Chapter Summaries

Ling Pengyun reviewed the Ling Clan’s finances, accepted its support for his cultivation needs, and promised to destroy the Poison Blood Demon Sect when he was strong enough. The clan scheduled his Golden Core Ceremony for three months later, and Ling Pengyun left to honor Yang Changxing’s grave and forge a thousand-year bond between the Ling and Yang Clans.

• Ling Pengshan reported the Ling Clan’s income, reserves, and remaining spiritual resources, and Ling Pengyun decided the clan should save its spirit stones for his future needs.
• Ling Pengyun urged the clan to cultivate talented practitioners in array formations and beast taming, and promised to provide Water Spirit Iron for the family’s artifact refiners when he traveled to the Boundless Sea Region.
• Ling Pengyun warned his relatives not to attack the Poison Blood Demon Sect yet and vowed to avenge the fallen clansmen and their suffering.
• Ling Pengshan proposed a Golden Core Ceremony, and the clan scheduled it for three months later at Lingxiao Mountain.
• Ling Pengxing said he planned to travel because his lifespan was running short, and Ling Pengyun asked him to wait until after the ceremony so he could prepare protective spiritual objects.
• Ling Pengyun visited Yang Mingtian, paid respects at Yang Changxing’s grave, and formed a thousand-year bond of friendship between the Ling Clan and the Yang Clan.

Ling Pengyun met True Person Bai Yuan to discuss the Hundred Spirits Sect’s future campaign against the Poison Blood Demon Sect and arranged support for the Ling Clan’s participation in the White Cloud Mountain Range campaign. After inviting Yan Kingdom’s other four great sects to his Golden Core Ceremony, he returned to Serpent Dragon Island to share his breakthrough with Yang Siling’s family.

• True Person Bai Yuan spotted Ling Pengyun arriving as a genuine Golden Core True Person and went to meet him at the Hundred Spirits Sect’s mountain gate.
• Ling Pengyun asked how the Hundred Spirits Sect planned to deal with the Poison Blood Demon Sect, and True Person Bai Yuan explained that the sect would wait until its Golden Core Late Stage cultivators could return before launching a crusade.
• Ling Pengyun agreed to aid that future campaign, while True Person Bai Yuan promised to help the Ling Clan join the White Cloud Mountain Range campaign and seek a Third Rank Spirit Vein.
• Ling Pengyun told True Person Bai Yuan that he would hold a Golden Core Ceremony in three months and then invited Yan Kingdom’s other four great Golden Core sects, all of which agreed to attend.
• Ling Pengyun returned to Serpent Dragon Island with his family and told Yang Siling’s family that he had entered the Golden Core realm.

Ling Pengyun reunited with Yang Siling’s family and met Spirit Talisman Old Ancestor, who asked him to help find a safe way to buy Golden Core Spirit Objects for Wu Hong. Ling Pengyun agreed to investigate within three years, then left Serpent Dragon Lake with his family after learning about the growing threat from the Golden Horn Mad Cow clan.

• Yang Siling’s family celebrated Ling Pengyun’s Golden Core breakthrough, and Spirit Talisman Old Ancestor privately asked whether he could help obtain Golden Core Spirit Objects for Wu Hong.
• Spirit Talisman Old Ancestor offered Ling Pengyun two thousand jin of First Rank High Grade Water Spirit Iron for establishing a safe purchasing connection, and Ling Pengyun promised an answer within three years.
• Spirit Talisman Old Ancestor told Ling Pengyun that the Golden Horn Mad Cow clan had at least three Golden Core members and explained how the Hundred Spirits Sect planned to defend Serpent Dragon Lake during the coming Demon Beast Uprising.
• Ling Pengyun’s family shared a meal and spent the day with Yang Siling’s family before leaving Serpent Dragon Lake after announcing the date of his Golden Core Ceremony.
• Ling Pengyun stopped at the Sky Talisman Commerce Association headquarters in Serpent Dragon Marketplace to visit Ling Chengxin.

Ling Pengyun returned to the Ling Clan, tightened its secrecy after investigating the old betrayal, and helped Yan Siyi upgrade her Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot. He then began experimenting with transforming demonic artifacts into righteous magic items, leaving off as he prepared to alter the Demon Profound Ghost Control Banner’s core.

• Ling Pengyun questioned the surviving senior clansmen under the Bewitching Soul Technique, confirmed they had not leaked the clan’s whereabouts, and warned the clan that any future leaks would bring death to the culprit and their branch.
• Ling Pengshan, Ling Pengqiu, and Ling Penglin spread Ling Pengyun’s orders to the clansmen working outside the mountain, and the Ling Clan tightened its discipline.
• Ling Pengyun refined Explosive Flame Treasure Iron and helped Yan Siyi fuse it into her Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot, bringing the item close to the Magic Treasure Cone Shape level.
• Ling Pengyun studied the Saint Demon Art and Demon Profound Ghost Control Art and developed a plan to modify their demonic artifact-forging methods for righteous magic items.
• Ling Pengyun burned the demonic qi from the Demon Profound Ghost Control Banner with Azure Sea True Fire, then resolved to alter its core so it would not require human souls to restore its power.

Ling Pengyun altered the Ghost Control Long Banner into a Righteous Path magic item and tested the Mountain Moving Evil Ghosts it produced. He then converted the Saint Demon Burning Yuan Lamp, which lost much of its grade, and began feeding it demon beast souls.

• Ling Pengyun changed the Ghost Control Long Banner’s restrictions, removing its sinister intent and turning it into a Second Rank High Grade magic item.
• He fed demon beast souls into the banner, stabilized its cracks, and refined seven Mountain Moving Evil Ghosts.
• Ling Pengyun tested the seven ghosts against his Black Armored Turtle and found they each possessed ten thousand jin of force, with greater strength possible after repairs and cultivation of the Demon Profound Ghost Control Art.
• He altered the Saint Demon Burning Yuan Lamp’s restrictions, but a mistake caused its grade to fall from Third Rank Middle Grade to a Magic Treasure Prototype.
• Ling Pengyun tested the lamp and found it still had formidable power, then fed it several hundred Qi Training demon beast souls, which its Burning Yuan True Fire purified and absorbed.

Ling Pengyun prepared for his Golden Core Ceremony after altering the Burning Yuan Lamp and studying a demonic secret art that might help Ling Chengxin. The ceremony drew powerful guests and costly gifts, and Ling Pengyun publicly pledged a thousand-year alliance with the Peace Cloud Yang Clan.

• Ling Pengyun altered the Burning Yuan Lamp so demon beast souls could advance it, then planned to seek souls in the White Cloud Mountain Range.
• Ling Pengyun studied the Saint Demon Fate Continuation Art to see whether he could pass his future Yin Yang Primordial Qi to Ling Chengxin, and forged protective artifacts for Ling Pengxing.
• Ling Pengyun held his Golden Core Ceremony as cultivators arrived in great numbers, and Old Ancestor Bai Yuan of the Hundred Spirits Sect brought three jin of Third Rank Low Grade Blazing Fire Treasure Iron.
• The Spirit Talisman Old Ancestor arrived with a Third Rank Black Flame Fire Phoenix Talisman and his family, including Yang Siling, Wu Tian, and Wu Hong.
• The four other great Golden Core sects and the Peace Cloud Yang Clan sent gifts, and Ling Pengyun publicly announced a thousand-year alliance between the Ling Clan and Yang Clan.

The Ling Clan celebrated Ling Pengyun’s Golden Core Ceremony, then he refused the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s request to fight a dangerous coalition of demons. After the guests departed, Ling Pengxing left the clan to pursue his sword art, carrying supplies from Ling Pengyun and uncertain whether he would ever return.

• The Ling Clan held a lavish wedding feast as part of Ling Pengyun’s three-day Golden Core Ceremony, and the gathered cultivators eagerly ate the spirit food.
• Ling Pengshan tallied the ceremony gifts, and Ling Pengyun placed most of them in the clan repository while crediting their value to his Contribution Points.
• Liu Nian asked Ling Pengyun to help the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect fight the Poison Blood Demon Sect and Purple Scorpion Mountain’s Golden Core demons, but Ling Pengyun refused the dangerous mission.
• After the ceremony ended, Ling Pengxing told Ling Pengyun and their siblings he would travel abroad to complete his Star Metal Sword Dao Secret Technique.
• Ling Pengyun gave Ling Pengxing protective artifacts and three Longevity Shells, and Ling Pengxing left the mountain after bidding the family farewell.

Ling Pengyun left Falling Dusk Mountain to purchase Water Spirit Iron, while Ling Pengxing traveled through the Hundred Spirits Sect’s territory to temper his sword heart. After saving the hunted Martial Might King Bai Xuanhe, Ling Pengxing agreed to escort him to the capital and help him claim the throne.

• Ling Pengyun took spirit stones from the Clan Repository, arranged to split the Water Spirit Iron with the clan, and promised to buy Longevity Shells for Ling Pengshan and the others.
• Ling Pengyun spent time with Yan Siyi, then left Falling Dusk Mountain on the Wind Shadow Peng for the Boundless Sea Region Cultivation World.
• Ling Pengxing killed Bai Xuanhe’s pursuers after discovering that the middle-aged king had tried to lead them to his campfire.
• Bai Xuanhe explained that his nephew Bai Yanzhong had ordered the imperial guards to hunt him after inheriting the throne.
• Ling Pengxing offered to escort Bai Xuanhe to the Hundred Spirits Imperial Palace and help him seize the throne, then traveled with him toward the capital.

A young cultivator sold a pill manual to Ling Chengxin at the Sky Talisman Commerce Association, and Ling Chengxin agreed to verify its contents and help him obtain an inferior Foundation Establishment spiritual object if they were genuine. The young cultivator was offered a choice between Small Hundred Spirits Water and a Meridian Protecting Pill.

• A young cultivator brought a pill manual to the Sky Talisman Gathering Treasure Pavilion and asked whether the shop would buy it.
• Ling Wanning summoned Ling Chengxin, who inspected the manual’s first ten pages and confirmed the Demon Breaking Pill formula was genuine.
• The young cultivator offered the manual’s thirty-six First Rank and twelve Second Rank formulas for five thousand spirit stones, and Ling Chengxin paid him.
• Ling Chengxin required the young cultivator to swear not to spread the manual and said he would verify every remaining formula before finalizing the purchase.
• The young cultivator asked Ling Chengxin to help him obtain an inferior Foundation Establishment spiritual object, and Ling Chengxin offered Small Hundred Spirits Water or a Meridian Protecting Pill.

Ling Chengxin negotiated to buy a Second Rank Beast Taming Inheritance from a young cultivator in exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill and other terms. At Lingxiao Mountain, Ling Pengshan invited Liu Mengting to become a Guest Elder and teach chess to the Ling Clan’s younger members, and she accepted.

• Ling Chengxin examined the young cultivator’s pill manual and recognized its many rare formulas for demon beasts.
• Ling Chengxin offered to buy the cultivator’s Second Rank Beast Taming Inheritance, and they agreed on a Foundation Establishment Pill in exchange, with the seller staying at the Sky Talisman Commerce Association until the triennial auction.
• Ling Pengshan recalled losing spirit stones to Liu Mengting at chess decades earlier and praised her skill after playing her for nearly half a month.
• Ling Pengshan invited Liu Mengting to join the Ling Clan as a Guest Elder and teach its younger members chess, and Liu Mengting accepted.

Ling Pengyun returned to Wood Origin Marketplace and met Jia Mu Zhenren, who invited him to hunt Golden Core Demon Beasts. Meanwhile, Ling Penglin improved her array formation and Ling Pengqiu completed a powerful magic fan as both prepared to support the clan.

• Ling Penglin used a new inheritance to align her Yellow Sand Erosion Grand Array with the Earth Vein, then began studying how to design location-specific formations.
• Ling Pengqiu refined his magic fan to Second Rank High Grade and resolved to seek Half-Jiao demon beasts with Ling Pengyun when he went to expand the clan's territory.
• Ling Pengyun traveled through transmission arrays and arrived at Wood Origin Marketplace after four months away from home.
• Jia Mu Zhenren told Ling Pengyun that refining pills from a Pseudo-Core Realm demon cultivator's Golden Core had improved his cultivation and revealed that he was a Third Rank alchemist.
• Jia Mu Zhenren invited Ling Pengyun to join him in hunting Golden Core Demon Beasts, and Ling Pengyun was tempted by the potential resources and materials.

Ling Pengyun asked Jia Mu Zhenren to discreetly obtain an ordinary Golden Core Spirit Object, and Jia Mu revealed he could secure a Wood Origin Spirit Fruit in five years. They also agreed to hunt a Golden Core Second Layer Red Armor Crab King and divide the spoils, leaving Ling Pengyun preparing to join Jia Mu’s planned expedition.

• Ling Pengyun offered Jia Mu Zhenren fifty thousand spirit stones above market value for a safely acquired Golden Core Spirit Object and swore that he would pay.
• Jia Mu Zhenren said he could exchange for a Wood Origin Spirit Fruit from his sect in five years and offered to sell it to Ling Pengyun.
• Jia Mu Zhenren proposed that they hunt a Golden Core Second Layer Red Armor Crab King and described its large group of crab demons and the cultivators and flying boat he could mobilize.
• Ling Pengyun accepted Jia Mu Zhenren’s proposed division of the crab demons’ spoils and asked when they would depart.

Ling Pengyun joined Jia Mu Zhenren and Wood Origin Immortal Sect cultivators aboard a Wrathful Whale Flying Boat to confront the Red Armor Crab colony in an undersea ravine. During the battle against the Golden Core Red Armor Crab King, Ling Pengyun used his Burning Yuan Lamp, and Jia Mu Zhenren realized that Ling had transformed the demonic artifact into a Righteous Path artifact.

• Jia Mu Zhenren showed Ling Pengyun the Wrathful Whale Flying Boat and explained its speed, capacity, and combat formation.
• Jia Mu Zhenren and Ling Pengyun boarded the flying boat with several hundred Wood Origin Immortal Sect cultivators and traveled for five days to the undersea ravine.
• The Golden Core Red Armor Crab King emerged from the ravine, and Jia Mu Zhenren charged it while Ling Pengyun summoned his Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Treasure Pearl.
• The Red Armor Crab King blocked Ling Pengyun’s treasure pearl with its Crimson Armor Heavenly Phantom, so Ling Pengyun unleashed the Burning Yuan True Fire from his Burning Yuan Lamp.
• Jia Mu Zhenren recognized the lamp as the former Saint Demon Burning Yuan Lamp and suspected Ling Pengyun had altered its demonic inscriptions and restrictions.

Jia Mu Zhenren and Ling Pengyun battled the Golden Core Second Layer Red Armor Crab King, whose powerful magic treasure and offspring turned the fight dangerous. After Jia Mu Zhenren was badly injured by the crab king’s Golden Core, Ling Pengyun’s Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Treasure Pearl arrived to shield him from the follow-up attacks.

• Jia Mu Zhenren blocked the Red Armor Crab King’s Third Rank Low Grade Red Armor Giant Scissor with his Jia Mu Giant Shield, then weakened the scissors with Jia Mu Profound Lightning.
• The Red Armor Crab King summoned several thousand offspring, and Bai Yu activated the Wrathful Whale Flying Boat’s Geng Metal Wrathful Whale Grand Array to protect Jia Mu Zhenren and attack the crab demons.
• The enraged Red Armor Crab King launched its Golden Core at Jia Mu Zhenren, breaking his arms and sending him flying, then attacked him with its scissors and phantom pincers.
• Jia Mu Zhenren called for help, and Ling Pengyun sent his Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Treasure Pearl to block the crab king’s three attacks.

Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren killed the Red Armor Crab Demon King and captured its Golden Core, while Ling Pengyun absorbed its remnant soul into the Burning Yuan Lamp. They agreed to auction the demon’s Red Armor Giant Scissor and split the proceeds, then divided the Golden Core and corpse between them.

• Ling Pengyun used the Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Treasure Pearl to suppress the demon king’s attacks while Jia Mu Zhenren broke its defensive barrier with Jia Mu Spear Whirlwind.
• Jia Mu Zhenren cracked the demon king’s armor, and Ling Pengyun’s Burning Yuan True Fire burned its flesh away, killing it.
• Ling Pengyun suppressed the fleeing Golden Core, and he and Jia Mu Zhenren expelled the demon king’s remnant soul and drew it into the Burning Yuan Lamp.
• Jia Mu Zhenren offered Ling Pengyun the Red Armor Giant Scissor, but Ling Pengyun declined to buy it, and they agreed to auction it and split the proceeds.
• Ling Pengyun handed Jia Mu Zhenren the Golden Core and stored the demon king’s corpse.

Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren cleared the sea trench of Red Armor Crab Demons and discovered a Second Rank High Grade Misty Water Spirit Tree, which Ling Pengyun obtained by agreeing to compensate Jia Mu Zhenren. After the Wood Origin Immortal Sect claimed the spirit vein, Ling Pengyun returned to Wood Origin Marketplace with a free grade a Cultivation Abode, though he expected to leave soon to develop spiritual land in the White Cloud Mountain Range.

• Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren helped the wrathful whale phantom kill the remaining crab demons, and Ling Pengyun collected their souls and his share of their corpses.
• Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren descended into the trench, killed the young Red Armor Crab Demons in their nests, and gathered water-element spiritual plants.
• Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren found a Second Rank High Grade Misty Water Spirit Tree, and Jia Mu Zhenren agreed to let Ling Pengyun take it in exchange for thirty thousand spirit stones.
• Jia Mu Zhenren claimed the Third Rank Spirit Vein for the Wood Origin Immortal Sect and offered Ling Pengyun ten thousand spirit stones and a grade a Cultivation Abode for one hundred years.
• Ling Pengyun entered the abode at Wood Origin Marketplace and admired its dense spiritual energy, while noting that he would soon depart for the White Cloud Mountain Range.

After the battle with the Red Armor Crab King exposed his weak defenses, Ling Pengyun forged an Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Magic Shield and began comprehending the Azure Ocean Sky Barrier. He attended the final day of the Wood Origin Marketplace auction, where he and Jia Mu Zhenren prepared to sell their Red Armor Giant Scissor.

• Ling Pengyun decided to use fifty jin of Heavy Origin Spirit Iron to forge a defensive shield and refined the Azure Sea Heavy Yuan Magic Shield in one day.
• Ling Pengyun studied the Azure Sea True Scripture's Innate Spells, focusing on the Azure Ocean Sky Barrier and the Azure Sea Shadow Splitting Art.
• Jia Mu Zhenren told Ling Pengyun that the Red Armor Giant Scissor would be auctioned among the finale items and gave him the auction's promotional list.
• Ling Pengyun examined the list, decided to attend on the third day, and continued comprehending his defensive spell for two more days.
• Ling Pengyun went to the Wood Origin Auction House, where a manager escorted him to a private room and Jia Mu Zhenren said two visiting Golden Core cultivators might bid for their Red Armor Giant Scissor.

Ling Pengyun attended Wood Origin Marketplace’s auction and purchased rare materials and spiritual items for his Ghost Control Long Banner and relatives. He left with the Yin Soul Spirit Silk, Clear Water Spirit Bamboo, Longevity Shells, and Wood Origin Spirit Water he had sought.

• Ling Pengyun observed the crowded auction as the Pseudo-Core Realm host began selling Second Rank finale items.
• Ling Pengyun bid 2,500 spirit stones for ten jin of Second Rank High Grade Yin Soul Spirit Silk, winning the material to repair his damaged Ghost Control Long Banner.
• Ling Pengyun bid 3,000 spirit stones for three rooted Second Rank Low Grade Clear Water Spirit Bamboo stalks, winning them for cultivation and propagation.
• Ling Pengyun spent 12,100 spirit stones on three Second Rank High Grade Longevity Shells and 9,800 spirit stones on thirty bottles of century-old Wood Origin Spirit Water.
• Ling Pengyun found no cultivation items suitable for Golden Core cultivators at the auction.

Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren watched Turtle Void True Person win the Red Armor Giant Scissor, then divided the auction proceeds from their joint venture and swore an oath to protect one another. Ling Pengyun later visited Yan Qing at the Gathering Treasure Pavilion to buy Water Gathering Spirit Iron and Longevity Shells, leaving Yan Qing astonished by the scale of his order.

• Turtle Void True Person won the Red Armor Giant Scissor for 350,000 spirit stones after Jia Mu Zhenren explained his history and strength to Ling Pengyun.
• Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren received the auction proceeds, paid the handling fee, and split the remaining 346,500 spirit stones equally.
• Ling Pengyun and Jia Mu Zhenren swore an oath not to disclose the spirit stones or threaten each other's lives, then agreed to hunt Golden Core Demon Beasts together and search for lifespan-extending treasures.
• Ling Pengyun visited Yan Qing at the Gathering Treasure Pavilion and asked him to use 230,000 spirit stones to buy First Rank Middle Grade Water Gathering Spirit Iron and 6,000 spirit stones to buy six Second Rank Low Grade Longevity Shells.
• Yan Qing was astonished by Ling Pengyun's 236,000-spirit-stone order and asked whether the shop had enough Water Gathering Spirit Iron.

Ling Pengyun returned to Huai River County with a large supply of Water Gathering Spirit Iron and Longevity Shells, then divided the clan’s treasures among Ling Penglin, Ling Pengshan, and Ling Pengqiu. Ling Pengqiu received the high-grade shells and cultivation spirit water, leaving him determined to reach Foundation Establishment Completion and attempt the Golden Core Realm.

• Manager Yan Qing sold Ling Pengyun sixty-one thousand jin of First Rank Middle Grade Water Gathering Spirit Iron and six Second Rank Low Grade Longevity Shells, then swore to keep the purchase secret.
• Ling Pengyun returned safely to Lingxiao Mountain and gave Ling Pengshan eleven thousand jin of Water Gathering Spirit Iron, along with nine Longevity Shells for the clan to distribute.
• Ling Penglin and Ling Pengshan each accepted three Second Rank Low Grade Longevity Shells and agreed that Ling Pengqiu should receive all three Second Rank High Grade Longevity Shells.
• Ling Pengyun gave Ling Pengqiu the high-grade shells and ten bottles of Second Rank Low Grade Wood Origin Spirit Water, while Ling Penglin and Ling Pengshan received the remaining low-grade shells.
• Ling Pengqiu resolved to reach Foundation Establishment Completion and risk a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.