Chapter Summaries

Li Shiming passed the Hungry Ghost Dao trial and absorbed its immense Spirit Energy into himself and Natal Magical Treasure IBMz15, greatly strengthening its Divine Sense. He entered the Animal Dao, then hid inside the Mountain and River Universe Fan carried by the invisible Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon to approach a Bull-headed Monster Great Demon undetected.

• Li Shiming crossed the Hungry Ghost Dao palace, where blue Soul Flames poured pure Spirit Energy into him and nearly overwhelmed his Golden Core body.
• Li Shiming directed the excess Spirit Energy into Natal Magical Treasure IBMz15, which gained enough power to issue Divine Sense without consuming his mental energy.
• Li Shiming passed through the Space Gate, received the Hungry Ghost Dao reward, and discovered IBMz15's greatly increased intelligence and his own loosened cultivation bottleneck.
• Li Shiming entered the Animal Dao and spotted a Bull-headed Monster Great Demon while recognizing that the trial was beyond the intended strength of a Golden Core cultivator.
• Li Shiming entered the Mountain and River Universe Fan and had the invisible Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon carry it past the Bull-headed Monster, which failed to detect it.

Li Shiming used a remote-controlled cannon to distract a Four-Clawed Dragon and stole the Blood-Red Stone it guarded, which he planned to give to the Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon. Meanwhile, Sword Old Ancestor killed the elusive Pale Golden Silver Corpse, clearing the way for the Nascent Soul group.

• The Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon sensed a Blood-Red Stone beneath a Four-Clawed Dragon, and Li Shiming agreed to investigate while prioritizing its safety.
• Li Shiming set a Self-Propelled Cannon to fire at the Four-Clawed Dragon, drawing the dragon away from its nest.
• The Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon seized the Blood-Red Stone, and Li Shiming stored it in his Mustard Seed Ring before ordering the flood dragon to flee.
• The Four-Clawed Dragon destroyed the cannon and returned to find the Blood-Red Stone gone, while Li Shiming promised to give the treasure to the Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon after they left.
• Old Ancestor Jin Kai lent Spiritual Power to Sword Old Ancestor, who used a Sword Net to slice apart the Pale Golden Silver Corpse and ease the Nascent Soul group's advance.

The Nascent Soul Old Ancestors encountered a Golden Corpse whose attacks devoured Spiritual Power and mental power, nearly crippling Old Ancestor Ren Xun before they defeated it together. They repaired their defenses and continued forward, with Old Ancestor Lu’s Golden Corpse taking the lead and the group relying on a Spirit Locking Disk to recover their strength.

• The Sword Old Ancestor trapped and killed several Pale Golden Silver Corpses as the group advanced, until a Golden Corpse struck the Fourth Grade Mystic Armor Puppet and attacked Old Ancestor Ren Xun.
• The Golden Corpse shattered Ren Xun’s Fourth Grade Shield Magical Treasure and damaged his Nascent Soul Avatar, but the Nascent Soul Old Ancestors combined their attacks to kill it.
• Old Ancestor Ren Xun revealed that the blow had nearly cost him his cultivation level and had taken almost a hundred years of cultivation from him.
• Old Ancestor Jin Kai repaired the Fourth Grade Mystic Armor Puppet and proposed that the group protect whoever led the way; Old Ancestor Lu volunteered his Golden Corpse and accepted the Golden Corpse Core as compensation.
• The group arranged for Sword Old Ancestor to support Ren Xun and guarded the repaired puppet as they continued, while Old Ancestor Jin Kai supplied a Fourth Grade Spirit Locking Disk to help them recover Spiritual Power.

The Nascent Soul Old Ancestors destroyed a Golden Corpse by using the Fourth Grade Mystic Armor Puppet as bait, while Li Shiming found the third trial’s palace and drew the Four-Clawed Dragon toward its guards. The Four-Clawed Dragon fought the two Fourth Grade Spiritual Beasts to a draw, leaving the battle unresolved.

• The Nascent Soul Old Ancestors used the Fourth Grade Mystic Armor Puppet to hold a Golden Corpse’s attention and destroyed it with their full-strength attacks.
• Li Shiming found the blood-red palace guarded by two Fourth Grade Spiritual Beasts, but his Self-Propelled Cannon could not lure them away.
• Li Shiming used a Drone to survey the area and placed the Blood-Red Stone to draw the Four-Clawed Dragon toward the palace.
• The Four-Clawed Dragon followed the Blood-Red Stone’s trace, destroyed the Self-Propelled Cannon, and attacked the palace guards after losing the trace near the gate.
• The Four-Clawed Dragon knocked one guard away with its tail and clashed evenly with the other.

Li Shiming passed the Animal Dao trial and received a drop of Body Refinement Great Power Blood, then entered a space filled with Asuras. Using the Heavenly Ghost to hide his aura, he flew safely past them and spotted a massive drum with no Asuras nearby.

• Li Shiming sent the Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon into the Animal Dao palace while the Four-Clawed Dragon fought two Fourth Grade Spiritual Beasts, then entered the Space Gate.
• Li Shiming passed the Animal Dao trial and received a jade bottle containing a drop of Body Refinement Great Power Blood that could improve a cultivator’s Dao Body.
• Li Shiming entered the next space, identified its three-headed, six-armed monsters as possible Asuras, and learned that their drumbeats had little effect on him.
• Li Shiming wrapped himself in the Heavenly Ghost and discovered that the Asuras stopped drumming and ignored him, allowing him to fly past them safely.
• Li Shiming continued through the space and found a massive drum with no Asuras around it, while the Nascent Soul cultivators remained delayed in the Hungry Ghost Dao.

Li Shiming passed the Asura trial by advancing to the Golden Core Late Stage and claimed an Asura Puppet, then used IBMz15 to resist the Human Path Hall’s illusions and pass its trial. He received a dark gold cultivation-art Jade Slip and was teleported from the reward room.

• Li Shiming took a Fourth Grade giant drum and reached the Asura Palace, where its spiritual pressure stopped him just short of the gates.
• Li Shiming broke through to the Golden Core Late Stage, endured the final meter of pressure, and entered the Asura Palace.
• Li Shiming received an Asura Puppet but learned that controlling it required a spirit stronger than his.
• Li Shiming passed through the Human Path Hall by resisting the strange energy that tried to trap him in a series of lifelike identities.
• Li Shiming received a dark gold cultivation-art Jade Slip as the Human Path reward and was sent out of the reward room.

Li Shiming received Great Power Zhai Ge’s inheritance and became master of the Cave Heaven, but its energy could only support one more opening. When the Cave Heaven expelled the other cultivators, Li Shiming escaped the approaching Nascent Soul Old Ancestors through a gap in their encirclement.

• Great Power Zhai Ge’s spiritual incarnation named Li Shiming his disciple, placed the inheritance in his mind for him to study after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, and sent the other trial-takers away.
• Two Golden Corpses grievously wounded Old Ancestor Lou and Old Ancestor Jin Kai before the Nascent Soul Old Ancestors killed them and were expelled from the Cave Heaven.
• Li Shiming emerged in his original location holding the Crystalline Orb and realized that opening the Cave Heaven would consume its remaining energy until it replenished itself a thousand years later.
• Li Shiming used Close In Distance, Far In Horizon to flee through a gap as the ten Nascent Soul Old Ancestors rushed toward him.
• Honored One Hui Ke and Old Ancestor Jin Kai pursued Li Shiming, then tried to determine which direction he had taken.

After escaping the ten Nascent Soul Old Ancestors, Li Shiming returned to his sect and entered secluded cultivation, advancing his Silver Corpses and nurturing the Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon while studying a spiritual cultivation method. Meanwhile, Old Ancestor Jin Kai rallied the Northern Shu Old Ancestors to search for the Cave Heaven inheritor, and the Six Great Sects began purging cultivators who had defected to the Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild.

• Li Shiming returned to the mountain gate, told Elder Su he was entering secluded cultivation, and began cultivating while arranging resources for his Silver Corpses and Phantom Spirit Flood Dragon.
• Old Ancestor Fan learned of Li Shiming’s secluded cultivation and told Elder Su to keep news of his progress secret, offering spirit medicines for refining Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills.
• Li Shiming discovered that the dark gold jade slip contained the Human Path Reincarnation Art and recorded it for IBMz15 to analyze.
• Old Ancestor Jin Kai told the Northern Shu Nascent Soul Old Ancestors that a cultivator had obtained Great Power Zhai Ge’s inheritance, and they agreed to coordinate a search.
• Eternal Joy Island closed the Eternal Joy Battlefield and expelled local cultivators, while the Six Great Sects began purging those who had defected to the Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild.

Li Yuanba returned to Boundary Mountain City and secluded himself to cultivate the Human Path Reincarnation Art while negotiations over the Blessed Land Inheritance began on Eternal Joy Island. The Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild and the Six Great Sects agreed to investigate You Xia and Sun Ao and signed a contract dividing any recovered benefits, with the Guild receiving one-third.

• Li Yuanba returned to Boundary Mountain City and entered secluded cultivation to practice the Human Path Reincarnation Art.
• Six Nascent Soul Ancestors from Northern Shu met with Old Ancestor Jin Kai, who served Fourth Grade Spirit Tea that they compared unfavorably with Li Shiming’s spirit tea.
• Old Ancestor Lu proposed that the Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild share intelligence about the Blessed Land, and Old Ancestor Jin Kai provided a Jade Slip and named You Xia and Sun Ao as suspects.
• Old Ancestor Jin Kai and Old Ancestor Lu negotiated the division of any recovered inheritance, agreeing that the Guild would receive one-third and Northern Shu two-thirds.
• The Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild and the Six Great Sects formally signed a Rule Power Contract to bind their agreement.

After reaching the Golden Core Late Stage, Li Shiming emerged from seclusion and received a precious Fourth Grade Spirit Medicine from Old Ancestor Fan to practice refining the Shu Mountain Mysterious Treasure Pill. He successfully refined it, while concealing how smoothly the work went and deciding to manage a conflict between his two cultivation arts.

• Li Shiming emerged from seclusion, and Old Ancestor Fan confirmed his advancement to the Golden Core Late Stage and gave him a Heavenly Mysterious Earth Blood Ginseng to practice with.
• Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo agreed to wait outside Sword Holding Peak for Li Shiming's result and keep visitors from disturbing him.
• Li Shiming refined the Shu Mountain Mysterious Treasure Pill in the Server Room Space while cultivating, and he grew more cautious after learning the Eternal Joy Battlefield had been suspended.
• Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo waited anxiously as Elder Su turned away Golden Core Late Stage cultivators seeking to visit Li Shiming.
• Li Shiming emerged on the tenth day with a pale face and reported that refining the pill had consumed him greatly, though he had completed it the previous day.
• Li Shiming discovered that the Human Path Reincarnation Art conflicted with the Greedy Heaven Dreaming Sleep Incantation and decided to stop the latter whenever he cultivated the former.

Li Shiming successfully refined a batch of high-quality Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills, earning recognition and a Nascent Soul level Spiritual Meridian offer from Old Ancestor Fan. After learning Yin Shilan had advanced to the Golden Core Stage, he traveled with Old Ancestor Zuo to the Thousand Illusions Sect, where he received a formal welcome as an honored grandmaster.

• Li Shiming presented three high-quality Shu Mountain Mysterious Treasure Pills to Old Ancestor Fan, who promised to secure him a Nascent Soul level Spiritual Meridian.
• Old Ancestor Fan gave Li Shiming three stalks of Fourth Grade Spirit Medicine, while Old Ancestor Zuo commissioned pills and gave him a Golden Corpse Core as compensation.
• Li Shiming agreed to refine one batch of Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills each month and planned to finish Old Ancestor Fan's pills before Old Ancestor Zuo's.
• Li Shiming learned that Yin Shilan had advanced to the Golden Core Stage and set out for the Thousand Illusions Sect to congratulate her, accompanied by Old Ancestor Zuo.
• Old Ancestor Zuo discussed the Cave Heaven and golden corpses with Li Shiming during their journey.
• Old Ancestor Ge Yuqing and hundreds of Golden Core cultivators welcomed Li Shiming and Old Ancestor Zuo to the Thousand Illusions Sect, honoring Li Shiming at Old Ancestor Zuo's level.

Li Shiming met with the Thousand Illusions Sect’s Nascent Soul Old Ancestors after revealing his Golden Core Late Stage cultivation and success in refining Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills. Old Ancestor Ge arranged to take Yin Shilan as her disciple, and after the others left, Li Shiming reunited with Yin Shilan and gave her treasures and resources for her Golden Core cultivation.

• Old Ancestor Zhan asked Old Ancestor Zuo whether Li Shiming could refine Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills, and Old Ancestor Zuo confirmed that Li Shiming had produced three high-grade pills in his first batch.
• Old Ancestor Ge proposed taking Yin Shilan as her disciple, and Master Luo agreed to the arrangement.
• Li Shiming hosted the Nascent Soul Old Ancestors and Master Luo with spirit tea and fruit while they waited for Yin Shilan to finish cultivating.
• Yin Shilan emerged, met Old Ancestor Zhan and Old Ancestor Zuo, and received a top-grade Third Grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure from Old Ancestor Zuo.
• After the others left, Yin Shilan learned that Li Shiming had advanced to the Golden Core Late Stage, and Li Shiming presented her with magical treasures and cultivation resources.

Li Shiming gathered Illusory Moon Spirit Fruits and pill-refining commissions from the Thousand Illusions Sect’s Nascent Soul Old Ancestors before returning to Shu Mountain Sect. There, he agreed to prioritize Old Ancestor Lou’s healing pills after learning Lou had been injured defending the Northern Shu Continent.

• Old Ancestor Ge gave Li Shiming Illusory Moon Spirit Fruits, which strengthened his spirit, and arranged for him to refine her pills eight months later.
• Old Ancestor Zhan gave Li Shiming twenty more Illusory Moon Spirit Fruits and a Golden Corpse Core as a deposit for a future pill-refining commission.
• Li Shiming left the Thousand Illusions Sect with Old Ancestor Zuo and returned to Shu Mountain Sect, where Old Ancestor Fan introduced him to Old Ancestor Lou.
• Old Ancestor Lou requested Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills, and Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo urged Li Shiming to put Lou first because he had been injured defending the Northern Shu Continent.
• Li Shiming agreed to refine Old Ancestor Lou’s healing pills after resting for two days and promised to deliver them in twelve days.

Li Shiming refined high-grade Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pills, restoring Honored One Huijing to much of his strength and fulfilling Old Ancestor Lou’s request. After Li Shiming chose to remain at Sword Holding Peak, Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo installed a Nascent Soul-level Spiritual Meridian there.

• Li Shiming used the Unfixed Earth Spirit Mushroom and ten simulated attempts to prepare for refining Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pills.
• After nine days, Li Shiming refined six high-grade pills and gave two to Honored One Huijing, whose strength recovered to eighty percent.
• Old Ancestor Fan reassured Old Ancestor Lou while he waited for Li Shiming’s pills and resolved to share the Earth Fiend Sect’s Alchemy Dao Inheritance with him.
• Li Shiming delivered Old Ancestor Lou a full batch of high-grade pills, and Old Ancestor Lou swallowed one to begin healing.
• Li Shiming declined to move to another mountain range, so Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo moved a Nascent Soul-level Spiritual Meridian into Sword Holding Peak.

Li Shiming received higher sect permissions, healed Old Ancestor Lou with a Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pill, and memorized the Earth Fiend Sect's Alchemy Dao Inheritance. At Eternal Joy Island, Old Ancestor Jin Kai learned of Li Shiming's skill and asked Old Ancestor Zuo to arrange for the injured Ren Xun to meet him about refining healing pills.

• Old Ancestor Fan and Old Ancestor Zuo upgraded Li Shiming's permissions, and Old Ancestor Fan granted him access to the Nascent Soul level Library Pavilion while warning him not to practice its Secret Arts.
• Old Ancestor Lou recovered more than half his injuries after taking Li Shiming's Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pill, then agreed to accompany Old Ancestor Zuo to Eternal Joy Island.
• An Earth Fiend Sect Golden Core Elder brought its Alchemy Dao Inheritance for Li Shiming to memorize, and IBMz15 recorded the full contents.
• At Eternal Joy Island, Old Ancestor Jin Kai learned that Li Shiming had refined a high-grade healing pill for Old Ancestor Lou and considered meeting him for treatment of his own injuries.
• The Nascent Soul Ancestors discussed their failed search for You Xia and Sun Ao, and Old Ancestor Jin Kai revealed that the Cave Heaven trial's inheritor cultivated a Thunder Element Cultivation Technique.
• Old Ancestor Jin Kai asked Old Ancestor Zuo to arrange for Ren Xun to meet Li Shiming and request Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pills, despite Li Shiming's recent exhaustion.

Li Shiming decided to teach Honored One Huijing the Human Path Reincarnation Art while reserving Fourth Grade cultivation resources for his own advancement. When Old Ancestor Ren Xun arrived to request healing pills, he offered Li Shiming a Nascent Soul Pill as payment, leaving Li Shiming surprised by the rare reward.

• Li Shiming taught Honored One Huijing the Human Path Reincarnation Art, and Honored One Huijing quickly began cultivating it alongside his unknown Main Cultivation Method.
• Li Shiming prepared two Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills for Old Ancestor Fan and met Old Ancestor Ren Xun, who sought Fourth Grade Healing Spirit Pills for his injuries.
• Old Ancestor Ren Xun asked Old Ancestor Zuo and Old Ancestor Fan to leave so he could negotiate privately with Li Shiming.
• Old Ancestor Ren Xun offered Li Shiming a Jade Bottle as payment, and Li Shiming recognized the Spiritual Pill inside as a Nascent Soul Pill.

Li Shiming bargained with Old Ancestor Ren Xun for a Golden Corpse Core and the Mahayana-level Lapis Flame Sun-Eating Art in exchange for a Nascent Soul Pill and healing pills. He gave the cultivation art to the Shu Mountain Sect, then delivered Old Ancestor Ren Xun’s healing pill and collected the remaining payment.

• Li Shiming displayed several resources for becoming Nascent Soul, convincing Old Ancestor Ren Xun that the Nascent Soul Pill was less valuable to him than Ren Xun had assumed.
• Li Shiming obtained a Golden Corpse Core and demanded a cultivation art reaching the Mahayana Stage; Old Ancestor Ren Xun gave him the Lapis Flame Sun-Eating Art and asked him to keep it secret for a hundred years.
• Li Shiming shared the Lapis Flame Sun-Eating Art with Old Ancestor Zuo and Old Ancestor Fan, who accepted it as an inheritance for the Shu Mountain Sect.
• Li Shiming refined pills for Old Ancestor Ren Xun, and ten days later gave him a Jade Bottle containing the healing pill.

Old Ancestor Jin Kai decided to use the Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild’s resources to draw Li Shiming closer, while Sword Old Ancestor prepared to leave the Northern Shu Continent and bid farewell to Li Yuanba. Li Yuanba visited Li Shiming at Shu Mountain Sect, where the two reunited and he brought a Fourth Grade High Level Healing Spiritual Pill.

• Old Ancestor Ren Xun reported that Li Shiming was an extraordinary alchemist with ambitions beyond the Northern Shu Continent, and Old Ancestor Jin Kai offered to cover the cost of future pill refining so Ren Xun could befriend him.
• Li Shiming cultivated beside Honored One Huijing as Huijing began converting his cultivation to the Lapis Flame Sun-Eating Art, enduring pain as the technique affected his Nascent Soul.
• Sword Old Ancestor told Li Yuanba that he planned to leave the Northern Shu Continent in ten months and gave him a Golden Corpse Core before they parted.
• Li Yuanba traveled through Boundary Mountain Pass to Shu Mountain Sect and was escorted inside by Li Shiming’s Silver Corpse.
• Li Yuanba reunited with Li Shiming in his Cultivation Room and took out a Fourth Grade High Level Healing Spiritual Pill.

Li Yuanba gave Sword Old Ancestor a Fourth Grade High Level Healing Spiritual Pill, while Li Shiming gathered Golden Corpse Cores through alchemy arrangements and helped Honored One Huijing begin changing cultivation techniques. The Northern Shu Continent’s peace ended when a Heavenly Inquiry Sect flying boat arrived, prompting Jin Kai and Ren Xun to uncover a spy and prepare for a powerful visitor.

• Li Yuanba intimidated three Shu Mountain Sect Golden Core cultivators, then gave Sword Old Ancestor the healing pill he had obtained from Li Shiming in exchange for a Golden Corpse Core.
• Sword Old Ancestor accepted the pill and spent several days teaching Li Yuanba sword techniques.
• Old Ancestor Lu, Honored One Hui Ke, and Old Ancestor Lan each arranged alchemy with Li Shiming and paid with a Golden Corpse Core.
• Li Shiming saw the first Lapis Flame Sun-Eating Art Cultivation Technique Rune appear in Honored One Huijing’s body and Nascent Soul, while the Six Great Sects’ investigation made no progress.
• A Heavenly Inquiry Sect flying boat approached Eternal Joy Island, and Jin Kai and Ren Xun identified and seized a spy from the temporary encampment.
• Jin Kai sensed an approaching Nascent Soul-level aura and grew more concerned because he was still suppressing his injuries.

Old Ancestor Luo Wei of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect arrived in the Northern Shu Continent seeking information about a Cave Heaven, but found the Heavenly Travel Merchant Guild allied with the Six Great Sects. He arranged to settle his people on Mountain Sea Island while both sides watched each other cautiously.

• Old Ancestor Luo Wei let Old Ancestor Jin Kai capture the Heavenly Inquiry Sect's spy, then flew forward to confront Jin Kai while Old Ancestor Han Xiao stayed with the Flying Boat.
• Luo Wei and Jin Kai tested each other's strength, and Luo Wei realized Jin Kai was stronger than before while Jin Kai concealed his suppressed injuries.
• The Six Nascent Soul Ancestors arrived and aligned themselves with Jin Kai; he identified Luo Wei as a wind-element cultivator from the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.
• Luo Wei offered to exchange Fourth Grade Spiritual Pills for Fourth Grade Spirit Medicines, but Old Ancestor Lu said the Northern Shu Continent had none to spare.
• Luo Wei said he would remain in the region and occupy an island, so Old Ancestor Lu promised to clear Mountain Sea Island for him within five days.