Chapter Summaries

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong explored the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon and reached Mist Hidden Mountain while searching for Meng Yaoyin’s relics. After entering a nearby village, they learned that the mountain had two officially recognized temples and were warned not to climb at night because of the deadly mist.

• Ning Zhuo completed a cultivation session, and Sun Lingtong praised his progress before advising him to develop his own understanding of the Three Sects Forefathers' Techniques.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong toured the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon, examined its cabins and controls, and watched it travel through the void before emerging in unfamiliar mountains.
• Ning Zhuo consulted a map and guided the vessel to Mist Hidden Mountain, where he planned to search for Meng Yaoyin's personal relics along the Ning clan's migration route.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong disguised themselves and entered a village at the mountain's foot, where a patrolman explained that the Fox Immortal Temple was efficacious while the Tiger God Temple was not.
• The patrolman offered to ask the village chief about lodging and warned them that the mountain mist grew dangerous at night, urging them to wait until daylight before climbing.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong stayed in Mist Hidden Mountain Village, explored it secretly at night, and tested their Divine Sense. Their findings about the village’s fox and tiger god worship led them to suspect that the tiger god had been sidelined by the fox god.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong accepted a patrolman’s invitation to stay in the village, and the village elder arranged rooms and told them about Mist Hidden Mountain and its supply deliveries to Jade Steel Town.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong slipped out after dark and explored the village unseen, enjoying their freedom after leaving the Magma Immortal Palace behind.
• Sun Lingtong’s Divine Sense reached two hundred and sixty zhang, while Ning Zhuo’s reached one hundred and eighty; Ning Zhuo explained that his Mirror Platform Spirit Communication Art relied on external Dividing Mirrors to extend its range.
• Ning Zhuo discovered that most household offerings were dedicated to the fox god, while the tiger god appeared in far fewer shrines, often alongside the fox god.
• Back in their rooms, Sun Lingtong speculated that the fox god had hollowed out and sidelined the weaker tiger god, despite both being Orthodox Gods of South Bean Country.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong visited the Tiger God and Fox God temples on Mist Hidden Mountain to ask for help locating items the Ning Family had left there. The Fox God recognized Ning Zhuo as Meng Yaoyin’s son and began searching the mountain, then asked him to provide another flower petal like the one his mother had once given Her.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong discussed the mountain gods’ strength before leaving the village to seek the Tiger God’s help.
• The Tiger God consumed their offerings and directed them to ask His deputy, the Fox God, for assistance.
• At the Fox God Temple, Ning Zhuo asked the Fox God to search for items the Ning Family had left on Mist Hidden Mountain sixteen years earlier.
• The Fox God recalled that Meng Yaoyin had helped Her when She was a demon cultivator and eagerly agreed to search the mountain for Ning Zhuo.
• The Fox God filled Mist Hidden Mountain with mist and asked Ning Zhuo to give Her another flower-petal-shaped item like the one Meng Yaoyin had previously given Her.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong pressured the Fox God into searching Mist Hidden Mountain for old objects, but their refusal to surrender the Cloud Hidden petal triggered a fight. Ru Die Niang’s formation held off the Fox God’s mist until her four generals attacked, and Sun Lingtong wounded the Pouting Weasel before turning toward the Pointy-Nosed Pangolin.

• Ning Zhuo showed the Fox God a Cloud Hidden petal and promised it as payment for searching the route taken by the Ning Family convoy.
• The Fox God gathered several loads of discarded objects, but Ning Zhuo said none contained the item he sought and asked her to keep searching.
• The Fox God lost patience and attacked Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong, but Ru Die Niang appeared and raised a defensive formation that pushed back the mist.
• The Fox God summoned the Centipede Axe Wielder, Scorpion Spear General, Pointy-Nosed Pangolin, and Pouting Weasel to attack the formation.
• Sun Lingtong used the Space Piercing Art to wound the Pouting Weasel, which the Fox God rescued with mountain fog, then charged toward the Pointy-Nosed Pangolin.

Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo fought the Fox God, whose mountain mist trapped and disoriented their forces. After the Fox God recognized Ning Zhuo’s Great Serpent Scythe and withdrew, she pointed them toward a valley in Mist Hidden Mountain’s west that she could not investigate; the pair set off to look into it despite suspecting a trap.

• Sun Lingtong defeated several of the Fox God’s generals but was poisoned by the Scorpion Spear General’s tail and retreated into the formation.
• Ning Zhuo unleashed Mechanical Fire Apes against the enemy, but the Fox God’s mist concealed false targets and then confused the apes, forcing him to use the Weather Orb - Ice Crystal Snow and Cold Snow Cloud to clear the fog.
• Sun Lingtong used Blade Art - Godslaying through her recovered dagger to wound the Fox God, who responded by revealing her true form and moving the formation out of the Cloud Fox Mountain Temple.
• The Fox God recognized Ning Zhuo’s Great Serpent Scythe, returned Sun Lingtong’s dagger, and let the pair leave without demanding payment.
• The Fox God told Ning Zhuo that a western valley lay beyond her abilities and might hold the object he sought, then disappeared into mist.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong flew away on Somersault Clouds, and Ning Zhuo decided to investigate the valley despite suspecting the Fox God had set a trap.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong discovered a hidden demonic cult in West Mountain Valley, where a Golden Core black tiger led demons who devoured human corpses. They chose to investigate further before attacking and traveled to Jade Steel Mountain to seek information, where they encountered a mining town’s entry fees.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong piloted Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon into West Mountain Valley and found a vast heap of human and beast bones.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong discovered a camp of Demon Cultivators led by a Golden Core black tiger, which fed on human corpses and let its followers fight over the leftovers.
• Sun Lingtong proposed poisoning the black tiger, but Ning Zhuo persuaded her to investigate the demons’ past raids and wanted status before attacking.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong used Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon to reach Jade Steel Mountain and disguised themselves as middle-aged Rogue Cultivators.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong approached the mining town, where guards directed them to read the posted price list and pay for mining access.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong investigated Jade Steel Town and its mines, then Ning devised a scheme involving the missing Shi Sui to test town leader Meng Zizhong. Shi Sui escaped to Meng Zizhong and was killed by him, leaving Sun Lingtong shocked that the town leader truly had a secret to hide.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong entered Jade Steel Town, learned about Meng Zizhong, and mined Jade Nurturing Profound Steel while Sun secretly concealed valuable associated ores.
• Ning Zhuo told Sun Lingtong he wanted to use Jade Steel Mountain to build up his family branch and proposed framing Meng Zizhong as an ally of the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun returned to West Mountain Valley, knocked Shi Sui unconscious, and brought him to Jade Steel Mountain.
• Ning Zhuo planted his Life Hanging by a Thread divine ability in Shi Sui and instructed him to claim he had escaped and seek justice from Meng Zizhong.
• Shi Sui reported his escape to Meng Zizhong, who questioned him and then stabbed him to death as the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon recorded the scene.
• Sun Lingtong asked Ning Zhuo how he had known Meng Zizhong had a problem.

Ning Zhuo explained how Meng Zizhong and the Black Wind Tiger Demon were connected, then traveled with Sun Lingtong to Suspended Magnet Immortal City to report the case to the prefect. The prefect examined Ning Zhuo’s evidence and reacted with alarm.

• Ning Zhuo reasoned that the Zheng Mountain God had suffered a major setback and that Meng Zizhong had used the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s raids to take control of Jade Steel Mountain and feed Rogue Cultivators to the demon.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong agreed that they needed stronger backing to claim Jade Steel Mountain, then headed to Suspended Magnet Immortal City to seek support from the local prefect.
• Sun Lingtong guided the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon past the city’s magnetic fields and tracks until it reached the prefect’s study.
• Ning Zhuo sent Heavy Armor Blood Ape Da Sheng to present the prefect with a letter and Zhu Xuanji’s royal token, then revealed himself and apologized for entering covertly.
• Ning Zhuo reported Meng Zizhong’s connection to the Black Wind Tiger Demon and handed the prefect a copied image recording, prompting the prefect to react with fear.

Ning Zhuo persuaded the Suspended Magnet Prefect and the South Bean royal house to act against Meng Zizhong without directly pursuing the politically dangerous banditry charges. His plan drove Meng Zizhong to lead the garrison toward Mist Hidden Mountain, where the Black Wind Tiger Demon confronted them.

• Ning Zhuo convinced the Suspended Magnet Prefect to report Meng Zizhong's case to the South Bean ruler, who sent Zhu Xuanji to handle it.
• Zhu Xuanji, Sun Lingtong, the Suspended Magnet Prefect, and Ning Zhuo discussed the weak evidence and the risks of openly accusing Meng Zizhong of raising bandits.
• Ning Zhuo proposed a scheme to bring Meng Zizhong down and secure Jade Steel Mountain without making the grave accusation the center of the case.
• Ning Zhuo's group spread rumors linking Meng Zizhong to the Black Wind Tiger Demon and revealing the demon's hiding place at Mist Hidden Mountain.
• The Meng Family chose to abandon Meng Zizhong, who rallied the garrison and led it toward Mist Hidden Mountain under the pretext of fighting demons.
• The Black Wind Tiger Demon discovered the approaching army and charged out of the valley with his Demon Cultivators.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong confronted the Fox God after investigating the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s crimes in West Mountain Valley. The Fox God admitted she had been coerced and offered increasingly valuable treasures to secure their protection, while Sun Lingtong pressed her for more.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong returned to Cloud Fox Mountain Temple and refused the Fox Usher’s invitation, meeting the Fox God on the mountainside instead.
• Ning Zhuo accused the Fox God of knowingly shielding the demons, and she claimed she had submitted under duress while intending to expose the conspiracy.
• Sun Lingtong accused the Fox God of using them to remove the demons and seize the vacant position of Zheng Mountain God.
• Ning Zhuo offered to protect the Fox God in exchange for payment, and she proposed ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and six Golden Core Level Walnut Mountain Essences.
• The Fox God increased her offer with Mist Embroidery Orchids, Mist Haze Stones, Purple Qi Morning Dew, and thirteen Foundation Establishment-level Ghost Shadow Bamboos.
• Sun Lingtong rejected the Fox God’s claim that she had offered her entire fortune and warned that she would face destruction if she clung to her wealth.

Ning Zhuo secured the Fox God's submission by presenting an imperial decree that appointed her Zheng Mountain God of Mist Hidden Mountain, receiving a Golden Core Level Hidden Spirit Willow and other treasures in exchange. As cultivators assembled to confront the Black Wind Tiger Demon, Meng Zizhong engaged it and used combined earth spells to bury it beneath rolling stones.

• The Fox God offered Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong a Golden Core Level Hidden Spirit Willow and other treasures in exchange for help redeeming her sins.
• Ning Zhuo presented the Fox God with an imperial decree appointing her Zheng Mountain God of Mist Hidden Mountain, and they exchanged the decree and treasures.
• The Fox God agreed to remain in place and follow Ning Zhuo's orders after receiving the decree.
• Cultivators gathered at the foot of the mountain, and the Black Wind Tiger Demon led its forces downhill to attack before they could form their array.
• Meng Zizhong confronted the Black Wind Tiger Demon and combined sand and stone spells to knock it down and suppress it beneath rolling stones.

The Black Wind Tiger Demon and Meng Zizhong fought as the demon used its transformation and regenerative arts to endure Meng Zizhong’s earth spells and press forward. Meng Zizhong bound the demon with Earth Python, while Ning Zhuo studied their tactics and casting methods.

• The Black Wind Tiger Demon broke free of the stone pile with Giant Transformation, and Ning Zhuo asked the Fox God and Sun Lingtong to assess the technique.
• Meng Zizhong trapped the demon with Flying Sand and Rolling Stone, then used Petrification, but the demon shed its damaged flesh and regenerated to escape.
• Meng Zizhong dropped boulders on the demon; it endured the blows and destroyed a hill-sized boulder with its blood qi before sending blood claws at him.
• Meng Zizhong raised an Earth Wall to block the blood claws, then struck the demon with Earth Spikes and provoked it into a furious charge.
• Meng Zizhong cast Earth Python, which coiled around the Black Wind Tiger Demon and temporarily stopped its advance, while Ning Zhuo analyzed the battle.

Ning Zhuo watched Meng Zizhong battle the Black Wind Tiger Demon, studying their spells, tactics, and the armies’ formations. With the human cultivators gaining the upper hand, Meng Zizhong countered the tiger demon’s Night Shadow Yin Evil with a mirror prepared for the fight.

• Ning Zhuo analyzed Meng Zizhong’s Earth Python Technique and Earth Spike Technique as Meng Zizhong injured the Black Wind Tiger Demon, but the demon broke free and charged.
• Meng Zizhong retreated behind Earth Wall Techniques until he ran out of room, then used a Deity Summoning Talisman to call down the Giant Spirit God and grow into a giant.
• The Black Wind Tiger Demon pressed Meng Zizhong into close combat, while Ning Zhuo assessed their strengths and shifted his attention to the armies.
• A mole Demon Cultivator broke the array disk beneath the Earth Pit Array, but the Meng family’s core members rallied the human cultivators into a mobile battle formation that began suppressing the demons.
• The Black Wind Tiger Demon unleashed Night Shadow Yin Evil, and Meng Zizhong used a mirror to restrain and disperse its shadow.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong exploited the battle between Meng Zizhong and the Black Wind Tiger Demon, forcing the Fox God to intervene before Zhu Xuanji killed the demon and stripped Meng Zizhong of his command. After claiming their agreed share of the spoils and arranging a representative for the Ning Family at Jade Steel Mountain, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong continued their journey, pleased with how profitable the affair had been.

• Meng Zizhong used military arts to turn the battle against the Black Wind Tiger Demon, while the human cultivators routed the demon’s forces.
• Sun Lingtong recognized that the Black Wind Tiger Demon was nearly exhausted, and Ning Zhuo ordered the Fox God to rescue it; She used mountain mist to pull it into Mist Hidden Mountain.
• Meng Zizhong pursued the Black Wind Tiger Demon into the mountain, where its divine seal gave it the advantage and forced him to flee badly wounded.
• Zhu Xuanji killed the weakened Black Wind Tiger Demon, then rebuked Meng Zizhong for his defeat and escorted him away from the battlefield.
• The Fox God gathered the surviving cultivators, while Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong divided the spoils; Ning Zhuo took Golden Core-level Tiger Bone and arranged for Ning Youfu to represent the Ning Family at Jade Steel Mountain.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong boarded the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon and continued their journey, with Sun Lingtong remarking that the righteous path was fun.

Ning Zhuo used the Refining Cabin to restore Buddha Physician Meng Yaoyin’s spirituality and refine Black Wind Tiger Demon’s tiger bone into a new spirit, whom he named Meng Yehu. He discovered that Meng Yehu’s Spiritual Awareness Stage could let him learn cultivation techniques, then left to inspect the Storage Cabin.

• Ning Zhuo burned discarded items in the Refining Cabin, increasing Buddha Physician Meng Yaoyin’s spirituality to roughly seventy percent.
• Ning Zhuo cremated Black Wind Tiger Demon’s tiger bone and drew in stored spirituality to form a tiger-demon spirit.
• Ning Zhuo controlled the spirit with Life Hanging by a Thread and named him Meng Yehu.
• Ning Zhuo identified Meng Yehu’s Spiritual Awareness Stage and planned to give him a mechanism body and a suitable cultivation technique.
• Ning Zhuo shut down the Refining Cabin’s formation, decided to reserve it for high-grade materials, and went to inspect the Storage Cabin.

Ning Zhuo inspected the treasures hidden in the Storage Cabin and planned to cultivate the Hidden Spirit Willow and design Meng Yehu’s mechanism body. At Ten Thousand Medicines Valley, Lin Shanshan encountered Ning Zhuo, who had come seeking instruction.

• Ning Zhuo examined the Walnut Mountain Essences, Mist Embroidery Orchids, Mist Haze Stones, and other treasures, reflecting that he would not pursue the Fox God’s talent.
• Ning Zhuo decided the Hidden Spirit Willow needed to be transplanted into a Spirit Plant Cabin and that he would first design and refine Meng Yehu’s mechanism body.
• Sun Lingtong told Ning Zhuo to cultivate while she watched the course of the Mechanism Swimming Dragon and promised to call him when they reached Ten Thousand Medicines Valley.
• Lin Shanshan brought breakfast to Linghu Jiu, who was guarding Ten Thousand Demons Cave, and scolded him for drinking and neglecting his duty.
• Lin Shanshan encountered Ning Zhuo beside a pool, and he introduced himself as a visitor from Fire Persimmon Mountain seeking instruction.

Ning Zhuo used My Buddha Heart Demon Seal to influence Lin Shanshan during a staged encounter in Ten Thousand Medicines Valley, persuading her to guide him and secure him better lodging. He settled on Small Contention Peak with a favorable impression from Lin Shanshan, while keeping his larger search for the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat ahead of him.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong arranged a chance encounter with Lin Shanshan, and Ning Zhuo secretly used his divine power and My Buddha Heart Demon Seal to influence her.
• Ning Zhuo persuaded Lin Shanshan to guide him from Great Contention Peak to Small Contention Peak while he asked questions and won her favor.
• At Small Contention Peak, Lin Shanshan asked a sect member to assign Ning Zhuo a better cave dwelling, and he received number two hundred and eighty-one.
• Ning Zhuo offered Lin Shanshan two Mist Embroidery Orchids before taking his token, and she regarded him as simple and adorably foolish.

Ning Zhuo settled into a high-ranked cave dwelling on Small Contention Peak, attracting the interest of merchant Li Jingqing, who wanted the dwelling for its commercial advantages. Meanwhile, Lin Shanshan’s father learned that Han Zhou had challenged Ning Zhuo and saw his daughter’s unexpected concern for the newcomer.

• A sect disciple warned Ning Zhuo that he could lose his cave dwelling if challenged, and Ning Zhuo gave the disciple ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Li Jingqing learned from the disciple that Ning Zhuo had met Lin Shanshan for the first time, but still decided to pursue the cave dwelling because its ranking brought valuable trading benefits.
• After failing to gather much information about Ning Zhuo, Li Jingqing chose Han Zhou to help him take action against Ning Zhuo.
• Lin Shanshan brought tea and snacks to Lin Bufan, who watched recordings of Small Contention Peak battles and discussed the fighters, including Han Zhou.
• Lin Bufan noticed that Han Zhou had challenged Ning Zhuo, and Lin Shanshan explained who Ning Zhuo was and worried about his chances.

Ning Zhuo refined his third Adamantine Mirror and cultivated while Sun Lingtong gathered intelligence about Ten Thousand Medicines Valley. Sun Lingtong’s reports revealed the valley’s geography, spiritual resources, and the roles of its four surrounding mountains.

• Ning Zhuo forged a White Faced Adamantine core, wrapped it with purified Tea Copper, and added restrictions to create another Adamantine Mirror.
• Ning Zhuo reflected that he needed an artifact-refining furnace but avoided external workshops to protect the secret Three Sects Forefathers' Techniques.
• Ning Zhuo resumed cultivating the Buddhist, Daoist, and demonic arts while using extra spirit stones to maintain high spiritual energy in his cave dwelling.
• Ning Zhuo let Sun Lingtong into his cave dwelling after the mechanical bird signaled her arrival.
• Sun Lingtong’s intelligence described Medicine Field Mountain’s herb terraces, Small Contention Peak’s foreign cultivators, Great Contention Peak’s history of battles, and Original Mountain’s sect buildings and sleeping mountain god.
• Sun Lingtong’s report explained that Ten Thousand Medicines Valley’s spirit springs and Underground River sustained the sect’s medicinal herbs and the Six Harmonies Longevity Formation.

Ning Zhuo learned that obtaining the Ten Thousand Medicines Sect’s inherited Fetal Breath Spirit Boat would require him to rise through the ranks at Small Contention Peak, while he and Sun Lingtong also kept theft as a last resort. After Han Zhou challenged him, Lin Shanshan warned Ning Zhuo about Han Zhou’s unusual spirit-focused cultivation and took him to the Martial Arts Arena to assess his fighting style, leaving Sun Lingtong to return to an empty cave dwelling.

• Sun Lingtong explained that the Nascent Soul sect master Lin Bufan carried the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat and gave Ning Zhuo intelligence on the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators at Small Contention Peak.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong agreed to gather information openly and consider stealing the spirit boat only as a last resort; Ning Zhuo received a challenge letter from Han Zhou.
• Ning Zhuo studied Han Zhou’s intelligence and learned that he excelled at close combat, had remarkable defenses, and was likely cultivating both upper and lower dantians.
• Lin Shanshan visited Ning Zhuo, revealed that Li Jingqing had arranged Han Zhou’s challenge, and warned that Han Zhou’s cultivation art could inflict hunger and cold.
• Lin Shanshan gave Ning Zhuo Bigu pills and a Heart Warming Pendant, then accompanied him to the Martial Arts Arena so she could assess his combat methods.
• Sun Lingtong returned with Fire Element Talismans but found Ning Zhuo gone from the cave dwelling.