Chapter Summaries

Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu entered a hidden formation beneath Ten Thousand Demons Cave, and Ning Zhuo realized that Lin Bufan had been pursuing the buried Five Elements inheritance. After Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong escaped to Original Mountain, Lin Bufan activated the Mountain Protecting Grand Array and accused Ning Jiu Fan of pretending.

• Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu discovered that a falling water droplet concealed the Jade Leak Still Dripping Array and entered its formation space.
• Sun Lingtong identified a path through the inner formation, but Ning Zhuo left without Linghu Jiu and escaped with her through a Withered Well to Original Mountain.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong concluded that Lin Bufan had secretly pursued the inheritance beneath Ten Thousand Demons Cave and suspected he was watching Ning Jiu Fan.
• Ning Zhuo decided to wait rather than contact Ning Jiu Fan, expecting Lin Bufan's next move to reveal his intentions.
• Lin Bufan activated the Mountain Protecting Grand Array across Ten Thousand Medicines Valley and accused Ning Jiu Fan of acting.

Ning Zhuo tried to turn Lin Bufan’s confrontation with the Ning Family into a chance to negotiate, but Lin Bufan activated the Mountain Suppression Array and accused him of kidnapping Lin Shanshan. Ning Zhuo explained the danger surrounding Ten Thousand Demons Cave to Lin Shanshan and claimed reinforcements were coming, as Zhu Xuanji arrived outside the valley.

• Lin Bufan accused Ning Jiu Fan of plotting to seize the Lilang Reflection Wall, subdued him, and learned that he held official rank and had ties to the Zhu Family.
• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong discussed Lin Bufan’s motives and decided to help him calm down rather than fight him, while Lin Bufan ordered the sect to search the valley for Ning Zhuo.
• Ning Zhuo sent Lin Bufan letters threatening to detonate hidden fire essences and expose the secrets of Ten Thousand Demons Cave, then Lin Bufan discovered that Ning Zhuo had taken Lin Shanshan and Xiao Ju.
• Ning Zhuo explained his discoveries in Ten Thousand Demons Cave to Lin Shanshan and asked her to persuade her father to avoid a disastrous conflict.
• Ning Zhuo told Lin Shanshan that reinforcements would arrive soon, while Zhu Xuanji reached the outskirts of Ten Thousand Medicines Valley and questioned the threat described in Ning Zhuo’s letter.

Zhu Xuanji rushed to Ten Thousand Medicines Valley after receiving Ning Zhuo’s alarming plea for help, but found Ning Zhuo safe beside Lin Shanshan. Their public reunion sparked rumors of an elopement, while Linghu Jiu remained trapped in a formation within Ten Thousand Demons Cave.

• Zhu Xuanji received Ning Zhuo’s letter warning of danger tied to Ten Thousand Demons Cave and the Five Elements Divine Lord, then reported it to the Monarch.
• Zhu Zhu explained that Zhu Xuanji’s ties to Ning Zhuo made him a Child of Calamity’s karmic entanglement, and the Monarch ordered him to investigate the Ten Thousand Medicines Sect with Shen Lingshu.
• Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu reached Ten Thousand Medicines Valley as the Mountain Suppression Array rose, and Lin Bufan opened the formation to receive them.
• Ning Zhuo appeared safely with Lin Shanshan, apologized for the alarm, and Lin Bufan deactivated the array and welcomed the visitors.
• The sect members speculated that Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan had eloped, while Hua Gu Zi grew jealous and Ning Zhuo’s senior brothers rushed to find their missing Eldest Brother.
• Linghu Jiu paced inside a formation at Ten Thousand Demons Cave and called for Ning Zhuo’s help.

Lin Bufan recounted how he discovered the Lilang Reflection Wall and used his tea and pastries to explain his long efforts and reconcile with Ning Zhuo’s group. Ning Zhuo left impressed by Lin Bufan’s skill in handling people and resolved to rely less on divine powers.

• Ning Jiu Fan and Ning Zhuo pressed Lin Bufan to explain the Lilang Reflection Wall while Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu listened.
• Lin Bufan explained that Zhang Huaixu’s image had guided him to the Grass Script True Words, helping him form a nascent soul, and that he had spent over a century seeking the Reflection Wall’s favor.
• Lin Bufan served his Mountains and Rivers, Old Friends tea and revealed that the Lilang Reflection Wall preserved images of figures who could grant inheritances.
• Lin Bufan explained that Linghu Jiu’s drunken encounters with ancient sages came from the Reflection Wall, and that Ning Zhuo had discovered the secret after receiving the Five Elements Divine Lord’s inheritance.
• Lin Bufan served Scattered Flowers Broken Jade and used the pastries to describe his changing hopes for the younger generation, easing the tension with Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu.
• Ning Zhuo admired Lin Bufan’s social skill and decided to depend less on divine powers and develop his own abilities.

Zhu Xuanji led the group toward the Lilang Reflection Wall after Ning Zhuo and Lin Bufan traded accusations about the earlier conflict. Shen Lingshu divined their fortunes before the expedition began, but Linghu Jiu’s projection blocked the way and challenged Ning Zhuo to a duel, with the Five Elements Divine Lord insisting Ning Zhuo had to fight.

• Ning Zhuo and Lin Bufan exchanged polite barbs over who had caused the disturbance, until Zhu Xuanji stopped them and directed the group to inspect the Lilang Reflection Wall.
• Lin Bufan explained that ancient arrays protected the Reflection Wall and that his sect had only penetrated the outer layers, so Zhu Xuanji asked Shen Lingshu to divine their fortunes.
• Shen Lingshu calculated each person’s fate and the journey’s overall fortune, then warned Ning Zhuo not to approach him again.
• Lin Shanshan insisted on joining the expedition to rescue Linghu Jiu, and Lin Bufan led the group through the secret mountain passage.
• A projection of Linghu Jiu emerged from the fog and challenged Ning Zhuo, while Shen Lingshu recognized the encounter as the guidance foretold by his divination.
• The Five Elements Divine Lord ordered Ning Zhuo to fight Linghu Jiu and warned that Ning Zhuo could not enter if he lost.

Ning Zhuo fought Linghu Jiu in a duel that could affect the benefits and future ties between the Ning Clan and the Ten Thousand Medicines Sect. After Linghu Jiu’s Wine Forest Swordplay wounded Ning Zhuo, Ning Zhuo decided to stop testing himself and counter with a Wood Element Spell.

• Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu exchanged courteous words before Linghu Jiu launched the first attack with his sword.
• Linghu Jiu used the Wine Forest Swordplay, which he had created with Lin Shanshan, to pressure Ning Zhuo and land several blows despite Ning Zhuo’s Demon-Tainted Blood Tendon Art.
• Ning Zhuo adapted to the swordplay and challenged Linghu Jiu, but Linghu Jiu’s later techniques concealed attacks within his defenses and inflicted a deep wound that hindered Ning Zhuo’s healing.
• Lin Bufan recognized the shadow of the Solitary Sword Scripture in Linghu Jiu’s final technique, while Ning Zhuo praised the swordplay and resolved to win the consequential battle.
• Ning Zhuo announced that he was getting serious and cast Roots and Vines Entanglement, sending roots and vines toward Linghu Jiu.

Ning Zhuo fought Linghu Jiu in a spell sparring match, using Wood Element Spells and battlefield tactics before being overwhelmed by Linghu Jiu’s Water Element attacks. After studying Water Strike Three Thousand during the fight, Ning Zhuo adapted and cast his own version, astonishing the spectators.

• Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu exchanged Wood and Water Element Spells, with Ning Zhuo using Tree World Descent and Life-Stealing Flower Bloom to press the attack.
• Linghu Jiu used Water Strike Three Thousand to destroy Ning Zhuo’s forest and then drove him back in close combat, leaving Ning Zhuo badly wounded.
• Linghu Jiu challenged Ning Zhuo to use his Mechanical Creations, but Ning Zhuo instead questioned how Linghu Jiu had cast Water Strike Three Thousand.
• Ning Zhuo unleashed a version of Water Strike Three Thousand that sent many streams of water surging at Linghu Jiu, prompting the spectators to marvel at his in-battle comprehension.

Ning Zhuo impressed the spectators by copying Linghu Jiu’s water spells, then battled him with spells and mechanical creations until Linghu Jiu gained the upper hand with his Solitary Sword Scripture. Lin Shanshan intervened to prevent a fatal clash, and both fighters claimed defeat after Ning Zhuo’s Great Serpent Scythe revealed a power that astonished the Five Elements Divine Lord and Lin Bufan.

• Ning Zhuo’s imitation of Water Strike Three Thousand convinced the spectators that his Five Elements realm had reached grandmaster level, and the Five Elements Divine Lord praised his rare comprehension and immortal aptitude.
• Ning Zhuo copied more of Linghu Jiu’s spells, but Linghu Jiu used wind techniques and sword arts to break through his defenses.
• Ning Zhuo released thirty mechanical creations and combined them with wood and water spells, driving Linghu Jiu close to defeat.
• Linghu Jiu broke free with River Moon Like a Dream and used Snowy Sky Lonely Boat to pursue Ning Zhuo despite his teleportation.
• Ning Zhuo summoned Da Sheng and drew the Great Serpent Scythe, while Lin Shanshan intervened to stop Linghu Jiu’s dangerous Horizon Lonely Snow.
• Ning Zhuo diverted his scythe strike as Linghu Jiu stopped his sword at Ning Zhuo’s throat; both claimed defeat, and the Five Elements Divine Lord and Lin Bufan reacted to the lingering purple slash mark.

Ning Zhuo and the others were led through the Lilang Reflection Wall’s layers of defenses and granted an audience with Quiet Jade Immortal Consort. She revealed that the wall had been created to seal the Peerless Demon Nest and that its dharma bodies had fought the nest’s demon beasts for generations.

• Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu’s spar ended in a draw, and Lin Shanshan realized she had underestimated Ning Zhuo.
• Lonely Sword Sovereign examined Ning Zhuo’s Night Rain Dynasty sickle, while Zhu Xuanji questioned the ancient figures about their lack of knowledge of later history.
• Zhang Huaixu led Ning Zhuo, Lin Bufan, and the others through the nested formations to meet Quiet Jade Immortal Consort, leaving Lin Bufan dismayed by the defenses protecting the wall.
• The group saw the true Lilang Reflection Wall and its spectacular surroundings, including a school of fish that Zhu Xuanji identified as Ten Thousand Year Water Essence.
• Quiet Jade Immortal Consort brought the group inside the wall and showed them the Peerless Demon Nest, explaining that the Martial Emperor and his allies had created the wall to seal it and that its dharma bodies had battled its demon beasts over the ages.

Ning Zhuo and the others witnessed Linghu Jiu fighting demon beasts at the Peerless Demon Nest, then received gifts and learned why the Lilang Reflection Wall needed their help. Quiet Jade Immortal Consort revealed that a great calamity and a possible fourth Imperial Dynasty would arise in several hundred years, and Ning Zhuo ended the chapter asking why the Reflection Wall withdrew whenever an Imperial Dynasty appeared.

• Ning Zhuo and the others watched Linghu Jiu struggle against demon beasts on the perimeter of the Peerless Demon Nest, where he eventually used the Solitary Sword Scripture to kill one.
• Ning Zhuo praised Quiet Jade Immortal Consort and the ancient sages for guarding the human world for ten thousand years, and Sima Zhong appeared and offered Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji, Sun Lingtong, and Linghu Jiu one Ten Thousand Year Water Essence each.
• The Five Elements Divine Lord explained that the group could earn other demon materials by fighting or leaving dharma bodies behind, while Quiet Jade Immortal Consort warned Ning Zhuo against repeating the Divine Lord’s attempt to seize the authority of the five elements.
• Quiet Jade Immortal Consort explained that the Lilang Reflection Wall had grown into a quasi-immortal treasure by absorbing demon materials and needed talented descendants’ projections to keep suppressing the adapting Peerless Demon Nest.
• Quiet Jade Immortal Consort predicted a great calamity and a possible fourth Imperial Dynasty in several hundred years, and Ning Zhuo asked why the Reflection Wall withdrew from the world whenever an Imperial Dynasty arose.

Xu Xing explained why the Lilang Reflection Wall could not withstand newly emerged Outer Daos, and Quiet Jade Immortal Consort negotiated an alliance to recruit powerful young cultivators and strengthen the wall. After Ning Zhuo secured a large share for the Ning Family, he visited Ten Thousand Medicines Valley, helped restore the Hidden Spirit Willow, and took the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat while secretly planning to burn it for Mother's spirituality.

• Xu Xing explained that the Lilang Reflection Wall could not reflect Outer Daos until heaven and earth had absorbed them, and that it hid itself during the rise of new dynasties.
• Quiet Jade Immortal Consort sought cooperation from Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji, and their allies to recruit talented cultivators and bolster the wall before a future dynasty forced it into seclusion.
• Ning Zhuo and Ning Jiu Fan negotiated for three days and nights, winning the Ning Family a substantial share of the alliance's benefits.
• Ning Zhuo and Ning Jiu Fan visited Ten Thousand Medicines Valley, where Lin Bufan showed them the recovering Hidden Spirit Willow and Ning Zhuo placed two portions of Ten Thousand Year Water Essence into the spirit spring.
• Lin Bufan lent Ning Zhuo the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat, and Ning Zhuo took it away while planning to burn it for Mother's spirituality once he was far from Lin Bufan.

After obtaining the spirit boat, Ning Zhuo tried to master the Five Elements spells in the Ten Thousand Medicines Sect while setting aside his search into his mysterious immortal aptitude. His remarkable comprehension impressed Lao De, and Ning Zhuo used the encounter to ease tensions ahead of the sect’s planned exchanges with the Ning lineage.

• Ning Zhuo learned that the Lilang Reflection Wall could not heal Meng Yaoyin’s dao injury, and Sun Lingtong urged him to stay patient and finish his remaining duties before leaving.
• Ning Zhuo examined the Golden Dragon Breaking Formation chart, quickly comprehended its spell, and identified flaws he could refine.
• The Five Elements Divine Lord advised Ning Zhuo not to investigate his immortal aptitude until the answer came naturally, so Ning Zhuo chose to focus on healing his mother.
• Lao De brought Ning Zhuo Five Elements Law Comprehension Charts, and Ning Zhuo swiftly manifested the Scorching Sun Burns the World spell and fused fire and water after studying the charts.
• Lao De’s resentment turned into admiration as he witnessed Ning Zhuo’s comprehension, and Ning Zhuo sent him to gather the remaining charts while privately using the encounter to smooth the way for future Ning lineage members in the sect.

Ning Zhuo attended a farewell banquet with Linghu Jiu and Lin Shanshan, where they shared wine, discussed their alliance, and prepared for their coming separation. Linghu Jiu decided to scout Fire Persimmon Immortal City, while Ning Zhuo left him useful information and asked Lin Shanshan to watch over the Hidden Spirit Willow.

• Linghu Jiu welcomed Ning Zhuo to a banquet with Lin Shanshan and served his Three Thousand Peach Blossoms wine, which he had brewed using Ten Thousand Year Water Essence.
• Ning Zhuo apologized to Lin Shanshan for his past actions, and Linghu Jiu said their past conflict had led to a successful secret alliance.
• Linghu Jiu told Ning Zhuo about the combat experience he had gained fighting demons in the Lilang Reflection Wall and asked to keep Ning Zhuo's image before he left.
• Lin Shanshan revealed that Lin Bufan wanted Linghu Jiu to lead a team to scout Fire Persimmon Immortal City, and Linghu Jiu decided to go.
• Ning Zhuo gave Linghu Jiu a jade slip about Fire Persimmon Immortal City and the Magma Immortal Palace, then asked Lin Shanshan to watch over the Hidden Spirit Willow and let Hua Gu Zi remain nearby.

Ning Zhuo received Ning Jiu Fan’s warnings and plans as he prepared to leave Ten Thousand Medicines Valley for Two Injections Country. Zhu Xuanji revealed that Two Injections Country was mobilizing against Thousand Peaks Forest, where Ning Zhuo’s next destination, the Six Caves Sect, had once betrayed the Ning Family.

• Ning Zhuo urged Ning Jiu Fan to be cautious in Fire Persimmon Immortal City and warned him not to let Yuan Lao rashly cultivate the royal family’s demon technique.
• Ning Jiu Fan told Ning Zhuo that Taiqing Palace had refused the Ning Family’s offer of cooperation and described its growing interest in the Immortal Palace.
• Ning Jiu Fan recounted the Six Caves Sect’s betrayal of the Ning Family during its migration and advised Ning Zhuo to act against them only when an opportunity arose.
• Ning Zhuo arranged for Hua Gu Zi to remain in Ten Thousand Medicines Valley, sent Han Zhou with Ning Jiu Fan to Jade Steel Mountain, and planned to spread the Bitter Cold Scripture among the Ning Branch Family.
• Ning Zhuo secretly departed for Two Injections Country, where Zhu Xuanji warned him that the country was massing troops to eradicate Thousand Peaks Forest.
• Zhu Xuanji explained that North Wind Country influenced Two Injections Country’s northern forces and preferred Thousand Peaks Forest to remain divided among many powers.

Ning Zhuo left Ten Thousand Medicines Valley to continue his search for a way to restore his mother's spirituality, after Zhu Xuanji refused to help him obtain the Ten Thousand Year Fire Essence but revealed he had quietly cleared the way for Ning Zhuo to burn the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat. As Ning Zhuo departed, Shen Lingshu and Zhu Xuanji discussed the royal family's investigation into whether Ning Zhuo possessed a Royal Mandate or the Divine Power: Life Hanging by a Thread.

• Ning Zhuo weighed Zhu Xuanji's hint that he should aid Thousand Peaks Forest against Ning Jiu Fan's instruction to oppose Six Caves Sect, and agreed to help when circumstances allowed.
• Ning Zhuo asked Zhu Xuanji to help him obtain the Ten Thousand Year Fire Essence, but Zhu Xuanji refused to interfere in Fire Persimmon Immortal City's affairs and advised him to seek the mountain's more spiritual essence.
• Ning Zhuo explained that restoring his mother's spirituality mattered more than the essence and admitted he planned to burn the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat; he thanked Zhu Xuanji for blocking alliance clauses that would have restricted him.
• Zhu Xuanji warned Ning Zhuo that his journey might not succeed, but Ning Zhuo vowed to give it everything he had and left Ten Thousand Medicines Valley aboard the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon.
• Lin Shanshan decided not to see Ning Zhuo off and reassured herself that they would remain in contact through his promised letters.
• Zhu Xuanji told Shen Lingshu that Ning Zhuo's uncanny fortune had benefited the Zhu Family, while Shen Lingshu's investigation was meant to determine whether Ning Zhuo had a Royal Mandate or the Divine Power: Life Hanging by a Thread.

Shen Lingshu and Zhu Xuanji investigated whether Ning Zhuo’s fate was linked to the Life Hanging by a Thread divine ability and decided to secretly observe Mist Hidden Mountain’s mountain god. Meanwhile, three Golden Core cultivators prepared to ambush Ning Jiu Fan near Jade Steel Mountain.

• Shen Lingshu told Zhu Xuanji that My Buddha Heart Demon Seal suppressed Ning Zhuo’s fate but did not disguise it, leaving his Royal Mandate and possible mastery of Life Hanging by a Thread uncertain.
• Shen Lingshu explained that several people’s fates were closely entangled with Ning Zhuo’s, though their existing relationships could also account for the connections.
• Zhu Xuanji argued that Ning Zhuo likely had not mastered Life Hanging by a Thread, and suggested checking their fate connection again after Ning Zhuo had left the country.
• Shen Lingshu and Zhu Xuanji chose to investigate Mist Hidden Mountain’s Zheng Mountain God in secret, suspecting Ning Zhuo had influenced the deity into giving him the Hidden Spirit Willow.
• Three Golden Core cultivators received word that Ning Jiu Fan was heading to Jade Steel Mountain and prepared to kill him before fleeing beyond the borders.

While Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon traveled through the void, Ning Zhuo tried to cremate the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat to help save his Mother. The boat protected itself by revealing the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method, leaving Ning Zhuo with a valuable cultivation method but no way to burn the vessel until he mastered it.

• Sun Lingtong watched Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon traverse the void and regretted that Ning Zhuo had hurried away before seeing it.
• Ning Zhuo examined the miniature Fetal Breath Spirit Boat and rejected the chance to keep it for his own cultivation because he was focused on saving his Mother.
• Ning Zhuo used the Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Scripture, and his fire-path attainment made the flames more powerful and controlled.
• The Fetal Breath Spirit Boat resisted the flames with a fetal membrane and revealed the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method.
• Ning Zhuo realized the spirit boat had entered a fetal-breath state and concluded that he needed to master the method before he could cremate it.

Ning Zhuo tried to comprehend the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method and suffered Cultivation Deviation after recklessly attempting to practice it. Sun Lingtong saved him and confined him for seven days, then reflected on how his desperation reminded her of her own past search for her missing master.

• Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong decided to let the Hidden Spirit Willow recover while he studied the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method on his own.
• Ning Zhuo unconsciously tried to circulate the method, forced his way through an obstruction, and collapsed after suffering Cultivation Deviation.
• Sun Lingtong sensed that something was wrong, found Ning Zhuo collapsed, and treated him with medicinal pills and magical power.
• After waking a day and night later, Ning Zhuo admitted his mistake, and Sun Lingtong ordered him to spend seven days in confinement without cultivating.
• Sun Lingtong watched Ning Zhuo return to his cabin and reflected on how his desperate pursuit resembled her past efforts to find her missing master.

Sun Lingtong reflected on how she and Ning Zhuo had helped each other endure their pain, then studied the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method. After Ning Zhuo recognized his reckless mistake and resolved to be more humble, Sun Lingtong arrived at Thousand Peaks Forest and began following a group of hooded cultivators.

• Sun Lingtong realized Ning Zhuo’s presence had helped keep her from a Cultivation Deviation, and she had confined him to force him to rest.
• Sun Lingtong began comprehending the Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method while Ning Zhuo reflected on his impatience and regretted cultivating it himself.
• Ning Zhuo acknowledged that his recent gains had made him arrogant and resolved to remain humble and cautious.
• Several days later, Sun Lingtong reached Thousand Peaks Forest, a vast and dangerous land dominated by Sky Pillar Giant Woods and warring deities.
• Sun Lingtong spotted hooded cultivators moving across a giant wood and guided the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon down to follow them.

Sun Lingtong secretly followed hooded cultivators into a Sky Pillar Giant Wood, where they sacrificed themselves in a failed attempt to reach an unknown power. He investigated the cave beyond their array and discovered that the aura above the Nascent Soul Level came from a dead Transformation Spirit expert.

• Sun Lingtong followed the hooded cultivators through the cave-filled mountain and memorized their winding route.
• The cultivators entered a cavern hall and activated an unfamiliar array aimed at a huge cave entrance.
• The array consumed the Qi Refinement cultivators as sacrifices, then the Foundation Establishment leaders killed themselves to strengthen it, but nothing answered.
• Sun Lingtong sent the Ten Thousand Miles Swimming Dragon into the cave and found a smooth, round stone that carried an aura above the Nascent Soul Level.
• Sun Lingtong confirmed that the Transformation Spirit expert had already died.