Chapter Summaries

Li Qingyun took control of the Eastern Desolation Domain Temple, though he still needed the Central Land Continent Temple to formally confirm his authority. He appointed Tushan Wenshan as subordinate god for external affairs and sent him to request the commendation decree.

• The eminent flea clans of Great Desolation City welcomed Li Qingyun and hurried to prepare gifts for him.
• Li Qingyun assigned the Sixth Fruit Commended Jade Body to Golden Deer Dao Lord and gave three nearby Fourth Fruit temples to Zhenhui, Jade Furnace, and Pure Yang.
• Li Qingyun's Jade Body statue took its place in the domain temple, and the Eastern Desolation's Dao authority shifted to him.
• Li Qingyun realized that Saint Venerable Limò still needed to confirm his position, or his control of the domain would remain incomplete.
• Li Qingyun appointed Tushan Wenshan subordinate god for external affairs and ordered him to visit the Central Land Continent Temple to request a commendation decree.
• Li Qingyun promised that the position would remain with Tushan Wenshan's clan if its descendants developed the required potential, and Wenshan gratefully accepted.

After the Great Ruin subsided, Li Qingyun opened the domain temple, accepted offerings, and reorganized the Eastern Desolation’s subordinate gods and territories. He left the domain’s future confirmation to a mission to the continental temple while rival Dao Lords watched for an opportunity to challenge his rule.

• The Great Ruin ended at dawn after nearly a million lousefolk died, and the devastated Eastern Desolation began to recover.
• Prominent families of Great Desolation City entered the domain temple to worship Li Qingyun and present gifts, which he accepted while judging their loyalty.
• Li Qingyun replaced the Ten Halls with Eight Departments and appointed Quan Lei, Zhi/Houtu, Tushan Wenshan, Spider Two, and Qing Nu to positions under the domain temple.
• Tushan Wenshan announced that he would lead a delegation to the continental temple to seek confirmation of the Eastern Desolation appointments.
• Three Pure Ones disciples claimed vacant cultivation grounds and fiefs, while Li Qingyun left remaining holdings to be assigned to the highest bidders.

Li Qingyun filled vacant Eastern Desolation temple positions, recruiting Great Temple Keepers from the Wind Bear Tribe and checking on the Shadowed Domain, where his former allies continued to grow stronger. In Biquan Domain, Dao Lords discussed his sudden rise as Domain Master, while Nine Heavens Azure Dao Lord began to respond with a reservation.

• Li Qingyun appointed members of the Chi and Ling clans and selected Yuan Han and Feng Lie of the Wind Bear Tribe as Great Temple Keepers.
• The Wind Bear Tribe celebrated Yuan Han and Feng Lie’s appointments, seeing them as a chance to improve the tribe’s standing.
• Li Qingyun saw that Miaoxuan and A’li were nearing the Sever Self Realm, while Zhu Yuyan and Yuanbao had also advanced substantially.
• Li Qingyun observed that Wang Chengyuan had secretly reached the Pure Self Realm, and Biyou Palace disciples had begun offering him incense.
• In Biquan Domain, Dao Lords discussed Li Qingyun’s victory over Mishin Dao and his appointment as Domain Master, and Nine Heavens Azure Dao Lord began to qualify her praise.

Dao Lord Biluo and the Biyou Palace ancestral Dao Lords agreed that Wang Chengyuan had to be killed for practicing ancient incense methods, and planned to have the Lingbao Sect intervene. After Tushan Wenshan returned to the East Wasteland, he told Li Qingyun that Dao Lord Zhòujué had ambushed them on the way back.

• Dao Lord Biluo warned that Wang Chengyuan's ancient practices were contaminating the mortal Biyou lineage and invoked Senior Brother Yi Dai's warning against ancient methods.
• The Biyou Palace ancestral Dao Lords agreed that Wang Chengyuan could not be allowed to live.
• Dao Lord Biluo proposed resolving the mortal dispute through mortal forces and sent a black-whiskered Dao Lord to meet Li Qingyun with Junior Brother Banruo.
• Dao Lord Biluo decided that the Lingbao Sect should act against Wang Chengyuan in the Shadowed Domain.
• Tushan Wenshan returned to the East Wasteland and told Li Qingyun that Dao Lord Zhòujué had ambushed them, but Senior Quan Lei had protected them.

Li Qingyun received the continent temple’s imperial edict confirming him as Lord of the Eastern Desolation, then secretly returned to the Blackwater Mother River ahead of the Qinghe Fu’s Great Purge. At the Three Pure Ones Temple, he prepared to bring his fully formed Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body into the Great Thousand.

• Li Qingyun accepted the imperial edict, and his Merfolk clone had earlier driven off Dao Lord Zhòujué’s attempt to attack the enfeoffment delegation.
• Li Qingyun ordered Yuan Han and Feng Lie to display the edict, while the Dragon Horn Girl and the barbarian youth became grand temple keepers.
• Li Qingyun sensed that the opportunity for the Ear Connection Fruit had emerged and estimated it would take two to three years to fully realize it.
• Li Qingyun stationed Quan Lei in the domain temple to guard his Jade Body, then slipped away from Great Desolation City and entered the Blackwater Mother River.
• Li Qingyun returned to the Three Pure Ones Temple and examined the Jade Pure Mysterious Pearl, where his Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body had fully taken shape.

Li Qingyun tried to bring the Jade Pure Saint Body to birth inside the Three Pure Ones Temple at the Eye of Guixu, where its emergence would draw terrifying powers. As the pearl began to crack, a summons from upstream stirred the Mother River while hostile forces converged on the temple.

• Li Qingyun accelerated the Jade Pure Saint Body's awakening, and its radiance disturbed the Time Ruin Mother River and Wei Zu Great Thousand.
• A mysterious will rose from the Eye of Guixu, drawn by the Saint Body's presence.
• Wandering Dao Lords heard an upstream summons and rushed toward the source, including Ancestor Yin, Ancestor Zhu, and Ancestor Wang.
• Li Qingyun ordered the Three Pure Ones disciples to remain inside the temple, warning that the summons was a demonic lure aimed at him.
• A terrifying force tried to pierce the Mother River, and the Shangqing Lingbao Sect Master scrambled the river domain's vital energy to obstruct it.
• The Jade Pure Saint Body formed a Dao seal, and the Mysterious Pearl split as its shell neared shattering.

Li Qingyun formed the Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body, whose descent drew a terrifying response from an external presence beyond the Mother River. After concealing the Saint Body within his Dao Lord root body, he discovered that it had revealed the paths to his remaining fruit positions.

• Fang Xun and Kong Hou succumbed to the call from upstream, so Shangqing Lingbao Sect Master expelled them from the Three Pure Ones Temple and erased their knowledge of the Dao De Jing’s wondrous arts.
• Li Qingyun’s Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body emerged from his primordial spirit body, consuming much of its foundation.
• An unseen external presence sent a terrifying howl through the roots of the Dao Lords, but the Saint Body’s separation from Li Qingyun’s root body kept it from being detected.
• Li Qingyun’s Saint Body chanted a Dao invocation that quieted the Three Pure Ones Temple and drove back the disturbances from outside.
• Li Qingyun’s three root bodies agreed to conceal the Jade Pure Saint Body within his Dao Lord root body while it secretly eroded the Great Thousand’s origin.
• The Saint Body revealed the paths to Li Qingyun’s fifth through ninth fruit positions, removing the bottlenecks from his Dao Lord pathway.

After gaining the Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body, Li Qingyun glimpsed the mysterious being controlling the bronze chains, then cut off its attempt to trace him. A hungry will climbed from the Return to Ruin Abyss and attacked the Three Pure Ones Temple, where Li Qingyun stepped forward to confront it.

• Li Xuanji sensed a terrifying presence climbing from the Return to Ruin Abyss and warned Li Qingyun that its earlier search had been drawn by his breakthrough.
• Li Qingyun used his Saint Eye to see bronze chains behind himself and Li Xuanji, then traced them to a mysterious Daoist holding countless chains.
• Li Qingyun saw grotesque mouths covering the mysterious being and shut his Saint Eye before it could trace him in return.
• The formless will reached the abyss mouth, sensed the scent from the Three Pure Ones Temple, and charged toward it despite the Mother River's suppression.
• The will broke through the black-water storm and struck the temple's clear-light barrier, shaking the temple and terrifying Sifeng Dao Lord and the disciples.
• Li Qingyun stepped out of the Three Pure Ones Temple and rebuked the attacker.

Li Qingyun and Soul-Qingyun drove off a terrifying tentacled Demonic Beast that nearly destroyed Three Pure Ones Temple. Soon after, Li Qingyun witnessed the Mother River’s Great Purge begin as Qinghe Fu monsters appeared and slaughtered wandering Dao Lords.

• Soul-Qingyun struck the invisible Demonic Beast with a palm, breaking its tentacles and driving it to threaten Three Pure Ones Temple.
• Li Qingyun formed a Jade Pure Dao seal and shattered the Demonic Beast’s phantom, though it vowed to return and devour him.
• Li Qingyun and Soul-Qingyun reassured the disciples, whose faith in the Three Dao Ancestors grew stronger.
• Li Qingyun sensed the Mother River’s Great Purge and saw corrupted Qinghe Fu monsters emerge across the river.
• The Qinghe Fu attacked wandering Dao Lords, killing hundreds as survivors fled and called for help.

Li Qingyun watched the Qinghe Fu unleash a devastating attack on the wandering Dao Lords in the Mother River. Ancestor Yin fell to an Eight Fruits corrupted monster, leaving Li Qingyun to conclude that only his identity as the Shangqing Lingbao Sect Master could oppose it.

• Li Qingyun saw 109 corrupted Qinghe Fu sweep through the Mother River and slaughter wandering Dao Lords gathered at the upstream river mouth.
• An Eight Fruits corrupted monster attacked Ancestor Yin, while Ancestor Zhu and Ancestor Wang refused to help and fled to the Eye of Guixu.
• Ancestor Yin called for Jade Pure and Shangqing to save him, but Li Qingyun judged that the newly born Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body was too weak to arrive in time.
• The monster tore out Ancestor Yin's heart, and Ancestor Yin detonated his Heart Connection Fruit Position, wounding the creature briefly before it healed.
• Li Qingyun withdrew his sacred gaze after Ancestor Yin died and concluded that only his Shangqing Lingbao Sect Master identity could deal with the corrupted monster.

Li Qingyun watched the Qinghe Fu slaughter in the Mother River but chose not to intervene, until corrupted monsters threatened the Three Pure Ones Temple at Guixu. He drove three Seven-Fruit monsters into the abyss, then struck at an Eight Fruits monster as it charged toward the temple.

• Li Qingyun observed the Qinghe Fu's killings and decided that intervening would only provoke more corrupted monsters.
• Over a hundred corrupted monsters swept downstream, avoiding Yellow Corpse Water undercurrents and passing the Mother River's Ruin Eyes as they converged on Guixu.
• Three Seven-Fruit corrupted monsters charged the Three Pure Ones Temple, and the Shangqing Lingbao Sect Master redirected Guixu's black waters to sweep them into the abyss.
• An Eight Fruits corrupted monster arrived after devouring Ancestor Yin and advanced toward the temple despite the Eternal Soul Corpse's presence.
• Li Qingyun struck the Eight Fruits corrupted monster with a palm that evaporated the black water and crashed into it.

After the Mother River’s devastating cleansing, the Incense Seller arrived at the first ruin eye to sell Binding Incense. A young girl named Miss Shi took over for her ailing grandfather and faced a crowd of Dao Lords trying to force down her prices.

• Li Qingyun sent the regenerated Eight Fruits corrupted creature into the Guixu abyss, and the other corrupted creatures fled.
• The year-end cleansing ended after the corrupted creatures vanished, leaving nearly a thousand wandering Dao Lords dead, including Ancestor Yin.
• The surviving factions recognized the Three Pure Ones Temple as the Mother River’s safest refuge and looked forward to its next recruitment.
• The day after the cleansing, a gray-robed girl named Miss Shi arrived at the first ruin eye on an Ancient Stone Turtle to sell Binding Incense.
• The Dao Lords learned that Miss Shi’s grandfather was unwell and pressed her to lower the incense price because so many temple masters had died.

Miss Shi tried to sell Binding Incense by the Mother River, but after she refused to lower her price further, several wandering Dao Lords pursued her to steal it. As the stone turtle and Miss Shi fought off their attackers, Li Qingyun arrived and prepared to intervene.

• Miss Shi lowered the price of Binding Incense under pressure, but the stone turtle carried her away before she could offer an even cheaper price.
• Several wandering Dao Lords followed Miss Shi, intending to kill her and take the chest of incense.
• A black-robed Dao Lord caught up with Miss Shi and attacked, but her binding-pattern Desolate Qi sent him flying off the stone turtle.
• The black-robed Dao Lord called for the others to attack together, and the stone turtle turned to fight them in the black waters.
• Li Qingyun arrived after hearing the commotion and looked on, wanting to protect Miss Shi and learn about her binding patterns.

Li Qingyun intervened when Miss Shi was about to be killed by a group of wandering Dao Lords in the Mother River. His Jade Pure Profound Light protected her and the stone turtle while devastating the attackers, leaving them retreating and demanding to know who he was.

• The wandering Dao Lords shattered Miss Shi’s wooden box, scattering her binding incense and giving them an opening to crush her defenses.
• The stone turtle killed a Sixth Fruit wandering Dao Lord but could not save Miss Shi, who believed she was the last true human and prepared to die.
• Li Qingyun appeared and condemned the attackers before unleashing his Jade Pure Profound Light.
• Li Qingyun’s light injured and drove back the wandering Dao Lords while shielding Miss Shi and the stone turtle.
• The black-robed Daoist and the other survivors retreated from the light and demanded to know Li Qingyun’s identity.

Li Qingyun drove off the Dao Lords threatening Miss Shi and left the Mother River after refusing her offer of Binding Incense. Back in the Eastern Desolation Domain, he considered the binding threads in his Merfolk clone and Miss Shi’s mysterious command of them.

• Li Qingyun invoked the Three Pure Ones’ decree to protect Miss Shi, and the injured Dao Lords fled rather than defy him.
• Miss Shi thanked Li Qingyun and offered him Binding Incense, but he asked her to sell it to the Three Pure Ones Temple at the Ruins' Return instead.
• Li Qingyun left through the Ruin Eye of Langtian Continent, reflecting on the power of Great Transcendence beings.
• The next day, Li Qingyun’s Primordial Spirit returned to his Jade Body Divine Statue in the Eastern Desolation Domain.
• Quan Lei observed that the blood-red binding threads in Li Qingyun’s Merfolk clone were nearing the amount needed to reach Ancestral Return Realm Stage Three.
• Li Qingyun recalled that Miss Shi seemed to understand and tame binding patterns, which he suspected could function like Dao patterns.

Li Qingyun advanced toward the Ear Connection Fruit while the domain temple reshaped Great Desolation City’s louse clans. He discovered that Great Transcendence was the Haotian Realm, then narrowly evaded the Crisis Ancestor’s attention.

• Li Qingyun used the Jade Pure Primordial Saint Body and offerings to accelerate his progress toward the Fifth Fruit Position, the Ear Connection Fruit.
• The domain temple’s forces purged clans tied to the Mishin Dao Alliance and redistributed their wealth, while Xuan Hun, Yunjing, Yongsheng, and others traveled to the Time Ruin Mother River.
• Li Qingyun traced a faint heavenly insight and learned that the Haotian Realm, not the Body Root Fruit, was true Great Transcendence, with only one Great Thousand Heaven Master in a Great Thousand at a time.
• Li Qingyun realized the Crisis Ancestor was likely the Great Thousand’s Haotian and had consumed beings who passed beyond the Eighth Fruit Position, including his future self and Li Xuanji.
• The Crisis Ancestor sensed Li Qingyun’s discovery and searched for him, but Li Qingyun used a Jade Pure Seal Art to disrupt the search and escape detection.

Li Qingyun focused on refining Six Ears and advancing to the Fifth Fruit Position while Great Desolation City weathered three minor ruin descents. Dao Lords Chi Xuan and Banruo arrived from Youhai Continent on Senior Sister Biluo’s instructions to visit Qingyun Dao Lord, and they marveled at the city’s scale as they entered.

• Li Qingyun continued cultivating in the domain temple, seeking the Fifth Fruit Position and relying on the Dao Lord primordial spirit’s plan to undermine the Great Thousand Dao Authority.
• Great Desolation City safely endured three minor ruin descents as spring arrived.
• Chi Xuan and Banruo emerged from the East River Water Veins and admired Great Desolation City before entering it to visit Qingyun Dao Lord.
• Chi Xuan teased Banruo about Li Qingyun’s rise, while Banruo privately resented Chi Xuan’s condescending treatment of him.
• The Biyou lineage Dao Lords traveled invisibly through the bustling city, and Chi Xuan marveled at its prosperity compared with the small domain temple in Youhai Continent.

Houtu brought Biyou Dao Lords Chi Xuan and Banruo to meet Li Qingyun at the Eastern Desolation Domain Temple. The two asked Li Qingyun to kill Wang Chengyuan on behalf of Biyou Dao, while Nine Heavens Biluo promised to repay the Lingbao Lineage’s favor.

• Houtu introduced herself as an Earth Division subordinate deity and invited Chi Xuan and Banruo to the domain temple by Li Qingyun’s decree.
• Chi Xuan and Banruo entered the temple and were shaken by Li Qingyun’s immense presence and the splendor of his divine statue.
• Li Qingyun welcomed the Biyou Dao Lords as fellow countrymen from the State of You and asked how they intended to deal with Wang Chengyuan.
• Chi Xuan and Banruo asked Li Qingyun to slay Wang Chengyuan, saying Biyou Dao and Nine Heavens Biluo would remember his favor.
• Chi Xuan and Banruo said Biluo planned to visit Changhu Continent to kill Wang Chengyuan and avenge Chihun.

Li Qingyun agreed to help Biyou Dao by ordering Wang Chengyuan killed, and Lingbao Sect carried out the decree, destroying Biyou Palace’s mountain gate. Dao Lord Biluo then set out to kill Leng Quan, hoping to repay Qingyun and secure a connection to the mysterious Three Pure Ones Sect.

• Li Qingyun accepted Chi Xuan and Bannuo Dao Lord’s request, then ordered his mortal-world disciples to destroy Biyou Palace’s mountain gate and kill Wang Chengyuan.
• True Man Meng Shan delivered Qingyun Ancestor’s decree to Miaoxuan, A’li, and Li Zuo, and A’li eagerly set out to confront Wang Chengyuan while Yuanbao stayed behind.
• Five days later, Dao Lord Biluo learned that Wang Chengyuan had been slain and Biyou Palace’s mountain gate had collapsed, and she resolved to repay Li Qingyun’s help.
• Dao Lord Biluo traveled toward the Mother River’s sea mouth, recalling Biyou Dao’s interest in the Three Pure Ones Sect and her plan to kill Leng Quan.

Li Qingyun learned that Chi Hun had cleared his mental haze and attained the fourth fruit position after Biluo killed Leng Quan, then welcomed Dongfeng to the Eastern Desolation while Yanxin chose to stay behind. By late October, Li Qingyun attained the fifth fruit position and resolved to claim a domain temple on Langtian Continent within ten years.

• Biluo killed Leng Quan, and Chi Hun shook off his mental haze and attained the fourth fruit position.
• Chi Hun invited Dongfeng and Yanxin to join the Lingbao patriarchs in the Eastern Desolation.
• Li Qingyun welcomed Dongfeng, who decided to migrate, while Yanxin chose to remain in Changhu Continent and guard Lingbao Dao's territory.
• At the end of October, Li Qingyun attained the Ear Connection Fruit and reached the fifth fruit position.
• Li Qingyun resolved to claim a domain temple on Langtian Continent within ten years and planned to hint at his intentions to Saint Venerable Limò.