Chapter Summaries

Li Qing and Shen Ningbing escaped the Yin-Yang Cave with the Yin-Yang Spirit Liquid, but Li Qing had sacrificed nearly three hundred years of lifespan and reached the False Core stage. After returning to Juluzhou, Li Qing planned to prepare for forming his core.

• Li Qing regained control over his true essence while the Yin-Yang Cave drained his lifespan, and Shen Ningbing returned with the Yin-Yang Spirit Liquid and a mysterious black-and-white mark on her hand.
• Li Qing and Shen Ningbing left the cave, where Li Qing gathered his true essence into his dantian and realized he had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, the False Core stage.
• Li Qing explained that the cave's yin-yang terrain had elevated his cultivation at the cost of lifespan and warned Shen Ningbing against entering unfamiliar terrain recklessly.
• Li Qing and Shen Ningbing flew back to Juluzhou over more than ten days, with no one daring to intercept them.
• Li Qing returned to Nanyang Spirit Peak with Shen Ningbing and said he would prepare to form his core.

Li Qing returned to his cave abode and spent half a year purifying his true essence with Nether Cold Fire and Golden Wind Jade Dew to prepare for Core Formation. After completing this first step, he began preparing to cultivate the Soul Core method, but Shen Ningbing arrived with news of a Core Formation Spirit Item.

• Li Qing returned to Nanyang Spirit Peak and set strict restrictions on his cave abode before entering seclusion with Rice Bucket guarding the entrance.
• Li Qing spent half a year using Nether Cold Fire and the Crimson Blazing Heaven Art to purify his true essence and stabilize his cultivation.
• Li Qing swallowed ten drops of Golden Wind Jade Dew, which removed the last trace of impurities from his true essence.
• Li Qing decided to begin cultivating the Soul Core method and had previously instructed Shen Ningbing and Zhang Da to seek Skyfire Treasure Liquid.
• Shen Ningbing called from outside to report news of a Core Formation Spirit Item, and Li Qing invited her inside.

Li Qing and Shen Ningbing sought out the cloaked traders after learning they would exchange Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid for Third-tier Red Crystals. Li Qing offered to deliver a crystal within three years in return for receiving the spirit liquid in advance, and Wang Chan agreed to meet them.

• Shen Ningbing told Li Qing that the cloaked traders had more than half a portion of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid and wanted Third-tier Red Crystals.
• Li Qing left seclusion with Shen Ningbing and followed the traders' secret address to a ravine near the Giant Wood Forest.
• Uncle Fu recognized Shen Ningbing as a Core Formation cultivator and grew wary when Li Qing admitted they had no Third-tier Red Crystals yet.
• Li Qing offered to provide one Third-tier Red Crystal within three years if Uncle Fu handed over the Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid in advance.
• Li Qing offered the Black Market as collateral, and Wang Chan invited him and Shen Ningbing inside to speak.

Li Qing met Wang Chan, a wanted heir of Prince Yan, and exchanged a Heart Demon Great Oath for Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid, promising to deliver a Third-tier Red Crystal within three years. He left with two prized Core Formation resources and planned to prepare for Core Formation, while Wang Chan’s hidden circumstances remained uncertain.

• Li Qing and Shen Ningbing met Wang Chan in a mountain ravine, where Li Qing recognized her from a Ghost Sword Sect Wanted Poster.
• Wang Chan challenged Li Qing’s offer of a Heart Demon Great Oath, but agreed to give him Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid in exchange for a Third-tier Red Crystal.
• Li Qing swore to deliver one Third-tier Red Crystal to Brother Wang within three years and accepted the spirit liquid.
• After Li Qing and Shen Ningbing left, Wang Chan told Uncle Fu that she had few alternatives and revealed her father had concealed her Dragon's Roar Physique.
• Li Qing suspected Wang Chan was hiding more than she revealed and returned intending to make his final preparations for Core Formation.

Li Qing entered the Eternal Night World to cultivate the Soul Core method, leaving his spiritual spear to guard his cave and taking Rice Bucket with him. Meanwhile, Lin Jing traveled with a caravan toward Baolian City, still wondering where her missing master had gone.

• Li Qing decided to cultivate the Soul Core method in the Eternal Night World, left the Spear of Wind to guard his cave, and hoped the Black Market would find Skyfire Treasure Liquid.
• Li Qing arrived beneath the red moon, released Rice Bucket, and warned him to avoid human cities and dangerous Exotic Beasts.
• Rice Bucket carried Li Qing across the plains as they searched for a secluded place to cultivate.
• A merchant caravan transporting goods on Blood Lotus Sect Unicorn Oxen traveled toward Baolian City while its members discussed the Martial Alliance and its absent guardian.
• Lin Jing listened as the caravan spoke of her master, then wondered where he had gone.

Li Qing endured the painful Soul Pill cultivation while Rice Bucket grew more powerful through hunting Exotic Beasts. In the Black Wind Domain, Lin Jing returned from a degrading meeting with Elder Zhu, then encountered Rice Bucket on the road, where the tiger unexpectedly left the caravan unharmed.

• Li Qing continued splitting and condensing his soul in a barren mountain cave, relying on the Soul Nurturing Bell to endure the agony.
• Rice Bucket repeatedly hunted and devoured Exotic Beasts, growing larger and more fearsome as its fur and stripes changed color.
• Lin Jing met Elder Zhu of the Blood Lotus Sect, who had his white snake drain her blood before agreeing to take responsibility for the Martial Alliance's dwindling Exotic Beast tribute.
• Lin Jing concealed her injuries from the Martial Alliance caravan and worried that her lost qi and blood would prevent her from protecting its members.
• The caravan encountered a blood-soaked Striped Giant Tiger, but the tiger turned and left without attacking them.

Li Qing returned from cultivating in the Eternal Night World with Rice Bucket and discovered the tiger had advanced to the late second tier. After recovering his mana, Li Qing brought Rice Bucket back to the Eternal Night World to continue their work there.

• A caravan led by Lin Jing fled north after a blood-covered exotic beast ignored them and left.
• Li Qing endured painful Soul Pill cultivation, strengthening his divine soul until it nearly matched that of a Core Formation cultivator.
• Rice Bucket returned to Li Qing, reported encountering people, and traveled with him back to his cave abode on Nanyang Spirit Peak.
• Rice Bucket began advancing, drawing a vast tide of Spiritual Energy that Li Qing partly used to replenish his mana.
• Rice Bucket completed his breakthrough as a late second tier demon beast, and Li Qing found no messages from Zhang Da before returning with him to the Eternal Night World.

After three years of cultivating the Soul Pill method in the Eternal Night World, Li Qing successfully condensed a Soul Pill and reunited it with his primary soul. His Spiritual Sense grew powerful enough to affect physical matter, and the chapter left him attacking an Ironclad Savage Bear from afar with Soul Condensing Slash.

• Li Qing endured three years of soul-splitting cultivation and finally divided his soul into primary and secondary parts.
• Li Qing condensed the separated soul into a tiny Soul Pill and merged it back into his primary soul.
• Li Qing’s soul underwent a transformation, greatly expanding his Spiritual Sense and allowing him to activate Soul Condensing Slash instantly.
• Li Qing tested his strengthened soul by cracking a cave wall with Spiritual Sense and then breaking the wall with a blast.
• Li Qing spotted an Ironclad Savage Bear fighting a black tiger and sent a distant Soul Condensing Slash at the bear.

After forming his Soul Core, Li Qing explored Autumn Mountain Domain with Rice Bucket, then entered Baolian City to investigate the Blood Lotus Sect’s control over the aberrants and its demand for Exotic Beasts. He learned that the sect bought the beasts in large numbers, though its true purpose remained unknown.

• Li Qing learned that Rice Bucket had found no Third-order Exotic Beasts nearby and suspected the Blood Lotus Sect had hunted many of them down.
• Li Qing rode Rice Bucket across Autumn Mountain Domain, killed the Exotic Beasts they encountered, and eventually reached Baolian City.
• Li Qing stored Rice Bucket in his Beast Taming Pouch and entered the city in secret, where he overheard hunters lamenting the scarcity of Exotic Beasts.
• Li Qing searched a pig-man aberrant’s soul and discovered that the Blood Lotus Sect controlled people’s mutations and ranks from birth, using the promise of better mutations to secure tribute.
• Li Qing learned from the pig-man’s memories that the Blood Lotus Sect bought Exotic Beast bodies in large quantities, but no one knew why.

Li Qing abandoned his investigation of the Blood Lotus Sect and returned to the Great Desolation Region, where he learned of rising tensions and major discoveries. Shen Ningbing returned with news of the Skyfire Treasure Liquid, leaving Li Qing poised to begin forming his Core.

• Li Qing sensed danger inside the Blood Lotus Sect’s lotus-shaped headquarters, left Baolian City, and returned to his cave abode.
• The Blood Lotus Sect’s Sect Master sensed a powerful Spiritual Sense and ordered the city searched, but Li Qing had already vanished from that world.
• Li Qing read four Spirit Messages and learned that the Nine Nether Demon Lord had killed three Core Formation cultivators who ventured into the eastern Great Desolation.
• Li Qing learned that the Black Market had found Skyfire Treasure Liquid and that Shen Ningbing had gone to complete the transaction for him.
• Li Qing discovered that the Shangqing Sect had sent a Core Formation Ancestor to the Great Desolation Region and burned the letter containing the news.
• Li Qing learned that the righteous and demonic paths had found the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty’s imperial mausoleum and that Gui Fan had challenged Zhang Xiao and a mysterious Pure Yang Physique after forming his Core; then Shen Ningbing announced her return.

Shen Ningbing returned with the Skyfire Treasure Liquid, allowing Li Qing to begin Core Formation after gathering the necessary resources. With Shen Ningbing guarding him, Li Qing purified and solidified his mana, then began the final step of tempering his golden core.

• Shen Ningbing told Li Qing how helping the cultivator from the grand auction had led her to the Skyfire Treasure Liquid, then handed it to him.
• Li Qing decided to form his core immediately, and Shen Ningbing withdrew to guard his cave abode on Nanyang Spirit Peak.
• Li Qing prepared his spiritual energy, swallowed the Pure Moon Pill, and began purifying his true essence before compressing his mana.
• Shen Ningbing blocked curious cultivators from approaching as news of Li Qing's Core Formation spread to Xiangyang City and nearby families.
• Li Qing used the Skyfire Treasure Liquid, Azure Jade Spirit Water, Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid, and Yin-Yang Spirit Liquid to crystallize his spiritual power.
• Li Qing completed the first two steps of Core Formation and began tempering the irregular crystal into a golden core.

Li Qing completed the arduous polishing of his irregular core and successfully reached the Core Formation Realm after nearly five days. He emerged from his cave to congratulations from Shen Ningbing and the gathered cultivators, who had doubted his chances because of his poor aptitude.

• Li Qing used his powerful spiritual sense, strengthened by the Soul Core Art, to polish the irregular crystal in his dantian while Shen Ningbing guarded him and onlookers speculated about his chances.
• After two more days, Li Qing's aura weakened further, prompting spectators to guess that his Four or Five Spiritual Roots were holding him back.
• Li Qing finished polishing the crystal into a perfectly round golden core and successfully achieved Core Formation.
• His aura surged as he absorbed nearby spiritual energy and drained his prepared spirit stones, then he destroyed his cave's restriction with a palm strike and emerged.
• Li Qing thanked Shen Ningbing, and the gathered cultivators and family heads congratulated him and presented gifts.

After forming his Golden Core, Li Qing held a celebration at Nanyang Spirit Peak, accepting gifts and sharing his breakthrough insights with the gathered cultivators. The gathering was interrupted when Gui Fan of the Ghost Sword Sect arrived to meet the newly successful True Person.

• Li Qing invited the cultivators gathered at Nanyang Spirit Peak to a Golden Core celebration and expanded his cave abode with his true essence to accommodate them.
• Zhao Tianxiong, Fan Mingdong, and other faction leaders presented gifts, while the rogue cultivators offered spirit stones; Li Qing accepted them all.
• Li Qing served spirit wine and toasted the guests before speaking about the pursuit of longevity and sharing his firsthand insights into forming a Golden Core.
• When asked about his Spirit Root, Li Qing revealed that he lacked the water element and had Pseudo Spiritual Root aptitude, astonishing the crowd.
• Gui Fan, Young Sect Master of the Ghost Sword Sect, arrived outside Li Qing's cave abode and announced his intention to pay a visit.

Gui Fan offered Li Qing three choices regarding Ghost Sword Sect, and Li Qing chose an alliance that required him to prove his strength in a spar. Their battle escalated into a clash of powerful techniques, leaving the onlookers caught in the shockwave.

• Gui Fan arrived at Nanyang Spirit Peak to investigate Li Qing and offered him a post as Ghost Sword Sect's Guest Elder, expulsion from the peak, or an alliance if he earned Gui Fan's recognition.
• Li Qing used the Dao name Wuji and chose the alliance, hoping to keep cultivating at Nanyang Spirit Peak without becoming a subordinate of Ghost Sword Sect.
• Gui Fan challenged Li Qing to a spar, and Li Qing accepted without relying on a Heavenly Thunder Seed.
• Li Qing dodged Gui Fan's sword strike, countered with a punch, blocked Sword Qi with the Black Furnace, and used Soul Condensing Slash, which Gui Fan stopped with a silver protective talisman.
• Li Qing trapped Gui Fan briefly with the Sky Net Banner and struck with the Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal; Gui Fan broke free and invoked the Myriad Ghosts Dharma Body as the attack exploded around them.

Li Qing defeated Gui Fan’s Myriad Ghosts Dharma Body with the Nether Cold Fire, proving his strength and securing permission to choose a mountain for cultivation. Gui Fan then recognized the flame and proposed that they cooperate.

• Gui Fan survived Li Qing’s Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal and summoned a giant ghost sword through his Myriad Ghosts Dharma Body.
• The cultivators watching the clash fled Li Qing’s cave abode as Gui Fan attacked with his giant sword.
• Li Qing covered himself in Nether Cold Fire and blasted Gui Fan’s sword, causing the flames to consume the Myriad Ghosts Dharma Body and threaten Gui Fan.
• Gui Fan dispersed his Dharma Body, admitted Li Qing’s strength, and allowed him to choose a mountain for cultivation.
• Gui Fan asked whether Li Qing’s spirit fire was the Nether Cold Fire, then proposed that they cooperate.

Li Qing negotiated with Gui Fan to help remove the Pure Yang seal from Gui Fan’s Demon Origin Gold in exchange for three drops of dragon marrow. After two days of recovery and examining the changes from Core Formation, Li Qing considered strengthening his Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal with Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, but Gui Fan arrived before he could try.

• Gui Fan showed Li Qing the Demon Origin Gold sealed by Pure Yang power and asked him to use Nether Cold Fire to help break the seal.
• Li Qing agreed to provide Nether Cold Fire, and after haggling, secured Gui Fan’s promise of three drops of dragon marrow.
• Gui Fan left with the Demon Origin Gold, while Li Qing rested and examined the benefits of Core Formation, including increased lifespan, stronger mana and divine soul, and Core Formation Fire.
• Li Qing found that the Soul Nurturing Bell no longer strengthened his divine soul and considered ways to continue improving his physical body.
• After two days, Li Qing had recovered most of his mana, replenished his Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal, and wondered whether Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire could make it stronger.
• Gui Fan urgently called from outside Li Qing’s cave abode, asking whether he had recovered enough to begin.

Li Qing and Gui Fan tried to break the self-restoring Pure Yang Seal on the Demon Origin Gold using Li Qing’s Nether Cold Fire. Li Qing replenished his dwindling mana with Thousand-year Spirit Milk, allowing Gui Fan to resume refining the seal for his hoped-for Natal Magic Treasure before his battle with Zhang Xiao.

• Gui Fan used Li Qing’s Nether Cold Fire to refine the Pure Yang Seal on the Demon Origin Gold, but the deeply rooted seal weakened only slowly.
• After Li Qing sustained the flames for nearly two days, he and Gui Fan stopped to recover, then discovered the seal was restoring itself.
• Gui Fan urged Li Qing to restart the flames before the seal recovered completely, but Li Qing warned that his mana was nearly exhausted.
• Gui Fan gave Li Qing around twenty Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and Li Qing offered to use five drops of dragon marrow in exchange for continuing to break the seal.
• Li Qing drank Thousand-year Spirit Milk to rapidly restore his mana, and Gui Fan resumed focusing on refining the Demon Origin Gold.

Li Qing and Gui Fan broke the Pure Yang Seal on the Demon Origin Gold, after which Gui Fan collected some of Li Qing’s Nether Cold Fire and paid him five drops of Dragon Marrow. Li Qing shared a drop with Shen Ningbing, secured two peaks at Nanyang Spirit Peak for them to cultivate on, and planned to investigate Shangqing Sect’s forces before taking action.

• Li Qing sustained the Nether Cold Fire until the Pure Yang Seal on the Demon Origin Gold melted away.
• Gui Fan filled a violet-gold gourd with Li Qing’s Nether Cold Fire, then gave him five drops of Dragon Marrow from a specialized black gourd.
• Li Qing asked Gui Fan for two mountain peaks at Nanyang Spirit Peak, and Gui Fan agreed to report the request to the sect.
• Li Qing summoned Shen Ningbing, gave her one drop of Dragon Marrow, and told her they would have two peaks for cultivation.
• Li Qing told Shen Ningbing that the Black Market’s intelligence network would investigate why Shangqing Sect had sent troops to the Great Desolation Region before they decided what to do.

After forming his core, Li Qing found the spiritual energy on Nanyang Spirit Peak depleted until the Ghost Sword Sect relocated the other cultivators. News of True Person Wuji’s unusual aptitude and even battle with Gui Fan spread throughout the Great Desolation Region, while Li Qing suspected Gui Fan was using the story to mislead Zhang Xiao and began considering his own Natal Magic Treasure.

• Ghost Sword Sect Elder Kong Yun ordered the Foundation Establishment cultivators on Li Qing’s peaks to move and respectfully conveyed Gui Fan’s thanks to Li Qing.
• The cultivators moved to other peaks, and word spread that the Four Spiritual Roots rogue cultivator True Person Wuji had formed a core.
• Reports claimed Li Qing had fought Gui Fan to a draw, making True Person Wuji famous across the Great Desolation Region.
• Li Qing received Zhang Da’s Spirit Message and questioned how news of his battle with Gui Fan had spread so widely.
• Li Qing suspected Gui Fan was publicizing the fight to make Zhang Xiao underestimate him, and he considered refining his own Natal Magic Treasure.

Li Qing studied accounts of renowned cultivators’ Natal Magic Treasures and concluded that simple designs were preferable to complex objects, though he still did not know why. Recalling the weapons he had used throughout his life, he chose to refine a hammer and considered bringing his old Peerless Hammer back into use.

• Li Qing searched ancient records for inspiration but found that many famous cultivators had chosen simple Natal Magic Treasures rather than complex objects such as towers or cauldrons.
• Li Qing visited Shen Ningbing and asked whether Ancestor Bingyun had advised her about choosing a Natal Magic Treasure.
• Shen Ningbing recalled that Ancestor Bingyun had asked whether she planned to refine a sword, and had said nothing more after Shen Ningbing chose the Mystic Ice Sword.
• Li Qing reasoned that Ancestor Bingyun might have cautioned Shen Ningbing against choosing a complex object, and returned to his cave abode with his thoughts clearer.
• Li Qing recalled using hammers as a martial artist and later refining the Peerless Hammer, then decided to refine a hammer as his Natal Magic Treasure.