Chapter Summaries

Luo Chen tested Min Longyu’s resolve to establish his foundation by pretending to destroy the Foundation Establishment Pill and using the Soul Capturing Art to confront him with his past hesitations. Min Longyu shattered the pill rather than yield, reclaimed his determination, and received the real pill and an offer to use Luo Chen’s cave estate for his breakthrough.

• Luo Chen tended to his depleted primordial qi with Warm Sun Gentle Fragrance, then met Min Longyu outside his cave estate the next morning.
• Luo Chen questioned Min Longyu’s resolve and pretended to crush the Foundation Establishment Pill while his Soul Capturing Art drew Min Longyu into memories of opportunities he had abandoned.
• Min Longyu recalled his family’s hopes, his years of hesitation, and his return to Danxia Peak, then chose to strike and shattered the pill rather than give up on establishing his foundation.
• Luo Chen revealed that the shattered pill was a test and gave Min Longyu the real Foundation Establishment Pill, telling him to repay Sima Hui Niang five thousand Spirit Stones after establishing his foundation.
• Luo Chen offered Min Longyu the remaining two months of his cave estate lease so he could prepare for his breakthrough.

Luo Chen moved into a Tier 2 High-Grade Cave Mansion at Sky Wave Peak after Min Longyu entered seclusion to attempt Foundation Establishment. He inspected his new pill-refining facilities, including the Ice Emperor Cauldron, and prepared to begin refining pills there.

• Min Longyu entered his sealed cave mansion to attempt Foundation Establishment, while Luo Chen wished him success.
• Luo Chen flew with Qu Lingjun, Mi Li, Qiu Ying, and Ma Shoupou to the new cave mansion, where Ling Yuzhi left after failing to pay the required rent.
• Shi Lan handed Luo Chen the cave mansion token and confirmed that the Second-Order Earth Fire and Ice Emperor Cauldron were ready.
• Luo Chen taught Qu Lingjun that courtesy and personal strength both mattered in the Cultivation World, then had his companions clean and furnish the cave mansion.
• Luo Chen entered the Pill Room and admired the Ice Emperor Cauldron, which could refine ten batches at once and enhance pill patterns.

Luo Chen settled into his newly furnished cave abode, tested the Ice Emperor Cauldron and Second-Order Earth Fire, and taught his four pill refiners while helping them take Spirit Communication Pills. After overseeing their dream trials, he began cultivating in his upgraded environment to see how quickly he could advance.

• Luo Chen warmed and tested the Ice Emperor Cauldron with Second-Order Earth Fire, then emerged to find his cave abode newly furnished by his companions.
• Luo Chen answered Qu Lingjun, Mi Li, Qiu Ying, and Ma Shoupou's pill-refining questions before demonstrating how to refine Spirit Communication Pills with the new cauldron.
• Luo Chen found the pills had improved in quality and gave them to the four refiners, who took them under his supervision and experienced their first Netherworld Dreamwalking trials.
• Luo Chen explained to Bai Mei Ling that he was cultivating the four refiners so they could eventually take over some of his pill-making work.
• After the four awakened from their dreams, Luo Chen entered his quiet chamber and began cultivating at Foundation Establishment Third Layer.

Luo Chen tested his improved cultivation conditions and discovered that his speed had increased more than twofold from before and fivefold compared with his early Foundation Establishment days. After organizing the Luo Tian Association’s pill supply and delegating its affairs, he planned a strict daily routine for cultivation, reading, martial arts practice, and pill refining.

• Luo Chen tested his cultivation limits with a Mid-Grade Harmony Qi Pill and confirmed that his Divine Soul Foundation had reached the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment level.
• Luo Chen concluded that his cultivation speed had increased fivefold compared with when he first entered Foundation Establishment, and considered further gains from stronger pills, a better divine soul, and a refined physique.
• Luo Chen instructed Qu Lingjun to summon Yuan Dongsheng to assess the Spirit Farmland and gave Qu Lingjun Sound Transmission Jade Pendants for himself and Sima Hui Niang.
• Luo Chen arranged for the Luo Tian Association to collect Jade Marrow Pills every six months and directed his disciples to refine pills independently while he handled ingredient processing and guidance.
• Luo Chen planned a daily schedule of reading, practicing Protective Dao Arts, refining pills, and cultivating.

After reaching the Body Refinement Second Realm, Luo Chen tested his new strength and discussed a famous duel between direct disciples with Chu Kui. Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of two new Foundation Establishment auras below the mountain, leaving Luo Chen surprised by who might be breaking through.

• Luo Chen reached the Body Refinement Second Realm and tested his blood qi, aerial movement, and combat strength, then decided to focus on mastering his existing methods.
• Chu Kui visited Luo Chen, discussed his paid work in Sky Wave Immortal City, and praised Luo Chen’s solid body-refinement foundation.
• Chu Kui told Luo Chen how Han Zheng used a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Puppet to defeat Meng Ziqi, and explained the Fallen Cloud Sect’s Spirit Evolution Art.
• Luo Chen and Chu Kui sensed a cultivator below the mountain nearing Foundation Establishment, and Luo Chen prepared to leave before their conversation could continue.
• Luo Chen and Chu Kui sensed a second new Foundation Establishment aura rising, leaving Luo Chen dumbfounded.

Luo Chen welcomed Min Longyu after his successful Foundation Establishment and gave him a damaged formation disk that Min Longyu identified as a powerful repairable treasure. After learning that his lifespan had reached 190 years and his cultivation had advanced, Luo Chen noticed a new entry forming in his realm details.

• Chu Kui asked Luo Chen to introduce him to Min Longyu, and Luo Chen agreed while they waited for Min Longyu to finish his breakthrough.
• Nangong Jin told Luo Chen that the Connecting Cloud Commerce Alliance had been reduced to seven Foundation Establishment cultivators and was struggling to maintain its businesses.
• Min Longyu emerged successfully, thanked Luo Chen, and joined Luo Chen and Chu Kui for a night of conversation and wine.
• Luo Chen gave Min Longyu a damaged formation disk, and Min Longyu found its core intact and said it could regain much of its power if repaired.
• Luo Chen cultivated, saw that his lifespan limit had risen to 190 years, and noticed a new entry forming in his realm details.

Luo Chen practiced the Turtle Spirit Armor spell for five months before attending Min Longyu’s Foundation Establishment ceremony, where he discovered that Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian were arguing over who should use their Foundation Establishment Pill. Qin Liangchen confessed that he feared leaving his wife and son if he died attempting Foundation Establishment, and Luo Chen agreed to lie to Murong Qinglian that Qin could try later with a more suitable elixir.

• Luo Chen examined his Body Refinement progress entry and decided to focus on practicing the Turtle Spirit Armor spell.
• Luo Chen practiced the Turtle Breath section for five months as his cultivation continued.
• Luo Chen accompanied Min Longyu to Danxia Peak, where Min shared his Foundation Establishment insights with the Luo Tian Association’s cultivators.
• Luo Chen spoke privately with Qin Liangchen, who explained that he avoided attempting Foundation Establishment because he feared dying and leaving his family behind.
• Luo Chen agreed to tell Murong Qinglian that Qin Liangchen would attempt Foundation Establishment later with elixirs suited to his constitution.

On the way back to Sky Wave Peak, Wang Yuan explained the stages of Body Tempering to Luo Chen, while Murong Qinglian warned that the Luo Tian Association’s rapid growth and generous benefits were placing too much financial pressure on Luo Chen. After Gu Cai Yi collected the Jade Marrow Pills and raised concerns about the association’s compensation, Luo Chen asked whether she had used up the Jade Dew Pills he had given her.

• Wang Yuan explained the Blood River Realm’s nine stages and shared a copy of Sky Peng Transformation with Luo Chen.
• Luo Chen let Murong Qinglian use Min Longyu’s vacant Second-Order Low-Grade Cave Mansion as she attempted Foundation Establishment.
• Murong Qinglian urged Luo Chen to share cave mansion rentals and warned that the association could not afford to support several Foundation Establishment cultivators without relying excessively on his pillmaking.
• Gu Cai Yi collected twenty thousand Jade Marrow Pills and told Luo Chen that the association’s generous treatment and dependence on his pill profits were unsustainable.
• Luo Chen cautioned Gu Cai Yi against taking responsibility for compensation decisions, then asked whether she had used up the Jade Dew Pills he had given her.

Luo Chen helped Sima Hui Niang restructure the Luo Tian Association and refined Top-grade Netherworld Pills that strengthened his Divine Soul Foundation. After deciding to sell his surplus Spirit Communication Pills discreetly, he thought of someone who could help.

• Luo Chen gave Gu Cai Yi six Jade Dew Pills, and she left happily as he reflected on their complicated friendship.
• Sima Hui Niang announced a leased Second-Order Mid-Grade Cave Mansion and overhauled the Luo Tian Association’s merit and salary system.
• Sima Hui Niang authorized Xu Xiaoliu to recruit independent cultivators into the Outer Sect to expand the association’s manpower.
• Luo Chen refined three Top-grade Netherworld Pills and found that one stabilized and strengthened his Divine Soul Foundation.
• Luo Chen considered how to sell his surplus Spirit Communication Pills without attracting attention, then thought of someone who could handle it.

Luo Chen discussed selling pills and protecting the Scented Flower River Li Family with Li Jinhuang, then inspected the Luo Tian Association’s operations and praised Sima Hui Niang’s management. On his way back, he recognized a besieged Foundation Establishment cultivator as the Scarface Cultivator, who called for his help after killing his attackers.

• Li Jinhuang offered to secretly handle the sale of Luo Chen’s pills in exchange for Luo Chen protecting the Qinhua Li Family and providing positions for its prospective heirs.
• Luo Chen caught a late-stage Tier 1 Azure Scale Dragon Fish and gave it to Yuan Dongsheng, then inspected Danxia Peak’s Spirit Farmland and promised Yuan he could lead the Medicine Hall after reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
• Luo Chen visited the Luo Tian Association’s halls and marketplace, then praised Sima Hui Niang after learning the members had accepted the Merit Policy.
• Luo Chen left Danxia Peak to return to Sky Wave Immortal City and spotted a Foundation Establishment cultivator fighting three Qi Refining cultivators and their flying eagles.
• The Scarface Cultivator killed the attackers with a Magic Treasure strike that drained his spiritual power, and he called out to Luo Chen to save him.

Luo Chen rescued Xing Zonghan, accepted Ghost Mystery Records and a Yang Avoidance Pearl as compensation, and gave the pearl to Bai Mei Ling. He then rushed to help Murong Qinglian after her Foundation Establishment attempt failed, but could not determine what had caused it.

• Xing Zonghan identified Luo Chen by his Langqi Flying Boat and explained that the Eagle Family had exterminated his clan and seized Heavenly Saber Peak.
• Xing Zonghan gave Luo Chen his Storage Bag as compensation, and Luo Chen took a Spirit Stone, Ghost Mystery Records, and a Yang Avoidance Pearl.
• Luo Chen gave the Yang Avoidance Pearl to Bai Mei Ling so she could walk beneath the sun without a Ghost Domain.
• Luo Chen learned that Xing Zonghan had gained his wealth by joining Azure Pill Valley's war against the Flame Alliance, then put away Ghost Mystery Records to study it before passing it to Xiao Ling.
• Qin Liangchen brought Luo Chen to Murong Qinglian after her Foundation Establishment attempt failed, and Luo Chen began healing her while investigating the cause.

After Murong Qinglian survived a failed Foundation Establishment attempt, Luo Chen reflected on the slim odds of breakthroughs and the Luo Tian Association’s growth. Six months later, he reviewed his advances and resolved to find higher-grade cultivation pills before a message drew him away from Sky Wave Peak.

• Luo Chen spoke with Nangong Jin about Foundation Establishment failure and learned that Murong Qinglian could try again after recovering.
• Qin Liangchen stayed with the injured Murong Qinglian, while Luo Chen returned to his cave mansion and considered the costs of repeated breakthrough attempts.
• Peach Mountain bought all of Mi Li’s monthly All Wonders Pills, and Duan Feng and Min Longyu forged a High-Grade Magic Tool together.
• Six months later, Luo Chen reviewed his Attribute Panel and found that his cultivation, spells, and pill arts had advanced, including Qingyuan Wonderful Pill Method’s ability to remove Pill Poison.
• Luo Chen decided to seek Mid-Grade or High-Grade Harmony Qi Pills or Rising Dragon Pills, then left Sky Wave Peak after receiving a Sound Transmission Thousand Paper Crane.

Luo Chen met Li Jinhuang in a Water Mansion and learned that Li had been injured selling Spirit Communication Pills in the Flowing Sand Wasteland, though he returned a large profit. Back in Sky Wave Immortal City, Luo Chen weighed the cost of his cultivation and business plans, bought supplies, and resumed cultivating toward Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.

• Li Yingzhang explained that his Nine Twists and Turns Physique let him cultivate the Foundation Establishment secret art Ninefold Return to Origin, which could raise his chances of Foundation Establishment.
• Luo Chen found Li Jinhuang injured after Robber Cultivators attacked him in the Flowing Sand Wasteland, where he had sold Luo Chen's renamed Phantom Dream Spirit Pills.
• Li Jinhuang gave Luo Chen the profits from the pill sales and asked him to look after the Li Family's younger generation; he also suggested seeking high-grade pills through auctions, black markets, or great sect disciples.
• Luo Chen returned to Sky Wave Immortal City, bought Low-Grade Rising Dragon Pills and other supplies, and calculated that his expenses left him with about 200,000 Spirit Stones.
• Luo Chen considered raising the grade of the Jade Dew Pills he supplied to Ice Fortress but decided not to rush, then gave Bai Mei Ling a Hundred Yin Dharma Robe and took a Rising Dragon Pill to cultivate.

After a year of secluded cultivation, Luo Chen advanced to Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer and met Wang Yuan at a Sword Pavilion training ground to test their combat abilities. Luo Chen unleashed his new Mountain Collapse spell, leaving Wang Yuan battered but largely unharmed.

• Luo Chen advanced to Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer after cultivating in his Tier 2 High-Grade Cave Mansion, while Bai Mei Ling reached the Late Ghost Soldier Stage.
• Luo Chen left his cave mansion, rented a training ground at the Sword Pavilion, and discovered that Chu Kui charged ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones for sparring sessions.
• Luo Chen and Wang Yuan exchanged attacks to test their techniques, with Luo Chen using his Sword Pellet, Repeating Seal, Entangling Spell, and Flying Firefly while Wang Yuan fought with blood and qi and his saber.
• Luo Chen demonstrated his Blazing Sun Spell, Wave Technique, and Earth Peak Technique, and Wang Yuan countered or evaded them.
• Luo Chen cast Mountain Collapse, combining devastating waves, a blazing sun, and a falling mountain; Wang Yuan used Giant Spirit Transformation to withstand the attack and asked what spell Luo Chen had used.

Luo Chen demonstrated his increasingly refined Mountain Collapse spell to Wang Yuan, then learned that Sima Hui Niang was preparing to attempt Foundation Establishment. He arranged for her seclusion and left her confident that she would succeed and continue walking the same path as him.

• Luo Chen used Mountain Collapse to defeat Wang Yuan in a spar, revealing that he had used only thirty percent of his strength.
• Luo Chen and Wang Yuan shared a costly meal, and Wang Yuan warned him that Sima Hui Niang was nearing Qi Refining Great Perfection and would soon attempt Foundation Establishment.
• A month later, Luo Chen visited Sima Hui Niang in a cave mansion before she entered seclusion and asked whether she feared failure.
• Sima Hui Niang explained that leading the Luo Tian Association had made her feel she was advancing toward success, and she believed Foundation Establishment would come naturally.
• Luo Chen wished Sima Hui Niang well and said they would address each other as fellow Daoists when she emerged; she sealed the cave and declared that she would walk the same path as him.

Luo Chen reviewed the Luo Tian Association’s operations while Sima Hui Niang was away attempting Foundation Establishment, and began considering inheritance and the coming change in Sky Wave Immortal City’s rulers. The chapter ended with Li Yingzhang telling Luo Chen that his ancestor, whose lifespan was nearly exhausted, wished to meet him.

• Luo Chen arrived at the Luo Tian Grand Hall and reviewed the merit ledgers with Murong Qinglian, who had recovered from her failed Foundation Establishment attempt.
• Luo Chen approved recruiting more Outer Sect cultivators and proposed establishing an inheritance system by having the Association’s Foundation Establishment cultivators pass down their skills and teachings.
• Luo Chen noticed that Danxia Hall’s lease was being renewed for only one year because Ice Fortress’s ten-year term in Sky Wave Immortal City was ending.
• Luo Chen learned from Shi Lan that Azure Pill Valley would take over the city, and he asked her to arrange a meeting with her grandmother and Tantai Jin.
• Li Yingzhang visited Luo Chen at daybreak and said his dying ancestor wished to meet him.

Luo Chen agreed to protect the Scented Flower River Li Family after Li Jinhuang’s death and negotiated for half the profits from its medicinal-material business. Li Jinhuang then warned that the coming change in Sky Wave Immortal City’s ruling sect could leave the family exposed, and offered Luo Chen a Tier 3 Spell.

• Li Jinhuang revealed that the Pill Origin Sect and the Tanqiu Hu Family could threaten the Li Family after his death, and Luo Chen promised the Luo Tian Association would protect it.
• Luo Chen demonstrated that he had reached the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, reassuring Li Jinhuang that he could face the Pill Origin Master and the Hu Family’s three Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Luo Chen demanded half of the Li Family’s future medicinal-material profits in exchange for the Luo Tian Association’s protection, and Li Jinhuang accepted.
• Li Jinhuang warned Luo Chen that sect rotations brought chaos and cited the destruction of the Min Family and the decline of the Fu Family during past transitions.
• As Luo Chen prepared to leave, Li Jinhuang asked him to learn a Tier 3 Spell.

Li Jinhuang died peacefully at dawn after passing the Chi Dragon Sword and leadership of the Qinhua Li Family to Li Yingzhang. As his allies prepared to mourn him, Pill Origin Master and the Tanqiu Hu Family weighed whether to exploit the Li Family’s loss, while Hu Changxi began to challenge Hu Changle’s plans.

• Li Jinhuang gave Li Yingzhang the Chi Dragon Sword, named him Clan Leader of the Qinhua Li Family, and died as the sun rose.
• Luo Chen learned of Li Jinhuang’s death, arranged for Yuan Dongsheng and Li Yingjun to return to the Li Family, and said he would attend the funeral on its seventh day.
• Pill Origin Master considered seizing the Li Family’s medicinal fields, then grew wary that Li Jinhuang might have faked his death and sent confidants to investigate and contact the Tanqiu Hu Family.
• Hu Changle urged the Hu brothers to verify Li Jinhuang’s death, monitor the Li Family’s allies, and unite its enemies before seeking revenge.
• Hu Changxi told Hu Changle that he was wrong in some respects.

Hu Changxi’s family prepared to exploit the Li Family’s instability, while Luo Chen faced growing threats from factions coveting Danxia Peak and rumored Foundation Establishment Pills. After Ice Fortress’s Tantai Jin refused to protect the Luo Tian Association, Luo Chen decided he would have to rely on himself, leaving Tantai Jin with plans of her own.

• Hu Changxi ordered his brothers to contact the Pill Origin Sect, spread news of Li Jinhuang’s death, watch the Li Family, and test its response, while he went to seek the Geng Family’s friendship.
• Luo Chen watched the Li Family’s holdings, stationed Little Black nearby to monitor Foundation Establishment attacks, and then returned to Danxia Peak.
• Xing Zonghan warned Luo Chen that Lu Rong had privately joined with Heavenly Eagle Peak and Jade Truth Temple, whose factions might be targeting the Luo Tian Association over rumors of its Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Luo Chen sought Tantai Jin’s help, but she refused to intervene, explaining that Ice Fortress valued his pill-refining skill rather than the Luo Tian Association’s welfare.
• Luo Chen stopped seeking Tantai Jin and prepared to attend the Li Family Clan Leader’s funeral, while Tantai Jin told Shi Boying she had her own plans regarding the matter.

Luo Chen went alone to Li Jinhuang’s funeral and confronted the Hu Family, while warning them that he would not let the Li Family be attacked. As Hu Changxi revealed a plan to plunder Danxia Peak, Wang Yuan struck first, killing Ying Yang’s flying eagle and leaving Xing Zonghan to attack him.

• Luo Chen revealed that he had reached Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment and left Duan Feng, Wang Yuan, Min Longyu, and Xing Zonghan to defend Danxia Peak.
• Luo Chen attended Li Jinhuang’s funeral and blocked Hu Changxi and his brothers from advancing on the Li Family procession.
• Hu Changxi warned Luo Chen that Lu Rong, Ying Yang, and Fairy Miao Yu planned to plunder the Luo Tian Association while Luo Chen was away.
• Wang Yuan used the Sunset Bow to shoot down Ying Yang’s Variant Sky Plundering Eagle as the attackers approached Danxia Peak.
• Xing Zonghan charged at Ying Yang after the eagle fell.