Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• The Heaven-Cutting Sword Pavilion arrives at Wutong Mountain’s grand ceremony, represented by Pei Wufeng, Ye Li, and the gray-robed Azure Abyss Dao Master, Cangyuan.
• The Lihuo Divine Lord remembers an old grudge against the Sword Pavilion’s departed patriarch, but chooses to welcome the delegation rather than risk appearing petty.
• Sensing that Pei Wufeng and Ye Li possess a trace of transcendent aura, the Divine Lord regards them as dangerous future threats. He also detects Cangyuan’s brief killing intent and decides to kill him.
• Feng Changsi identifies Cangyuan as an enemy from a past dispute and reveals that Ye Li is likely the cultivator who destroyed Green Snake Mountain. The Divine Lord realizes Ye Li is the elusive fugitive he has been trying to uncover and welcomes the chance to confront him.
• Cangyuan apologizes to Ye Li and Pei Wufeng for letting his hatred show when he saw his wife, Li Yao, on the summit, apparently mistreated. Ye Li reassures him and then heads directly toward the central seats near the Divine Lord, signaling that events will not be delayed.

Character developments and interactions

• Lihuo Divine Lord shifts from restrained host to wary, calculating enemy: he sees the Sword Pavilion’s promising cultivators as threats and treats Cangyuan’s resentment as grounds for execution.
• Feng Changsi exploits the situation, presenting Cangyuan and Ye Li as enemies to his father while concealing his own satisfaction at having the Divine Lord act against them. Li Yao’s fear reinforces his confidence.
• Cangyuan is overwhelmed by anger and guilt after seeing Li Yao, and fears that his lapse has endangered his companions.
• Ye Li remains calm and dismisses the exposure as unimportant, while taking note of Li Yao’s condition and moving boldly toward the Divine Lord.
• Pei Wufeng recognizes the danger of the Divine Lord’s perception but stays composed and continues with the delegation.

Significant themes

• Power and hidden potential: Even a trace of transcendent aura can make powerful figures see others as threats.
• Grudges and misjudgment: Old resentment shapes the Divine Lord’s view of the Sword Pavilion, while Feng Changsi uses personal conflict to turn suspicion into a death sentence.
• Loyalty and emotional vulnerability: Cangyuan’s concern for his wife briefly overwhelms his caution, putting his companions at risk.
• Inevitable confrontation: Both sides recognize the danger, yet Ye Li’s deliberate approach makes a clash seem imminent.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Li and two Sword Pavilion companions ignore customary greetings and gifts, taking their prestigious seats without acknowledging the host. Their conduct unsettles the envoys and guests, while the Lihuo Divine Lord does not immediately intervene.
• Pei Wufeng follows Ye Li and sits beside him, amused by his disregard for ceremony. The Azure Abyss Dao Master suppresses his anger and joins them.
• Can Lu, deputy director of the Dark Moon Directorate and a Half-Step Transcendent, arrives with gifts and a respectful message from his director. He notices the Divine Lord’s unusual attention to Ye Li but keeps his thoughts to himself.
• With all the highest-ranking guests present, the ceremony begins. Wutong Mountain’s arrays draw immense spiritual energy toward the Divine Phoenix egg, whose surface lights up but does not yet crack.
• Ye Li activates his power, releasing an overwhelming, shifting aura that draws the crowd’s attention away from the egg. Pei Wufeng recognizes that he is about to disrupt events. The Lihuo Divine Lord rises and appears at the edge of the Main Peak, as everyone turns to watch.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Li demonstrates open defiance of convention and reveals formidable power, signaling that he has a plan to interfere with the ceremony.
• Pei Wufeng supports him without hesitation, following his lead and showing anticipation rather than concern.
• The Azure Abyss Dao Master remains visibly hostile but restrains himself and follows the pair.
• Can Lu displays political caution: despite his high rank, he avoids reacting to the tension around Ye Li.
• The Lihuo Divine Lord shifts from silent observation to direct action as Ye Li’s aura erupts; his son, Feng Changsi, is left unanswered.

Significant themes

• Power versus etiquette: The Sword Pavilion’s status gives its representatives privileged seats, but Ye Li’s refusal to show courtesy turns that privilege into a deliberate provocation.
• Political calculation and restraint: Guests and leaders carefully weigh their reactions, wary of offending either the Divine Lord or the Sword Pavilion.
• Disruption and expectation: The ceremony’s grand preparations are interrupted by Ye Li’s display, foreshadowing a confrontation or major change to the planned outcome.

Plot and major events

• At Wutong Mountain’s gathering, Lihuo Divine Lord challenges the Heaven-Cutting Sword Pavilion’s delegation for arriving without gifts and demands to know why they came.
• With Ye Li’s permission, Azure Abyss Dao Master Cangyuan publicly recounts how Feng Changsi betrayed his family after they rescued and healed him: Feng attacked Cangyuan, shattered his Dao foundation, and abducted Cangyuan’s wife, whom Wutong Mountain has imprisoned for tens of thousands of years.
• Lihuo responds by attacking Cangyuan with Heartfire, but Ye Li extinguishes it and sends Cangyuan back. Lihuo is surprised that Ye Li can counter his power despite not having reached Transcendence.
• Ye Li rejects Lihuo’s offer to withdraw and hand over Cangyuan. He condemns Wutong Mountain for its crimes and vows to destroy the family, including its unborn Divine Phoenix.
• Lihuo unleashes his Transcendence-level pressure and attacks Ye Li with a blazing phoenix. Ye Li withstands the assault, emerges unharmed, and pushes back the Divine Lord’s pressure.
• Ye Li activates Golden Divine Ability: Imperial Command Over Mountains and Seas, using a secret technique that steadily amplifies his power as he confronts Wutong Mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Cangyuan shifts from a restrained witness to an enraged accuser, finally speaking openly about the betrayal and suffering inflicted on him and his wife. He recognizes the terrifying gap between himself and a Transcendence powerhouse, and is grateful when Ye Li saves him.
• Ye Li remains composed under pressure, protects Cangyuan, and makes his hostility toward Wutong Mountain explicit. His confidence escalates into a direct challenge to Lihuo, backed by a surprising ability to withstand the Divine Lord’s attacks.
• Lihuo Divine Lord moves from an intimidating interrogator to an openly furious combatant. His surprise at Ye Li’s resistance turns into murderous intent.
• The public confrontation exposes Wutong Mountain’s alleged crimes to the assembled guests, leaving them shocked and powerless to intervene.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and injustice: Cangyuan’s account frames Wutong Mountain’s authority as corrupt and abusive.
• Justice versus power: Ye Li challenges a vastly more powerful ruler rather than yielding to his demands.
• Public truth and accountability: Cangyuan’s testimony forces the gathering to confront the hidden history behind the conflict.
• Defiance and escalating power: Ye Li’s supernatural strength and secret amplification let him contest an opponent who should vastly outclass him.

Plot points and events

• Ye Li channels the spiritual essence of the Sea of Nine Harmonies and layers three Divine Abilities, raising his power to the Transcendence level and making him a genuine threat to the Lihuo Divine Lord.
• The Divine Lord attacks with Wutong Mountain’s powers: he traps Ye Li in enormous trees, turns them into a vast sea of divine fire, and later combines gale force, Heartfire, and the Reversed Five Elements to create a devastating palm strike.
• Ye Li cuts through the fire and survives, regenerating his burned body in moments. His counterattack forces the Divine Lord to fly tens of thousands of miles before he can regain his footing.
• The Divine Lord’s second assault pins Ye Li in destructive winds, but Ye Li uses Literary Dao Empowerment to strengthen himself and hurls his spear. It pierces the Divine Lord’s palm attack and then his dharma body. The excerpt ends at the moment of impact, leaving the result unclear.

Character developments

• Ye Li displays extraordinary strength, resilience, and composure, surviving attacks that should overwhelm even a Transcendence cultivator.
• The Lihuo Divine Lord, initially confident and contemptuous, becomes alarmed and fights with increasingly powerful techniques. He is forced to recognize Ye Li as a peer-level danger.
• Feng Changsi is shaken by the possibility that his father may lose, though he clings to the belief that the Divine Lord is invincible.
• Pei Wufeng remains confident in Ye Li and reassures the anxious Azure Abyss Dao Master as she anticipates his counterattack.

Significant themes

• Power beyond expectation: Ye Li’s layered abilities overturn the assumed limits separating cultivators from Transcendence.
• Resilience and recovery: His rapid regeneration lets him endure overwhelming force and continue fighting.
• Confidence versus fear: The Divine Lord’s confidence gives way to alarm, while Feng Changsi struggles to preserve his faith in his father.
• Escalating conflict: Each combatant responds to the other’s strength with more powerful techniques, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

Character interactions

• The Divine Lord treats Ye Li as an existential threat and attacks without hesitation; Ye Li answers each assault with increasingly forceful counters.
• Pei Wufeng reassures the anxious Azure Abyss Dao Master, while Feng Changsi and Li Yao watch the fight in shock.
• The battle’s display of power terrifies Wutong Mountain’s guests and elders, who are forced to retreat or bow beneath the pressure.

Plot and events

• The Lihuo Divine Lord’s apparent defeat was a ruse: the figure Ye Li had pierced was only a Law avatar. The Divine Spear flew off into the stars, while the real Lord appeared behind Ye Li.
• The Lord revealed his true attack: destructive ash left from the burned trees, combined with a compressed wind Divine Ability, formed a catastrophic storm aimed at Ye Li.
• Ye Li stopped the attack with a quiet remark. The chaotic Laws returned to normal, and the storm split apart.
• Ye Li then unleashed True Self Dharma Body, transforming into an enormous, golden-patterned giant whose aura illuminated the sky and dwarfed Wutong Mountain.
• Wutong Mountain’s powerful formations attacked the giant but were erased on contact with its radiance.
• The Divine Spear returned to Ye Li’s hand and expanded to match the giant’s size, completing Heaven and Earth Manifestation.

Character developments and interactions

• Lihuo Divine Lord reveals himself as cunning and confident, having used an avatar and concealed his lethal attack in the ash. His confidence collapses when Ye Li effortlessly counters him.
• Ye Li shows that he has held back a major trump card. His calm control over the Laws and immense transformation establish overwhelming power.
• Their confrontation shifts sharply: the Lord believes he has secured victory, but Ye Li turns the tables and takes command of the battlefield.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and deception: The Lord’s avatar conceals his real position, while Ye Li’s true strength is also revealed only at a decisive moment.
• Hubris and reversal: The Lord’s declaration that Ye Li’s fight is over is immediately overturned.
• Scale of power: Ye Li’s transformation renders both the mountain and its defenses insignificant, emphasizing the vast difference in their apparent levels of force.

Plot points and events

• Ye Li manifests an immense Dharma Form and brings its Divine Spear down on Wutong Mountain. The blow splits the forbidden mountain apart, shatters its earth veins, suppresses its flames, and badly damages the Wutong Divine Tree.
• Pei Wufeng uses a sword barrier to shield herself, Cangyuan, and Li Yao from the catastrophic shock waves. She is stunned that Ye Li has overwhelmed Wutong Mountain’s famed defenses and its ruler.
• The storm subsides, revealing the Lihuo Divine Lord gravely injured. His Divine Phoenix Nirvana Method cannot heal him because the white Destruction Law clings to his wounds and suppresses his vitality.
• Ye Li appears beside the Divine Lord, punches apart his remaining body, captures his exposed True Spirit, and seals it inside a porcelain bottle.
• Trapped in the bottle, the Divine Lord begs Ye Li to make peace. Wutong Mountain’s elders, disciples, and allied factions are left terrified and speechless.

Character developments

• Ye Li demonstrates overwhelming power and ruthlessness, defeating a peak Transcendence Realm opponent in public and preventing his escape.
• Lihuo Divine Lord shifts from supreme confidence to panic and pleading as his signature means of survival proves useless.
• Pei Wufeng moves from expecting Ye Li to be quickly subdued to recognizing that he can single-handedly overturn the balance of power.

Significant themes

• Power and hubris: Wutong Mountain’s prestige and the Divine Lord’s long record of dominance offer no protection against Ye Li.
• The limits of immortality: The Divine Lord’s famed resurrection technique fails against the Destruction Law.
• Reversal of authority: The ruler who once forced others to beg for mercy now pleads for peace himself.
• Awe and fear: The witnesses’ reactions emphasize the unprecedented scale of Ye Li’s power.

Character interactions

• Pei Wufeng protects Cangyuan and Li Yao while watching Ye Li’s assault.
• The Lihuo Divine Lord tries to withstand Ye Li’s attack, then attempts to flee and negotiate; Ye Li ignores his appeals and captures him.
• Wutong Mountain’s followers witness their leader’s defeat and respond with fear and silence.

Plot points and events

• After the Divine Lord’s defeat, Feng Changsi collapses in disbelief, unable to accept that his supposedly transcendent, invincible father has fallen.
• Li Yao breaks free from the force pinning her down and laughs in relief, celebrating the downfall of the people who tormented her for tens of thousands of years.
• Feng tries to regain his composure, but seeing Ye Li’s black robe nearby, he panics. Ye Li confronts him over his repeated efforts to have the Jade Capital Society kill him.
• Feng makes a desperate attempt to kill Ye Li with the Crimson-Gold Jade Pendant, but Ye Li casually destroys it and burns Feng’s body away with divine fire. He also captures Feng’s surviving true spirit.
• Li Yao thanks Ye Li for avenging her. Before he can respond, brilliant light and a phoenix cry erupt from the Welcoming Immortal Mansion: the Divine Phoenix is about to be born.

Character developments

• Li Yao moves from long-suppressed suffering to ecstatic relief. Once fearful and powerless before her enemies, she openly celebrates their downfall and expresses gratitude to Ye Li.
• Feng Changsi shifts from disbelief and anger to terror and desperation. His status and inherited power offer no protection against Ye Li.
• Ye Li remains calm and decisive, effortlessly defeating Feng and recognizing the significance of the sudden disturbance.

Significant themes

• The reversal of power: Those who once bullied others are brought low.
• Justice and vengeance: Ye Li’s actions fulfill Li Yao’s long-awaited desire for retribution.
• The limits of inherited strength: Feng’s confidence in his father’s transcendence and his own artifact proves useless against Ye Li.
• New beginnings: The Divine Phoenix’s imminent birth signals a major new event amid the ruins.

Character interactions

• Li Yao taunts Feng as his world collapses; he responds with rage but cannot intimidate her anymore.
• Feng pleads with Ye Li, then attacks him in desperation. Ye Li answers with overwhelming force.
• Li Yao kowtows to Ye Li and thanks him for avenging her; Ye Li acknowledges her briefly before the Phoenix’s emergence interrupts them.

Key plot points and events

• The aftermath of the battle is transformed by a surge of multicolored light and spiritual energy, which clears the bloody aura over Wutong Mountain.
• The imprisoned Lihuo Divine Lord realizes the Divine Phoenix is about to hatch. He sees the newborn as his chance to escape and reverse his defeat, planning to bind it to himself through a formation on the Wutong Divine Tree.
• To buy time, Lihuo pretends to repent and offers his own children as victims to appease Ye Li. Ye Li rejects this cruel offer, making clear that Lihuo cannot decide their fate.
• Lihuo notices Ye Li’s aura weakening and mistakenly concludes that Ye Li’s power comes from a temporary secret technique. He plans to stall until it fades.
• The Divine Phoenix hatches amid an extraordinary display of radiance and innate power. Its presence inspires awe and humility in cultivators of every level.
• The colored light gathers around Ye Li. He identifies it as an emotional phenomenon, and the chapter ends as Lihuo recognizes the signs from ancient texts: the Phoenix is a supreme Dao Master capable of giving tangible form to admiration and reverence.

Character developments and interactions

• Lihuo Divine Lord shifts from apparent surrender to renewed scheming, driven by desperation and ambition. His flattery toward Ye Li conceals his plan to exploit the Phoenix.
• Ye Li remains composed and discerning. He refuses to punish Lihuo’s children simply to satisfy revenge, and responds with curiosity rather than alarm to the Phoenix’s unusual aura.
• The Divine Phoenix emerges as an immensely powerful, revered being whose innate nature affects both the world and those who witness its birth.

Significant themes

• Deception and misjudgment: Lihuo’s false remorse and mistaken reading of Ye Li’s strength shape his plans.
• Power and ambition: He sees even the Phoenix’s birth as a tool for survival and advancement.
• Justice versus vengeance: Ye Li’s refusal to harm innocents contrasts with Lihuo’s willingness to sacrifice his family.
• Innate divinity and reverence: The Phoenix’s arrival transforms nature and evokes awe, while its ability to manifest emotions hints at power beyond ordinary spiritual force.

Key plot points and events

• Lihuo Divine Lord realizes that the awe and reverence generated by the battle are empowering the newly hatched Primordial Divine Phoenix—not him. Desperate to regain strength and escape the Porcelain Bottle, he revives the damaged Wutong Divine Tree, hoping the phoenix will land on it and let him steal some of its fortune.
• The phoenix emerges before tens of millions of silent spectators and considers both the tree and Ye Li. Ye Li waits without interfering, confident it poses no threat to him.
• Pei Wufeng explains that the phoenix craves universal admiration and is unlikely to choose Lihuo, whom everyone fears less than Ye Li. She believes only Ye Li could command its respect.
• The phoenix ignores the glowing tree, chooses Ye Li, and sends him a surge of energy that replenishes much of his depleted Divine Power. It praises him and offers to help carry away the Wutong Divine Tree, which it says still has a purpose.

Character developments and interactions

• Lihuo Divine Lord shifts from desperate hope to despair as his plan to use the tree fails and the phoenix favors Ye Li.
• Ye Li remains composed and curious, allowing the phoenix to choose freely. His strength and reputation appear to earn its approval.
• Pei Wufeng confidently interprets the situation using the Sword Pavilion’s records, reassuring the anxious Cangyuan that the phoenix will favor Ye Li.
• The Divine Phoenix is revealed as proud and drawn to reverence, yet it actively acknowledges Ye Li and offers him assistance.

Significant themes

• Power and recognition: The battle’s audience becomes a source of strength for the phoenix, showing how public reverence can have tangible consequences.
• Strength earns allegiance: The phoenix’s choice follows Ye Li’s demonstrated power rather than Lihuo’s claims or preparations.
• Fortune and control: Lihuo tries to manipulate the phoenix’s arrival for his own escape, but events turn against him.
• Reversal and irony: The grand spectacle Lihuo staged ends by glorifying his opponent and deepening his own defeat.

Plot points

• Ye Li learns that the Divine Phoenix believes Wutong Mountain’s Divine Tree—an ancient spiritual root containing the Life Dao—could help him comprehend the Dao or strengthen his body. He immediately uproots the entire tree, roots and underlying Spirit Veins included, and stores it in his Grotto Heaven.
• The imprisoned Lihuo Divine Lord realizes he has lost his last major asset and begs Ye Li to spare him, offering Wutong Mountain’s submission and warning that stronger forces in the Primordial Sea may oppose Ye Li.
• Ye Li refuses to negotiate. Lihuo burns his remaining True Spirit essence in a desperate attack, but Ye Li’s Three-Hour Divine Fire overwhelms him and destroys his spirit.
• Lihuo’s death triggers the Star Sea’s cosmic mourning. Wutong Mountain’s survivors lose hope; some break down or suffer Qi Deviation, while allied factions fear being associated with the defeated mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Li remains calm and decisive, showing no interest in Lihuo’s pleas or threats. His confidence is absolute, and the destruction of another powerful enemy brings him a large Malice Points reward.
• Lihuo Divine Lord moves from fury and despair to pleading, then to a defiant final warning when he realizes Ye Li will not spare him.
• The Divine Phoenix speaks fluently and guides Ye Li toward the Divine Tree, approving of its value to him.

Significant themes

• Power and finality: Lihuo’s status and remaining strength cannot save him once Ye Li has decided to kill him.
• The hidden depth of the world: Lihuo suggests that Wutong Mountain and the Dark Moon Directorate are not the only powers suppressing the rise of new Transcendence cultivators.
• The cost of defeat: The Divine Lord’s death devastates his followers and forces former allies to reconsider their ties to Wutong Mountain.

Plot points and events

• After Ye Li destroys Wutong Mountain and kills the Lihuo Divine Lord, the Great Demon Ape and Ape Three realize the situation is hopeless and try to flee.
• Ye Li has sealed the space around Wutong Mountain, preventing anyone from escaping. When Ape Three attacks the barrier, Ye Li appears beside the brothers.
• Ye Li kills the Great Demon Ape, a Transcendence-level leader of the Jade Capital Society, by unleashing cutting force inside his body and destroying his True Spirit.
• Ape Three begs for his life. Ye Li asks whether he has ever eaten a human. Ape Three lies and claims he has never done so.
• Ye Li walks away, but the lie triggers Heartfire he had secretly planted in Ape Three. The flames consume him, leaving both Jade Capital Society chiefs dead.

Character developments and interactions

• The Great Demon Ape shifts from confidence and anger to panic, recognizes Ye Li’s overwhelming power, and tries to escape before being killed.
• Ape Three goes from terror to relief when he thinks Ye Li has spared him, only to die when his lie activates the hidden Heartfire.
• Ye Li remains calm and controlled, using both direct violence and a concealed trap to ensure neither ape survives. His exchange with Ape Three turns a plea for mercy into a fatal test.

Significant themes

• The consequences of arrogance and cruelty: The apes’ predatory history and confidence offer no protection once they face a stronger opponent.
• Deception and retribution: Ape Three’s lie seals his fate, while Ye Li’s apparent departure conceals his trap.
• Powerlessness before overwhelming force: The sealed space and the effortless deaths emphasize how completely Ye Li controls the encounter.

Key plot points

• After feeling the shockwave from a Transcendence cultivator’s death, Can Lu, deputy Director of the Dark Moon Directorate, fears he will be punished and begs Ye Li to spare him.
• Can Lu claims he is innocent: he says the Directorate’s Director and Wutong Mountain’s Lihuo Divine Lord conspired to block others from reaching Transcendence, and insists he has never eaten humans.
• Ye Li briefly appears receptive, then asks what Can Lu brought as a congratulatory gift. Under renewed pressure, Can Lu admits it was the heart’s blood of ten thousand accomplished human cultivators, prepared for Lihuo’s wine.
• Ye Li kills Can Lu outright, destroying both his body and true spirit, then reads his Memory Scroll. He discovers Can Lu avoided eating people out of obsessive cleanliness, not compassion.
• Ye Li turns his attention to Wutong Mountain’s remaining hundreds of thousands of demon cultivators. Using Lihuo’s Heartfire ability, he prepares to kill weaker targets en masse, while those above the eighth level of the Dao Fruit Realm will be dealt with differently.

Character developments and interactions

• Can Lu shifts from frightened flattery to self-serving confession, blaming his superiors and presenting himself as a victim. His attempt to portray himself as humane collapses when he reveals the human blood tribute—and when Ye Li learns his real reason for not eating people.
• Ye Li remains calm and interrogative, testing Can Lu’s claims rather than accepting them. His brief show of leniency turns into decisive violence once the truth is exposed. He also reflects that he needs better techniques for examining memories and judging people.

Significant themes

• Hypocrisy and self-preservation: Can Lu claims moral innocence but readily betrays his colleagues and serves a horrific gift to save himself.
• Appearances versus motives: His refusal to eat humans seems virtuous until its selfish, fastidious explanation is revealed.
• Consequences and ruthless justice: Ye Li’s interrogation ends in immediate execution, and he treats Wutong Mountain’s surviving demons as a resource to be eliminated.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Li revives the Lihuo Divine Lord and orders him to slaughter the fleeing cultivators of Wutong Mountain. The Divine Lord obeys, and the mountain is engulfed in flames and bloodshed.
• The newly hatched Primordial Divine Phoenix offers to help, but Ye Li refuses because he wants the kills—and their Malice Points—for himself.
• When the Phoenix asks why he is killing the cultivators, Ye Li explains that many of them practice cannibalism and admits he also needs their heads. He warns the Phoenix he would kill her too if she ever preyed on people.
• The Phoenix accepts his rule and asks where they will go next. She says she wants to follow him, first in her immense phoenix form and then after transforming into a red-robed girl. Ye Li refuses both times.
• Ye Li explains that he expects to leave the universe soon by breaking through Transcendence. The Phoenix confirms that this is possible and boasts she could reach that realm, and perhaps beyond it, within two thousand years. Ye Li dismisses this as far too slow.

Character developments

• Ye Li remains pragmatic, ruthless, and blunt. He views the massacre partly as justice against cannibals and partly as a way to earn Malice Points. He also shows a stern, paternal instinct by warning the Phoenix against eating people.
• The Primordial Divine Phoenix begins to treat Ye Li as the person from whom she should learn how to behave. Her eagerness to join him becomes clear, and she changes into human form in hopes of making herself more acceptable. She is proud of her potential, but Ye Li’s impatience leaves her bewildered.
• The Lihuo Divine Lord returns as a powerful, obedient force under Ye Li’s command, directing the destruction of Wutong Mountain.

Significant themes

• Power and moral judgment: Ye Li uses overwhelming force against a group he condemns for cannibalism, while remaining candid about his self-serving motives.
• Mentorship and moral influence: The newborn Phoenix looks to Ye Li as a model for how she should live, despite his harsh methods.
• Immortal-scale ambition and time: The Phoenix sees two millennia as extraordinary progress; Ye Li considers it an unacceptable delay, highlighting the vast difference in their perspectives.

Character interactions

• Ye Li commands the revived Lihuo Divine Lord to destroy Wutong Mountain.
• He refuses the Phoenix’s offer to help, then directly warns her that he will kill her if she ever eats people.
• The Phoenix seeks to stay with Ye Li and alters her appearance, but he makes clear that neither her form nor her abilities change his decision.
• When Ye Li reveals he plans to leave the universe, the Phoenix argues that she can eventually follow; his dismissal of her timeline ends the chapter on her stunned disbelief.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Li initially discourages the newly born Primordial Divine Phoenix from staying with him, noting that their lifespans and paths may differ. She insists she wants to remain until he leaves and learn from him.
• Ye Li agrees and names her Ye Shenfeng, allowing her to take his surname.
• After Feng Changsi’s defeat and Wutong Mountain’s destruction, Cangyuan reaches Li Yao. The couple reunites after tens of thousands of years apart.
• Li Yao says the restrictions Feng Changsi placed on her have vanished with his death, and confirms she is unharmed.
• She asks about Ye Li. Cangyuan admits he knows little of his origins, but explains that a small act of goodwill toward Ye Li led to this extraordinary rescue.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Li shows practical generosity: he weighs the benefits of keeping Shenfeng with him, then accepts her company and gives her a name.
• Ye Shenfeng reveals stubborn determination and a strong attachment to Ye Li, eagerly adopting his surname and name.
• Cangyuan and Li Yao are overcome by their reunion, embracing and weeping before checking one another for injuries. Their shared gratitude toward Ye Li deepens their bond and sense of obligation.
• Li Yao, astonished by Ye Li’s power and kindness, urges Cangyuan to repay him whenever needed; Cangyuan agrees without reservation.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and companionship: Shenfeng chooses to follow Ye Li, while Cangyuan and Li Yao’s reunion affirms their enduring devotion.
• Kindness repaid: Ye Li’s rescue of Li Yao grows from Cangyuan’s earlier, modest gesture of goodwill.
• Hope after suffering: The couple’s reunion brings relief after tens of thousands of years of separation, even amid the destruction of Wutong Mountain.

Key plot points and events

• After the slaughter at Wutong Mountain, Ye Li questions the surviving ceremony guests about whether they practice cannibalism. Those who satisfy him are released, and they flee gratefully.
• Ye Shenfeng watches the process and concludes that this severe punishment followed by fair treatment counts as “hospitality.” Ye Li cautions her that the lesson is unnecessary unless she plans to conquer the Star Sea.
• Cangyuan and Li Yao thank Ye Li for saving them and avenging them. Pei Wufeng congratulates him for destroying Wutong Mountain and killing the Lihuo Divine Lord.
• Ye Li asks Pei Wufeng about the remaining human forbidden grounds. She explains that, unlike Wutong Mountain and the Dark Moon Directorate, they generally keep to themselves, though their leaders are secretive.
• Ye Li asks Pei Wufeng to arrange meetings with those leaders so he can question them. She agrees, but warns that they may refuse. Ye Li is untroubled and says they can deal with that later.
• Ye Li privately intends to investigate the Dark Moon Directorate as well, since its offering of human heart’s blood suggests it may conceal further wrongdoing. For now, he prioritizes dealing with the remaining Jade Capital Society remnants.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Li remains controlled and decisive: he rewards honest answers, dismisses praise, and quickly turns to the next potential threat. Though victorious, he acknowledges to himself how much power and strategy the fight required.
• Ye Shenfeng is eager to learn from Ye Li and interprets his handling of the guests as a lesson in leadership and “hospitality.”
• Cangyuan and Li Yao express deep gratitude for their rescue and for Ye Li’s vengeance on their behalf.
• Pei Wufeng admires Ye Li’s victory and readily offers to help him contact the other forbidden-ground leaders, while candidly warning that they may be difficult to persuade.

Significant themes

• Power and mercy: Ye Li’s authority is reinforced by both the devastation he has wrought and his willingness to spare those who meet his standards.
• Pragmatic leadership: The chapter humorously frames fear, punishment, and fair treatment as a form of hospitality.
• Lingering danger: Wutong Mountain’s destruction does not end the broader conflict; other forbidden grounds and the Dark Moon Directorate remain possible targets.

Key events

• Heaven and earth begin emitting waves of grief, signaling the death of a supreme Transcendence Realm powerhouse. Ape Two fears the Emperor-Seeking Ceremony has gone disastrously wrong but initially refuses to believe the Lihuo Divine Lord could be killed.
• The Life Tokens of his eldest brother, the Great Demon Ape, and his third brother, Ape Three, shatter. Elders then report that Ye Li stormed Wutong Mountain, killed the Lihuo Divine Lord, and left the Jade Capital Society’s delegates and the Dark Moon Directorate’s deputy director dead as well.
• Realizing the reports are likely true, Ape Two orders ordinary demons to flee, hoping to preserve remnants of the Society. He tells its core members that they must remain behind and face the consequences together.
• As elders urge him to escape and rebuild, Ye Li’s overwhelming presence suddenly engulfs the headquarters. Its formations fail, and many elders are crushed. Ape Two, protected only by his half-step-transcendent cultivation, remains standing and grimly completes his warning: Ye Li would not foolishly let them escape unharmed.

Character developments and interactions

• Ape Two shifts from anxious denial to grief and then grim acceptance. Though devastated by his brothers’ deaths, he thinks strategically about saving the Society’s less-involved followers. He also insists its core members share responsibility for their fate.
• The elders first seek reassurance from Ape Two, then resist his apparent resignation and urge him to flee. The arrival of Ye Li’s power abruptly ends their debate.
• Ye Li does not appear directly, but his attack on Wutong Mountain and the force reaching the headquarters establish him as an overwhelming, imminent threat.

Significant themes

• The cost of power and conflict: The deaths of major figures send shock waves across the world and place entire factions in danger.
• Loyalty and collective responsibility: Ape Two distinguishes between ordinary followers, who may still be saved, and the core members who must answer for the Society’s actions.
• Denial versus acceptance: Ape Two’s initial disbelief gives way to a clear-eyed recognition that flight may not offer safety.

Key plot points and events

• Great Demon Ape and Ape Three, now reanimated as Ye Li’s servants, descend on the Jade Capital Society and announce their master’s order: destroy it and kill everyone.
• Ape Two recognizes the brothers but realizes they are no longer the family he knew. He asks whether the Great Demon Ape would still have defied his advice and provoked Ye Li; the ape proudly says he would, since it led him to serve his master.
• Accepting that defeat is inevitable, Ape Two curses Ye Li and concedes. The Great Demon Ape kills him and annihilates his soul, beginning the Jade Capital Society’s destruction.
• Far away aboard a Star Skiff, Ye Li reveals that he simply sent the two Demon Apes’ souls to carry out the attack and expects the society to fall quickly.
• Pei Wufeng gives Ye Li a Star Chart marked with the Dark Moon Directorate’s location. She agrees to contact other human forbidden lands, then leaves to visit them herself.
• Alone with Ye Li and Ye Shenfeng, Ye Li says their approach to the Dark Moon Directorate will depend on how it gained power and how it responds.

Character developments and interactions

• Ape Two moves from brief, hopeful shock at seeing his brothers to grim acceptance, anger, and finally surrender.
• Great Demon Ape shows complete loyalty to Ye Li, treating service to him as worth the price of his former identity.
• Ye Li remains detached and efficient, seeing the Jade Capital Society’s destruction as routine and reserving personal intervention only if needed.
• Pei Wufeng supports Ye Li’s campaign with confidence and enthusiasm, viewing the toppling of forbidden lands as an exciting break from long peace. Her brisk departure suggests she intends to act immediately.
• Ye Shenfeng remains playful and curious, teasing Ye Li about phoenix saliva in his tea and asking why they are heading to the Dark Moon Directorate. Ye Li offers no fixed plan, indicating he will judge the organization by its history and conduct.

Significant themes

• The cost of provocation: Ape Two’s fate follows from the Jade Capital Society’s earlier decision to challenge Ye Li.
• Identity and corrupted loyalty: The Demon Apes retain their former appearances and power, but their devotion to Ye Li has replaced their former bonds.
• Power and inevitability: Ye Li’s reach makes resistance seem futile, while his calm approach contrasts with the violence carried out in his name.
• Conditional judgment: Ye Li’s next move is not yet settled; the Dark Moon Directorate’s origins and response will shape its fate.

Key plot points

• In the Dark Moon Directorate, Director Lu Fengsheng learns that Ye Li has killed Deputy Director Can Lu, destroyed Wutong Mountain, and apparently slain the Lihuo Divine Lord.
• Lu initially suspects the reports may be a conspiracy, but multiple sources confirm them—and the Star Sea’s mourning confirms that Lihuo has likely died.
• Lu predicts Ye Li will not pause to consolidate his conquests. Having already destroyed Green Snake Mountain before moving on Wutong Mountain, Ye Li seems intent on attacking powerful factions directly.
• Convinced that the Directorate may be next, Lu summons Supreme Elders Qingchi and Disheng. He proposes buying peace with treasures: each elder must offer a prized possession, and Lu will surrender the renowned Heavenly Soul Pearl.
• Lu argues that survival matters more than hoarding treasures, and that appeasing Ye Li could preserve the Directorate and even benefit its future influence. He also suggests Qingchi might gain Ye Li’s favor and permission to enter the Transcendence Realm.
• A message arrives confirming Ye Li’s approach. Lu orders the Directorate not to resist and to welcome him, escorting him to the Myriad Immortals Terrace.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Fengsheng proves pragmatic and politically astute. Though alarmed by Ye Li’s power, he sets aside pride and treasures to protect his people—and turns fear into a plan to negotiate.
• Qingchi begins uneasy but becomes eager when Lu links pleasing Ye Li to her long-sought breakthrough.
• Disheng initially reacts with shock at Lu’s demand, then recognizes the danger and agrees to offer his finest treasure. Lu’s reminder that he could take it by force makes their unequal position clear.
• The exchanges between Lu and the elders show a leadership style that mixes strategic reassurance with blunt pressure; all three ultimately prioritize survival over personal possessions.

Significant themes

• Power reshapes diplomacy: Ye Li’s victories make even a major forbidden-land faction choose submission over resistance.
• Pragmatism over pride: Lu contrasts his willingness to yield with the Lihuo Divine Lord’s apparent concern for face.
• Wealth as both weakness and leverage: Lu sees Ye Li’s looting as evidence of greed, making treasure a possible tool for negotiation.
• Fear and self-preservation: The elders’ shock gives way to cooperation once the threat becomes undeniable.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Li and Ye Shenfeng arrive at the Dark Moon Directorate’s lavish Myriad Immortals Terrace, where Director Lu Fengsheng greets Ye Li with extravagant praise and hospitality.
• Ye Shenfeng is puzzled: she expected them to fight, given what happened at Wutong Mountain. Ye Li explains that he is deliberately being diplomatic for now.
• With Pei Wufeng arranging meetings with other forbidden lands, Ye Li wants the factions to feel safe enough to gather rather than flee. That will make it easier to deal with them—and keep his plans moving efficiently.
• Ye Li ends the flattery and says he came to ask questions. Lu Fengsheng promises to answer, then asks to explain himself first.
• Lu Fengsheng denies that the Directorate willingly conspired to block cultivators from reaching Transcendence. He insists they were “gravely wronged” and claims they acted out of necessity.

Character developments

• Ye Li shows strategic restraint, choosing to appear reasonable rather than attack immediately. His calm manner conceals a practical plan to draw the forbidden lands together before confronting them.
• Ye Shenfeng remains direct and somewhat bewildered by Ye Li’s approach, revealing that her understanding of conflict is shaped by Wutong Mountain’s more straightforward “hospitality.”
• Lu Fengsheng is visibly nervous beneath his polished flattery. He shifts quickly from ingratiating himself with Ye Li to presenting the Directorate as misunderstood.

Significant themes

• Deception and appearances: Ye Li uses diplomacy to create a sense of safety, while Lu Fengsheng’s gracious welcome may conceal fear and self-interest.
• Power and strategic restraint: The strongest course is not always immediate violence; Ye Li prioritizes gathering his opponents and controlling the timing of events.
• Justification and responsibility: Lu Fengsheng frames the Directorate’s suppression of Transcendence as unavoidable, raising the question of whether necessity excuses its actions.

Character interactions

• Lu Fengsheng flatters Ye Li and personally serves him, while carefully monitoring his reactions.
• Ye Shenfeng questions Ye Li privately about why they are not fighting; Ye Li explains his broader plan.
• Ye Li cuts off Lu Fengsheng’s praise and invites him to answer questions. Lu Fengsheng first secures permission to speak, then begins defending the Directorate’s conduct.

Key events

• Lu Fengsheng argues that the Dark Moon Directorate’s restrictions on cultivation were intended to help him survive the universe’s limits and his approaching heavenly tribulation. He nevertheless admits the Directorate has gone too far and offers Ye Li anything he wants as compensation.
• He summons the Directorate’s two Supreme Elders to present gifts and apologize. Both bow to Ye Li, then offer powerful treasures.
• Elder Qingchi presents the Carefree Enlightenment Lotus, which clears distracting thoughts and can reportedly increase comprehension of the Dao tenfold. She explains that it was made by inflicting profound suffering on countless people and turning their love into resentment.
• Ye Li quietly accepts the lotus without revealing his reaction. Ye Shenfeng senses his mood shift at Qingchi’s explanation and wisely stays silent.
• The broad-faced Supreme Elder offers the Immaculate Spirit Crystal, said to improve the body and increase the chance of surviving a heavenly tribulation by thirty percent. The chapter ends as he describes it.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Fengsheng shifts from defending the Directorate’s policies to humble conciliation, taking responsibility for its excesses and arranging lavish reparations.
• Elder Qingchi tries to impress Ye Li with both the lotus’s value and the horrific lengths she went to create it, but his composed reaction leaves her uncertain.
• Ye Li remains inscrutable: he neither praises nor rejects the first gift, and his calmness makes the others watch his reactions closely.
• Ye Shenfeng is amazed by the lotus’s promised benefits, briefly hopes it might help her leave with Ye Li, then withdraws when she senses his mood change.
• The two elders approach Ye Li deferentially, while Lu Fengsheng orchestrates the offerings as a public display of the Directorate’s remorse.

Significant themes

• Survival versus freedom: Lu Fengsheng presents the Directorate’s restrictions as a desperate response to cosmic limits and the threat of heavenly tribulation, while conceding that this rationale led to harm.
• The cost of power: Both treasures promise extraordinary benefits, but the lotus’s creation exposes the cruelty and suffering behind some cultivation achievements.
• Power and appeasement: The Directorate’s elaborate apology and valuable gifts show how fear of Ye Li shapes its conduct.