Chapter Summaries

After a Great Toad crashed into Tangshan Courtyard’s Mountain Protection Magic Restriction and died, Chen Mu learned that Mutant Beasts were migrating north as chaos spread through Yizhou. He agreed to plan an evacuation with Tang Zong, who offered a safer route to Bazhou and a chance to use the Spirit-Connecting Bone-Illuminating Mirror.

• The Giant Spirit God’s Heartless Bell woke Chen Mu, who raised Tangshan Courtyard’s Mountain Protection Magic Restriction just before a familiar Qi Mechanism struck it.
• Chen Mu and Tang Zong found that the attacker was a dead Golden Toad, and Chen Mu recognized it as the Great Toad he had seen while traveling to Shuanghua Courtyard.
• Chen Mu dismantled the Great Toad and found its skull empty, while Tang Zong suspected Outer Realm Demons and worried about their spread.
• Chen Mu sent the Vermilion Feather Sword south and discovered groups of Mutant Beasts migrating toward Tangshan Courtyard.
• Tang Zong proposed abandoning Tangshan Courtyard and taking a lesser-known route through Yizhou to Bazhou, offering a chance to use the Spirit-Connecting Bone-Illuminating Mirror in exchange for Chen Mu leading the group out.

Chen Mu learned that an underground route beneath Tangshan connected to Yizhou’s Heaven-Reaching River, and Tang Zong offered him the Dragon Bone Boat to help their group escape. As Mutant Beasts migrated toward Tangshan, Chen Mu prepared to leave and began mastering the boat’s controls.

• Tang Zong told Chen Mu that a passage beneath Tangshan’s Lava Lake led to the underground Heaven-Reaching River, their shortcut to Bazhou.
• Tang Zong expanded the Dragon Bone Boat and gave Chen Mu its Mechanism Spell, asking him to help Tangshan Courtyard escape Yizhou.
• Chen Mu gathered Mutant Beast corpses to refine Spirit Nurturing Wine and deduced that the beasts were migrating north in pursuit of Earth Spirit Vital Qi.
• Chen Mu concluded that Tangshan Courtyard could not remain in the region as Mutant Beasts and powerful demons moved toward it.
• Chen Mu practiced piloting the Dragon Bone Boat and estimated that he would master it within several days.

Chen Mu prepared to leave Tangshan Courtyard after improving his cultivation and harvesting its resources. He departed with the disciples aboard the Dragon Bone Boat, taking Tang Mountain’s peak for Thousand Lantern City before the boat vanished beneath a hot spring.

• Chen Mu advanced the Yellow Springs Gourd to Tier 7 after delaying his departure for several days to cultivate.
• After a wounded Great White Deer Demon appeared nearby, Chen Mu harvested the Silver Scale Fish early and retrieved his Soul Stabilizing Stake and Bigen Tea Tree.
• Chen Mu met Tang Zong, Li Chou, Tang Zhimu, and several hundred disciples at Tide Listening Cave, then brought them aboard the Dragon Bone Boat.
• Chen Mu moved Tang Mountain’s peak into Thousand Lantern City and boarded the Dragon Bone Boat with the Vermilion Feather Swords.
• The Dragon Bone Boat shrank, flew into Tang Mountain’s largest hot spring, and disappeared underwater.

Chen Mu used the Dragon Bone Boat to enter the Heavenly River Grotto-Heaven after scouting it with the Giant Spirit God, but a sudden force trapped and destroyed the boat. The chapter left Chen Mu and the boat's occupants' fate unclear.

• Tang Zong explained that the Tang Family had found the Heavenly River Grotto-Heaven through the Fire Eye beneath Tangshan and that it could serve as a safer route.
• Chen Mu sent the Giant Spirit God, equipped with a Qianji Talisman Seed, into the grotto-heaven to scout and found no great demons or signs of other people.
• After repeated scouting, Chen Mu decided to enter the grotto-heaven aboard the Dragon Bone Boat.
• The Dragon Bone Boat emerged inside a volcano, where a Dragon's Roar and an invisible force bound it.
• Black-White Light compressed the Dragon Bone Boat until it vanished, leaving the volcano eerily still.

Chen Mu found himself trapped with Tangshan Courtyard’s people inside the sealed Golden River City and could not escape through Ghost Gate Pass. He decided to raise more Yin Soul Monsters to strengthen Ghost Gate Pass while preparing to investigate the city.

• Chen Mu discovered that the Crimson Lava had vanished and Golden River City had appeared, then found an invisible force prevented him and the Dragon Bone Boat from entering Ghost Gate Pass.
• Chen Mu explored Golden River City and found barriers sealed it above, below, and all around, blocking his escape arts.
• Chen Mu monitored Tang Zong and the Tangshan Courtyard residents but found no sign that they had caused the trap.
• Chen Mu concluded he could escape by finding and destroying the binding force or by making Ghost Gate Pass stronger, so he ordered the courtyard disciples to raise Silver Scale Fish and Yin Nether Insects.
• Chen Mu spent two days refining twenty-nine sets of Soul Stabilizing Stakes, then gave them to Tang Zong to place at the fish-breeding sites.
• Chen Mu planned to make more Soul Stabilizing Stakes before investigating Golden River City thoroughly.

Chen Mu completed the Yama True Aperture Ghost Pattern, allowing him to forge Soul Stabilizing Stakes much faster and accelerate Silver Scale Fish cultivation. While investigating the Golden Pond Pavilion well, he discovered chains binding a Stone Dragon and planned to study their Magical Prohibition to weaken the force trapping him in Golden River City.

• Chen Mu completed the Yama True Aperture Ghost Pattern and learned that its twelve parts fused into a single Ghost Pattern that let one Soul Stabilizing Stake perform every function.
• Chen Mu forged enough Soul Stabilizing Stakes to cover the Silver Scale Fish breeding waterways, and Tang Zong estimated the first harvest of over eight thousand fish would be ready in three months.
• Chen Mu investigated the well beneath Golden Pond Pavilion and found a water sphere producing Earth Spirit Vital Qi-rich water beside a buried Stone Dragon bound by Black Chains.
• Chen Mu recognized Yin Nether Underworld characteristics in the chains and suspected they were connected to the force restraining him in Golden River City.
• Chen Mu failed to probe the chains' Magical Prohibition with the Lingbao Shuji Pian and decided to raise it to Tier 9 before investigating further.

Chen Mu discovered that Yinling had infiltrated Golden River City and used the Yama Heavenly Son Order and Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds to capture them. He left the city’s illusion frozen beneath a cloud of Black Smoke, while Tang Zong warned that the strange change threatened the residents.

• Tang Zong was trapped in his courtyard by eerie figures who appeared around a fire and stared at him hungrily.
• Chen Mu found Golden Pond Pavilion transformed into a lively banquet, where a white-haired elder called him Mansion Lord Tang and tried to force him to drink.
• Chen Mu recognized the guests as Yinling, froze them with the Yama Heavenly Son Order, and captured them with Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds.
• Tang Zong arrived at Golden Pond Pavilion and warned Chen Mu that Golden River City had undergone a strange change.
• Chen Mu refused to rescue the residents immediately, froze the bustling city with the Yama Heavenly Son Order, and watched Black Smoke gather above it.

Chen Mu discovered that his growing number of Yin Soul Monsters helped him resist Golden River City's barrier, but he could not learn the city's secrets from the half-finished Yinling. After learning that Soul Stabilizing Stakes may have drawn the Yinling from the Dark Waters, he decided to refine many more stakes to lure them out again.

• Chen Mu tested a half-finished Yinling and learned it could only repeat the same warning, so he began teaching the newly acquired Yin Soul Monsters secret arts himself.
• After ten days of transmitting the arts to more than thirty thousand monsters, Chen Mu used Ghost Gate Pass and managed to push his entire leg through before the city's restraint stopped him.
• Chen Mu examined the Twenty-four Bright Pearls but found only that they were a Pure Yang magical prohibition, which seemed unlikely to have caused the Yinling to appear.
• Tang Zong told Chen Mu that Eerie Faces with trails of black smoke had been seen in the Dark Waters and that the Yinling appeared where the Soul Stabilizing Stakes' chill was strongest.
• Chen Mu concluded that the stakes' Yin Nether Jade Dew could attract Yinling and returned to Golden Pond Pavilion to refine several hundred more Soul Stabilizing Stakes.

Chen Mu gathered more Yinhuns and strengthened Ghost Gate Pass, but his Soul Stabilizing Stakes caused Golden River City’s outer barrier to contract, forcing him to retrieve most of them. He turned to studying the Dragon Binding Chains as an alternate route to escape, while Tang Zong’s divided consciousness worried that Chen Mu might succeed.

• Chen Mu used Soul Stabilizing Stakes to attract Yinlings, then taught the Mountain Bearing Scripture and Jade Gate Curse to more than thirty-one thousand Yinhun Monsters, bringing his total close to one hundred thousand.
• Chen Mu discovered that the outer barrier around Golden River City was contracting, and Tang Zong suspected the numerous Soul Stabilizing Stakes were responsible.
• Chen Mu retrieved stakes until only sixty-six remained, stopping the barrier’s contraction but slowing his efforts to gather Yinhuns and strengthen Ghost Gate Pass.
• Chen Mu advanced the Lingbao Shuji Method and found Netherworld Ghost Patterns within the chains binding the Stone Dragon, making progress in studying their restrictions.
• Tang Zong’s two consciousnesses discussed the danger that Chen Mu might escape Golden River City or break the Dragon Pinning Stakes before they could leave Tianhe Grotto-Heaven.

Chen Mu continued studying the Dragon Binding Chain while raising Silver Scale Fish to increase his Yinhun forces, but the invisible restraint remained difficult to break. After implanting a Yama True Aperture Ghost Pattern, his Yin Spirit Embryo unexpectedly advanced to the Nine Aperture Fetal Breath Realm.

• Chen Mu deciphered more of the Dragon Binding Chain and discovered the Spirit Locking Curse on the Grey Stone Gate’s list.
• Tang Zong’s first batch of Silver Scale Fish produced 7,923 Yinhun, and he promised the next batch would be at least three times larger.
• Chen Mu told Tang Zong they could not leave Golden River City soon because he was making slow progress against the invisible restraint.
• Chen Mu implanted Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds and taught the newly born Yinhun the Mountain Bearing Scripture and Jade Gate Curse.
• As Chen Mu prepared to implant a fresh Yama True Aperture Ghost Pattern, the Yin Spirit Embryo absorbed its power and entered the Nine Aperture Fetal Breath Realm.

Chen Mu discovered that the nine Secret Apertures he had opened long ago, matured by Taiyin Qi and linked through the Yama True Aperture, let him cultivate the Nine Aperture Fetal Breath and awaken the Yama Feast Divine Ability. After the Divine Ability devoured his Fire Cloud Gourd, he gained the perfected Fire Cloud Incantation and part of the artifact-refining method.

• Chen Mu traced his rapid cultivation of the Nine Aperture Fetal Breath to the nine Secret Apertures matured by Taiyin Qi and connected by the Yama True Aperture.
• Chen Mu learned that the Nine-Aperture Divine Embryo had awakened the Yama Feast, a Divine Ability that could devour things and comprehend their essence.
• Chen Mu tested Yama Feast on his Fire Cloud Gourd, but at first it consumed the artifact so slowly that he doubted the Divine Ability’s usefulness.
• The Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds appeared in Chen Mu’s Starry Sky Chart and accelerated the mist until it devoured the Fire Cloud Gourd completely.
• Chen Mu checked the Grey Stone Gate and found that the Fire Cloud Incantation had reached its limit and that he had gained part of the Fire Cloud Gourd’s artifact-refining technique.

Chen Mu used the Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability to destroy the Dragon Binding Rope and uncover the secret beneath Golden River City. He learned that his Yin Fault Yang Deviation had replaced a sealed Dragon Pearl, making him the scapegoat for its disappearance.

• Chen Mu concluded that the Grey Stone Gate and the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed amplified Yama Devouring, letting him comprehend what he consumed.
• Chen Mu devoured the Dragon Binding Rope and raised his Spirit Locking Curse to its limit.
• Tang Zong discussed how the Silver Scale Fish would die without his secret cultivation method and planned to escape Tianhe Grotto-Heaven within two months.
• A Dragon's Roar shook Golden River City, and its barrier expanded, alarming Tang Zong.
• Chen Mu devoured the hollow sphere above the Stone Dragon and discovered that Yin Fault Yang Deviation had replaced the sealed Dragon Pearl.
• Chen Mu realized the original Dragon Pearl had used his Yin Fault Yang Deviation as a substitute, leaving him to take the blame.

Chen Mu tried to escape Golden River City by devouring the Dragon Binding Chain, but the chains restored themselves and continued to restrain him. After Tang Zhimu suggested that the twenty-four Bright Pearls were part of the Cosmic Stars Formation that brought them there, Chen Mu saw a possible way to reverse the journey and escape.

• Chen Mu noticed that devouring the Dragon Binding Chain had expanded the barrier around Golden River City, but the chains regrew whenever he tried to pass through a Ghost Gate.
• Chen Mu tested his Spirit Locking Curse on the Giant Spirit God and concluded it was too weak and slow to break the restraint at the bottom of the well.
• Chen Mu ruled out abandoning Yin Fault Yang Deviation and continued searching for another way to escape.
• Tang Zhimu proposed that a Cosmic Stars Formation in Tianhe Grotto-Heaven had transported them into Golden River City.
• Chen Mu connected the twenty-four Bright Pearls to the formation and considered using his Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability to find a way out.

Chen Mu discovered that the Twenty-Four Pearls could be affected by Yama Feast, but touching one caused Golden River City to plummet. He found Tang Zong behind the city's collapse and stopped him by binding him with the Spirit Locking Curse.

• Chen Mu used Yama Feast on a pearl and began absorbing insights into the Cosmic Stars Formation.
• Golden River City started falling as its barrier shrank, and Chen Mu traced the cause to Tang Zong.
• Chen Mu confronted Tang Zong, who revealed that he had tampered with the Silver Scale Fish and was accelerating the city's collapse.
• Chen Mu forced his way through Tang Zong's protective Spiritual Light and reached him.
• Chen Mu recognized that Tang Zong's weakening Essence Spirit was worsening the city's collapse and restrained him with the Spirit Locking Curse.

Chen Mu discovered that Tang Zong was a Gangsha Clone whose true body was the stone dragon holding the Dragon Pearl, and he studied the Twenty-Four Pearls to learn how to escape Golden River City. After mastering the Lesser Cosmic Stars Formation, Chen Mu realized he could use Tang Zong to swap positions and leave the city.

• Tang Zhimu explained that Tang Zong was likely a Gangsha Clone implanted with the real Tang Zong's memories, and Chen Mu realized the clone belonged to the Dragon Pearl's owner.
• Chen Mu suspected Tang Zong had acted because the Twenty-Four Pearls might offer a way out, so he sent Tang Zhimu to help the Silver Scale Fish and began studying the pearls.
• Chen Mu devoured one pearl, gained insights into the Lesser Cosmic Stars Formation, and learned that the pearls could regenerate from the Cave Heaven Water Mansion.
• After a month of studying, Chen Mu devoured the final pearl and advanced the Lesser Cosmic Stars Formation to its second tier.
• Chen Mu learned that Golden River City had drawn him in through a position swap involving Tang Zong, and he realized he could use the same method to escape.

Chen Mu escaped Golden River City by using Tang Zong to exchange places with Tang Wang, who was captured again as he tried to flee Tianhe Grotto-Heaven. Three days later, Chen Mu and the Tangshan Courtyard group rested on the Heaven-Reaching River and planned to find a Yellow Springs Sect Lower Courtyard.

• Tang Wang used the Yuan Tu Divine Thunder Curse to break the Black Little Hands’ grip and nearly reached the Cave Heaven Water Eye passage.
• Chen Mu used Move Stars and Change Constellations to switch Tang Wang with Tang Zong, allowing the Black Iron Loach to escape through the passage while Tang Zong died beneath the Black Little Hands.
• Chen Mu emerged from the Heaven-Reaching River aboard the Dragon Bone Boat and celebrated his escape from Golden River City.
• After three days of rest, Tang Zhimu told Chen Mu that Tang Wang might have been the final Mansion Lord of the Chenzi Tianhe Water Mansion and that the Tang Family descended from its people.
• Chen Mu told Tang Zhimu that they would find their location and then seek a suitable Yellow Springs Sect Lower Courtyard.

Chen Mu and Tang Zhimu chose to travel to Nine Peaks Mountain, avoiding Sacred Heart Academy and Yizhou’s turmoil. During the journey, Chen Mu reflected on his cultivation and decided to use the Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability on a Ghost Pattern to try to master it.

• Tang Zhimu explained that Nine Peaks Mountain Lower Courtyard was mainly made up of Qi Refining cultivators and was unrelated to Sacred Heart Academy, so Chen Mu decided to go there.
• Chen Mu traveled aboard the Dragon Bone Boat beneath the Heaven-Reaching River, where it hunted Black-Spotted Strange Fish and safely navigated the waters.
• Chen Mu reviewed his cultivation priorities and concluded that advancing his Heavenly Demon Body would require patience and long-term effort.
• Chen Mu realized the Tongyou Spell’s Ghost Pattern power might serve as a formless talisman that he could devour to learn its true meaning.
• Chen Mu summoned the Fortress Wall Ghost Mark from Nine Netherless Hell and prepared to devour it with the Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability.

Chen Mu used the Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability to master Ghost Patterns and accelerate his Heavenly Demon Armor cultivation by consuming Mutant Beasts aboard the Dragon Bone Boat. After more than twenty days of travel, he arrived near Nine Peaks Mountain and learned that Star Picking Peak was the destination ahead.

• Chen Mu mastered several Ghost Patterns with the Yama Devouring Supernatural Ability, but found that the Tongyou Method mostly brought him useless Ghost Patterns.
• Chen Mu began consuming the Dragon Bone Boat’s captured Mutant Beasts, transferring their chaotic vital essence to the Yin Souls and extracting Body-Protecting Qi Origin to cultivate Heavenly Demon Armor.
• Over the journey, Chen Mu raised Heavenly Demon Armor’s experience to 7361 at the Eighth Tier.
• The Dragon Bone Boat left the Heaven-Reaching River and traveled across the forest canopy toward Nine Peaks Mountain.
• Tang Zhimu pointed out Star Picking Peak, and Chen Mu felt relieved that they had nearly reached a safer place to rest.

Chen Mu settled at remote Weizhi Peak on Nine Peaks Mountain, seeking a quiet place to cultivate. After allowing disciples to leave if they wished, he explored his new home and gathered wild vegetables for a housewarming meal.

• Chen Mu told Academy Supervisor Yuan Zhen that he wanted a peaceful place to cultivate, then chose remote, low-vital-qi Weizhi Peak as his residence.
• Chen Mu led the Tangshan Courtyard disciples to Weizhi Peak and built his thatched Wooden Cabin on a stone platform near a cliff.
• Tang Zhimu reported that some disciples were unhappy with the scarce vital qi, and Chen Mu allowed anyone who wanted to leave, including Tang Family members, to go.
• Chen Mu told Tang Zhimu to ensure the disciples did not reveal information about him.
• Chen Mu used his Vermilion Feather Swords and Five Ghosts Little Paper Men to find Gray Grass, then returned to his cabin to prepare a housewarming feast.

Chen Mu resumed cultivating the Yellow Springs Gourd but found that Weizhi Peak’s sparse vital qi slowed his progress. He began refining Silver Marrow with the Lesser Cosmic Stars Formation, hoping to draw Heavenly Star Vital Qi from the stars.

• Chen Mu paused his other Secret Arts and focused on condensing the Yellow Springs Gourd’s Spiritual Treasure Primordial Talismans.
• Tang Zhimu refused to let Li Chou and the Tang Family’s direct line leave Weizhi Peak, fearing Chen Mu’s retaliation, while many other residents departed.
• After nearly half a month on one cultivation attempt, Chen Mu realized that Weizhi Peak’s lack of Heavenly Star Vital Qi was slowing him down.
• Chen Mu used Silver Marrow to refine a sphere inscribed with the Lesser Cosmic Stars Formation, planning to make twenty-four and test whether they could gather Celestial Stars.
• Chen Mu put the finished sphere away and continued refining another mass of Silver Marrow.