Chapter Summaries

Li Chengjie passed Medicine King Valley’s identity screening and refined five Spirit Recovery Pills in Elder Luo Yang’s assessment. All twelve candidates passed, and Li Chengjie recognized that the Valley’s recruitment system let it gather skilled alchemists and their techniques while consolidating its influence over Star Luo Kingdom’s Pill Dao.

• Li Chengjie answered the Heart Questioning Jade Slip truthfully, while an alchemist whose slip turned red was disqualified.
• The steward led the twelve remaining candidates to meet Elder Luo Yang, who set a two-hour Spirit Recovery Pill test requiring at least three finished pills.
• Li Chengjie chose a standard furnace, carefully checked his ingredients, and used Chu Kingdom’s Core Condensation Method to produce five pills.
• Daoist Luo Yang stopped the assessment after an hour and confirmed that all twelve candidates had passed.
• Li Chengjie considered how Medicine King Valley used the recruitment to gain experienced alchemists, absorb techniques, and control Star Luo Kingdom’s alchemist resources.

Li Chengjie replicated Wang Chengzhi’s Golden Core cultivation and alchemy knowledge, triggering an uncontrolled breakthrough to the mid Golden Core stage. Wang Chengzhi saw through his disguise and accused him of infiltrating Medicine King Valley.

• Wang Chengzhi arrived and inspected the newly admitted Alchemists, while Li Chengjie used the System to identify his replicable abilities and knowledge.
• Wang Chengzhi sensed that Li Chengjie’s fire-element Spiritual Power was unusually pure and scrutinized him with Divine Sense, but Daoist Luo Yang led the group away.
• As Li Chengjie passed within replication range, he copied Wang Chengzhi’s inheritance and experience at the cost of 2000 Replication Points.
• The copied insights caused Li Chengjie’s Golden Core to break through to the mid Golden Core stage, and he tried to conceal the resulting Spiritual Power fluctuation.
• Wang Chengzhi saw through Li Chengjie’s disguise and ordered him to stop, accusing him of hiding his cultivation to infiltrate Medicine King Valley.

Li Chengjie was exposed as an infiltrator in Medicine King Valley and escaped Wang Chengzhi’s attack using an Earth Escape Talisman just before the market’s formation sealed him in. Wang Chengzhi pursued him, while Daoist Luo Yang escorted the newly promoted Alchemists back to the valley under orders to keep the incident secret.

• Wang Chengzhi attacked Li Chengjie with his Crimson Sun Cauldron and nine streams of Natal True Fire, but Li Chengjie deflected the cauldron with the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword and retreated.
• Li Chengjie activated an Earth Escape Talisman as Wang Chengzhi unleashed a Fire Dragon and the Twelve Capital Heaven Gate Array sealed the Spirit Medicine Market.
• Li Chengjie escaped beyond the horizon, though Wang Chengzhi’s Fire Dragon struck him during his departure and left him injured.
• Wang Chengzhi told Daoist Luo Yang and the eleven newly promoted Alchemists to keep the infiltration secret, then set off to track Li Chengjie.
• Daoist Luo Yang led the eleven Alchemists back toward Medicine King Valley.

Li Chengjie escaped Wang Chengzhi’s attack but crash-landed injured, where Liu Xingchen mistook him for an easy target and attacked. Liu Xingchen chased him north, while Wang Chengzhi arrived at the scene and concluded that another cultivator had pursued him.

• Li Chengjie fell into a mountain forest after Wang Chengzhi’s attack and coughed up blood, leaving him injured and his spiritual energy unstable.
• Liu Xingchen found Li Chengjie and, driven by greed, attacked him with a Golden Flying Sword and the Sharp Gold Flame Burst Technique.
• Li Chengjie used a secret art from the Blazing Sacred Fire Art to escape north just before Liu Xingchen’s attacks struck.
• Liu Xingchen pursued Li Chengjie, convinced that his injuries would soon leave him unable to flee.
• Wang Chengzhi reached the crash site, examined the traces, and realized another cultivator had attacked and chased Li Chengjie north.

Li Chengjie used Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk to recover during Liu Xingchen’s pursuit, then escaped to Lingui Market with an Evasion Talisman. He concealed his cultivation and transformed his appearance into Jiang Chengye’s, while Liu Xingchen tracked him toward the market.

• Liu Xingchen pursued the injured Li Chengjie for three days and three nights, expecting him to run out of strength.
• Li Chengjie drank a drop of diluted Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk, restoring his Spiritual Power and increasing his speed.
• Liu Xingchen burned some of his vital essence to close the distance after realizing Li Chengjie possessed a valuable recovery treasure.
• Li Chengjie activated an Evasion Talisman and vanished toward Lingui Market, leaving Liu Xingchen to follow his trail.
• Li Chengjie arrived near Lingui Market, concealed his aura as a Qi Refining Stage Level 7 cultivator, and used the Thousand Illusions Mask to appear as Jiang Chengye.

Li Chengjie hid in Lingui Market under a disguise, but Liu Xingchen pursued him and, unable to find him among the crowds, began destroying the Marketplace to force him out. As Liu Xingchen prepared to strike the West District where Li Chengjie was hiding, Li Chengjie realized his concealment could not protect him from an indiscriminate attack.

• Li Chengjie disguised himself as a low-level Rogue Cultivator, entered Lingui Market, and hid in an inn room to recover his spiritual power.
• Liu Xingchen arrived above the Marketplace and searched it with his divine sense but could not detect Li Chengjie.
• After Tang Mao described where incoming visitors had gone, Liu Xingchen struck the East Market with the Golden Flame Sword, killing dozens of cultivators.
• Tang Mao tried to stop Liu Xingchen, who struck him down before turning his attention toward the West District.
• Li Chengjie sensed the Golden Flame Sword gathering power over the West District and realized Liu Xingchen's coming attack could destroy his hiding place and everyone nearby.

Liu Xingchen devastated Lingui Market while searching for the hidden mid Golden Core cultivator, killing those who tried to flee. When his next powerful strike threatened Li Chengjie’s inn, Li Chengjie revealed his true cultivation and began forming a shield as the sword light arrived.

• Liu Xingchen unleashed Golden Flame Sword Rain over the West District, killing more than a hundred low-level cultivators while missing Li Chengjie.
• Liu Xingchen pursued and killed several fleeing Foundation Establishment cultivators, but none was his target.
• Liu Xingchen aimed an eighty-percent-power sword strike at the edge of the West District, threatening the inn where Li Chengjie was hiding.
• Li Chengjie withdrew his concealment and disguise, revealing his mid Golden Core cultivation as Liu Xingchen’s strike reached the inn.
• Li Chengjie summoned his Crimson Sun Golden Core and began casting Blazing Condensation Shield.

Li Chengjie revealed himself by blocking Liu Xingchen’s devastating sword strike and protecting the surviving cultivators around him. Liu Xingchen demanded his treasures and attacked with the Nine Luminaries Light Splitting Sword, while Li Chengjie chose to fight and sent out the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword, which was overpowered in their first clash.

• Li Chengjie formed a Blazing Condensation Shield that endured Liu Xingchen’s Golden Flame Sword Light and protected the inn and cultivators within ten zhang.
• The surviving cultivators recognized Li Chengjie and thanked him, while he realized his disguise had been exposed.
• Liu Xingchen demanded Li Chengjie’s treasures and attacked with nine sword lights from his Nine Luminaries Light Splitting Sword.
• Li Chengjie refused to retreat, summoned the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword, and identified the true sword among Liu Xingchen’s nine attacks.
• The Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword collided with Liu Xingchen’s true Golden Flame Sword and was driven backward.

Li Chengjie survived Liu Xingchen’s powerful attacks by combining defensive techniques, his Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword, and a timely escape, while both cultivators’ spiritual power dwindled. The chapter ended with Liu Xingchen and Li Chengjie preparing their final killing moves above the ruined Marketplace.

• Li Chengjie blocked Liu Xingchen’s Nine Luminaries Light Splitting Sword with a rotating flame barrier and Blazing Flame Seal, while its Killing Intent began eroding Liu Xingchen’s Golden Flame Sword.
• Liu Xingchen unleashed Blazing Dragon Roars at Heaven, summoning a massive golden-and-crimson dragon to attack Li Chengjie.
• Li Chengjie sent Blood Fiend Qi to disrupt the dragon and escaped its devastating strike with Fire Lotus Shadow Escape, suffering only a minor injury from the shockwave.
• Liu Xingchen and Li Chengjie both recognized that their spiritual power was running low and began preparing their final killing moves.

Li Chengjie recovered with Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid and battled Liu Xingchen’s hundred sword feathers with his Crimson Gold Flame and Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword. His concentrated strike pierced Liu Xingchen’s hastily raised shield, leaving the fight unresolved as Liu Xingchen staggered from the attack.

• Liu Xingchen unleashed over a hundred golden-crimson sword feathers to surround Li Chengjie.
• Li Chengjie drank diluted Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid, restoring his spiritual power and recovering from his injuries.
• Liu Xingchen recognized the liquid’s restorative power and grew determined to kill Li Chengjie and seize it.
• Li Chengjie sent nearly a hundred fire sparrows into the sword feathers, disrupting Liu Xingchen’s formation.
• Li Chengjie launched the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword at Liu Xingchen, who formed a sword shield but still suffered a soul-piercing blow.

Li Chengjie and Liu Xingchen fought to the brink of death, but Li Chengjie used a full drop of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk to recover and grow stronger. Faced with his exhausted strength and Li Chengjie’s renewed power, Liu Xingchen decided to flee using an Azure Cloud Void Escape Talisman.

• Li Chengjie fired nine Flame Arrows, but Liu Xingchen shattered his sword shield and charged into close combat with his Golden Flame Sword.
• Li Chengjie met Liu Xingchen’s desperate attack with the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword and Burning Meridians Blazing Sun Hand; the sword broke, but Li Chengjie’s punch injured Liu Xingchen and both fighters were badly wounded.
• Li Chengjie drank a full drop of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk, rapidly healing his injuries and restoring his spiritual power beyond its former level.
• Liu Xingchen saw Li Chengjie’s recovery, realized he could no longer win, and took out a Third-Rank Azure Cloud Void Escape Talisman to flee.

Li Chengjie killed Liu Xingchen after interrupting his escape, but Liu Xingchen sent a sinister mark into Li Chengjie's Sea of Consciousness and scattered a warning toward the Liu Family and Medicine King Valley. Li Chengjie fled the ruined Lingui Market, leaving the survivors to reckon with the devastation.

• Li Chengjie shattered Liu Xingchen's protection with a crimson strike, stopping the Azure Cloud Void Escape Talisman and fatally wounding him.
• Liu Xingchen sent a hidden thread from the Soul Erosion Mark Talisman into Li Chengjie's Sea of Consciousness.
• Liu Xingchen activated a pale-gold Talisman that sent warning streaks toward the Liu Family and Medicine King Valley, then died when Li Chengjie's Top-grade Magic Tool pierced his brow.
• Li Chengjie collected Liu Xingchen's Storage Bag, the Golden Flame Sword, and the damaged Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword, then cleared away traces of the battle.
• Li Chengjie fled Lingui Market, leaving behind a wasteland of ruins and survivors relieved that he had finally left.

Wang Chengzhi received Liu Xingchen’s dying message and traced the likely killer to the mysterious mid Golden Core cultivator who had escaped him. Meanwhile, the Liu Family discovered Liu Xingchen’s death and learned he had left carrying a Three Yang Quenching Yuan Fruit to make Golden Core Pills.

• Wang Chengzhi received a blood-and-soul message from Liu Xingchen warning that an enemy with a strange treasure was at Medicine King Valley and the Liu Family.
• Wang Chengzhi rushed to ruined Lingui Market, where Tang Family cultivators reported that a concealed mid Golden Core cultivator had fought Liu Xingchen.
• Wang Chengzhi connected the attacker to the mysterious mid Golden Core cultivator who had escaped him six days earlier.
• A Liu Family steward discovered that Liu Xingchen’s Soul Lamp had gone out and urgently alerted the clan.
• Liu Fangdong arrived at the Soul Lamp Hall and learned that Liu Xingchen had carried a Three Yang Quenching Yuan Fruit and medicinal ingredients to seek Golden Core Pill refinement.

Liu Fangdong responded to Liu Xingchen’s death by offering a Golden Core Pill for information about the killer and mobilizing the Liu Family’s allies to investigate. The reward stirred suspicion and greed across Star Luo Kingdom, and an unfamiliar, aura-concealing cultivator arrived at a tea stall as patrons wondered whether he was the murderer.

• Liu Fangdong ordered the Liu Family to announce that Liu Xingchen had been killed near Lingui Market while carrying the Three Yang Quenching Yuan Fruit, and offered one Golden Core Pill for a verified clue.
• Liu Fangdong described the suspected killer’s mid Golden Core cultivation, Breath Concealment and Illusion Technique, fire arts, and unusual spiritual-power-restoring treasure, and promised an additional reward for capturing or confirming the killer’s death.
• Liu Fangdong directed the Clan Leader to contact Luo Yang and Wang Chengzhi of Medicine King Valley for help investigating the murder.
• The Liu Family sent transmissions throughout Star Luo Kingdom, and news of the reward spread among cultivators, attracting the attention of Rogue Cultivators and members of minor lineages.
• An unfamiliar cultivator with a nearly imperceptible aura entered a tea stall, and a bearded patron whispered that he might be the killer.

Li Chengjie recovered from his battle with Liu Xingchen and absorbed more of Wang Chengzhi’s cultivation and alchemy insights. Meanwhile, Wang Chengzhi concluded that Li Chengjie was the mysterious fugitive, while the Liu Family’s bounty spread across Star Luo Kingdom.

• Rogue cultivators across Star Luo Kingdom began watching for Golden Core cultivators who matched the description connected to the Golden Core Pill bounty.
• Wang Chengzhi reviewed the evidence from Lingui Market and concluded that Li Chengjie had killed Liu Xingchen and escaped with the Three Yang Quenching Yuan Fruit.
• Li Chengjie spent three days recovering from his injuries and the destruction of the Blood Bone Soul Shattering Sword.
• Li Chengjie absorbed more insights into the Blazing Sacred Fire Art and Pill Dao, improving his understanding of fire cultivation and alchemy.
• Li Chengjie checked his System Panel and found his Pill Dao had reached third-grade mid-level, with 230 Available Replication Points.

Li Chengjie failed to remove the tracking mark Liu Xingchen had planted on him, but he purified Liu Xingchen’s Storage Bag and claimed its contents. He began refining the Golden Flame Sword, clearing away its former owner’s imprint and stirring the sword’s own spirituality.

• Li Chengjie tried to destroy the Soul Erosion Mark in his Sea of Consciousness with Spiritual Sense and Crimson Sun Spiritual Energy, but only weakened its transmissions temporarily.
• Li Chengjie erased Liu Xingchen’s fading Spiritual Sense imprint from the Storage Bag and exchanged its spirit stones for 910 Replication Points.
• Li Chengjie found a Three Yang Quenching Yuan Fruit, powerful Talismans, medicinal pills, cultivation records, and the Golden Flame Sword in the Storage Bag.
• Li Chengjie learned that Liu Xingchen had belonged to the Liu Family, one of the Ten Great Factions of the Star Luo Kingdom.
• Li Chengjie began refining the Golden Flame Sword, using his Crimson Sun Spiritual Energy to erase Liu Xingchen’s imprint and awaken the sword’s own spirituality.

Li Chengjie refined the Golden Flame Sword, then disguised himself as the rogue cultivator Wang Zhen and headed toward Azure Wave Market while seeking a way to remove the Soul Erosion Mark. At Yi Men Market, Liu Xingyue detected the mark’s presence and secretly requested reinforcements.

• Li Chengjie erased Liu Xingchen’s imprint from the Golden Flame Sword, bonded with it, and tested its improved control and power.
• Li Chengjie reviewed his resources and cultivation, found no clue about removing the Soul Erosion Mark, and decided to leave the Star Luo Kingdom’s core region.
• Li Chengjie disguised himself as Wang Zhen, concealed his Golden Flame Sword and valuables, and traveled toward Azure Wave Market at a Foundation Establishment Late Stage pace.
• Li Chengjie stopped at Yi Men Market to buy Third-grade Pills and medicinal herbs before continuing to Azure Wave Market.
• Liu Xingyue detected a faint Soul Erosion Mark fluctuation pointing toward Li Chengjie and sent a Communication Talisman to the Liu Family Core Headquarters requesting aid.

Liu Xingyue enlisted Chen Xin'er to help detain a suspicious cultivator while Liu Family reinforcements approached. They confronted Li Chengjie, who was disguised as Wang Zhen, and tried to recruit him into the Chen Family’s service as a pretext to keep him there.

• Liu Xingyue sent a talisman to summon reinforcements and asked the Chen Family for help delaying the suspected criminal.
• Chen Xin'er agreed to accompany Liu Xingyue and question the cultivator without provoking a fight.
• Li Chengjie left the Treasure Pavilion with pills and alchemy materials, then noticed Liu Xingyue and Chen Xin'er approaching.
• Liu Xingyue praised Li Chengjie’s supposed talent and claimed she might have considered marrying him to recruit him.
• Liu Xingyue and Chen Xin'er offered Li Chengjie a Chen Family steward position, but he politely declined by claiming he was unsuited to the work.

Li Chengjie revealed his mid Golden Core strength when Liu Xingyue tried to recruit him, and Chen Xin'er quickly disavowed the confrontation. Realizing the Liu Family had tracked him down, Li Chengjie attacked Liu Xingyue with his Golden Flame Sword, leaving her badly wounded.

• Liu Xingyue pressured Li Chengjie to accept a Marketplace steward position, while Chen Xin'er helped corner him.
• Li Chengjie unleashed overwhelming spirit pressure and revealed himself as a powerful mid Golden Core cultivator.
• Chen Xin'er recognized Li Chengjie as the man the Liu Family sought and distanced the Chen Family from Liu Xingyue's actions.
• Li Chengjie realized Liu Xingyue represented the Liu Family and decided he could not let her leave alive.
• Li Chengjie attacked Liu Xingyue with the Golden Flame Sword, heavily damaging her shield and hurling her through a shop wall.

Chen Xin'er activated Yi Men Market's defensive formation to stop Li Chengjie from killing the injured Liu Xingyue, while insisting the Chen Family was neutral. Li Chengjie accused her of hypocrisy and attacked anyway, and Chen Xin'er used the formation to shield and heal Liu Xingyue as the fight continued.

• Chen Xin'er activated Yi Men Market's Tier 3 defensive formation and warned Li Chengjie not to kill Liu Xingyue inside the Marketplace.
• Chen Xin'er explained that the Chen Family would not take sides in the vendetta but had to protect its invited guest and uphold the Marketplace's rules.
• Li Chengjie accused Chen Xin'er of having already joined forces with Liu Xingyue to trap him and rejected her claim of neutrality.
• Li Chengjie unleashed a stronger Golden Flame Sword attack at Liu Xingyue despite the active formation.
• Chen Xin'er raised a Mysterious Water Barrier to block the sword and used the formation's Wood Life Force to protect and heal Liu Xingyue.