Chapter Summaries

Lin Xuan killed the Luo brothers, destroyed their Green Glow Maggots, collected the poisonous essence, and took the Wood Spirit Fruit before teleporting back. In the return chamber, he found that fewer than a third of the cultivators had survived, while a smug man in a scarlet Daoist robe watched with greed in his eyes.

• Lin Xuan used the Ghost Snake Sword to kill Luo Tong and Luo Biao, then took their Storage Bags and claimed the Water Cloud swords.
• Lin Xuan burned the masterless Green Glow Maggots with his Innate True Fire and collected the poisonous green mist in a jade bottle.
• Lin Xuan plucked the Wood Spirit Fruit, recovered his spirit power with little Yue'er standing guard, and followed a Jade Slip's directions to a teleportation formation.
• Lin Xuan teleported back to the stone chamber and saw that fewer than a third of the cultivators had returned.
• Zhou Hai greeted Lin Xuan, whose gaze settled on the defeated survivors and a smug man in a scarlet Daoist robe who watched them greedily.

Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian returned to the stone room and revealed that they had collected more Wood Spirit Fruits than anyone else. Lin Xuan’s haul of all eighteen fruits from his group left the cultivators wondering whether everyone who had been teleported with him had perished.

• Zhou Hai began declaring the search over, but Tian Xiaojian returned through the teleportation array just before he finished.
• Tian Xiaojian reunited with Lin Xuan while the other cultivators assumed the two young Foundation Establishment cultivators had avoided the struggle.
• Zhou Hai collected the Wood Spirit Fruits, and Xu Han’s twelve fruits put him ahead of the other returning cultivators.
• Tian Xiaojian announced that he and Lin Xuan had fruits to submit, then revealed a haul of fifteen.
• Lin Xuan submitted eighteen Wood Spirit Fruits, prompting Zhou Hai and the other cultivators to realize he had collected every fruit in his group’s area.

Lin Xuan and two other cultivators earned invitations to the Heavenly Eye Sect’s transaction fair for Core Condensation seniors. Settled in a sandalwood pavilion, Lin Xuan recovered his strength and began attuning the Water Cloud Mother-Child Swords.

• Lin Xuan told the cultivators that the Luo Brothers had died fighting several other cultivators, and Zhou Hai awarded Lin Xuan, Tian Xiaojian, and Xu Han Jade Tokens for the transaction fair.
• Zhou Hai took the three men by spiritual tool through the sect’s flight-forbidding area to a pavilion on Heavenly Eye Mountain.
• Xu Han recognized that the pavilion was built from sandalwood, and Zhou Hai told the guests the fair would begin the next day.
• Lin Xuan secured his sandalwood room with restrictions and meditated until his spiritual power recovered.
• Lin Xuan brought out the Water Cloud Mother-Child Swords and used his Innate True Fire to refine them.

Lin Xuan finished refining his spiritual swords and prepared a potent poison from the Green Glow Maggot’s essence. A message led him to the Heavenly Eye Sect’s trade fair, where he arrived at the hall guarded by the sect’s revered Golden Fur Roar.

• Lin Xuan refined the mother sword and six child swords, merging his divine sense into each blade.
• Lin Xuan refined the Green Glow Maggot’s remaining essence and Mystic Demonic Qi into a concealed poison bead.
• Lin Xuan received a Sound Transmission Talisman announcing that the trade fair would open at dawn.
• Lin Xuan showed his Jade Token at several inspections and reached the trade fair hall.
• Lin Xuan saw the Golden Fur Roar statue and learned that the sect’s powerful mountain-guarding beast was revered for its age, strength, and service to the Heavenly Eye Sect.

Lin Xuan entered the Heavenly Eye Sect's trade fair after presenting his Jade Token, while the sect's three treasures and the founding ancestors' safeguard were explained. The chapter left Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian inside the hall, puzzled by the envy the Core Condensation cultivators showed toward them.

• The chapter described the Heavenly Eye Sect's three treasures: its spirit beast, Hundred Flower Valley's rare herbs, and the Meteor Rings left by its founding ancestors.
• Lin Xuan showed his Jade Token to the guard, who confirmed he qualified to enter the trade fair.
• Two Heavenly Eye Sect disciples discussed Lin Xuan's qualification and hinted that an immortal opportunity might fall to him.
• Tian Xiaojian caught up with Lin Xuan, and they entered the great hall together.
• The Core Condensation cultivators inside stared at Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian, then looked away, though several appeared envious.

Lin Xuan attended a gathering of Core Condensation cultivators at Heavenly Eye Mountain, hoping to obtain the Myriad Phenomenon Herb. True Person Withered Wood opened the exchange by offering an earth-grade spirit talisman, and the gathering turned its attention to its powerful escape spell and price.

• Lin Xuan noticed Xu Han at the gathering, and Xu Han met his gaze with open hostility.
• True Person Withered Wood arrived and invited the cultivators to exchange items, but they waited for Heavenly Eye Mountain’s offerings.
• True Person Withered Wood displayed three boxes and revealed an earth-grade mid-level talisman containing the Thousand-Mile Instantaneous spell.
• The cultivators grew interested after learning the talisman could help its user escape danger and that True Person Withered Wood had made it himself.
• True Person Withered Wood offered the talisman for two thousand crystal stones.

At the trade fair, Lin Xuan bought an earth-rank spirit talisman while waiting for the Myriad Phenomenon Herb to appear. As the fair neared its end, True Person Withered Wood abruptly left to welcome a powerful senior, and an overwhelming spiritual force entered the hall.

• Lin Xuan inspected True Person Withered Wood’s earth-rank spirit talisman and bought it for two thousand crystals.
• True Person Withered Wood continued presenting increasingly precious items, but the Myriad Phenomenon Herb never appeared.
• As the fair neared its end, True Person Withered Wood sensed a senior’s arrival, put away a magic treasure, and hurried out to welcome them.
• Lin Xuan noticed Xu Han and a Core Condensation cultivator beside him looking at him and Tian Xiaojian with hostility.
• Lin Xuan turned toward Tian Xiaojian to discuss the strange situation, but an immense spiritual force suddenly swept in from outside.

Lin Xuan and the other cultivators were confronted by the Red-Haired Ancestor, a feared Nascent Soul rogue cultivator, whose arrival overwhelmed the great hall. After noticing Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian, the ancestor remarked on their cultivation techniques without exposing their concealed strength.

• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian felt the pressure of a powerful spiritual aura fill the great hall.
• True Person Withered Wood introduced the red-haired visitor as the Red-Haired Ancestor, a renowned Nascent Soul rogue cultivator.
• The assembled cultivators bowed to the Red-Haired Ancestor, who took the main seat and surveyed the hall.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor reacted with surprise when he noticed Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian among the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor praised the techniques Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian had trained in, and Lin Xuan realized Tian Xiaojian was concealing his cultivation too.

True Person Withered Wood explained why the Red-Haired Ancestor had come to choose a servant, not a disciple, and how a rumor had forced them to arrange a brutal selection. After seeing Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian, the Red-Haired Ancestor reconsidered and thought they might be worthy of inheriting his mantle.

• True Person Withered Wood announced that the Red-Haired Ancestor intended to take one Foundation Establishment cultivator as a servant, and Xu Han objected that the rumor had promised a disciple.
• Xu Han's Third Uncle silenced him and warned him not to risk angering the Red-Haired Ancestor.
• True Person Withered Wood recalled that the Red-Haired Ancestor had refused to join the Heavenly Eye Sect but had offered to take one of its Foundation Establishment disciples in repayment for an old kindness.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor and True Person Withered Wood learned that rumors had falsely promised a discipleship, so they devised the servant selection to avoid appearing to break the Red-Haired Ancestor's word.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor saw Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian and reconsidered, thinking that the two young Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators might be suitable disciples.

Lin Xuan weighed the risks of becoming Red-Haired Ancestor’s disciple and decided to refuse, since the arrangement could expose his secrets and offered him little benefit. He claimed he was already a disciple of Azure Cloud Mountain and its Supreme Elder, leaving Red-Haired Ancestor astonished.

• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian stayed quiet while Xu Han consulted his Third Uncle by voice transmission.
• Red-Haired Ancestor privately asked Lin Xuan to become his disciple, saying he had first intended to take him as a servant.
• Lin Xuan considered the danger of revealing his lack of a spiritual root and the Blue Star Sea, as well as the limited value of Red-Haired Ancestor’s techniques to him.
• Lin Xuan praised Red-Haired Ancestor’s offer, then claimed he already belonged to Azure Cloud Mountain and had been taken as a disciple by its Supreme Elder.
• Red-Haired Ancestor opened his eyes in surprise at Lin Xuan’s claim.

After Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian refused to become his disciples, the Red-Haired Ancestor took Xu Han as a servant instead. Xu Han accepted for the sake of cultivation guidance and protection for the declining Xu Family, though he remained uncertain whether he had made the right choice.

• Lin Xuan told the Red-Haired Ancestor by voice transmission that he already had a master, and the Ancestor grew frustrated after being refused twice.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor offered Xu Han the position of servant, promising occasional guidance but not his mantle.
• After consulting with Xu Lian, Xu Han accepted, hoping to gain cultivation advice and secure the Xu Family's protection from its enemies.
• The Red-Haired Ancestor told Xu Han to rise and promised benefits if he remained loyal, while Xu Han worried about serving the moody old cultivator.

After the trade fair ended without the Myriad Phenomenon Herb appearing, Lin Xuan prepared himself for a midnight visit from Tian Xiaojian. Tian Xiaojian proposed cooperation, but Lin Xuan pressed him to explain what he meant.

• Red-Haired Ancestor took Xu Han as his servant and left the trade fair, which True Person Withered Wood then resumed.
• The Heavenly Eye Sect’s trade fair ended with no Myriad Phenomenon Herb offered, and True Person Withered Wood invited the cultivators to stay overnight.
• Lin Xuan returned to the Welcome Pavilion, pretended to sleep, then rose at midnight to meditate and prepare himself.
• Tian Xiaojian visited Lin Xuan and revealed that he knew Lin Xuan had come seeking the Myriad Phenomenon Herb.
• Lin Xuan guessed Tian Xiaojian was the young master of Extreme Demon Cave and beloved disciple of the Demon Venerable, then challenged him to explain his proposed cooperation.

Tian Xiaojian asked Lin Xuan to help him infiltrate the Heavenly Eye Sect’s Strange Herb Valley, destroy the Spirit Vein springhead, and obtain Myriad Phenomenon Herb. Lin Xuan questioned Tian Xiaojian’s motives and the risks, and the chapter ended with Tian Xiaojian claiming he had a foolproof plan.

• Tian Xiaojian proposed that he and Lin Xuan raid the Heavenly Eye Sect’s Strange Herb Valley to destroy its Spirit Vein springhead.
• Tian Xiaojian explained that the springhead powered the Cloud Sea Splitting Light Array and that destroying it would leave the Heavenly Eye Sect vulnerable for several years.
• Lin Xuan said he would not inform on Tian Xiaojian but asked what reward he would receive.
• Tian Xiaojian promised Lin Xuan the Myriad Phenomenon Herb and all the valley’s other rare herbs, while he destroyed the springhead.
• Lin Xuan questioned why Tian Xiaojian needed his help, and Tian Xiaojian reacted with a burst of baleful aura before refusing to explain his private affairs.
• Lin Xuan warned that the valley’s defenses could be deadly, and Tian Xiaojian assured him that he had a foolproof plan.

Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian entered Strange Herb Valley with the help of Duan San, who had betrayed the Heavenly Eye Sect and secretly drugged Elder Liu Yuzhou. They reached the valley’s inner buildings, where Tian Xiaojian began preparing for their next move.

• Lin Xuan agreed to cooperate with Tian Xiaojian, and the two slipped out of the VIP Building to visit Strange Herb Valley.
• Tian Xiaojian revealed the illusion concealing the valley and summoned Duan San, an inside man who had poisoned Elder Liu Yuzhou’s food with Bone-Softening Powder.
• Duan San recognized Lin Xuan, then led him and Tian Xiaojian safely through the valley’s restrictions.
• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian saw the Spirit Vein, Herb Garden, and the buildings where Elder Liu lived.
• Tian Xiaojian said they could not approach Moon-Watching Pavilion as they were and took several items from his Storage Bag.

Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian infiltrated Heavenly Eye Mountain and used a ruse to weaken Elder Liu Yuzhou, then attacked him to seize the advantage. Liu protected himself with a rare talisman, and Tian Xiaojian prepared a thick stack of talismans as the fight continued.

• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian disguised themselves as Heavenly Eye Mountain disciples and followed Duan San to Elder Liu Yuzhou's pavilion.
• Tian Xiaojian presented Liu Yuzhou with an empty wooden box, while Bone-Softening Powder and Luo Lian Fragrance weakened Liu's magic power.
• Lin Xuan revealed that he had sealed the pavilion against reinforcements, and Tian Xiaojian explained how the substances had incapacitated Liu.
• Tian Xiaojian attacked Liu with a black top-grade spiritual artifact, but Liu used a Silver Light Technique talisman to shield himself.
• Tian Xiaojian produced a thick stack of talismans as Liu faced the attack in shock and panic.

Tian Xiaojian and Lin Xuan defeated Liu Yuzhou, but Duan San revealed that he had poisoned them with a Seven Absolute Vermilion Fruit and was a spy from Azure Cloud Mountain. As the poison took hold, Lin Xuan questioned how the spy had endured twenty years undercover.

• Tian Xiaojian killed Liu Yuzhou with a barrage of talismans and divided the contents of his Storage Bag with Lin Xuan.
• Duan San attacked Tian Xiaojian and Lin Xuan with a top-grade double-bladed battle-axe, then revealed that he had poisoned them.
• Duan San said he was a disciple of Azure Cloud Mountain who had infiltrated Heavenly Eye Mountain under his real name for about twenty years.
• Lin Xuan asked why a promising Azure Cloud Mountain disciple had spent so long undercover in a remote place.

Duan San revealed that he had poisoned Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian as part of a plot to kill them and provoke a war against Heavenly Eye Mountain. The poison failed, and Tian Xiaojian attacked Duan San, whose fate was left unclear as screams faded inside the ghostly mist.

• Duan San explained that Azure Cloud Mountain had sent him undercover at Heavenly Eye Mountain and promised to help him improve his cultivation if he rendered great service.
• Duan San revealed his plan to kill Tian Xiaojian and Lin Xuan, frame Heavenly Eye Sect, and draw the demonic path into an attack.
• Duan San confessed that he had poisoned their clothes with Seven Absolute Vermilion Fruit poison activated by Qilin Powder.
• Tian Xiaojian and Lin Xuan recovered from the poison, and Tian Xiaojian revealed his Whale Sea Divine Pearl could dispel poisons.
• Duan San tried to escape with an Earth Escape Talisman, but Tian Xiaojian trapped him in ghostly mist, where his screams soon faded.

Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian cleared the remaining guards and plundered the Herb Garden in Strange Herb Valley. They prepared to destroy the Spirit Spring Eye, which sustained Heavenly Eye Mountain’s spirit vein and defenses.

• After Tian Xiaojian destroyed Duan San, Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian split up to eliminate the guards in Strange Herb Valley.
• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian found the guards already dead from poison, apparently killed by Duan San to shift the blame.
• Tian Xiaojian used Elder Liu’s waist token to disable the Herb Garden’s restriction, and Lin Xuan collected the mature spirit herbs, including the Myriad Phenomenon Herb.
• Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian reached the Spirit Spring Eye and agreed to attack it together.
• Tian Xiaojian enlarged his black flying sword and prepared to strike the Spirit Spring Eye.

Lin Xuan and Tian Xiaojian destroyed the Spirit Spring in Strange Herb Valley after defeating its spiritual-energy guardian, but the blast alerted the Heavenly Eye Sect. True Person Withered Wood and seven Core Condensation elders recognized that the sect’s spiritual energy was leaking away and feared the loss of their important site.

• Lin Xuan transformed his Hook Sword into an Evil Flood Dragon and agreed to attack the Spirit Spring alongside Tian Xiaojian.
• The Spirit Spring formed a giant tiger from spiritual energy, which fought Tian Xiaojian’s black greatsword and Lin Xuan’s Evil Flood Dragon to a stalemate.
• Tian Xiaojian used a black Skull Artifact to trap and consume the giant tiger, then struck the weakened Spirit Spring with his greatsword.
• The Spirit Spring vanished in a tremendous blast that scattered spiritual energy and sent pale azure gases into the sky.
• True Person Withered Wood left his cave dwelling and gathered seven Core Condensation elders, who suspected the Spirit Spring had been destroyed despite its defenses.

True Person Withered Wood learned that Junior Brother Liu had been killed and led Heavenly Eye Sect experts toward Strange Herb Valley, where the fate of the Spirit Spring remained uncertain. As nearby sects watched the crisis unfold, Fu Biao urged Snow Shadow Sect to seize the opportunity, but Yue Tong feared Heavenly Eye Sect was still too powerful.

• True Person Withered Wood confirmed that Junior Brother Liu was dead after his Sound Transmission Talismans went unanswered.
• True Person Withered Wood warned the Heavenly Eye Sect experts to stay together and led them toward Strange Herb Valley.
• The spiritual energy disturbance alarmed Heavenly Eye Mountain's disciples, while visiting cultivators at the Welcome Pavilion considered the sect's possible downfall.
• Fu Biao argued that Snow Shadow Sect should exploit the damage to Heavenly Eye Sect's Spirit Vein and weakened array.
• Yue Tong hesitated, warning Fu Biao that Heavenly Eye Sect still far surpassed Snow Shadow Sect in strength.