Chapter Summaries

As Jiang Ziyue competed in Pill Combat, Jiang Qinghe studied her alchemy and drew inspiration from the medicinal powers fusing inside the cauldron. He entered an epiphany, beginning to harmonize his Gen Earth and Xun Wind intents, while Chen Lingxue watched in astonishment.

• Jiang Ziyue calmly advanced through the fusion stage of alchemy, while Jiang Qinghe judged that she could reach the top ten and might contend with Zheng Jingxian for first place.
• Chen Lingxue considered Jiang Ziyue's youth and inexperience against Zheng Jingxian's mastery and wondered why Jiang Qinghe was so confident.
• Jiang Qinghe used his Spiritual Sense to observe Jiang Ziyue guiding the medicinal essences toward resonance and fusion.
• Jiang Qinghe recognized that his Gen Earth and Xun Wind intents might also find a point of resonance and began drawing them together.
• Chen Lingxue noticed the faint glow of intent around Jiang Qinghe and realized he had entered an epiphany about fusing two intents.

Jiang Qinghe began fusing his Earthen Intent and Gale Wind Artistic Conceptions during the Pill Combat, drawing the attention of the major families. As the onlookers weighed his growing potential, Xiao Yongbo secretly attacked to disrupt his enlightenment.

• Chen Lingxue tried to shield Jiang Qinghe’s fragile state of enlightenment, but his Artistic Conception fluctuations continued to spread.
• Chen Shou'en recognized that Jiang Qinghe was attempting to fuse two Artistic Conceptions and realized the Chen Family had underestimated his talent.
• Lin Jiyao learned Jiang Qinghe served as Vice Grand Commander of the Demon Slaying Division and reproached Lin Ye and Han Jialiang for failing to recruit him.
• Zheng Wanyun ordered a trusted clansman to gather detailed information on Jiang Qinghe.
• Xiao Yongbo sent a concealed sound-wave attack toward Jiang Qinghe to startle him out of his enlightenment, while the other factions chose not to intervene.

Xiao Yongbo secretly disrupted Jiang Qinghe’s enlightenment, enraging Jiang and the Chen Family. Jiang preserved most of his insights into fusing the two intents and believed he could complete the fusion with further effort.

• Xiao Yongbo’s soundwave attack struck Jiang Qinghe’s enlightenment, and Chen Shou'en’s shield failed to stop it completely.
• Jiang Qinghe’s attempt to fuse the two intents was interrupted just before it stabilized, and he turned a furious gaze toward Xiao Yongbo.
• Xiao Yongbo met Jiang’s glare, briefly felt intimidated, then dismissed him as an ant and turned away.
• Jiang Qinghe suppressed his killing intent and realized the interrupted enlightenment had left him with most of the insights he needed to fuse the intents again.
• Chen Lingxue and Chen Shou'en worried that the disruption had harmed Jiang’s mind, but Jiang reassured them that he was fine and had not come away empty-handed.

After Xiao Yongbo disrupted Jiang Qinghe’s enlightenment, Jiang Qinghe accepted that he was not yet strong enough to seek revenge and watched the Pill Combat continue. Jiang Ziyue and Zheng Jingxian tied in the judges’ appraisal, and just as Zheng Jingxian was declared champion, Jiang Qinghe interrupted.

• Chen Shou'en vowed that the Chen Family would repay Xiao Yongbo for ambushing Jiang Qinghe, while Jiang Qinghe acknowledged he could not challenge Xiao Yongbo yet.
• The Pill Combat continued, and Jiang Ziyue, Zheng Jingxian, and the other refiners completed their pills; several contestants failed to finish in time and were eliminated.
• The Pavilion Elders judged Jiang Ziyue’s Purple Snow Pills and Zheng Jingxian’s Crimson Gold Pills equally excellent and could not distinguish a winner by their quality.
• After considering their performances, Elder Liu announced Zheng Jingxian as the Pill Combat champion.
• Jiang Qinghe called out “Wait,” drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

Jiang Qinghe challenged the Spring Return Grand Pavilion’s decision to award Zheng Jingxian the alchemy contest, arguing that Jiang Ziyue’s pill should be compared by its practical properties. He proposed dissolving both pills in equal amounts of Rootless Spirit Spring Water to assess their medicinal release, purity, and integration, leaving the gathered alchemists stunned and unsure whether the method could work.

• Jiang Qinghe rose from the ceremonial seats and explained that he objected because Jiang Ziyue and Zheng Jingxian’s pills appeared evenly matched despite Zheng Jingxian being named champion.
• Jiang Qinghe told the Pavilion Elders that the pills’ efficacy should be tested directly, drawing ridicule from the crowd and objections from the rosy-faced Pavilion Elder.
• Jiang Qinghe acknowledged that testing the pills on people would be cumbersome, then proposed observing their release of medicinal power and purity instead.
• Jiang Qinghe suggested placing each pill in an equal bowl of Rootless Spirit Spring Water and comparing how they dissolved, the medicinal vapor they emitted, and the water’s final color.
• Jiang Qinghe explained that smoother, more uniform dissolution could reflect superior pill integration and affinity with the body, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.

Jiang Qinghe proposed testing the rival pills by dissolving them in Rootless Spirit Spring Water, and the comparison showed Jiang Ziyue’s Purple Snow Pill was more stable and harmonious than Zheng Jingxian’s Crimson Gold Pill. Zheng Wanyun declared Jiang Ziyue the champion, reversing the contest’s result.

• Xiao Haoyan condemned Jiang Qinghe’s proposed test, and Jiang Qinghe mocked him before asking Zheng Wanyun to decide.
• Zheng Wanyun agreed to hear the new method, and Jiang Ziyue and Zheng Jingxian both accepted the test.
• The Pavilion Elders placed each pill in a separate bowl of Rootless Spirit Spring Water and observed the pills’ different dissolving patterns.
• The Elders judged Jiang Ziyue’s Purple Snow Pill’s release to be more even and stable than Zheng Jingxian’s Crimson Gold Pill.
• Zheng Wanyun announced Jiang Ziyue as the Pill Combat champion, and the plaza erupted in surprise.

After Jiang Qinghe helped Jiang Ziyue win the Pill Combat grand event, Jiang Ziyue and Chen Lingxue met and began discussing alchemy. Zheng Wanyun persuaded Zheng Borui to consider returning to the Grand Pavilion, hoping to support Jiang Ziyue’s future.

• Jiang Ziyue accepted the champion’s Earth Vein Profound Yellow Ginseng, while Zheng Jingxian acknowledged her victory and Chen Shou'en praised Jiang Qinghe.
• Jiang Qinghe introduced Jiang Ziyue to Chen Lingxue, and the two young women warmly discussed alchemy and medicinal herbs.
• Zheng Wanyun asked Zheng Borui to return to the Grand Pavilion and promised Jiang Ziyue the best environment for studying alchemy.
• Zheng Borui agreed to consider returning, provided he would stay at the Grand Pavilion and never enter the Zheng Family’s gates again.
• After Zheng Borui left, Zheng Wanyun murmured that she had done all she could for Jiang Qinghe and Jiang Ziyue.

The Zheng Family began its grand auction, presenting rare treasures to the gathered martial factions. Jiang Qinghe watched the early lots before closing his eyes to rest and cultivate, waiting for the main items.

• Zheng Zecheng opened the auction and explained that ninety-nine treasures would be sold to the highest bidders.
• Zheng Zecheng presented the Earth-grade, Middle Rank Azure Nether Sword, which Lin Youxian won for thirty High Grade Purple Crystal Stones.
• The auction continued with movement techniques, medicinal ingredients, pills, weapons, and other treasures drawing bids from various factions.
• Jiang Qinghe lost interest in the early lots because they did not suit his needs, then rested while circulating his true qi as the finale approached.

The auction’s finale began with the Earth-grade High-rank Martial Skill Void Speed Star Mark, an original jade tome containing its creator’s Martial Path True Intent. Xiao Haoyan won it for 120 Spirit Crystals, and the second finale treasure was brought onto the platform.

• Zheng Zecheng revealed the Void Speed Star Mark jade tome and announced that it contained Martial Path True Intent.
• Jiang Qinghe longed to obtain the saber art but had no Spirit Crystals and could only watch the bidding.
• Xiao Haoyan, Lin Jiyao, Chen Shou'en, Supervisor Zhou, and others competed as the price climbed past one hundred Spirit Crystals.
• Xiao Haoyan outbid the Chen Family and secured Void Speed Star Mark for 120 Spirit Crystals.
• Zheng Zecheng brought the second finale treasure onto the platform and began lifting its brocade cloth.

At the auction, Chen Shou'en won Ruyi Bi for two hundred Spirit Crystals and gave it to Jiang Qinghe as compensation for the attack against him. As the final treasure arrived, the Escaping Immortal Shuttle in Jiang Qinghe's chest began to react, leaving him wondering what lay beneath the red silk.

• Zheng Zecheng introduced Ruyi Bi and opened bidding at forty Spirit Crystals.
• Chen Shou'en outbid Xiao Yongbo and Lin Jiyao, winning Ruyi Bi for two hundred Spirit Crystals.
• Chen Shou'en gave Ruyi Bi to Jiang Qinghe, who accepted it and thanked the Chen Family.
• Supervisor Zhou bought the Jade Pivot Pill, and Lin Jiyao purchased the Spirit Heart Armor.
• The Escaping Immortal Shuttle began to heat and send out fluctuations as the final treasure was brought onto the platform.

Zheng Zecheng unveiled the Nameless Strange Gold, a mysterious relic that might be connected to Void Power and Void Spirit Weapons, and the auction erupted into a fierce bidding war. The Chen Family withdrew, while Jiang Qinghe set aside his hopes of taking it and waited to see who would win.

• Zheng Zecheng revealed the Nameless Strange Gold and said it had been found deep within East Mountain and might be a material for forging Void Spirit Weapons.
• Xiao Yongbo, Lin Jiyao, and Zhou Liangru competed for the strange gold as the price quickly climbed past two hundred Spirit Crystals.
• Chen Shou'en judged the relic too uncertain and costly, so he decided the Chen Family would not bid.
• Jiang Qinghe realized that stealing the relic from a Profound Light Realm owner would be too dangerous, even with the Escaping Immortal Shuttle.
• Jiang Qinghe calmed himself and decided to watch the bidding to learn who acquired the strange gold.

Big Beard outbid the Xiao and Lin Families and Zhou Liangru for the Nameless Strange Gold, then accused the Zheng Family of killing his brother to obtain it. He attacked Zheng Zecheng and the Zheng Family elders with three powerful Thunderflame Bombs, plunging the auction into chaos.

• Xiao Yongbo, Lin Jiyao, and Zhou Liangru competed for the Nameless Strange Gold as the price climbed, and Big Beard unexpectedly entered the bidding at five hundred Spirit Crystals.
• Big Beard raised the bid to one thousand Spirit Crystals, and Zheng Zecheng declared him the winner.
• Big Beard accused the Zheng Family of trapping and killing his brother on East Mountain and revealed several black metal spheres instead of paying for the Strange Gold.
• Big Beard's aura surged to the Profound Light Realm, and he hurled three Thunderflame Bombs at Zheng Zecheng and the Zheng Family defenders.
• The bombs exploded, engulfing the area in white light and crimson flames and blasting seats and spectators apart.

Big Beard used Thunderflame Bombs to seize the Nameless Strange Gold at the Zheng Family auction, revealing that he had reached the Profound Light Second Realm. As he tried to escape, four Profound Light First Realm experts intercepted him, and Zhou Liangru unleashed his Mount Zhen Seal.

• Big Beard’s Thunderflame Bombs blasted the Zheng Family guards and stalled Zheng Wanyun and the other two Profound Light experts.
• Big Beard knocked Zheng Zecheng unconscious, seized the Nameless Strange Gold, and revealed that his cultivation had advanced to the Profound Light Second Realm.
• Jiang Qinghe watched Big Beard’s attack and escape plan, realizing that the man had concealed his strength exceptionally well.
• Big Beard decided to flee before the Zheng Family’s stronger experts could arrive, but Chen Shou'en, Xiao Yongbo, Lin Jiyao, and Zhou Liangru moved to stop him.
• Zhou Liangru cast his official seal into the air and activated the Mount Zhen Seal’s Heavenly Edict Descends technique over Big Beard.

Big Beard used a ring-shaped force field to withstand the combined attack of four clan experts and revealed that he had advanced to the Profound Light Second Realm. He tricked the experts into abandoning their attack by throwing empty Thunderflame Bomb shells at their families, then escaped as all seven Profound Light Realm experts pursued him.

• Zhou Liangru, Chen Shou'en, Xiao Yongbo, and Lin Jiyao attacked Big Beard together, but his ring-shaped force field blocked their combined strike.
• The four experts realized Big Beard had recently advanced to the Profound Light Second Realm and that his unstable cultivation was straining under their assault.
• Big Beard threw disguised black spheres toward the Chen, Xiao, Lin, and Zheng Families' viewing seats, forcing the experts to rush back to protect their descendants.
• The spheres shattered into harmless powder, and Big Beard laughed that he had only been bluffing about having more Thunderflame Bombs.
• Big Beard fled into the sky, and seven Profound Light Realm experts chased after him.

Amid the chaos caused by Big Beard’s Thunderflame Bomb, Jiang Qinghe used the black smoke to steal the Xiao Family’s jade manual of Void Speed Star Mark and escape back to his seat. Zheng Qingbiao apologized to the guests and began restoring order while promising an investigation.

• Jiang Qinghe concealed his aura and teleported beneath the table at the Xiao Family’s seats through the smoke.
• Jiang Qinghe snatched the jade manual of Void Speed Star Mark and teleported away as Xiao Haoyan noticed the disturbance.
• Xiao Haoyan found the manual missing, destroyed the table in anger, and demanded to know who had stolen it.
• Jiang Qinghe returned to the Chen Family’s seats with the manual and used the Ruyi Bi to steady himself after the draining teleports.
• Zheng Qingbiao apologized for the Zheng Family’s failure to protect the gathering, promised to investigate, and directed injured guests to the medical hall.

After Big Beard stole the Nameless Strange Gold, Xiao Haoyan discovered that the Void Speed Star Mark had also vanished, provoking a confrontation between Xiao Yongbo and Chen Shou'en. Jiang Qinghe left the gathering pleased with his gains and resolved to strengthen himself, while the stolen treasures remained beyond reach.

• Zhou Liangru, Chen Shou'en, Xiao Yongbo, Lin Jiyao, Zheng Wanyun, and the other experts returned to the square after the Zheng Family ancestor took charge of pursuing Big Beard.
• Xiao Haoyan told Xiao Yongbo that the Void Speed Star Mark jade booklet had disappeared, and Xiao Yongbo suspected a powerful expert had stolen it.
• Xiao Yongbo accused Chen Shou'en's family by implication, and Chen Shou'en mocked Xiao Haoyan for losing the booklet.
• Zheng Wanyun and Lin Jiyao intervened before Xiao Yongbo and Chen Shou'en could fight, and Xiao Yongbo led the Xiao Family away.
• Jiang Qinghe departed with the Chen Family, reflected on his gains and the stolen strange gold, and decided to focus on improving his strength.

Jiang Qinghe fused his Mountain Earth and Gale Wind Artistic Conceptions while comprehending the Grandmaster True Intent in Void Speed Star Mark, then used his Potential Points to break through to the Innate Eighth Rank. Several days later, Chen Lingxue was astonished to see that he had advanced to the Fifth Rank again.

• Jiang Qinghe learned that Zheng Borui had been transferred to the Inner City, bringing Jiang Ziyue and Zhao Guangyi under the Spring Return Grand Pavilion's protection.
• Jiang Qinghe awakened to the Grandmaster True Intent sealed in Void Speed Star Mark and fused his Mountain Earth and Gale Wind Artistic Conceptions.
• Jiang Qinghe spent more than a month cultivating, improving Void Speed Star Mark, Azure Sky Lightning Draw, and Floating Light, Fleeting Shadow.
• Jiang Qinghe invested his Potential Points in Nine Revolutions True Understanding and opened his marrow meridians, advancing to the Innate Eighth Rank.
• Chen Lingxue sparred with Jiang Qinghe and was astonished that he had broken through to the Fifth Rank again.

After Jiang Qinghe naturally advanced to Innate Fifth Rank, he and Chen Lingxue discussed the Wind Thunder Sect’s rule over Cangzhou and the mysterious City Lord of Cangfeng City. Chen Lingxue explained that dispatched City Lords might be seeking opportunities to advance and return to the sect’s core.

• Jiang Qinghe finished cultivating and told Chen Lingxue that the Purple Crystal Stone had helped him enter his new realm naturally.
• Chen Lingxue compared Jiang Qinghe’s progress with her own and said he might have joined the Wind Thunder Sect if he had begun martial cultivation earlier.
• Jiang Qinghe reflected on how the Wind Thunder Sect ruled Cangzhou and how far he had come from his life as a tavern servant.
• While sharing Misty Clear Dew tea, Jiang Qinghe asked Chen Lingxue why he had never heard about the City Lord.
• Chen Lingxue explained that even senior officials rarely met the City Lord, and that the Wind Thunder Sect sent Primordial Sea Grandmasters with limited prospects to manage cities.
• Chen Lingxue said those Grandmasters might still be seeking breakthroughs so they could return to the sect and receive more resources.

Jiang Qinghe learned how the Wind Thunder Sect’s strict age limit and Cangfeng City’s clan politics shaped the fate of Xing Daoyuan, whose family was destroyed before he could join the sect. He accepted that he had missed the usual path into the sect and resolved to advance through cultivation on his own terms.

• Chen Lingxue explained that Cangfeng City’s Four Great Clans and Supervision Department handled most affairs while the city lords cultivated or sought opportunities.
• Chen Lingxue told Jiang Qinghe that the Wind Thunder Sect rarely accepted anyone over fourteen, making his prospects poor at age twenty-one.
• Chen Lingxue revealed that Xing Daoyuan had been offered a chance to join the sect if he reached the Innate Realm by fourteen, but his family was wiped out that winter.
• Chen Lingxue explained that the Four Great Clans likely killed Xing Daoyuan to prevent the Xing Family from gaining power through his sect connection.
• Jiang Qinghe shifted the discussion to the search for Xing Daoyuan, and Chen Lingxue said finding him beyond Cangfeng City was like searching for a needle in the ocean.
• Jiang Qinghe set aside regret over the Wind Thunder Sect’s age limit and resolved to make steady progress along his own cultivation path.

Jiang Qinghe agreed to join the Chen Family’s Demon Slaying Team in East Mountain, where he could gain combat experience and help Zhao Guangyi seek a Spirit Monster Core. The team reached the mountain’s edge and prepared to enter under Chen Shou'en’s strict orders.

• Chen Lingxue told Jiang Qinghe that Chen Shou'en would lead a family team into East Mountain, and Jiang Qinghe agreed to join.
• Three days later, Jiang Qinghe and Zhao Guangyi departed with Jiang Ziyue’s farewell and met the Chen Family team outside Chen Manor.
• Chen Shou'en gathered the team, including Chen Lingxue, and led them through Cangfeng City toward its eastern gate.
• The team left the city and traveled into the wilderness, where East Mountain’s vast ridges and peaks came into view.
• Chen Shou'en ordered everyone to obey his commands, stay together, and avoid reckless pursuit of merit before they entered the mountains.