Chapter Summaries

Su Qingqing learned that her mother, Yan Xue, was alive in Yuanzhou and left with Jiang He to find her, while Song Changming decided to settle in Cuibai Main City. After buying a Spirit Locking Talisman at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Song Changming realized he needed work and a stable identity.

• Jiang He told Su Qingqing that her mother had gone to Yuanzhou, and Su Qingqing declared that she would find her despite her demon blood.
• Jiang He agreed to take Su Qingqing to Yan Xue, and Song Changming supported her decision; Jiang He revealed that Su Qingqing had half fox demon blood and half Longevity Blood.
• Su Qingqing departed with Jiang He and Liu Xiangnan, promising Song Changming that she would return after meeting her mother.
• Song Changming decided to put down roots in Cuibai Main City because he needed to investigate the whereabouts of his elder brother's remains.
• Song Changming attended the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's Rune Convention, watched wealthy guests bid on talisman tools, and bought the Spirit Locking Talisman he needed.
• After spending much of his remaining Spirit Crystals, Song Changming left the pavilion and resolved to find work and establish an identity.

Song Changming fought off four Flower Leopard Cat demon commanders who had ambushed him in Maple City, then pursued the survivors with Chu Wantong and the city’s generals. As the battle moved beyond the city, Song Changming saved Huang Silang from a mental attack and joined the others in confronting the last two demons.

• Song Changming crippled one demon commander at Fengling Pavilion, then drew his saber and wounded another as the remaining enemies attacked together.
• Song Changming unleashed Purple-Gold Flame outside the pavilion, triggering Maple City’s protective formation and alerting Meng Jianli, who sent General Chu to investigate.
• Chu Wantong and the city’s generals arrived, and Song Changming and the demon commanders fled beyond Maple City to avoid harming civilians.
• A demon commander struck Huang Silang with a mental attack and tried to gouge out his heart, but Song Changming killed it with a single purple-gold slash.
• Huang Silang charged at the remaining demons while Chu Wantong and the other Innate martial artists battled them, and Song Changming watched to assess their strength.

Song Changming astonished the recruitment officers by achieving top results in every assessment and fighting deputy general Fu Yuan to a standstill. Their clash destroyed the military martial arts arena’s protective array, and General Xing Tiexin recognized Song Changming as a rare talent.

• Song Changming lifted the largest Sea-Calming Stone with one hand, then endured the impact formation until it shut down and passed the arrow-dodging and weapon tests with top results.
• General Xing Tiexin arrived, reviewed Song Changming’s scores, and assigned Fu Yuan to conduct his practical combat test.
• Song Changming and Fu Yuan exchanged fierce blows, and Song Changming unleashed the power of three dragons as Fu Yuan’s White Tiger-like Innate Qi pressed him.
• Their final clash shattered the protective array and badly damaged the arena, while the onlookers were knocked down by the shockwaves.
• Xing Tiexin docked Fu Yuan three months’ pay and ordered him to oversee repairs, then welcomed Song Changming as a valuable talent.

Song Changming was appointed Xing Tiexin’s deputy general after his recruitment examination, then entered the recruit camp, where other recruits wondered about his origins. Meanwhile, Zhao Li resented losing his chance at promotion, and a young man crossed the Abyss toward the Ancient Abyss Kingdom with an old spirit in a ring.

• Xing Tiexin dismissed Zhao Linxin’s objections and appointed Song Changming as his deputy general, which Song accepted.
• The Military Affairs Department confirmed Song Changming had no demon bloodline, and Fu Yuan escorted him to the recruit camp, where Chu Feiyu and Shi Dongsheng welcomed him.
• Recruits speculated about Song Changming’s background after learning he had become a general before completing recruit training.
• Xing Tiexin’s fellow Banner Generals teased him over the damaged training ground and praised him for finding Song Changming, whom he refused to give up to another commander.
• Zhao Li complained that Song Changming had taken his chance at promotion, while Zhao Linxin told him to challenge the recruit if he wanted the deputy general’s position.
• A young man reached the Abyss and, persuaded by the spirit in his ring, set out for the Ancient Abyss Kingdom while the spirit plotted to find a new candidate and seek revenge.

Song Changming established himself as a deputy general in the Forty-First Emerald Banner Army, learned about its factions and military hierarchy, and later joined Xing Tiexin and Fu Yuan in Stone City to guard a Spirit Crystal mine. As the demon race threatened the mine, Song Changming sensed his cultivation bottleneck clearing and prepared to break through that night.

• Song Changming defeated Zhao Li's challenge, secured the deputy general position, and left the recruit camp with Fu Yuan to report to Xing Tiexin.
• Fu Yuan explained that Zhao Li had the Zhao Family's backing and that Xing Tiexin wanted Song Changming as a trusted ally against clan influence in the army.
• Xing Tiexin welcomed Song Changming as his deputy general, and Fu Yuan showed him the garrison, where they encountered Yang Zhen and Zhao Linxin.
• Song Changming settled into his military post in Cuibai Main City, and more than a year passed.
• In Stone City, Xing Tiexin assigned Song Changming and Fu Yuan to guard a Spirit Crystal mine that demon forces were likely to attack.
• Song Changming sensed his cultivation bottleneck becoming clear and expected the Spirit Crystal mine to help him break through that night.

Song Changming opened his second Earthly Martial Meridian while cultivating at the Spirit Crystal vein, then recovered as Fu Yuan and the soldiers guarded the mines. Before the night ended, spider demons attacked Mine Shaft Seven, and two demon commanders appeared before the defending Centurions.

• Song Changming drew spiritual energy from the Spirit Crystal vein with Little Gold and broke through to his second Earthly Martial Meridian.
• Fu Yuan kept the Centurions from interrupting Song Changming and reassured him that the consumed spiritual energy would not cause trouble.
• After unusual birds were shot down and fireworks signaled danger from another mine shaft, Song Changming sensed an approaching threat while Fu Yuan went to investigate.
• Black and green spiders attacked the soldiers at the foot of the mountain, killing several before two Centurions covered the survivors’ retreat.
• Two seductive women surrounded by spiders approached the Centurions, and the soldiers recognized them as demon commanders.

Spider demons launched another assault on the Spirit Crystal mines, and Song Changming and Fu Yuan fought to repel them. The two men killed the spider commanders, but Song Changming suspected the military assignment would not be easily completed.

• Two spider demon sisters led a swarm against Fu Yuan's position, while another wave of spiders approached Mine No. 7.
• Song Changming killed two spider commanders at Mine No. 7 and used Purple-Gold Flame to wipe out the attacking spiders.
• Song Changming joined Fu Yuan's battle, blasted the younger spider sister into the forest, and killed her with his Purple-Gold attacks.
• Fu Yuan and Song Changming prevented the elder spider sister from escaping and killed her after she tried to retreat.
• Song Changming thanked Fu Yuan for his consideration, then reflected that securing the Spirit Crystal vein would be difficult.

After the spider demons attacked the mine vein, the human army searched the forest and uncovered three powerful spider demon ancestors. Song Changming wounded one of them and joined Fu Yuan in clearing out the remaining demons, where he killed a female spider demon seeking revenge for her sister.

• Song Changming and Fu Yuan confirmed that the spider demon swarm had attacked the other mine tunnels as well, and the army arrived at dawn to search the surrounding thousand li.
• Xing Tiexin and his officers attacked fleeing spider demons, but three enormous spider ancestors emerged from underground and overwhelmed several soldiers.
• Song Changming struck a spider ancestor's leg joint with Three Dragons' Power, breaking its shell and forcing it to transform into half-demon form.
• Xing Tiexin blocked a spider ancestor's attack on Song Changming, then sent Song Changming and Fu Yuan to clear out the spider demons below.
• A pink-haired spider demon accused Song Changming of killing her sister, and Song Changming cut her in half with his saber.

Song Changming followed the spider demons into their underground nest and found Hu Yan and members of the Corpse Refining Sect looting the lair. He defeated their Corpse Puppets and captured Hu Yan, leaving the spider nest’s Spirit Crystals in military reach.

• Song Changming entered a deep pit, uncovered tunnels beneath it, and followed the passages into the spider nest.
• Hu Yan and his cloaked companions found a hoard of mid-grade Spirit Crystals and began killing the remaining spider demons to take them.
• Song Changming confronted Hu Yan, identified the Corpse Refining Sect members and their Corpse Puppets, and refused Hu Yan’s claim that they had come to help.
• Song Changming cut down the Yellow-Eyed Corpse Puppets and repeatedly defeated the Green-Eyed Corpse Puppets.
• Hu Yan tried to flee with a Tier 3 Shocking Talisman, but Song Changming broke his hands and legs and captured him.

Song Changming escaped with a fortune in Spirit Crystals, coerced Hu Yan into searching the Corpse Refining Sect for his two elder brothers, and returned to Cuibai Main City after the battle. A letter then revealed that he had finally found one of his brothers.

• Song Changming cut through the spider web with a focused saber strike, took more than five hundred mid-grade and ten high-grade Spirit Crystals, and hid them with a Spirit Locking Talisman.
• Song Changming gave Hu Yan a portrait of each of his elder brothers and forced him to swallow the Void Heaven Pill so he would investigate the Corpse Refining Sect and obey his orders.
• Song Changming returned to the battlefield, where the army had defeated the spider demons and searched their nests for Spirit Crystals.
• The Forty-First Banner Army returned to Cuibai Main City, and Song Changming spent the following half year practicing calligraphy as saber training.
• Song Changming received a carrier pigeon’s letter, read it, and exclaimed that he had finally found his brother.

Song Changming learned that his elder brothers had been turned into corpse puppets and ordered Hu Yan to keep investigating ways to save them. He attended the Golden Jade Gathering and watched as a low-grade spiritual item, the Cosmic Bag, was presented for auction.

• Hu Yan reported that he had found two corpse puppets whose appearance and origins strongly suggested they were Song Changming's elder brothers, Song Changping and Song Chang'an.
• Song Changming wondered whether he could restore his brothers' consciousness and instructed Hu Yan to investigate further and befriend the Corpse Refining Sect disciple without raising suspicion.
• Song Changming ate with his servants Ah Da and Ah Er, then continued his daily cultivation routine.
• Song Changming went to the Golden Jade Tower auction with Song Ping'an, and Shi Dongsheng recognized him and arranged for him to enter after the gathering had begun.
• Song Changming watched several auction items sell without bidding, until the auctioneer introduced a low-grade spiritual item called the Cosmic Bag.

Song Changming bought a Cosmic Bag at the Golden Jade Gathering and tested its storage space. After the auction, Shi Dongsheng explained why he wanted to build ties with Song, and the chapter ended as the next day began.

• Song Changming bid 180 mid-grade Spirit Crystals for a Cosmic Bag and received it from Song Ping'an.
• Song Changming explored the Cosmic Bag's pocket dimension and stored his teacup and longsword inside it.
• Song Changming watched the rest of the auction without bidding and later thanked Shi Dongsheng for offering future invitations.
• Shi Dongsheng told his servant that Song Changming's potential made it worthwhile to establish good relations with him.
• The next day began as Song Changming started to put on his clothes.

Song Changming learned that the Corpse Transformation Method could let his elder brothers return as zombies, then ambushed Lou Baoqiu to recover them. The chapter left Song Changming face-to-face with his two Green-Eyed Corpse Puppet brothers.

• Little Gold explained that the Corpse Transformation Method from an ancient tomb could turn Song Changming’s elder brothers into zombies, though it could not truly resurrect them.
• At Bai Tian Temple, the Day Heavenly Master failed another attempt to refine medicinal catalysts and wished he could capture Song Changming again.
• Hu Yan lured Lou Baoqiu away from the Corpse Refining Sect and led him to a secluded valley while his two Green-Eyed Corpse Puppets accompanied them.
• Song Changming attacked Lou Baoqiu, destroyed his protective jade talisman, and badly wounded him after cutting down several corpse puppets.
• Song Changming recognized the faces beneath the two Green-Eyed Corpse Puppets’ hoods as his elder brothers.

Song Changming freed his brothers Song Changping and Song Chang'an from Lou Baoqiu’s control and learned that they both wished to continue living through the Corpse Transformation Method. After settling the matter in Cuibai Way, Song Changming left Yunzhou with his brothers and reflected on his new Blade Maniac trait.

• Song Changming subdued Lou Baoqiu, destroyed his other corpse puppets, and forced him to release control of Song Changping and Song Chang'an.
• Song Changping and Song Chang'an recognized Song Changming and discussed whether they wanted to live on as corpse cultivators; Song Chang'an chose to try, and Song Changping agreed to stay.
• Song Changming knocked Lou Baoqiu unconscious, allowing his brothers to control their bodies, then killed Hu Yan with a Purple-Gold Flame.
• Song Changming reviewed the Blade Maniac trait he had chosen as an annual reward and considered its potential to improve his saber arts.
• Song Changming traveled out of Yunzhou with Song Changping and Song Chang'an, declined to tell Li Luzong his destination, and explained that he preferred military service to joining a sect.

Song Changming and his brothers reached the mountains near the ancient tomb, where a nameless village guarded the area as its ancestral land. The village chief revealed that the Yin God had trapped the villagers there and demanded yearly sacrifices, leaving Song Changming to suspect it was connected to the tomb he intended to explore.

• Song Changming refused to release Little Gold and brought it with Song Changping and Song Chang'an into the basin to search for the ancient tomb.
• Song Changming discovered that a large village stood near the tomb and sensed that its remote location and weak inhabitants were unusual.
• Villagers confronted Song Changming in the mountains, and he subdued two of them after they claimed the mountain range was their ancestral graveyard.
• The village chief explained that the villagers offered a person to the Yin God each year, believing it protected them from beasts and demons.
• The village chief revealed that the Yin God watched the village, prevented anyone from escaping, and had effectively raised its inhabitants as livestock.

Song Changming defeated a corpse man who had terrorized the village, but the battle opened a fissure to an ancient tomb and revealed seven more corpse men. He destroyed them all and turned his attention toward the tomb beneath the mountain.

• A corpse man appeared on the mountain slope, and Little Gold identified him as someone transformed by the Corpse Transformation Method.
• Song Chang'an and Song Changping fought the corpse man, but Song Changming joined in and defeated him, severing his legs while keeping him alive.
• The wounded corpse man released icy murky energy that shook open the mountainside and fell into a fissure as seven more corpse men emerged.
• Song Changming took his Fire God form and destroyed all seven corpse men with his saber and flaming Innate Qi.
• Song Changming stood over the fissure and stared toward the ancient tomb below.

Song Changming entered the ancient tomb with Song Changping and Song Chang'an to seek the Corpse Transformation Method, where they encountered a powerful zombie guarding a coffin. After pushing his strength beyond its limits, Song Changming killed and burned the zombie, but the extreme battle left him exhausted.

• Song Changping rescued the old village chief and warned the villagers to evacuate before the turbid qi engulfed their village.
• Song Changming entered the ancient tomb with Song Changping and Song Chang'an after the Ginseng Spirit explained that the zombies might have appeared within the past century.
• The zombie guarding a huge coffin revived nearby skeletons, but Song Changming shattered them with a burst of purple-gold lightning.
• Song Changming fought the zombie, then used Bloodburst and Blood Burning Powder to overpower its defenses and sever its head.
• Song Changming dismembered and burned the zombie before withdrawing from his Bloodburst state, exhausted as Song Changping and Song Chang'an checked on him.

Song Changming copied the Corpse Transformation Method from the ancient coffin, then opened it and discovered a mysterious stone fragment hidden in its cushion. After leaving the tomb with his brothers, he returned to Yunzhou and struggled to find scholars who could fully translate the ancient script.

• Song Changming used Little Gold to translate much of the Corpse Transformation Method inscribed on the coffin and had Song Changping and Song Chang'an memorize it.
• Song Changming opened the ancient coffin after sending his brothers out, found it empty, and discovered a stone fragment hidden inside its cushion.
• Song Changming strengthened his Spiritual Power and saw visions of a Heaven-Connecting Mountain Stone worshipped by people before colorful lightning shattered it into fragments.
• Song Changming stored the fragment and left the tomb with his brothers, while Yin Energy spread across the mountain region and A Li departed with the old village chief.
• Song Changming returned to Yunzhou, took extended leave from his post, and searched for scholars who could decipher the Corpse Transformation Method.

Song Changming learned the Witch Clan’s Sorcery Refining Method from the Witch God Stone and began refining a Minor Witch Strength Seal. He completed the Corpse Transformation Method for his elder brothers, who started cultivating it at a mass grave, while his own seal advanced slowly.

• Song Changming used his Spiritual Power and a Willow Heart Leaf to receive an ancient scripture from the Witch God Stone, learning the Witch Clan’s Sorcery Refining Method.
• Song Changming absorbed moonlight and starlight to refine his body, then began ritual refinement of the Minor Witch Strength Seal.
• Song Changming realized the Corpse Transformation Method came from a branch of the Sorcery Refining Method and gave his elder brothers a revised version to cultivate.
• Song Changping and Song Chang'an began practicing the Corpse Transformation Method at a mass grave near the Yunzhou border, while Song Changming dealt with the minor demons drawn by their activity.
• Song Changming’s Minor Witch Strength Seal progressed slowly, reaching 18 points because refinement consumed too much Spiritual Power.

Song Changming helped Song Changping and Song Chang'an become independent zombie men, then returned to Cuibai Way and resumed his military duties. As the army prepared for an important martial competition, Xing Tiexin urged his officers to perform well before the Flag Lord.

• Song Changping and Song Chang'an transformed into zombie men, broke free of their puppet bodies, and decided to return to Great Lai to see their family from afar.
• Song Chang'an told Song Changming that they had chopped Lou Baoqiu into pieces and fed him to wild dogs, while Lou Hui ordered the Corpse Refining Sect to search for his missing son and investigate Hu Yan.
• Song Changming returned to Cuibai Way, evaded notice from searching Corpse Refining Sect disciples, and reported back to Xing Tiexin, who deducted three months' salary and restored his military duties.
• Song Changming thanked Fu Yuan and the Centurions for protecting his position while Zhao Linxin tried to impeach him, then returned home to Song Ping'an and his dogs.
• After Song Changming resumed his duties, Xing Tiexin announced an important martial competition that the Flag Lord would attend and told his officers to gather the Centurions.