Recaps

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.

Li Qing refined a block of Primordial Stone into his Natal Magic Treasure, the Primordial Peerless Hammer, after fifteen days of work. The hammer’s completion earned him five hundred years of lifespan, bringing his total to 1,583 years.

• Li Qing began refining the Primordial Stone with Nether Cold Fire and shaped it according to the Peerless Hammer he had carried for years.
• After seven days, Li Qing switched to his Core Formation Fire and continued shaping the hammer, consuming his remaining Thousand-year Spirit Milk.
• Five more days later, a powerful aura and surge of spiritual energy from Li Qing’s cave abode alarmed the Rogue Cultivators at Nanyang Spirit Peak.
• Li Qing completed the stone hammer, named it the Primordial Peerless Hammer, and found that he could control it as naturally as his own limbs.
• Li Qing received a reward of five hundred years of lifespan, raising his total to 1,583 years.

Li Qing planned his next steps after forming his core, then refined four drops of dragon marrow and gained increased cultivation, vitality, and lifespan. He discovered a Spirit Message waiting outside his cave abode.

• Li Qing decided to seek a second Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, investigate the Shangqing Sect’s group through the Black Market, fulfill his oath to obtain Third-tier Red Crystal, and eventually visit the Eternal Night World.
• Li Qing stored the Primordial Peerless Hammer in his dantian and realized that simpler Natal Magic Treasures were easier to nourish than complex objects.
• After restoring his Spiritual Power, Li Qing refined four drops of dragon marrow over nearly three months, strengthening his organs and gaining nearly three years’ worth of meditation progress.
• Li Qing found that the dragon marrow had extended his lifespan by another year, then sensed a Spirit Message outside his cave abode.

Li Qing learned too late about Gui Fan and Zhang Xiao’s duel, then waited as their fight in the Ancient Imperial City escalated into a confrontation between the Taiyi Sect and the Ghost Sword Sect. The chapter ended with Gui Li and a Blood Spirit Sect ancestor joining forces to kill True Lord Chi Yuan.

• Li Qing discovered that Gui Fan and Zhang Xiao’s Core Formation duel had already begun five days earlier and decided to wait for news of the outcome.
• Gui Fan and Zhang Xiao fought with their Natal Magic Treasures, and Gui Fan gained the advantage with his Myriad Ghosts Dharma Body.
• Gui Fan used Nether Cold Fire hidden in a purple-gold gourd to burn Zhang Xiao, then moved to kill him.
• True Lord Chi Yuan intervened to save Zhang Xiao, but Gui Li arrived and drove him away from the Ancient Imperial City.
• A Blood Spirit Sect ancestor appeared to assist Gui Li, and the two prepared to kill True Lord Chi Yuan.

After Tai Xuan rescued Chi Yuan from two Demonic Ancestors, the Three Demonic Sects declared war on Taiyi Sect, threatening to engulf the Great Desolation Region in conflict. Li Qing prepared to keep his associates and Black Market safe, then planned to travel to the Eternal Night World to seek Third-tier Red Crystal and investigate the Blood Lotus Sect.

• Tai Xuan fought Gui Li and Rakshasa Demon Lord, rescuing the gravely injured Chi Yuan and Zhang Xiao.
• The Three Demonic Sects declared war on Taiyi Sect, and Li Qing considered the tensions and dangers behind the coming conflict.
• Li Qing wrote to Shen Ningbing, advising her to stay cautious, and told Zhang Da to keep the Black Market and intelligence network hidden while quietly expanding them.
• Li Qing decided to go to the Eternal Night World to search for Third-tier Red Crystal and investigate the Blood Lotus Sect.

Li Qing, calling himself True Person Wuji, entered the Blood Lotus Sect and insisted on seeing the unusual lotus in its blood pool. Yue Qiusheng guided him to the pool, where the lotus was revealed, leaving Li Qing poised to examine it.

• Li Qing used his powerful Spiritual Sense to scan the Blood Lotus Sect and drew Yue Qiusheng out of the blood pool.
• Li Qing ignored Yue Qiusheng and walked into the sect, while its elders arrived and threatened him.
• Yue Qiusheng stopped his followers and dismissed them before asking Li Qing who he was.
• Li Qing introduced himself as True Person Wuji and said he wanted to see the unusual blood lotus.
• Yue Qiusheng led Li Qing to his secluded cultivation chamber and opened the hidden door, revealing the blood pool and its lotus.

Li Qing learned that the Blood Lotus grew by absorbing red moonlight and had inspired the Blood Lotus Sect Master to create a path of cultivating with Red Moon Secret Power. After the Sect Master resisted Li Qing’s demand to inspect the sect’s old immortal Dao scriptures, Li Qing overpowered him, and the Sect Master agreed to take him to the abandoned Scripture Repository.

• Li Qing examined the Blood Lotus and discovered its roots were nourished by the remains of exotic beasts.
• The Blood Lotus Sect Master explained that he had found the Blood Lotus after the Age of Dharma's End began and drew inspiration from it to cultivate with Red Moon Secret Power.
• Li Qing revealed that he had seen an enormous willow tree in the Black Wind Domain, and the Sect Master confirmed that it shared the Blood Lotus’s origin.
• Li Qing asked to read the Blood Lotus Sect’s old immortal Dao inheritances, but the Sect Master claimed the sect had none worth mentioning.
• Li Qing unleashed his Core Formation Fire and overwhelmed the Blood Lotus Sect Master, who then agreed to lead him to the abandoned Scripture Repository.

Li Qing searched the Blood Lotus Sect’s abandoned book tower for useful Immortal Dao inheritances while the Blood Lotus Sect Master explained how he had gathered them. He found several manuals worth keeping, including a Core Formation divine ability suited to his cultivation, and continued browsing the tower.

• The Blood Lotus Sect Master told Li Qing that the tower held inheritances collected from his sect and former Immortal Dao factions across Autumn Mountain Domain.
• The Blood Lotus Sect Master asked why Li Qing wanted the manuals, and Li Qing said he was reading them out of curiosity and asked whether the Master would return to the Immortal Dao if spiritual energy recovered.
• The Blood Lotus Sect Master considered that he might prefer his current Red Moon Secret Power and lifespan, then left Li Qing alone in the tower.
• Li Qing found and stored the Evergreen Ageless Technique, the Forging Origin Method Fragment, the Spirit Marker Technique, and the Change Heaven and Earth: Disguise Chapter, while rejecting several other manuals.
• Li Qing discovered the Great Luo Hand, a Core Formation divine ability that combined spiritual power with physical strength, and stored it for later use.

Li Qing discovered several rare Immortal Dao inheritances in the Autumn Mountain Domain library, including powerful pill formulas, cultivation arts, and a map to a secret realm. He resolved to seek the realm’s Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, hoping its fire seed had survived the Age of Dharma’s End.

• Li Qing found a Third-tier Alchemy Inheritance containing the Spirit Nurturing Pill formula, which could increase a Core Formation cultivator’s cultivation.
• Li Qing examined the Mortal Transformation Pill formula and judged its ingredients so rare that refining it was impractical.
• Li Qing discovered the Hundred Treasures Body Crossing Art and the Origin Tempering Technique, which could strengthen the body and deepen a cultivator’s mana.
• Li Qing found a treasure map to a former Autumn Mountain Domain secret realm that had contained a Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire.
• Li Qing memorized the map and decided to search for the secret realm, believing the spirit fire’s seed might still exist.

The Blood Lotus Sect Master ordered the elders not to provoke True Person Wuji while he searched the library tower. Elder Zhu succumbed to his craving for martial artists’ blood and trapped Lin Jing in the Hundred Snake Hall, leaving her gravely wounded and at his mercy.

• The Blood Lotus Sect Master warned the elders to let True Person Wuji finish searching the library tower and leave without interference.
• Lin Jing led the Martial Alliance convoy delivering exotic beast materials into Baolian City.
• Elder Zhu endured the shedding of the white snakes growing on his body and learned that Lin Jing had arrived with the materials.
• Elder Zhu summoned Lin Jing, claimed the delivery was insufficient, and tried to take her blood as the white snakes blocked her escape.
• Lin Jing failed to break through the hall’s defenses and was struck down; as Elder Zhu’s snakes crawled toward her, she murmured that she missed her master.

Li Qing rescued Lin Jing from Elder Zhu and used his own life-rich blood to stabilize her after she was gravely injured. Once Lin Jing could stand, Li Qing promised not to leave her again and took her out to settle the debt with someone.

• Li Qing stormed into Hundred Snake Hall and cut the white snakes off Lin Jing, then marked Elder Zhu with spiritual power.
• Li Qing sealed Lin Jing's acupoints and poured his true essence into her, but realized he lacked the medicine needed to save her.
• Lin Jing woke in Li Qing's arms, mistook him for a vision, and told him about the deaths of Senior Brother Xiaoman and Senior Brother Xiaofeng.
• Li Qing cut his wrist and fed Lin Jing his life-rich blood, which restored her color and rapidly improved her condition.
• Lin Jing begged Li Qing not to leave her again, and he helped her up before saying he would take her to kill someone.

Li Qing discovered that the Blood Lotus Sect had nearly killed his disciple Lin Jing and attacked its headquarters, destroying most of the sect and killing its members. He confronted the surviving Blood Lotus Sect Master and revealed that he was Martial Alliance Protector Li Qing.

• Li Qing had Lin Jing pretend to be dead, then declared that he would destroy the Blood Lotus Sect for harming her.
• The Blood Lotus Sect Master emerged to confront Li Qing, but Li Qing’s Primordial Peerless Hammer struck him and razed the sect’s headquarters.
• Li Qing killed the fleeing Blood Lotus Sect members with Spiritual Sense blades and caught Elder Zhu, then crushed his bones and burned him to ashes.
• Li Qing told Lin Jing not to show mercy to enemies, and she agreed.
• Li Qing called out the Blood Lotus Sect Master, who crawled from the ruins and asked who Li Qing was; Li Qing identified himself as Martial Alliance Protector Li Qing.

Li Qing confronted the Blood Lotus Sect Master as the Martial Alliance Protector and tried to destroy the blood lotus that Yue Qiusheng empowered with his life. The lotus withstood Li Qing’s hammer and Core Formation Fire, and he launched a Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal fused with Nether Cold Fire at it.

• Li Qing revealed himself as the Martial Alliance Protector, reunited with Lin Jing, and promised to eliminate the Blood Lotus Sect Master.
• The Blood Lotus Sect Master awakened the blood lotus and returned his Red Moon Secret Power to it, causing Yue Qiusheng to let the lotus devour him and become a lotus seed.
• Li Qing struck the blood lotus with the Primordial Peerless Hammer and Core Formation Fire, but it resisted both attacks and unleashed a storm of petals.
• Li Qing used the Black Furnace to withstand the petal storm, then attacked the blood lotus with a Shattering Yuan Great Fire Seal infused with Nether Cold Fire.

Li Qing destroyed the Blood Lotus in Baolian City with the Heavenly Thunder Seed and the Primordial Peerless Hammer, then recovered the lotus seed it left behind. He reunited with Lin Jing, explained that the immortal path had been severed, and said he would stay to see the new martial path forged by Miao Xi and Xishan.

• Li Qing struck the wounded Blood Lotus with the Heavenly Thunder Seed, then smashed its exposed core with the Primordial Peerless Hammer and killed it.
• Li Qing recovered the blood-colored lotus seed and decided to keep it rather than risk planting it.
• Lin Jing praised Li Qing and asked to learn his techniques, but Li Qing told her to continue cultivating the qi-and-blood martial path with Miao Xi.
• Li Qing explained to Lin Jing that spiritual energy had withered in the Age of Dharma's End and admitted he did not know why it had disappeared.
• Lin Jing introduced Li Qing to the Martial Alliance martial artists as their guardian, and Li Qing rebuked them for kneeling.
• Li Qing told Lin Jing he would not leave soon and wanted to see the new martial path Miao Xi and Xishan had forged.

Li Qing reunited with Yan Xishan and Miao Xi after treating Lin Jing, and learned how they had advanced the qi-and-blood martial path into the Innate Realm. After testing their new power, he named it Innate True Qi, leaving the path with two established realms.

• Li Qing restored Lin Jing's martial foundations, and she fell asleep after he promised he would not leave.
• Miao Xi and Yan Xishan welcomed Li Qing, who reassured Yan Xishan that he was not to blame for the deaths of Xiao Man and Xiao Feng.
• Li Qing told Miao Xi that the Blood Lotus Sect was gone and that the Autumn Mountain Domain could join the territory where the qi-and-blood martial path spread.
• Yan Xishan and Miao Xi demonstrated the Innate Realm, explaining that they had developed it after Yan Xishan witnessed the Demonic Willow feed.
• Li Qing tested their qi with his Body Arts, felt its piercing force, and named it Innate True Qi.

Li Qing cultivated the Innate Realm and took Lin Jing with him to hunt a Third-order Exotic Beast in the Black Wind Domain. As they approached the One-Eyed Giant Deer’s territory, the beast sensed them from the west.

• Li Qing used his qi and blood to nourish his body, causing Innate True Qi to gather and grow within his dantian.
• Lin Jing brought Li Qing the Martial Alliance’s intelligence on four known Third-order Exotic Beasts, including the One-Eyed Giant Deer and the Chattering Worm.
• Li Qing agreed to let Lin Jing accompany him to hunt, warning her to obey his orders and not act on her own.
• On the way west, Lin Jing discovered that Rice Bucket was intelligent and delighted in trying to communicate with him.
• Li Qing continued cultivating as Rice Bucket carried them toward the One-Eyed Giant Deer, which turned toward the east and roared.