Chapter Summaries

Chen Mu discovered that using the Flying Flame Scripture with River of Forgetfulness Water greatly accelerated his Yellow Springs Guide cultivation, though it nearly burned him alive. As the Ghost Soldiers’ trips to the Blood River grew more dangerous, he considered joining the Yellow Springs Department and learned its demanding entry requirements.

• Chen Mu secretly used Azure Flame and River of Forgetfulness Water together, survived the flames’ sudden rampage, and raised his Yellow Springs Guide experience from 3703 to 4062.
• Chen Mu concluded that the Flying Flame Scripture could rapidly assist his Yellow Springs Guide cultivation if he prepared enough River of Forgetfulness Water and Jade Dew Beads.
• Chen Mu noticed that the Ghost Soldiers were returning later than usual and that the Blood River had become increasingly dangerous.
• Chen Mu asked Shi Dechun how to enter the Yellow Springs Department and learned that applicants had to refine at least ten cauldrons of River of Forgetfulness Water per day.
• Shi Dechun explained that an eighty-three-year-old Yinling was considered young, leaving Chen Mu stunned by the Netherworld’s long lifespans.

Chen Mu learned that the giant Ghost Soldiers resembled his Five Ghosts Possession form, then bought a large supply of River of Forgetfulness Water. Meanwhile, Lan Zhang defied Shen Yan’s warning and prepared to attack the Water Ape King again, while a strange entity encouraged Lan Zhang to cultivate the Blood Scripture.

• Chen Mu realized the fallen giants were Ghost Soldiers and wondered whether his Five Ghosts Possession was connected to the Netherworld.
• Shi Dechun told Chen Mu that Lan Zhang had found the Red-Eyed Water Ape’s core Water Mansion and planned another assault in three days.
• Chen Mu exchanged military merits for Oblivion River Stones and ordered two hundred more to obtain River of Forgetfulness Water.
• Shen Yan confronted Lan Zhang for attacking the Water Mansion alone and warned that the mission concerned the City Lord’s Great Dao.
• Lan Zhang ordered Shen Yan to prepare the Soul Summoning Altar, then accepted the encouragement of the many-eyed entity to cultivate the Blood Scripture.

Chen Mu advanced his Yellow Springs Guide by harvesting Red-Eyed Water Apes for vital essence and discovered that his Ghost Mark had greatly increased his Yin Spirit Divine Power. Meanwhile, Lan Zhang revealed his madness to Eyeless Child and vowed to absorb everyone in Camp Hai into himself.

• Chen Mu used Soul Seizing Yuan Returning after practicing the Flying Flame Scripture and resolved to harvest Red-Eyed Water Apes for their vital essence.
• After the ghost soldiers returned from battle, Chen Mu secretly collected and preserved Water Ape corpses for cultivation.
• Chen Mu used the Water Apes to recover from the Flying Flame Scripture’s injuries, raised his Yellow Springs Guide to the second tier, and summoned a basin-sized mass of River of Forgetfulness Water.
• Chen Mu noticed that his Ghost Mark had developed Silver Filaments and doubled his Yin Spirit Divine Power.
• Lan Zhang bound a giant Water Ape Head with blood threads and absorbed it as a Blood God Son while leaving its consciousness intact.
• Lan Zhang told Eyeless Child that he wanted to absorb all of Camp Hai into his head, and Eyeless Child realized Lan Zhang was a lunatic.

Chen Mu struggled to condense River of Forgetfulness Water while planning to stockpile Water Apes, then seized a large supply from Hong Xiu and his companions. More than twenty days later, he formed a half-man-tall sphere of river water and resolved to keep cultivating the dangerous Flying Flame Scripture to increase his Yin Spirit Divine Power.

• Chen Mu found that his Yellow Springs Guide produced less River of Forgetfulness Water than expected and decided he needed more Water Apes for cultivation.
• Hong Xiu negotiated to transfer his share of the Water Ape business to Fei Yong and Niu Chengzong, then discussed a plan to identify and capture the mysterious thief.
• Chen Mu, hidden underground, overheard the trio plotting against him and magically flattened them, then took their Water Apes and demanded three Qi Eating Bags.
• More than twenty days later, Chen Mu successfully condensed a half-man-tall sphere of River of Forgetfulness Water.
• Chen Mu used the Ghost Mark to illuminate the Silver Thread network through his body and decided to continue cultivating the Flying Flame Scripture to strengthen his Yin Spirit Divine Power.

Lan Zhang ambushed Shen Yan and seized control of the central stone hall, while Chen Mu learned that the Yellow Springs Department had been devastated by a Water Ape attack. Chen Mu’s plan to find safety there collapsed, leaving him furious at Hong Xiu for guiding him toward the department.

• Shen Yan accused Lan Zhang of using the Soul Summoning Banner to disrupt the Dew Gathering Incantation and trapped him with Ghost Gate Pass, but Lan Zhang revealed Shen Yan had cut off the Netherworld’s connection and that half his guards had defected.
• Lan Zhang broke free, overwhelmed Shen Yan and the remaining guards with his Blood Cloud, and left the stone hall silent.
• Shi Dechun told Chen Mu that the Yellow Springs Department recruited members to condense River of Forgetfulness Water, and Chen Mu decided to apply for its safer duties.
• A blast shook the camp, and blood-red light rose from the southwest; Chen Mu and the other barracks residents felt a terrifying pressure.
• Chen Mu learned that a Red-Eyed Water Ape had destroyed the Bottomless Pool and killed or injured seven of the Yellow Springs Department’s ten members, so he cursed Hong Xiu for directing him toward the department.

Chen Mu completed the Divine Ability Ghost Pattern and discovered that its power let him enter the pitch-black space of Thousand Lantern City. Meanwhile, Lan Zhang sealed Camp Hai and ordered a hunt for Yinlings who could connect to the River of Forgetfulness.

• Chen Mu refused to rejoin the Yellow Springs Department and continued cultivating the Ghost Pattern while Camp Hai remained under martial law.
• Lan Zhang rejected the Eyeless Child’s advice to devour Yinlings indiscriminately and explained his plan to preserve and command the Blood God Sons’ consciousnesses.
• Lan Zhang ordered Camp Hai sealed and sent blood-colored shadows to hunt down Yinlings capable of connecting to the River of Forgetfulness.
• After draining five Water Apes, Chen Mu completed the Ghost Pattern, which generated Yin Spirit Divine Power and transformed him into a five-meter-tall Ghost Soldier form.
• Chen Mu sensed a pull between his brows, vanished into a mass of black light, and reappeared in Thousand Lantern City beside his Flesh and Blood True Body.

Chen Mu hid from a Blood God Soldier’s raid inside Thousand Lantern City, while Niu Sanmiao searched Flag B3 camp for him. The chapter left Chen Mu exploring the hidden space and wondering if it was an ancient Cave Heaven.

• Chen Mu strolled around Flag B3 camp and learned that Water Apes were suspected of causing disappearances in Camp Hai.
• Niu Sanmiao received orders to find people who could connect to the Netherworld and bring them back to become Blood God Soldiers.
• Niu Sanmiao arrived at Flag B3, used his Soul Summoning Chain to search for Chen Mu, and grew furious when he could not find him.
• Chen Mu stayed inside Thousand Lantern City at night and studied its enormous spherical space, mysterious boundaries, and ability to sustain life.
• Chen Mu guessed that Thousand Lantern City might be a damaged Cave Heaven and imagined building a city within it.

Chen Mu tested the connection between his Heavenly Demon True Form and his true body, then continued cultivating in the Yin Nether Underworld. Shi Dechun revealed that a Ghost Soldier, not a Water Ape, may have taken Shi Lu—and that the same intruder had called for Chen Mu.

• Niu Sanmiao told the Black Armor Big Man that one Yinling was missing, and the commander warned him not to use the general's name to cover a revenge killing.
• Chen Mu confirmed that his consciousness could control only one body at a time, while his true body could still use the Heavenly Demon True Form's secret arts.
• Chen Mu used the Exquisite Jade Disk in the underground chamber to restore his mana and found that his Yellow Springs General Outline had reached 8114 experience points.
• Shi Dechun told Chen Mu that Shi Lu had disappeared after arguing with someone who called his name, and that the unknown person had called Chen Mu's name first.

Chen Mu hid in Thousand Lantern City after learning that Camp Hai's Ghost Soldiers were arresting Yinlings, while Shi Dechun uncovered a link between the missing people and Yellow Spring river water. The chapter left Chen Mu wondering how the Ghost Soldiers detected his secret cultivation when Old Jia had apparently avoided detection.

• Chen Mu decided to hide in Thousand Lantern City rather than flee to the unknown Outer Heaven, and Shi Dechun revealed that he had long known about Chen Mu's Underground Chamber.
• Chen Mu discovered that Shi Dechun had stayed awake through his nightly Divine Bewilderment Art and had witnessed his secret actions, so he brought him underground and tested the Yama Heavenly Son Order.
• The Yama Heavenly Son Order forced Shi Dechun to perform splits and flips against his will, confirming that it could control him.
• Chen Mu spent several days hiding in Thousand Lantern City, practicing and refining Divine Apertures while avoiding Camp Hai's Ghost Soldiers.
• Shi Dechun reported that many of the missing Yinlings could refine Yellow Spring river water and suggested the disappearances were connected to the attack on the Yellow Springs Department.
• Shi Dechun noted that Old Jia could also refine Yellow Spring river water but had avoided capture, leading Chen Mu to suspect he had a way to evade detection.

Chen Mu hid in an underground chamber at Camp Hai, cultivated in Thousand Lantern City, and advanced his Eighth Layer Divine Aperture Talisman while conserving his resources. Meanwhile, Lan Zhang and Eyeless Child argued over their repeated failure to find Shen Yan, whose survival threatened their plan.

• Chen Mu added a concealment restriction to his underground chamber and learned from Shi Dechun that the Ghost Soldiers had taken over the Water Ape hunt and battlefield cleanup.
• Chen Mu chose to remain hidden until Camp Hai withdrew, then spent the following half-month cultivating in Thousand Lantern City.
• Chen Mu’s Yellow Springs Guide advanced, revealing its power to summon River of Forgetfulness Water and Azure Flame from Nine Netherless Hell.
• Chen Mu completed another Eighth Layer Divine Aperture Talisman, which expanded his Jade Seed, but he stopped short of the final layer to conserve White Jade Coins.
• Lan Zhang mocked Eyeless Child for failing to find Shen Yan, then explained that Shen Yan’s Windborn Mink manifestation could hide wherever there was wind.

Chen Mu enjoyed the safety of Thousand Lantern City and discovered that his new vegetable garden had sprouted before Shen Yan unexpectedly emerged from his concealed underground chamber. Shen Yan revealed that Lan Zhang had destroyed the Yellow Springs Department and allied with Nether Demon Heaven, leaving Chen Mu to consider killing him to protect his secrets.

• Chen Mu feasted on Antlered Black Sheep, then found a tender sprout growing in his vegetable garden.
• Shen Yan burst into Chen Mu's underground chamber, inspected its concealment, and ordered Chen Mu to build chambers around the camp.
• Chen Mu forced Shen Yan to answer questions by inflicting painful splits, then learned Shen Yan had tracked him by listening to sounds in the camp.
• Shen Yan explained that Lan Zhang had staged the Water Ape attacks, destroyed the Yellow Springs Department, and captured auxiliary soldiers to stop them contacting the Netherworld.
• Shen Yan warned that Lan Zhang had joined Nether Demon Heaven and might kill anyone who learned the truth, while Chen Mu considered killing Shen Yan instead.

Chen Mu discovered that Lan Zhang had sealed Camp Hai and tried to escape, but Shen Yan urged him to seize the Soul Summoning Banner instead. Chen Mu brought Shen Yan and Shi Dechun into Thousand Lantern City, leaving Shi Dechun a Soul Guiding Lantern to monitor the camp while learning about the Netherworld’s cultivation path.

• Shen Yan told Chen Mu that Lan Zhang had defected to Nether Demon Heaven and planned to devour Camp Hai’s Yinlings, then offered a plan to overthrow him; Chen Mu and Shi Dechun chose to run instead.
• Chen Mu found that blood-red vines blocked the underground routes and living shadows made flying dangerous, while Shen Yan explained that seizing the Soul Summoning Banner could weaken Lan Zhang’s control.
• Shen Yan tried to persuade Chen Mu to gather auxiliary soldiers and communicate with the Netherworld, but Chen Mu recognized the risk and used Thousand Lantern City Cave Heaven to pull Shen Yan and Shi Dechun inside.
• Chen Mu gave Shi Dechun a Soul Guiding Lantern infused with Thousand Lantern City’s Divine Ability so he could return there in an emergency.
• Shen Yan explained the stages of Yinling cultivation and the connection between a Yinling’s Divine Ability foundation and its Yin God True Form, while Chen Mu wondered whether his was the Celestial Demon Cloud Mirage.

Chen Mu learned the Calm Heart Scripture from Shen Yan and used it to begin nurturing his Ghost Pattern Talisman Seed. At Camp Hai, Lan Zhang prepared to turn auxiliary soldiers into Blood God Sons and revealed a plan to use Shen Yan to infiltrate other camps.

• Shen Yan told Chen Mu that Fengdu City was recruiting Ghost Soldiers to guard City God Dao Fields in the mortal realm, giving Chen Mu hope of returning there.
• Shen Yan offered Chen Mu the Calm Heart Scripture in exchange for a different job, but Chen Mu told him to perform the splits; Shen Yan still shared the scripture while continuing to tend the vegetables.
• After studying and chanting the scripture, Chen Mu confirmed it worked and found that its power was causing his Ghost Pattern Talisman Seed to grow.
• Shen Yan explained that the scripture drew Weak Water from the River of Forgetfulness to help the Ghost Pattern Talisman Seed Return to Origin, and Chen Mu resolved to keep cultivating it.
• Lan Zhang decided to transform auxiliary soldiers into Blood God Sons as cover for infiltrating other camps and revealed that he planned to use Shen Yan in the scheme.

Chen Mu continued cultivating the Calm Heart Scripture at an astonishing pace while Shen Yan doubted his own abilities. When Shi Dechun reported that the Soul Summoning Banner had collapsed and the camp was under martial law, Shen Yan saw a chance to overthrow Lan Zhang, but Chen Mu urged caution and told Shi Dechun to investigate safely.

• Chen Mu ate roasted meat cooked with the Nine Nether Azure Flame and shared Shen Yan's vegetables before watching the Five Ghosts Little Paper Man wash the dishes.
• Chen Mu asked how long it took to nurture a Divine Embryo, and Shen Yan said the process usually took more than a hundred years.
• Chen Mu's Calm Heart Scripture progress accelerated, leaving Shen Yan astonished and questioning his own cultivation.
• Shi Dechun appeared in Thousand Lantern City and reported that the Soul Summoning Banner had collapsed, scattering Ghost Soldiers and damaging Flag B3's barracks.
• Shen Yan argued that Lan Zhang's weakened control over the banner offered a chance to overthrow him, then called it a possible trap when Chen Mu rebuked him.
• Chen Mu told Shi Dechun to investigate the incident while prioritizing his safety and to use the Soul Guiding Lantern if danger arose.

Chen Mu cultivated the Calm Heart Scripture until a rudimentary Divine Embryo emerged, then learned that Lan Zhang’s unstable powers were part of a scheme to provoke Shen Yan into action. After reaching the scripture’s limit, Chen Mu estimated that completing the Divine Embryo would still take seventy or eighty years.

• Chen Mu’s Silver Ghost Marks gathered power and formed a glowing, hollow sphere above his head, which Shen Yan identified as the rudimentary form of a Divine Embryo.
• Shen Yan explained that Chen Mu had progressed unusually quickly, while Chen Mu checked the Gray Wall and resolved to max out the Calm Heart Scripture.
• Shi Dechun reported that the Soul Summoning Banner had lost control again, and Shen Yan explained how Lan Zhang’s Water Ape nature clashed with the Nether Demon Heaven Blood Scripture.
• Lan Zhang and the Eyeless Child planned to stage further incidents, believing Shen Yan would eventually act to redeem himself and save his life.
• Shen Yan remained unable to move against Lan Zhang while Chen Mu stayed nearby, and Chen Mu reached the Calm Heart Scripture’s limit.
• Chen Mu grasped the scripture’s full mysteries but concluded that even his improved cultivation would leave the Divine Embryo decades from completion.

Chen Mu rejected Shen Yan’s plan to recruit Yinling and use the Three Paths Curse to accelerate his cultivation, fearing the risks of Lan Zhang discovering them. After Shi Dechun reported a devastating attack on a neighboring camp, Shen Yan unexpectedly began doing somersaults to fulfill Chen Mu’s joking condition.

• Shen Yan explained that multiple Yinling casting the Three Paths Curse could strengthen the Calm Heart Scripture, but Chen Mu worried that recruiting them would expose his inability to control them at a distance.
• Chen Mu refused to recruit anyone unless Shen Yan did ten thousand somersaults per person, angering Shen Yan.
• Chen Mu studied the Three Paths Curse and saw that his Spirit Embryo prototype had grown from one thread to two, but decided to cultivate it slowly rather than take risks.
• Shi Dechun told Chen Mu that blood light had destroyed half of neighboring Flag B2, and Chen Mu planned to hide him in an underground chamber once it was safe.
• Shen Yan suddenly began doing somersaults, revealing that he had taken Chen Mu’s condition seriously.

Chen Mu continued cultivating the Three Paths Curse while Shen Yan stubbornly tried to earn Chen Mu’s help. After Lan Zhang fled Camp Hai and the God Concealing Mist vanished, Shen Yan revealed he needed to reclaim Ghost Gate Pass and persuaded Chen Mu to join him by pointing out that Chen Mu needed merit to return to the mortal world.

• Chen Mu advanced his Three Paths Curse cultivation and repeatedly tried to stop Shen Yan from doing somersaults for a promised reward.
• Lan Zhang decided to create a new genius to lead the camps’ efforts after Shen Yan failed to act.
• Shi Dechun witnessed two blood clouds clash and leave Camp Hai as the God Concealing Mist dispersed and a blood-red moon appeared.
• Shen Yan told Chen Mu that Lan Zhang had likely fled and explained that recovering Ghost Gate Pass was necessary to avoid execution.
• Shen Yan convinced Chen Mu to work with him by reminding him that he needed merit or Jigu City’s recommendation to return to the mortal world.

After Lan Zhang left Camp Hai and the Ghost Soldiers vanished, Chen Mu stayed cautious while the auxiliary departments fought for control. By cultivating the Three Paths Curse, he strengthened his Spirit Embryo and discovered that it had formed a mysterious Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed.

• Chen Mu confirmed that Lan Zhang had left Camp Hai and learned that the formal Ghost Soldiers had disappeared, while the auxiliary departments prepared to vie for leadership.
• Chen Mu waited outside the camp as the Armaments Department was plundered and the Yuan Gathering Department was abandoned, refusing Shen Yan's urging to take action or return to the Netherworld by blood sacrifice.
• Chen Mu reached the Three Paths Curse's limit and used its stronger connection to the River of Forgetfulness to draw Weak Water power into his Brow Secret Aperture.
• Chen Mu's Spirit Embryo Prototype shone and revealed a new Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, whose scattered insights left him wondering whether it could reproduce.
• Shen Yan explained how Spirit Embryos develop into Yin Gods, then mistakenly suspected Chen Mu had connected to another Cave Heaven; Chen Mu tested his Divine Ability and learned it still only controlled a Yinling's body.

Chen Mu tested the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed by having Shen Yan and Shi Dechun swallow it, then discovered it could reveal and transfer his secret-art experience to its host. The chapter left Chen Mu stunned to find that the Spirit Seed had given Shi Dechun the Three Paths Curse at its pinnacle instead of benefiting him.

• Chen Mu realized the Yama Heavenly Son Order might persuade a host to willingly swallow the Spirit Seed.
• Chen Mu forced Shen Yan to swallow a Spirit Seed, but Shen Yan felt no change and mocked its weakness.
• Shi Dechun willingly swallowed a Spirit Seed, believing it would keep him safe and prove his loyalty to Chen Mu.
• Chen Mu sensed a connection to Shi Dechun but found it could not copy secret arts or share senses as he had hoped.
• Shi Dechun discovered that the Spirit Seed let him see Chen Mu's mastered methods and learn them by touching their stars.
• Chen Mu's Silver Thread transferred his perfected Three Paths Curse to Shi Dechun, leaving Chen Mu shocked that the Spirit Seed had made him an experience pack.

Chen Mu discovered that the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed could help him recruit Yinling and decided to build up his strength by implanting it in Flag G6 of the Yuan Gathering Department. He captured Hong Xiu and the gathered Yinling, and ended the chapter preparing to implant the last Spirit Seed in Hong Xiu.

• Chen Mu confirmed that the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed offered little immediate benefit, then considered using it to recruit Yinling and strengthen the Three Paths Curse.
• Shen Yan urged Chen Mu to recruit the experienced Engineering Department, but Chen Mu chose the Yuan Gathering Department instead.
• Hong Xiu rallied Flag G6 with the Mountain Bearing Scripture, urging the Yinling to unite and reclaim the resources taken from them.
• Chen Mu used the Yama Heavenly Son Order to immobilize the gathered Yinling and brought them to Thousand Lantern City.
• Chen Mu implanted Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds in more than three hundred Yinling, leaving Hong Xiu as the last to receive one.