Chapter Summaries

Cheng Shangling accepted that Cheng Qingjia would marry into the Zhan family and asked Xu Chunniang to watch over him during their journey to Pingfeng Island. After teleporting there, Xu Chunniang tracked a moving black dot shown on the sea chart Cheng Shangling had given her.

• Cheng Qingjia told Cheng Shangling he had agreed to marry into the Zhan family, and Cheng Shangling gave him a Storage Ring.
• Cheng Shangling asked Xu Chunniang to look after Cheng Qingjia in secret for one year and gave her a sea chart.
• Cheng Shangling led the Cheng Family away after his injuries improved, while Xu Chunniang continued posing as a Cheng Family guest elder.
• Three days after Cheng Qingjia married into the Zhan family, Xu Chunniang paid fifty thousand spirit stones to teleport to Pingfeng Island with Zhan Yingluo and others.
• After arriving on Pingfeng Island, Xu Chunniang inspected her token and saw a tiny black dot moving across the sea chart.

Xu Chunniang tracked Cheng Qingjia to a private residence on Pingfeng Island, arranged for Wing-concealing Insects to watch over it, and studied the sea chart Cheng Shangling had given her. While deepening her understanding of formations, she entered a mysterious state for three months and emerged with a breakthrough that made the path to Golden Core seem clearer; Cheng Qingjia remained at the residence.

• Xu Chunniang followed Cheng Qingjia's token to a private residence on Pingfeng Island and rented a nearby courtyard after learning he had stopped moving.
• Xu Chunniang reinforced her courtyard's formations, placed Wing-concealing Insects outside Cheng Qingjia's residence, and monitored his token for movement.
• Xu Chunniang studied the bone fragment Cheng Shangling had given her, discovered it held a sea chart of all Xuanzhou, memorized it, and destroyed the fragment.
• Xu Chunniang compared formation principles from the Carefree Sect and the Cultivation World of the sea, then entered a profound state of formation comprehension.
• Xu Chunniang emerged three months later with a breakthrough in the Dao of Formations and found that Cheng Qingjia's token still showed him at the residence.

After becoming a Level 3 Formation Master, Xu Chunniang bought materials for a formation and sold some of her weaker spirit wines to replenish her spirit stones. She left the wine shop with more funds but kept her Crimson Wine secret to avoid attracting trouble.

• Xu Chunniang visited the market and found the materials for the Great Yin Dragon Devouring Formation available at affordable prices.
• Xu Chunniang bought the formation materials for 160,000 spirit stones, leaving her with 140,000.
• Xu Chunniang offered Pearl Drunk and Sweet Dew Fragrance to a wine shop, whose shopkeeper first tried to buy them for fifteen spirit stones per jin.
• Xu Chunniang started to leave, prompting the shopkeeper to raise his offer to thirty spirit stones per jin.
• Xu Chunniang sold 4,000 jin of wine for 120,000 spirit stones and denied having any higher-quality spirit wine.
• Xu Chunniang decided to keep her Crimson Wine hidden until she reached the Golden Core stage.

Xu Chunniang tracked Zhan Yingluo’s group after Zhao Hucheng discovered and destroyed her Wing-concealing Insects. She followed them through successive teleportation arrays, while Zhan Yingluo and Zhao Hucheng began to suspect the hooded stranger was watching them.

• Xu Chunniang learned through her insects that Zhan Yingluo, Zhan Fu, Cheng Qingjia, and Zhao Hucheng had left the residence, but Zhao Hucheng sensed and killed the insects.
• Zhan Yingluo suspected Zhan Siming was behind the surveillance and led her companions toward Pingfeng Island’s teleportation array.
• Xu Chunniang passed the Sea Travel Order inspection and followed the group through a teleportation array to another island.
• Zhan Yingluo’s group entered another waiting room to continue their journey, and Xu Chunniang followed them again despite the risk of being noticed.
• Zhao Hucheng told Zhan Yingluo that the hooded stranger showed signs of Disguise and Transformation and might own the insects; after the group teleported onward, Xu Chunniang left the teleportation hall.

Xu Chunniang tracked Zhan Yingluo’s group across several islands while trying to conserve her dwindling spirit stones. After evading their decoy route, she followed them north beneath the sea, where Zhan Yingluo began to suspect that someone might be shadowing them underwater.

• Zhan Yingluo refused Zhan Fu’s suggestion to deal with Cheng Qingjia by force, intending instead to extract his soul blood at their destination.
• Xu Chunniang disguised herself and followed Zhan Yingluo’s group through several teleportations, spending most of her spirit stones.
• After the group left a medium-sized island heading east, Xu Chunniang suspected they were luring her out and returned to the island instead of following.
• Zhan Yingluo’s group changed course and headed north, revealing their likely true destination, so Xu Chunniang followed them underwater at a careful distance.
• After several days, Zhan Yingluo stopped and warned Zhao Hucheng that a pursuer could be hiding beneath the sea.

Xu Chunniang realized Zhan Yingluo had destroyed Cheng Qingjia’s Sea Travel Order to mislead her, and she raced north to find him. The chapter ended with Zhao Hucheng discovering Xu beneath the sea and mistaking her for a powerful cultivator.

• Zhan Yingluo suspected someone was following her and destroyed Cheng Qingjia’s Sea Travel Order to lure that person away.
• Xu Chunniang used Cheng Qingjia’s soul blood to learn that he was alive to the north, then sped after him beneath the sea.
• Zhan Fu and Zhao Hucheng traveled north aboard the cloud boat while Zhao searched the sea for a pursuer.
• Zhao Hucheng detected turbulent currents and activated the cloud boat’s formations, then spotted Xu Chunniang moving through the water.
• Zhao Hucheng was shocked that Xu Chunniang seemed to move freely underwater despite appearing to be only at Foundation Establishment.

Xu Chunniang was trapped inside the cloud boat’s powerful formation and fought to break out while Zhao Hucheng and Zhan Fu attacked her. She widened a weakness in the water prison, but Zhan Fu detonated his bone spear as it pierced her defenses.

• Xu Chunniang recognized the cloud boat as belonging to the pursuers who had destroyed Cheng Qingjia’s Sea Travel Order, and Zhao Hucheng rammed it toward her.
• Xu Chunniang entered the Boat Protection Grand Array, where Zhao Hucheng and Zhan Fu used formation flags to move freely and attack her.
• Xu Chunniang read the formation’s spiritual-energy currents, then struck the water wall with heavy water and used the Heartfall Flame to widen a flaw.
• Zhan Fu’s bone spear pierced Xu Chunniang’s defenses, but she caught it and stopped it from reaching her heart.
• Zhan Fu detonated the bone spear while Xu Chunniang remained trapped in the narrow water prison.

Xu Chunniang survived Zhan Fu’s bone spear explosion, killed him with Heartfall Flame, and took control of the formation flag. She then fought Zhao Hucheng, whose soul-seizing technique began to dissipate inside her as he prepared to use it again.

• Xu Chunniang endured the bone spear’s explosion with her treasures, escaped the damaged water prison, and burned Zhan Fu’s body and Primordial Spirit with Heartfall Flame.
• Xu Chunniang refined the formation flag, temporarily suppressing the Boat Protection Grand Array’s attacks.
• Zhao Hucheng attacked Xu Chunniang with three golden rings, but she bound them with chains and held them in a stalemate.
• Zhao Hucheng used the Soul-Shaking and Spirit-Startling Great Method as a concealed killing blow, but its soul-seizing aura dissipated inside Xu Chunniang.
• Zhao Hucheng unleashed the soul-seizing technique again with even more force.

Xu Chunniang resisted Zhao Hucheng’s attacks, wounded his Natal Artifact with her spiritual sense, and revealed that she could control the cloud boat’s formations. Zhao Hucheng tried to escape the formations, but Xu Chunniang sent a water prison to trap him.

• Zhao Hucheng used his Soul-Shaking and Spirit-Startling Great Method again, but Xu Chunniang’s Heartfall Flame refined the icy Yin energy and she sent her chains at him.
• Zhao Hucheng summoned his seven-tiered black pagoda, enlarged it, and crushed it toward Xu Chunniang, who weakened its force with Primordial Heavy Water and struck it with her spiritual sense.
• Xu Chunniang’s spiritual sense damaged the black pagoda and began refining its outermost restrictions, forcing Zhao Hucheng to recall the unusable Natal Artifact.
• Zhao Hucheng narrowly dodged lightning from the cloud boat’s formations, then realized Xu Chunniang had refined Zhan Fu’s formation flag and could control the formations as a Level 3 Formation Master.
• Zhao Hucheng charged toward the edge of the formations, but Xu Chunniang sent a water prison to trap him.

Xu Chunniang defeated Zhao Hucheng with her formation and destroyed his Primordial Spirit when he tried to escape. After confirming the cloud boat was safe, she gathered his belongings, mourned the loss of her master's armor, and began recovering.

• Zhao Hucheng destroyed three golden rings to escape Xu Chunniang's water prison, but her water dragon trapped and severely wounded him.
• Zhao Hucheng abandoned his damaged body and fled as a Primordial Spirit with his Storage Ring and black tower.
• Xu Chunniang used the Soul-Fixing Mirror and spiritual-sense attacks to extinguish Zhao Hucheng's Primordial Spirit despite his pleas and curses.
• Xu Chunniang collected Zhao Hucheng's belongings, burned his abandoned body, and confirmed that he and Zhan Fu were both eliminated.
• Xu Chunniang searched the cloud boat for danger, stored the fragments of her master's destroyed Seven Treasures Spiritual Armor, and consumed spiritual wine and medicine to recover.

Xu Chunniang overcame her doubts about the pursuit of immortality after watching an ordinary green fish swim freely, and seized a sudden opportunity to break through to the Golden Core stage. After ten days of preparation and cultivation, she began condensing the golden liquid in her dantian into a Golden Core.

• Xu Chunniang despaired over the limits of cultivation and the shortness of life, then reconsidered freedom after seeing a green fish leap through the sea.
• Xu Chunniang's Dao Heart cleared, and her golden Dao Platform began dissolving as spiritual energy surged into her dantian.
• Xu Chunniang set up Spirit Gathering Formations, prepared a Pure Heart Lotus Seed and a Golden Core Pill, and called Little Orange and Little White to guard her.
• Xu Chunniang spent ten days dissolving her Dao Platform into golden liquid, then used her divine sense to gather it into a fist-sized mass.
• Xu Chunniang channeled spiritual energy into the mass until it began spinning rapidly and compressing toward a Golden Core.

Xu Chunniang formed her golden core and began facing the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, using the Five Elements Body Tempering method to absorb the lightning. She endured the first two rounds, though the later bolts wounded her, and prepared to face the final round.

• Xu Chunniang compressed the golden liquid in her dantian into a core, drawing in spiritual energy as dark clouds gathered overhead.
• Xu Chunniang told Little Orange and Little White to stay put, then stood at the cloud boat’s bow to face the tribulation.
• Xu Chunniang endured the first nine bolts without using a defensive treasure and found that the lightning strengthened her body, divine sense, and Spiritual Veins.
• Xu Chunniang faced the second round of lightning, taking worsening injuries as she absorbed each bolt with the Five Elements Body Tempering method.
• Xu Chunniang swallowed spiritual medicine from Fu Yunshan to heal her wounds, then survived the eighth and ninth bolts of the second round.

Xu Chunniang endured the final, devastating bolts of her Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and overcame a heart demon, successfully forming a Golden Core. After the auspicious spirit dew healed and renewed her, she discovered that her Golden Core had been fully tempered by the tribulation.

• Xu Chunniang continued tempering her body with Heavenly Lightning as the third round of her tribulation struck with increasing force.
• The seventh and eighth bolts severely injured Xu Chunniang, and a heart demon tried to turn her against the Heavenly Dao before the final bolt descended.
• Xu Chunniang recognized the heart demon, protected her divine sense and vital meridians, and endured the final bolt of the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
• Auspicious clouds formed after the tribulation, and Xu Chunniang absorbed their spirit dew as it healed her body and nourished her Golden Core.
• Xu Chunniang changed out of her destroyed dharma robe, examined her Golden Core, and realized she had successfully formed it.

After forming an Immaculate Golden Core, Xu Chunniang discovered her true qi could generate on its own and set off north to rescue Cheng Qingjia. She feared her slow flight would not let her catch up to Zhan Yingluo before his weakened soul gave out, and found no useful flying artifact in Zhao Hucheng's Storage Ring.

• Xu Chunniang used Cheng Shangling's soul blood and sensed that Cheng Qingjia was alive far to the north but in a weakened state.
• Xu Chunniang refined and stored the damaged cloud boat, then placed Little Orange and Little White in the Spirit Beast Pouch before traveling north.
• Xu Chunniang discovered that true qi now arose naturally in her Middle Palace Acupoint and let her fly through the air.
• Xu Chunniang realized her flight was too slow to catch Zhan Yingluo quickly and worried Cheng Qingjia might not survive a month of travel.
• Xu Chunniang searched Zhao Hucheng's Storage Ring for a flying artifact but found only spirit stones, spiritual materials, and low-value Spiritual Artifacts.

Xu Chunniang used her spoils from Zhao Hucheng and Zhan Fu to equip herself and reflect on the cultivation resources she lacked as a Golden Core Rogue Cultivator. She followed the soul blood’s trail toward Cheng Qingjia, but the trail led to an apparent dead end.

• Xu Chunniang found a trove of Mid-grade Spirit Stones and a fast flying shuttle in Zhan Fu’s Storage Ring, then used the shuttle to continue her journey north.
• Xu Chunniang realized she lacked a Golden Core cultivation method and the spells and techniques available to sect cultivators, and her Foundation Establishment method no longer worked.
• Xu Chunniang refined the Mountain and River Diagram’s remaining formations and acquired Dharma Artifacts, including a fan that could attack divine sense.
• Xu Chunniang used the shrinking soul blood to track Cheng Qingjia and found that she was nearing him.
• Xu Chunniang crossed beyond Xuanzhou’s territory and followed the soul blood’s guidance, but discovered there was no path ahead.

Xu Chunniang discovered a whirlpool beneath the barren island and entered the secret realm where Cheng Qingjia was hidden. As she hurried east after sensing his failing condition, Zhan Yingluo realized a Cheng Family cultivator had followed her and continued refining Cheng Qingjia’s souls.

• Xu Chunniang searched the barren island, then realized Cheng Qingjia might be beneath it in the sea.
• Xu Chunniang found a whirlpool that swallowed seawater and suspected it was an entrance to a secret realm.
• Xu Chunniang entered the secret realm and used the Bloodline Guidance Art, sensing Cheng Qingjia to the east and detecting a second pulse.
• Zhan Yingluo sensed the Cheng Family bloodline being drawn upon and concluded a Cheng Family Golden Core cultivator had followed her.
• Zhan Yingluo continued refining the three souls Cheng Qingjia had hidden.

Xu Chunniang followed the soul blood to a cave abode where Zhan Yingluo was refining Cheng Qingjia’s soul, then broke through the outer formations to reach the final one. Zhan Yingluo attacked her directly, and the chapter ended as a corrosive red substance began eating away at Xu Chunniang’s divine sense.

• Zhan Yingluo flooded Cheng Qingjia’s Numinous Palace with black mist, intending to refine his remaining souls and use his soul blood to open a barrier.
• Xu Chunniang used the last trace of soul blood to confirm the cave abode was connected to Cheng Qingjia, then entered it.
• Zhan Yingluo realized the intruder had broken two formations and prepared to stop them before she finished her work.
• Xu Chunniang used Spiritual Qi Bullets to probe and break the final formation, evading an earthfire attack controlled by Zhan Yingluo.
• Zhan Yingluo suspected the intruder was not the Cheng Family Old Ancestor and attacked with corrosive red spiritual qi and a magical artifact.
• The red substance began corroding Xu Chunniang’s divine sense as she continued sensing the formation.

Xu Chunniang defended against Zhan Yingluo’s attacks while Soul Devouring Mist forced Zhan to abandon her divine sense and consume pills to boost her cultivation. When Zhan unleashed her strongest attack and detonated her weapons, Xu retreated into a formation at the cave entrance, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Xu Chunniang bound Zhan Yingluo’s dharma sword with a chain and released Soul Devouring Mist, forcing Zhan to sever and withdraw her divine sense.
• Zhan Yingluo swallowed a bottle of pills to raise her power, broke free of the chain, and attacked Xu Chunniang.
• Xu Chunniang held to defense as Zhan’s boosted power and spiritual qi gradually dwindled.
• Zhan Yingluo split her dharma sword into seven and sent talismans after Xu Chunniang, who ran toward the cave dwelling.
• Zhan Yingluo activated her talismans and made the dharma swords self-destruct, while Xu Chunniang took shelter inside the formation she had rebuilt.

Xu Chunniang trapped Zhan Yingluo in a formation after surviving the self-destruction of the dharma sword. Zhan Yingluo broke open the formation and tried to flee, but Zhao Hucheng’s black tower and the Soul-Fixing Mirror stopped her.

• Zhan Yingluo searched the dharma sword’s explosion site, found Xu Chunniang missing, and hurried toward the cave residence’s exit.
• Zhan Yingluo became trapped in a formation and used Formation Breaking Talismans to open a gap, but Xu Chunniang altered the formation and closed it.
• Zhan Yingluo tried to deceive her unseen opponent by claiming she wanted to strengthen ties between the Zhan and Cheng Families.
• Zhan Yingluo used a Talisman Treasure to slash open the formation, but Zhao Hucheng’s black tower blocked the gap.
• Zhan Yingluo knocked the black tower aside and activated a defensive talisman, but the Soul-Fixing Mirror’s black light caught her.

Xu Chunniang subdued Zhan Yingluo and found Cheng Qingjia near death in the cave abode. After proving she was not an illusion, she left Cheng Qingjia laughing at Zhan Yingluo’s capture, though his fragile condition remained dangerous.

• Xu Chunniang destroyed Zhan Yingluo’s dantian, trapped her escaping Primordial Spirit, and sealed it after Zhan Yingluo threatened her with her family and offered information about a Penglai Treasure.
• Xu Chunniang broke through the damaged third formation and collected its cracked formation plate and surviving flags.
• Xu Chunniang found Cheng Qingjia nearly dead, with his dantian destroyed, his Essence Blood depleted, and black mist clinging to his Numinous Palace.
• Cheng Qingjia mistook Xu Chunniang for an illusion and began preparing to self-destruct his Primordial Spirit, but she revealed her true appearance and showed him Zhan Yingluo’s sealed Primordial Spirit.
• Cheng Qingjia recognized Zhan Yingluo’s aura and laughed at her downfall, while Xu Chunniang warned him not to become agitated.