Chapter Summaries

Lin Tianhao and the others survived the Blood Debt River’s attack after Old Daoist Wu was sucked toward the blood spirit whale and apparently self-destructed. They discovered Old Daoist Wu had escaped inside the pill furnace, leaving them to confront him on the riverbank.

• A blood spirit whale charged upstream, and Lin Tianhao warned everyone not to release spiritual power as they rowed past it.
• Old Daoist Wu used his whisk to seize the pill furnace and fling it toward the opposite shore, but the whale turned and sucked him and the boat toward its mouth.
• Old Daoist Wu self-destructed, and the resulting bloody waves broke the boat and hurled everyone safely onto the bank.
• Lin Tianhao explained that the Blood Debt River absorbed spiritual power, weakening Old Daoist Wu’s self-destruction and making the group’s survival possible.
• Old Daoist Wu emerged alive from the pill furnace, and Chen Jiuxiao accused him of nearly getting everyone killed and called for them to settle the score.

Zhang Tie stopped Old Daoist Wu and Chen Jiuxiao from fighting over the golden pill furnace, and the group continued through the battlefield's hidden treasury. They reached the Inheritance Immortal Palace, entered it, and triggered a trap that Zhao Hongling pulled Lin Xiaoxiao out of.

• Old Daoist Wu and Chen Jiuxiao fought over the golden pill furnace until Zhang Tie used his Void Refinement-stage pressure to take it and settle the dispute.
• Zhang Tie gave the pill furnace to Chen Jiuxiao, and the group continued deeper into the hidden treasury.
• Several days later, the group reached the Inheritance Immortal Palace, where Lin Tianhao explained its origins and the promised inheritance.
• The palace doors opened, and Old Daoist Wu and the others entered beneath a starry sky filled with rune-covered floor tiles.
• Lin Xiaoxiao stepped on a tile and triggered five descending bronze chains, but Zhao Hongling pulled her clear of the trap.

Lin Tianhao and the others discovered that the apparent storage rings in the great hall were Soul Devouring Worms, then were trapped by a bronze bell and forced to flee deeper into the palace. Lin Tianhao and Lin Xiaoxiao fought together to carve a path through the swarm.

• Lin Tianhao thanked Zhao Hongling for saving Lin Xiaoxiao and admitted that little was known about the great hall.
• Old Daoist Wu led the group toward apparent storage rings, but Chen Jiuxiao split one open and Zhang Tie realized they were insects.
• Zhao Hongling identified the insects as Soul Devouring Worms that could devour lifespan and opened a route toward the exit with her purple spikes.
• A bronze bell briefly immobilized everyone, allowing the worms to surround them, so Lin Tianhao ordered the group to flee deeper into the hall.
• Lin Tianhao used his jade pendant to unleash sword qi while Lin Xiaoxiao froze the worms with her Ice Soul Silk, and the siblings opened a path through the swarm.

The group fought through the immortal hall’s illusion, toxic passage, bronze puppets, and a ghostly gate, guided by Zhao Hongling and Lin Tianhao. They reached the Mahayana remains and discovered its Blood Fiend Jade Pendant, but the skeleton awakened and began activating a vast formation.

• Zhao Hongling recognized the Green Python Illusory Moon Painting and warned the group of an illusion formation as the insects transformed into blood-red skeletons.
• Zhao Hongling found a hidden door, and the group entered a passage where Bone-Corroding Blood Toxin and bronze puppets attacked them.
• Lin Xiaoxiao drew the toxin toward the puppets’ chest crystals with a formation, allowing Lin Tianhao and Zhao Hongling to destroy the puppets.
• At the Three Ghosts Life-Death Gate, a Netherworld Ghost Envoy emerged, but Zhao Hongling destroyed it with a Five Lightning Dharma talisman, opening a passage.
• The group found Mahayana stage remains beside a Blood Fiend Jade Pendant, and the skeleton awakened as Blood Runes formed a massive array.

The six cultivators tried to escape the Blood Runes formation surrounding the Mahayana stage skeleton, but Chen Jiuxiao lost his spear and the group was forced to fight. Their coordinated attacks weakened the skeleton’s red eye, but the chapter ended as a mysterious voice ordered them to target its left eye.

• Chen Jiuxiao attacked the Blood Runes formation with his Azure Flame Nine Dragon Spear, but the runes ensnared it and he was forced to abandon it.
• The skeleton demanded the cultivators surrender their soul blood and become slaves, while Chen Jiuxiao urged everyone to attack together.
• Zhang Tie blocked the skeleton’s claw with his bone tower, and the others launched spells and magical treasures at it as crimson threads surged toward them.
• Chen Jiuxiao used a teleportation jade talisman to flee while Zhang Tie, Zhao Hongling, Old Daoist Wu, and the Lin siblings continued fighting.
• Zhang Tie’s Soul Piercing Thorn and the Void Extinguishing Soul Spear struck the skeleton’s right eye, but its eye light turned gold and Old Daoist Wu’s skull failed to hurt it.
• An aged male voice told the cultivators to attack the skeleton’s left eye as Zhao Hongling prepared to use the Five Thunder True Method.

Zhao Hongling’s lightning struck the skeleton’s left eye, revealing that the body housed Yan Shan, a True Immortal, and the Insect Mother. As the group attacked the Insect Mother, Old Daoist Wu betrayed Zhao Hongling and crushed her heart.

• Zhao Hongling struck the skeleton’s left eye with white lightning, and its shriek shattered Chen Jiuxiao’s protective light and injured the group.
• Yan Shan revealed that he was a True Immortal sharing the skeleton’s body with the Insect Mother and urged the Spirit Realm cultivators to attack its left eye.
• The Insect Mother strengthened the Blood Runes formation, and Zhang Tie, Zhao Hongling, and the Lin siblings attacked the skeleton.
• The skeleton evaded Zhang Tie’s Void Extinguishing Soul Spear as the Lin siblings struggled to block its enormous hand.
• Old Daoist Wu pierced Zhao Hongling’s heart and crushed it, then sent his skull to swallow her escaping Nascent Soul.

Zhang Tie, Zhao Hongling, and the Lin family siblings defended Zhao Hongling's nascent soul while the skeleton attacked, and Zhao Hongling detonated the Seven-Colored Soul Extinguishing Nail, damaging it. The skeleton survived and revealed that its yellow eye-light had vanished, then threatened to absorb the four of them.

• Zhang Tie protected Zhao Hongling's nascent soul as the Lin family siblings joined them and the four formed a defensive formation.
• Old Daoist Wu bound Chen Jiuxiao in blood-red threads, drained him into a mummy, and tried to block Zhao Hongling's attack with his body.
• Zhang Tie's Mountain Moving Demon Ape corpse puppet smashed Old Daoist Wu aside, clearing the way for the Seven-Colored Soul Extinguishing Nail.
• Zhao Hongling detonated the nail, and its blast damaged the skeleton and broke one of its finger bones while the corpse puppet shielded the group.
• The skeleton stood again, said the group had helped it regain control of its body, and threatened to make them part of itself.

Zhang Tie and the others were trapped in blood cocoons until the Lin siblings unleashed sword qi that shattered them, killing Zhao Hongling. The skeleton offered Lin Tianhao and Lin Xiaoxiao an exit in exchange for leaving Zhang Tie behind, but a sudden white light appeared before Lin Xiaoxiao as a blood-red flower bloomed between her brows.

• Zhang Tie warned the group to scatter, but the Blood Runes trapped them in cocoons that drained their power.
• Sword qi burst from the Lin siblings’ blue orb, pierced Zhang Tie’s cocoon, and cut Zhao Hongling’s nascent soul apart.
• Zhang Tie summoned his blood-colored tripod and corpse puppets as the sword qi damaged the chamber and the skeleton’s shield.
• The skeleton threatened the Lin siblings, then offered to let them leave if they abandoned Zhang Tie.
• Lin Tianhao and Lin Xiaoxiao cautiously retreated toward the exit, but white light appeared before Lin Xiaoxiao and a blood-red flower bloomed between her brows.

Zhang Tie escaped the Inheritance Immortal Palace as the Insect Mother and True Immortal Yan Shan fought for control of its body. At the Blood Debt River, he spotted a rune-covered chain and crossed back to retrieve it with his old mortal iron sword.

• Zhang Tie used Witch's Domain, his corpse puppets, and two secret arts to escape the palace while the Lin siblings and skeleton remained behind.
• The Inheritance Immortal Palace transformed into a giant winged insect, and Zhang Tie saw the Insect Mother and True Immortal Yan Shan's souls fighting for control.
• Zhang Tie flew through the day and night and crossed the Blood Debt River to reach the opposite bank.
• Zhang Tie spotted a damaged black chain covered in unfamiliar runes drifting down the river and decided to retrieve it.
• Zhang Tie returned across the river and opened the wooden case containing the mortal iron sword he had kept since his time in the lower realm.

Zhang Tie retrieved a mysterious black chain and discovered that a bronze bell was the Space-Suppressing Bell, an immortal artifact fueled by divine sense. After spending three years refining it, he resolved to seek the Divine Refinement Technique in the Guanghan Realm of the Thirteen Tribes of Tianyun.

• Zhang Tie crossed the Blood Debt River, took the black chain, and found he could not store it in any of his spatial treasures.
• Zhang Tie tested the chain with mana, divine power, and divine sense, but it showed no response.
• Zhang Tie used witchcraft to erase the bronze bell's soul imprint, exhausting his remaining fortune power and damaging the Ring of Domain.
• Zhang Tie set up an Isolation Formation and probed the bell, which devoured ninety-five percent of his divine sense before revealing sacrificial divine script in his sea of consciousness.
• Zhang Tie learned the bell was the Space-Suppressing Bell, an immortal artifact that sealed space using divine sense.
• After three years, Zhang Tie completely refined the Space-Suppressing Bell and decided to seek the Divine Refinement Technique in the Guanghan Realm of the Thirteen Tribes of Tianyun.

Zhang Tie joined Duan Xingchen and his companions on their journey toward the Insect Realm border, then discovered their formation disk had been surrounded by millions of mutated corpse-devouring insects. He volunteered to take the dangerous forward position as the group prepared to flee.

• Zhang Tie met Duan Xingchen while traveling near the Insect Realm and accepted an invitation to join his group.
• Duan Xingchen introduced Zhang Tie to Wei Xiaofeng, Su Yuling, and An Yueyao, and the group discussed the Dao during their journey.
• Zhang Tie sensed a swarm of mutated corpse-devouring insects encircling the formation disk after half a month of travel.
• Duan Xingchen proposed fleeing at full speed while the others blocked the insects, and Wei Xiaofeng explained that the forward position would face the greatest pressure.
• Zhang Tie volunteered to block the insects ahead.

Zhang Tie and the others crossed a massive swarm of mutated corpse-devouring insects aboard Duan Xingchen’s array disc, then traveled for half a month through further insect attacks. After Zhang Tie sensed an aura like that of a Soul Devouring Worm mother insect, Duan Xingchen announced they had reached the edge of the Insect Realm and suggested investigating nearby insect carcasses.

• Duan Xingchen assigned the group positions to defend the array disc and asked Wei Xiaofeng to help speed it up.
• Wei Xiaofeng used a Phoenix phantom to accelerate the array disc while Zhang Tie, Su Yuling, and An Yueyao fought off the approaching insects.
• The group escaped the swarm, and Duan Xingchen asked whether Zhang Tie’s abilities came from a Buddhist sect; Zhang Tie said he had obtained them by chance.
• Zhang Tie assessed his companions’ abilities, and the group survived two more mutated insect swarm attacks during the next half month.
• Zhang Tie sensed a faint aura resembling that of the Soul Devouring Worm mother insect and cautiously searched the surroundings with his divine sense.
• Duan Xingchen said they had reached the edge of the Insect Realm and proposed investigating nearby insect carcasses for artifact-refining materials.

Zhang Tie negotiated with Su Yuling and his wife to search for ice-attribute insect remains, then traveled with them through the Cold Snow Zombie Worm Area and toward the Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly Area. The chapter ended with Su Yuling explaining the butterflies’ blood-freezing ability and their slow reproduction.

• Zhang Tie asked the group to share information about insect remains that could replace top-grade ice-attribute materials, and Su Yuling offered a map in exchange for help protecting him and his wife when possible.
• Zhang Tie accepted Su Yuling’s terms after inspecting the incomplete map of the Cold Snow Zombie Worm Area, then left Duan Xingchen and Wei Xiaofeng with Su Yuling and his wife aboard an embroidered-shoe spirit treasure.
• Zhang Tie and Su Yuling’s couple searched the Cold Snow Zombie Worm Area for twenty years, finding many ice-attribute remains but no materials of the quality Zhang Tie sought.
• Zhang Tie agreed to travel deeper toward the edge of the Insect Realm with Su Yuling and his wife.
• Su Yuling identified the next region as the Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly Area and explained that Spirit Transformation butterflies could freeze blood but reproduced extremely slowly.

Zhang Tie searched the Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly region with Su Yuling and his wife for top-grade ice-attribute materials, then survived an attack by a mutated butterfly and defeated two more. He secured the butterflies as materials for refining the Three-headed Demon Snake Puppet Beast.

• Su Yuling warned Zhang Tie that mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterflies and their Insect Mothers could be deadly, and the three began searching the region.
• After more than a year without finding anything, Zhang Tie was struck by a mutated butterfly's freezing power but shattered the ice with golden light and azure lightning.
• The mutated butterfly charged and self-destructed, but Zhang Tie sheltered behind the Profound Heaven Spirit Extermination Shovel and escaped the blast.
• Su Yuling urged Zhang Tie to leave, then spotted a giant mutated butterfly accompanied by two others.
• Zhang Tie used the Soul Piercing Thorn to stun the two attacking butterflies and crushed them with his enlarged palms.
• Zhang Tie stored the two butterflies as top-grade ice-attribute materials for the Three-headed Demon Snake Puppet Beast.

Zhang Tie fought the last mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly, whose blood threads and freezing power left him on the verge of death. He escaped underground with help from his Taotie Nascent Soul, while an unseen black phantom struck the butterfly as the battle continued.

• The mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly fired blood-red specks at Zhang Tie, then connected them into a net that slowed his attack with intense cold.
• Zhang Tie charged through the blood threads in his Azure Crocodile Dragon Beast Armor, but the butterfly escaped and sent a giant icy phantom at him.
• Su Yuling summoned a Vermilion Bird with a red talisman, while Zhang Tie’s Taotie Nascent Soul rang its bronze bell to freeze the butterfly and its phantom.
• Zhang Tie used a high-grade Earth Evasion Talisman to escape underground as the butterfly froze the Vermilion Bird in ice.
• A needle-thin black phantom pierced the mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly’s head, causing its giant phantom to shatter.

Zhang Tie killed the mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly, then caught up with Su Yuling and An Yueyao, who revealed the secret of a hidden rift containing the corpses of a true spirit Vermilion Bird and a Mahayana-stage Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly. Su Yuling asked Zhang Tie to enter the rift, and Zhang Tie learned that they planned to agree on the rewards through a Dao Heart Oath and heart demon contract.

• Zhang Tie used his Demon Yuan Cone to kill the mutated Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly, collected its corpse, and watched the flaming Vermilion Bird dissipate.
• Zhang Tie caught up with Su Yuling and An Yueyao and confronted Su Yuling after overhearing him lament that Han had disappeared.
• Su Yuling gave Zhang Tie the second jade slip, which contained a more detailed map and information about the region's dangers.
• Su Yuling explained that a hidden rift held the corpses of a true spirit Vermilion Bird and a Mahayana-stage Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly, and that only mortals or high-level body cultivators could enter.
• Su Yuling asked Zhang Tie to enter the rift and offered paired Teleportation Disks for his return; Zhang Tie questioned why he should share any resources.
• Su Yuling proposed that they swear a Dao Heart Oath and sign a heart demon contract to divide the resources and protect the mother disk.

Zhang Tie weighed Su Yuling’s proposal to enter a spatial rift and accepted it in exchange for protection of his identity and the method for refining paired Teleportation Disks. After they sealed the agreement, Zhang Tie and Su Yuling’s group reached the concealed rift, whose ominous, eye-like opening appeared to be closing.

• Zhang Tie considered the rewards of entering the rift, including the chance to advance his Body Refining cultivation and gain time to comprehend laws.
• Zhang Tie agreed to cooperate with Su Yuling, requiring the heart demon contract to keep his identity secret and Su Yuling to share the Teleportation Disk refining method.
• Zhang Tie, Su Yuling, and Su Yuling’s wife signed a heart demon contract and swore heart oaths.
• Zhang Tie and the others stopped searching for the Extreme Ice Blood Butterfly and traveled to the spatial rift.
• Su Yuling used a jade token to reveal the hidden barrier, and Zhang Tie saw the rift’s blood-red, eye-like opening.

Zhang Tie entered the spatial rift to seek the Vermillion Bird True Fire, leaving a Nascent Soul clone behind as a safeguard. He woke in a strange realm where his cultivation and divine sense were heavily suppressed, then faced an armed stranger who called out to him.

• Zhang Tie and Su Yuling determined that the spatial rift would close within three hundred years, and Su Yuling gave Zhang Tie the child disk of a Teleportation Disk.
• Zhang Tie spent two months preparing formations and a corpse puppet, left his Nascent Soul clone behind, and entered the spatial rift.
• Su Yuling and An Yueyao discussed the slim chance of finding the Vermillion Bird True Fire and admitted they had sent Han Li despite their hidden motives.
• Zhang Tie woke in a rocky hollow beneath clouds containing spatial rifts and discovered that his void apertures were restrained, his cultivation had fallen to the Vessel Forging Realm, and his divine sense reached only twenty miles.
• A burly man in black armor appeared above Zhang Tie and shouted, “Wen Ruoli, Shang Se Yu Mu Suo!”

Zhang Tie was captured and held at a military camp, where he investigated the limits on his powers and waited for someone who could speak his language. After Xie Guichang invited him to Ascension City, Zhang Tie received a book to help him learn the local language.

• Five armored men surrounded Zhang Tie, took his nine-foot chain, and escorted him to a military camp.
• Zhang Tie examined the camp and discovered that he could retrieve items from his void aperture but not objects containing spiritual power from within his body.
• Zhang Tie spent more than half a month in a stone room, receiving food with a weak icy energy and occasional visits from the young man in silver armor.
• Xie Guichang entered the stone room and respectfully asked Zhang Tie to return with him to Ascension City.
• Zhang Tie followed Xie Guichang aboard a beast-drawn carriage and asked him for a book to learn the local language.
• Xie Guichang gave Zhang Tie a thick book filled with characters teaching the language of the place.

Zhang Tie learned the local language and questioned Xie Guichang about the world’s factions, martial cultivation, and strongest fighters. As Ascension City’s carriage continued onward, two masked experts from Profound Ice City and Burning Sun City intercepted it and demanded that Zhang Tie submit to them.

• Zhang Tie spent three days studying the local language with Xie Guichang and learned most of it.
• Xie Guichang explained that Ascension City, Profound Ice City, and Burning Sun City divided power in the world and described their martial arts and leaders.
• Zhang Tie learned that the Three Sovereigns were Martial Ancestors and that no Martial God had appeared for several thousand years.
• Zhang Tie sensed two approaching experts and warned Xie Guichang, who fled into the forest.
• The beast carriage stopped, and a masked attacker ordered Zhang Tie to sign a bloodline contract or die.