Chapter Summaries

Bai Lan told Qiu Tian that the Hidden Spirit Sect had been annihilated and urged him to build strength before seeking revenge on the Corpse Refining Sect. She recruited him to gather intelligence and develop a network, leaving him in Jinyuan City to rescue prisoners and make allies.

• Bai Lan gave Qiu Tian a Corpse Refining Handbook and revealed that the Hidden Spirit Sect had been wiped out.
• Qiu Tian grieved over the sect's destruction, then identified the Corpse Refining Sect as its only known enemy.
• Bai Lan warned Qiu Tian that the Corpse Refining Sect was too powerful for him to challenge and suggested he use intelligence and other forces to take revenge.
• Qiu Tian agreed to work for Bai Lan by developing forces and gathering intelligence in exchange for Spirit Stones and resource locations.
• Bai Lan sent Qiu Tian to rescue the dungeon prisoners in Jinyuan City, make Rogue Cultivator allies, and use a Disguise Pill because they recognized He Mian's face.

After wiping out the Evil Fiend Gang, Bai Lan settled in Jinyuan City and prepared to help Ning Yan start cultivating anew. She left Ning Yan with an Ice Condensing Qi Refining Art and offered to guide her, after securing a Heart Demon Vow against harming Bai Lan or joining forces with her enemies.

• Bai Lan divided the Evil Fiend Gang's spoils, kept its formations and ten-thousand-year Stone Milkwort, and planned to pass its demonic supplies to Qiu Tian.
• News spread that Luan Yin of the Corpse Refining Sect had destroyed the Evil Fiend Gang, while Ning Yan wondered how Bai Lan was involved.
• Bai Lan praised Qiu Tian for binding the rescued Cauldron Physiques with Heart Demon Vows, gave him He Mian's techniques, and returned his coffin.
• Bai Lan met Ning Yan at the You Shan Inn, disguised as Bai Ling, and had Ning Yan swear vows not to harm her or join Long Aotian and Bai Ling.
• Bai Lan convinced Ning Yan that she was an Azure Sect disciple rather than a member of the Corpse Refining Sect, then gave her the Ice Condensing Qi Refining Art and offered help with cultivating anew.

Bai Lan gave Ning Yan the first layer of an earth-rank cultivation art and planned to guide her toward the future Azure Cloud Sect. She then began a breakthrough and ate a piece of ten-thousand-year Stone Milkwort, feeling its spiritual energy surge into her body.

• Bai Lan gave Ning Yan the first layer of Ice Condensation Qi Transformation and promised to protect her while she cultivated.
• Bai Lan planned for Ning Yan to join the Azure Cloud Sect and potentially become Azure Cloud True Person’s disciple.
• Bai Lan set up a third-rank Spirit Gathering Array and prepared to break through from Qi Refining level five to level six.
• Bai Lan entered the Void Stone and bit into a small chunk of ten-thousand-year Stone Milkwort.
• Bai Lan felt a stream of pure spiritual energy rush into her body.

Bai Lan absorbed a ten-thousand-year Stone Milkwort, redirected its dangerous spiritual power into her spirit field, and advanced to Qi Refining level eight. After returning from the Void Stone, she found Ning Yan facing Qiu Tian, who had forgotten to take the Disguise Pill.

• Bai Lan endured the Stone Milkwort’s rampaging spiritual power and used the Rainfall Spell to divert it into her spirit field, accelerating the plants’ growth while Ghost Fire harvested them.
• Bai Lan stabilized her cultivation and broke through to Qi Refining level eight, then suppressed her aura to Qi Refining level seven.
• Ghost Fire warned Bai Lan to be careful, while she reassured it that she had prepared before eating the Stone Milkwort.
• Bai Lan opened the inn-room door and found Ning Yan facing Qiu Tian, who admitted he had forgotten to take the Disguise Pill.
• Ning Yan realized Qiu Tian was not He Mian and feared she had discovered a secret, so Bai Lan invited them inside and said they were all their own people.

Bai Lan introduced Ning Yan to Qiu Tian and revealed that she would provide the later levels of the Ice Condensing Qi Refining Art only as Ning Yan advanced, tying Ning Yan’s future prospects to Bai Lan’s survival. Bai Lan then raised the possibility of Ning Yan joining a sect for protection, leaving their discussion of her path unresolved.

• Ning Yan hesitated to enter Bai Lan’s room, fearing Bai Lan might kill her while she was weak from restarting her cultivation.
• Bai Lan reassured Ning Yan, introduced Qiu Tian as a former righteous cultivator who had lost his body to an Evil Cultivator, and Ning Yan swore to keep his secret.
• Bai Lan showed Ning Yan the second level of the Ice Condensing Qi Refining Art and explained that she would provide each later level when Ning Yan broke through a major realm, as long as Bai Lan remained alive.
• Ning Yan accepted the arrangement because the cultivation method suited her, and she urged Bai Lan to stay safe.
• Bai Lan asked whether Ning Yan had considered joining a sect for protection and noted that her late restart would leave her behind younger Azure Origin Sect disciples.

Bai Lan urged Ning Yan to seek tutelage under Azure Cloud True Person, left her in Qiu Tian’s care, and returned to the sect to prepare for its tournament and deal with Long Aotian. On the way, a masked Tribulation Crossing-stage figure with a familiar face confronted her.

• Bai Lan predicted that the Azure Cloud Sect would rise and advised Ning Yan to enter Azure Cloud True Person’s tutelage, but Ning Yan refused to wager on the prediction.
• Bai Lan left Ning Yan with Qiu Tian in Jinyuan City, gave him resources to establish himself there, and told him to wear a mask to ease Ning Yan’s hostility toward his face.
• Bai Lan returned to Cangyuan City and asked the system how Long Aotian was doing; the system reported that his Elderly Grandfather had restored his confidence.
• Bai Lan headed toward the sect, then sensed a powerful killing intent and turned to face a Tribulation Crossing-stage figure wearing a familiar pansy mask.

Bai Lan used a disguise and time rewinds to learn that Bai Ling had hired Heavenly Secrets Pavilion assassins to target her and Long Aotian. She tricked the assassin into refunding her thirty thousand Spirit Stones, while his remaining contract was set to target Long Aotian in half a year.

• After a Tribulation Crossing stage assassin attacked her, Bai Lan rewound time and suspected Bai Ling had hired him.
• Bai Lan disguised herself as Bai Ling and told the assassin that Bai Lan had returned to Azure Origin Sect and exposed his whereabouts.
• Bai Lan pretended to cancel the kill order and tried to redirect it toward Long Aotian, but the assassin recognized her deception because Bai Ling had also placed an order on Long Aotian.
• Bai Lan rewound time, haggled for a refund, and received thirty thousand Spirit Stones from the assassin.
• The assassin said he would carry out the other contract against Long Aotian in half a year, then disappeared.

Bai Lan planned to win the Azure Sect grand competition, claim its rewards, and leave to complete the mission that would secure her place in the Law Enforcement Hall. When she met Nan Xianshi at the sect cafeteria to retrieve her disciple jade token, Nan Xianshi was stunned by how quickly Bai Lan had advanced to Qi Refining level eight.

• Bai Lan prepared to enter the sect grand competition, take first place, and leave Azure Sect before powerful figures could target her.
• Bai Lan recalled that Bai Ling intended to place in the top three so True Person Qing Xuan would take her along on his trip to undergo tribulation.
• Bai Lan contacted Nan Xianshi to meet at the sect cafeteria and retrieve her disciple jade token, which held her eight thousand Contribution Points.
• Bai Lan ordered every dish on the menu for Nan Xianshi, who had been training to defeat Bai Ling in the competition.
• Nan Xianshi saw that Bai Lan had reached Qi Refining level eight and marveled at her rapid progress.

Bai Lan learned that Ji Feng had probed Nan Xianshi for information about her and the Bai Household, then asked about Lan Ning’s imprisonment and considered reaching him at Meditation Cliff. She ended the meal by suggesting that Nan Xianshi’s next move might get her confined there.

• Nan Xianshi told Bai Lan that Ji Feng had questioned her about Bai Lan’s background and Bai Ling before transferring the Contribution Points.
• Bai Lan concluded Ji Feng had been fishing for information, while Nan Xianshi offered to compensate her if she had revealed a secret.
• Nan Xianshi said Bai Ling was confined on Jade Purity Peak and vowed to defeat her in the sect tournament.
• Nan Xianshi explained that Lan Ning had resisted Soul Searching and was imprisoned at Meditation Cliff, where Long Aotian was also being held.
• Bai Lan considered finding a way to approach Lan Ning at Meditation Cliff, then pointed out that fights between fellow disciples could lead to confinement there.

Bai Lan sought a way to get sent to Meditation Cliff and planned to provoke a public fight, but she redirected her scheme toward Bai Ling after spotting her with her senior brothers. She accused Bai Ling of colluding with the Evil Fiend Gang and attacked her, hoping to test what punishment the sect would impose.

• Bai Lan persuaded Nan Xianshi to help her break sect rules so she could be sent to Meditation Cliff, promising to explain why True Person Qing He had taken Nan Xianshi as his disciple.
• Bai Lan and Nan Xianshi prepared to stage a public fight, but Bai Lan spotted Bai Ling with her two senior brothers and decided to target her instead.
• Bai Lan realized Bai Ling might have secretly left the sect with her senior brothers, giving her a chance to pin the Evil Fiend Gang incident in Jinyuan City on Bai Ling.
• Bai Lan rushed at Bai Ling and accused her of abandoning Bai Lan to the Evil Fiend Gang, while the red-robed Third Senior Brother and Le Qing intervened.
• Bai Lan claimed fellow cultivators from the Joyous Union Sect had seen a Corpse Puppet beside Bai Ling and continued attacking, leaving Bai Ling confused and furious.

Bai Lan fought Bai Ling and her senior brothers, accusing Bai Ling of being an Evil Cultivator, until True Person Qing Xuan struck her down. With True Person Qing He present, Bai Lan rose and formally reported Bai Ling for colluding with Evil Cultivators and refining Corpse Puppets.

• Bai Lan attacked Bai Ling, and Nangong Yuan and Le Qing tried to protect her.
• Bai Lan used Phantom Step to evade Bai Ling and Nangong Yuan while the gathered disciples recognized her as the cultivator who had defeated Long Aotian.
• Le Qing left to summon help, and True Person Qing Xuan arrived with Xiao Tianqi and True Person Qing He as Nan Xianshi brought Bai Lan's master.
• True Person Qing Xuan struck Bai Lan with a palm wind, but her defenses and Golden Bell Shield limited the damage.
• Bai Lan rose and reported Bai Ling for colluding with Evil Cultivators, refining Corpse Puppets, endangering fellow disciples, and dealing with demonic cultivators.

Bai Lan accused Bai Ling of colluding with Evil Cultivators and using Corpse Puppets, but could offer no proof. Danzhu then arrived and swore that her own accusations against Bai Ling were true, while Bai Lan tried to convince her they had both been captives of the Evil Fiend Gang.

• Bai Lan claimed Bai Ling had used a Corpse Puppet and abandoned righteous-path cultivators after the Evil Fiend Gang captured them in Jinyuan City.
• Nan Xianshi confirmed hearing Nangong Yuan say he had taken Bai Ling out of the sect, and True Person Qing He warned True Person Qing Xuan to manage his disciple.
• A disciple reported that Danzhu of the Joyous Union Sect had come to accuse Bai Ling of colluding with Devil Cultivators and refining Corpse Puppets.
• Danzhu identified Bai Ling and swore a Heart Demon Vow that her accusations were true.
• True Person Qing He asked Danzhu whether she recognized Bai Lan, and Bai Lan claimed she had been captured alongside Danzhu.

Bai Lan accused Bai Ling of being an Evil Cultivator, but Qing He found no incriminating items in Bai Ling’s Storage Bag and dismissed the accusation. Bai Lan still achieved her goal of making the sect wary of Bai Ling, then welcomed the prospect of being sent to Meditation Cliff after Nan Xianshi cited the rules.

• Bai Lan and Danzhu testified that Bai Ling had been involved with Evil Cultivators, and Qing He inspected Bai Ling’s Storage Bag.
• Qing He found no Evil Cultivator items and returned the Storage Bag, while Bai Lan privately noted that her frame-up had already made the sect wary of Bai Ling.
• Qing Xuan defended Bai Ling and asked Qing He to punish Bai Lan for injuring her.
• Bai Lan and Nan Xianshi discussed serving time at Meditation Cliff, and Nan Xianshi cited the sect rules for fighting with fellow disciples.

Bai Lan accepted a month of confinement at Meditation Cliff after proposing a light punishment for Bai Ling, while True Person Qing Xuan left without stopping the decision. Once there, she discovered that the Qi Refining disciple assigned to confine her was taking her to the highest level instead of the first.

• Nan Xianshi proposed one month of confinement and a fine for Bai Lan, and Bai Lan accepted the punishment while hinting that Bai Ling was connected to Evil Cultivators.
• True Person Qing He approved the punishment, and True Person Qing Xuan departed after giving Bai Lan a cold look.
• Danzhu and Bai Lan agreed that Bai Ling would eventually be exposed, then Law Enforcement Hall disciples escorted Bai Lan to Meditation Cliff.
• Bai Lan told the system that her plan had succeeded and explained that True Person Qing Xuan's attack had been stopped by her Golden Bell Shield.
• A black-clad Foundation Establishment disciple questioned Bai Lan about seeing Bai Ling control a Corpse Puppet, then instructed a Qi Refining disciple to confine her on the first level for one month.
• The Qi Refining disciple took Bai Lan toward the highest level of Meditation Cliff instead of the assigned first level.

Bai Lan was sent to the top level of Meditation Cliff after Bai Ling arranged for her punishment to be made harsher. She entered the only cave there, where Long Aotian was already imprisoned, and he was stunned to see her.

• Bai Lan calculated that the higher levels of Meditation Cliff drained more spiritual energy than a Qi Refining cultivator could replenish, making Qi Replenishing Pills essential for staying warm.
• A guard disciple admitted that Bai Ling had ordered Bai Lan sent to the summit, where exposure to ten-thousand-year ice could leave her frozen within days.
• Bai Lan questioned the guard about the disciples' Spirit Stone dealings and learned that True Person Yin Ning rarely intervened in Meditation Cliff's affairs.
• The guard used a one-way array token to teleport Bai Lan into the summit's sole cave dwelling, where Long Aotian and the system were waiting.
• Bai Lan drew her upgraded Soul Severing Spear and approached Long Aotian, who exclaimed in disbelief at seeing her.

Bai Lan confronted Long Aotian at Meditation Cliff and used her improved cultivation and a series of weapons to overpower him. She trapped him in a storm while sheltering behind the Golden Bell Shield, leaving him low on spiritual power and unable to reach her.

• Long Aotian was shocked to discover Bai Lan had reached Qi Refining level eight, and Bai Lan charged at him with the Soul Severing Spear.
• Long Aotian’s Elderly Grandfather warned him that Bai Lan’s strength and battle experience had improved, but Long Aotian fought her with his sword anyway.
• Bai Lan gained the upper hand, though Long Aotian’s body-tempering technique made him harder to injure, and the cold began to hinder her.
• After Long Aotian boasted that he was no longer who he used to be, Bai Lan used a Wind Bag to unleash a storm and hid inside her Golden Bell Shield.
• Bai Lan shot arrows at Long Aotian as he struggled against the wind and the cold, while his dwindling spiritual power and lack of supplies left him increasingly desperate.
• Long Aotian’s lightning bolts struck the Golden Bell Shield, and he angrily demanded that Bai Lan come out and fight fairly.

Bai Lan taunted Long Aotian and used his master’s fear of leaving him vulnerable to stop the remnant soul from intervening. After wounding Long Aotian and taking his empty Storage Bag, she discovered his hidden space ring and demanded it too.

• Bai Lan told Long Aotian’s remnant-soul master that acting against her would leave Long Aotian unprotected for years, and the old man chose not to attack.
• The old man suggested Bai Lan’s repeated decisions to spare Long Aotian meant she loved him, and Bai Lan reacted angrily.
• Bai Lan put away the Wind Bag, threatened Long Aotian, and stabbed his thigh when he tried to dodge.
• Long Aotian handed Bai Lan his Storage Bag, but she found it empty and noticed the ring on his finger.
• Bai Lan used her system to identify the ring as a pocket-space item and ordered Long Aotian to hand it over.

Bai Lan confronted Gongsun Lian, a Ghost Cultivator who had come to rescue Long Aotian, and learned that she was Xuan Sha Zi’s daughter. After discovering their terrible relationship, Bai Lan changed her story and revealed that she had obtained Xuan Sha Zi’s inheritance, leaving Long Aotian facing another threat.

• Long Aotian fled from Bai Lan and called for Senior Lian’er to save him.
• The system told Bai Lan that a devil-race enchantress named Gongsun Lian had escaped her imprisoned body and become a Ghost Cultivator.
• Gongsun Lian sent ghostly hands to subdue Bai Lan, but Bai Lan’s golden light and Foundation Establishment-stage divine sense repelled them.
• Gongsun Lian identified herself, and Bai Lan asked whether she knew Xuan Sha Zi, revealing that he was Gongsun Lian’s father.
• Gongsun Lian said Xuan Sha Zi’s misplaced kindness had caused the deaths of the Gongsun Family, so Bai Lan reloaded her progress and claimed she had found his inheritance and final letter.
• Gongsun Lian rejoiced that Xuan Sha Zi was dead and praised the value of his pill scriptures as Bai Lan looked toward Long Aotian.

Bai Lan offered to help Gongsun Lian escape the Azure Sect if she signed a Divine Soul Contract and served her. Gongsun Lian refused, and Bai Lan threatened to expose her to the sect’s elders, leaving Long Aotian hoping the two women would fight.

• Long Aotian challenged Gongsun Lian for failing to deal with Bai Lan, but Gongsun Lian refused to risk her identity being exposed while Yin Ning was nearby.
• Bai Lan warned Gongsun Lian that Long Aotian’s True Dragon Bloodline could overpower her in Dual Cultivation, and Gongsun Lian abandoned the idea.
• Bai Lan offered Gongsun Lian a way to leave the Azure Sect unseen in exchange for serving her under a Divine Soul Contract.
• Gongsun Lian rejected Bai Lan’s offer and refused to become her lackey.
• Bai Lan threatened to draw the sect’s elders to the confinement formation if Gongsun Lian refused, and Gongsun Lian’s killing intent surged as Long Aotian watched hopefully.

Bai Lan pressured Gongsun Lian into agreeing to a contract by revealing the dangers of escaping the Azure Origin Sect. After Gongsun Lian subdued Long Aotian, Bai Lan stopped her from killing him and took his ring, while the Elderly Grandfather questioned her alliance with the ghost.

• Bai Lan named Gongsun Lian's Myriad Illusions Demonic Art and warned that she knew its weakness.
• Bai Lan explained that the Demon Slaying Array would expose Gongsun Lian if she tried to leave the Azure Origin Sect.
• Gongsun Lian agreed to Bai Lan's terms after realizing she had no safe way to escape alone.
• Gongsun Lian restrained Long Aotian, but Bai Lan stopped her from killing him because his death would draw suspicion.
• Bai Lan took Long Aotian's ring, and the Elderly Grandfather asked what she had said to Gongsun Lian.