Chapter Summaries

Wang Yu used the City Lord’s formation to capture Guiling City’s rivals, then ordered the Tuoba clan and its allies executed and absorbed their souls to strengthen his Black Fiend Armor. He took control of the city and left the story with plans to recruit disciples, rebuild the city guard, and secure support from local families and sects.

• Wang Yu activated the Spirit Sealing Life Execution Formation, binding Tuoba Lei, Bai Family Head, and the others while preventing them from using their cultivation.
• Wang Yu proclaimed himself Guiling City’s new City Lord and sentenced the Tuoba Family, the Azure Dragon Gang Leader’s group, and Bai Family Head to death.
• Wang Yu killed more than five hundred captives with the formation and devoured their souls, strengthening his Black Fiend Armor to Peak Foundation Establishment power.
• Wang Yu assured the assembled families and sects that the city would continue under its old rules, and the Guan family head pledged to follow him.
• Wang Yu announced an early spirit-testing ceremony, plans to replace the city defense army, and his intention to take disciples from the Guan and Jiang families while requesting temporary help from the three sects.

Wang Yu appointed Xiang Xiang to help maintain order in North City and set a date for the clans to bring disciples for his new mansion. He inventoried the spoils and the City Lord's Mansion, uncovering valuable treasures and records of Guiling City's finances, which left him with substantial assets but also the burden of managing the city's affairs.

• Wang Yu set the Mansion to Accept Disciples for half a month later, limited each clan to two candidates, and entrusted Xiang Xiang with maintaining order in North City.
• Wang Yu and Snow Jade cleared the remains from the mansion, and Wang Yu inventoried more than five hundred Storage Bags containing Spirit Stones, magical artifacts, cultivation methods, and the Clear Heart Mantra.
• Wang Yu searched the mansion's Medicine Garden, storehouses, and treasure vault, finding 1.36 million Spirit Stones, Blood Dragon Essence, Golden Qi Root, and other goods; he left one million Spirit Stones for the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect.
• Wang Yu explored the Scripture Pavilion and found the Purple Dragon Earth Travel Technique, then calculated that his assets had risen to nearly five hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
• Wang Yu examined the Archive Library's records and learned that Guiling City's taxes generated nearly three hundred thousand Spirit Stones annually before expenses.

Wang Yu reviewed Guiling City's finances and planned ways to restore its industries before meeting the city's factions to secure cooperation and manpower. The meeting ended with Ink Wash Gate and Scent Listening Sect accepting responsibility for city defense in exchange for waived rent.

• Wang Yu studied Guiling City's revenues, expenses, and lost assets, then identified the Guan Clan's crafts as a possible source of trade with Sanmao City.
• Wang Yu summoned the city's families and sect representatives after his half-month deadline arrived, offering Purple Dragon Mountain the frozen cultivators' remains for thirty-two thousand Spirit Stones.
• Jiang Family Head and the head of the Guan family presented spiritual-root assessment records, and the Guan family offered three hundred spirit farmers and two young men for Wang Yu to choose as disciples.
• Wang Yu ordered those with spiritual roots to report to the City Lord's Mansion the next day and asked the three sects to provide manpower.
• Ink Wash Gate and Scent Listening Sect agreed to place their North District forces under Wang Yu's command, and he assigned them city defense while waiving their five-year land rent.

Wang Yu pressured Guiling City’s powerful families to pay five years of unpaid taxes, then entered seclusion to temper his divine sense. The Bai Family Grand Elder secretly chose to burn the family’s assets rather than pay, while the Bai Clan Old Ancestor warned that defying the Saint Sect would doom them.

• Wang Yu demanded that the families repay their overdue taxes and gave them a month to settle, after the Bai Family Grand Elder agreed to pay in full.
• After leaving the City Lord’s Mansion, the Bai Family Grand Elder told Guan Family Head and Jiang Family Head his plan, which he called “Fire Dragon Burns the Granary.”
• Wang Yu entered seclusion and used the vicious souls in his Black Fiend Armor to temper his divine sense, advancing it to Late Stage Foundation Establishment.
• The Bai Clan Old Ancestor struck Bai Zhiyang for proposing to burn the family’s assets and warned that the plan would bring the Saint Sect’s punishment upon them.
• Bai Zhiyang ordered the Old Ancestor taken away and insisted that he would carry out “Fire Dragon Burns the Granary.”

Wang Yu retaliated against the Bai Clan after its elders burned the clan’s accounts to evade their debt, using his Heart Controlling Demonic Sound to turn the family’s own members against one another. The Grand Elder realized he had misjudged Wang Yu as the massacre spread, and Wang Yu appeared beside him as he demanded to know whether he had something to say.

• Xiang Xiang told Wang Yu that the Bai Clan had burned its account room and refused to pay its Spirit Stones.
• Wang Yu left the City Lord’s Mansion and went to the Bai Clan estate, where the Grand Elder waited to capture him and seize the City Lord Token.
• At midnight, Wang Yu’s flute melody drew near, and the elders discovered Bai Xuan acting strangely with Bai Meng’s corpse.
• The Grand Elder ordered the clan members to activate the formation and hunt Wang Yu, but the hidden Wang Yu made Bai Clan members devour one another.
• As the Grand Elder regretted provoking Wang Yu, Wang Yu appeared beside him and asked whether he had something to say.

Wang Yu used illusions, demonic sound, and surprise attacks to cripple the Bai Family’s defenses and kill Bai Yihe and Bai Decai. The Bai Family formation was activated, but its elders remained occupied while Wang Yu continued his assault.

• Wang Yu trapped the Bai Family Grand Elder in the Illusory Moon Realm and concealed himself with the Blood Mist Spirit Concealment Formation.
• Bai Zhuzhu and the Second Elder activated the Mountain Marsh Tortoise Shell Formation, then Heart Controlling Demonic Sound drove controlled Bai Family Disciples into attacking them.
• Bai Decai and Bai Yihe used Bloodline Tracing to locate their family members, but Wang Yu attacked them with Ghost Crow Soul Devouring Sound.
• Bai Yihe’s Sonic Boom Hound disrupted the ghost crows, so Wang Yu struck Yihe with Soul Shattering Finger and killed him with Wailing Heart Severing Blade.
• Wang Yu killed Decai, took the two Storage Bags, and put the dying Sonic Boom Hound into a Spirit Beast Pouch before disappearing.

Wang Yu fought the Bai family elders outside the ancestral hall, using his artifacts and abilities to overcome them. Bai Zhuzhu activated the Return Origin Secret Art and self-destructed, destroying the Earth Essence Cauldron and leaving Wang Yu injured.

• Onlookers gathered outside the Bai family estate as the activated Clan Protection Formation and scent of blood spread alarm through the city; the Guan family head prepared backup ledgers while waiting for news.
• Bai Zhuzhu and the Second Elder struggled to restrain the Bai family descendants controlled by the demonic sound and considered breaking their limbs.
• Wang Yu ambushed Bai Zhuzhu with a punch, then baited the Second Elder into attacking through the controlled disciples before striking him with the Glass Soul Lantern and Profound Yin Hand.
• Wang Yu fought Bai Zhuzhu with sword qi and the Heart Controlling Demonic Sound, but she resisted and used her Gold Ring to trap them together.
• Bai Zhuzhu invoked the Return Origin Secret Art—Dismemberment, so Wang Yu severed his left arm to escape the Gold Ring and hurled her away.
• Bai Zhuzhu exploded, and Wang Yu sheltered inside the Earth Essence Cauldron, which cracked under the blast as he spat blood.

Wang Yu destroyed the Bai Mansion, but the Bai Family Grand Elder escaped using a Yellow Springs Temple technique. The Bai Family’s fall made Wang Yu notorious across Cloud Ridge Province, and he returned to the City Lord’s Mansion to oversee its new cultivator recruits.

• Wang Yu collected the dead elders’ Storage Bags, devoured lingering souls, and planted demonic thoughts in the Bai Family Grand Elder before waiting for him to wake.
• The Grand Elder saw the Bai Family’s destruction, lost control to the demonic thoughts, and rushed toward the City Lord’s Mansion to kill Wang Yu.
• The Grand Elder escaped in Yellow Springs Ghost Mist before Wang Yu could catch him, while the crowd blamed the Bai Family’s destruction on Wang Yu.
• After the Bai Mansion’s Formation failed, looters found the clan’s resources gone, and Wang Yu’s reputation spread as cultivators feared him.
• Wang Yu returned to the City Lord’s Mansion, reunited with Snow Jade, and learned that Xiang Xiang had watched over the new cultivator seedlings.

After destroying the Bai Clan, Wang Yu inventoried its wealth, organized the City Lord's Mansion, and began recovering from his injuries. Five days later, he summoned the Guan and Jiang Clan leaders and other visitors, preparing to address their concerns about the Bai Clan's fall.

• Wang Yu warned the youths at the Martial Arts Arena not to hinder one another's cultivation, then assigned them jobs throughout the City Lord's Mansion and left Snow Jade to supervise.
• Wang Yu counted the Bai Clan's assets, noted that its treasury seemed depleted, and decided to place three complete cultivation inheritances in the Scripture Pavilion.
• Wang Yu discovered the incomplete Wind Thunder Treasure Scroll and resolved to cultivate its Wind Thunder Spirit Tattoo secret art.
• Wang Yu's damaged left arm could no longer be saved by the Corpse Demon Secret Art, so he fashioned a temporary ice arm and entered seclusion to heal.
• Five days later, Wang Yu summoned the waiting visitors, including the Guan and Jiang Clan leaders and four young cultivators, and the Head of the Guan Family addressed him as City Lord.

Wang Yu accepted disciples from the Guan and Jiang families, secured their cooperation in restoring the City Lord's Mansion's assets, and recruited forces to govern Guiling City. After organizing the new city guard, patrol army, and mansion staff, he began focusing on cultivation and the local branches of powerful Red Kite Demon Domain factions.

• Wang Yu accepted Guan Yingdong, Guan Yingxue, Jiang Li, and Jiang Chuan as disciples, then received taxes and rent from the five allied forces.
• Wang Yu offered the Bai Family's assets to the factions in exchange for returning the City Lord's Mansion's seized properties, and they agreed to help.
• Wang Yu announced a recruitment drive for Guiling City's City Guard Army and emerged from seclusion seven days later to oversee it.
• Wang Yu recruited a thousand City Guard Army members, five hundred City Patrol Army members, one hundred mansion guards, and ten instructors.
• Wang Yu withdrew from public affairs and began visiting branches of the Red Kite Demon Domain's major powers, including Gold Abundance Pavilion.

After ten years of cultivation and managing Guiling City, Wang Yu had reached Foundation Establishment Third Layer and strengthened his body, techniques, and resources for future breakthroughs. As he left seclusion, a visitor from Ink Wash Gate arrived with news that another cluster of ruins had been discovered in the Primeval Ruins Land.

• Wang Yu reviewed his ten years of progress, noting his Foundation Establishment Third Layer cultivation, perfected techniques, growing wealth, and plans to develop Flood Dragon Strength and prepare for Core Formation.
• Wang Yu emerged from seclusion and surveyed Guiling City, whose alliance, income, and defenses had remained stable under his management.
• Wang Yu reflected on the city's dealings with Core Formation cultivators and recalled that a member of the Overturning Sea Sect had passed through on the way to King Yama Ghost Market.
• Guan Yingdong reported that a previously unseen Ink Wash Gate senior had arrived at the reception room.
• Guan Yingxue told Wang Yu that the visitor likely came because another cluster of ancient ruins had been discovered in the Primeval Ruins Land, prompting Wang Yu to go meet them.

Wang Yu exchanged intelligence about the Primeval Ruins Land with Hermit Qingyang of Ink Wash Gate and learned that Eastern Peak Capital might contain a powerful painting inheritance. He judged the ruins too dangerous to explore for now and stayed in Guiling City as visitors began arriving.

• Wang Yu received Hermit Qingyang, who asked to join the exploration of the Primeval Ruins Land and to see the records kept by past Guiling City Lords.
• Wang Yu agreed to exchange intelligence, and Hermit Qingyang received access to twelve jade slips from the Records Room.
• Wang Yu learned that Ink Wash Gate had found clues to a possible Nascent Soul-level painting inheritance in the Craftsmen's Institute, but its explorations had made the ruins far more dangerous.
• Wang Yu decided not to enter Eastern Peak Capital, reasoning that he could wait until the current rush of cultivators had passed.
• Wang Yu returned to cultivation and city affairs, and many visitors arrived several days later.

Wang Yu declined to join the expedition to Eastern Peak Capital, sold Guiling City’s intelligence to the interested factions, and secured Hermit Qingyang’s promise to share his experiences. He then visited Gold Abundance Pavilion to inspect rare treasures, where Pavilion Master Qian presented a Core Formation Spirit Item: the Everlasting Treasure Branch.

• Wang Yu refused to visit Eastern Peak Capital, then charged seven groups five thousand Spirit Stones each to browse the City Lord’s Mansion’s intelligence records.
• Hermit Qingyang paid nothing for the intelligence and agreed to tell Wang Yu about the relic after returning.
• Wang Yu went to Gold Abundance Pavilion after receiving word that rare items had arrived.
• Pavilion Master Qian told Wang Yu he was transferring to the You Province branch and that his successor would continue helping him find spirit items.
• Pavilion Master Qian showed Wang Yu Thousand Year Ice Marrow Jade, Cold Moon Treasure Pearl, and the Core Formation Spirit Item called the Everlasting Treasure Branch.

Wang Yu uncovered Qian Zhong’s attempt to sell him a falsely presented Everlasting Treasure Branch, then escaped a threat from Gold Abundance Pavilion and incited Guiling City’s cultivators to loot its branch. With the city sealed and the mob closing in, Jin Miaoshan faced an attack backed by hidden Core Formation cultivators.

• Wang Yu challenged Qian Zhong’s five-million-spirit-stone price for the Everlasting Treasure Branch and accused him of deception.
• Jin Miaoshan revealed herself, identified Qian Zhong’s scheme, and said the branch was not his to sell; Wang Yu rejected her offer and tried to leave.
• A Core Formation elder blocked Wang Yu and threatened to kill him, so Wang Yu used a Third Tier Fleeing Void Talisman to escape.
• Wang Yu broadcast the dispute across Guiling City and issued an order in the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect’s name for cultivators to destroy Gold Abundance Pavilion’s branch and keep its spoils.
• Wang Yu activated the City Lord’s Mansion formation and sealed Guiling City, prompting cultivators to surround Gold Abundance Pavilion as Jin Miaoshan spotted several hidden Core Formation cultivators among them.

Jin Miaoshan tried to contain the crisis at Gold Abundance Pavilion after Wang Yu's threat drew a crowd of cultivators, and she opened negotiations with him. Wang Yu demanded information about Eastern Peak Capital and compensation, leaving Jin Miaoshan forced to bargain over his terms.

• Jin Miaoshan rebuked Old Liu for threatening Wang Yu and warned that fighting the crowd would ruin Gold Abundance Pavilion's reputation.
• Wang Yu watched Gold Abundance Pavilion from the City Lord's Mansion as Jin Miaoshan contacted him through the Void Evolution Pearl and asked him to disperse the cultivators.
• Wang Yu demanded that Old Liu be killed, and Jin Miaoshan activated the Soul Extinguishing Evil Restriction, killing him and sending his body to the City Lord's Mansion.
• Wang Yu asked Jin Miaoshan for all of Gold Abundance Pavilion's information about Eastern Peak Capital and demanded two Third Tier Spiritual Materials plus two High-Grade Core Formation Spirit Items with Yin and Ice attributes.
• Jin Miaoshan refused his initial demands, then offered ordinary Core Formation Spirit Items without guaranteed attributes, but Wang Yu rejected her offer and threatened to leave.

Wang Yu negotiated with Jin Miaoshan to defuse the crowd’s attack on Gold Abundance Pavilion, then used threats, intelligence, and Jin Miaoshan’s display of power to disperse the cultivators. He left the Eastern Peak Capital intelligence inscribed on a stone stele in Guiling City’s North District.

• Jin Miaoshan threatened to negotiate with the crowd, but Wang Yu insisted she provide compensation and sign a Nether River Contract that barred her from harming him for a hundred years.
• Jin Miaoshan sent Wang Yu the contract and intelligence on Eastern Peak Capital, and he verified and signed the agreement.
• Wang Yu announced that the images and accusations had been fabricated, then offered the crowd valuable intelligence to prevent them from attacking Gold Abundance Pavilion.
• A disguised Core Formation Cultivator challenged Wang Yu and revealed the Everlasting Treasure Branch, prompting Wang Yu to urge Jin Miaoshan to deter the crowd.
• Jin Miaoshan showed her identity and a jade talisman carrying a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor’s aura, causing many cultivators to flee.
• Wang Yu inscribed the intelligence onto a stone stele by Guiling City’s North District gate for the remaining cultivators to read.

After the Guiling Incident, Wang Yu secured Gold Abundance Pavilion’s support and let its feud with Heaven Treasure Pavilion escalate while he focused on cultivation. Three months later, he advanced his alchemy and prepared to enter seclusion in the Spirit Vein beneath the City Lord’s Mansion, with experienced miners assembled and its nature explained.

• Jin Miaoshan gave Wang Yu a Gold Abundance Pavilion VIP Token and agreed to provide his spiritual object in one year, while Wang Yu warned her against going to Eastern Peak Capital.
• Heaven Treasure Pavilion spread footage of the Guiling Incident across the Red Kite Demon Domain, and Wang Yu and Jin Miaoshan released a counterclaim that the footage had been fabricated to smear Gold Abundance Pavilion.
• Wang Yu advanced Cold Dragon Alchemy and placed the Ice Spirit Pill Formula in his Placement Slot, then sent Jiang Li and Jiang Chuan to order the required herbs.
• Wang Yu ordered Yingdong and Yingxue to summon the Gui and Ling clan heads to arrange mining the recovered companion mine, and he also sought herbs and a Third Tier Corpse Refinement Technique for his plans.
• After the Guan Clan and Jiang Clan gathered experienced miners, Wang Yu prepared to enter the Spirit Vein beneath the City Lord’s Mansion, where the chapter described the different kinds of earth veins and their treasures.

Wang Yu brought Snow Jade and his miners to an underground Spirit Vein beneath Guiling City, where he set up a place to cultivate and make pills. After refining a batch of Ice Spirit Pills, he swallowed the Top Grade pill and found that his True Essence had increased.

• Wang Yu led Snow Jade, his four disciples, and the miners through a secret passage to an underground plaza near a Spirit Vein.
• Wang Yu ordered Guan Yingdong, Guan Yingxue, Jiang Li, and Jiang Chuan to oversee the miners while he and Snow Jade went on.
• Wang Yu had Snow Jade carve out a Cave Abode beside the Spirit Vein and began refining Ice Spirit Pills.
• After ten days, Wang Yu produced one Top Grade Ice Spirit Pill and five High-Grade Ice Spirit Pills.
• Wang Yu swallowed the Top Grade Ice Spirit Pill and discovered that it increased his True Essence.

Wang Yu spent a year refining pills and building his strength while Guiling City grew more prosperous and chaotic amid the Eastern Peak Capital Ruins’ discoveries. After leaving seclusion, he learned that Jin Miaoshan’s plans were delayed, the Guan Family faced pressure from two Core Formation cultivators over an ancient treasure, and a Sha Corpse could be delivered soon.

• Wang Yu refined Cold Flame-enhanced pills, cultivated toward the peak of the Foundation Establishment Third Layer, and used his public intelligence on the Eastern Peak Capital Ruins to influence the influx of explorers and reduce pressure on Guiling City.
• Snow Jade awakened the Ice Cloud Escape inheritance, and Wang Yu left seclusion with the fox after earning a fortune from pill refining.
• Guan Yingdong told Wang Yu that Jin Miaoshan needed more time because her opponents were attacking her over their previous dealings.
• Guan Yingdong reported that the Guan Family had obtained ancient spatial shackles from the ruins and that Yellow Sand Exalted Master and True Person Earth Puppet were pursuing them; Wang Yu advised the family to give up the treasure or hide in his mansion.
• Guan Yingdong reported that a Corpse Refinement Art could be delivered to Guiling City within three months, and Wang Yu ordered her to acquire a Sha Corpse.

Wang Yu pursued ways to strengthen himself and advance his cultivation while reports from the Eastern Peak Capital Primeval Ruin revealed a dangerous influence tied to the Bloody Shackles. The Guan Sisters brought the shackled Lord of the Guan Family to him, and he saw a terrifying Corpse Mountain Blood Sea within the man’s soul-fire.

• Wang Yu resolved to seek treasures that could help him break through to Foundation Establishment Mid-stage and studied the Ancient Soul Art and Corpse Refinement Art as routes to greater strength.
• In the Eastern Peak Capital Primeval Ruin, a group leaving Jingzhao Evil Suppression Prison turned mad and attacked nearby cultivators after showing off the Bloody Shackles they had found.
• A Late-stage Core Formation cultivator killed the attackers, but later became obsessed with returning to the prison and seizing its Blood-colored Treasure Sword.
• Wang Yu learned that a One-Pattern Essence Condensation Pill could help open a True Essence Spring and arranged to receive one through Gold Abundance Pavilion.
• Yingdong and Yingxue brought Wang Yu the shackled Lord of the Guan Family, whose soul-fire appeared to contain a Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and a power that could influence the mind.