Chapter Summaries

Luo Chen learned that Gu Cai Yi had reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer after receiving Dust Transformation Pills, then threw himself into refining pills despite the strain. The chapter left him exhausted and wondering why Fei Bai Wen had given Gu Cai Yi a valuable defensive Magic Tool.

• Gu Cai Yi told Luo Chen that a visiting Foundation Establishment Cultivator had rewarded her dance troupe with Dust Transformation Pills, helping her break through to Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
• Gu Cai Yi warned Luo Chen that Great River Market might become dangerous because many unfamiliar cultivators had arrived.
• Luo Chen resolved to work harder, then began refining pills in his new Pill Room with the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace, but his first batch failed.
• Over the following ten days, Luo Chen refined two batches a day, while the Spirit Eye Art and heat left him exhausted and red-eyed.
• Gu Cai Yi showed Luo Chen the High-Grade Defensive Magic Tool Fei Bai Wen had given her and said Fei Bai Wen was different from ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Luo Chen nearly succumbed to a Heart Tribulation brought on by exhaustion, anxiety, and self-doubt, but Moonlight Grass awakened him before his cultivation went astray. The next day, he successfully refined a batch of All Wonders Pills and found his spiritual power and mental stamina had improved.

• Gu Cai Yi told Luo Chen that Fei Bai Wen was a wealthy Ailao Mountain cultivator who had a Dao companion, then left after deciding she could not afford to provoke him.
• Luo Chen failed another afternoon pill-refining batch and, while cultivating, became consumed by doubts about his aptitude, prospects, and unfulfilled desires.
• Luo Chen recognized that negative emotions were causing his spiritual energy to boil, and Moonlight Grass’s fragrance jolted him out of the Heart Tribulation before it could destroy him.
• Luo Chen calmed himself beneath the stars and resolved to keep striving despite his Five Spirit Roots.
• The next day, Luo Chen successfully refined ten All Wonders Pills and noticed that his afternoon mental fatigue had disappeared and his spiritual power had roughly doubled.

Luo Chen reviewed his rapid gains in cultivation, spells, and alchemy after using his last Qi Nourishing Pill. He resolved to save his Achievement Points and focus on building capital before refining more pills.

• Luo Chen cleaned the Pill Room, put away Fu Xiu Xiu's potted plants, and swallowed his last Qi Nourishing Pill before cultivating.
• Luo Chen checked his Attribute Panel and found that his cultivation had reached 61 progress toward the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, while his Evergreen Art neared Grandmaster Level.
• Luo Chen demonstrated his Grandmaster-Level Fireball Spell, which let him summon ten fireballs at once, and named the move Flying Firefly.
• Luo Chen noted that his All Wonders Pill skill had reached Mastery Level after he refined thirty batches and succeeded six times.
• Luo Chen decided to keep his eleven Achievement Points for later and gather capital before resuming pill refining.

Luo Chen learned that the Mountain Shattering Gang and Great River Gang would settle their dispute over mountain routes through eighteen death matches on the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion’s Dao Discussion Stage. He realized the Sword Pavilion had publicized the contest to profit from the crowds, and the chapter ended with him wondering whether to support Wang Yuan, the Mountain Shattering Gang’s leading fighter.

• Luo Chen arrived early at the market to sell pills and asked Old Taoist Chen where Wang Yuan was.
• Old Taoist Chen explained that the Mountain Shattering Gang and Great River Gang would each send nine fighters to compete to the death, with the winner claiming routes and business concessions.
• Old Taoist Chen told Luo Chen that the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion had spread news of the matches to attract visitors and earn money from the event.
• Luo Chen learned that the Sword Sect relied on rent, marketplace businesses, and first access to treasures from the Million Mountains, while other sects also held interests in the Jade Cauldron Domain.
• Luo Chen realized Wang Yuan would lead the Mountain Shattering Gang’s fighters and wondered whether to go support him.

Luo Chen sold pills, restocked materials, and met Kang Dongyue, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who ran Mount Tai Market’s Gold and Stone Pavilion. After Kang assessed an All Wonders Pill and asked how many Luo Chen could make, Luo Chen asked whether he wanted to buy stock.

• Luo Chen sold his remaining All Wonders Pills and Grain Avoidance Pills, bringing his savings to five hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.
• Luo Chen spent three hundred Spirit Stones on Qi Nourishing Pills and bought fifty Spirit Stones’ worth of Grain Avoidance Pill ingredients at Hundred Herbs Hall.
• At Hundred Herbs Hall, Luo Chen met Kang Dongyue, the pavilion master of Gold and Stone Pavilion, who asked about the Fire Hound Whip he used in pill refining.
• Luo Chen showed Kang an All Wonders Pill, and Kang identified its effects, noted its drawbacks, and bought it for five Spirit Stones.
• Kang asked how many All Wonders Pills Luo Chen could refine each month, and Luo Chen asked whether Kang wanted to purchase stock.

Luo Chen declined a pill-supply deal with Kang Dongyue and learned that the Dao Discussion Stage would host a deadly Two-Gang Conflict featuring Wang Yuan. After buying a ticket, he suspected the Great River Gang's victory might be fixed.

• Kang Dongyue refused to cooperate with Luo Chen because All Wonders Pills had severe aftereffects, then left with Shopkeeper Liu for a banquet at Zhong Ding Restaurant.
• Luo Chen turned down Bai Mei Ling's potential business opportunity because he feared revealing his ability to improve the pill grade and attracting unwanted attention.
• Luo Chen asked Sun Shou about the newly opened Dao Discussion Stage and learned it was being built on Fallen Phoenix Mountain.
• Sun Shou told Luo Chen that the main event would be a fight to the death between the two gangs, prompting Luo Chen to buy a ticket so he could watch Wang Yuan.
• Sun Shou advised Luo Chen to bet on the Great River Gang, and Luo Chen suspected the match was being fixed.

Luo Chen improved his All Wonders Pill business and kept a low profile as Great River Market grew crowded ahead of the Dao Discussion Stage opening. When Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian returned to their courtyard, Qin mistook Luo Chen for a thief, but the couple soon recognized him as their new neighbor and made peace.

• Luo Chen decided to keep selling his mid-grade All Wonders Pills at the current price until they reached high-grade, while he continued cultivating and refining pills.
• Great River Market grew busier as outside cultivators arrived for the Dao Discussion Stage, and Gu Cai Yi told Luo Chen that Fei Bai Wen was occupied with Ailao Mountain's responsibilities.
• Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian returned to their courtyard and Qin attacked Luo Chen, mistaking him for a thief.
• Luo Chen dodged Qin's Golden Mace with the Carefree Wander and Wind Riding Art until Murong Qinglian stopped her husband.
• Murong Qinglian explained that their son Qin Xiaohu had joined Fallen Cloud Sect, then offered Luo Chen a beast-shaped wooden puppet as an apology.

Luo Chen learned to control a Puppet Beast and discovered that his Spiritual Sense foundation was unusually strong. After chatting with Qin Liangchen, he learned Qin planned to fight for the Mountain Shattering Gang against the Great River Gang and warned him that the match would be dangerous, but Qin refused to back down.

• Murong Qinglian taught Luo Chen the Puppet Art, and he quickly controlled a Pangolin Puppet Beast to race around the courtyard.
• Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian praised Luo Chen's exceptional Spiritual Sense foundation and explained how puppet control could reveal and train it.
• Luo Chen admired the Fallen Cloud Sect's puppet racing and wondered whether his strong Spiritual Sense came from being a transmigrator or passing through a Heart Tribulation.
• Qin Liangchen gave Luo Chen the Pangolin Puppet Beast, and Murong Qinglian invited them to share dinner.
• Qin Liangchen told Luo Chen that he would fight for the Mountain Shattering Gang because he owed Old Man Mi, despite Luo Chen's warning about the Great River Gang.

Luo Chen shared a meal with Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian, learned about their Spirit Fish business, and witnessed the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect’s powerful arrival in Great River Market. The sect’s Golden Core sword cultivator and a procession of disciples arrived ahead of the Dao Discussion Stage, making the Marketplace’s true rulers impossible to ignore.

• Qin Liangchen explained the Eighteen Death Matches’ rules to Luo Chen, including the limit of ten talismans per fighter.
• Luo Chen shared his braised meat with Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian, who praised his cooking.
• Qin Liangchen told Luo Chen that he and Murong Qinglian had built their livelihood around Spirit Fish from Purple Moon Lake.
• A Golden Core sword cultivator from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect streaked into Great River Market, and Qin Liangchen identified him as likely overseeing the Dao Discussion Stage’s opening.
• Seven cultivators escorted a flying vessel to Great River Market, and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect’s disciples entered the Inner City.

Pang Renxiong and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect officials finalized preparations for Great River Market’s Dao Discussion Stage opening, trade fair, and auction. The meeting ended with Pang ordering strict control of robber cultivators to protect the market’s reputation.

• Steward Miao reported that the five-market trade fair would begin the next day and that Luo Tianhong would host the sect’s auction after the Dao Discussion Stage opening.
• Steward Miao outlined the opening ceremony, including performances, a battle against three Second-Order Demon Beasts, and eighteen death matches between local gangs.
• The officials discussed how the Connecting Cloud Commerce Alliance backed the Great River Gang, while the Mountain Shattering Gang’s submitted fighters appeared much weaker.
• Pang Renxiong confirmed that the Heaven's Pride Ranking had been prepared and warned the officials that any mistake would carry serious consequences.
• Pang Renxiong ordered the officials to control independent cultivators in the Outer City Area and deal with robber cultivators who killed for treasure.

Luo Chen continued improving his spells under Qin Liangchen’s guidance while avoiding the death matches and preparing to sell pills at the Beginning-of-Month Grand Fair. He arrived at the crowded market, where Old Taoist Chen’s granddaughter Shuyi reminded him of the fifty Spirit Stones he owed, and he decided to repay the debt after selling his pills.

• Qin Liangchen coached Luo Chen in his spells, helping him advance Wind Riding Art to Mastery level and become difficult to hit in a spar.
• Qin Liangchen joked that Luo Chen might be invited to fight if he had stronger offensive methods, but Luo Chen kept his hidden attacks secret and chose to focus on earning Spirit Stones.
• Murong Qinglian prepared Blood Fiend Tiger Bone soup to nourish Qin Liangchen before the death matches and said she could only support him and trust that he would win.
• Luo Chen headed to the Beginning-of-Month Grand Fair and found the market crowded before dawn.
• At Old Taoist Chen’s packed Azure Stone stall, Shuyi introduced herself and reminded Luo Chen that he owed her grandfather fifty Spirit Stones.
• Luo Chen resolved to repay Old Taoist Chen after selling his pills, but worried about where to set them up.

Luo Chen and Old Taoist Chen took advantage of the surge in visiting cultivators at Great River Market to sell pills and Beast Skin Talisman Skin. Their stalls drew crowds, and the two merchants ended the day sharing an understanding smile.

• Chen Shuyi helped Luo Chen set up his stall, and Old Taoist Chen explained that a trade fair had brought far more customers to Great River Market.
• Luo Chen recognized the sales opportunity and displayed his Grain Avoidance Pills and All Wonders Pills, advertising them loudly to passing cultivators.
• Luo Chen attracted customers by touting his Mid-Grade All Wonders Pills at five Spirit Stones each.
• Chen Shuyi reassured her grandfather when Luo Chen's sales pitch embarrassed him, prompting Old Taoist Chen to loudly advertise his Talisman Skin.
• The crowds gathered around both stalls, and Luo Chen and Old Taoist Chen exchanged a knowing smile.

After selling his pills for a handsome profit, Luo Chen learned that Chen Xiuping and Chen Shuyi would soon leave for the Divine Talisman Domain so Shuyi could try to enter the Divine Talisman Sect. Luo Chen treated them to a farewell feast, then noticed two people following him as he headed home.

• Luo Chen sold all his Grain Avoidance Pills and All Wonders Pills, bringing his savings to eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Luo Chen repaid Chen Xiuping the fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones he had borrowed, and Chen Xiuping told him he and Chen Shuyi would leave for the Divine Talisman Domain in a month.
• Chen Xiuping explained that Chen Shuyi hoped to pass the Divine Talisman Sect's entrance trial, and he gave Luo Chen his Azure Stone stall slab and the stall after he left.
• Luo Chen invited Chen Xiuping and Chen Shuyi to a farewell feast at Zhong Ding Restaurant, where they traded jokes and toasts.
• Luo Chen departed alone and complained about the restaurant's fifty-Spirit-Stone bill, then secretly released a Wooden Puppet Pangolin after noticing two figures following him.

Duan Sanfu’s men tracked Luo Chen to his home in the Inner City and planned to seize him after Gao Tingyuan finished his deadly matches. Luo Chen’s warning to Wan Xiaoshan led the Patrol Team to arrest the watching lackey, while Luo Chen returned to his courtyard.

• Duan Sanfu stopped his lackey from rushing into the Inner City and ordered him to keep watch on Luo Chen until Gao Tingyuan was free to act.
• Luo Chen learned through his Pangolin Puppet Beast that Gao Tingyuan was still investigating his brother’s death and intended to come after him.
• Luo Chen warned his new neighbor Wan Xiaoshan to beware of Robber Cultivators, and Wan Xiaoshan explained that a Patrol Team guarded the area.
• Wan Xiaoshan mistook the Great River Gang lackey for a dangerous robber and alerted the Patrol Team, which arrested him after he confessed to planning a kidnapping.
• Wan Xiaoshan hurried off to warn the other neighbors about Robber Cultivators.

After witnessing the Patrol Team take his foolish little brother to Red Pillar Prison, Luo Chen evaded anyone following him and returned home to cultivate. Half a month later, he was close to breakthroughs in both his realm and the Evergreen Art when Murong Qinglian arrived with soup.

• Luo Chen watched the Patrol Team escort his foolish little brother into Red Pillar Prison, then slipped away through a misleading route to avoid being followed.
• Luo Chen worried that Gao Tingyuan would target him again and considered how his pill-selling work might eventually expose his home.
• Luo Chen spent most of his remaining Spirit Stones on ingredients and Qi Nourishing Pills, then cultivated with the Evergreen Art.
• Over the next half month, Luo Chen improved his spell skills, advanced Carefree Wander to Grandmaster Level, and brought his Evergreen Art to one point from its next breakthrough.
• Luo Chen opened the door after hearing a knock, and Murong Qinglian offered him a bowl of soup.

After drinking Murong Qinglian’s tiger bone soup, Luo Chen reached Grandmaster Level in the Evergreen Art and discovered it had greatly improved his cultivation and qi recovery. He concluded that his new efficiency was comparable to a Three Spirit Roots cultivator’s, but he still needed abundant resources to secure his future.

• Murong Qinglian gave Luo Chen leftover Blood Fiend Tiger bone soup, and he cultivated for two hours after drinking it.
• Luo Chen’s Evergreen Art reached Grandmaster Level, opening his remaining meridians and doubling his cultivation and pill-refining efficiency.
• Luo Chen discovered that the Grandmaster Evergreen Art automatically restored his spiritual power, letting him practice spells more freely.
• After sleeping, Luo Chen found that his spiritual qi conversion efficiency had doubled again and was comparable to a Three Spirit Roots cultivator’s.
• Luo Chen recognized that abundant resources were still necessary to ease his worries about his lifespan and resolved to make money.

Wang Haichao prepared the Great River Gang for its death match with the Mountain Shattering Gang while warning Gao Tingyuan against provoking the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. As the Dao Discussion Stage opened, Qin Liangchen set out to fight, and Luo Chen broke through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

• Wang Haichao told Gao Tingyuan that winning the death match would earn the Great River Gang waterway rights for four more marketplaces, then questioned Gao Tingyuan's confidence against the Mountain Shattering Gang's fighters.
• A Flying Sword Letter from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect warned Wang Haichao to control his people, and Wang Haichao learned Gao Tingyuan had sent two men to investigate Luo Chen.
• After leaving the ship, Gao Tingyuan slapped Duan Sanfu for leaving Skinny Monkey to watch Luo Chen in the Inner City.
• Two days later, cultivators gathered for the opening of the Dao Discussion Stage, while Murong Qinglian helped Qin Liangchen prepare to compete.
• Luo Chen emerged at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer after refining Qi Nourishing Pills, practicing the Evergreen Art, and consuming Tiger Bone Soup, and Qin Liangchen departed determined to win.

Luo Chen watched Mi Shuhua rally the Mountain Shattering Gang before its members entered the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion for the Dao Discussion Stage’s opening ceremony. He studied the Eighteen Death Matches roster, chose to support Xu Renke, and waited with the crowd as the ceremony approached.

• Mi Shuhua promised the Mountain Shattering Gang a Foundation Establishment Pill for victory and support for the families of those who died in battle.
• Mi Shuhua led the gang into the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, while Luo Chen noticed Wang Yuan, Qin Liangchen, Murong Qinglian, and Zeng Wen among them.
• Onlookers examined the match roster and complained that the Great River Gang had recruited outside cultivators, including Min Longyu and Bai Qi.
• Luo Chen recognized the fighters in several key matches, saw Xu Renke paired against Gao Tingyuan, and decided to support Xu Renke.
• The Great River Gang entered the venue, and Luo Chen watched Gao Tingyuan react grimly to his matchup.
• As the crowd waited for the opening ceremony, someone offered to resell a ticket to the highest bidder.

Luo Chen sold his ticket to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, then entered the Dao Discussion Stage using Wang Yuan’s Mountain Shattering Gang token. He joined Murong Qinglian at the gang’s viewing platform and watched Gu Cai Yi emerge as the event began.

• Luo Chen auctioned his ticket and sold it for two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to a burly Foundation Establishment cultivator.
• Luo Chen entered the venue with a Mountain Shattering Gang iron token and marveled at the Dao Discussion Stage and its Heaven's Pride Ranking stele.
• Luo Chen showed his token to Mi Shuhua, who let him sit beside Murong Qinglian at the Mountain Shattering Gang viewing platform.
• Ke Yuelin questioned Luo Chen about being Wang Yuan's little brother, and Murong Qinglian explained that Ke Yuelin was dissatisfied about losing a fighting slot to Wang Yuan.
• White mist filled the venue as a zither sounded, and Gu Cai Yi emerged in a Wide-Sleeved Flowing Immortal Skirt.

At the Dao Discussion Stage’s opening ceremony, Luo Chen watched the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect unveil the Heaven’s Pride Ranking and host a series of combat performances. The first of eighteen death matches ended with array master Min Longyu killing the Mountain Shattering Gang’s Han Dang, leaving Luo Chen shaken by the power of formations and Murong Qinglian tense beside him.

• Gu Cai Yi’s spell-enhanced dance delighted the audience before Pang Renxiong activated the Heaven’s Pride Ranking and announced the Dao Discussion Stage’s rules and rewards.
• Luo Chen inspected Han Zheng’s record and learned he had won all thirty-two of his same-realm battles, while Mi Shuhua questioned the focus on combat.
• The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect presented staged fights, including Foundation Establishment cultivators battling Tier 2 demon beasts, before Miao Zhen announced eighteen death matches between the Mountain Shattering Gang and Great River Gang.
• Han Dang fought Min Longyu in the first match, but Min used a Defensive Talisman and array flags to trap him in a storm of golden blades.
• Min Longyu’s formation tore Han Dang apart, silencing the Mountain Shattering Gang and leaving Luo Chen stunned as Murong Qinglian clenched her hands.