects confidence, showing how composure and bluffing can influence powerful enemies.
• Unexpected protection: Lu Ren’s survival depends not only on his own schemes but also on the timely intervention of the Blood Saber Venerable.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and the Sea King: Their exchange is a tense battle of interrogation and deception. The Sea King demands answers and later threatens Lu Ren, while Lu Ren counters with false information and arrogant threats.
• Lu Ren and Xiao Man: Lu Ren seeks Xiao Man’s help, but Xiao Man admits he cannot defeat the Sea King, though he may have a costly way to intimidate it.
• Lu Ren and the Blood Saber Venerable: The Venerable treats Lu Ren as the Wuji Saber Sect’s Holy Son, creating a dangerous complication because Lu Ren is secretly impersonating Wu Tianqiong.
• Blood Saber Venerable and the Sea King: The Venerable openly condemns the Sea King for disrespecting the Holy Son and threatens it, setting up a confrontation between the two powerful figures.

Chapter Summary: “Senior Brother’s Might”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blood Saber Venerable arrives in the Chaotic Sea Domain to confront the Sea King of Chaos over Lu Ren’s attack on the Wuji Saber Sect’s Holy Son, Lei Yuquan.
• The Sea King defends Lu Ren’s actions, arguing that Lu Ren merely tried to destroy the spring eye, a sacred and untouchable source of power for the sea clans. He agrees to spare Lu Ren’s life but refuses to apologize further.
• The Blood Saber Venerable rejects this compromise, insisting that allowing the Holy Son to be humiliated would damage the sect’s dignity. He and the Sea King begin a devastating battle.
• Their clash, fought at the Heaven and Earth Perfection level of the Martial Profound Realm, shatters the frozen sea and sends Lu Ren flying from the shockwaves.
• Before Lu Ren can escape, An Lanxuan—the “Bloodless Sword” and Lu Ren’s senior brother—arrives on the Heavenly Evolution Flying Sword. His presence immediately intimidates both peak experts.
• An Lanxuan demands that the Sea King investigate the disappearance of his junior brother, who vanished in the Chaotic Sea Domain. The Sea King reluctantly promises to provide an answer within half a month.
• An Lanxuan questions the Blood Saber Venerable about Lu Ren’s supposed death and whether he was responsible. When the Blood Saber Venerable confirms that he believes Lu Ren is dead, An Lanxuan attacks him, piercing his chest with sword power.
• The Blood Saber Venerable retreats toward the East Dragon Empire, and Lu Ren secretly follows him.
• Lu Ren suspects that the Blood Saber Venerable is secretly a Heavenly Demon because he detects concealed Heavenly Demon Evil Qi after An Lanxuan’s attack.
• Lu Ren decides to follow the Blood Saber Venerable both to preserve his disguise and to gather information about the Heavenly Demons. He also hopes to kill him and absorb his Evil Qi to create more great tombs.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Becomes more cautious and calculating. Rather than revealing that he survived, he uses the Blood Saber Venerable’s retreat as an opportunity to investigate the Heavenly Demons and potentially strengthen himself.
• An Lanxuan: Demonstrates overwhelming authority and power. His arrival alone forces two Heaven and Earth Perfection experts to withdraw their auras, while a single palm strike seriously wounds the Blood Saber Venerable. His concern for Lu Ren also reveals his loyalty as a senior brother.
• Blood Saber Venerable: Appears fiercely protective of the Wuji Saber Sect’s dignity, but his reaction to An Lanxuan and the concealed Evil Qi raise suspicions about his true identity and allegiance.
• Sea King of Chaos: Initially stands firm in defense of the Chaotic Sea Domain and its sacred spring eye, but An Lanxuan’s pressure forces him to retreat and agree to investigate Lu Ren’s senior brother’s disappearance.
• Xiao Man: Continues to provide commentary and recognizes that Lu Ren’s increasingly strategic behavior resembles his own former nature.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength and authority: An Lanxuan’s power is so great that even top experts avoid confrontation, illustrating how true superiority can resolve conflicts without prolonged battle.
• Sect dignity and sacred boundaries: The Blood Saber Venerable and Sea King represent opposing principles—sect honor versus protection of a sacred domain resource.
• Hidden identities and deception: Lu Ren conceals his survival and abilities, while the Blood Saber Venerable may be concealing his identity as a Heavenly Demon.
• Loyalty and protection: An Lanxuan’s immediate response to news of Lu Ren’s death shows the importance of senior-junior brother bonds.
• Opportunity amid danger: Lu Ren turns a dangerous pursuit into a chance to uncover enemy secrets and increase his own strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Blood Saber Venerable and Sea King of Chaos: Argue over Lu Ren’s actions and battle violently when neither side accepts the other’s position.
• An Lanxuan and Sea King of Chaos: An Lanxuan demands an investigation into his missing junior brother, using his superior strength to force the Sea King’s cooperation.
• An Lanxuan and Blood Saber Venerable: An Lanxuan confronts him over Lu Ren’s supposed death and injures him after detecting his hostile attitude.
• Lu Ren and An Lanxuan: Lu Ren witnesses his senior brother’s overwhelming strength but remains disguised rather than revealing that he is alive.
• Lu Ren and Blood Saber Venerable: Lu Ren secretly follows the wounded elder, intending to expose his connection to the Heavenly Demons and possibly kill him.

Chapter Summary: “Crazy Idea”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren follows the injured Blood Saber Venerable after escaping An Lanxuan. He uses pills to restore his true qi, though his consumed True Force cannot be replenished so easily.
• Blood Saber Venerable stops on a barren island and vents his hatred toward An Lanxuan, believing Lu Ren is dead. He reveals that the person possessing Wu Tianqiong was actually a prince of the Sky Demon Clan.
• Still disguised as Wu Tianqiong through the Senluo Illusory Water, Lu Ren maintains the deception and claims he will eventually kill An Lanxuan.
• Blood Saber Venerable notices that Lu Ren has reached the ninth level of the Heavenly Gang Realm and assumes he is close to breaking through to the Martial Profound Realm.
• Lu Ren tricks Blood Saber Venerable into giving him five million Mid-grade Spirit Stones and numerous sixth-tier beast cores, claiming he needs them to cultivate the Myriad Beasts Secret Technique.
• Once Blood Saber Venerable begins healing, Lu Ren secretly enters the Nameless Treasure Pagoda, returns to his real appearance, and reveals his plan to ambush and kill Blood Saber Venerable.
• With Xiao Man monitoring the situation, Lu Ren burns three million spirit stones for spiritual energy and repeatedly attempts to refine nine Heavenly Dragon Coffin Sealing Talismans.
• After countless failures, he successfully completes all nine talismans. The Bodhi Tree also produces six Bodhi Seeds during the process.
• Lu Ren exits the pagoda, resumes Wu Tianqiong’s appearance, and claims he is going to investigate the island. He then arranges the nine talismans in a canyon and uses the remaining two million spirit stones to power the Nine Dragon Coffin Sealing Array.
• Lu Ren and Xiao Man prepare to lure Blood Saber Venerable into the formation. The chapter ends when Lu Ren shouts, “Blood Saber Venerable, save me!” to begin their deception.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Becomes increasingly bold and calculating. Despite being only at the Heavenly Gang Realm, he plans to assassinate a Heaven and Earth Perfection expert. He demonstrates strong improvisational ability, successfully maintaining his disguise, deceiving Blood Saber Venerable, and overcoming his lack of talent in talisman refinement through persistence and abundant resources.
• Blood Saber Venerable: Is weakened by An Lanxuan’s Heavenly Desolation Sword Qi and remains unaware that “Wu Tianqiong” is actually Lu Ren. He trusts Lu Ren enough to hand over valuable resources, though he senses that something about him feels unusual.
• Xiao Man: Shows great excitement at the prospect of ambushing a much stronger enemy. He acts as Lu Ren’s lookout and willingly participates in the planned deception.
• An Lanxuan: Though absent from the island, he remains an important threat. His attack seriously injured Blood Saber Venerable and forced Lu Ren into a dangerous escape.

Significant Themes

• Deception and disguise: Lu Ren’s survival depends on the Senluo Illusory Water and his ability to convincingly imitate Wu Tianqiong.
• Courage versus recklessness: Lu Ren’s plan to kill an overwhelmingly stronger opponent is extremely dangerous, but careful preparation gives him a chance of success.
• Resourcefulness and preparation: Lu Ren compensates for his weaker cultivation through talismans, formations, stored resources, and strategic manipulation.
• Power and vulnerability: Even a top-level expert like Blood Saber Venerable can be threatened when injured and caught off guard.
• Persistence: Lu Ren’s repeated failures in refining the talismans highlight the importance of endurance and determination.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Blood Saber Venerable discuss An Lanxuan, Lu Ren’s cultivation, and their supposed return to the sect.
• Lu Ren manipulates Blood Saber Venerable into surrendering his spirit stones and beast cores by inventing a need for the Myriad Beasts Secret Technique.
• Xiao Man encourages Lu Ren’s dangerous plan and helps watch Blood Saber Venerable while Lu Ren works inside the Nameless Treasure Pagoda.
• Lu Ren and Xiao Man coordinate their final act, with Lu Ren using a false cry for help to lure Blood Saber Venerable into the Nine Dragon Coffin Sealing Array.

Summary: “Nine Dragon Coffin Sealing Array”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Blood Saber Venerable follows the sound of his master, Wu Tianqiong, and discovers him being restrained by Xiao Man, a juvenile Flame Dragon Clan member.
• Xiao Man explains that Wu Tianqiong attempted to make him a spirit pet, so he punished him. He releases Wu Tianqiong only because Blood Saber Venerable has arrived.
• Blood Saber Venerable hesitates to attack after realizing Xiao Man belongs to the powerful Flame Dragon Clan. He searches for Xiao Man’s parents, fearing retaliation, but Xiao Man mocks him and attempts to leave.
• Blood Saber Venerable pursues Xiao Man into a canyon, triggering a hidden formation prepared by Lu Ren.
• Nine talismans activate, summoning nine dragons that release interlocking runes and form the powerful Nine Dragon Coffin Sealing Array, trapping Blood Saber Venerable inside.
• Lu Ren reveals that the array belongs to Tuoba Wudi’s inheritance and is designed to seal and kill Blood Saber Venerable, who has already been severely weakened by An Lanxuan.
• Blood Saber Venerable attacks repeatedly with his blood saber, but the array neutralizes his strikes and launches beams of sword light that bombard him.
• Realizing that Lu Ren is not truly Prince Mo Yi, Blood Saber Venerable angrily demands to know his identity and motive. Lu Ren continues claiming to be Mo Yi while openly admitting that the formation was arranged to eliminate him.
• Blood Saber Venerable unleashes the Blood Demon Secret Art, gathering immense bloody power, but the array’s nine-colored explosions suppress and injure him.
• Desperate, he uses “Burning Heaven, Rending Earth—Heavenly Demon Reappears!” His terrifying Heavenly Demon Evil Qi causes the canyon to collapse and weakens the rune coffin.
• Xiao Man warns Lu Ren that Blood Saber Venerable is about to reveal his true Heavenly Demon form, suggesting the battle is entering a far more dangerous stage.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates careful planning and growing confidence. He successfully deceives Blood Saber Venerable, lures him into the formation, and uses Tuoba Wudi’s inheritance to turn the tables.
• Blood Saber Venerable shifts from cautious superiority to fury and desperation. His injuries limit his strength, but his Heaven and Earth Perfection cultivation still makes him extremely dangerous.
• Xiao Man is established as arrogant, irreverent, and powerful. Although he insults Blood Saber Venerable and pretends to flee, he remains observant and recognizes the danger of the enemy’s transformation.
• Wu Tianqiong is portrayed as reckless and overconfident for attempting to subdue Xiao Man as a spirit pet. He is quickly defeated and forced to rely on Blood Saber Venerable for rescue.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus raw strength: Lu Ren relies on deception and the talisman array to defeat an enemy far stronger in direct combat.
• The power of inherited legacies: Tuoba Wudi’s formation demonstrates the immense influence of ancient inheritances and advanced talisman techniques.
• Hidden identities and deception: Blood Saber Venerable realizes that “Prince Mo Yi” is an impostor, emphasizing the dangers of relying on appearances.
• Suppressed but dangerous power: Even after being seriously wounded, Blood Saber Venerable remains capable of threatening the entire battlefield by revealing deeper demonic strength.
• The tension between cooperation and mistrust: Lu Ren and Xiao Man work toward the same goal, but Xiao Man’s unpredictable behavior and Blood Saber Venerable’s suspicions keep the situation unstable.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Man humiliates Wu Tianqiong after rejecting his attempt to make him a spirit pet.
• Blood Saber Venerable confronts Xiao Man but avoids immediately attacking because of the Flame Dragon Clan’s power.
• Lu Ren manipulates Blood Saber Venerable into entering the canyon and then reveals the trap.
• Blood Saber Venerable accuses Lu Ren of concealing his true identity, while Lu Ren taunts him and insists the array will kill him.
• Xiao Man reacts with admiration to the formation’s power but becomes alarmed when Blood Saber Venerable begins transforming into his Heavenly Demon form.

Chapter Summary: Trapping and Killing Blood Saber Venerable

Key Plot Points and Events

• Blood Saber Venerable reveals his true Heavenly Demon form, growing enormous flesh wings and unleashing overwhelming Heavenly Demon Evil Qi.
• He recognizes that Lu Ren has been impersonating Wu Tianqiong and furiously attacks the Nine Dragon Coffin Sealing Array.
• Although Blood Saber Venerable tears apart many of the formation’s rune chains, the array suppresses his attacks enough for Lu Ren to withstand them.
• Lu Ren abandons his disguise and attacks directly with the Great Tomb Devouring Heaven Art and Great Tomb Suppressing Prison Palm, summoning powerful tombstones to crush Blood Saber Venerable.
• Blood Saber Venerable easily destroys Lu Ren’s attacks, emphasizing the difference between their cultivation levels. He claims Lu Ren is too weak to kill him unless he reaches the Profound Realm.
• As the formation begins to fail, Xiao Man uses nine precious Bodhi Seeds to strengthen the nine Heavenly Dragon Sealing Talismans.
• The enhanced formation unleashes devastating power, exploding and collapsing the entire canyon.
• Blood Saber Venerable survives but is gravely injured: his flesh wings are destroyed, his body is covered in blood, and his life force is rapidly fading.
• Despite Xiao Man’s warning that a cornered enemy may make a desperate counterattack, Lu Ren chooses to deliver the final blow with the Qingyun Tower.
• After the tower clash sends both fighters backward, Xiao Man joins in and strikes Blood Saber Venerable repeatedly, leaving him at death’s door.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Reveals his true identity and stops relying on disguise or deception. Though he is much weaker than Blood Saber Venerable, he remains determined and resourceful, using both the sealing formation and his strongest techniques to defeat him.
• Xiao Man: Demonstrates quick thinking and courage by sacrificing nine Bodhi Seeds to reinforce the formation. She also shows tactical caution by advising Lu Ren not to corner the severely wounded Blood Saber Venerable.
• Blood Saber Venerable: Shifts from confident superiority to desperation and rage. His transformation reveals his terrifying power, but his arrogance and underestimation of Lu Ren allow him to be trapped and severely wounded.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus raw strength: Lu Ren cannot overpower Blood Saber Venerable directly, so victory depends on disguise, formation tactics, and Xiao Man’s timely use of the Bodhi Seeds.
• Desperation and perseverance: Even against an overwhelming opponent, Lu Ren refuses to retreat, while Blood Saber Venerable continues fighting despite his near-fatal injuries.
• The danger of arrogance: Blood Saber Venerable’s confidence in his superior cultivation causes him to underestimate Lu Ren’s preparations.
• Sacrifice for victory: Xiao Man expends rare Bodhi Seeds to empower the formation, demonstrating that defeating a powerful enemy requires significant resources and risk.

Character Interactions

• Blood Saber Venerable angrily confronts Lu Ren after discovering his disguise, repeatedly taunting him for being too weak.
• Lu Ren answers these insults with direct attacks and refuses to flee.
• Xiao Man supports Lu Ren by strengthening the formation, then urges him to withdraw once Blood Saber Venerable becomes desperate.
• Lu Ren rejects caution and attacks with the Qingyun Tower, after which Xiao Man assists by physically striking the already weakened Blood Saber Venerable.