Chapter Summaries

Zhang Tie entered a mist-shrouded region in search of mutated spirits, where Min Yi and Mi Zhuo secretly followed him. After a Blood Wolf Bat Demon attacked, Zhang Tie used a spatial technique to swap places with it, leaving Min Yi and Mi Zhuo in the demon’s path.

• Min Yi and Mi Zhuo followed Zhang Tie, planning to attack after he fought a powerful mutated spirit.
• Zhang Tie searched the misty area for fifth-tier mutated spirits and noticed the two men trailing him.
• A Blood Wolf Bat Demon attacked Zhang Tie with wind blades and soporific roars, but his defenses held.
• Zhang Tie sent out the Scorpion Puppet Beast and advanced toward the demon.
• Zhang Tie used “Shift” to make himself and the Scorpion Puppet Beast vanish and appear in Min Yi and Mi Zhuo’s place before the stunned demon.

Min Yi and Mi Zhuo attempted to ambush Zhang Tie and the Blood Wolf Bat Demon, but the demon killed Mi Zhuo and trapped Min Yi in a red cauldron. Zhang Tie killed the demon, claimed its crystal core, and turned to deal with Min Yi, who made a desperate move after Zhang Tie smashed the cauldron underground.

• Min Yi and Mi Zhuo revealed themselves, but the Blood Wolf Bat Demon wounded Min Yi, cut Mi Zhuo in half, and swallowed Mi Zhuo's Nascent Soul.
• Min Yi protected himself inside a red cauldron, which repelled the Nine-story Bone Tower as Zhang Tie's Six-winged Scorpion Puppet Beast attacked the demon.
• Zhang Tie struck the Blood Wolf Bat Demon with the Soul Piercing Thorn and Void Extinguishing Soul Spear, killing it and extracting its crystal core.
• Zhang Tie discovered that the crystal core held a trace of the power of the Law of Wind and stored it with the demon's corpse.
• Min Yi tried to bargain for his life from inside the cauldron, but Zhang Tie punched it deep into the ground and then noticed Min Yi had acted decisively.

Zhang Tie killed Min Yi and learned that Qi Zhengwen had exposed him to Mi Zhuo and Min Yi. He built several grand arrays and refined a Blood Wolf Bat Demon corpse puppet, then began luring mutated beasts into his trap.

• Zhang Tie dragged Min Yi back from underground and killed him before collecting his and Mi Zhuo's storage rings and the blood-red cauldron.
• Zhang Tie learned from Mi Zhuo's memories that Qi Zhengwen had revealed his information to the two pursuers, and he resolved not to spare her.
• Zhang Tie found a gathering place of Mutated Deer Demon Fire Horse Beasts and decided to use its beasts to strengthen a corpse puppet.
• Zhang Tie spent more than four days building the Corpse Refining Array, Sacrifice Array, Isolation Array, and Spirit Gathering Array, then spent over two months refining the Blood Wolf Bat Demon's corpse into an early-sixth-tier puppet.
• Zhang Tie placed his Demonic Scorpion Puppet Beasts in ambush positions, hid his aura near the gathering place, and used his Witch's Domain to target more than thirty fourth-tier beasts.

Zhang Tie sacrificed mutated beasts to strengthen the Blood Wolf Bat Demon corpse puppet, advancing it to the peak of the sixth rank before targeting a group of Mountain Moving Demon Apes. As the puppet began to break through toward the seventh rank, Zhang Tie suddenly sensed danger.

• Zhang Tie used the Sacrifice Array and Corpse Refining Array to feed fourth-rank Mutated Deer Demon Fire Horse Beasts to the Blood Wolf Bat Demon corpse puppet, then hunted higher-rank beasts over five months until the puppet reached the late sixth rank.
• Zhang Tie searched for another gathering place and found mutated Mountain Moving Demon Apes, including a seventh-rank ape, so he began secretly sacrificing fourth-rank apes first.
• Zhang Tie sacrificed nearly three hundred fourth-rank Mountain Moving Demon Apes in three days, raising the corpse puppet to the peak of the sixth rank.
• Zhang Tie shifted to fifth-rank demon apes and, with the puppet beasts, killed four to fuel the corpse puppet's breakthrough.
• The corpse puppet trembled as crimson energy entered the array, and Zhang Tie's expression changed drastically while he waited for it to break through.

Zhang Tie regained control of his Blood Wolf Bat Demon corpse puppet as it advanced to the seventh tier, but its breakthrough drew a nearby seventh-tier Mountain Moving Demon Ape. While the two puppets fought, Zhang Tie gathered his belongings and fled.

• Zhang Tie reinforced his Soul Imprint on the Blood Wolf Bat Demon corpse puppet as it began to break free during its advancement.
• The corpse puppet broke through to the seventh tier, releasing a pillar of bloody light that pierced Zhang Tie’s Isolation Array.
• The seventh-tier mutated Mountain Moving Demon Ape arrived and attacked Zhang Tie, but the newly advanced corpse puppet intercepted its fist.
• As the two puppets clashed and damaged Zhang Tie’s formations, Zhang Tie collected his puppet beasts and remaining formation equipment, then fled.

Zhang Tie escaped the seventh-rank mutated Mountain Moving Demon Ape and devised a plan to build a second seventh-rank corpse puppet by harvesting the creatures in its gathering area. After more than two years of refining, his new puppet reached the peak of the sixth rank but lacked the resources to advance further, so Zhang Tie decided to seek another gathering of mutated creatures.

• Zhang Tie used witchcraft to retrieve his seventh-rank corpse puppet and escape the mutated Mountain Moving Demon Ape, then returned to a secluded alley in Azure Dragon City.
• Zhang Tie planned to use the seventh-rank corpse puppet to distract the ape while he harvested lower-rank mutated Mountain Moving Demon Apes and refined their corpses into stronger puppets.
• After resting for more than half a month, Zhang Tie returned to the gathering area, transferred several dozen fifth-rank mutated Mountain Moving Demon Apes to his location, and killed them.
• Zhang Tie collected the demon ape corpses, escaped with the seventh-rank corpse puppet, and began refining a fifth-rank corpse puppet near Azure Dragon City.
• Over two years, Zhang Tie raised the new corpse puppet to the peak of the sixth rank, but found that he lacked the resources to advance it to the seventh rank.
• Zhang Tie concluded that he needed to find another gathering of mutated creatures to obtain enough resources for the puppet's final advancement.

Zhang Tie warned cultivators that a beast tide was approaching Azure Dragon City, then returned to the city to face it. As a swarm of mutated ghost-faced spiders arrived, the defenders began fighting under the command of a child-faced, white-haired elder.

• Zhang Tie sensed a massive beast tide and hurried toward Azure Dragon City, warning cultivators along the way to return.
• Zhang Tie reached Azure Dragon City, saved two crystal cores with witchcraft, and waited on the city wall, eager to collect more cores.
• A child-faced, white-haired elder ordered the crowd to defend the city, first threatening deserters and then promising the rewards of battle.
• A swarm of mutated ghost-faced spiders rushed toward Azure Dragon City, and the elder attacked them with golden sword qi.
• The cultivators joined the battle, unleashing spells and magical treasures against the spiders.

Zhang Tie set up a defensive formation to help Azure Dragon City withstand waves of mutated creatures, while secretly using the battlefield to refine his Mountain Moving Demon Ape corpse puppet. The city’s defense strengthened, and the puppet continued absorbing power underground as Zhang Tie waited to see how strong it would become.

• Mutated Ghost-Faced Spiders attacked Azure Dragon City, and some self-destructed against its defensive formation, making Zhang Tie suspect that powerful creatures were directing the beast tide.
• Fourth-rank Two-Winged Demonic Flame Lizards and One-Horned Iron Demon Rhinos joined the assault, filling the battlefield with attacks from the air and underground.
• Zhang Tie told the white-haired, youthful-faced elder that he was Han Li, a fifth-rank formation master, and received permission and protection to set up a defensive formation.
• Zhang Tie deployed a blue formation curtain that weakened and slowed mutated creatures, then returned to the elder exhausted and was told to rest.
• Zhang Tie secretly used the blue mist’s cover to set up sacrificial and corpse-refining formations, allowing his peak sixth-rank Mountain Moving Demon Ape corpse puppet to absorb the mutated creatures’ flesh and souls.

Zhang Tie tried to hold the city gate against a sudden attack while Zhong Yi and many Nascent Soul cultivators were drawn away to the west gate. As the remaining cultivators faltered and enemies reached the gate, Zhang Tie neared his limit and several defenders fled into the city.

• A messenger warned Zhong Yi that more than a hundred fifth-order mutated creatures were attacking the west gate, so Zhong Yi took about fifty-three Nascent Soul cultivators there as reinforcements.
• Three sixth-order Twin-headed Purple Demon Lions and more than sixty fifth-order mutated creatures appeared at Zhang Tie’s gate after Zhong Yi’s group had departed.
• Zhang Tie summoned the Six-winged Scorpion Puppet Beast and entered his defensive grand formation to restrain the three lions, urging the remaining cultivators to fight the fifth-order creatures and send for help.
• The cultivators initially joined the battle, but many fought cautiously, and more than a dozen fifth-order mutated creatures reached the city gate.
• As Zhang Tie struggled to hold off the lions, several defenders retreated into the city's grand formation and fled.

Zhang Tie unleashed his newly advanced seventh-rank corpse puppets and killed everyone left on the battlefield, then collected the valuable corpses and fled toward White Tiger City. When Zhong Yi confronted him, Zhang Tie concealed his role in the slaughter with a carefully fabricated account of the battle.

• Zhang Tie saw the defenders begin to flee and suspected the west gate was also in danger.
• His Mountain Moving Demon Ape advanced to the seventh rank, and Zhang Tie summoned it, his Blood Wolf Bat Demon, and three Four-winged Demonic Scorpion Puppet Beasts to wipe out those still on the battlefield.
• Zhang Tie stored the fifth-rank and higher corpses, recalled his puppets, and fled toward White Tiger City.
• Zhong Yi and more than a dozen others encountered Zhang Tie as they flew toward the battlefield, and Zhang Tie claimed the mutated creatures had suddenly retreated.
• On the city wall, Zhong Yi demanded a detailed account, and Zhang Tie gave him a mostly truthful story while hiding his role in the killings.

Zhang Tie left Azure Dragon City to seek materials and use the corpses he had collected, but Zhong Yi secretly followed him and attacked. Their battle revealed the power of Zhong Yi’s sword cultivation, and Zhang Tie decided to stop evading and end the fight quickly.

• Zhang Tie planned to sacrifice his collected corpses and find materials for the Three-headed Demon Snake Puppet Beast.
• Zhang Tie flew away from Azure Dragon City, then confronted Zhong Yi after detecting that he had followed him.
• Zhong Yi accused Zhang Tie of being connected to the missing Spirit Transformation cultivators and attacked him with the Flowing Cloud Dawn Breaking Sword.
• Zhang Tie’s body withstood Zhong Yi’s first strike, but the sword qi pierced his Dragon Claw and relentlessly pursued him.
• Zhang Tie realized that his Body Refining strength alone could not defeat Zhong Yi, so he decided to end the battle quickly.

Zhang Tie sealed Zhong Yi’s natal flying sword, survived his law-infused attack, and killed him before escaping into the secret realm to recover. While searching Zhong Yi’s storage ring, Zhang Tie’s Nascent Soul clone found a jade slip that delighted him.

• Zhang Tie used the crimson cauldron and the power of sealing to trap Zhong Yi’s natal flying sword, then tried to seal Zhong Yi himself, but Zhong Yi broke free.
• Zhong Yi sent out his Nascent Soul and attacked Zhang Tie with golden sword qi carrying the power of gold-element laws; Zhang Tie blocked it with the Profound Heaven Spirit Extermination Shovel.
• The Void Extinguishing Soul Spear pierced Zhong Yi’s Nascent Soul, killing him, and Zhang Tie took his belongings before fleeing deeper into the secret realm.
• Zhang Tie hid underground, set up an Isolation Array, and began recovering his divine power while his Nascent Soul clone inspected Zhong Yi’s storage ring.
• The Nascent Soul clone found a jade slip among Zhong Yi’s possessions that made Zhang Tie realize he had discovered something he had long sought.

Zhang Tie learned from a jade-slip map where to find the Five Yang Demonic Crystal and a valuable Insect Mother, then finished sacrificing his collected corpses before setting out for the Five Yang Fire Vein. Five days into his journey, he sensed a powerful clash of spiritual energy and discovered an old acquaintance nearby.

• The Nascent Soul clone studied a detailed map of the Hundred Nations Battlefield and learned that the Five Yang Fire Vein held the Five Yang Demonic Crystal, while the Insect Realm contained valuable Soul Severing Yin Profound Bee Insect Mothers.
• After Zhang Tie's true body recovered, the clone gave him the map and a storage ring, then merged its recent memories with him.
• Zhang Tie postponed his search for the Five Yang Demonic Crystal and sacrificed the corpses he had collected, gaining thirty-six crystal cores, though the seventh-rank Mountain Moving Demon Ape puppet did not advance.
• Zhang Tie departed for the Five Yang Fire Vein after completing the sacrifices.
• Five days into his journey, Zhang Tie sensed intense spiritual energy, concealed himself, and found that one of the people nearby was an old acquaintance.

Zhang Tie watched Fellow Daoist Yi fight a scholarly man and a female Daoist until a mysterious old beggar appeared and joined the battle. The old beggar attacked the pair with a strange porcelain bowl as Fellow Daoist Yi escaped their fire-and-sword assault.

• Fellow Daoist Yi fought the scholarly man and the female Daoist, holding his own against both of them.
• The scholarly man unleashed a white Vermilion Bird from his fan, while the female Daoist trapped Fellow Daoist Yi with a fire phoenix.
• Fellow Daoist Yi called for an unseen ally, and Zhang Tie realized he had not been discovered.
• An old beggar appeared behind the scholarly man and the female Daoist, asking them for spirit stones.
• The female Daoist attacked the old beggar as Fellow Daoist Yi dodged the fire phoenix and struck at the pursuing Vermilion Bird.
• The old beggar threw out his porcelain bowl, which grew and released three eyeball-covered tentacles toward the female Daoist, the scholarly man, and her wooden sword.

The female Daoist priest offered the old beggar information about an ancient battlefield secret stash near White Tiger City to bargain for mercy. After the Confucian scholar and the female Daoist priest escaped in a burst of light, Zhang Tie seized the storage pouch they had tossed to the old beggar.

• The Confucian scholar used the Eternal Mountain River Seal to shield himself and the female Daoist priest from attacks by the masked man with a ghost face and the old beggar.
• The female Daoist priest revealed that a secret stash near White Tiger City was linked to an ancient battle between immortals and an Insect Mother of the Mahayana stage.
• The old beggar demanded the jade slip and three crystal cores from each of them, while refusing to swear an inner-demon oath.
• The female Daoist priest handed over the jade slip and crystal cores in a storage pouch, then the Confucian scholar crushed a white jade talisman and escaped with her as the green seal exploded.
• Zhang Tie used his ability to take the storage pouch before the old beggar could catch it.

After surviving the explosion, the old beggar and the masked man with a ghost face failed to recover the storage bag and decided to head for the Five Yang Mountain Range. Zhang Tie learned of a dangerous hidden treasure near White Tiger City, then reached the vicinity of the Five Yang Mountain Range with enough crystal cores to secure his ticket out.

• The old beggar checked on the masked man with a ghost face, who revealed that he had survived by using Golden Cicada Escape.
• The masked man with a ghost face chose to pursue the battlefield's hidden treasure, but the old beggar said the storage bag had likely been destroyed in the explosion.
• Zhang Tie examined the jade slip and learned of a perilous site near White Tiger City where Soul Heaven Son had found the material for his True Immortal Soul Seizing Arrow.
• Zhang Tie decided to investigate the hidden treasure after reaching the Five Yang Mountain Range and continued toward the range on his Hexagonal Formation Disk.
• After more than two months of travel and battles with mutated creatures, Zhang Tie passed Five Yang City and gathered 103 crystal cores, enough to leave the area.

Zhang Tie encountered a palace-dressed young woman fleeing three blood-red phantoms in the Five Yang Mountain Range and used his spatial technique to turn her escape trick against her. After she fought off the phantoms and fled again, Zhang Tie moved to confront them himself.

• As Zhang Tie traveled deeper into the Five Yang Mountain Range, the Five Yang Fire Toxin grew denser and more dangerous.
• A blue-robed palace maiden fled past Zhang Tie, drawing three blood-red phantoms toward him and trying to leave him in their path.
• Zhang Tie used "Shift!" to exchange places with the palace maiden, causing the phantoms to attack her; one bit off her right arm, which she severed and later regrew.
• The palace maiden used pills and her blue lotus treasure to burn the phantoms with blue flames, then glanced resentfully at Zhang Tie and fled.
• Zhang Tie approached the three blood-red phantoms and used "Shift!" again.

Zhang Tie and Heyin were surrounded by mutated demon phantoms, so Heyin swore to guide him into the core region of the Five Yang Mountain Range in exchange for his help. They escaped on a formation disk while Zhang Tie’s golden bell trapped the phantoms behind them.

• More than a dozen mutated demon phantoms surrounded Zhang Tie and Heyin, and Heyin blamed him for attracting them with the scent of her severed arm.
• Heyin apologized and offered her map, formation expertise, and a Dao Heart Oath in exchange for Zhang Tie’s help reaching the core region.
• Zhang Tie protected them with a golden bell that injured the phantoms, and Heyin swore to help him and avoid harming him.
• Heyin used a compass to indicate their direction, and Zhang Tie and Heyin fled on a hexagonal formation disk.
• Zhang Tie’s golden bell trapped the pursuing phantoms as he and Heyin disappeared into the blood-red mist.

Zhang Tie and Heyin reached the Blood-colored Lake, where Heyin searched for a hidden location using a formation disk. After Zhang Tie pointed out that the reflections of the shore trees seemed wrong, Heyin found what she was looking for.

• Heyin explained that mutated demonic shadows were dangerous, formless beings that could regenerate and invade cultivators’ minds.
• Zhang Tie refused to reveal his connection to Buddhist methods but said he was seeking top-grade fire-attributed materials, while Heyin sought fire-attributed spirit herbs.
• Zhang Tie and Heyin traveled through the blood mist without encountering mutated demonic shadows and arrived at the Blood-colored Lake.
• Zhang Tie used his Witch Domain to inspect the lake while Heyin searched its shore with a formation disk.
• Zhang Tie told Heyin that the reflections of some shore trees seemed wrong, and Heyin spotted the hidden clue.

Heyin broke the illusion formation hiding a volcanic crater, and Zhang Tie and Heyin entered its nine passages in search of the Five Yang Mountain Range’s core. After testing several passages, Zhang Tie recognized that they were part of an Illusory Teleportation Formation.

• Heyin used three formation flags to dispel the blood-red lake illusion and reveal a barren volcanic crater.
• Zhang Tie and Heyin entered the crater, where they found dense fire spiritual energy and nine identical passages that blocked divine-sense probing.
• Zhang Tie and Heyin tried the first passage and emerged from the ninth, then tried the second and emerged from the eighth.
• Heyin guessed that the fifth passage might lead to the core, but Zhang Tie and Heyin returned to the entrance after testing it.
• Zhang Tie recognized the nine passages as an Illusory Teleportation Formation.