Chapter Summaries

Ling Li was ambushed outside Black Rock City by Mo Ji and his seven subordinates, who sought the valuables he had bought at the Mitel Auction House. Ling Li killed the seven men and faced Mo Ji alone as their battle began.

• Mo Ji and seven subordinates encircled Ling Li outside the city and demanded his valuables.
• Ling Li drew Dark Night and killed the shield-bearing man with a venom-coated slash.
• Ling Li deflected three poisoned arrows, then killed the archer after cutting down his tree.
• Mo Ji hurled a Dou Qi-enhanced axe at Ling Li, who evaded it and attacked the remaining men.
• Ling Li slaughtered Mo Ji's other six subordinates, leaving Mo Ji alive.
• Ling Li wiped blood from Dark Night and pointed it at Mo Ji, declaring that their battle had begun.

Ling Li fought Mo Ji, a Great Fighting Master, and used Dark Night to fend off his powerful attacks. After suppressing Mo Ji with a rapid barrage, Ling Li prepared a secret technique as Mo Ji tried to interrupt him.

• Mo Ji revealed that he had killed the other members of Mu Li's group and planned to kill Ling Li to prevent future revenge.
• Ling Li formed a Dou Qi Garment and clashed with Mo Ji's armored double-bladed axe, barely blocking a heavy strike.
• Dark mist from Dark Night began destroying the Dou Qi coating Mo Ji's axe, and Ling Li followed with a barrage that forced Mo Ji onto the defensive.
• Ling Li stopped attacking and drew Dark Night back to unleash a decisive strike, while Mo Ji swung his axe to stop him.
• Ling Li shouted, "Secret Technique: Swallow Return!" and swung Dark Night.

Ling Li used his Swallow Return technique to strike Mo Ji, whose Dou Qi Armor barely stopped the blade before Dark Night began draining his blood. Mo Ji tore the blade free and claimed it for himself, but Ling Li questioned whether Dark Night would obey him.

• Ling Li recalled how hunting Swift Swallows had helped him master Swallow Return, then used the technique to attack Mo Ji from three directions.
• Mo Ji condensed Dou Qi Armor around his waist and protected his lower back, but Ling Li’s slash pierced the armor and wounded him.
• Dark Night began rapidly sucking Mo Ji’s blood, and Ling Li sensed the blade’s unusual excitement.
• Mo Ji attacked, forcing Ling Li to retreat, then tore Dark Night out of his wound along with a chunk of flesh.
• Mo Ji held Dark Night and taunted Ling Li, who replied that the blade might not listen to him.

Ling Li reclaimed Dark Night from Mo Ji, who swallowed a third-grade Vitality Pill and unleashed powerful Battle Qi attacks. Ling Li fled into the forest carrying the Little Doctor Fairy, then waited until Mo Ji collapsed from the pill’s side effects before killing him.

• Ling Li summoned Dark Night back from Mo Ji, astonishing him with the weapon’s return.
• Mo Ji swallowed a third-grade Vitality Pill, grew larger, and attacked Ling Li with a forceful Battle Qi slash.
• Ling Li fled toward the forest with the Little Doctor Fairy over his shoulder as Mo Ji pursued them.
• Mo Ji slowed and collapsed after the pill’s effects wore off, and the Little Doctor Fairy explained that he could neither move nor use Battle Qi.
• Ling Li tested Mo Ji from a distance, waited over half an hour, then approached and beheaded him.

Ling Li drained Mo Ji’s corpse for experience points and explained to Little Doctor Fairy why he had spared her, then returned with her to the city. At the Mitel Auction House, Ole learned that Ling Li had killed Mo Ji and chose not to provoke him, while continuing his own climb toward control of the Miter Family.

• Ling Li drained Mo Ji’s corpse with Dark Night, gaining 10 Experience Points, and told Little Doctor Fairy that her value to him had kept her alive.
• Ling Li cleaned himself, changed clothes, and took Little Doctor Fairy back to the city, telling her to make more medicinal powders.
• A disguised informant told Ole that Ling Li had killed Mo Ji and eight others and returned to the Fortune Inn without suffering fatal injuries.
• Ole questioned how a Fighting Master Seven Stars had defeated a Great Fighting Master, then decided it was best not to provoke Ling Li.
• Ole reflected on his and Ya Fei’s plans to escape the Miter Family’s control, then returned to his paperwork.

After returning to the inn, Ling Li examined the ancient Mysterious Tier sword technique he had bought and found that its demanding requirements suited him. He decided he needed a suitable dagger and considered searching the Black Corner Region for one and for a powerful cultivation method.

• Ling Li set aside his magic cores, which could provide enough experience to raise his strength, because he wanted to avoid increasing his power too quickly.
• Ling Li read the unnamed ancient scroll and learned that its sword technique used a short sword or dagger to deflect attacks and disrupt an opponent with internal force.
• Ling Li realized that his strength, weapon Dark Night, and unusually strong soul might let him meet the technique’s cultivation requirements, though he still needed a suitable dagger.
• Ling Li considered searching the Black Corner Region for a dagger and a high-grade cultivation method, knowing that its treasures came with serious risks.

After recovering his Dou Qi, Ling Li prepared to leave Black Rock City with Little Doctor Fairy and changed their route toward Town Ghost Pass and the Black Corner Region. At the aerial transport station, they saw alchemists receive special treatment, while two young alchemists bullied a ticket inspector before boarding their flight to Yan Tie City.

• Ling Li told Little Doctor Fairy they were leaving Black Rock City, then explained that their route had changed and would pass through cities with Alchemist Guilds.
• Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy went to the aerial transport station and learned that alchemists received free tickets and special services.
• Ling Li bought two tickets to Yan Tie City, and he and Little Doctor Fairy found their cramped room aboard a Thick-winged Bird.
• Two First-grade Alchemists complained that they had to share space with ordinary passengers and spat on a ticket inspector.
• Little Doctor Fairy condemned the alchemists' behavior, while Ling Li warned her that the world was like that and prepared to deal with them if they caused trouble.

Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy arrived in Yan Tie City, where Ling Li planned to find a scabbard for Dark Night. He dismissed the city's fearsome reputation and set out to search for a suitable weapon fitting.

• After a day and night aboard the Thick-winged Bird, Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy reached Yan Tie City and saw Beast Fire burning along its walls.
• Ling Li sensed the city's abundant water- and fire-attributed energy, while Little Doctor Fairy noted its potential as a cultivation site for alchemists.
• A young man tried to stop the pair, but Ling Li's killing intent frightened him and drove away the others following them.
• Ling Li warned Little Doctor Fairy to stay close as they walked through the city, which was known for its Lan Tie Ore and chaotic reputation.
• Ling Li recalled that Ole had recommended Yan Tie City and decided to find a scabbard for Dark Night.

Ling Li searched Yan Tie City for a skilled weapon maker and followed a powerful white-clothed woman into the shop of Yan Mo, a former expert of the Gamma Empire. After Ling Li asked him to make a sheath for Dark Night, Yan Mo suggested that Ling Li's blade would suit the woman instead.

• Ling Li searched Yan Tie City’s weapon shops, bought Lan Tie Ore and other rare metals, and found no suitable smith.
• Ling Li noticed a white-clothed woman whose aura was nearly undetectable and followed her into a dilapidated weapon shop.
• The woman recognized the smith as Yan Mo, one of the Gamma Empire’s Ten Greatest Experts, and asked him to forge her a weapon.
• Ling Li showed Yan Mo Dark Night and asked him to make a sheath for the blade.
• Yan Mo said Dark Night would suit the white-clothed woman, leaving Ling Li stunned.

Ling Li sought Yan Mo’s help making a scabbard for Dark Night, but Yan Mo warned him that he needed a material the saber could not easily cut through and nearly overwhelmed him with his pressure. Ling Li left without a solution and spotted two figures harassing Little Doctor Fairy, setting his sights on them.

• The White-clothed Woman asked Yan Mo to forge her a weapon, and he agreed to make a semi-finished product while naming four missing materials.
• Yan Mo admired Dark Night and offered to buy it, but Ling Li refused and asked him to make a scabbard instead.
• Yan Mo unleashed a terrifying pressure when Ling Li showed him his rare metals, then explained that the scabbard needed material capable of withstanding or damaging Dark Night.
• Ling Li left the shop frustrated, resolved to find suitable materials, and blamed Ole for sending him there.
• Ling Li saw two figures hovering around Little Doctor Fairy and drew Dark Night, deciding to confront them.

Ling Li returned from the shop and found the Little Doctor Fairy being harassed by Liu Xi and Liu Mao, two First-grade Alchemists. He killed both men, took Liu Xi’s Alchemist Robe, and left the Little Doctor Fairy safe but bloodied.

• Liu Xi and Liu Mao spotted the Little Doctor Fairy and approached her with lecherous intentions.
• The Little Doctor Fairy rejected Liu Xi and warned the brothers to leave before Ling Li returned.
• Liu Xi reached for the Little Doctor Fairy, and Ling Li severed his hand with Dark Night.
• Ling Li crushed Liu Xi’s arm, forced the broken bones into his throat, took his Alchemist Robe, and killed him.
• Ling Li killed Liu Mao with Dark Night and said he felt much better.

Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy left Yan Tie City after killing two alchemists, then spent half a year traveling across the Gamma Empire. In Da Ling City, they prepared to enter the Black Corner Region together, while Little Doctor Fairy reflected on her growing affection for Ling Li and her unexpectedly rapid cultivation.

• Ling Li took Liu Mao's Alchemist Robe and gave it to Little Doctor Fairy before they fled Yan Tie City.
• Yan Mo sensed Ling Li leaving and admired his talent and ruthlessness.
• Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy avoided flying transport and traveled by carriage after killing two alchemists.
• Half a year later, Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy arrived in Da Ling City wearing first-tier Alchemist Robes they had taken in Yan Tie City.
• Little Doctor Fairy said she was not afraid to enter the Black Corner Region with Ling Li, and recalled that her Calamity Poison Body had not erupted for half a year.
• Ling Li's medicines helped Little Doctor Fairy break through to Dou Zhe, and he privately lamented that one part of her body had not changed.

Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy reached the Black Corner Region, where a gang attacked them as they approached a small town. Ling Li killed the attackers, entered the town, and removed their Alchemist Robes after realizing the status offered little protection there.

• Ling Li reviewed his cultivation progress and worried that his remaining money would not cover his search for a dark-attribute cultivation method.
• Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy traveled south through the Gamma Empire and reached the Black Domain Great Plain, the gateway to the Black Corner Region.
• A group of men shot arrows at Ling Li’s carriage near a small town, and Ling Li used blade qi and Dark Night to kill them.
• Ling Li found that Dark Night had gained experience from the fight, collected the attackers’ valuables, and entered the town with Little Doctor Fairy.
• Ling Li stored their Alchemist Robes in the System Space after noticing the town’s hostile attention and deciding the robes could attract trouble.

Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy traveled on foot toward Black Seal City, where Ling Li hoped to find a dark-attributed cultivation method and join the Eight Fan Sect as an assassin. A massive Black Storm swept toward them, leaving them bracing for its impact in the wilderness.

• Ling Li bought an outdated map of the northern Black Corner Region and studied the powers and Black List rankings it described.
• Ling Li decided to visit Black Seal City, Yuan Yi’s territory, to seek a dark cultivation method and consider becoming an assassin.
• Ling Li and Little Doctor Fairy set out on foot after their horned horse died and their carriage was damaged.
• Little Doctor Fairy spotted a strange black mass approaching, and Ling Li recognized it as a gigantic Black Storm with a flickering red eye.
• Ling Li secured their belongings around them, tied Little Doctor Fairy to himself, and pinned her beneath him while anchoring himself to the ground with Dark Night.

Ling Li survived the black tornado and discovered an Ancient Ruins plaza that suppressed Dou Qi and soul perception. After choosing the martial passage, he was separated from Little Doctor Fairy and reached a boiling pool of dark-red blood.

• Ling Li woke in a vast black plaza, healed Little Doctor Fairy, and found that the strange floor suppressed Dou Qi and Soul Power but liquefied and repaired itself when cut.
• Ling Li crossed the plaza and found two temple passages, one marked for alchemists and the other for martial strength.
• Ling Li chose the martial passage, which pulled him inside and bounced Little Doctor Fairy away as the entrance sealed behind him.
• Ling Li cautiously walked through the narrow passage and found a depression filled with boiling dark-red blood.

Ling Li entered the Blood Pool to escape the sealed passage, where it trapped and tormented him before transforming his bloodline and restoring his strength. He advanced to the Dou Spirit realm and unlocked the Shadow Transformation ability.

• Ling Li found no way out of the passage and leaped into the Blood Pool as the air ran thin.
• The Blood Pool dragged Ling Li beneath the surface, immobilized him, and drained his bodily fluids and strength.
• The system began specializing Ling Li’s bloodline, selecting Darkwood, and infused him with blood and energy.
• Ling Li’s cultivation rapidly recovered and rose as his Dou Qi began solidifying and his Soul Body formed.
• After a day and night, Ling Li advanced to Dou Spirit and unlocked Shadow Transformation.

Ling Li inherited the Misty Shadow Art, unlocked Shadow Transformation, and gained a major increase in strength and bloodline rank. He decided against seeking revenge for the Devouring Spirit Clan and found himself in a stone chamber whose six display stands were empty.

• Ling Li watched the Blood Pool transform into a stone chamber as runes on its walls formed the Misty Shadow Art.
• The runes entered Ling Li's shadow, showing him the Devouring Spirit Clan's slaughter before transferring the technique into his mind and transforming his Dou Core.
• Ling Li's status panel showed him at One-Star Dou Spirit with a Fourth Grade bloodline, a Mysterious Tier Dark Night, and the newly unlocked Shadow Transformation ability.
• Ling Li suspected the Devouring Spirit Clan had been hunted by powerful factions, but chose not to pursue revenge because he lacked the strength.
• Ling Li recovered from his sudden power increase and examined six empty display stands in the stone chamber.

Ling Li explored the empty stone chamber, then waited ten days before leaving the Ancient Ruins without finding Little Doctor Fairy. Little Doctor Fairy had been transported to the Black Domain Great Plain, where Ruolin rescued her and invited her to join Jia Nan Academy; she began considering the offer.

• Ling Li found that Dark Night and the Nameless Sword Skill fit their matching stone platforms, then was returned to the plaza when he removed the scroll.
• Ling Li searched for Little Doctor Fairy, found only sealed tunnels, and left the Ancient Ruins after waiting ten days.
• Little Doctor Fairy woke in darkness, explored a passage, fell through the floor, and was pulled away while clutching a scroll.
• Ruolin found Little Doctor Fairy unconscious on the Black Domain Great Plain and brought her aboard her carriage.
• Little Doctor Fairy asked Ruolin whether Ling Li had been with her, but Ruolin said she had found no one else and invited her to join Jia Nan Academy.
• Little Doctor Fairy considered enrolling because she wanted to become strong enough to protect Ling Li.

Ling Li returned from the Ancient Ruins and traveled to Black Seal City, where he learned how the Eight Fan Sect handled assassination bounties. He stood before the sect’s fifth-level list when a man behind him demanded that he move.

• Ling Li used his new Dou Spirit strength and Shadow Transformation Skill while traveling, then reached Black Seal City in two days.
• Ling Li entered the city, ate at a tavern, and forced a passerby to tell him where the Eight Fan Sect was located.
• Ling Li learned that the Eight Fan Sect posted assassination commissions and collected thirty percent of completed bounties under Yuan Yi’s authority.
• Ling Li examined the sect’s eight bounty levels and reached the fifth door, where a deep voice told him he was blocking the list.

Ling Li killed a Silver Badge assassin who attacked him at the Eight Fan Sect, then chose a bounty and took the target’s information. He left Black Seal City and camped in the mountains, reading the scroll by the fire.

• A burly Silver Badge assassin attacked Ling Li, but Ling Li evaded the punch and killed him with Swallow Return.
• Ling Li took the assassin’s badge and discovered that Dark Night had devoured the man’s Soul Body, earning him 100 Experience Points.
• Ling Li searched the bounty board and selected a target worth 120,000 Gold Coins, then retrieved the target’s information from a hidden compartment.
• Ling Li wandered through Black Seal City but skipped the Black Seal Auction House because no major auction was underway and admission was costly.
• Ling Li left the city at sunset, set up camp in the mountains, and read the assassination target’s information while roasting magical beast meat.