Chapter Summaries

Su Bai tested his new Lightning Law Sword Control Technique by fleeing Thunder Island and outrunning Chen Shuo, a Golden Core guard captain. When Chen Shuo pursued him with a teleportation talisman, Su Bai revealed a merman disguise and claimed to belong to the Merman Royal Clan, leaving Chen Shuo wary and demanding an explanation.

• Su Bai told Du Ling to remain in the market, temper her Dao Heart, and prepare for a Golden Core breakthrough, promising to find her a Breakthrough Pill.
• Su Bai left Thunder Island, and guards pursued him until his Lightning Law Sword Control Technique let him outpace them and draw the attention of Chen Shuo.
• Su Bai confirmed he could keep ahead of Chen Shuo, then used a Black Sky Talisman to teleport ten thousand li away.
• Chen Shuo followed with a lightning teleportation talisman and reappeared less than a thousand zhang from Su Bai.
• Su Bai activated the Tidal Song Sacred Vein, transformed into a merman, and claimed he belonged to the Merman Royal Clan.
• Chen Shuo stopped his attack, recognized Su Bai's strong Merfolk Bloodline, and demanded to know why he had infiltrated Thunder Island.

Su Bai returned to Heavenly Star City after confronting Chen Shuo, then cultivated in the Water Pavilion Secret Realm until he reached Peak Foundation Establishment at thirty. Confident he could advance to Golden Core, he decided to return to Qingzhou and review his past before attempting the breakthrough.

• Su Bai disguised as a merman and intimidated Chen Shuo, who warned him not to enter Thunder Island through improper channels again.
• Su Bai escaped across the sea, returned through the teleportation array to Heavenly Star City, and entered the Water Pavilion Secret Realm through the Zhang Family's Teleportation Pavilion.
• After several months of seclusion, Su Bai used a High-grade Lightning Origin Pill to break through to Peak Foundation Establishment.
• Su Bai assessed his strengthened Spiritual Power and Spiritual Sense, and considered his chances of advancing to the Golden Core Stage.
• After cultivating for another month, Su Bai left the secret realm and set out for Qingzhou.

Su Bai told True Man He he intended to advance to the Golden Core Stage, and his master gave him pills and offered him a leading role in the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering if he succeeded. After making arrangements in Heavenly Star City, Su Bai returned to Qingzhou through the Azure Fish Hall’s teleportation network and arrived at Azure Fish Island.

• True Man He emerged from refining a Nascent Soul Realm Breakthrough Pill, and Su Bai told him he had reached Peak Foundation Establishment and planned to pursue Golden Core Formation.
• True Man He explained that the Heavenly Star Alliance planned an exchange with the Southern Sea Cultivation World and said Su Bai could lead the Star Luo Pill Pavilion delegation to the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering after reaching the Golden Core Stage.
• True Man He gave Su Bai Profound Gold Pills and three third-tier pills to aid his advancement, while Su Bai said he would form his Golden Core outside the secret realm.
• Su Bai met with his acquaintances in Heavenly Star City, made arrangements with Zhang Ying, and left the Profound Pill Market.
• Su Bai used the Star Sea Teleportation Area to travel closer to Azure Fish Island, then continued by boat in his Azure Fish Hall disguise and reached the island’s docks.

Su Bai left Azure Fish Hall, returned to Yan Kingdom, and reunited with his sister Su Yao, the Empress. After healing her lingering injuries, he decided to establish a cultivation system in Yan Kingdom and began by having Su Yao gather the young Su Family descendants.

• Su Bai canceled his Azure Fish Hall assassin identity, collected his seventy-five thousand Spirit Stones, and took the teleportation route back to Qingzhou.
• Su Bai returned to Yan Kingdom after six years and found that the Imperial Palace had expanded and Su Yao was ruling as Empress.
• Su Yao told Su Bai that she had led Yan Kingdom’s armies to victory and expansion, but an enemy Cultivator had injured her during a campaign.
• Su Bai used the Spring Return Spell to heal Su Yao’s lingering injuries, and she eagerly asked him to return and heal her again.
• Su Bai decided to start a family-state cultivation system in Yan Kingdom and had Su Yao gather young Su Family descendants for selection.

Su Bai established the Su Family’s first cultivation branch by finding four spirit-rooted relatives and teaching them the basics of cultivation. He returned to the Jade Mist Sect after six years, where Xu Shangran was shocked to learn Su Bai had reached Peak Foundation Establishment.

• Su Bai tested tens of thousands of Su Family members and found four with spirit roots, including one with a Three Spirit Root.
• Su Bai named the four relatives the founding members of the Su Family Inner Family, gave them a cultivation manual, and appointed Su Yao acting Family Head in his absence.
• Su Bai taught the four cultivation and spirit-plant methods, left them a supply of spirit pills, and departed for the Jade Mist Sect.
• Su Bai returned to the Jade Mist Sect and visited the Sword Academy, where disciples recognized him as its Deputy Academy Master.
• Xu Shangran saw Su Bai and was astonished that he had reached Peak Foundation Establishment.

Su Bai returned to the Sword Academy, persuaded Xu Shangran to remain Academy Master, and expounded his Five Elements Yin-Yang Transformation of Sword Dao to the disciples. After leaving behind a lightning sword-control technique, he visited old acquaintances and sent Jiang Han a message.

• Xu Shangran offered to give Su Bai the Academy Master position, but Su Bai persuaded him to stay and discussed the sect's Golden Core opportunity.
• Su Bai expounded the Five Elements Yin-Yang Transformation of Sword Dao to the Sword Academy, and Xu Shangran gained new insight into sword cultivation.
• Su Bai left the Sword Academy a Quasi-Second Tier Lightning Light Sword Control Technique for its disciples.
• Su Bai caught up with Zhao Shanhe, Jin Yangsheng, Hong Yi, and other Sword Academy acquaintances.
• Su Bai visited Steward Su and Steward Lin, learned what had become of his former Outer Court peers, and departed without approaching them.
• Su Bai sent Jiang Han a message with a Myriad Crane.

Su Bai returned to the Jade Mist Sect, encouraged Zhao Shanhe to pursue Foundation Establishment, and received two Divine Ability Jade Slips from Qin Lin. After learning Jiang Han was waiting for him, Su Bai traveled to Anran Town and reunited with his Foundation Establishment friend.

• Su Bai shared sword-path guidance with the Sword Academy Disciples and updated his recorded Cultivation Realm at the Internal Affairs Hall.
• While playing chess, Su Bai steadied Zhao Shanhe’s Dao heart, and Zhao Shanhe hurried off to seek Foundation Establishment.
• Qin Lin gave Su Bai two second-tier high-grade Divine Ability Jade Slips and wished him well before Su Bai prepared to leave the sect.
• Su Bai received Jiang Han’s reply, left the Jade Mist Sect, and flew to the Peach Blossom Spring Inn in Anran Town.
• Jiang Han recognized that he could not see through Su Bai’s Cultivation Realm, and Su Bai revealed he had reached Peak Foundation Establishment.

Su Bai learned that the Immortal Palace had shifted its attention away from Qingzhou and set out to find a Water-rich Spirit Land where he could advance to Golden Core. He found a cavern beneath a waterfall guarded by an X Tier White Demonic Python and began fighting it.

• Jiang Han told Su Bai that the Immortal Palace had left Qingzhou without Golden Core oversight and might recall its remaining members from the war in Qianyuan.
• Su Bai gave Jiang Han a Jade Slip marked with his miniature alchemy furnace's aura so they could contact each other in the Demon Star Sea, and Jiang Han explained that an Immortal Gu implanted by the Immortal Palace could not be removed.
• After leaving Jiang Han, Su Bai searched the Yunhai Spirit Plain for a lasting Water-rich Spirit Land where he could advance to Golden Core.
• Su Bai discovered a cavern behind a waterfall with Water Spiritual Energy comparable to the Water Pavilion Secret Realm, but an X Tier White Demonic Python attacked him.
• Su Bai dodged the python's charge and used Myriad Lightning Sword Prison to blast its head, then unleashed a second stage of the technique when the wounded beast survived.

Su Bai killed the White Demonic Python and used the cavern behind its waterfall to break through to Early Golden Core. After awakening a powerful divine soul, he considered which divine ability to inscribe on his Golden Core as his Lifeblood Divine Ability.

• Su Bai overwhelmed the White Demonic Python with lightning sword nets, then pierced its head with the Soaring Dragon Sword and Natal Sword Qi.
• Su Bai retrieved the python's X Tier demon core and let its body fall into the pool to keep other demonic beasts away from the waterfall cavern.
• Su Bai arranged defensive and Warning Arrays in the cavern, meditated for three days, and began his breakthrough with advancement pills and the Profound Gold Pill.
• Su Bai formed a Golden Core, reached Early Golden Core, and found that his Spiritual Sense could cover a hundred li.
• Su Bai briefly sent his newly formed divine soul out of his body, then considered which divine ability to inscribe on his Golden Core.

After stabilizing his Golden Core cultivation, Su Bai planned to refine a Houtian Spirit Treasure using his Formless Sword Soul and decided to seek an Artifact Forging Talent. He left the fading spirit land and traveled by sword toward a Teleportation Array leading to the Demon Star Sea.

• Su Bai considered choosing a Third-Tier Sword Dao Divine Ability and concluded that he would need to study artifact forging to make a Houtian Spirit Treasure from his Formless Sword Soul.
• After more than half a year in seclusion, Su Bai stabilized his Golden Core cultivation and realized he had advanced at age thirty.
• Su Bai decided not to return to the Jade Mist Sect, since his recorded Three-Attribute Spirit Root could not explain his rapid advancement, and planned to return to the Demon Star Sea instead.
• Su Bai found that the temporary spirit land was fading, emerged through the waterfall, and tested his Golden Escape Light and Lightning Law Sword Control Technique.
• Su Bai set out toward the location Jiang Han had given him, where a Teleportation Array to the Demon Star Sea was said to be located.

Su Bai disguised himself as Jiang Han and paid the Mu Clan to teleport from Qingzhou to the Demon Star Sea. After reaching Heavenly Star City and visiting his pill shop, he prepared to tell his master that he had advanced to Golden Core.

• Su Bai disguised his appearance and aura, then asked Mu Yun to use the Mu Clan Teleportation Array to reach the Demon Star Sea.
• Su Bai paid Mu Yun ten High-grade Spirit Stones and teleported to an unnamed island on the outer edge of the Demon Star Sea.
• Su Bai tipped the Mu Clan disciple guarding the array and flew toward Heavenly Star City.
• Su Bai arrived at Number Nine Pill Shop, where Zhang Ying was surprised to learn he had advanced to Golden Core.
• Su Bai collected the shop’s profits, replenished its stock by refining pills for three days, and went to the Pill Pavilion Secret Realm to report his advancement to his master.

Su Bai entered the Pill Pavilion Secret Realm after advancing to Golden Core, and True Man He prepared to promote him to Vice Pavilion Master and send him to the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering. As news of his promotion spread, Wei Chun hurried to Number Nine Pill Shop with Spirit Stones.

• Su Bai entered the Secret Realm and met True Man He, Tong Liu, and Qian Lu, who congratulated him on reaching Golden Core.
• Qian Lu told Su Bai that Lan Yan had failed his Golden Core advancement and asked him to guide Lan Yan at the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering.
• True Man He said the alliance negotiations were nearly complete and planned for Su Bai to represent the Heavenly Star Alliance's alchemists at the gathering.
• True Man He arranged to promote Su Bai to the Star Luo Pill Pavilion's third Vice Pavilion Master in three days and promised him an annual share of one million Spirit Stones.
• Lan Yan received the news and resolved to try advancing again, while Wei Chun gathered Spirit Stones and headed to Number Nine Pill Shop.

After advancing to Golden Core and becoming a Vice Pavilion Master, Su Bai settled his old grievance with Wei Chun and went to Starlight Academy to seek Lu Yue’s advice on making a Houtian Spirit Treasure. Ying Luo agreed to introduce them, and she led Su Bai toward the Artifact Forging branch.

• Wei Chun offered Su Bai over four hundred thousand Spirit Stones to seek forgiveness, and Su Bai accepted them as a fine before assigning Wei Chun to serve him at the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering.
• Su Bai congratulated Zhang Ying and Zhang Haoran on their progress and gave them guidance at Number Nine Pill Shop.
• Su Bai decided to seek an Artifact Forging Talent at Starlight Academy before considering copying Tie Xiong’s talent.
• Su Bai asked Ying Luo to introduce him to Lu Yue, the Lu Family Head and Starlight Academy Artifact Forging branch Course Master.
• Ying Luo noted that refining a Houtian Spirit Treasure was ambitious for a new Golden Core cultivator, then led Su Bai to meet Lu Yue.

Su Bai met Lu Yue at Starlight Academy to discuss upgrading the Soaring Dragon Sword and copied Lu Yue’s Yellow Tier Flame Heart Bone Painting talent. He learned the costs and challenges of forging Spirit Treasures and long-distance Teleportation Arrays, then asked Lu Yue about the difficulty of formations.

• Lu Yue met Su Bai and Ying Luo and recognized the Soaring Dragon Sword as a weapon upgraded by Grandmaster Tie Xiong.
• Su Bai handed the sword to Lu Yue and used Immortal Talent Reflection to copy his Flame Heart Bone Painting talent.
• Lu Yue judged that the Soaring Dragon Sword could become a Houtian Spirit Treasure, but said the materials would cost nearly ten thousand High-grade Spirit Stones and that a sword-type spiritual creature or Sword Soul would suit it.
• Su Bai asked about a two-way Teleportation Array to the Southern Sea Cultivation World, and Lu Yue quoted at least two thousand High-grade Spirit Stones plus maintenance fees.
• Su Bai asked whether artifact forging or formations were more difficult, and Lu Yue explained that specialized Magic Arrays sometimes required a Formation Master.

After leaving the artifact-forging lineage, Su Bai agreed to travel with Ying Luo to the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering and decided to seek Third-tier sword Dao Divine Abilities. He visited Xun Lu at Starlight Academy’s Sword Cultivator lineage and received permission to buy them under a Dao Heart Oath.

• Su Bai thanked Lu Yue for his guidance, then left the artifact-forging lineage with Ying Luo.
• Ying Luo teased Su Bai about forging a Houtian Spirit Treasure and offered him ten thousand High-grade Spirit Stones as a dowry if he married into her family.
• Ying Luo said she and Su Bai would travel together to the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering, and Su Bai considered preparing by consulting his master about Third-tier Spirit Pills.
• Su Bai decided to seek Third-tier sword Dao Divine Abilities and traveled to Starlight Academy’s Sword Cultivator lineage.
• Xun Lu congratulated Su Bai on reaching the Golden Core Stage and agreed to let him purchase sword Dao Divine Abilities if he swore not to share them.

Su Bai selected three Third-Tier sword Dao Divine Abilities from Xun Lu, paid to copy them, and planned to study them before creating a Lifeblood Divine Ability of his own. The chapter ended with Xun Lu revealing that he had spent over twenty years cultivating a single Divine Ability and still had not mastered it.

• Xun Lu showed Su Bai three Third-Tier sword Dao Divine Abilities and explained the cost and Dao Heart Oath required to copy one.
• Su Bai chose the Lightning Origin Sword Art, then paid thirty High-grade Spirit Stones to copy all three Jade Slips.
• Su Bai swore not to divulge the Divine Abilities and planned to learn all three while continuing to cultivate the Nine Heavens Sword Soul Art.
• Su Bai intended to combine what he learned to create a new Lifeblood Divine Ability, a project he expected to take more than a decade.
• Su Bai asked how many Third-Tier sword Dao Divine Abilities Xun Lu had mastered, and Xun Lu admitted he had mastered none despite cultivating one for over twenty years.

Su Bai chose to cultivate the Third-tier High-grade Thundercloud Sword Array and began buying the lightning-attribute spirit swords it required. He acquired seven swords from Tie Xiong and continued seeking enough to begin practicing the array.

• Su Bai thanked Xun Lu for explaining Third-Tier Divine Abilities and returned to Number Nine Pill Shop without visiting the Black Market.
• Su Bai chose to cultivate the Thundercloud Sword Array, which required at least twelve lightning-attribute spirit swords and substantial funds.
• Su Bai asked Lu Yue to reserve six Top-grade lightning-attribute spirit swords from the Lu Family’s shops.
• Su Bai visited Profound Iron Artifact Refining, where Tie Xiong offered to search for more swords through his connections.
• Tie Xiong gathered seven Top-grade lightning-attribute spirit swords, and Su Bai inspected and bought them for two hundred and ten High-grade Spirit Stones.

Su Bai acquired thirteen top-grade lightning-attribute Spirit Swords and began preparing to cultivate the Thundercloud Sword Array, while also accepting Lu Yue’s order for Yingning Pills. He officially became a Vice Pavilion Master of the Star Luo Pill Pavilion after an elaborate promotion ceremony.

• Su Bai inspected and bought six of Lu Yue’s lightning-attribute Spirit Swords, and agreed to refine ten batches of Yingning Pills for him.
• Su Bai blood-refined all thirteen Spirit Swords and stored them in his dantian to nurture them, deciding he would eventually need a dedicated cultivation site.
• Su Bai dressed in ceremonial Vice Pavilion Master robes and stood on the high platform in the Pill Pavilion Secret Realm as several hundred alchemists gathered for his promotion.
• Su Bai delivered an impassioned speech that excited the gathered alchemists, while Wei Chun loudly praised him and predicted he would become Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Star Alliance.
• The promotion ceremony ended after several hours, and Su Bai officially became a Vice Pavilion Master of the Star Luo Pill Pavilion.

True Man He brought Lu Jiu to meet Old Ancestor Heavenly Star, who approved Lu Jiu as the future successor to Star Luo Pill Pavilion and discussed the pavilion joining the Heavenly Star Alliance. Old Ancestor Heavenly Star then assigned Lu Jiu to lead the South Sea alchemy exchange next year, with Vice Alliance Leader Tian Xing escorting him.

• True Man He changed Lu Jiu into a plain Daoist robe and took him through the guarded Star Tower to meet Old Ancestor Heavenly Star.
• Old Ancestor Heavenly Star opened his eyes, and Lu Jiu briefly became caught in the vast stars visible in his gaze.
• True Man He explained that Lu Jiu would inherit Star Luo Pill Pavilion and lead its delegation to the South Sea Alchemy Grand Gathering.
• Old Ancestor Heavenly Star confirmed that Star Luo Pill Pavilion would join the Heavenly Star Alliance when Lu Jiu took over, and Lu Jiu pledged to bring the pavilion closer to the alliance's core.
• Old Ancestor Heavenly Star told Lu Jiu to prioritize stability during the South Sea alchemy exchange and said Vice Alliance Leader Tian Xing would escort him.

Su Bai received orders to travel to the South Sea under Ancestor Tian Xing’s escort and prepared for the journey while advancing his pill-making and artifact-forging skills. At thirty-one, he entered Gaosong Spirit Plain to find a secluded Spirit Land where he could cultivate the Thundercloud Sword Array, and discovered a quiet green lake.

• Old Ancestor Heavenly Star warned Su Bai and True Man He that Demon Star City might interfere with the alliance talks in the South Sea, then granted Su Bai access to the Star Tower and assigned Ancestor Tian Xing to escort the alchemists.
• True Man He gave Su Bai the Spirit Gathering Pill formula and twenty batches of ingredients, while the Star Luo Pill Pavilion supplied three batches of Yingning Pill ingredients for Lu Yue.
• Su Bai refined the Yingning Pills for Lu Yue, purchased basic artifact-forging materials and manuals, and mastered the Spirit Gathering Pill after four batches before producing eight hundred pills.
• After celebrating the New Year and entering his thirty-first year, Su Bai disguised himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and teleported to Gaosong Spirit Plain.
• Su Bai searched Gaosong Spirit Plain for a secluded Water Attribute Spirit Land to cultivate the Thundercloud Sword Array and found a tranquil green lake in the forest.