Chapter Summaries

Li Qing searched the Soul Nurturing Temple’s Scripture Repository, finding several incomplete inheritances and a complete method for nurturing an Artifact Spirit. A handwritten record led him to the nine-level Octagonal Stone Pagoda, where he discovered the temple’s dead cultivators and claimed the Soul Nurturing Bell from the top floor.

• Li Qing examined the Scripture Repository’s jade slips and collected incomplete inheritances in restrictions, artifact refining, and other arts, along with a complete Treasure Artifact Spirit Nurturing Method.
• Li Qing found a handwritten record stating that the Soul Nurturing Temple had devoted its strength to building an Octagonal Stone Pagoda.
• Li Qing broke open the pagoda’s first-floor door and found eight temple cultivators’ skeletons chained inside, then discovered eight more skeletons on each of the next floors.
• Li Qing reached the eighth floor and found seven skeletons and an empty chain, suspecting that the missing person had carried out the Jade Pendant used to open the Hidden Realm.
• Li Qing climbed to the ninth floor and found the Soul Nurturing Bell suspended from eight Spirit Gold Chains above eight skeletons.
• Li Qing severed the chains with the Dragon-like Dagger and took the Soul Nurturing Bell.

Li Qing cultivated his soul with the Soul Nurturing Bell and broke through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. He began planning how to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills and prepared to leave seclusion to learn whether the war had ended.

• Li Qing used the Soul Nurturing Bell and his Spiritual Sense became strong enough to extend beyond his body despite his Qi Refining cultivation.
• Li Qing chose not to break the remaining Medicine Field Mountain Peak restrictions, hoping to preserve the starlight that sustained the Sky Star Grass.
• Li Qing broke through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and stabilized his Late Qi Refining cultivation.
• Li Qing planned to seek alchemists and a Foundation Establishment Pill while keeping the possible Ascension Token as another option.
• Li Qing decided to leave the secret realm and read Ye Feng's letters to learn about the Cultivation World War.

After six years in seclusion, Li Qing emerged and read Ye Feng’s letters, learning how the war between the Tianhe Sect and Shangqing Sect had developed and how Ye Feng had risen within the Tianhe Sect. Li Qing wrote to ask Ye Feng to find an alchemist for his Foundation Establishment plans and offered to share the secret realm’s Sky Star Grass, leaving him ready to seek help through Ye Feng’s connections.

• Li Qing left the mountain after six years and collected the Spirit Bird Messages Ye Feng had left at their meeting place.
• Li Qing learned that Ye Feng had joined the Tianhe Sect, reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, and helped expose the Shi Family as an undercover agent for the Shangqing Sect.
• Li Qing read about the war’s shifting fortunes, including True Person Linglong’s rise to Core Formation and the eventual stalemate between the two sects.
• Li Qing burned Ye Feng’s letters and wrote back, predicting the war would end within two years and asking Ye Feng to find a reputable alchemist who could help refine Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Li Qing offered Ye Feng a share of the Sky Star Grass in the secret realm, deciding that the herbs were worthwhile payment for maintaining their relationship and gaining access to Ye Feng’s connections.

Li Qing met Ye Feng at Black Sand River after emerging from secluded cultivation and learned that Ye Feng had found an alchemist who could help him pursue Foundation Establishment. The chapter left Li Qing preparing to visit Daoist Qingyang, the alchemist who had once hosted a secret trade gathering.

• Li Qing reached Black Sand River and sent up a green-smoke signal for Ye Feng.
• Ye Feng reunited with Li Qing and brought him to a Tianhe Sect outpost, explaining that the sect was surveying the area as the war eased.
• Li Qing and Ye Feng discussed the war, Tianhe Marketplace, and Ye Feng's experiences before sharing spirit wine.
• Ye Feng revealed that Daoist Qingyang, whom Li Qing knew from the old secret trade gathering, was the alchemist he had found.
• Ye Feng told Li Qing that the gathering had fallen apart and only Jiuxiao, Lingying, and he remained in contact with Senior Qingyang.

After Li Qing’s farewell drinking with Ye Feng was interrupted by the discovery of an Underwater Cave Mansion beneath the Black Sand River, a Tianhe Sect elder made him stay under a spiritual seal for three days. Elder Jingguan explored the cavern and found a pool of Yin Yang Condensing Liquid, overlooking a dormant Demonic Beast Egg on a nearby platform.

• Li Qing prepared to leave the Tianhe Sect outpost after drinking with Ye Feng for three days, but a vortex erupted in the Black Sand River and revealed an Underwater Cave Mansion.
• Elder Jingguan stopped Li Qing from leaving and placed a spiritual seal on his shoulder, requiring him to remain for three days; Ye Feng then went to the river vortex.
• Jingguan ordered Su Wei to report the discovery to the sect and entered the vortex to investigate the underwater cavern.
• Jingguan found the bones of a massive Demonic Python, then followed the water-attribute spiritual energy into a cavern.
• Jingguan discovered a pool of Yin Yang Condensing Liquid but failed to notice a Demonic Beast Egg resting on a platform in the cavern.

After Elder Jingguan’s tracking mark vanished, Li Qing warned Ye Feng and fled the Black Sand River, while the Tianhe Sect concluded its elder had likely died in the underwater grotto-heaven. The sects gathered to contest the river, and the chapter ended as Core Formation experts clashed overhead.

• Li Qing discovered Elder Jingguan’s tracking mark had disappeared and suspected she had died in the underwater grotto-heaven.
• Li Qing told Ye Feng about the vanished mark, then left the Black Sand River to avoid the impending conflict.
• Ye Feng informed the Tianhe Sect disciples, who feared Elder Jingguan had perished and sent word back to their sect.
• Elder Jingguan’s dried corpse drifted from a cave, while blood seeped into a stone egg deep inside the grotto-heaven.
• The Tianhe Sect sealed off the Black Sand River, and the Shangqing Sect responded by gathering forces to dispute control of the region.
• Kong Ming confronted the Shangqing Sect’s Core Formation Ancestor and attacked with lightning, but the ancestor blocked his strike.

After the Black Sand River conflict ended in a truce, Li Qing traveled to Qinghua Pond to meet Daoist Qingyang. Qingyang revealed that his alchemy cauldron needed repairs, and Li Qing began inspecting it.

• The Tianhe Sect and Shangqing Sect agreed to settle access to the underwater grotto-heaven through an arena contest between Qi Refining disciples.
• Li Qing learned that Ye Feng might compete in the contest, then continued southwest toward Qinghua Pond.
• Li Qing reached Qinghua Pond, found Daoist Qingyang’s cave dwelling, and presented the letter Ye Feng had prepared.
• Daoist Qingyang welcomed Li Qing and recalled their meeting at the trade fair six years earlier.
• Daoist Qingyang brought out a damaged alchemy cauldron, and Li Qing stood to examine its cracks and damaged fire-control dao markings.

Li Qing repaired Daoist Qingyang’s damaged High-grade Alchemy Cauldron and returned it to him. After spending twenty-seven days restoring its inner layer and fire-control spirit patterns, Li Qing saw that the cauldron’s formidable power had been restored, though its repairs could not fully match the original spirituality.

• Li Qing identified Daoist Qingyang’s cauldron as a High-grade Magic Tool forged from Secret Copper Essence and enhanced with Backlight Dust, then agreed to repair it.
• Daoist Qingyang gave Li Qing three pieces of Secret Copper Essence, and Li Qing rented a courtyard near Qinghua Pond for a year.
• Li Qing smelted the Secret Copper Essence for twenty days and used it to repair the cauldron’s cracked inner layer.
• Li Qing spent another seven days reconnecting the fire-control spirit patterns and tested the restored cauldron’s powerful flames.
• Li Qing delivered the repaired cauldron to Daoist Qingyang and said he had not failed his trust.

Li Qing asked Daoist Qingyang to help him find an opportunity to jointly refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, then discovered that tiger blood could suppress the madness caused by Red Moon crystals. After Rice Bucket chose to consume a purified crystal, an unknown mutation began.

• Li Qing told Daoist Qingyang that he lacked a Foundation Establishment Pill's main ingredient, and Qingyang agreed to watch for someone willing to jointly refine a batch.
• Li Qing decided to cultivate in seclusion for a year while the war between the two sects continued.
• Li Qing found that his blood reduced the madness in Red Moon crystals and tested whether Rice Bucket's blood had the same effect.
• Li Qing explained the possible risks to Rice Bucket, who chose to eat a crystal despite the chance of mutation.
• Rice Bucket swallowed the blood-purified red crystal, and Li Qing sensed his blood beginning to churn.

Li Qing watched Rice Bucket undergo a painful metamorphosis after he swallowed a red crystal, rejecting mutations that could have dramatically increased his strength. By dawn, Rice Bucket had recovered enough for Li Qing to assess his improved aptitude and newly acquired Heterochromatic Eyes.

• Rice Bucket swallowed the red crystal, and his body began a violent transformation as Li Qing reinforced the courtyard's soundproof restriction.
• Rice Bucket expelled filthy blood and bone impurities, then grew pale scales that he shook off voluntarily.
• Fleshy wings grew from Rice Bucket's sides, but he severed them and rejected that mutation as well.
• Scarlet radiance repaired Rice Bucket, and Li Qing fed him Beast Raising Pills after he collapsed from exhaustion.
• At dawn, Li Qing found that Rice Bucket's strength had increased to nearly Late First-tier and that his pupils were now one red and one black.

Li Qing improved his cultivation with a Peiyuan Pill while Rice Bucket’s strength began growing again after its transformation. News from the Black Sand River revealed heavy casualties, a precious Core Formation spirit item, and a mysterious stone egg that escaped with much of the treasure, leaving Li Qing to inform Daoist Qingyang.

• Li Qing found that Beast Raising Pills could once again improve Rice Bucket’s strength and estimated it might reach Late First-tier in three to five years.
• Li Qing swallowed a Peiyuan Pill, refined its medicinal power for six hours, and spent the night clearing the resulting pill toxin.
• Over two peaceful months, Li Qing cultivated and visited Daoist Qingyang while awaiting news from the Black Sand River.
• A Tianhe Sect disciple told Li Qing that Tianhe Sect had won seven of ten arena contests, with Jiu Xiao and Shi Nantian reaching Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
• Li Qing and the disciple learned that the grotto-heaven contained Yin-Yang Spirit Condensing Liquid and a Mysterious Stone Egg that devoured cultivators’ essence blood and escaped with much of the liquid.
• Li Qing left to share the intelligence with Daoist Qingyang as tensions in the Black Sand River region rose again.

The Core Formation Ancestors of the Tianhe Sect and Shangqing Sect joined forces to open the underwater grotto-heaven beneath the Black Sand River, but a stone egg protected by dense demonic qi escaped their grasp. A hundred li away, True Person Linglong revealed that she had spent more than ten years planting a seed for her revenge against the Tianhe Sect.

• Ancestor Wanshan and Old Woman Wen renewed their old grievances before the Core Formation Ancestors agreed to open the grotto-heaven together.
• The five openly present Core Formation cultivators diverted the Black Sand River and blasted open the grotto-heaven, uncovering a third-rank Demonic Python's remains and a damaged slab written in ancient Demonic Script.
• The Core Formation Ancestors broke through the grotto-heaven's floor, releasing a wave of demonic qi and a stone egg that resisted their attacks and fled beyond the horizon.
• The five Ancestors searched the grotto-heaven for more clues, found only ordinary spiritual herbs, and then turned to discussing matters between their sects.
• True Person Linglong watched from a hundred li away and said that the seed she had planted through more than ten years of planning was ready to sprout as she pursued revenge for her master's death.

After the Black Sand River grotto-heaven disaster, Tianhe Sect and Shangqing Sect ended their seven-year war on humiliating terms for Tianhe Sect. As young cultivators rose through Foundation Establishment, Li Qing reflected on the changing era and Jiuxiao invited him to celebrate his breakthrough.

• News of the grotto-heaven’s destruction spread, and the Black Sand River became a ruined wasteland after Core Formation cultivators and Rogue Cultivators ransacked it.
• Tianhe Sect and Shangqing Sect made peace, with Tianhe Sect agreeing to surrender portions of its mine and marketplace profits to Shangqing Sect.
• Chu Tiankuo showed Li Qing the confidential peace terms, and Li Qing judged that Tianhe Sect’s losses in the grotto-heaven had forced it to accept them.
• After the terms leaked, Li Qing realized they would burden Tianhe Sect’s laborers and Cultivation Families, while the sect relied on its own strength to keep them in line.
• Liu Huai'an, Shi Nantian, and Jiuxiao achieved Foundation Establishment, and Jiuxiao invited Li Qing and Daoist Qingyang to his celebration.
• Li Qing accepted Jiuxiao’s invitation, lamented that he had yet to achieve Foundation Establishment, and swallowed a Peiyuan Pill.

Li Qing traveled with Daoist Qingyang to Tianhe Sect for Jiuxiao’s Foundation Establishment celebration, where the sect’s spectacular mountain gate and Jiuxiao’s new status impressed him. At the gathering, Daoist Qingyang mingled with Foundation Establishment elders while Li Qing was relieved to find fellow Qi Refining cultivator Ye Feng.

• Li Qing boarded Daoist Qingyang’s Precious Lotus Vessel, and the two set out for Tianhe Sect; Li Qing realized he had forgotten to prepare a proper congratulatory gift and decided to give spirit stones.
• After six days, Li Qing and Daoist Qingyang passed the rebuilding Tianhe Marketplace and reached Tianhe Sect’s magnificent mountain gate two days later.
• Li Qing and Daoist Qingyang presented their invitations, then Jiuxiao welcomed them and led them through the sect after they gave him a porcelain bottle of pills and one hundred spirit stones.
• Jiuxiao brought the visitors to his cave residence, where more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators had gathered for the celebration.
• The elders warmly welcomed Daoist Qingyang but largely ignored Li Qing, who was relieved to stay unnoticed until Ye Feng waved him over.

Li Qing attended Senior Brother Jiu Xiao’s Foundation Establishment celebration, where Lingying’s zither music calmed his anxiety about falling behind in cultivation. After returning to Qinghua Pond, he resumed cultivating and rejected Xu Sanniang’s plea to take her son Bu'er as a disciple.

• Senior Brother Jiu Xiao hosted an elaborate Foundation Establishment celebration, and Li Qing recognized Lingying, a former member of Daoist Qingyang’s secret trading gathering, among the guests.
• Lingying played the zither, calming Li Qing’s restless thoughts and helping him resolve to cultivate steadily rather than rush his Foundation Establishment.
• Ye Feng told Li Qing he planned to enter seclusion to advance his artifact refinement and then pursue Foundation Establishment.
• Senior Brother Jiu Xiao gave Li Qing Peiyuan Pills as repayment for repairing his spirit boat, and Daoist Qingyang explained that Jiu Xiao wanted to clear their favor before seeking a Law Enforcement Hall elder position.
• After returning to Qinghua Pond, Li Qing rejected Xu Sanniang’s request to teach her son Bu'er or ask Daoist Qingyang to accept him as a disciple.
• Xu Sanniang left with Bu'er and told him to kneel outside Li Qing’s gate each morning.

Li Qing completed an artifact-refining manual for a persistent boy, then received Daoist Qingyang’s summons to help co-refine Foundation Establishment Pills with Liu Hanyue. With all the ingredients assembled, Daoist Qingyang began refining the pills as Li Qing and Liu Hanyue stood guard.

• Li Qing finished annotating the artifact-refining manual and left it outside his gate for the boy who had knelt there for months; the boy thanked him and took it home.
• Daoist Qingyang sent Li Qing a letter summoning him, and Li Qing hurried to his cave abode.
• Li Qing discovered Liu Hanyue was there to co-refine Foundation Establishment Pills and agreed to her terms for sharing the results.
• Liu Hanyue supplied the Origin Melting Fruit and most of the ingredients, while Li Qing provided the three missing supplementary herbs.
• Daoist Qingyang began warming his cauldron, activated his Innate True Fire, and started refining the Foundation Establishment Pills as Li Qing and Liu Hanyue watched.

Daoist Qingyang refined three Foundation Establishment Pills, two of them flawless, and Liu Hanyue and Li Qing divided them according to their agreement. Liu Hanyue then revealed she suspected the Shi Family remnants were targeting her and asked Daoist Qingyang and Li Qing to protect her while she attempted Foundation Establishment at Qinghua Pond; both agreed.

• Daoist Qingyang completed the pill refinement, producing two proper Foundation Establishment Pills and one inferior pill after two portions turned to ash.
• Liu Hanyue took the two proper pills, while Li Qing accepted the inferior pill without asking her to compensate him for it.
• After thanking Daoist Qingyang, Liu Hanyue asked him to guard her while she attempted Foundation Establishment at Qinghua Pond.
• Liu Hanyue said she suspected remnants of the Shi Family were trying to stop her from advancing, and Daoist Qingyang agreed to protect her.
• Liu Hanyue also asked Li Qing to help guard her in exchange for compensation, and he agreed.

Liu Hanyue began establishing her foundation at Qinghua Pond, but Shi Tong and four Shi Family remnants attacked to stop her. Daoist Qingyang and Li Qing defeated the intruders, leaving Liu Hanyue’s breakthrough underway.

• Liu Hanyue began her Foundation Establishment, drawing spiritual energy and alerting the cultivators at Qinghua Pond.
• Shi Tong led four Shi Family remnants toward Liu Hanyue’s cave to disrupt her breakthrough, and Daoist Qingyang intercepted them.
• Daoist Qingyang used his bronze cauldron to suppress four attackers while Shi Bao escaped toward Liu Hanyue’s mountain.
• Li Qing sent Rice Bucket to fight Shi Bao’s white python and attacked Shi Bao with a series of magical artifacts.
• Li Qing trapped Shi Bao in the Water Entanglement Net and killed him with the Stormy Pear Blossom Nail.
• Rice Bucket badly wounded the white python, while Daoist Qingyang crushed the other four Shi Family remnants with his bronze cauldron.

Liu Hanyue successfully established her foundation and compensated Li Qing and Daoist Qingyang for protecting her. After they declined her offer to become Liu Family Guest Elders, she returned to her family while Li Qing prepared to move into her cave dwelling.

• Liu Hanyue completed her breakthrough, and Daoist Qingyang and Li Qing congratulated her on reaching Foundation Establishment.
• Liu Hanyue compensated Daoist Qingyang with Purple Jade Grass and gave Li Qing a five-year cave-dwelling lease and a piece of Moonflow Gold from the Great Desolation Region.
• Several Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivators arrived to congratulate Liu Hanyue, who then invited Daoist Qingyang and Li Qing to become honorary Guest Elders of the Liu Family.
• Daoist Qingyang and Li Qing declined Liu Hanyue's invitation, and she returned to the Liu Family after assuring them the family would remain their friend.
• Li Qing returned to his courtyard and began sorting his belongings so he could move into the cave dwelling on a Second-order Spirit Vein.

Li Qing inventoried the Storage Bag taken from a Shi Family remnant and discovered several valuable inheritances. He planned to focus on cultivation and begin testing whether his powerful Spiritual Sense allowed him to practice Soul Condensing Slash.

• Li Qing opened the Storage Bag and found spirit stones, cultivation pills, ordinary Magic Tools, and a versatile leaf-shaped flying tool.
• Li Qing discovered the Shi Family’s Spirit Plant Record and learned how to tend his Jade Locust Tree.
• Li Qing obtained the Wood Spirit Puppet secret art and considered refining spirit wood into a concealed puppet.
• Li Qing found Soul Condensing Slash, a Spiritual Sense attack art requiring a Foundation Establishment-level divine soul, and decided to attempt cultivating it.
• Li Qing examined a complete alchemy inheritance, then resolved to continue his cultivation, practice the Essence Augmentation Secret Art, and work on Soul Condensing Slash.