Chapter Summaries

Ling Pengyun, a sixteen-year-old cultivator of the Ling Clan, was summoned to the mountaintop Council Hall for a lineage assembly. The chapter introduced his hidden cultivation method and the clan’s precarious position as he made his way to the meeting.

• A female cultivator summoned Ling Pengyun to the Council Hall for a lineage assembly on the Clan Head’s orders.
• Ling Pengyun ended his meditation and reflected on how the Yin Yang Primordial Scripture had improved his spirit-root aptitude and helped him cultivate in secret.
• Ling Pengyun’s background was established: he had reached Qi Training Fourth Layer and become a First Rank Low Grade Spirit Plant Farmer, making him one of the Ling Clan’s promising young cultivators.
• The chapter described how Ling Yunhong had led the Ling Clan to seize Lingxiao Mountain and establish the clan as a Foundation Establishment family, though its future remained uncertain.
• Ling Pengyun left his courtyard and headed up Lingxiao Mountain toward the Council Hall.

Ling Pengyun and four younger clansmen were summoned to the Council Hall, where Clan Head Ling Yunhong told them the clan needed cultivators to manage newly reclaimed Spirit Veins. He asked them to leave the mountain and oversee five Spirit Veins for five years, and the chapter ended before they answered.

• Ling Pengyun waited at the summit with Grand Elder Ling Ruda and learned that other young clansmen had also been summoned.
• Ling Yunxi arrived with an Immortal Crane, followed by four younger Peng Generation clansmen.
• Ling Ruda led the group through the summit's Defensive Formation and into the Council Hall to meet Clan Head Ling Yunhong and the elders.
• Ling Yunhong explained that the Ling Clan had reclaimed all the low-order Spirit Veins in An Yang County but lacked cultivators to manage them.
• Ling Yunhong asked Ling Pengyun and the four younger clansmen to leave the clan mountain and manage four First Rank Low Grade Spirit Veins and one First Grade Middle Rank Spirit Vein for five years.

Ling Pengyun and four other Peng Generation clansmen agreed to leave Clan Mountain early and garrison newly occupied Spirit Veins after the Ling Clan offered them talismans, increased stipends, and cultivation resources. Ling Pengyun received extra benefits and two secret manuals before preparing for five years of service outside the Lineage.

• Ling Yunhong offered the five young clansmen defensive and offensive talismans, double stipends, and monthly Qi Refining Pills to persuade them to take garrison posts.
• Ling Pengyun waited for the other four to agree before joining them in accepting the Lineage's commission, and each chose a Spirit Vein post from a map.
• Ling Yunhong assigned Ling Pengyun to the First Grade Middle Rank Spirit Vein and secretly granted him two Yellow Sprout Pills and a share of the Spirit Rice harvest.
• Ling Ruxian gave Ling Pengyun the fifth and sixth levels of the Azure Water Art and the second level of the Lingxiao Ripening Technique, warning him never to reveal them.

Ling Pengyun received the Ling Clan’s secret cultivation manuals and was assigned to guard Azure Stone Mountain, while Ling Ruda gave him three Earth-Turning Earthworms to help with spirit plants. In the Council Hall, Ling Yunhong approved a plan to develop both alchemy and spirit talisman crafting as the clan’s future pursuits.

• Ling Pengyun swore not to reveal the Azure Water Art or Lingxiao Ripening Technique, and Ling Ruxian promised him a fortuitous opportunity after he reached Qi Training Late Stage.
• Ling Yunhong ordered Ling Pengyun to collect the Mountain Protection Formation’s Control Array Disk and head to Azure Stone Mountain, where he would guard a First Grade Middle Rank Spirit Vein.
• Ling Ruda gave Ling Pengyun three Earth-Turning Earthworms at Innate Perfection and told him to study the Lingxiao Spirit Plant Scripture during his five-year assignment.
• Ling Yunhong outlined the Ling Clan’s options of focusing on spirit talismans or alchemy, and Ling Ruda proposed pursuing both by buying a Second-Order Alchemist Inheritance from the Pingyun Mountain Yang Family.
• Ling Ruxian explained how the clan could supply ingredients and fund the two pursuits, and Ling Yunhong approved the plan.

Ling Pengyun traveled to Azure Stone Mountain to take up guard duty and inspected its protection formation and surroundings. He found an Innate Realm Snake Demon and let it flee into a hidden underground hole while he assessed whether it had companions.

• Ling Ruda warned Ling Pengyun and the other Peng Generation members about the dangers of guarding newly reclaimed spirit veins and sent them on their way.
• Ling Pengyun traveled for two and a half days to Azure Stone Mountain, the farthest spirit mountain in the group, and learned about its Wu Earth Two Elements Formation and former Snake Demon nests.
• Ling Pengyun inspected Azure Stone Lake and the surrounding land, judging the area suitable for a village and fields for mortal clansmen.
• Ling Pengyun searched the area around the mountain and discovered an Innate Realm Snake Demon.
• Ling Pengyun frightened the Snake Demon into fleeing into a concealed underground hole without killing it, since he had not yet determined whether it had companions.

Ling Pengyun searched Azure Stone Mountain for surviving Snake Demons, then connected to the mountain’s protection formation and planted spirit seeds in its six mu of Spirit Fields. He finished planting at sunrise, with eleven months remaining before the Ling Clan’s harvest collection.

• Ling Pengyun killed five Snake Demons hidden in a cave and decided to leave the rest of the search to mortal Innate Martial Artists.
• After circling Azure Stone Mountain and finding no further movement, Ling Pengyun refined the formation plate and retracted the mountain’s Wu Earth Two Elements Formation.
• Ling Pengyun climbed to the summit and prepared its six mu of Spirit Fields for planting, mindful of the harvest deadline eleven months away.
• Ling Pengyun used his Spirit Hoe to plant Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, Talisman Crafting Grass, and Qi Training Grass across the fields, finishing as the sun rose.

Ling Pengyun watered his newly sown Spirit Fields with the Cloud Rain Technique and reflected on the costs and rewards of guarding Azure Stone Mountain. He then released three Earth-Turning Earthworms from the Beast Taming Pouch Eleventh Great-Grandfather had given him and confirmed they were near entering the Qi Training Realm.

• Ling Pengyun cultivated Yin Yang Primordial Qi and decided he might someday use a future mouthful to improve a spirit beast’s aptitude.
• Ling Pengyun realized he had forgotten to water the six mu of newly sown Spirit Fields, then cast the Cloud Rain Technique three times to cover them all.
• Ling Pengyun found that the fields were absorbing the mountain’s spiritual energy, leaving him unable to cultivate from the spirit vein, but took comfort in the clan’s doubled stipend and monthly pills.
• Ling Pengyun vowed to repay the Ling Clan and protect it if he ever achieved Foundation Establishment, though he had little confidence in reaching that realm.
• Ling Pengyun released three Earth-Turning Earthworms from the Beast Taming Pouch and confirmed that all three had reached Innate Perfection.

Ling Pengyun tamed three Earth-Turning Earthworms and set them to purifying the Spirit Soil in Azure Stone Mountain’s fields. He began preparing to live on the mountain for five years, carving a cave and replenishing his spiritual power before storing rice there.

• Ling Pengyun used a Recognition of Ownership Restriction to tame the three Earth-Turning Earthworms and ordered them to purify a mu of Spirit Field.
• The Earth-Turning Earthworms began devouring Spirit Soil, and Ling Pengyun estimated how long they would need to improve the soil across all six mu.
• Ling Pengyun decided to build a shelter on Azure Stone Mountain and carved a cave into its hillside with the Mystic Iron Sword.
• Ling Pengyun restored his spiritual power with a Spirit Stone in case demon beasts came to the unprotected mountain.
• Ling Pengyun placed a large rice vat in the cave and transferred two liang of Azure Jade Spirit Rice into an earthenware jar.

Ling Pengyun ate Azure Jade Spirit Rice, resolved to improve a spirit rice for the Ling Clan, and cultivated before turning his attention to mastering spells. He began comprehending the Water Arrow Technique as he prepared to strengthen his combat ability against possible demonic beasts near Azure Stone Mountain.

• Ling Pengyun cooked Azure Jade Spirit Rice and snake meat, admiring the rice and dreaming of improving a spirit plant for the Ling Clan.
• Ling Pengyun ate the meal, refined the rice’s spiritual qi, and absorbed the remaining qi from a Spirit Stone.
• Ling Pengyun considered the danger of demonic beasts near Azure Stone Mountain and resolved to improve his spell mastery and combat power.
• Ling Pengyun began comprehending the Water Arrow Technique, drawing on his exceptional talent for Water-based Spells.

Ling Pengyun cultivated, practiced spirit-plant techniques, and tended the fields at Azure Stone Mountain. The spirit crops sprouted early, and he expected his harvest and assigned resources to greatly improve his cultivation prospects.

• Ling Pengyun spent several days refining a Qi Refining Pill while practicing spells and casting Spirit Rain over his six mu of Spirit Fields.
• The Yellow Jade Spirit Rice in two mu sprouted after seven days, and Ling Pengyun used the Lingxiao Ripening Technique to accelerate its growth.
• Ling Pengyun calculated that his share of the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice harvest and his garrison stipend would provide substantial income and cultivation resources.
• The Qi Training Grass and Sword Star Grass in the remaining four mu sprouted early, and Ling Pengyun used the Lingxiao Ripening Technique on them.
• Ling Pengyun checked that his three Earth-Turning Earthworms were working properly before returning to his cave dwelling.

Ling Pengyun met Ling Ruguo, who arrived with more than three thousand mortal Ling Clan members to settle near Azure Stone Lake. After guiding the convoy to the lakeshore, Ling Pengyun watched as Ling Ruguo appointed Ling Dong village chief and ordered the clansmen to begin building Azure Stone Village.

• Ling Pengyun saw the convoy approaching Azure Stone Mountain and recognized Ling Ruguo leading it with more than three thousand mortal clansmen.
• Ling Pengyun greeted Ling Ruguo, who said they had encountered only a Qi Training Middle Stage tiger demon on the journey.
• Ling Pengyun described the lakeside settlement site he had chosen, and Ling Ruguo praised him and asked him to lead the convoy there.
• After the convoy reached Azure Stone Lake, Ling Ruguo summoned Ling Dong and identified Ling Pengyun as the immortal who would protect the village.
• Ling Ruguo appointed Ling Dong village chief and instructed him to organize the clansmen to build houses and open farmland after a two-hour rest.

Ling Ruguo entrusted Ling Pengyun with a paired jade pendant and asked him to protect his grandson Ling Dong and care for the relocated villagers of Azure Stone Village. Ling Pengyun helped the villagers settle in and farm, easing their resentment, and continued supporting them from Azure Stone Mountain.

• Ling Ruguo appointed Ling Dong as Azure Stone Village's Village Chief, then gave Ling Pengyun the matching jade pendant and asked him to look after Ling Dong.
• Ling Ruguo gave Ling Pengyun three Water Shield Talismans and urged him to ease the villagers' grievances with help and kindness before returning to Clan Mountain.
• Ling Pengyun felled trees near Azure Stone Village, allowing Ling Dong and the villagers to build nearly a thousand wooden houses in three days.
• Ling Pengyun used spells to help the villagers reclaim farmland and irrigate their rice, earning their gratitude and reducing their resentment toward the Lineage.
• Ling Pengyun continued helping the villagers, though he began visiting only once every two or three days.

Ling Pengyun struggled to protect the Spirit Plants on Azure Stone Mountain from insects, which kept arriving to feed on their spiritual energy. After spotting a sparrow eating one of the pests, he captured and bound it, leaving it to guard the fields.

• Ling Pengyun killed two Innate Realm insects that were chewing on the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice seedlings.
• He recalled how flying insects had damaged the Spirit Plants and continued to force him to guard the fields instead of cultivating.
• Ling Pengyun noticed a Yellow-Feathered Sparrow swallow an insect and decided it could guard the Spirit Plants.
• He captured the sparrow with the Object Manipulation Technique and bound it with a Recognition of Ownership Restriction.
• Ling Pengyun used the Deterrence Art to make the sparrow obey, and it began catching insects around the summit.

Ling Pengyun tended Azure Stone Village’s fields and continued his attempts to improve spirit rice, but another experiment failed and threatened to strain his Natal Spirit Plant. He decided to pause the experiments, renewed his resolve to advance in spirit-plant cultivation, and used a Yellow Sprout Pill to continue cultivating.

• Ling Pengyun gave a hundred mu of Azure Stone Village’s farmland three breaths of Spirit Rain and praised the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow for diligently eating insects.
• Ling Pengyun attempted to combine Water Spirit Rice and Golden Marrow Rice using Yi Wood Source from his Thorn Vine, but the clashing sources shattered the Water Spirit Rice seed.
• Ling Pengyun counted nearly ten recent failures and stopped experimenting to avoid harming the Thorn Vine’s foundation.
• Ling Pengyun reflected that the Clan Head might be able to improve spirit plants as a Second Rank Spirit Plant Farmer and resolved to seek another method after reaching First Rank High Grade.
• Ling Pengyun burned the failed seeds’ remains, swallowed a Yellow Sprout Pill, and cultivated with the Azure Water Sutra.

Ling Pengyun traveled to Cloud Mist Market to buy more Yellow Sprout Pills after failing to break through to the Qi Training Fifth Layer. He entered the market and headed toward its shops, leaving his purchases for later.

• After using six Qi Refining Pills and twelve Yellow Sprout Pills without breaking through, Ling Pengyun decided to spend his remaining spirit stones on more pills.
• Ling Pengyun told Ling Dong he would be away and asked him to increase patrols, then disguised himself as an itinerant cultivator and set out for Cloud Mist Market.
• Ling Pengyun reached the mist-shrouded market, bought an entry token from a Cloud Mist Wen Clan guard, and learned about the clan's weapon shop.
• Ling Pengyun ignored the itinerant cultivators' stalls and walked toward the five shops deeper in the market.

Ling Pengyun visited Ling Rushui at Lingxiao Rice Hall, bought cultivation supplies, and spent the night talking with his great-grandfather. After leaving Cloud Mist Market, he was recognized by a Wen Clan cultivator, who reflected on the Ling Clan’s promising younger generation and the Wen Clan’s lack of successors.

• Ling Pengyun visited Ling Rushui at Lingxiao Rice Hall and explained that he had been sent to guard Spirit Veins.
• Ling Rushui cautioned Ling Pengyun about overusing pills, so Ling Pengyun bought five Yellow Sprout Pills and five Azure Silk Spirit Peaches for forty-five Spirit Stones.
• Ling Pengyun stayed overnight with Ling Rushui, and they talked until midnight.
• Ling Pengyun browsed the market the next morning, found no suitable magical item or Spirit Beast, and bought four Fire Arrow Talismans.
• A Wen Clan man recognized Ling Pengyun as a promising Ling Clan member and lamented that his own clan lacked young talents.

Ling Pengyun was ambushed by a venomous Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake while traveling home and fought to survive its attacks. After killing the first snake, he discovered and killed a second, leaving him in the forest with the ambush apparently over.

• Ling Pengyun activated a Water Shield Talisman to block an Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake’s ambush in the forest.
• The snake vanished into the weeds, so Ling Pengyun prepared his Black Iron Shield, Water Shield Talismans, and Black Iron Sword while cautiously heading toward open ground.
• The Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake attacked from above, but Ling Pengyun used two Water Shields, his Black Iron Sword, and Thorn Wood Vines to protect himself and cut it in half.
• A second, smaller Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake bit the Wood Vine armor around Ling Pengyun’s foot, and he killed it with a Water Spike and the Black Iron Sword.

After killing two Ink Cloud Poisonous Snakes, Ling Pengyun escaped the forest and returned to Azure Stone Mountain, where he recovered his spiritual power and processed his spoils. He planned to have Ling Yun'an make Exploding Poison Pearls from the venom and carried one snake's flesh to feed the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow.

• Ling Pengyun cut away venom-corroded sections of his Thorn Wood Vine, then stored the two snake corpses and fled the forest while maintaining his defenses.
• After confirming no snakes followed him, Ling Pengyun put away his defensive measures, changed into a Daoist robe, and rushed back to Azure Stone Mountain.
• Ling Pengyun consumed a Spirit Peach to restore his spiritual power and reflected that it could aid his cultivation better than Yellow Sprout Pills, though it was expensive.
• Ling Pengyun bottled and labeled the snakes' venom, hoping Ling Yun'an would refine it into two Exploding Poison Pearls.
• Ling Pengyun decided to keep the middle-stage snake's flesh, feed the early-stage snake's flesh to the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow, and collected the snakes' gallbladders, blood, and skins.

Ling Pengyun fed the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow snake meat, helped it absorb the spiritual energy, and raised its cultivation to the Innate Fourth Layer. He then organized Azure Stone Village to build a road toward Xia Zhi Town, and the villagers made rapid progress.

• Ling Pengyun gave the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake meat, and it ate so much that it collapsed unconscious.
• Ling Pengyun guided the spiritual energy through the sparrow's body, helping it break through to the Innate Fourth Layer and wake up.
• Ling Pengyun ordered the sparrow to guard the Spirit Fields and promised more spiritual items if it served well.
• After cultivating overnight, Ling Pengyun went to Azure Stone Village and asked Ling Dong to gather villagers for road construction.
• Ling Dong and the villagers agreed to build a road after Ling Pengyun explained the need and promised to use Spirit Rain to hasten their rice crop.
• More than five hundred villagers began building the road, completing nearly one hundred li in forty days.

Ling Pengyun received his stipend from Ling Ruguo and continued cultivating after reaching Qi Training Fifth Layer. Months later, as Azure Stone Village celebrated its harvest, an Azure Giant Python emerged from the lake, swallowed a child, and eyed the village and Azure Stone Mountain before disappearing underwater.

• Ling Ruguo praised Ling Pengyun for organizing the road construction and delivered his stipend, including the clan's additional Yellow Sprout Pills.
• Ling Pengyun gave Ling Ruguo venom, snake gallbladders, and spirit stones to pass to Ling Yun'an and the clan alchemist for refining Exploding Poison Pearls and Antidote Pills.
• Ling Ruguo warned Ling Pengyun to flee rather than risk his life, then asked him to look after his grandson before leaving for his other assignments.
• Ling Pengyun reflected on Ling Ruguo's approaching death and returned to cultivation after recalling his breakthrough to Qi Training Fifth Layer and his progress with Water Arrow and Water Shield Techniques.
• More than one hundred and ten days later, the road to Xia Zhi Town was completed and Azure Stone Village's rice harvest ripened.
• An Azure Giant Python swallowed a child playing in Azure Stone Lake, eyed the harvest and Azure Stone Mountain, then vanished beneath the water.