Chapter Summaries

Yang Shan asked Luo Xie to advance the Spirit Artifact mask Unseeable so he could conceal his identity as Cheng E while remaining active in the Black-Corner Region. Luo Xie agreed, leaving Yang Shan with the mask and a debt of one hundred thousand points due within half a year.

• Yang Shan met Luo Xie at the pawnshop and asked about Bloodshed Hall’s recent manpower losses.
• Yang Shan requested Unseeable, explaining that he needed to hide his identity from powerful observers while continuing his work in the Black-Corner Region.
• Luo Xie gave Yang Shan the Spirit Artifact mask, trusting him as a future colleague.
• Yang Shan accepted Unseeable and agreed to repay one hundred thousand points within half a year or Luo Xie would reclaim it.

Yang Shan taught Su Yitang and the others how to combine elemental powers, and Su Yitang displayed extraordinary talent for using Wind Attribute to spread fire and lightning. After she mastered the technique with a success rate above 92%, Yang Shan began thinking about keeping her as his employee.

• Su Yitang sprained her ankle while trying to stand at attention, then recovered enough to begin training with Yang Shan.
• Yang Shan demonstrated Overload and explained how different attributes could interact, then told Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng to experiment with Earth and Water.
• Su Yitang repeatedly used Beast Wind to spread Scarlet Serpent Flame, succeeding in all five early attempts.
• Yang Shan had Su Yitang practice spreading Ape King Violet Lightning, and she eventually succeeded in fourteen of fifteen attempts.
• After three more hours of practice, Su Yitang's diffusion success rate exceeded 92%, and Yang Shan resolved to keep her from being recruited elsewhere.
• Su Yitang asked about combining Wind with Water and Earth, and Chao Bafang identified the Wind-and-Earth reaction as a sandstorm.

Yang Shan planned to hunt low-star Dou Wangs in Thousand Speck City for missions and experience, but first stayed behind to refine pills and advance his alchemy. During a successful alchemy session, he found himself in a white mist facing Yao Lao.

• Yang Shan earned over forty thousand points and reached Five Star Dou Ling after a week of assassinations, while Luo Xie grew to trust and value him.
• Luo Xie suggested that Yang Shan move his operations to the turbulent area around Thousand Speck City and warned him about targeting Dou Wangs.
• Yang Shan chose Liang Youchang and Ding Guan, low-star Dou Wang mission targets, hoping to gain experience while completing assignments.
• Yang Shan rejected Su Yitang's request to leave immediately and decided to refine Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills and Fifth Grade Aura Concealing Pills first.
• After completing an alchemy session, Yang Shan emerged in a vast white mist and recognized the white-robed old man before him as Yao Lao.

Yang Shan met Yao Lao during a special guidance storyline, and Yao Lao lent him the Bone Spirit Cold Flame to refine a Body Tempering Pill. Yang Shan became a Fifth Grade Alchemist and gained permanent benefits from the successful refinement before Yao Lao departed.

• Yao Lao appeared while Yang Shan refined pills and praised his skill, then offered to guide him.
• Yao Lao gave Yang Shan the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and urged him to refine a Body Tempering Pill.
• Yang Shan cleared all three alchemy minigames and successfully refined three Body Tempering Pills.
• Yao Lao's guidance increased Yang Shan's comprehension and alchemy experience, advancing him to Fifth Grade Alchemist and permanently raising his Body Tempering Pill success rate.
• Yang Shan thanked Yao Lao, who advised him to seek his prospects in Saint Pill City and then faded away after sharing a drink.

After leaving Yao Lao’s secret realm, Yang Shan refined Body Tempering Pills and used the opportunity to earn money and support his allies. He agreed to delay selling perfected pills at Jin Shankao’s request and prepared to head to Thousand Speck City.

• Yang Shan refined three batches of Body Tempering Pills, succeeded once, and consumed a perfected pill that granted him 35 Free Attribute points.
• Yang Shan listed an ordinary Body Tempering Pill in the Auction House and told Su Yitang to investigate two Dou Wangs in Thousand Speck City.
• Yang Shan warned Jin Shankao against buying an ordinary pill and showed him a perfected one; Jin Shankao offered 500,000 and asked Yang Shan to delay listing perfected pills for ten game days.
• Yang Shan agreed to Jin Shankao’s request, who explained that Wang Tianhao had partnered with War Soul Hall and that Hero King Manor faced growing competition.
• Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng bought perfected Body Tempering Pills from Yang Shan for 50,000 each, and Yang Shan told Su Yitang he was heading to Thousand Speck City.

Yang Shan and Su Yitang hunted the low-star Dou Wang elders of Thousand Speck City, then accepted missions to kill the rest of its Blue Word Seal Dou Wangs. A week later, Great Elder Yuan Lie found the council hall empty and wondered where everyone had gone.

• Yuan Lie reassured Thousand Speck City's officials that Ban Lao would recover in seclusion, concealing that he had been injured after a clash with the Black Emperor Sect.
• Yang Shan and Su Yitang ambushed Liang Youchang and killed him, earning experience and completing an assassination mission.
• The pair killed Ding Guan, then discussed how they could defeat low-star Dou Wangs but might not be able to stop stronger ones from escaping.
• Yang Shan registered both kills at the Bloodshed Hall branch and found that most of Thousand Speck City's remaining Dou Wang elders had Blue Word Seals.
• Yang Shan and Su Yitang accepted assassination missions for all sixteen remaining Blue Word Seal Dou Wang elders and began hunting them.
• One week later, Yuan Lie convened a meeting and found no one in the council hall.

After killing eighteen Dou Wangs in Thousand Speck City, Yang Shan left the Black-Corner Region for the Jia Ma Empire to pursue the late-stage storyline and the Soul Accumulation Pearl. He sent Xiao Xun'er a letter about the Ghoul Lord Token, then arrived in Gama Holy City with Su Yitang.

• Yuan Lie learned that Black and White Impermanence had killed eighteen people from Thousand Speck City and ordered an investigation, while Luo Xie urged Yang Shan to lie low.
• Yang Shan told Luo Xie he would leave for the Jia Ma Empire and handed over the Bloodshed Hall token and the eighteen Dou Wangs’ Soul Bodies, earning Luo Xie’s trust.
• Xiao Xun'er discussed Yang Shan with Ling Ying, then received his letter from Mei Yangyang; she decided she wanted to travel with Yang Shan when he returned.
• Yang Shan returned to the Jia Ma Empire through a Space Wormhole, received a favorable system prompt about Xiao Xun'er, and headed toward Gama Holy City with Su Yitang.

Yang Shan returned to the Mitier Auction House, defended Ya Fei from Mu Zhan, and shared a meal with her. Their exchange of gifts left Ya Fei’s favorability at 65, five points short of Yang Shan’s goal.

• Ya Fei rejected Mu Zhan’s invitation and hurried to greet Yang Shan, prompting Mu Zhan to attack him.
• Yang Shan kicked Mu Zhan across the auction house, then let Ya Fei settle three Players’ quests before taking her to eat.
• Yang Shan gave Ya Fei a bottle of Cold Water Heavenly Fragrance Flower essence, while Ya Fei presented him with a Flame Refining Garment.
• Yang Shan offered pills in exchange for the garment, and Ya Fei accepted only a small portion as payment.
• Ya Fei’s favorability toward Yang Shan rose by three points to 65.

Yang Shan visited the Misty Cloud Sect to obtain the Spirit Marrow Pill formula and agreed to capture a Dou Wang from the Azure Cloud Association in exchange. He left the sect and called his three loyal employees to begin the operation.

• Yang Shan wore the Flame Refining Garment Ya Fei had prepared for him and discussed the upcoming Alchemist Convention with her over dinner.
• Yang Shan went to the Misty Cloud Sect and waited for Nalan Yanran, who hurried out to welcome him.
• Yang Shan refined Aura Concealing Pills while waiting for Yun Yun, and Yun Yun revealed that he had advanced to Eight Star Dou Ling.
• Yang Shan told Nalan Yanran a fabricated story about his adventures in the Magical Beast Mountain Range to lift her spirits.
• Yang Shan asked Yun Yun for the Spirit Marrow Pill formula, and she offered it in exchange for capturing a Dou Wang from the Azure Cloud Association alive.
• Yang Shan left the Misty Cloud Sect and messaged his three employees to begin their first full-team operation.

Yang Shan gathered Chao Bafang, Zhu Tianpeng, and the socially anxious Su Yitang for a mission against an Azure Cloud Association branch base. The group set off together, with Su Yitang riding behind Yang Shan, while Chao Bafang’s private message revealed he had helped Yang Shan put her at ease.

• Yang Shan arranged for the four-person team to rest before meeting outside Gama Holy City for their mission.
• Chao Bafang arrived first, followed by Zhu Tianpeng and a last-second Su Yitang, whom Yang Shan declared on time despite the timer showing she was eight seconds late.
• Su Yitang grew embarrassed when Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng stared at her, so Yang Shan and Chao Bafang joked around to help her relax.
• Yang Shan and Chao Bafang pretended they could not lift Zhu Tianpeng onto his Flying Hair Donkey, making Su Yitang laugh.
• Yang Shan offered Su Yitang a ride on Hoof Shadow, and she accepted, sitting in front of him.
• Yang Shan discovered Chao Bafang had sent Su Yitang a screenshot of their plan to cheer her up and promised him a raise.

Yang Shan led Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng to the Snow Mountain Branch of the Azure Cloud Association, where the three employees fought while he coached them. After storming through the branch and practicing elemental teamwork, they reached its headquarters and prepared to carry out their plan.

• Yang Shan rode with Su Yitang on Hoof Shadow, kept a respectful distance, and reassured her as the horse raced ahead of Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng.
• The group reached the Snow Mountain Branch, where Yang Shan ordered his three employees to attack a squad of more than thirty NPCs and let them keep their own drops.
• Su Yitang used Thousand Blade Wind to kill three Dou Ling NPCs, and the group defeated the squad and divided its loot.
• Yang Shan led the group deeper into the branch, coaching Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng to combine their attacks with Wind Attribute dispersion.
• The four pushed into the branch headquarters, confirmed their battle qi was restored, and prepared to follow their agreed plan.

Yang Shan’s team attacked the Snow Mountain Branch, and he used the chaos to search it for a Soul Accumulation Pearl but found none. After Yang Shan and Su Yitang devastated the branch’s forces with coordinated attacks, he led the survivors into battle against the remaining Dou Lings.

• Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng challenged the Snow Mountain Branch, and Chao Bafang fought a Nine Star Dou Ling while Zhu Tianpeng protected him.
• At Yang Shan’s request, Su Yitang scattered Chao Bafang’s Thousand Rock Shattering Palm with Fourth Order Beast Wind, creating a sandstorm that let Yang Shan slip into the branch.
• Yang Shan searched the branch for more than ten minutes but found no Soul Accumulation Pearl or sign of its Dou Wang Branch Master.
• Yang Shan emerged to find more than a thousand branch fighters surrounding Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng.
• Yang Shan and Su Yitang expanded the range of his Scarlet Serpent Flame and Ape King Violet Lightning, killing most of the branch’s Da Dou Shi and badly weakening its Dou Lings.
• Yang Shan urged his team to finish off the remaining Dou Lings and charged forward with his blade intent at seven stacks.

Yang Shan and his companions wiped out the Azure Cloud Association branch, then faced its returning branch master, Tao Han. Zhu Tianpeng blocked Tao Han’s powerful ice attack with his defensive Dou Skill, leaving Yang Shan ready to confront him as he descended.

• Yang Shan, Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng defeated the branch’s Dou Lings, while Su Yitang pursued and killed a weakened Nine Star Dou Ling.
• The group collected their spoils, and Yang Shan complained that no Dou Wang had appeared for him to kill.
• Tao Han returned to find his branch destroyed and attacked the group from the sky with an ice-attributed Dou Skill.
• Yang Shan used Overload explosions as cover while Su Yitang carried Meridian Blocking Powder toward Tao Han with Fourth Order Beast Wind.
• Zhu Tianpeng used Sinking Water Blue Mystic Shield to protect the group from Tao Han’s Ice Piercing Mystic Palm.
• After the shield held against the attack, Tao Han swooped down, and Yang Shan prepared to meet him.

Yang Shan and his team fought Tao Han while Su Yitang prepared her Earth-tier Dou Skill, Wind Zenith Sound, by singing through its difficult activation. The attack erupted at sixteenfold power, and as Tao Han tried to flee, Yang Shan lunged to keep him in its path.

• Yang Shan ordered Zhu Tianpeng to protect Su Yitang while Chao Bafang helped him distract Tao Han.
• Yang Shan used his blade skill to cut apart Tao Han’s palm attacks and drew the Branch Master’s attention.
• Su Yitang struggled through Wind Zenith Sound’s singing requirements, while Tao Han’s attacks struck Chao Bafang and the group endured her erratic songs.
• Su Yitang released Wind Zenith Sound at sixteenfold power, sending faint ripples toward Tao Han.
• Tao Han tried to fly higher to evade the ripples, but Yang Shan leaped toward him and told him to stay.

Yang Shan and his companions captured Tao Han, but an approaching Soul Hall member forced Yang Shan to disguise himself as a high-ranking Soul Envoy named Cheng E. After persuading Tu Hong to let him keep Tao Han, Yang Shan learned where Tu Hong was staying and planned to take advantage of his Soul Accumulation Pearl.

• Yang Shan struck Tao Han from behind, and Zhu Tianpeng and Chao Bafang helped reduce Tao Han to a few thousand health without killing him.
• Tao Han tried to escape with Dou Qi Transformation Wings, but Yang Shan caught him and poured sleeping drugs into his back wound until he passed out.
• Sensing a powerful figure approaching, Yang Shan ordered his companions to flee, put on Unseeable, and identified the newcomer as Tu Hong, an Eight Star Dou Wang of the Azure Cloud Association.
• Yang Shan posed as Cheng E, a high-ranking Soul Envoy from the Black-Corner Region, and Tu Hong treated him respectfully after seeing his Soul Envoy Personal Decree.
• Yang Shan claimed a grudge against Tao Han and persuaded Tu Hong to let him take Tao Han away in exchange for the captured souls.
• Tu Hong invited Yang Shan to find him at White Mist Mountain, while Yang Shan planned to use Tu Hong’s Soul Accumulation Pearl.

Yang Shan returned with Tao Han and planned a raid on another Azure Cloud Association branch after the Alchemist Convention. At the Misty Cloud Sect, he helped Nalan Yanran reconsider her pride, turned in Tao Han, and secured the Spirit Marrow Pill Formula.

• Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng discussed their exploits in the Black-Corner Region while waiting for Yang Shan to return.
• Yang Shan came back carrying the unconscious Tao Han and told his companions to seek Azure Cloud Association quests and interactions before their planned raid after the Alchemist Convention.
• Yun Yun criticized Nalan Yanran’s pride during their sword practice, and Yang Shan advised that pride mattered to oneself rather than to others.
• Yang Shan turned in Tao Han to Yun Yun, astonishing Nalan Yanran with his capture of a Two Star Dou Wang.
• Yun Yun gave Yang Shan the Spirit Marrow Pill Formula, and he prepared to learn the pill-refining minigame before the Alchemist Convention.

Yang Shan prepared for the Alchemist Convention and arrived at the Royal Plaza with Ya Fei, Nalan Yanran, and Su Yitang. As the crowd gathered and Xiao Aotian resented Yang Shan’s popularity, Wang Tianhao publicly cursed him, prompting Ya Fei to call for the Imperial City Guards.

• Yang Shan spent the final day preparing for the convention, but failed three times to refine a Spirit Marrow Pill.
• Zhuang Youqian and Hao Yunqi received encouragement from their sponsors, while Xiao Aotian entered Gama Holy City with Xiao Mei.
• Yang Shan left with Ya Fei and Nalan Yanran, then met Su Yitang, who had come to cheer him on.
• The group arrived at the Royal Plaza, where contestants and spectators gathered for the convention.
• Xiao Aotian saw Yang Shan surrounded by Ya Fei, Nalan Yanran, and Su Yitang, and resolved to surpass him.
• Wang Tianhao cursed Yang Shan in public, and Ya Fei called on the Imperial City Guards to intervene.

Yang Shan passed the Alchemist Convention preliminary round and semifinals, then approached the young alchemist Yao Xi before the finals. He left the chapter asking whether she would talk with him, and Yao Xi wondered how he knew her name.

• Wang Tianhao watched Yang Shan enter the competition realm, while Nalan Yanran and other spectators gathered to watch the convention.
• Yang Shan chose Baikal Skullcap and Chinese Angelica for the preliminary-round recipe and passed by using his advanced Cauldron, beast flame, and Soul Strength to ease the minigame.
• Yang Shan rested with Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng before competing in the semifinals.
• Yang Shan cleared a series of alchemy minigames over three hours and advanced to the final venue with Liu Ling among the survivors.
• Yang Shan found the ten-year-old Yao Xi and asked to speak with her, and she cautiously asked how he knew her name.

Yang Shan recruited the gifted young alchemist Yao Xi with a generous contract after meeting her and her grandfather, Tie Yang. Impressed by Yang Shan’s fairness, Tie Yang asked to join his company as a Tier Four blacksmith, and Yang Shan immediately agreed.

• Yao Xi left the arena to meet her grandfather, Tie Yang, while Yang Shan followed and introduced himself.
• Yang Shan invited Yao Xi and Tie Yang to dinner and explained that he wanted to recruit Yao Xi as an alchemist.
• Yang Shan offered Yao Xi a flexible contract with substantial resources, a two-million-RMB advance, and only four hours of daily work.
• Tie Yang questioned why Yang Shan offered such favorable terms, and Yang Shan said he wanted his Players to enjoy the game rather than focus only on making money.
• Tie Yang asked Yang Shan to sign him as a Tier Four blacksmith, and Yang Shan immediately agreed.

Yang Shan recruited Tie Yang and brought him and Yao Xi to the Alchemist Convention finals, where Yang Shan was revealed as the only Fifth Grade Alchemist. In the first final round, a shared obstacle-course minigame, Yang Shan overcame a mistake and crossed the finish line first, ahead of Yao Xi, Xiao Aotian, and Hao Yunqi.

• Yang Shan signed Tie Yang, a Tier-4 Forger, and offered him a complimentary medical screening as a company benefit.
• Yang Shan bet Yao Xi that she would receive a pink cauldron if she ranked higher than him at the convention.
• Fa Ma announced Yang Shan as the convention's only Fifth Grade Alchemist, and Xiao Aotian became jealous when he saw Yang Shan arrive with Yao Xi.
• The contestants received the finals rules, which awarded success-rate bonuses for rankings in three individual rounds, and Yang Shan chose ingredients for a top-tier fifth-grade pill.
• Yao Xi revealed a fifth-order beast flame as the first round began, and the contestants entered a shared Sugar Bean Little Dolls obstacle course.
• Yang Shan fell into the water after getting a math problem wrong, then used his long legs to overtake Xiao Aotian, Hao Yunqi, and Yao Xi and finish first.