Chapter Summaries

Qin Ming was trapped in a ghost furnace as the ghosts tried to refine him into a Human Pill, while Xiong San's group reached Desolate City and Lu Ming selected Wang Xiaoxi for the River God Sacrifice. As Qin Ming's life nearly failed, his Free Attribute Points reached twenty thousand, and he used them to max out the Pure Yang Art.

• The black-robed man ordered the female ghosts to refine Qin Ming into a Human Pill before leaving to heal his injuries.
• Xiong San led his group toward Desolate City after waiting three days for Qin Ming, whose survival they feared was unlikely.
• Li Qingfeng ordered Lu Ming to find ten pairs of children for the River God Sacrifice, and Lu Ming chose Wang Xiaoxi as a candidate.
• The Red-Clad Female Ghost and the white-clad female ghost kept feeding Yin Medicine into the furnace, weakening Qin Ming's Qi and Blood.
• Qin Ming's Free Attribute Points reached twenty thousand, and he commanded the Pure Yang Art to reach its maximum.

Qin Ming mastered the second stage of the Pure Yang Art, escaped the Ghost Furnace, and broke through to the Bone Refining Realm. After forcing Wan'er and Ling'er to guide him, he looted the black-robed man's lair and left the canyon with them, while the black-robed man sensed their departure from his distant retreat.

• Qin Ming's Pure Yang Fire burned away the Yin cords and refined the furnace's Yin Qi, helping him reach Silver Bone in the Bone Refining Realm.
• Qin Ming drained the Ghost Furnace of its Yin Qi until it exploded, then struck down Wan'er and Ling'er as he escaped.
• Qin Ming forced Ling'er and Wan'er to reveal that he was in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and that the black-robed man was healing at a corpse-nurturing ground dozens of li away.
• Qin Ming drained the Yin Qi from the black-robed man's Ghost Artifacts and took his silver notes and four useful martial arts manuals.
• Qin Ming left the canyon with Wan'er and Ling'er, and the black-robed man opened his eyes in fury at the corpse-nurturing ground.

Qin Ming escaped the black-robed man by plunging into the Li River, where he encountered the River God and rescued an old boatman and his granddaughter. By daybreak, he was traveling with them toward Desolate City, where he planned to reunite with his Martial Uncle and find Embroiderer and Senior Sister.

• Qin Ming learned that Wan'er and Ling'er had fled their master, then forced Wan'er to lead him away from the gorge.
• Qin Ming mastered Water-Walking, Savage Bull Strength, Iron Head Skill, and Swallow Flying Daggers as the black-robed Bright Strength expert pursued him.
• Qin Ming leapt down a mountainside and escaped into the Li River, while the black-robed man searched downstream and eventually returned to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
• Qin Ming encountered the River God's whirlpool, used Fire Poison and Water-Walking to reach a fishing boat, and helped the old boatman and Xiangxiang escape.
• Qin Ming accepted the boatman's invitation to travel with them to Desolate City and resolved to find Embroiderer and Senior Sister.

Qin Ming learned that the River God Sacrifice took seven-year-old girls, then returned to find Wu Er and the Golden Coin Gang abducting Xiangxiang and beating Zhang Laotou. After killing Wu Er, Qin Ming faced the gang’s martial artist as the man attacked him.

• At the docks, Qin Ming saw the River God Sacrifice procession seize a boy, and Zhang Laotou hurried Xiangxiang away to protect her.
• Zhang Laotou explained that the sacrifice demanded seven-year-old girls, then spent his fish-sale earnings preparing a meal for Qin Ming.
• While Qin Ming was away exchanging a banknote, Wu Er led the sacrifice organizers to Zhang Laotou’s home, where they beat Zhang and pinned Xiangxiang down.
• Wu Er revealed that he had sold Xiangxiang’s whereabouts for gold and tried to kill Zhang, but Qin Ming arrived and kicked Wu Er into a mangled corpse.
• A black-clad Golden Coin Gang martial artist challenged Qin Ming, and Qin Ming refused to back down before the man launched an Eagle Claw attack.

Qin Ming killed the men who had attacked Zhang Laotou and Xiangxiang, then fought off a large force from the Golden Coin Gang. After Zhang Laotou died, Xiangxiang chose to travel with Qin Ming, and they headed back toward Desolate City.

• Qin Ming crushed the attackers’ weapons and killed them after they released Xiangxiang, but Zhang Laotou was mortally wounded and asked Qin Ming to protect his granddaughter from the River God Sacrifice.
• Qin Ming promised to take Xiangxiang with him, and Zhang Laotou died in her arms.
• Tian Zheng arrived with more than a hundred Golden Coin Gang members, but Qin Ming killed dozens with flying blade fragments and burned Tian Zheng to death with Fire Poison.
• Qin Ming killed the remaining gang members, gathered supplies from their bodies, and left with Xiangxiang and Zhang Laotou’s body.
• After Qin Ming buried Zhang Laotou, Xiangxiang refused his offer to find her a safer home and chose to stay with him; they then set off toward Desolate City.

In Desolate City, Xiong San faced pressure from Chief Constable Lu Ming to surrender Wang Xiaoxi as a sacrifice to the River God, while a mysterious Cold Corpse case threatened his probation at the yamen. Xiong San refused and was beaten and imprisoned, leaving Wang Xiaoxi in danger.

• Li Shengnan, Wu Shi, and Wu Xiaoxi struggled to support themselves in Desolate City while Embroiderer remained unconscious, and Ye Wei and Lu Liu returned injured from gang work.
• Xiong San received the case file about frozen corpses that resisted fire and killed the runners who tried to burn them; Hou Wu told him he had to solve it to pass probation.
• Lu Ming offered Xiong San full runner status and a place on the Demon-Hunting Team if he surrendered Wang Xiaoxi as a River God sacrifice, but Xiong San refused.
• Lu Ming attacked Xiong San and defeated him, then ordered runners to seize Wang Xiaoxi and locked Xiong San in the water prison.
• Lu Ming told Li Qingfeng that Xiong San had refused, and Li Qingfeng revealed that Lu Ming had lost their bet; Lu Ming found Sha Qi in his palm after fighting Xiong San.

Li Qingfeng explained why Xiong San’s Black Sha Skill made him valuable to Lu Ming, then left to prepare for the River God Sacrifice. Hou Wu arrived to seize Wang Xiaoxi as a sacrifice, but as he reached for her, Qin Ming returned.

• Li Qingfeng recalled Qin Ming’s rare ability to cultivate both the Black Sha Skill and Fire Poison Art, then left to oversee preparations for the sacrificial ceremony.
• Hou Wu and four yamen runners forced their way into the courtyard and demanded Wang Xiaoxi.
• Li Shengnan, Ye Wei, and Lu Liu realized the County Yamen intended to take Xiaoxi as a sacrifice to the River God.
• Hou Wu struck Li Shengnan aside, then severely wounded Ye Wei and Lu Liu when they tried to stop him.
• Hou Wu reached for the terrified Xiaoxi, and Qin Ming’s voice called from outside: “Sorry, I’m late.”

Qin Ming rescued Wang Xiaoxi and the others from Hou Wu and the County Yamen runners, killed the four runners, and forced Hou Wu to surrender the Ape-Armed Iron Stake Art. He left Desolate City with the group, while Lu Ming discovered the deaths and ordered a search for them.

• Hou Wu attacked Qin Ming with his saber and Through-the-Back Fist, but Qin Ming endured the blows and defeated him with a single punch.
• Two yamen runners tried to seize Wang Xiaoxi and her mother as hostages, but Qin Ming killed them along with the other two runners.
• Qin Ming found the Through-the-Back Fist on Hou Wu, then used Wan'er and Ling'er to make the deaths appear to be the work of Ghost Entities.
• Qin Ming learned that Martial Uncle Xiong San had been injured by Lu Ming and imprisoned in a water dungeon, then forced Hou Wu to write out the Ape-Armed Iron Stake Art and kept him alive as a captive.
• Qin Ming took the Embroiderer and the others out of Desolate City and settled them outside the city.
• Lu Ming found the dry corpses, learned the courtyard's occupants were missing, and ordered his men to search the city for them.

Qin Ming entered Desolate City in disguise to rescue Xiong San, then broke into the water prison and fought its hidden Blood Refining Realm guard. After defeating him with his Silver Bone strength and perfected Through-the-Back Fist, Qin Ming reached Xiong San, who saw a chance to break through to the Blood Refining Realm.

• Qin Ming left the injured group outside Desolate City wearing Li Shengnan’s human-skin mask and entered the city, where he spotted Li Qingfeng and learned the city was searching for the missing girls.
• Qin Ming used the opportunity to enter the County Yamen’s water prison, where he found Xiong San suspended from iron hooks and covered in wounds.
• Qin Ming defeated the jailers and discovered that a Blood Refining Realm expert had been guarding the prison in disguise.
• Qin Ming activated his Silver Bone strength and used perfected Through-the-Back Fist to crush the guard, then found the manuals Vajra Fist and Vajra Art on him.
• The prisoners begged Qin Ming to free them, while Xiong San urged him to hurry and said he had seen a chance to reach the Blood Refining Realm.

Qin Ming forced the water dungeon’s prisoners to trade martial arts and treasures for their lives while Xiong San killed them to cultivate the Black Sha Skill. After Xiong San broke through to the Blood Refining Realm, Lu Ming found the prisoners dead and pursued Wang Shun at the Li River docks.

• Qin Ming had Xiong San kill prisoners who refused to provide anything valuable, allowing Xiong San to absorb their Sha Qi.
• Qin Ming discovered that the prisoner Yang Ye was the famed thief Flying Rat and freed him after learning his story from Xiong San.
• Xiong San killed the remaining prisoners, absorbed their Sha Qi, and broke through to the Blood Refining Realm.
• Qin Ming released Ling'er and Wan'er to drain Qi and Blood from the corpses, then left the dungeon with Xiong San and Yang Ye.
• Lu Ming returned to find the prisoners dead and Xiong San missing, then learned that Wang Shun had been spotted at the Li River docks and hurried there.

At the Li River docks, Qin Ming improved his martial arts and strengthened his body while searching for Wang Shun. His search was interrupted when a water-soaked ape-like monster attacked the dockworkers, and a saber-wielding man stepped forward to confront it.

• Qin Ming failed to find Wang Shun and stayed near the docks with Xiong San and the injured Yang Ye.
• Qin Ming perfected the Diamond Shield, gaining Qi that protected his internal organs, and wondered whether it could help advance his Pure Yang Art.
• Qin Ming perfected an eighth-rank Iron Body Shirt, thickening his defenses, while his Silver Bones neared the Golden Bone stage.
• Dockworkers fled a boat after a nearly three-meter-tall, black-haired monster appeared at its bow.
• The monster killed four workers and devoured their brain matter before a burly man with a long saber stepped out to face it.

Qin Ming rescued Wang Shun from the ghost-faced monster after the creature killed Kong Yao and several workers, but the monster escaped into the Li River. As Qin Ming tried to leave, the River God Sacrifice group accused him of injuring the River God's messenger and blocked his way.

• Kong Yao attacked the monster with a powerful saber strike, but the monster shattered his weapon, killed him, and devoured his heart and brain.
• The monster pursued Wang Shun and his fellow workers, killing the workers before closing in on Wang Shun.
• Qin Ming dropped onto the monster and pinned it to the ground, allowing Xiong San to lead Wang Shun away.
• The monster transformed into water, escaped Qin Ming's stomp, and fled into the river after threatening him.
• The River God Sacrifice group stopped Qin Ming, and the old woman accused him of injuring the River God's messenger.

Qin Ming slaughtered the River God’s believers who attacked him, then discovered that the Spirit Medium was an Uncanny who could regenerate. Lu Ming ordered his men to capture Qin Ming, trapping him under a volley of Zhuge Divine Crossbow bolts and attacks from twelve Blood Refining Realm experts.

• The Spirit Medium showed the crowd a carving of a Ghost-Faced Monkey and incited them to kill Qin Ming for angering the River God.
• Qin Ming killed the believers and sacrifice participants who surrounded him, then beheaded the survivors with the Gale Saber Technique.
• Qin Ming struck the Spirit Medium with a thrown saber, but she pulled it out and healed without bleeding; Ling'er identified her as an Uncanny that could regenerate by using stored energy.
• Lu Ming appeared, conferred with the Spirit Medium, and ordered his men to seize Qin Ming, confirming Qin Ming’s suspicion that Wangjing Prefecture was involved in the River God Sacrifice.
• Constables fired Zhuge Divine Crossbows at Qin Ming as twelve Blood Refining Realm experts closed in and blocked his escape.

Qin Ming escaped Desolate City after surviving attacks from twelve Blood Refining Realm experts and three Bright Strength experts, while the city prepared to hunt him down. Elsewhere, a Dog Demon abducted Wang Xiaoxi and Xiangxiang, and Qin Ming sensed the Ghost-Faced Monkey following him on the Li River.

• Qin Ming used Ladder Cloud Vertical to dodge crossbow bolts, then blocked the combined strike of twelve Blood Refining Realm experts and escaped onto the Li River.
• Li Qingfeng and two other Bright Strength experts attacked Qin Ming, but he used Water-Walking to flee across the river; Li Qingfeng ordered the city lord to pursue him alive.
• Xiong San decided to hide in Desolate City with Wang Shun and Yang Ye until the River God Sacrifice drew the guards away, unaware that a Dog Demon was searching for the others.
• A Dog Demon broke into the abandoned manor, seized Wang Xiaoxi and Xiangxiang, and escaped before Li Shengnan and the others could stop him.
• Li Shengnan set out to find Qin Ming and ask for help, while Lu Liu encouraged Ye Wei not to compare himself with their unusually talented junior brother.
• As Qin Ming drifted downstream on a wooden board, he sensed an undercurrent and spotted the Ghost-Faced Monkey watching him.

Qin Ming fought the Ghost-Faced Monkey on the Li River, then used a bluff to persuade him to exchange demon arts. After learning that demon arts required a great demon’s power, Qin Ming read the River God’s cultivation method and discovered that his Pure Yang Art’s third stage could fuse with it.

• The Ghost-Faced Monkey attacked Qin Ming from beneath the water, but Qin Ming wounded him with Fire Poison and Sha Qi.
• Qin Ming realized the Ghost-Faced Monkey was a human transformed by a demon art, and he learned that the River God had bestowed the art on him.
• Qin Ming bluffed that he served Lord White Tiger of Xiqi Mountain, frightening the Ghost-Faced Monkey into believing Qin Ming’s Tiger Sha came from White Tiger.
• Qin Ming persuaded the Ghost-Faced Monkey to exchange cultivation methods while the River God slept, and they went ashore.
• The Ghost-Faced Monkey gave Qin Ming a scalp inscribed with the River God’s demon art and explained that some demon arts let cultivators retain their human forms.
• After reading the method three times, Qin Ming’s panel identified it as an unknown demonic cultivation method and showed that the third stage of Pure Yang Art could fuse with it.

Qin Ming advanced the Pure Yang Art to its third stage by fusing it with the Ghost-Faced Monkey’s Demon Art, then returned to Desolate City and learned that the Dog Demon had abducted Wang Xiaoxi and Xiangxiang for the River God Sacrifice. After strengthening himself and buying two sabers, he encountered a ghost pet from the Ghost Mansion that attacked him.

• Qin Ming fused the Ghost-Faced Monkey’s Demon Art with several perfected Horizontal Training Martial Arts, advancing the Pure Yang Art and gaining pale-green internal Qi.
• Qin Ming killed the Ghost-Faced Monkey with Pure Yang Fire, gained 5,000 Free Attribute Points, and left Desolate City after failing to find Xiong San and the others.
• Li Qingfeng learned that Qin Ming had returned but prioritized preparations for the River God Sacrifice and ordered his men to ensure everything went smoothly.
• Qin Ming discovered that the Dog Demon had taken Wang Xiaoxi and Xiangxiang, then bought thirty Bone-Strengthening Pills and two sabers to prepare for the sacrifice.
• Wan'er identified an emaciated old woman in an alley as a ghost pet from the Ghost Mansion, and the old woman drained a drunkard before sending his animated body charging at Qin Ming.

Qin Ming defeated the Ghost Mansion’s old ghost and her Wraiths, learned that her Master was heading to Desolate City for the River God Sacrifice, and discovered a possible connection to Ten Thousand Demon Valley. After the black-robed man identified Qin Ming as the killer, Qin Ming hunted Ghost Entities around the city with Ling'er and Wan'er, ending the chapter after decapitating a possessed man whose body remained standing.

• Qin Ming used Pure Yang Fire to burn the drunkard and his Wraiths, gaining 3,000 Free Attribute Points.
• The old ghost tried to possess Qin Ming, but he burned her with Fire Poison and Pure Yang Fire and learned that her Master would come to Desolate City within two days for the River God Sacrifice.
• The old ghost said the dog demon was likely connected to Ten Thousand Demon Valley, and Qin Ming killed her, gaining another 5,000 Free Attribute Points.
• The black-robed man used a rune to see that Qin Ming had killed his ghost pet and vowed to confront him when he reached Desolate City.
• Qin Ming hunted Ghost Entities through Desolate City with Ling'er and Wan'er, then cut off a possessed man's head while his body stayed upright.

After advancing the third stage of the Pure Yang Art, Qin Ming gained immense strength and water-controlling abilities, then infiltrated the River God Sacrifice. He prepared to rescue the children as the offerings began, but the chapter ended just as the first pair was about to be thrown into the river.

• Qin Ming advanced the third stage of the Pure Yang Art to Initiation and transformed, gaining great strength, heightened senses, and the ability to control water.
• A red-furred Ghost-Faced Monkey mistook Qin Ming for one of the River God's followers and led him toward the sacrifice, so Qin Ming killed it and swam to the dock.
• At the River God Sacrifice, Qin Ming seized a yamen runner who struck an old fisherman, while the shamaness insisted the creature was a River God envoy.
• The shamaness ordered the animal and spirit-food offerings thrown into the river, where silverfish and eight Ghost-Faced Monkeys consumed them.
• Wang Xiaoxi and Xiangxiang were among the bound children at the altar, and Qin Ming saw Li Shengnan bound nearby as bait for him.
• When the first pair of children was brought forward, Lu Ming ordered an elderly couple's legs broken for protesting, and a Ghost-Faced Monkey surfaced as the children were about to be thrown into the river.

Qin Ming killed the Ghost-Faced Monkeys and the Dog Demon, then stopped the River God Sacrifice and freed the captive children. After killing the Spirit Medium, he faced Li Qingfeng and Lu Ming as the chapter ended with Li Qingfeng attacking him from behind.

• Qin Ming ambushed and killed all eight Ghost-Faced Monkeys in the river, then killed the Dog Demon and took his demonic cultivation manual.
• The Spirit Medium warned that the failed sacrifice would bring floods and famine, while the crowd turned against Qin Ming.
• Qin Ming freed the captive children, killed the believers who tried to stop them, and revealed himself to Wang Xiaoxi, Xiangxiang, and Li Shengnan.
• Li Qingfeng recognized Qin Ming from Qingyang County and ordered Lu Ming to test his strength.
• Qin Ming killed the Spirit Medium and collapsed the altar, while Li Qingfeng attacked him from behind.

Qin Ming survived Li Qingfeng’s attack and a lightning strike from Lu Ming’s Thunder Bamboo by breaking through to Minor Mastery of the third stage. He healed his chest, developed Yin-Yang Guidance and stronger control over water, and rose from the Li River.

• Li Qingfeng pierced Qin Ming with a Thousandfold Forging Steel sword and attacked him with Bright Strength, leaving him covered in bloody wounds.
• Li Qingfeng demanded Lu Ming’s Thunder Bamboo, used it to blast Qin Ming into the Li River, then took the treasure for himself.
• Li Qingfeng and the Spirit Medium assumed Qin Ming was dead, while Li Shengnan mourned him and Xiong San led Xiangxiang and another person away.
• Underwater, Qin Ming spent his Free Attribute Points to advance the Pure Yang Art, forming a bagua diagram from icy Qi and Pure Yang Fire that dispelled the lightning in his body.
• Qin Ming cut away the dead flesh on his chest and healed the wound with the River God Demon Art, then renamed his transformed technique Yin-Yang Guidance.
• Qin Ming grew to six meters, gained greater control over water, and shot up through the river’s surface.