Recaps

After thirty thousand years of secluded cultivation, Lu Changsheng broke through to the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage while his disciples’ misdeeds brought other powers to Taihua Sacred Ground’s gate. He emerged as the Qilin Ranking’s new number one after Ku was removed, but regretted that he had not faced him.

• Lu Changsheng cultivated the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Fire True Art under Household Ancestor Lin and advanced close to the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage.
• Immortal Emperor Buyi reported that Lu Qinglian and Ning Qianqian had angered several major powers, whose elders gathered at Taihua Sacred Ground to demand an explanation.
• Lu Changsheng defended his disciples, agreed to compensate the aggrieved powers with valuable treasures, and sent them home satisfied.
• Lu Changsheng gave Lu Qinglian and Ning Qianqian a Transmission Empowerment, received three hundred million days of cultivation from the system, and entered seclusion to break through.
• Lu Changsheng reached the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage after celestial phenomena appeared over Taihua Sacred Ground.
• Ku was removed from the Qilin Ranking for exceeding its cultivation-time limit, making Lu Changsheng the new number one; Lu Changsheng wished he could have fought Ku.

Lu Changsheng became the foremost genius on the Qilin Ranking and mastered the Fourth Heavenly Realm of the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Fire True Art. As the forty-ninth opening of the Divine Maiden Dao Ruins approached, Taihua Sacred Ground’s ancestors suspected the Taihua Goddess had left an inheritance for a destined successor, and Lin Xuantong sent Lu Changsheng to explore it.

• News spread that Lu Changsheng had taken first place on the Qilin Ranking after Ku was removed for exceeding the ranking’s cultivation limit, while Feng Mu remained second and swore he would surpass him.
• Ku learned that Lu Changsheng had replaced him at the top but dismissed him as unremarkable after hearing he had only narrowly defeated Feng Mu.
• Three hundred years later, Lu Changsheng mastered the Fourth Heavenly Realm of the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Fire True Art at the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage, astonishing Household Ancestor Lin and Lin Xuantong.
• Lin Xuantong told the ancestors that the Divine Maiden Dao Ruins would open for the forty-ninth time, and they speculated that the Taihua Goddess had left an inheritance in her sealed tomb chamber for a destined successor.
• Lin Xuantong, the Jiang Clan Ancestor, and the Ye Clan Ancestor decided that Lin Qinghan, Jiang Yu, and Ye Feng should also try their luck in the ruins.
• Lin Xuantong summoned Lu Changsheng and told him to enter the Divine Maiden Dao Ruins with Lin Qinghan, Jiang Yu, Ye Feng, and the others to seek the Taihua Goddess’s inheritance.

The Divine Maiden Dao Ruins opened for the first time in three million years, and Taihua Sacred Ground brought Lu Changsheng, Lin Qinghan, and other young candidates to the Taihua Goddess's sealed burial chamber. When the Ancestors failed to break the seals, Lu Changsheng casually peeled one of the Talismans from the door, leaving everyone stunned.

• Seven-colored clouds announced that the Divine Maiden Dao Ruins had opened, and the Ancestors explained that they held the Taihua Goddess's burial chamber and long-exhausted treasures.
• Household Ancestor Lin and the other Ancestors brought Lu Changsheng, Lin Qinghan, Jiang Yu, Ye Feng, and two Saintess Candidates into the Dao Ruins.
• Household Ancestor Lin led the group to the highest of seven thousand palaces, where two Talismans sealed the burial chamber's doors.
• The Ancestors joined forces to attack the Talismans, but their power was absorbed, and Lin Xuantong suspected the chamber held no legacy.
• Lu Changsheng approached the left Talisman despite the Ancestors' warnings and peeled it from the door with ease.

Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan opened the Divine Maiden's tomb and entered its inner chamber, where the Taihua Goddess's inheritance awaited them while the other descendants were turned away. Elsewhere, Mister Mo rejected the Imperishable Immortal Dynasty emperor's marriage proposal and repeatedly rebuffed the Ninth Prince.

• Lu Changsheng removed the Solar Divine Talisman but could not withstand the Lunar Divine Talisman's Yin Qi, so Lin Qinghan peeled it off and opened the tomb.
• The Lin Household Ancestor described the Taihua Goddess's ancient deeds as Lu Changsheng, Lin Qinghan, and the others examined the murals inside the tomb.
• Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan entered the inner chamber, while Jiang Yu, Ye Feng, and the Saintess Candidates were blocked by an invisible force.
• The Lin Household Ancestor failed to divine why the Divine Maiden Dao Ruins had opened its final palace, and Lin Xuantong waited outside for Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan.
• The Imperishable Immortal Dynasty emperor proposed that Mister Mo marry his ninth son, but she refused and left after invoking the Academy Master.
• The Ninth Prince repeatedly tried to court Mister Mo, but she turned him away, and he dared not challenge Ziyang Academy.

Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan explored the Divine Maiden's burial chamber, where they found the Taihua Goddess's coffin empty, Lin Qinghan claimed the Myriad-Flower Divine Parasol, and Lu Changsheng took an unidentified ring. After the Dao Ruins closed, Lu Changsheng obtained over a thousand Demon Bloodstones and learned from a simulation that Shen Xiaoyao was at Yellow Dragon Mountain, then arranged to seek him out with Tang Ling'er.

• Lu Changsheng opened the Taihua Goddess's stone coffin and found it empty, while Lin Qinghan was shocked that the divine body was missing.
• A hidden compartment released the Myriad-Flower Divine Parasol to Lin Qinghan, who refined it and received insights from a mysterious remnant image; Lu Changsheng found an unidentifiable silver ring in another compartment.
• Lin Qinghan showed the Dao Artifact to Lin Xuantong and the other ancestors, while Lu Changsheng reported the empty coffin and the ancestors ordered everyone to keep the discovery secret before leaving the closing Dao Ruins.
• Lu Changsheng returned to Yuntai Peak, received over a thousand Demon Bloodstones from a Treasure Pavilion Elder, and rewarded the Elder with medicinal pills.
• The Apprentice-Teaching Simulator announced that Shen Xiaoyao had reached the Quasi-Emperor Realm and awarded Lu Changsheng the Heavenly Fortune Sword; a life simulation revealed that Shen Xiaoyao was cultivating at Yellow Dragon Mountain.
• Lu Changsheng told Tang Ling'er to accompany him to find Shen Xiaoyao four thousand years later.

Lu Changsheng rewarded Dugu Aotian with Demon Bloodstones and a Demon Sword, receiving a Dao Artifact Fragment in return. Meanwhile, Xu Jing’s cultivation at Iron Sword Pass was interrupted by monks from Sumeru Sacred Land, who mistook him for an evil cultivator before learning he was refining the local Yin Sha Qi.

• Lu Changsheng gave Dugu Aotian Demon Bloodstones, then rewarded him with the Low-Grade Emperor Weapon Demonic Shadow and received a Dao Artifact Fragment.
• Lu Changsheng expected Xu Jing to return to Yuntai Peak after tempering himself, while Xu Jing cultivated by refining Yin Sha Qi at Iron Sword Pass.
• The Fourth Prince brought monks from Sumeru Sacred Land to purify Iron Sword Pass, and the eminent monk attacked after Yin Sha Qi gathered in the ruins.
• Xu Jing emerged and explained that he was cultivating there, then used an Immortal Emperor’s corpse to repel the monks’ attacks.
• Xu Jing called off the corpse and told the Fourth Prince and monks to leave, then said he needed to return to his sect for Lu Changsheng’s Transmission Empowerment.

Xu Jing returned to Taihua Mountain, where Lu Changsheng bestowed the Yin Sword on him and received a Dao Artifact Fragment that let him synthesize the Ninth-Grade Dao Artifact Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda. After testing it against a powerful headless corpse, Lu Changsheng decided to keep cultivating and prepare to help Shen Xiaoyao and investigate the Evil Extremity Sect in four thousand years.

• Xu Jing returned to Taihua Mountain after refining the Yin Sha Qi at Iron Sword Pass, and Lu Changsheng gave him a Transmission Empowerment.
• Lu Changsheng bestowed the Yin Sword on Xu Jing, triggering a reward of a Dao Artifact Fragment and bringing his total to eighteen.
• Lu Changsheng synthesized the Ninth-Grade Dao Artifact Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda and refined it despite the strain it put on his Inner World.
• Lu Changsheng tested the pagoda against a simulated headless corpse, suppressing it but stopping before his True Qi ran out.
• Lu Changsheng resolved to stay low-profile, accumulate more Dao Artifact Fragments, and help Shen Xiaoyao while investigating the Evil Extremity Sect in four thousand years.

Shen Xiaoyao and the Heavenly Master Sect investigated the Evil Cultivators who had destroyed hundreds of cities, only to encounter the notorious Chen Long and Chen Hu brothers. As the brothers overwhelmed Shen Xiaoyao and the sect disciples, his master arrived atop the Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda and confronted Chen Long.

• Shen Xiaoyao led Heavenly Master Sect disciples to investigate the Evil Cultivators and learned that Chen Long and Chen Hu had sealed a city with a demonic Emperor Weapon.
• Chen Long and Chen Hu slaughtered the city's cultivators and Heavenly Master Sect members, while Elder Luo failed to stop them.
• Shen Xiaoyao arrived and used the Ultimate Sage Heaven and Earth Art to reflect Chen Hu's attack, but Chen Long recognized him as a Stars Pavilion remnant and targeted him.
• Shen Xiaoyao was injured when Chen Hu broke through his defensive technique, leaving Elder Luo and the surviving disciples in despair.
• Shen Xiaoyao's master arrived on the Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda, crushed Chen Hu beneath it, and challenged Chen Long.

Lu Changsheng rescued the Heavenly Master Sect by capturing the Evil Extremity Sect brothers Chen Hu and Chen Long, then reunited with his amnesiac disciple Shen Xiaoyao. Tang Ling'er and Wu Wan'er confronted each other over Shen Xiaoyao, but agreed to wait until Lu Changsheng could restore his memories, while Elder Luo invited him to Yellow Dragon Mountain.

• Lu Changsheng suppressed Chen Hu with the Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda and wounded Chen Long with the Azure Emperor Sword before imprisoning both brothers.
• Elder Luo and the Heavenly Master Sect learned Lu Changsheng was first on the Qilin Ranking and thanked him for saving them.
• Tang Ling'er found Shen Xiaoyao, but he did not remember her, though Lu Changsheng's name stirred fragments of his memories.
• Wu Wan'er arrived, and Tang Ling'er accused her of taking advantage of Shen Xiaoyao's amnesia; Wu Wan'er explained that she had saved his life and hidden his past to spare him pain.
• Lu Changsheng proposed finding a Nine-Revolution Soul-Restoring Pill so Shen Xiaoyao could recover his memories, and Tang Ling'er and Wu Wan'er agreed to wait.
• Elder Luo invited Lu Changsheng to Yellow Dragon Mountain to receive the Heavenly Master Sect's hospitality.

Lu Changsheng visited the Heavenly Master Sect, negotiated for Shen Xiaoyao to recover his memories while staying under the sect’s care, and warned them about the Evil Extremity Sect. He then traveled alone to Lianshan Holy Land to seek a Pill Saint’s help, and the disciples agreed to announce his arrival after learning who he was.

• Lingqing Daoist welcomed Lu Changsheng to the Heavenly Master Sect, where Qingxu True Lord received him and discussed the Evil Extremity Sect and Shen Xiaoyao.
• Lu Changsheng and Qingxu True Lord agreed that Shen Xiaoyao would cultivate on Yellow Dragon Mountain until his memories returned, with Taihua Mountain as a refuge if danger arose.
• Lu Changsheng sent Tang Ling'er back to Taihua Mountain and set out alone for Lianshan Holy Land to request a Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill.
• After Lu Changsheng departed, Qingxu True Lord identified his Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda and ordered the Heavenly Master Sect to strengthen its defenses against the Evil Extremity Sect.
• Lianshan Holy Land's disciples initially dismissed Lu Changsheng's request to meet a Pill Saint, but they agreed to announce him when he identified himself as First on the Qilin Ranking.

Lu Changsheng visited the Lianshan Holy Land, paid Suxin Immortal Maiden to refine a Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill, and secured her token and a chance for Xiao Fan to study alchemy. After returning to Taihua Mountain, he spent ten thousand years cultivating with Xia Ningxue and deepening his understanding of swordsmanship, while questions remained about the Immortal-Slaying Sword.

• Lu Changsheng met Suxin Immortal Maiden, the youngest Pill Saint in Lianshan Holy Land's history, and paid her treasures worth five times a Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill to refine it.
• Lu Changsheng obtained Suxin Immortal Maiden's jade token and arranged for his seventh Disciple, Xiao Fan, to study alchemy under her Eldest Disciple, with Suxin offering occasional guidance.
• After Lu Changsheng left, Suxin Immortal Maiden received a request from the Purple Void Palace to refine a Twenty-First-Grade Divine Pill, which had less than a one-in-ten chance of success.
• Lu Changsheng returned to Taihua Mountain and spent ten thousand years cultivating the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Art and Holy Spirit Swordsmanship with Xia Ningxue.
• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue exchanged insights into the Sword Dao, and Xia Ningxue reflected on the unknown origins of the Immortal-Slaying Sword left in the mortal world by the founder of the Ask Immortal Pavilion.

Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue reached the Eighth Layer of the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Art and used Dao-Hearing Opportunities to listen to ancient experts expound the Dao. After gaining insights from several schools and refining their swordsmanship, they discovered that the ninth discourse took place at Taihua Sacred Ground’s Rear Mountain.

• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue reached the Eighth Layer, earning nine Dao-Hearing Opportunities, and listened to a Purple Void Palace expert expound the Dao for seven days and nights.
• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue attended a discourse by a Changliu Holy Land Sword Saint, gained insight into Frost-and-Wind Sword, and deepened their understanding of the Sword Dao.
• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue spent a thousand years mastering the nineteenth move of Holy Spirit Swordsmanship, achieving Human-Sword Unity and unleashing its powerful Sword Qi together.
• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue used more opportunities to hear experts from Taichu Sacred Land, Primordial Beginning Sacred Land, Yaochi Holy Land, the Imperishable Immortal Dynasty, Lianshan Holy Land, and the Ancient Wind Family.
• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue began the ninth discourse and realized that it was being given at Taihua Sacred Ground’s Rear Mountain.

Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue heard the Taihua Goddess preach in a simulated High Antiquity scene, while Chen Yi and Xu Jing each advanced to the Quasi-Emperor Realm and earned their master new treasures and cultivation methods. After completing the Azure Emperor Longevity Art and preparing to break through further, Lu Changsheng waited for Xu Jing to return, unaware that Xu Jing was digging through the Sword Tomb for a powerful corpse.

• Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue listened to the Taihua Goddess preach for forty-nine days and struggled to comprehend the final thirteen days.
• Chen Yi slew the Great Demon Mulu Imperial Preceptor in Many-Leaf Country, broke through to the Quasi-Emperor Realm, and received the Blessing Vajra Scepter from Lu Changsheng, while Great Freedom Buddha resolved to seek a way to retaliate.
• Lu Changsheng perfected the Azure Emperor Longevity Art, and Xia Ningxue returned to the Moon Palace after learning Sword Nineteen of the Holy Spirit Swordsmanship.
• Xu Jing cultivated by devouring Yin Sha Qi in the Sword Tomb and advanced to the Quasi-Emperor Realm, prompting the system to reward Lu Changsheng with the Ghost King Banner.
• Lu Changsheng taught Chen Yi the Thousand-Buddha Demon-Subduing Hand and received the Top-Grade Emperor-Grade Ten Thousand Buddhas Demon-Subduing Hand in return.
• Xu Jing stayed in the Sword Tomb to dig for a powerful corpse, while Lu Changsheng wondered why his disciple had not returned to receive a transfer of cultivation.

Xu Jing spent a thousand years digging in the Sword Tomb before uncovering an intact female Sword Immortal with a faint remnant soul, whom he brought back to Taihua Mountain. Lu Changsheng identified her as a likely Heavenly Sect elder, gave Xu Jing the Ghost King Banner and methods to revive her, and Xu Jing began cultivating new souls and spirits for her body.

• Xu Jing searched the Sword Tomb for centuries, then uncovered a perfectly preserved female Sword Immortal wearing a rainbow-feathered robe and discovered a faint remnant soul inside her.
• Xu Jing took the female Sword Immortal’s body back to Taihua Mountain and told Lu Changsheng about his discovery.
• Lu Changsheng explained that the Sword Tomb had been the Heavenly Sect’s grounds and that the female Sword Immortal was likely one of its elders.
• Lu Changsheng gave Xu Jing the Ghost King Banner, warned him to uphold righteousness, and transmitted cultivation and Netherworld methods to him.
• Xu Jing used the Soul-Consolidation Method to begin forming new Three Souls and Seven Spirits from the female Sword Immortal’s remnant soul.

Lu Changsheng observed his disciples’ varied activities across the realms, from gaining experience to cultivating and pursuing private plans. Lu Qinglian defeated Old Scorpion Devil Lord, then broke through into an Immortal Emperor tribulation as onlookers recognized the Great Dao Golden Thunder.

• Lu Changsheng used his Divine Abilities to observe his disciples: Lin Qingzhi gained experience as a swordsman, while Lu Qinglian burned Old Scorpion Devil Lord’s lair and fled with him in pursuit.
• Lu Changsheng saw his other disciples cultivating, traveling, learning alchemy, meeting in secret, performing good deeds, or working to restore the female sword immortal’s soul.
• Lu Qinglian used her three Law Treasures to withstand Old Scorpion Devil Lord’s attacks and burn him until he fled after their three-day battle.
• Lu Qinglian swallowed a True Yang Wuji Pill, broke through the Quasi-Emperor Realm, and began facing the Chaotic Divine Thunder without Lu Changsheng to protect her.
• Lu Qinglian shattered the Chaotic Divine Thunder with her Myriad Phenomena Heavenly Net Palm, while watching cultivators saw Great Dao Golden Thunder descend as her tribulation continued.

Lu Qinglian survived the Great Dao Golden Thunder tribulation and became an Immortal Emperor, earning Lu Changsheng a Soul-Shattering Bell and a powerful Divine-Level body-tempering method through the system. Meanwhile, Xu Jing fled the Sword Tomb after divining a great calamity and discovering that unknown pursuers were searching for the female sword immortal he was reviving.

• Lu Qinglian endured all seventy-two bolts of Great Dao Golden Thunder, strengthened her Martial King Divine Physique, and returned to Taihua Mountain as an Immortal Emperor.
• Lu Changsheng received the Ninth-Grade Dao Artifact Soul-Shattering Bell as a reward for Lu Qinglian's breakthrough, then transmitted cultivation to her.
• Lu Changsheng taught Lu Qinglian the Fire Phoenix Nirvana Method, and the system rewarded him with the Sixth-Grade Divine-Level Eternal Ages Immortality Art.
• Lu Changsheng began cultivating the dangerous Eternal Ages Immortality Art, which required him to break apart and reconstruct his body.
• Xu Jing's divination revealed a great calamity, so he concealed the female sword immortal and fled the Sword Tomb with the Ghost King Banner.
• Several pursuers arrived at the Sword Tomb after Xu Jing escaped, failed to track him, and discussed the female sword immortal before leaving; Xu Jing then headed to Taihua Mountain to consult Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng discovered that an unknown power was hunting Xu Jing and obtained a Dao Artifact that could conceal him. Meanwhile, Lin Beichen accepted Illusory Netherworld Demon Venerable’s plans, and the Blood Sea Hall prepared to target Taihua Sacred Ground.

• Lu Changsheng used simulations to learn that Xu Jing would die if he left Taihua Mountain, so he ordered him to stay at Yuntai Peak and searched for concealment treasures.
• Lin Qinghan told Lu Changsheng that Lin Beichen had betrayed Taihua Sacred Ground ninety million years earlier, and Household Ancestor Lin continued teaching Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan.
• Illusory Netherworld Demon Venerable gave Lin Beichen a Talisman containing his plans, and Lin Beichen vowed to return to the Immortal Realm and challenge his former master.
• The Blood Sea Hall’s leader assigned Song Guardian, Protector Yang, and Protector Yun to target Taihua Sacred Ground with help from Demon Realm powerhouses.
• Lu Changsheng rewarded Xu Jing with the Divine Concealment Robe and received the Ninth-Grade Dao Artifact Fourth Realm Robe in return.

After foreseeing Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven’s emergence three thousand years ahead, Lu Changsheng warned Taihua Sacred Ground and helped prepare its expedition. When the grotto-heaven appeared in the central Immortal Realm, forces across the realm raced to explore it, and Feng Mu set out hoping to defeat Lu Changsheng.

• Lu Changsheng learned from the simulation that Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven would emerge in three thousand years and that he would face danger inside, so he recalled disciples and taught them new Cultivation Methods and Martial Techniques.
• Lu Changsheng told Household Ancestor Lin, the Jiang Clan Ancestor, and the others about the grotto-heaven; they drew lots, and Household Ancestor Lin and the Jiang Clan Ancestor were chosen to lead Taihua Sacred Ground’s expedition.
• Taihua Sacred Ground assembled its team, including Lu Changsheng and his disciples, while Lu Changsheng continued cultivating until Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven emerged in the central Immortal Realm three thousand years later.
• True Lord Qingxu, the Immortal Dragon Emperor, and teams from the major Holy Lands and other powers set out for Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven, while Taihua Sacred Ground departed from the north knowing it would arrive later.
• Lu Changsheng led his disciples and companions toward the grotto-heaven, and Feng Mu emerged from seclusion after reaching the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage, determined to defeat Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng and the Taihua Sacred Ground entered Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven with rival factions and found a deadly formation blocking the route to True Lord Qingwei’s Dao Field. As the powerful sects and dynasties gathered to solve it, Feng Mu challenged Lu Changsheng and was rebuffed; the chapter ended with the arrival of the Heavenly Court.

• Lin Xuantong led the Taihua Sacred Ground into Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven, where the group learned that the mist suppressed cultivation and Divine Abilities.
• After three days of travel, the party reached a fork with eighty-one entrances, and Lin Xuantong explained that only one led safely through True Lord Qingwei’s Peerless Grand Formation.
• Liu Mufeng and Feng Qing’er arrived with Yaochi Holy Land, followed by Li Heng, Xia Ningxue, and the Moon Palace, while the assembled factions tried to calculate the safe entrance.
• Lu Changsheng observed the gathered powerhouses, including True Lord Qingxu, the Immortal Dragon Emperor, the Five Kunlun Elders, and Pill Saint Suxin, as they studied the formation.
• Feng Mu challenged Lu Changsheng, who dismissed him as too weak; Feng Mu’s Ancestor restrained him and told him to wait until after they secured the grotto-heaven’s treasures.
• The Heavenly Court arrived, drawing the attention of the gathered God King Realm powerhouses and other leaders.

The Heavenly Court’s Ku led his people into Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven, prompting the other powers to gamble on the shifting entrances of True Lord Qingwei’s formation. After three hundred years, Lu Changsheng’s group realized they had taken a dead-end route and turned back, only to face an ominous mass of Devil Qi.

• Ku, the Heavenly Emperor’s son and a former Qilin Ranking champion, arrived with the Heavenly Court and entered the formation using a golden compass.
• The Immortal Dragon Emperor and other factions entered through random passages, while the Taihua and Yaochi groups agreed to cooperate after finding themselves on the same path.
• Li Heng led the Moon Palace group onto the Heavenly Court’s route, and Ku allowed them to follow as they traveled toward the grotto-heaven’s depths.
• After three hundred years of battling puppets and traps, Lin Xuantong realized the Taihua group had reached a dead end and ordered everyone to recover before turning back.
• Devil Qi and Demonic Clouds swept toward the Taihua and Yaochi groups, and Lu Changsheng warned his disciples to prepare for battle.

Taihua Mountain and Yaochi discovered that Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven was a deathtrap set by the Blood Sea Hall and the Demon Realm, led by their former ally Lin Beichen. Household Ancestor Lin raised the Taiji Formless Formation to shield the survivors, but the Blood Sea Hall surrounded it with a formation meant to refine them, leaving the group two thousand years to find a way out.

• The Blood Sea Hall revealed its ambush, and Lin Beichen appeared as a traitor who had surpassed Household Ancestor Lin and destroyed his former master's Flying Sword.
• Lin Beichen unleashed poisonous High Antiquity Demon Worms, whose explosion damaged Lin Xuantong's Immortal Cauldron and left defenders on both teams wounded.
• Household Ancestor Lin deployed eighty-one Dharma Banners to create the Taiji Formless Formation, giving the Taihua Mountain and Yaochi teams temporary shelter.
• Lin Beichen and the Blood Sea Hall established the Xuelian Grand Formation around the barrier to refine its occupants, while Household Ancestor Lin warned that his formation could hold for only two thousand years.
• Lin Xuantong privately told Household Ancestor Lin that he had found a sliver of hope, while Lu Changsheng resolved to use the remaining time to teach his disciples and seek life-saving methods.

While trapped inside the Taiji Formless Formation, Lu Changsheng spent a hundred years bestowing pills on his disciples in hopes of obtaining treasures that could help the group survive. He gained three Divine Rebellion Immortal Pills and broke through to the Immortal Emperor Fifth Stage, drawing astonishment and praise from those around him.

• Lu Changsheng decided to focus on bestowing Immortal Pills and talismans, while continuing to guide his disciples and seek powerful rewards.
• He bestowed pills on Lin Qingzhi and obtained a Divine Rebellion Immortal Pill, then tried for higher-grade pills but received mostly failures.
• Over the next hundred years, Lu Changsheng gave pills to his disciples, obtained three Divine Rebellion Immortal Pills, and helped them improve their cultivation.
• A cultivation reward from Xiao Fan helped Lu Changsheng break through from the Immortal Emperor Fourth Stage to the Immortal Emperor Fifth Stage.
• The breakthrough drew attention from Lin Beichen and the Blood Sea Hall powerhouses outside the formation, while Lin Clan Ancestor praised Lu Changsheng and compared his potential to Ku.
• Lu Changsheng completed his breakthrough and officially entered the Immortal Emperor Fifth Stage.

Lu Changsheng received the Nineteenth-Grade Mad Demon Heaven-Defying Pill and tested how it could trade lifespan for a temporary rise in cultivation. After learning the pill would do little for the two ancestors, he kept it as a last resort and continued searching for other ways to break the deadlock.

• Lu Changsheng advanced to the Immortal Emperor Fifth Stage and continued teaching his disciples, but his attempts to bestow pills mostly failed.
• Lu Changsheng finally received a Mad Demon Heaven-Defying Pill after bestowing Greater Explosive Qi Pills upon Dugu Aotian.
• Lu Changsheng used a simulated battle to test the pill, consuming ten million years of lifespan to reach the Immortal Emperor Ninth Stage and easily defeat simulated Feng Mu.
• Lu Changsheng asked the Household Ancestor Lin whether the pill could break the deadlock, and the Household Ancestor Lin explained that its effects would be negligible for him and the Jiang Clan Ancestor.
• Lu Changsheng kept the Mad Demon Heaven-Defying Pill for emergencies and continued teaching his disciples while searching for other medicinal pills.

Lu Changsheng obtained Twentieth-Grade Divine Pills that strengthened his combat abilities and could restore allies, then distributed pills to the group trapped inside the Taiji Formless Formation. As preparations continued for their eventual escape, Lin Qingzhi began breaking through to the Immortal Emperor Realm under a tribulation that included Great Dao Golden Thunder.

• Lu Changsheng received a Qilin Blood Origin Pill, tested it in a simulated battle, and used its power to defeat a Great Perfection Immortal Emperor of the Blood Sea Hall.
• After hundreds of years of teaching his disciples, Lu Changsheng obtained more Qilin Blood Origin Pills, Heavenly Void Divine Pills, and Divine Rebellion Immortal Pills.
• With reinforcements still absent after more than a thousand years, Lu Changsheng gave Divine Pills to Household Ancestor Lin, the Jiang Clan Ancestor, Lin Xuantong, Liu Mufeng, and others to bolster the rearguard.
• Lu Qinglian told Lu Changsheng that Lin Qingzhi was about to break through, and the gathered Spiritual Qi helped Lin Qingzhi's Evergreen Body reach minor accomplishment.
• Chaotic Divine Thunder gathered above the Taiji Formless Formation, and Lin Beichen recognized that Lin Qingzhi's Heavenly Tribulation included Great Dao Golden Thunder.

Lin Qingzhi survived his Immortal Emperor tribulation, earning Lu Changsheng a Divine-Level sword formation, while Lu Changsheng gathered talismans and other life-saving treasures. As the Taiji Formless Formation began to fail, the group launched their escape through the Blood Sea Hall’s formation, leaving Household Ancestor Lin and the Jiang Clan Ancestor to confront Lin Beichen.

• Lin Qingzhi used the Myriad Beings Seal, his sword formation, and the mysterious Nameless Kumu to withstand the Great Dao Golden Thunder and advance to the Immortal Emperor Realm.
• Lu Changsheng received the Eternal Ages Shared Sorrow sword formation and spent centuries gaining powerful talismans, including the Great Dao Thunder Prison Immortal Talisman and the Illusion Talisman.
• Household Ancestor Lin arranged the group’s retreat, and Lu Changsheng placed the younger Taihua Mountain and Yaochi disciples inside the Eight Desolations Dragon-Imprisoning Pagoda.
• As the Xuelian Grand Formation consumed the Taiji Formless Formation, Household Ancestor Lin wielded Taihua Mountain’s Divine Sword Weiyang to cut a path through the blood sea.
• Lin Xuantong, Liu Mufeng, Feng Qing’er, and the others escaped along Household Ancestor Lin’s path while Lin Beichen blocked Household Ancestor Lin and the Jiang Clan Ancestor from following.
• Lin Beichen drew his Demon Sword and declared that Household Ancestor Lin and the Jiang Clan Ancestor had to die.