Chapter Summaries

Zhou You and his companions learned that the attack on them was a plot by rival princes trying to undermine Xue Qinghe’s rise to power. Dugu Bo revealed that the conspirators had all died after taking poison, and Yue Guan mocked him for failing to stop them.

• Zhou You left the Rolling Earth Dragon’s corpse to be devoured by Soul Beasts, and Amon flew in to join the feast.
• Yue Guan noticed Zhou You had fully controlled his Soul Power and asked what Soul Skill he had gained, but Zhou You kept it secret.
• Dugu Bo returned with Dugu Yan and explained that the attack had been ordered by rival princes opposing Xue Qinghe.
• Zhou You explained that the conspirators hoped an attack on him would damage Xue Qinghe’s ties with Spirit Hall and other allies.
• Dugu Bo said the conspirators had all died after taking poison, and Yue Guan ridiculed him for letting them die under his watch.

Zhou You’s group reached Dugu Bo’s poisonous valley, where Dugu Bo tried to make things difficult for him and provoked Yue Guan and Gui Mei with an insulting remark about the Pope. Zhou You defused the confrontation, and Dugu Bo grudgingly apologized.

• As the group traveled toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhou You covertly guided Yue Guan through Dugu Bo’s questions about the paper.
• Dugu Yan watched Zhou You shyly, remembering that he had saved her and hoping to speak with him.
• Dugu Bo led the group to a valley of Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flowers and hinted that his estate was protected by dangerous measures.
• Dugu Bo targeted Zhou You to settle a petty grievance, prompting Yue Guan and Gui Mei to warn him not to harm their student.
• Dugu Bo called Zhou You the Pope’s illegitimate son, angering Yue Guan and Gui Mei and bringing the group to the brink of a fight.
• Zhou You calmed Yue Guan and Gui Mei, and Dugu Bo accepted the offered excuse and apologized.

Zhou You accepted Dugu Bo’s challenge to cross the Poison Formations, while Dugu Bo hoped to vent his anger and learn how Zhou You had resisted his poison. Inside the miasma, Zhou You sent Feidian out to hunt, and the formations’ deadly hazards looked like a feast to the small creature.

• Zhou You offered to test his strength against Dugu Bo, but Dugu Yan urged her grandfather to let it go and admitted Zhou You had saved her.
• Dugu Bo explained that his Poison Formations contained poisonous plants and Soul Beasts, then warned Zhou You he could call for help if he could not continue.
• Zhou You entered the formations and covered himself with Escape Light, surprising Dugu Bo with the unfamiliar technique.
• Dugu Yan watched with concern as Zhou You vanished into the poisonous miasma.
• Zhou You released Xiao Bai Diao, and Feidian returned with a Jade Phosphorous Serpent before eyeing the Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flowers as food.

Zhou You followed Feidian through the Poison Formation, where Feidian ate until he could go no farther. After Zhou You killed a thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider, a swarm of poisoned creatures attacked him in miasma that corroded mental perception, leaving him apparently surrounded.

• Feidian led Zhou You through the outer Poison Formation, eating venomous creatures and plants until he grew too full to continue.
• Zhou You put Feidian in the Treasure Bag and used Azure Dragon in the Sleeve to kill a thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider that had ambushed him.
• Zhou You sensed that the miasma carried a poison that corroded Mental Power and learned that Dugu Bo had created it accidentally during his experiments.
• Dugu Bo had used the poison to cloud the senses of creatures in the valley and make them accustomed to Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison.
• More Man Faced Demon Spiders charged Zhou You through the miasma, and he cut them down as they swarmed around him.

Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, Gui Mei, and Yue Guan watched Zhou You fight through the poison formation using a mirror Soul Tool. Zhou You defeated a swarm of Man Faced Demon Spiders, uncovered Soul-Devouring Ghost Scorpions beneath them, and was left facing a powerful attacker.

• Dugu Bo showed Gui Mei and Yue Guan Zhou You's fight through a mirror Soul Tool, while Dugu Yan watched eagerly.
• Gui Mei noticed Zhou You's precise fighting style resembled his own more than Yue Guan's, and Yue Guan agreed that his student was skilled.
• Zhou You leaped into the middle of a swarm of Man Faced Demon Spiders, then used his Fourth Soul Skill to blast their webs and the spiders apart.
• Zhou You discovered that Soul-Devouring Ghost Scorpions beneath the spiders had poisoned the protective Qi around his ankles.
• After Zhou You opened the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella to counter a sudden attack, he saw the attacker and reacted with surprise.

Zhou You fought a ten-thousand-year Ghost Vine inside Dugu Bo’s Poison Formation while Yue Guan and Gui Mei watched. After his attack failed to hit its Soul Core, the Ghost Vine trapped him in poisonous flowers, and Zhou You activated his fifth Soul Skill.

• Zhou You identified the attacker as an unusually powerful Ghost Vine and defended himself with Azure Dragon in the Sleeve.
• Dugu Bo watched Zhou You fight, while Gui Mei worried about the danger and Yue Guan urged him to observe.
• The Ghost Vine surrounded Zhou You with its vines, and he studied the movements of its Soul Core while dodging and blocking its attacks.
• Zhou You used his third Soul Skill to strike at the Ghost Vine’s Soul Core, but the creature shifted its trunk and the attack only pierced it.
• The Ghost Vine drained Zhou You’s Soul Power and filled the area with poisonous pollen, so Zhou You opened the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella and activated his fifth Soul Skill.

Zhou You used the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella to devour the Ghost Vine’s surroundings, then passed through Dugu Bo’s Poison Formation and reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Dugu Yan admired him and agreed to enroll at Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy, while Zhou You considered how much Dugu Bo still had to learn.

• Zhou You transformed the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella into a black sun that devoured everything within ten meters, leaving the Ghost Vine stunned.
• Zhou You prepared to fire a Qi Cannon at the motionless Ghost Vine, but Dugu Bo stopped him and accepted that he had passed through the formation.
• Zhou You and the others reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where Dugu Yan praised him and asked how he had become so strong.
• Dugu Yan told Zhou You that she had planned to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Dugu Bo proposed that she attend Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy instead.
• Yue Guan approved Dugu Yan’s enrollment, and Zhou You considered that Dugu Bo might benefit from joining Spirit Hall and learning more about Soul Masters.

Zhou You explained how Dugu Bo could contain the poison caused by his Poison Arts in a Soul Bone, while revealing enough of his expertise for Dugu Bo to recognize him as Lord of the Clouds. After Zhou You continued gathering herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, “Xue Qinghe” learned of the attempted ambush and told Ning Fengzhi that Lord of the Clouds would soon visit his sect to investigate its problem.

• Zhou You offered Dugu Bo two ways to address the danger from his Poison Arts, and Dugu Bo chose to force the poison into a Soul Bone.
• Zhou You warned that breaking the Soul Bone could release the poison and kill Dugu Bo, then explained the method and its precautions.
• Dugu Bo recognized Zhou You as Lord of the Clouds, and Yue Guan pressed him to keep the identity secret; Dugu Bo agreed and asked whether Dugu Yan could use the method.
• Zhou You said Dugu Yan’s danger would likely become serious around the Soul Saint stage and pointed out that the herbs would help her cultivation; Dugu Yan introduced herself and followed him through the garden.
• A raven brought “Xue Qinghe” news of the events in Sunset Forest, prompting her to decide to eliminate those behind the attempted ambush.
• Ning Fengzhi visited “Xue Qinghe,” who assured him that Lord of the Clouds had agreed to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and investigate its problem.

Zhou You and Yue Guan developed a method to suppress the poison in Dugu Bo’s body and gradually transfer it into his Medusa Skull. After the first treatment eased Dugu Bo’s symptoms, Zhou You presented him with a plan to develop the medicine valley with Spirit Hall.

• After gathering herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhou You and Yue Guan worked out a treatment plan for Dugu Bo’s poison.
• Dugu Bo accepted the risks, and Zhou You used the Reversal state and Ghost Gate Needle to guide his Soul Power through the treatment.
• Zhou You and Dugu Bo emerged from the sealed cave, and Dugu Bo told Dugu Yan that he felt better than ever.
• Zhou You explained that removing the remaining toxins would take a long time and require nourishing supplements to protect Dugu Bo’s Meridians.
• Zhou You gave Dugu Bo a development plan for the medicine valley and proposed that he work with Spirit Hall to cultivate it sustainably.

Zhou You removed valuable Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as Spirit Hall Pharmacists took over the Medicine Valley, persuading Dugu Bo that the garden could grow new treasures. The party then reached Seven Treasure City, where Yue Guan and Gui Mei were recognized as they arrived to a grand reception.

• Spirit Hall Pharmacists under Yue Guan and the Zhou Family Joint Chamber of Commerce took charge of the Medicine Valley and marveled at its rare herbs.
• Zhou You harvested several Immortal Herbs, and Dugu Bo protested that they were unique specimens.
• Zhou You explained that harvesting made room for new treasures to grow and left the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss and Aromatic Silk Beauty untouched.
• Dugu Bo accepted the Pharmacists’ care of the garden, and Zhou You’s party left the valley with him and his granddaughter.
• The party reached Seven Treasure City without incident and was welcomed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Onlookers recognized Yue Guan and Gui Mei as they stepped from the carriage, and Gui Mei chilled the crowd with an icy gaze.

Zhou You arrived at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and revealed himself as Lord of the Clouds, surprising its elders. Chen Xin tested Zhou You’s claim by asking about the Spirit Body, and Zhou You answered with advice that recognized Chen Xin’s path toward becoming a Sword Immortal.

• Gu Rong and Gui Mei exchanged hostile stares, while Chen Xin’s arrival caused the Spirit Hall group to rein in their aggression.
• Chen Xin waited for Lord of the Clouds to emerge from the carriage, then learned from Yue Guan that Zhou You was the person they sought.
• Zhou You identified himself as Lord of the Clouds, and Chen Xin accepted his claim despite Gu Rong’s disbelief.
• Chen Xin led the group toward the sect headquarters in guarded carriages and rode with Zhou You to question him about his paper.
• Chen Xin asked Zhou You about the Spirit Body, and Zhou You advised him, “What is too rigid breaks easily; master softness and remain undefeated!”

Zhou You’s guidance helped Chen Xin overcome a cultivation bottleneck, and Chen Xin broke through after years of accumulated effort. Ning Fengzhi learned that Zhou You had aided his elder and thanked him for imparting the Dao.

• Zhou You’s eight words gave Chen Xin sudden insight into balancing hardness with softness on the Sword Dao.
• Chen Xin began breaking through as the carriage reached the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while Gu Rong stayed behind to guard him.
• Zhou You told Dugu Bo that Chen Xin’s breakthrough came from his own diligence as well as the guidance.
• Ning Fengzhi hurried to meet the guests after sensing Chen Xin’s breakthrough and learned that Chen Xin had traveled with Zhou You.
• Chen Xin emerged with greatly improved strength, identified Zhou You as Lord of the Clouds, and Ning Fengzhi bowed to thank him.

Zhou You and his companions arrived at the Ning Residence, where Ning Fengzhi welcomed them with great respect. Ning Rongrong met Zhou You and drew him into the main hall, while Ning Fengzhi considered building a lasting relationship between him and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

• Ning Fengzhi respectfully welcomed Zhou You and his companions into the Ning Residence.
• Dugu Yan watched Zhou You and felt an unfamiliar flutter of emotion.
• Ning Rongrong rushed past Ning Fengzhi to greet Chen Xin, who warmly embraced her.
• Ning Rongrong introduced herself to Zhou You, took his hand, and led him toward the main hall.
• Ning Fengzhi thanked the guests and resolved to cultivate a long-term relationship with Zhou You.

Zhou You toured the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Ning Rongrong and gained access to its secret Soul Tool research institute. He joined a heated scholarly debate about how Soul Tools worked, leaving Ning Rongrong watching in surprise.

• Ning Fengzhi welcomed Zhou You as an honored guest and had Ning Rongrong show him around the sect.
• Ning Rongrong told Zhou You about the sect’s efforts to collect and study Soul Tools, prompting him to ask to see its research institute.
• A Soul Saint guard tried to bar them from the restricted institute, but Ning Rongrong used her authority and an Elder Token to gain entry.
• Zhou You discovered the institute was a busy, factory-sized research center with several departments.
• Researchers argued over whether Soul Tools were best understood through Soul Bones or through energy pathways like those in Martial Souls, and Zhou You joined the debate.

Zhou You used an External Soul Bone containing a Soul Tool to persuade the scholars that Soul Rings and Soul Bones might also be made specifically for Soul Masters. He argued that the rules favor Soul Masters in their struggle against Soul Beasts, leaving the scholars wondering whether a higher being intended Soul Beasts’ extinction.

• Zhou You showed the scholars an External Soul Bone containing a crystal-like object and suggested it was fused with a Soul Tool.
• Zhou You asked why Soul Rings and Soul Bones appeared suited exclusively to Soul Masters, prompting the scholars to find that no one had recorded Soul Beasts producing them by killing one another.
• The scholars compared the repeatable patterns of Soul Rings and Soul Bones to Soul Tools and asked who or what made them.
• Ning Rongrong climbed onto her Soul Saint guard’s shoulders so she could see Zhou You speaking to the gathered scholars.
• Zhou You proposed that a being had created rules that let Soul Masters gain strength by hunting Soul Beasts, then argued that Soul Beasts faced greater threats and might eventually become extinct.
• A scholar asked whether the being had deliberately favored Soul Masters to make them wipe out Soul Beasts.

Zhou You prompted the scholars at the research institute to question whether gods had shaped the world and its Soul Master system for their own purposes. The debate spread to Soul Beast transformation and the vanished ancient Soul Tool civilization, and the commotion drew Ning Fengzhi’s attention.

• Zhou You considered whether gods had engineered the world’s cultivation system and arranged the fates of Soul Masters as part of a larger plan.
• Zhou You introduced questions about Soul Beast transformation, leading the scholars to examine the world’s apparent bias toward human Soul Masters.
• An old scholar proposed that higher beings had reshaped the world and questioned who had destroyed the ancient Soul Tool civilization.
• The scholars argued over whether Soul Tools had been created to imitate Martial Souls or Soul Beast abilities, while Zhou You deliberately encouraged both sides.
• Ning Rongrong and her Soul Saint guard noticed Zhou You stoking the debate, and the uproar alerted Ning Fengzhi.

Ning Fengzhi arrived at the research institute and learned that Zhou You had sparked a heated debate among the scholars about Soul Beasts and access to cultivation resources. He tried to reveal Zhou You as the Lord of the Clouds, but the scholars doubted him because Zhou You seemed too young.

• Ning Fengzhi arrived, found Ning Rongrong bewildered, and heard from her and the Soul Saint how the scholars had gathered around Zhou You.
• Ning Fengzhi realized that Zhou You’s discussion of Soul Beasts and resource access touched on a sensitive issue that the major powers avoided.
• Ning Fengzhi interrupted Zhou You’s debate and loudly addressed him as the Lord of the Clouds.
• The scholars questioned whether Zhou You could have written the 'Five-Layer Body' thesis and joked that Ning Fengzhi was drunk.

After Ning Fengzhi rescued Zhou You from the scholars, he asked for help overcoming the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda’s limitations. Zhou You proposed that Ning Rongrong could gain extra Soul Skills by absorbing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, then revealed his own extraordinary five-ring configuration, leaving Ning Fengzhi and the others stunned.

• Ning Fengzhi had Zhou You escorted away from the scholars, then apologized for interrupting his plans.
• Ning Fengzhi asked Zhou You how the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda’s seven Soul Rings could overcome their usual limits.
• Zhou You explained that Soul Ring absorption limits depended on several factors and proposed that Ning Rongrong could gain two Soul Skills from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
• Ning Fengzhi doubted the proposal, so Zhou You revealed his five Soul Rings: yellow, purple, two black, and one red.
• Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and the guards were shocked by Zhou You’s rings and the immense power he displayed.

Zhou You offered Ning Fengzhi two ways to overcome the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda’s limits: steadily strengthen Ning Rongrong with Spirit Medicine or evolve her Martial Soul using the Aromatic Silk Beauty. Ning Fengzhi recognized the Immortal Herb’s immense rarity and was left considering how to obtain it through a trade.

• Zhou You explained that Spirit Medicine could strengthen Ning Rongrong’s physique and help her absorb older Soul Rings, offering to supply it through a long-term partnership with the Ning family.
• Ning Fengzhi considered the Spirit Medicine proposal but worried that it would not resolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda’s fundamental limitation.
• Zhou You said the root solution was evolving Ning Rongrong’s Martial Soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda with the Aromatic Silk Beauty, allowing descendants a chance to inherit it.
• Zhou You revealed that he had the Aromatic Silk Beauty and described it as rarer than a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast that had undergone Human Form Transformation.
• Ning Fengzhi dismissed the idea of taking the herb by force and began considering how to obtain it from Zhou You through a trade.

Su Yuntao reported that a child in Holy Soul Village had awakened Blue Silver Grass and Innate Full Soul Power, prompting Zhou Chengjie to suspect the child had a mutated Martial Soul or Twin Martial Souls. Zhou Chengjie learned Su Yuntao had left the child behind and began treating him as a promising talent.

• Zhou Chengjie asked Su Yuntao whether he had found any promising children at the latest Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.
• Su Yuntao reported that a child in Holy Soul Village had awakened Blue Silver Grass with Innate Full Soul Power.
• Zhou Chengjie questioned Su Yuntao about why he had not brought the child back from the village.
• Zhou Chengjie argued that the child’s Martial Soul must be mutated or that he had another powerful Martial Soul.
• Su Yuntao realized the child might possess Twin Martial Souls.