Chapter Summaries

Chen Mu discovered that Qingshan County’s unusual influence made it a treasure land for cultivating the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique, but the worsening danger there convinced him to leave. When he told the Cook Army he planned to disappear, the cooks revealed they wanted to escape with him.

• Chen Mu noticed that his Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique advanced faster in Qingshan County and felt an unfamiliar sensation while cultivating.
• Cheng Yi’s group defeated Jin Wuduan and pressured Sikou Qing into handing over the Thousand Mechanism Token before withdrawing.
• Chen Mu evaded Yinhun in the ruined residence near Tianyi Hall and concluded that Qingshan County’s unusual nature had made it a treasure land and a Ghost City.
• As fighting intensified and the laborers weakened, Chen Mu asked Sun Enqi about a route back to Nanyang Prefecture and explained how he planned to fake his death.
• Zheng Yuan and the other Cook Army men asked Chen Mu to help them fake their deaths too, revealing that they also wanted to flee.

Cheng Yi suppressed the Yinhun in Qingshan County, while Chao Fang’s forces prepared to enter the city for a blood sacrifice. When the civilian laborers were ordered to loot Qingshan County after dark, Chen Mu suspected a trap and chose to escape through his tunnel with three cook soldiers.

• Cheng Yi used the Nurturing Yin Strategy and Zhaodian Red to suppress the Yinhun, then told Tushan the city could be entered and that the Thousand Mechanism Token would appear during the blood sacrifice.
• Chen Mu persuaded Zheng Yuan and the other cook soldiers to escape through a tunnel to boats on the Bailang River, planning to leave Qingshan County.
• Shangguan Yu told Shangguan Ji that the Yinhun had withdrawn west and Chao Fang’s men had entered the city, so Shangguan Ji ordered his forces to wait for the Jinghong Gang and keep the golden rings ready.
• A fat officer gathered the civilian laborers and announced they would follow the Tangshan Army into Qingshan County to loot it after dark.
• Chen Mu suspected the order was dangerous and slipped away from the crowd to the cook soldiers’ tent, where Zheng Yuan, Sun Enqi, and a thin cook soldier joined him instead of going into the city.

Chen Mu escaped the camp with Zheng Yuan and Sun Enqi, but the White Mist swallowed them and left him lost and isolated. As Cheng Yi and Tushan argued over the blood sacrifice and the Thousand Mechanism Token, Chen Mu discovered that the mist suppressed his Yinhun and killed people inside it, while screams surrounded him from every direction.

• Chen Mu, Zheng Yuan, and Sun Enqi emerged from a tunnel near the Bailang River as Chen Mu noticed the life-stealing White Mist spreading.
• Cheng Yi revealed that he had been refining an artifact and told Tushan he would help activate the Nurturing Yin Strategy's blood sacrifice formation at Midnight Hour, forcing Tushan to weigh killing him against seizing the Thousand Mechanism Token.
• Zhang Ye led Kui Tuo and another man toward a warehouse cellar in West Market, hoping to steal the wealth he believed Li Wenlin had hidden there.
• Chen Mu lost contact with Zheng Yuan and the others in the thickening fog, then discovered the Nurturing Yin Strategy suppressed his Five Ghosts Yin Soul.
• A looter attacked Chen Mu and died after Chen Mu knocked him unconscious, revealing that the White Mist itself was killing people.
• Chen Mu ran through the fog, encountered another blood-covered man fleeing from him, and heard terrified screams coming from every direction.

Chen Mu was manipulated by Cui Cui into Tianyi Hall, where she revealed the underground source of the Thousand Mechanism Token and said she wanted the Yinhun bound to him. Meanwhile, Bai Miaojin defeated Shangguan Ji, took the Unbound Ring, and declared that the Shangguan Family must repay an old debt.

• Cui Cui confused Chen Mu's senses, brought him to Tianyi Hall, and restrained him with an invisible force.
• Bai Miaojin dragged Shangguan Yu beneath the east wall and defeated Shangguan Ji when he demanded an explanation.
• Bai Miaojin revealed that the Unbound Ring had been borrowed from her family's ancestor and severed Shangguan Ji's wrist to reclaim it.
• Cui Cui brought Chen Mu underground and showed him the vast mass of Yin Nether Silk, four Jade Gourds, and the place where the Thousand Mechanism Token was condensed.
• Cui Cui told Chen Mu she wanted the symbiotic Yinhun bound to him and explained that only an artifact capable of Soul-Shattering could extract it.

Chen Mu discovered that Cui Cui planned to use the Heartless Bell to extract a symbiotic Yinhun from him so she could escape her confinement, but he realized the bell had failed to affect him before. Cheng Yi arrived at the underground chamber with two companions, leaving Chen Mu face to face with the person whose artifact might expose the truth.

• Zhang Ye, Zhen Fan, and Kui Tuo uncovered hidden weapons and tomb-robbing tools beneath Li Wenlin's property, then argued over the prospect of taking the tomb's wealth.
• Chen Mu used the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique to weaken the force binding him while Cui Cui explained that she needed a Yinhun of his level as a substitute to escape.
• Bai Miaojin paid Zuo Sheng with two Jade Gourds for bringing Sikou Qing, then used Wu Yin's Yellow Gourd and Cheng Yi's Heartless Bell to draw white smoke from Sikou Qing and Shangguan Yu.
• Cheng Yi demanded that Bai Miaojin let him leave, but she reminded him that one person remained and challenged him to fight if he wanted to go back on their agreement.
• Cui Cui told Chen Mu that the Heartless Bell would extract the symbiotic Yinhun, and Chen Mu recalled that Cheng Yi had used it on him before without success.
• Cheng Yi and two others jumped into the underground chamber, and Chen Mu recognized the Copper Bell in Cheng Yi's hand.

Chen Mu broke free of Cui Cui’s Hundred Mile Qi Seal and fought Bai Miaojin to a standstill, while the sealed chamber’s opening began to close. After Cheng Yi escaped with two Jade Gourds and Bai Miaojin offered Chen Mu the last two Thousand Mechanism Tokens, Chen Mu left, vowing that only one of them would survive their next encounter.

• Chen Mu resisted the Heartless Bell, broke free from the restraints, and attacked Bai Miaojin, who met his strength with excitement.
• Chen Mu and Bai Miaojin traded powerful blows as Cui Cui tried to keep their fight focused on escaping the chamber.
• Zhang Ye, Zhen Fan, and Kui Tuo discovered that the pit they had blasted was regenerating and considered fleeing.
• Chen Mu seized Bai Miaojin’s wrists and pressed his attack despite his weakening vital essence, while Cheng Yi escaped through the opening with two Jade Gourds.
• Bai Miaojin stopped the fight and offered Chen Mu the last two Thousand Mechanism Tokens as the opening shrank.
• Chen Mu took the tokens, escaped on Black Smoke, and warned Bai Miaojin and Cui Cui that only one of them would survive their next meeting.

Chen Mu escaped Qingshan County after surviving Cui Cui’s attack and learned that the city had become a ghost town again. He parted ways with Zheng Yuan and the others at Nanyang Prefecture City, then disappeared into the crowd while considering a journey overseas.

• Chen Mu fled east from Tianyi Hall, using the Autumn Paper Man to carry him beyond Cui Cui’s range.
• At dawn on the Bailang River, Chen Mu and Zheng Yuan escaped by boat, and Chen Mu reflected on Cui Cui’s power and his plans to seek overseas information from Jie Jia.
• Chen Mu examined the three emerald jade gourds and the Heartless Bell he had taken from Cheng Yi, and suspected that his original self had been used in Qingfeng Temple’s cultivation of yin spirits.
• Zhang Ye, Zhen Fan, and Kui Tuo emerged after hiding overnight and found Qingshan County filled with corpses and silent once more.
• Outside Jian'an Gate, Chen Mu advised Zheng Yuan, Sun Enqi, and Zheng Liu to live under false names, then entered the city and changed his appearance until he vanished into the crowd.

After returning to Nanyang Prefecture, Chen Mu decided to travel Overseas despite learning that Armor Soul martial artists were recruited as laborers. Jie Jia told him the ship was expected around November and that Chen Mu’s Thousand Mechanism Token would only secure him passage, not exempt him from working.

• Chen Mu enjoyed several days of comfort at home before deciding he could not stay within his comfort zone forever.
• Jie Jia visited Chen Mu, recognized his Spirit Armor Technique, and learned that Chen Mu had obtained a Jade Gourd and gone back to Tianyi Hall.
• Chen Mu asked Jie Jia about Overseas, and Jie Jia explained that the ship was expected around November and mainly came to collect Thousand Mechanism Tokens.
• Jie Jia told Chen Mu that Armor Soul martial artists were recruited as laborers Overseas and that possessing a Thousand Mechanism Token only qualified him to board.
• Chen Mu accepted that he still had to go Overseas to seek a path beyond Armor Soul, despite fearing what the labor would involve.

Chen Mu prepared for his coming voyage, received White Jade Spirit Coins from Jie Jia, and decided to leave for Lijiang Garrison City. That night, he encountered Zhang Ye, Kui Tuo, and Zhen Fan outside Spring Breeze Tower and used a trick to knock them down.

• Chen Mu asked Jie Jia about cultivation, learned that sensing required a Spirit-Soul Unification secret art and a Dao Bone, and heard that Jie Jia had an Innate Dao Bone.
• Chen Mu reviewed his Gray Wall skills and planned to focus on Sleeve Sword and Shape Shift Technique while preparing supplies and pills for the voyage.
• Jie Jia gave Chen Mu two thousand Mechanism Tokens worth twenty White Jade Spirit Coins and said the coins came from the Zhang Family of Zhu Yi Pavilion.
• Chen Mu shared what he suspected was his last meal with Jie Jia and decided to leave for Lijiang Garrison City the next morning.
• After leaving Spring Breeze Tower, Chen Mu saw Zhang Ye, Kui Tuo, and Zhen Fan return and used a trick that made all three collapse; they recognized him as they fell.

Chen Mu settled into his Lijiang City residence, bought supplies, and practiced his Sleeve Sword while Noble Clans searched for Thousand Mechanism Token holders. Sikou Yang received a message placing Cheng Yi in Yongtong Ward, putting Zuo Sheng’s deception at risk.

• Chen Mu noticed armed outsiders gathering in Lijiang City and decided to avoid trouble by staying hidden.
• Chen Mu repaired his courtyard, bought medicines and ingredients for his preparations, and practiced carving with his Sleeve Sword.
• Sikou Yang offered a rich reward for a Thousand Mechanism Token and ordered his men to prioritize searching Lijiang City over finding Cheng Yi.
• A messenger reported that Cheng Yi had been spotted in Yongtong Ward, and Zuo Sheng feared the report would expose his lie about Sikou Qing.
• Jin Wuduan recognized the flying-dart note’s handwriting from an earlier report, persuading Sikou Yang that Cheng Yi might truly be in Yongtong Ward.

Chen Mu escaped a Jinghong Gang raid, then discovered Wu Yin was tracking the Heartless Bell and mistook him for Cheng Yi. At Lijiang Tower, Chen Mu exploited the misunderstanding to demand compensation and the Bronze Water Drop, then tried to extort White Jade Spirit Coins as well.

• Jin Wuduan and Sikou Yang raided Chen Mu's courtyard but found it empty, while Zuo Sheng concealed that he had warned Chen Mu to flee.
• Wu Yin killed the two watchers, searched Chen Mu's courtyard for the Heartless Bell, and left after failing to locate it.
• Wu Yin found meat pies in his grandson's room and believed Cheng Yi had secretly visited and exposed him.
• At Lijiang Tower, Chen Mu met Wu Yin, who mistook him for Cheng Yi and agreed to pay him fifty thousand taels and give him the Bronze Water Drop.
• Chen Mu noticed Chubby Kid might have a Dao Bone and asked Wu Yin for eight or ten White Jade Spirit Coins.

Chen Mu secluded himself on Shouyang Mountain to prepare for the voyage overseas, but Tushan found his camp and tried to take it by force. Chen Mu defeated him with the Ebony Sword, and Tushan surrendered.

• Chen Mu examined Shouyang Mountain’s sea cliff and settled in the forest to wait for a ship while preparing food and supplies.
• Chen Mu made large reserves of Fasting Pills and other supplies, using wealth taken from Wu Yin.
• Tushan searched the mountain for shelter and spotted smoke rising from Chen Mu’s camp.
• Tushan demanded Chen Mu’s tent and food, then attacked him when Chen Mu warned he might be poisoned.
• Chen Mu’s Ebony Sword pierced Tushan’s chest, forcing Tushan to surrender.

Chen Mu allied with Tushan to keep the Noble Clans at bay while he trained his skills and prepared to travel Overseas. Tushan warned him that Armor Souls sent Overseas had to work for free for twenty years and were marked with a tracking artifact.

• Tushan returned with a wild boar, and he and Chen Mu agreed to hunt and cook together so Tushan could help protect him from the Noble Clans.
• Chen Mu lied about his name, then discovered that his max-level Sleeve Sword granted him the ability to predict opponents’ movements and identify openings.
• Chen Mu used five Paper Men to fly through a cliff fissure, then harvested Drunken Fish to make Zhaodian Red for the Five Ghosts Bag.
• Chen Mu asked Tushan about Overseas, and Tushan said some places were dangerous while safer destinations existed but were difficult to reach without Dao Bones.
• Tushan explained that Armor Souls had to work for free for twenty years after going Overseas and were marked with an artifact that could track them.

Chen Mu discovered that the Heartless Bell could stun fish and relieve fatigue, using it to harvest fish in Cliff's cleft. When he rang it at the cleft's mouth, countless bubbles rose from the open sea and a colossal spiked creature burst from the water.

• Chen Mu found that the Bronze Water Drop floated inside the Heartless Bell and that ringing it stunned schools of fish in Cliff's cleft.
• Chen Mu rang the Heartless Bell for Tushan at camp, and Tushan reacted with pleasure as the bell's vibrations relieved fatigue and strengthened the body.
• On October 25, 642, Chen Mu used the bell with Drunken Bait to catch fish throughout the cleft in less than a quarter hour.
• Chen Mu rang the bell once more at the cleft's mouth, and bubbles surged across the deep sea outside Cliff.
• A colossal creature covered in savage spikes erupted from the water.

Chen Mu agreed to work off his passage overseas, accepted a binding mark, and boarded the White Turtle Shuttle to inspect it. He found the vessel far more comfortable than expected, then recognized Bai Miaojin among the passengers.

• Chen Mu saw the enormous White Turtle Shuttle and learned from Tushan that it would depart on the Fifth Day of the Eleventh Month.
• Chen Mu arrived at Shouyang Palace, surrendered his Thousand Mechanism Token, and chose a twenty-year Yellow Sprout Rice planting job at Jilong Mountain.
• Chen Mu accepted a seal on his left forearm and received an identity token from the wizened old man.
• Chen Mu boarded the White Turtle Shuttle and explored its bustling interior, which contained shops, stalls, a theater, and teahouses.
• Chen Mu spotted Bai Miaojin aboard the White Turtle Shuttle.

Chen Mu boarded the White Turtle Shuttle and began its long voyage toward Yunzhou, keeping his identity hidden while observing the other passengers. As the ship descended beneath the sea, he reflected on leaving Shouyang Mountain and began planning how to manage the costly journey ahead.

• Chen Mu saw Bai Miaojin aboard the White Turtle Shuttle but concealed his reaction and trusted his Tier 4 Shape Shift Technique to keep him safe.
• Tushan told Cheng Yi that he had fought a boy carrying a matching bell, prompting Cheng Yi to suspect the boy had stolen it and perhaps taken his arm.
• Chen Mu used the Heartless Bell to make Tushan laugh uncontrollably as the White Turtle Shuttle began its descent, then considered his uncertain future away from Shouyang Mountain.
• Three days later, Chen Mu overheard passengers in the Immortal Tea House complain about the ship’s high prices and learn that they had been at sea for a year, with Yunzhou still three to five months away.
• Chen Mu realized Great Liang was an island and wondered how vast Yunzhou would be, while deciding to watch his spending during the voyage.

Chen Mu learned that the White Sun True Elucidation could help him advance through Spirit-Soul Unification, but its seller demanded one hundred White Jade Spirit Coins, which he could not afford. As the White Turtle Shuttle continued toward Yunzhou, Chen Mu decided to improve his Medicine Crafting so he could analyze and imitate Fasting Pills to earn money.

• Scarface discussed the White Sun True Elucidation with Small Eyes, and Chen Mu overheard them mention the secret art and White Jade Spirit Coins.
• Chen Mu asked the owner of Ink Fragrance Bookstore about the White Sun True Elucidation and learned that the Fat Old Man was selling it for one hundred White Jade Spirit Coins or valuable goods.
• Chen Mu refused to barter with the Fat Old Man and decided to wait until the shuttle reached Yunzhou.
• Chen Mu read the Yunzhou Geography Record and learned about the region’s countries, landmarks, and Daoist sects.
• Chen Mu resolved to raise his Medicine Crafting Proficiency and try to analyze the ingredients of Fasting Pills so he could earn money.

Chen Mu studied medicine aboard the White Turtle Shuttle, advanced his Medicine Crafting to Tier 5, and deciphered the Calming Spirit Pill formula but could not obtain its main ingredient. He then noticed that his Spirit Armor Technique proficiency had risen unexpectedly fast.

• Chen Mu explored the White Turtle Shuttle, avoided Silver Moon Tower, sampled unfamiliar dishes at Immortal Tea House, and bought expensive medical books.
• Chen Mu trained Medicine Crafting for nearly two months and reached Tier 5.
• Chen Mu bought Calming Spirit Pills from Hundred Herbs Pavilion and identified their ingredients, then worked out their formula while studying the pill.
• Chen Mu discovered that Eggplant Night Grass, the Calming Spirit Pill’s main ingredient, was unavailable, so he planned to seek another solution in Yunzhou.
• Chen Mu noticed that his Spirit Armor Technique proficiency had increased by more than its usual daily amount.

During the White Turtle Shuttle’s return voyage, Chen Mu discovered that the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique had transformed his Soul Force and made his body nearly impervious to weapons. After weeks of secluded cultivation and witnessing a giant sea beast, he finally arrived in Yunzhou.

• Chen Mu found that cultivating the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique in a new region increased its proficiency and made its Divine Intent clearer.
• After three more days of focused cultivation, Chen Mu broke through the veil in his Divine Intent and realized his Soul Force had undergone a qualitative transformation.
• Chen Mu developed an altered Calming Spirit Pill for use in an incense burner and observed that the Spirit Armor Technique was merging Soul Force with his body.
• Chen Mu spent most of the voyage cultivating in his cabin and avoided selling pills aboard the White Turtle Shuttle.
• Chen Mu saw an enormous underwater beast through the shuttle’s curtain wall, then continued cultivating until the White Turtle Shuttle docked in Yunzhou on February 15th.

Chen Mu arrived at Jilong Mountain and saw Supervisor Song demonstrate the flight possible through cultivation, inspiring him to pursue the same heights. He bought a month’s food at the Jilong Dao Lower Courtyard and headed into the fields where he would spend the next twenty years.

• Chen Mu ate expensive Yellow Sprout Rice, realized his transformed body needed more food, and worried about the cost of living.
• As his Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique advanced, Chen Mu understood that completing his Soul Force transformation would let him begin sensing cultivation.
• The White Turtle Shuttle reached Jilong Mountain, where Chen Mu saw Supervisor Song fly from a tower and learned he had once arrived on the same shuttle as a newcomer.
• Chen Mu spent 2,024 taels on rice at the Jilong Dao Lower Courtyard grain shop, leaving him with 4,256 taels.
• Chen Mu carried his provisions out of Tongtian Market and headed toward the basin plain where he would live for the next twenty years.