Chapter Summaries

Chu Xinghe tried to choose a performer who would not overwhelm the competition, but Lu Chengqing brought out the Fox Clan woman Hu Chun, whose dance and Art of Charm sent the audience into a frenzy. The chapter ended with the Respect Stele displaying viewers’ tips and comments during the live broadcast.

• Little Huang imitated forty-five voices onstage, and Lu Chengqing promoted him from errand boy to Haotian Tower artist.
• When Chu Xinghe could not choose another performer, Lu Chengqing introduced Hu Chun, a Fox Clan woman with a beautiful singing voice.
• Chu Xinghe ordered Hu Chun to dance instead of sing, and Hu Chun began with a subdued solo performance.
• Hu Chun changed into a foxfire dress and used her Art of Charm during a traditional Fox Clan dance, sending spectators and live-broadcast venues into a frenzy.
• The Respect Stele displayed tribute points and comments from viewers, leaving Chu Xinghe stunned that the broadcast included tipping.

Chu Xinghe watched Hu Chun dance as the new Respect Stele accepted livestream tributes, then saw Gu Mingchao and Cheng Xiaotian compete for the top spot. The Vast Heaven Sect elders stopped Gu Mingchao from spending more resources, and Cheng Xiaotian ended the contest confident he had outmaneuvered him.

• Lu Chengqing explained that Ouyang Ming had upgraded the Respect Stele so distant viewers could send tributes through subsidiary steles.
• Hu Chun danced while viewers, including Cheng Xiaotian and Gu Mingchao, sent increasingly large tributes under boastful names.
• Gu Mingchao and Cheng Xiaotian repeatedly outbid each other for first place on the Tribute Ranking until Haotian Palace ran out of resources.
• The Vast Heaven Sect elders confronted Gu Mingchao, barred him from receiving more resources, and ordered Chu Xinghe to return Cheng Xiaotian's tributes.
• Cheng Xiaotian celebrated Gu Mingchao's defeat and told Zheng Yu to learn from his supposed standing as the number two figure under heaven.

Vast Heaven’s Good Voice became a sensation, making its performers and Yongxing Pastries famous while setting a viewership record. Chu Xinghe remained convinced the success had ruined his plan, and Lu Chengqing was shocked when Chu Xinghe announced an even more disastrous next edition.

• The Vast Heaven Sect’s announcement about the Tribute Ranking incident drew no public response, while Hu Chun’s dance and the Fox Clan’s tenth elder became the talk of the world.
• Qu Wan’er, Liu Yingjun, and Little Huang gained fame for their performances, and Ma Dali’s younger female cousin became notorious after Liu Yingjun rejected her.
• Zhang Yongxing’s decision to refuse an advertising refund paid off as crowds flocked to Yongxing Pastries and its shops expanded rapidly.
• Vast Heaven’s Good Voice attracted record viewership as both supporters and haters tuned in, leaving Lu Chengqing awed by Chu Xinghe’s success.
• Lu Chengqing learned that Chu Xinghe planned to declare Ma Liang’s younger female cousin the next edition’s overall champion.
• Chu Xinghe insisted the show’s popularity had only increased its losses, since broadcasting consumed more resources than the tributes brought in, and he expected the next edition to lose even more.

Chu Xinghe announced that Ma Liang's cousin would be Vast Heaven's Good Voice's annual champion and get the next show to herself, provoking public outrage. As withdrawn contestants sought another chance and factions rushed to buy advertising, Lu Chengqing negotiated their offers up to ten times the original price.

• Chu Xinghe checked Bai Jingyan's guqin playing, decided she was not good enough to become champion, and posted a notice promising Ma Liang's cousin the title and a solo show.
• The factions stayed silent about Chu Xinghe's announcement, while viewers protested outside Haotian Tower and demanded that he leave Jiangnan.
• Yang Yunshan asked Lu Chengqing to let her return to Vast Heaven's Good Voice, but he refused to meet her, and she left after waiting outside Haotian Tower for a day and night.
• Faction representatives asked Lu Chengqing to accept their refunded advertising payments again, arguing that the show's huge audience made publicity worthwhile.
• Lu Chengqing claimed he lacked authority until the factions raised their offers, then accepted ten times the original advertising price and went to speak with Chu Xinghe.

Lu Chengqing turned Chu Xinghe’s order to make advertising free into a tribute-point bidding system, earning Vast Heaven Sect a fortune and leaving Chu Xinghe baffled. Chu Xinghe sealed Haotian Tower, then staged the next Vast Heaven's Good Voice on the scale of the Millennial Grand Sacrifice as viewers and forces gathered to see what he would do.

• Lu Chengqing told Chu Xinghe he planned to charge ten times the usual advertising fee, but Chu Xinghe ordered him to offer advertisements for free.
• Visitors assumed the free slots would go to whoever offered the most Tribute Points, and Lu Chengqing let the parties compete on the Tribute Ranking until the bidding brought in far more than the original fees.
• Chu Xinghe learned that Lu Chengqing had made a killing through the Tribute Points and, after discovering Ma Liang and Bai Jingyan together in the qin practice room, ordered Haotian Tower sealed until the next show.
• Viewers gathered outside Haotian Tower to argue over who deserved to win, but the tower stayed silent as the days passed.
• Vast Heaven's Good Voice began on the scale of the Millennial Grand Sacrifice, drawing ordinary viewers and forces from across the world eager to see Chu Xinghe's next move.

Chu Xinghe staged Vast Heaven's Good Voice on a vast scale and preselected Bai Jingyan as its champion, drawing scorn when she played Jiangnan Moon. As listeners around the world entered meditation and enlightenment, Elder He identified her music as the legendary Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound.

• Chu Xinghe arranged a worldwide livestream of Vast Heaven's Good Voice, and the host spent nearly half an hour reading advertisements.
• Bai Jingyan performed Jiangnan Moon on the guqin while Chu Xinghe watched the audience criticize his choice of champion.
• Lu Chengqing and other music masters recognized Bai Jingyan's talent but judged her performance insufficient to justify preselection as the annual grand champion.
• Listeners at livestream venues around the world began entering meditative states and attaining enlightenment as they heard Bai Jingyan's music.
• Disciples in minor sects also entered meditation, while relatively few from major sects did so.
• Elder He declared that Bai Jingyan's performance was the legendary Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound.

Bai Jingyan’s performance of Jiangnan Moon revealed that she possessed the legendary Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound, sending cultivators across the world into sudden enlightenment and ending the backlash against Chu Xinghe. The chapter left Rogue Cultivators desperate for another song while advertisers learned that the Tribute Ranking had been closed.

• Elder He recognized Bai Jingyan’s music as the Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound after listeners across the world entered sudden enlightenment.
• Lu Chengqing explained to Ma Liang that his talent was too high for the divine sound to affect him, while Chu Xinghe worried that events had spiraled out of control.
• Bai Jingyan’s performance ended, and people stopped cursing Chu Xinghe as they realized her ability made her the clear choice for overall champion.
• Rogue Cultivators begged Bai Jingyan to play again, but the host took the stage to read advertisements, which listeners endured for fear of angering Chu Xinghe.
• Advertisers who had missed their chance tried to offer tributes for more airtime, but they learned that the Tribute Ranking was closed.

Bai Jingyan’s performance of Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound sent countless listeners into enlightenment, while Chu Xinghe’s attempts to make Vast Heaven’s Good Voice fail only made it a world-changing success. The Misfortune Compass rewarded Chu Xinghe for the losses he caused, and he left convinced he had finally found a way to overcome misfortune.

• Chu Xinghe made Lu Chengqing reject merchants’ requests to buy advertising slots, then Bai Jingyan played South Mountain Break and sent countless listeners into enlightenment.
• Listeners broke through in cultivation and thanked Chu Xinghe and Bai Jingyan, while the arrays filled beyond capacity as more people rushed to attend.
• Bai Jingyan played her remaining pieces, and Chu Xinghe appeared in the Haotian Mirror before declaring her the overall champion of the year.
• The Misfortune Compass raised Chu Xinghe’s cultivation limit to the Peak of the Eighth Rank and converted some of his spiritual power into the Power of Misfortune.
• Chu Xinghe realized the event had cost the Vast Heaven Sect more than it gained, and the Misfortune Compass made no deductions, leaving him convinced he had beaten misfortune.

Chu Xinghe learned that the Vast Heaven Sect had gained more than it lost, earning him a breakthrough from the Misfortune Compass and raising his cultivation to the peak of the Eighth Rank. As the world celebrated Bai Jingyan’s Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound and the breakthroughs it inspired, a pointed-eared man emerged from a rift beneath Spirit Beast Island on a mission for the Spirit Beast Continent.

• The Misfortune Compass rewarded Chu Xinghe for consuming resources, and he realized his cultivation was close to reaching the Ninth Rank Martial Emperor.
• Chu Xinghe ordered a grand celebration at Haotian Tower after Vast Heaven's Good Voice broke viewership records across the Blazing Sun Continent and Demon Star Continent.
• Ma Liang realized Chu Xinghe had arranged for Bai Jingyan’s Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound to be revealed, and Bai Jingyan resolved to assist Chu Xinghe after Ma Liang dissuaded her from proposing marriage.
• People across both continents celebrated as the Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound helped Rogue Cultivators and sect disciples attain enlightenment and break through.
• A pointed-eared man emerged from a blue rift beneath Spirit Beast Island and set out to assess the situation for the Spirit Beast Continent.

Chu Xinghe toured the City of Entertainment with Ma Liang and learned that three Shadow Rats had been dismissed from the Fish-Abounding Pavilion after failing to protect it. A fellow Rat Clan member explained that Shadow Rats relied on spirit stones to maintain their cultivation and create clones, leaving Chu Xinghe stunned by their predicament.

• Bai Jingyan advised Ma Liang to drink less after seeing him exhausted, while Chu Xinghe found that the Misfortune Compass had not deducted his cultivation.
• Chu Xinghe and Ma Liang explored the city and saw its performers and excited fans celebrating the previous night's Heaven-Cleansing Divine Sound.
• The Fish-Abounding Pavilion's proprietor fired three Shadow Rats, claiming they had misrepresented their strength after losing to a Second Rank Martial Warrior.
• Chu Xinghe and Ma Liang entered the pavilion's main hall and ordered its fish specialties.
• Shu Fei told fellow adventurers that Shadow Rats created clones with spirit stones and had to keep eating them to maintain their cultivation, explaining why the three might have fallen below Second Rank.

Chu Xinghe learned about the Shadow Rat Clan and eagerly sought out its last three members, seeing their constant need for resources and inability to cultivate techniques as ideal for his plans. After the brothers were repeatedly rejected and decided to leave the city, Vast Heaven Sect disciples brought them to Chu Xinghe, who welcomed them into the sect.

• Shu Fei explained that Shadow Rats could not cultivate techniques, depended on resources to maintain their strength, and could create resource-consuming clones.
• Chu Xinghe ordered Ma Liang to find the three Shadow Rat brothers, believing their traits made them perfect additions to the Vast Heaven Sect.
• Shu Da, Shu Er, and Shu San were forced out of another team and, after exhausting their options, decided to return home.
• A Vast Heaven Sect disciple stopped the brothers at the city gate and took them by carriage to Haotian Tower.
• Chu Xinghe welcomed Shu Da, Shu Er, and Shu San as disciples of the Vast Heaven Sect.

Chu Xinghe brought the three Shadow Rat brothers into the Vast Heaven Sect as inner disciples because their extreme resource consumption suited his plans. After Shu Da demonstrated their ability to devour spirit stones and create resource-draining Shadow Clones, Chu Xinghe arranged for the sect to supply them generously, and the chapter ended as the Great Elder and others reacted with alarm to the brothers’ abilities.

• Chu Xinghe led Shu Da, Shu Er, and Shu San into Haotian Tower and gave them inner disciple robes, while people across the continents questioned his decision.
• Chu Xinghe had learned from the Wolf King that Shadow Rats were weak, resource-hungry creatures whose highest known rank was the Seventh Rank, and he welcomed them because they could consume resources.
• Yuan Ying told Wu Xingyun that even the Shadow Rat King had remained useless after reaching the Seventh Rank, while Zheng Yu confirmed the reports about the clan were accurate.
• Shu Da devoured top-grade spirit stones and rapidly reached the Fifth Rank, then created a Shadow Clone that Chu Xinghe could not distinguish from the original.
• Chu Xinghe called the three brothers his lucky generals, asked Feng Fei to supply them with resources, and drew the sect’s elders and disciples to watch their demonstration.
• The three Shadow Rat brothers displayed their abilities before the sect, and the Great Elder’s expression changed drastically.

The Three Shadow Rat Brothers devoured Vast Heaven Sect resources at an astonishing rate, reached the Sixth Rank, and accidentally became an asset to the sect’s civil engineering disciples. Chu Xinghe then ordered Bai Jingyan to perform for free, recognizing that winning the world’s support could bring the Vast Heaven Sect’s elevation to Vast Heaven Holy Land within reach.

• Feng Fei supplied the Three Shadow Rat Brothers with unlimited resources, and they devoured each batch almost immediately while making slow breakthroughs to the Sixth Rank.
• The Grand Elder and Elder He examined the brothers’ Shadow Clones but found no clear advantage, while Shu Da told his brothers to consume as much as possible before the sect expelled them.
• Little Bear King challenged the brothers’ resource consumption, overloaded himself with Spiritual Qi, and had to be subdued and carried away.
• Chu Xinghe saw the Misfortune Compass turning briskly and took the brothers’ success as a sign of good fortune.
• Lu Chengqing brought Bai Jingyan to Chu Xinghe with requests for paid performances, but Chu Xinghe ordered her to help everyone for free and accept no payment.
• Lu Chengqing realized Chu Xinghe was pursuing worldwide support so the world itself would recognize the Vast Heaven Sect as the Vast Heaven Holy Land.

Chu Xinghe returned to the Vast Heaven Sect after arranging Bai Jingyan’s musical training and delivering Spirit Pattern Cloth robes to the sect. When the elders questioned why he supported the resource-hungry Shadow Rat brothers, Shu Da revealed that his Shadow Clones could multiply without limit, turning the brothers’ potential into a discovery that stunned the sect.

• Ma Liang left Bai Jingyan in Lu Chengqing’s care to pursue her musical path, then returned with Chu Xinghe to Star City and the Vast Heaven Sect.
• Chu Xinghe ordered Zhou Ping'an to send the first Spirit Pattern Cloth disciple robes to the sect and report any developments to him immediately.
• After returning to the sect, Chu Xinghe visited the Dark Moon Palace, where the great elder and palace heads questioned his support for the resource-devouring Shadow Rat brothers.
• Elder He asked where the brothers stored the spiritual power they consumed, and Shu Da explained that his clan could hide it inside Shadow Clones.
• Shu Da demonstrated as his Shadow Clones multiplied into a vast crowd, leaving even the Great Sage unable to distinguish his original body.
• The elders realized that, with enough resources, Shadow Rats could create enormous numbers of equally powerful clones, potentially reaching godlike strength.

Chu Xinghe welcomed the resource-devouring Three Shadow Rat Brothers into the Dark Moon Palace and ordered them to receive as many resources as needed. After Spirit Pattern Cloth robes spread through the sect, Hu Wenhai told Zhou Ping'an that the cloth’s manufacturing method was wrong and described a process that seemed more precise than the Bai Clan’s secret formula.

• The Great Sage and Elder He confirmed to Gu Mingchao that the Three Shadow Rat Brothers’ original bodies could not cultivate techniques, while Chu Xinghe imagined their clones eventually reaching the Ninth Rank and using Universal Celebration.
• Chu Xinghe ordered the Three Shadow Rat Brothers to receive maximum resources, and Feng Fei arranged for civil engineering disciples to deliver them to the Dark Moon Palace.
• Zhou Ping'an brought the first shipment of Spirit Pattern Cloth robes to the sect, where Chu Xinghe inspected them and ordered that none be sold.
• The inner sect disciples received Spirit Pattern Cloth robes, and Ma Liang reassured the outer sect disciples that they would receive robes too.
• Zhou Ping'an visited the Dark Moon Palace to collect feedback on the robes and found its disciples repeatedly dying and returning to life.
• Hu Wenhai told Zhou Ping'an that the Spirit Pattern Cloth method was wrong, then described a process that made Zhou Ping'an question whether the Bai Clan’s formula was authentic.

Hu Wenhai discovered ways to greatly improve Spirit Pattern Cloth and reproduce its effects on ordinary fabric, but Zhou Ping'an explained that the ordinary version could not be mass-produced because it required the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art. Chu Xinghe concluded that neither method threatened his plans, since one was too costly and the other depended on Hu Wenhai alone.

• Zhou Ping'an was shocked when Hu Wenhai explained Spirit Pattern Cloth’s materials and formula in detail, then proposed a version with fifty times the effect.
• Hu Wenhai used simple talismans from the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art to give ordinary cloth effects that surpassed Spirit Pattern Cloth.
• Zhou Ping'an realized that the ordinary-fabric version could be highly profitable but could not be mass-produced because few people could use the talisman art.
• Zhou Ping'an brought Hu Wenhai and both new cloth versions to Chu Xinghe at Spirit Crane Palace.
• Chu Xinghe decided Hu Wenhai’s improvements posed no threat because the enhanced cloth remained costly and the ordinary version could not be produced in quantity.

Hu Wenhai struggled to find a way to mass-produce his improved Spirit Pattern Cloth, while Chu Xinghe and the other powers waited to see what would happen. Shu Da offered an unexpected solution: his Shadow Rat brothers' clones might be able to learn the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art.

• Chu Xinghe reassured Hu Wenhai, ordered the Vast Heaven Sect to make the improved Spirit Pattern Cloth for its own disciples, and forbade them from selling it.
• The Demonic Sect panicked over its stockpile of Black Demon Cloth, but Yuan Ying took news of the Spirit Pattern Cloth's fiftyfold improvement as a sign that Chu Xinghe would soon start selling it.
• Hu Wenhai sought advice from Elder He and the Great Sage, but neither could solve the problem that only he could make the improved cloth.
• Hu Wenhai told Shu Da that he needed people who could learn the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art and help produce the cloth.
• Shu Da said that although the Shadow Rat brothers' original bodies could not learn the art, their clones could, prompting Hu Wenhai's astonishment.

Hu Wenhai discovered that the Three Shadow Rat Brothers’ clones could mass-produce cheap Spirit Pattern Cloth, turning the resource-consuming Shadow Rats into a major asset for the Vast Heaven Sect. He and Zhou Ping'an prepared to alert the sect’s leaders, while Hu Wenhai resolved to tell Chu Xinghe himself.

• Shu Da explained that Shadow Rat clones could learn basic talismans, and the Vast Heaven Sect’s resources could prevent their skills from declining.
• Hu Wenhai taught the Three Shadow Rat Brothers’ clones the simple talismans needed to make the new Spirit Pattern Cloth, and they succeeded after two days of practice.
• The Three Shadow Rat Brothers rejoiced that they could finally contribute to the Vast Heaven Sect and repay Chu Xinghe for his support.
• Hu Wenhai summoned Zhou Ping'an, who inspected the Shadow Rats’ mass production and declared that the inexpensive cloth could bring the sect a vast fortune.
• Hu Wenhai and Zhou Ping'an arranged to notify the grand elder and palace heads, while Hu Wenhai decided to inform Chu Xinghe personally.

Chu Xinghe discovered that the three Shadow Rat brothers he had brought into the Vast Heaven Sect could produce vast quantities of profitable Spirit Pattern Cloth, despite his hopes that they would merely consume the sect’s resources. The cloth spread through the market, and when Zheng Yu visited to investigate its production, Ma Liang showed him the Shadow Rats at work.

• Hu Wenhai told Chu Xinghe that the Shadow Rat brothers had made a new Spirit Pattern Cloth, and the grand elder and palace chiefs celebrated its enormous profit potential.
• Chu Xinghe concealed his alarm, cried, “Heaven blesses Vast Heaven,” and returned to his room, deciding to lie low while fortune and bad luck seemed to retaliate against him.
• Zhou Ping'an put the cloth on the market, and buyers and the Gongsun Clan failed to identify the talismans behind it, eventually suspecting the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art.
• Zheng Yu visited the Vast Heaven Sect to find out how the cloth was being produced, but learned from Ma Liang that only three disciples were responsible.
• Ma Liang took Zheng Yu to the Dark Moon Palace, where he saw the Shadow Rats producing cloth across the mountains and plains and became dizzy with disbelief.

Chu Xinghe’s Shadow Rats made Vast Heaven Weaving’s spirit pattern cloth a wildly profitable success, while Yuan Ying joined the Demonic Shadow Sect as vice sect master and devised a new scheme against the Vast Heaven Sect. After Yuan Ying dumped black demon cloth near the sect, the Little Bear King identified his scent, leaving everyone baffled by his apparent help.

• Zheng Yu’s revelation that the Shadow Rats could produce huge quantities of spirit pattern cloth stunned the world, and Zhou Ping'an received orders from major sects while reserving at least half the supply for Rogue Cultivators.
• Yuan Ying learned that the Vast Heaven Sect’s new cloth differed from the product he had hoped to undermine, and Wu Xingyun forced him to accept the Demonic Shadow Sect’s vice sect master position using a supposed Demonic Life Mark as leverage.
• Yuan Ying planned to send black demon cloth into the Vast Heaven Sect so its disciples might suffer cultivation deviation, and Wu Xingyun and Tantai Jing supported the plan.
• Yuan Ying secretly dumped his black demon cloth at the edge of the Haotian Mountain Range, where the Bear Clan found it and reported the discovery to the sect.
• The Little Bear King detected Yuan Ying’s scent on the cloth, leaving the Vast Heaven Sect’s elders and disciples wondering why he had apparently brought them another gift.