Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• As tribulation fire descends on the four trapped cultivators, Li Yan is wracked by pain from the Heart-Tangling Twin-Bloom Gu. He realizes the trial’s mechanism and, at the last moment, shouts “Shatter!”
• Li Yan channels his and Su Wenzhou’s magical power into the ancient tree’s withered roots. The buildup of spiritual power makes the dead half of the tree explode, scattering its roots, trunk, and branches.
• The tribulation fire and clouds vanish, the stone gate opens, and the trial ends. The ancient tree’s living half begins to renew itself with fresh buds and visibly grow into the space left by the destroyed half.
• Li Yan is left nearly drained of magical and mental energy. The others ask what he did and why, while Li Jiuchen—killed earlier by the beast—is remembered as having died just before their rescue.
• Li Yan explains his insight: “Let the withered return to stillness, and the newborn flourish. Do not defy the Heavenly Dao; do not cling to immortality.” The trial was passed by accepting natural loss and renewal, rather than trying to preserve both halves of the tree.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan proves observant and decisive under extreme pressure, identifying the trial’s hidden principle and saving the others. Though exhausted, he shares his reasoning; he is also curt when Su Wenzhou questions him without gratitude.
• Su Wenzhou shifts from desperate defiance to astonishment and suspicion. He is initially abrasive toward Li Yan, then acknowledges the loss of Li Jiuchen with apparent regret—though his pointed glance at Li Yan makes his sympathy seem questionable.
• Yun Qinghua responds with sincere gratitude and tactfully asks about Li Yan’s reasoning rather than his methods. She recognizes the depth of his insight.
• Ling Xingkong thanks Li Yan with a formal salute and praises his understanding of the Dao.
• The survivors’ shared terror gives way to gratitude, reflection, and renewed wariness toward one another.

Significant themes

• Following, not defying, nature: The solution reflects the principle that decay and renewal have their proper place; forcing all life to persist invites punishment.
• Insight over brute force: The trial’s answer depends less on raw cultivation than on understanding its underlying law.
• Sacrifice and renewal: The old, withered half must disappear for the living half to flourish.
• Trust and concealed motives: Even after Li Yan saves the group, Su Wenzhou’s behavior leaves uncertainty about his intentions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Li Jiuchen dies in the tribulation fire, Su Wenzhou deliberately expresses regret over his death. His carefully chosen words imply that Zhang Ming may once again have withheld a crucial clue until the last possible moment, just as in the previous trial.
• Su Wenzhou’s real goal is not to accuse Zhang Ming openly, but to sow suspicion among Yun Qinghua, Ling Xingkong, and Li Yan. With Li Jiuchen gone, Su realizes that he has lost an ally and may become vulnerable if the remaining three cooperate against him.
• Yun Qinghua avoids directly discussing Zhang Ming’s possible deception and instead blames Li Jiuchen for acting too hastily and triggering the tribulation fire. She then begins recovering her depleted magical power with pills, followed by Su Wenzhou and Ling Xingkong.
• Li Yan suddenly approaches the stone gate, alarming the others. They suspect he may have discovered a hidden danger or possess enough remaining power to enter the next trial immediately.
• Rather than passing through, Li Yan sits beside the gate and begins restoring his cultivation. His action gives him a positional advantage: he can enter the next trial before the others if danger appears.
• Yun Qinghua and Ling Xingkong quickly move beside the gate as well, while Su Wenzhou is forced to sit farther away because the best positions are already taken. The group’s mutual distrust prevents them from openly competing for the gate.
• After roughly eight hours of recovery, all four detect a sudden change beyond the gate. The previously empty, freezing desert becomes blurred by what appears to be mist. Without hesitation, all four vanish from their positions, presumably preparing to enter or respond to the next trial.

Character Developments

• Su Wenzhou proves himself highly manipulative and politically calculating. He uses Li Jiuchen’s death to turn the others against Zhang Ming while preserving his own position of influence.
• Zhang Ming/Li Yan—referred to as Zhang Ming in the others’ thoughts and Li Yan in the narration—demonstrates extreme caution and self-preservation. His decision to sit directly beside the gate reveals his ability to exploit even a tiny tactical advantage.
• Yun Qinghua remains composed and diplomatic on the surface, but her quick reaction to Li Yan’s movement reveals that she is deeply suspicious and constantly evaluating threats.
• Ling Xingkong acts cautiously and follows Yun Qinghua’s lead, showing that he also recognizes the danger of allowing Li Yan to gain an advantage.
• Li Jiuchen is absent after his death, but his demise fundamentally changes the balance of power and exposes the fragility of the group’s alliances.

Significant Themes

• Paranoia and distrust: No one believes the others’ stated intentions, and even ordinary actions—such as moving closer to a gate—are interpreted as possible schemes.
• Manipulation through implication: Su Wenzhou’s indirect suggestion is more effective than an open accusation because it forces the others to draw their own suspicious conclusions.
• Survival and self-preservation: Each character prioritizes personal safety over cooperation, even while they remain dependent on one another to clear the trials.
• Small tactical advantages: The chapter emphasizes how seemingly insignificant positioning can determine who survives an unexpected attack or enters the next trial first.
• Uncertainty and hidden danger: The altered landscape beyond the gate suggests that the next trial may begin without warning, keeping the characters—and the reader—in suspense.

Character Interactions

• Su Wenzhou subtly challenges the others’ trust in Zhang Ming by linking Li Jiuchen’s death to the possibility that Zhang again concealed vital information.
• Yun Qinghua responds cautiously, refusing to openly support or reject Su’s insinuation while redirecting blame toward the dead Li Jiuchen.
• Li Yan’s movement toward the gate triggers immediate concern among all three others, who instinctively prepare to follow him.
• Yun Qinghua and Ling Xingkong imitate Li Yan’s positioning to prevent him from gaining an uncontested advantage, while Su Wenzhou is left in the least favorable position.
• Though they continue recovering together, the four characters are effectively competing against one another, each watching for an opportunity to survive the next danger.

Summary: “All Manifestations Are Mirrors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yan, Su Wenzhou, Yun Qinghua, and Ling Xingkong enter a dark desert through a stone gate inside the Prayer-Devil Wraith Buddha Beast.
• The original entrance disappears, trapping the four cultivators in the desert. A single glowing gate appears in the distance, seeming to offer escape.
• Su Wenzhou rushes toward it first, followed by Li Yan, Yun Qinghua, and Ling Xingkong. As Li Yan approaches, the scene suddenly transforms.
• The group finds itself in a brightly lit area surrounded by dozens of identical gates of light. The gates form an enclosed desert space and appear to be mirrors or illusionary copies.
• A message appears on every gate: “All manifestations are mirrors, all shadows are bodies. Which true one offers escape? Which false one brings death?”
• The cultivators realize the trial requires them to identify the one genuine gate among countless identical illusions. Choosing incorrectly may result in death.
• They separately investigate the gates using divine sense, magical treasures, talismans, and pills. After roughly fifteen minutes, none can detect any difference in their aura, brightness, size, or magical fluctuations.
• Ling Xingkong points out that the gates’ light is gradually fading, establishing a time limit. The group regroups to discuss a solution.
• Since the gates cannot be distinguished directly, Su Wenzhou proposes destroying the “mirrors,” as they did in the previous trial, rather than relying too heavily on the trial’s cryptic clues.

Character Developments

• Li Yan remains calm and observant, carefully analyzing the nature of the gates and suggesting that they may be specialized mirrors or an illusion-based formation.
• Su Wenzhou displays impatience, competitiveness, and decisive behavior. He rushes ahead first and dismisses Li Yan’s explanation as pointless, but later contributes a practical solution.
• Yun Qinghua and Ling Xingkong act cautiously and cooperatively, keeping defensive positions and later helping organize the group’s discussion.
• The four cultivators develop a limited working understanding. Although they distrust one another, repeated cooperation in earlier trials has created enough tacit understanding for them to share observations.

Significant Themes

• Reality versus illusion: The trial challenges the cultivators to determine whether appearances can be trusted and whether the “real” gate is meaningfully different from its reflections.
• The danger of overinterpretation: The cryptic message may offer guidance, but the characters recognize that the simplest solution—destroying the apparent mirrors—may be more reliable than relying on elaborate theories.
• Cooperation amid distrust: Personal suspicion and rivalry remain, yet survival forces the characters to exchange information and work together.
• Time and pressure: The fading light creates urgency, preventing endless investigation and emphasizing the cost of hesitation.
• Reflections and identity: The title and trial inscription suggest that manifestations, shadows, and physical forms may all be interconnected, hinting that the solution may involve more than merely identifying visual differences.

Character Interactions

• Su Wenzhou and Li Yan maintain a tense relationship: Su regards Li Yan dismissively, while Li Yan responds without showing emotion or provoking conflict.
• Yun Qinghua and Ling Xingkong observe the tension between them but avoid taking sides.
• After independently searching the gates, all four regroup because their investigations produce the same result. Their shared inability to identify the true gate temporarily unites them.
• Su Wenzhou ultimately takes the lead in proposing that they destroy the mirror-like gates, setting up the next stage of the trial.

Key plot points and events

• Su Wenzhou concludes that the trial’s hints may be deliberate misdirection: searching the many gates could waste precious time, while the simplest solution may be to distinguish truth from illusion by attacking the gates.
• The group debates how to test them. Yun Qinghua proposes sending spirit beasts—or spells and treasures—through many gates at once. Li Yan favors trying that approach first, then escalating if it seems safe.
• Su Wenzhou warns that testing many gates simultaneously is too obvious and could provoke a fatal backlash. He argues that the trial may be designed to make them distrust a straightforward solution, even if it resembles the method used in the previous trial.
• Yun Qinghua ultimately agrees that Su’s approach has fewer identifiable flaws. Su announces a fallback plan: attack one gate, then several, and finally try sending spirit beasts through multiple gates.
• Su strikes a gate with his bonded hammer. Instead of shattering, it releases a storm of sword-shaped light. The other gates erupt as well, filling the chamber with blades. Li Yan raises the Black God Shield as the group braces for the attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Wenzhou takes a decisive, risk-tolerant role. He distrusts the apparent clues, relies on his reasoning, and remains wary of the others—especially Li Yan, whom he suspects of opposing him out of spite.
• Yun Qinghua begins by proposing a cautious, simultaneous test, but listens to Su’s counterargument and changes her position after weighing the risks.
• Li Yan advocates a step-by-step approach and clarifies that his disagreement with Su is about the trial’s design, not personal animosity. Still, the two have a hostile history and no trust between them.
• Ling Xingkong readily follows Yun Qinghua’s lead, reinforcing their close alignment.
• The group reaches a decision through debate, but their cooperation remains fragile: Su acts without seeking Li Yan’s approval, and Li Yan focuses on defense rather than reconciliation.

Significant themes

• Truth versus illusion: The trial’s central puzzle blurs what is real and what is deceptive.
• Misdirection and suspicion: A seemingly obvious clue may itself be a trap, while overthinking may be just as dangerous.
• Risk and uncertainty: The group must choose among methods without knowing their consequences, and one mistake may leave no chance to recover.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yan and the others face a trial in which countless light swords drain their mana. Though the attacks resemble the first trial’s timed assault, the swords show no sign of stopping.
• Su Wenzhou, who had urged the group to choose this trial, fears his judgment has led them into a fatal trap. He reveals a small purple-crocodile form, using its tough body and a purple-gold spell to withstand the swords more efficiently.
• Ling Xingkong and Yun Qinghua initially counterattack, but their offense provokes a much fiercer barrage. They retreat to a tighter defensive stance.
• Searching for a way out, Li Yan notices that the sword storm’s brightness fades after the pair stop attacking. He suspects the number of swords may not be the crucial factor.
• To test his theory, Li Yan briefly attacks with his shield and talismans. The swords immediately multiply, then return to their former intensity as soon as he stops. This confirms that the trial responds to attacks, though the chapter ends before the group can act on the discovery.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan remains observant under extreme pressure. Rather than simply endure the assault, he studies how the others’ tactics affect it and risks a brief experiment to verify his suspicion.
• Su Wenzhou is consumed by regret and fear after his earlier confidence collapses. His transformation reveals a powerful defensive ability, but it offers only temporary relief.
• Ling Xingkong and Yun Qinghua adapt quickly from offense to defense when they realize their counterattacks worsen the danger. Ling urgently warns Yun through a voice transmission.
• The four cultivators’ choices influence one another’s survival: the pair’s shift in tactics provides Li Yan with the clue that leads him to test the trial’s response.

Significant themes

• Observation and adaptation: Survival depends on understanding the trial’s rules, not merely meeting force with force.
• The cost of aggression: Counterattacks intensify the assault, turning resistance into a trigger for greater danger.
• Fear, responsibility, and uncertainty: Su Wenzhou’s guilt and the group’s dwindling mana emphasize the consequences of judgment under life-or-death pressure.
• Endurance versus insight: Strength and reserves can delay defeat, but only a correct understanding of the challenge may offer a way through.

Key plot points

• Trapped beneath a light gate and attacked by endless swords, Li Yan realizes that Zhang Ming’s apparent death left no blood essence behind—a sign that he may have passed the trial or been transported elsewhere rather than killed.
• Li Yan drops the defenses above his head while maintaining protection elsewhere. The swords tear him apart, but no blood essence appears, suggesting his gamble worked.
• Ling Xingkong reaches the same conclusion and deliberately follows Li Yan’s method. Yun Qinghua watches him vanish without leaving blood essence, then immediately does the same.
• Su Wenzhou sees the three disappear in quick succession and concludes they discovered a way through but deliberately withheld it from him. He considers forcing his way into the overhead gate while fully defended, but rejects the idea as likely fatal.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan shifts from careful hesitation to a decisive, all-or-nothing choice, sacrificing his apparent safety to test his theory.
• Ling Xingkong quickly interprets the missing blood essence and chooses to act before the others run out of strength. He shares his reasoning with Yun Qinghua and goes first.
• Yun Qinghua moves from fear and grief-like unease at Zhang Ming’s apparent death to sharp understanding. Her decision to follow Ling Xingkong is both pragmatic and rooted in her refusal to be separated from him.
• Su Wenzhou, normally calculating, is first terrified and then furious at being excluded. His knowledge of the beast helps him deduce the others’ plan, but he remains unwilling to imitate their apparent deaths without certainty.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and desperate resolve: Survival requires accepting what looks like death.
• Trust and loyalty: Ling Xingkong and Yun Qinghua act in concert, while Su Wenzhou believes the others have abandoned him.
• Deception and uncertainty: The trial’s apparent deaths may conceal passage to another stage, and every choice carries potentially fatal risk.
• Isolation and self-preservation: Under pressure, companions must decide whether to share information or gamble alone.

Key plot points and events

• Su Wenzhou, nearly out of magical power and with no better way to escape, copies the others’ apparent strategy: he drops his physical defenses and lets the gate’s swords strike his body while maintaining his other protections. The swords engulf him.
• Li Yan is pierced by the light swords and suffers intense bodily pain, but his soul remains unharmed. The swords leave no lasting wounds, and the gate pulls him upward.
• Inside the gate, a familiar voice—apparently the Prayer-Devil Wraith Buddha Beast—tells Li Yan, “Take care of yourself,” with a regretful sigh. The suction stops, and Li Yan finds himself back on the prairie outside the demon’s body.
• Li Yan concludes that he passed the trials and was released because the beast’s Dao Heart and adherence to the Heavenly Dao prevent it from breaking its word, despite its desire to consume his vital blood. He considers leaving quickly but also wonders whether Su Wenzhou survived.
• Ling Xingkong and Yun Qinghua then emerge from the sky and steady themselves. Yun Qinghua had followed Ling’s example by lowering her defenses, apparently trusting that the sword attack would send her out rather than kill her.
• Ling Xingkong reproaches her for acting recklessly; she answers that she thought he might leave her behind. The exchange reveals her relief and affection, as well as his concern for her.
• Yun Qinghua privately asks Ling whether they should attack Li Yan or leave. They have noticed that Li Yan appears to have concealed his demonic nature unusually well, and the chapter ends with them assessing him.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan confirms that his gamble was correct and shows quick, cautious reasoning once freed. Though relieved, he remains wary of the beast and still considers killing Su Wenzhou.
• Su Wenzhou shifts from fear to desperate resolve, choosing a brutal method because exhaustion leaves him few alternatives.
• Ling Xingkong and Yun Qinghua survive by taking the same risky approach. Ling’s stern response masks concern, while Yun’s teasing, emotional reply suggests deep attachment and relief.
• Li Yan and the other two remain potential enemies: Ling and Yun regard Li Yan with suspicion, while Li Yan watches them coldly and has not yet decided what to do.

Significant themes

• Risk and survival: Faced with near-certain death, the cultivators gamble on an unproven way out.
• Principle versus desire: The demon’s adherence to its Dao Heart forces it to release Li Yan despite regretting the loss of his vital blood.
• Trust and attachment: Yun Qinghua’s decision to follow Ling’s example, and Ling’s concern afterward, highlight their bond.
• Caution and concealed identity: The characters emerge into a fragile standoff, each weighing whether to flee, fight, or reveal what they are.

Plot points and events

• Yun Qingmei and Ling Xingkong have long suspected Zhang Ming is a Human Race cultivator. While trapped inside the Prayer-Eerie Kui Buddha Beast, they chose not to confront him, fearing a fight would jeopardize everyone’s escape.
• After escaping, the three eye one another warily. Before they can address Zhang Ming’s identity, Su Wenzhou emerges from the beast. He is exhausted but alive, and takes satisfaction in Li Jiuchen’s death—though he regrets losing the treasures he had acquired.
• Su Wenzhou trades pointed remarks with Zhang Ming and asks how he overcame the final trial. Zhang Ming explains that Yun Qingmei and Ling Xingkong’s change from attacking to defending gave him an insight: “The Realm Is Neither Illusory nor False; the trial’s gate may open. If the heart remains unmoved, the killing formation will not arise!”
• The trial’s mirrored gates and swords of light could be treated as illusions or made real through resistance. Zhang Ming gambled that refusing to react would make the attacks harmless. He let the swords strike him, risking death to test the idea—and succeeded.

Character developments and interactions

• Yun Qingmei and Ling Xingkong remain suspicious of Zhang Ming but recognize his insight and begin to understand the trial’s principle.
• Su Wenzhou is relieved to be free and pleased that his enemy Li Jiuchen is dead, but he is also greedy for the lost treasure. He questions Zhang Ming partly to learn the method and partly to recover his strength while talking.
• Zhang Ming (Li Yan) stays composed despite Su Wenzhou’s probing. Rather than withholding the answer, he shares the reasoning that enabled his escape.
• The group’s exchanges remain guarded: Su Wenzhou’s question carries an accusation that Zhang Ming kept the method from him, while Zhang Ming’s polite response subtly reminds him how fortunate he was to survive.

Significant themes

• Faith and risk: Zhang Ming’s escape depended on staking his life on an unproven interpretation.
• Perception and reality: The trial’s danger shifted according to whether the swords were resisted or treated as unreal.
• Self-mastery: Remaining unmoved, rather than reacting with fear or aggression, becomes the key to survival.
• Distrust and self-interest: Even after escaping a shared ordeal, the cultivators remain wary, calculating, and focused on their own concerns.

Key events

• Li Yan explains that the verse’s “Heavenly Gate” referred to the light gate above them. The way through the trial was to keep his mind completely still and let the gate act on its own. Yun Qing, Ling Xingkong, and Su Wenzhou realize that watching Li Yan take the blow had shown them how to survive.
• Su Wenzhou accuses Li Yan of withholding the solution and helping only at the last moment in each trial. Li Yan counters that the others saw what he did and would not have dared follow instructions without proof.
• Li Yan reveals that Su Wenzhou and the dead Li Jiuchen had plotted to kill him—and possibly others—to keep their dealings secret. Su Wenzhou openly admits the plan, then turns the accusation against Li Yan by claiming “Zhang Ming” is a false identity and that Li Yan is a Human Race cultivator infiltrating the Heavenly Demon Grassland.
• Su Wenzhou and Yun Qing demand that Li Yan reveal his true form or at least release demonic aura. Li Yan refuses. The three watch him closely, ready to attack.
• Ling Xingkong interrupts and asks how Li Yan cleared the later trials. He argues that Li Yan used Daoist principles, which the Demon Race knows about but does not habitually study. His questions strengthen the suspicion that Li Yan is human.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan remains composed under pressure, defending his choices and exposing Su Wenzhou’s motives. Though his aura grows more forceful, he refuses to confirm his identity.
• Su Wenzhou shifts from accusing Li Yan of secrecy to openly admitting his own murderous plans, then uses the possibility of Li Yan’s human identity to rally the others against him.
• Yun Qing is wary of Li Yan but accepts that Su Wenzhou’s suspicion may be correct; she demands evidence while remaining alert to the danger he poses.
• Ling Xingkong proves especially perceptive. Rather than simply press for a display of power, he identifies the Daoist reasoning behind Li Yan’s trial solutions as a clue to his background.
• The group’s temporary cooperation collapses into mutual suspicion: Su Wenzhou tries to turn Yun Qing and Ling Xingkong against Li Yan, while Li Yan reminds them that Su’s alliance with Li Jiuchen endangered them too.

Significant themes

• Trust and self-interest: Each character weighs cooperation against survival, and apparent teamwork gives way to accusations and political maneuvering.
• Identity and belonging: Li Yan’s refusal to reveal his true form becomes a flashpoint, as a suspected human cultivator is treated as a threat in demon territory.
• Knowledge as evidence: The methods Li Yan used to pass the trials reveal more about his cultivation background than his words do.
• Practical proof versus explanation: Li Yan argues that the others needed to see his method work before they would risk trying it themselves.

Key plot points and events

• Ling Xingkong deduces that Zhang Ming’s unusually easy progress through the trials may be because the Prayer-Eerie Kui Buddha Beast uses human cultivators’ Daoist arts to trap Demon Race victims. Zhang’s instinctive reliance on familiar human methods let him solve the trials.
• Li Yan realizes Ling Xingkong is shrewd and suspects that Ling and Yun Qingji had been confident enough to turn back and confront Li Jiuchen because they believed they could defeat him.
• Su Wenzhou praises Ling’s reasoning. Li Yan dismisses it, then suddenly flees through the gap in their loose formation, hoping to escape the stronger Su Wenzhou and later hide with Stealth Night Concealment.
• Yun Qing uses a multicolored feather treasure to bind Li Yan mid-flight. Ling Xingkong and Su Wenzhou close in and attack his head and lower back, both aiming for vital points.
• As the attacks converge, Li Yan reveals a strange smile and blurs again, apparently breaking free. Ling’s palm unexpectedly veers into Su Wenzhou’s hammer, producing black, corrosive-looking fluid and smoke. The chapter ends as the three realize something has gone wrong.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan: Remains composed under suspicion, quickly recognizes the danger, and prioritizes escape over fighting three opponents at once. His sudden smile and apparent escape suggest he has a countermeasure, though its nature is not yet revealed.
• Ling Xingkong: Shows sharp analytical skill in explaining why Zhang passed the trials, then immediately turns hostile when Li Yan tries to flee. He and Yun Qing cooperate effectively to stop him.
• Yun Qingji: Acts decisively, using her fast feather treasure to restrain Li Yan and create an opening for the others.
• Su Wenzhou: Sincerely admires Ling’s deduction but remains wary of both Ling and Yun even while joining them against Li Yan. His suspicion reflects the group’s fragile, temporary alliance.
• The three pursuers: Their attacks are coordinated by combat instinct, but mutual distrust remains—especially as Su Wenzhou keeps his distance from Ling and Yun.

Significant themes

• Familiarity as advantage: People instinctively rely on what they know best; this may explain Zhang’s success against trials designed around unfamiliar techniques.
• Deception and inference: Ling’s persuasive theory raises the stakes, but Li Yan’s reaction leaves its truth uncertain.
• Unstable alliances: The demons unite against a perceived human threat while continuing to watch one another as potential enemies.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Li Yan responds to an unfavorable fight by exploiting the formation and seeking to escape rather than confronting all three directly.

Key plot points and events

• Su Wenzhou’s bonded treasure is badly damaged by black slime, and the backlash leaves him shocked and injured.
• Li Yan uses the opening to strike. His dagger attack is blocked at first by Su’s protective barrier, but Li Yan’s concealed Subduing Wave Soul-Killing technique pins Su’s soul and leaves him unable to defend himself.
• Li Yan drives the dagger into Su’s dantian, destroying his nascent soul and killing him. Su dies realizing that Ling Xingkong and Zhang Ming have worked together against him.
• Li Yan takes Su’s corpse, which begins reverting to its giant-crocodile form, and approaches Ling Xingkong and Yun Qingmei.
• Li Yan and Ling Xingkong greet each other using the names Sima Zimo and Li, revealing that both have been using aliases. Li Yan recognizes Sima as the Blood-Eyed Toad with whom he once traded for the Polar Ice Heart.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yan shows careful tactical judgment: he hides his soul attack amid his magical fluctuations and avoids revealing more of his abilities or his connection to the Undying Underworld Phoenix. He has been seeking Sima Zimo since recognizing him earlier.
• Ling Xingkong/Sima Zimo has secretly allied with Zhang Ming and arranged for Yun Qingmei to feign an attack on him while they target Su Wenzhou. His cooperation suggests deep trust and prior understanding with Zhang Ming.
• Yun Qingmei follows Ling’s instructions despite suspecting Zhang Ming is human and wondering whether the two men already know each other. She notices that Zhang Ming also distrusts her and deliberately fakes being hindered by her attack.
• Su Wenzhou is revealed to have been caught between hostile parties and dies in disbelief that Ling would turn against him and that the poison-like soul attack could overcome his formidable defenses.

Significant themes

• Deception and concealed identities: Zhang Ming, Ling Xingkong, and Li Yan all hide important truths, including their names, loyalties, and abilities.
• Trust amid uncertainty: Ling’s alliance with Zhang and Yun’s decision to obey him shape the ambush, even as she doubts what she knows.
• Strategy over brute force: Li Yan wins by timing and layered techniques, exploiting Su’s moment of vulnerability rather than relying on a direct contest of strength.
• The danger of hidden power: Li Yan conceals his rare abilities to avoid attracting suspicion and covetous attention.

Plot points and events

• Li Yan’s restraint toward four cultivators inside the Prayer-Eerie Kui Buddha Beast stemmed from his belief that they were juniors of Sima Zimo, an old trading partner. When they later tried to exploit him, he let them face the consequences, but spared Lin Feng for Sima’s sake.
• Through Soul Search, Li Yan learned that Sima Zimo had been living among the Brightmoon Spirit Goose Clan under the name Ling Xingkong, alongside Yun Qing. He suspected this was a cover identity.
• Li Yan secretly contacted Sima inside the beast. They agreed to act like strangers, preserving a surprise alliance in case danger arose. Sima was shocked to discover Li Yan’s disguise but accepted the plan.
• In the third trial, Li Yan risked his life using a possible way through and sent Sima only a brief warning. Both survived, and the trial’s exit returned them to the Heavenly Demon Grassland.
• After emerging, Li Yan asked Sima to help kill Su Wenzhou, who had intended to murder him. Sima agreed, judging that their combined, still-hidden abilities gave them a chance.
• Su Wenzhou challenged Li Yan over his apparent human identity and demanded he reveal demonic aura. Li Yan feigned confusion and resistance, while Sima pretended to support Su’s suspicions. Secretly, Li Yan and Sima coordinated: Li Yan planned to flee toward Sima, creating an opening for them to attack Su together.

Character developments

• Li Yan is shown as calculating but capable of loyalty: he protects Sima’s secret, restrains himself toward Sima’s presumed juniors, and trusts Sima with a dangerous plan. He also carefully conceals his powers and intentions.
• Sima Zimo proves equally strategic and loyal. Though he initially knows little about Li Yan’s present circumstances, he trusts his judgment in the trial and agrees to risk working together against Su.
• Su Wenzhou remains a direct threat, suspicious of Li Yan and intent on killing him.
• Yun Qing genuinely shares Su’s doubts, unaware that Li Yan and Sima are secretly allied.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Li Yan and Sima’s friendship survives years apart and is expressed through discreet cooperation rather than open acknowledgment.
• Deception and hidden identities: Disguises, aliases, concealed abilities, and feigned hostility shape the group’s survival.
• Risk and uncertainty: The characters repeatedly gamble their lives without knowing whether their plans—or alliances—will succeed.
• Pragmatic morality: Li Yan’s mercy is selective, guided by personal bonds and immediate circumstances.

Character interactions

• Li Yan and Sima communicate through secret messages, masking their friendship from the others while coordinating their plans.
• Li Yan and Sima unite against Su, whose hostility gives them a common target.
• Sima plays along with Su’s accusation to strengthen Li Yan’s apparent isolation, even as he prepares to help him escape and attack.
• Yun Qing trusts Sima’s public explanation, not realizing it is part of the deception.

Plot points and events

• Sima Zimo secretly tells Yun Qing and Li Yan that Su Wenzhou is their true target, coordinating a surprise attack. Li Yan only pretends to be caught by Yun Qing’s Three-Colored Feather.
• Sima Zimo recognizes Su Wenzhou’s Green Gourd Hammer as his bonded treasure and coats it with corrosive venom. The damage triggers a backlash, while Li Yan pins Su Wenzhou’s soul. Together, they kill the powerful Purple-Body Earth Dragon in a single exchange.
• Li Yan claims Su Wenzhou’s corpse and spatial treasures, wanting the monster’s blood essence for its tracking ability. Sima Zimo declines his share as thanks for Li Yan’s role in helping them escape the trials; Yun Qing says the beast’s earth affinity would conflict with her abilities.
• Worried about her missing disciples, Yun Qing prepares to search for them. Sima Zimo reveals that Li Yan has Lin Feng and asks him to release her. Yun Qing initially suspects Li Yan captured one of her clan members, but Li Yan explains he found the group at a restriction and denies capturing them.

Character developments and interactions

• Sima Zimo proves an adept strategist and poison user, coordinating seamlessly with Li Yan. His refusal of the loot shows gratitude, though Li Yan suspects he is concealing his own interest in the blood essence.
• Li Yan remains cautious and self-interested, securing the spoils while giving Yun Qing only a partial account of what happened to her disciples. His cooperation with Sima Zimo reflects their familiarity from a previous fight.
• Yun Qing follows Sima Zimo’s plan out of trust in him, but remains wary and displeased with Li Yan taking a demon’s remains. Her concern for her missing disciples soon overtakes the confrontation.

Significant themes

• Trust and calculated cooperation: The allies succeed through rapid planning and precise knowledge of one another, despite Li Yan’s reservations.
• Power through specialized abilities: Sima Zimo’s venom and Li Yan’s soul-pinning prove more decisive than raw cultivation or physical strength.
• Gratitude, self-interest, and cultural tension: Sima Zimo offers the spoils as thanks, while Yun Qing’s discomfort reveals the divide between Demon and Human cultivators over the use of monster-beast remains.

Key events

• Li Yan reveals that he found Lin Feng unconscious in the cave after the restriction’s backlash killed four of the five cultivators with him. Li Yan had intervened, leaving Lin Feng alive.
• Yun Qing recognizes Lin Feng and examines him. Although he appears physically stable, he remains unconscious.
• Yun Qing suspects Li Yan deliberately kept Lin Feng asleep—and may have used Soul Search—but recognizes that returning him alive was a favor. She takes Lin Feng aside to investigate.
• Li Yan has actually erased from Lin Feng’s memories the parts involving himself and the two passages. The remaining memories connect seamlessly, concealing both Li Yan’s presence and his actions.
• Li Yan and Sima Zimo reunite and trade teasing remarks. Li Yan alludes to Sima’s relationship with Yun Qing; Sima deflects the joke.
• Sima recounts how, after recovering from old injuries and reaching the seventh rank, he resumed pursuing the enemy who had nearly killed him. A lead brought him to the Heavenly Demon Grassland, where he met Yun Qing.
• Sima found Yun Qing close to collapse in a poisonous, bone-strewn area, with three recently poisoned bodies nearby. The chapter ends before the circumstances are explained.

Character developments and interactions

• Yun Qing is relieved to find Lin Feng alive, but remains wary of Li Yan. She balances suspicion with gratitude and begins investigating Lin Feng’s memories.
• Li Yan is revealed as calculating and powerful: he protects Lin Feng, then erases evidence of his involvement to control what others can learn. He remains guarded about his identity and appearance.
• Sima Zimo shares more of his past and his determination to find his enemy. His familiar banter with Li Yan suggests an established relationship, while his connection to Yun Qing is left suggestive.
• Lin Feng remains unconscious and unable to recount what happened.

Significant themes

• Trust and suspicion: Yun Qing must accept Li Yan’s help despite believing he may have manipulated events.
• Memory and control: Li Yan’s precise memory erasure shows how knowledge—and its absence—can shape relationships and protect secrets.
• Persistence and revenge: Sima’s long pursuit of his enemy drives him across realms and into danger.
• Chance and fate: The unexpected reunion between Li Yan and Sima, and Sima’s chance encounter with Yun Qing, underscore the chapter’s theme of lives becoming entangled.

Key plot points

• Sima Zimo finds Yun Qing gravely poisoned and near death after she and three others are caught in a deadly region. Though he initially approaches to loot the group, her calm acceptance of death reminds him of his late Dao Companion, and he saves her.
• He carries Yun Qing through the poisonous terrain, purges her poison, and guards her while she recovers—without restraining or exploiting her. Once she regains her strength, he leaves, but she catches up and asks who he is.
• Yun Qing explains that she had lured an old demon and his two disciples into the poison-filled land to avenge her daughter, whom the demon had abducted, abused, and killed. She killed the demon after a formation she prepared left him vulnerable.
• Yun Qing continues traveling with Sima Zimo after learning that he is also seeking revenge. Together they search the Heavenly Demon Grassland for about sixty years, finding only vague clues about the demon beast connected to his enemy.
• Yun Qing takes Sima Zimo to her clan, where old records offer relevant information. They search for another dozen years, but the trail goes cold again.

Character developments and interactions

• Sima Zimo begins as a ruthless, suspicious figure, but his memory of his deceased Dao Companion prompts him to show unexpected compassion. He reveals little about himself, yet allows Yun Qing to accompany him in his search.
• Yun Qing moves from mistrusting Sima Zimo and considering suicide to recognizing their shared grief and choosing to help him. Her account shows her determination, careful planning, and willingness to risk her life for vengeance.
• Their relationship develops into an unusual partnership grounded in shared loss and revenge. Yun Qing’s questions about why he saved her give way to mutual understanding and cooperation.

Significant themes

• Revenge and grief: Both characters are shaped by loved ones lost to violence, and their quest for vengeance becomes a bond between them.
• Compassion amid brutality: Sima Zimo’s rescue stands out in a world where survival and self-interest usually rule.
• Consequences and justice: Yun Qing sees the demon’s death—brought about while he tried to save his favored disciple—as the wicked suffering the consequences of their own deeds.
• Trust and companionship: Yun Qing’s guarded suspicion gradually gives way to trust, though the pair’s alliance remains centered on their unresolved searches.

Key plot points and events

• Yun Qing persuades Sima Zimo to become a Guest Elder of her Moonlit Spirit Goose clan. Its network of allied clans and other forces can help him search for the demon beast connected to his family’s murder.
• Sima agrees. He and Yun Qing have traveled together for about a century, bonded by similar tragedies, and intend to become Dao Companions. He accompanies her and several disciples on a dangerous journey, both to investigate and to help temper the disciples.
• Sima and Li Yan catch up. They discuss their past connection: Sima had once asked after Li Yan near the Kui Sect, but his pursuit of revenge kept him from visiting.
• Li Yan says he has come seeking an opportunity for his former spirit pet, whose cultivation has stalled. Though he withholds his larger hope of finding a homeland for the Snow Mosquito Clan, his explanation is truthful.
• Li Yan offers to pass along any clues he finds about Sima’s enemies. Sima trusts him, shares information about the target demon beast, and gives him ways to send messages.
• Li Yan leaves, declining thanks for helping Sima and Yun Qing escape. Yun Qing returns and questions Sima about Li Yan’s power and intentions.

Character developments and interactions

• Sima Zimo remains driven by revenge, but his long companionship with Yun Qing has given him a close partner and a clan network to support his search. He also shows growing trust in Li Yan, based on Li Yan’s past reliability.
• Yun Qing supports Sima’s investigation and shares his resolve, but remains wary of Li Yan as a Human Race cultivator who may hunt demon beasts.
• Li Yan demonstrates loyalty and generosity toward both his former spirit pet and Sima. He offers help without demanding repayment, while keeping his plans for the Snow Mosquito Clan private.
• Sima and Li Yan speak candidly without revealing everything: each understands the other’s restraint and does not press for more. Yun Qing’s suspicion contrasts with Sima’s confidence in Li Yan.

Significant themes

• Trust built through deeds: Sima’s confidence in Li Yan comes from his proven conduct, not simply his words.
• Loyalty and companionship: Sima and Yun Qing’s shared hardship has forged a lasting bond, while Li Yan’s devotion to his former spirit pet motivates a dangerous journey.
• Secrecy and competing interests: Both men conceal parts of their aims, and Li Yan’s presence raises tensions between human cultivators and demon clans.
• Power and risk: Even formidable cultivators may be vulnerable in the central Heavenly Demon Grassland, where ambition and opportunity come with grave danger.

• Li Yan’s past connection to Sima Zimo is revealed: Li Yan was the person who once fought Sima Zimo in the Ghost Domain. The two had been evenly matched, then struck a bargain that allowed Sima to recover from his injuries and leave. Sima trusts Li Yan because of this history, though he recognizes that Li Yan is powerful, cunning, and potentially dangerous.
• The group prepares to return: After Li Yan departs, Sima and Yun Qinghua decide to head back with Lin Feng. Sima reasons that Li Yan likely did not attack the missing disciples; if he had intended to kill them, there would have been no reason to rescue Lin Feng. He also acknowledges that Yun’s investigation could not rule out every possibility, since Li Yan is skilled at leaving no evidence.
• Yun Qinghua discovers Lin Feng was betrayed: While Lin Feng was unconscious, Yun examined his memories. They showed that Wen Lin had sent him alone to trigger the cavern-wall restrictions’ backlash, leaving him to face the danger while the others tried to break through. Li Yan had altered the remembered wording of Wen Lin’s order, making it appear that Lin Feng had originally been told to go with him—but Yun’s examination revealed the original command and Lin Feng’s fury.
• Yun decides to protect Lin Feng: Yun recognizes that Wen Lin’s actions violated clan rules, though she had previously avoided intervening in the younger generation’s affairs. Remembering Lin Feng’s late master, an honorable cultivator from her own generation, she resolves to secure resources for Lin Feng and make clear that he has her protection.
• Li Yan reflects on the ordeal: Far from the others, Li Yan checks that no one is following him and considers his dangerous experiences on the Heavenly Demon Grassland. Being swallowed by the Prayer-Devil Wraith Buddha Beast strengthened his understanding of the Five Elements and, more importantly, gave him a clue about the Ink-Blood Thunder Roc—his first genuinely useful lead there concerning the Undying Underworld Phoenix.
  Character developments and themes: Sima’s judgment of Li Yan is shaped by their past bargain and mutual respect, while Yun shifts from detached elder to active protector of Lin Feng. The chapter explores betrayal and exploitation within the clan, the value of loyalty and integrity, and the way danger can bring unexpected opportunities. Interactions: Sima explains his bond with Li Yan to Yun; Yun silently resolves to help Lin Feng; and Li Yan, though absent from the others, reflects on the perilous encounter and what he gained from it.

Li Yan learned from Sima Zimo that the powerful Ink-Blood Thunder Roc clan lived near the depths of the Heavenly Demon Grassland, and he decided he was not yet strong enough to approach them. He then examined Su Wenzhou’s corpse and possessions, finding rare spiritual plants and herbs in a high-grade storage treasure.

• Li Yan recognized the Ink-Blood Thunder Rocs as relatives of the Undying Underworld Phoenix and questioned Sima Zimo about their clan without arousing suspicion.
• Sima Zimo explained that the Ink-Blood Thunder Rocs occupied a dangerous region near the depths of the Heavenly Demon Grassland and shared what Yun Qinghua had told him about the clan.
• Li Yan considered seeking the Ink-Blood Thunder Rocs for clues but abandoned the plan because his cultivation was insufficient for the dangers there.
• Li Yan examined Su Wenzhou’s corpse inside Tuban and confirmed the seventh-tier demon had no remaining soul, leaving him unable to perform a Soul Search.
• Li Yan inspected Su Wenzhou’s spatial treasures and found a vast spirit storage space filled with rare plants and herbs, including varieties he did not recognize.

Li Yan inspected Su Wenzhou’s spirit storage artifact, treasures, and jade slips, hoping to identify unusual items and find useful records. A damaged immortal-artifact jade slip contained a fragmentary technique that suddenly caught his attention.

• Li Yan examined the spirit storage space, noting how its spirit beasts helped sustain its laws and how its foundations compared with Tuban.
• Li Yan searched Su Wenzhou’s stored materials and set aside strange objects, wondering whether one might be the treasure Su Wenzhou had found underground.
• Li Yan inspected twenty-five unusual jade slips, reviewing cultivation methods, techniques, and ancient anecdotes for useful clues.
• Li Yan read a damaged jade slip describing stars, moonlight, and the yin and yang linking vessels, then became unexpectedly intrigued by its fragmentary contents.

Li Yan discovered that Su Wenzhou had cultivated the concealment-piercing art Great Luo Star Eyes, resolving his uncertainty about how Su had detected him. Su’s many jade slips contained a nearly complete, repeatedly revised version of the technique, giving Li Yan a reliable foundation to cultivate it.

• Li Yan examined a damaged jade slip describing Great Luo Star Eyes and reconsidered whether Su Wenzhou’s concealment-piercing ability was innate or learned.
• Li Yan decided to set the incomplete technique aside for later and continued searching Su Wenzhou’s treasures.
• Li Yan found six jade slips containing repeated drafts and deductions for Great Luo Star Eyes.
• Li Yan concluded that Su Wenzhou had cultivated the technique himself after studying his revisions and comparing their descriptions with what he had seen in Su’s eyes.
• Li Yan realized Su Wenzhou’s final version supplied the missing foundational instructions and another one and a half levels of cultivation.