Chapter Summaries

A Sky Ocean Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator killed a Profound Darkness Sect cultivator, but the enemy’s self-destruction infected nearby residents with a poisonous mist. Li Shiming found a Storage Bag at the scene and hid it in his Server Room Space, while the Foundation Establishment cultivator promised him a later reward.

• The Foundation Establishment cultivator and Gu Jia flew to the residence after the cultivator sensed a Profound Darkness Sect demon nearby.
• The enemy used black blood and a red Talisman to flee, but the Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Sword Lights wounded him and cut off his escape.
• The enemy self-destructed, releasing black blood mist that transformed nearby residents into monsters, which the Foundation Establishment cultivator killed with a Sword Net.
• The Foundation Establishment cultivator ordered Gu Jia to have the authorities seal off the contaminated area, and Gu Jia went to notify the Royal Family.
• Li Shiming found a Storage Bag by the roadside and secretly put it into the Server Room Space before the Foundation Establishment cultivator said he would reward him.

Li Shiming discovered that the unusual Storage Bag held a Refined Corpse, then met Uncle-Master Cui, who approved of his cultivation method and taught him an artifact-control art. He left with Gu Jia, his entry into Sky Ocean Sect effectively secured.

• Li Shiming found a bronze-skinned Refined Corpse inside a Yin-Cold Space Pouch and put it away after confirming it remained still.
• Gu Jia summoned Li Shiming to meet Uncle-Master Cui and warned that the meeting concerned his survival after reaching the sect.
• Uncle-Master Cui questioned Li Shiming about his origins and learned he practiced the Five Elements Qi Absorption Art, which he praised as a top-tier Qi Refining method.
• Uncle-Master Cui gave Li Shiming the Dragon's Eye Awakening Touch Art to study and ordered him not to pass it on.
• Li Shiming memorized the art, and Gu Jia told him his acceptance into Sky Ocean Sect was effectively settled.

Li Shiming used the Dragon's Eye Awakening Touch Art to form a bond with the Blazing Flame Sword, then cultivated with his Spirit Gathering Disk and altered the flow of spiritual power. His Spiritual Power Vortex expanded, advancing him to Qi Refining Stage 3.

• Li Shiming awakened the Blazing Flame Sword's rune array and formed a faint connection with the magical artifact.
• Li Shiming used the sword to ignite spiritual power flames, then found that his Spiritual Power Hand could suspend it but could not control it freely.
• Li Shiming abandoned the idea of bonding with a high-grade wooden sword and considered how Jade Slips could help him store information in IBMz15.
• Li Shiming concealed his Spirit Gathering Disk in his basement and used it to cultivate with the Five Elements Qi Absorption Art.
• Li Shiming adjusted ten spiritual power circulation routes, speeding up his Spiritual Qi Vortex until he advanced to Qi Refining Stage 3.

Li Shiming strengthened his bonds with several magical artifacts while preparing to leave Central Capital and join a Cultivation Sect. He left instructions for his household and comforted Si Qin before his departure the next day.

• Li Shiming awakened the Azure Kite Wooden Sword’s Rune Array and discovered he could make the sword fly and strike, though a single attack consumed most of his Spiritual Power.
• Li Shiming practiced with the Blazing Flame Sword and Clear Wind Robe, learning that the robe enhanced his speed and that the Blazing Flame Sword required a Flying Sword method for remote control.
• Li Shiming waited through September for retaliation from the Profound Darkness Sect, but none came.
• Li Shiming gave Steward Zhang a letter for Li Wenyuan to deliver if he did not return, and explained that he planned to join a Cultivation Sect with his father’s agreement.
• Li Shiming told Mo Yan to learn from Steward Zhang and left silver and instructions for Si Qin, who wept and asked him to return.

Li Shiming attended the Immortal Ascension Gathering at the Temple of Heaven and had his spiritual roots tested. He met the Sky Ocean Sect’s recruitment requirements and agreed to join.

• Li Shiming left home before dawn and traveled to the Temple of Heaven, where the Immortal Ascension Gathering was being held.
• Gu Jia welcomed Li Shiming and told him he could stay beside him while the youths gathered for testing.
• Uncle-Master Zhao arrived with two other cultivators and began the spiritual root tests.
• Gu Jia introduced Li Shiming to Uncle-Master Zhao, who invited him to test his spiritual roots first.
• The Spiritual Root Testing Jade revealed that Li Shiming was sixteen years and seven months old with Gold, Fire, and Wood Triple Spiritual Roots.
• Uncle-Master Zhao offered Li Shiming a place in the Sky Ocean Sect, and Li Shiming agreed to join.

Li Shiming helped Uncle-Master Zhao test the candidates at the Immortal Ascension Gathering, and five youths passed the Sky Ocean Sect’s requirements. After the rejected Spiritual Root holders were claimed by affiliated Small Sects, Zhao took Li Shiming and the other successful candidates aboard a Flying Boat, where Li Shiming discovered the cabin held exceptionally dense Spiritual Qi.

• Uncle-Master Zhao assigned Li Shiming to help manage the candidates and call them into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
• The Four-Clawed Golden Dragon youth passed with a Quadruple Spiritual Root, and the Palace Dress Girl passed with a Triple Spiritual Root.
• By the end of testing, only thirteen of nearly four hundred candidates had Spiritual Roots, and five met the Sky Ocean Sect’s requirements.
• Several cultivators from affiliated Small Sects arrived to claim the eight rejected youths who still possessed Spiritual Roots.
• Uncle-Master Zhao lifted Li Shiming and the other successful candidates onto a Flying Boat and led them into its first-floor cabin, where Li Shiming sensed dense Spiritual Qi.

Li Shiming stood watch aboard the Flying Boat as it gathered more qualified youths and prepared to return to Sky Ocean Sect. He rebuffed Jin Shufeng’s attempt to recruit him, while growing somewhat closer to Senior Brothers Ma and Wu.

• Senior Brother Ma assigned Li Shiming a watch shift and gave him a Warning Talisman, while Senior Brother Wu showed him the first-floor controls.
• Jin Shufeng invited Li Shiming to join his group, but Li Shiming told him to rest quietly, leaving Jin Shufeng resentful.
• Li Shiming distributed meals to the youths, then shared Spiritual Bamboo Shoots with Senior Brothers Ma and Wu, who advised him to trade them for cultivation resources.
• The Flying Boat stopped in three more countries and took on nine youths; Jin Shufeng recruited nine youths into his group while the senior disciples showed little regard for him.
• Li Shiming learned that the Flying Boat was preparing to return to Sky Ocean Sect.

Li Shiming detected an ambush waiting in the clouds and alerted Uncle-Master Zhao, who confronted five Profound Darkness Sect cultivators. The confrontation began with Uncle-Master Dai joining Uncle-Master Zhao, while Li Shiming and the youths remained aboard the Flying Boat.

• Li Shiming used the IBMz15 to identify a cloud moving in an abnormal cycle and stopped the Flying Boat by activating his talisman.
• Uncle-Master Zhao praised Li Shiming and saw five cultivators emerge from the concealed trap in the sky.
• Uncle-Master Zhao and Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu flew out to face the attackers, while Li Shiming stayed on the deck to watch.
• The enemy Foundation Establishment cultivator used eerie laughter to unsettle Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu, but Uncle-Master Zhao's protective incantations and booming laughter steadied them.
• Uncle-Master Zhao called for Uncle-Master Dai, who flew from the Flying Boat to join the confrontation.

The Sky Ocean Sect ambush on the Profound Darkness Sect erupted into a battle, and an Iron Corpse trapped the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators while enemy disciples targeted the Spiritual Root Seeds. As the Flying Boat descended toward a lake with two pursuers following, Li Shiming prepared to abandon it and protect himself.

• Uncle-Master Dai began the battle by killing a Profound Darkness Sect Qi Refining Cultivator, while Uncle-Master Zhao engaged their Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
• The Profound Darkness Sect Cultivator summoned an Iron Corpse, forcing Uncle-Master Zhao to retreat and Uncle-Master Dai to return to help him.
• The Profound Darkness Sect Cultivator ordered four Qi Refining Cultivators to attack the Spiritual Root Seeds while the Iron Corpse and its master kept the two Sky Ocean Sect elders occupied.
• Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu fought the four Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators, while Li Shiming saw two enemies pursue the Flying Boat as it descended toward a lake.
• Li Shiming analyzed the battle, activated a Low-Grade Body Lightening Talisman and a Mid-Grade Earth Armor Talisman, then used a Low-Grade Invisibility Talisman.

Li Shiming fled into a lake to escape a Profound Darkness Sect cultivator, but was quickly caught and attacked underwater. He used a Buddhist mantra and his Azure Kite Wooden Sword to kill his pursuer, leaving his fate after the battle unresolved.

• Li Shiming jumped from the Flying Boat and dove into the lake with an oxygen tank and breathing mask.
• A Profound Darkness Sect Qi Refining Cultivator followed him underwater and caught up despite Li Shiming's efforts to swim away.
• The cultivator attacked Li Shiming with a sound-wave technique, but Li Shiming used the Great Compassion Mantra to resist and pretended to be incapacitated.
• Li Shiming sang the Great Compassion Mantra with sound frequencies imitating the cultivator's Devil Sound Enters the Ear technique, briefly disrupting his opponent and dispersing his defensive spell.
• Li Shiming sent his Azure Kite Wooden Sword into the cultivator's heart, killing him.

Li Shiming hid underwater after killing a Profound Darkness Sect Qi Refining Cultivator, while another attacker slaughtered the youths aboard the Flying Boat. Uncle-Master Cui rescued the survivors and brought Li Shiming back to the boat, where only nine of the thirty youths remained alive.

• Li Shiming stored the corpse of the Profound Darkness Sect Qi Refining Cultivator and stayed underwater rather than risk fighting another enemy.
• The attacker broke through the Flying Boat's defenses and killed Jin Shufeng and many of the youths aboard.
• Uncle-Master Cui arrived and killed the attacker with a Sword Light, then asked the survivors where Li Shiming was.
• Jin Fengzhi told Uncle-Master Cui that Li Shiming had lured a cultivator into the water, and he brought Li Shiming safely onto the Flying Boat.
• Li Shiming entered the first floor and saw the attacker's corpse and the bodies of the youths, with only nine survivors remaining.

After a Profound Darkness Sect attack left twenty-one youths dead, Li Shiming helped arrange their bodies and stayed beside them while the survivors recovered. The Flying Boat set off for the Sky Ocean Sect, where Uncle-Master Zhao and Uncle-Master Dai promised him a favor for helping save the survivors.

• Li Shiming collected the Profound Darkness Sect cultivators’ corpses and recovered a Storage Bag that belonged to Uncle-Master Cui.
• Li Shiming and four youths arranged the twenty-one dead youths, and Uncle-Master Zhao later collected their bodies and gave the nine survivors Spirit Calming Pills.
• Uncle-Master Zhao told Li Shiming that Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu had died in battle as the Flying Boat took off.
• Uncle-Master Zhao and Uncle-Master Dai each offered Li Shiming one future request in recognition of his service.
• Uncle-Master Cui let Li Shiming keep the Profound Darkness Sect cultivator’s Storage Bag and warned him against learning the sect’s cultivation techniques.

Li Shiming and the nine Youths arrived at the Sky Ocean Sect after a dangerous voyage across the sea. Uncle-Master Zhao laid out the newcomers’ three-month deadline to reach Qi Refining First Level and warned that they would not be allowed to leave the sect’s range.

• While the Flying Boat crossed the ocean, Li Shiming studied his imitation of the Profound Darkness Sect’s “Devil Sound Enters the Ear” and saw a Sea Beast use Spiritual Power to catch flying fish.
• Three days later, Uncle-Master Zhao announced their arrival at an island group and ordered Li Shiming to prepare the nine Youths to disembark.
• Uncle-Master Zhao brought the group to the Central Island, where Li Shiming was overwhelmed by the dense Spiritual Qi around Clear Autumn Pavilion.
• Uncle-Master Zhao told the newcomers to choose a Main Cultivation Method and reach Qi Refining First Level within three months, or become Servant Disciples; he said they could not leave the sect’s range unless they reached Qi Refining Fifth Level or died of old age.

Li Shiming and the other new disciples learned about cultivation paths and had their Spiritual Root Values tested at Clear Autumn Pavilion. Li Shiming discovered his Gold Spiritual Root was dominant and received additional sect equipment because he had already reached Qi Refining Stage 3.

• Zhu Ji explained combat styles, cultivator professions, and how Spiritual Root Values guided the choice of a Main Cultivation Method.
• Li Shiming entered the Spirit Testing Formation and learned his values were Gold 81, Fire 11, and Wood 8, while confirming it did not detect his Server Room Space.
• Zhu Ji explained how the disciples could use their Spiritual Root Values to choose cultivation methods and said that compatibility could matter more than the values themselves.
• Zhu Ji revealed that the batch had no Single or Dual Spiritual Root disciples, so the Eight Peaks had little interest in assessing them immediately.
• The new disciples received Sky Ocean Sect robes and Jade Tokens, while Li Shiming received a Storage Bag containing extra items because he had reached Qi Refining Stage 3.

Li Shiming visited the Scripture Pavilion to use his free newcomer selection and sect reward, choosing a body refining technique alongside his existing Main Cultivation Method. He left Senior Brother Liu copying the Qi Refining Stage portion of Vajra Body Protection Divine Art and warning him not to share sect techniques.

• Li Shiming rode a Paper Crane from Clear Autumn Pavilion to the Scripture Pavilion.
• Senior Brother Liu checked Li Shiming’s Identity Jade Disc and told him he could choose a free Qi Refining Stage cultivation method and a combat technique through his sect reward.
• Li Shiming asked about Metal Attribute body refining techniques, and Senior Brother Liu described Vajra Body Protection Divine Art, Bronze Body Art, and Dragon Elephant Mystic Art.
• Li Shiming rejected the resource-intensive Dragon Elephant Mystic Art and chose Vajra Body Protection Divine Art.
• Senior Brother Liu began copying the technique’s Qi Refining Stage portion into a Jade Slip and warned Li Shiming that privately passing it on could lead to severe punishment.

Li Shiming chose the expensive Sword Control Art and returned to Clear Autumn Pavilion, where he began studying the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art. He learned that the body-refining method was dangerous and required many costly spiritual herbs.

• Li Shiming gave Senior Brother Liu five spirit stones and chose the Sword Control Art, which cost three thousand five hundred merit points.
• Senior Brother Liu gave Li Shiming the Sword Control Art jade slip and warned that its contents would erase after one month.
• Li Shiming returned to his small room in Clear Autumn Pavilion and activated its Isolation Array.
• Li Shiming used the IBMz15 to memorize the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art and discovered that cultivating it required anger, a clear mind, and careful bodily strengthening.
• Li Shiming saw the long list of spiritual herbs the technique required, unaware that he had chosen an especially difficult and resource-intensive path.

Li Shiming studied the Sword Control Art and inspected a slain Profound Darkness Sect cultivator’s belongings, finding a useful concealment array and several mysterious items. He left the ominous Black Banner untouched and discovered a ten-cubic-meter Storage Bag on the cultivator’s corpse in his Server Room Space.

• Li Shiming copied the Sword Control Art into the IBMz15 but decided to wait until he had greater control over a longsword before practicing it.
• Li Shiming searched the late-stage qi refining cultivator’s Storage Bag and identified a Profound Darkness Shadow Array, which he kept.
• Li Shiming sensed terrifying howls from a Black Banner and left it inside the Storage Bag until he could identify it.
• Li Shiming found a rune-covered box containing black-wrapped, unidentified spiritual materials, along with four hundred and thirty Spirit Stones.
• Li Shiming entered the Server Room Space, retrieved the Storage Bag from the cultivator’s corpse, and found it held ten cubic meters.

Li Shiming deciphered a Jade Slip taken from a slain Profound Darkness Sect cultivator and discovered it contained the Profound Darkness Corpse Refining Chapter. He found that the cultivator had carried most of the materials needed to refine a Bronze Corpse into an Iron Corpse, including items from the Storage Bag, while learning the sect’s corpse-refining practices targeted talented Spiritual Root Seeds.

• Li Shiming found an encrypted Jade Slip in the ten-cubic-meter Storage Bag and used IBMz15 to decipher it.
• Li Shiming inventoried five oversized Low Grade Magical Artifacts and valuable-looking materials but initially found little he could use.
• IBMz15 deciphered the Jade Slip, revealing the Profound Darkness Corpse Refining Chapter, which described refinement only up to the Iron Corpse stage.
• Li Shiming recognized that most of the materials required to evolve a Bronze Corpse into an Iron Corpse were among the black-cloth-wrapped items he had collected.
• The chapter explained that the Profound Darkness Sect sought talented Spiritual Root Seeds as Refining Corpse Materials, and that the slain cultivator had targeted Li Shiming for that purpose.

Li Shiming studied the Profound Darkness Sect’s corpse-refining methods and decided to subdue the Bronze Corpse to strengthen himself. Though the process nearly overwhelmed him with terrifying visions, he subdued the corpse and celebrated his success.

• Li Shiming learned that refined corpses could be seized and grow stronger, and recalled how he had obtained the Bronze Corpse from the Corpse Storage Bag left behind after Uncle-Master Cui killed its former owner.
• Li Shiming decided that the Bronze Corpse’s strength was worth the risks of using the Profound Darkness Sect’s technique.
• Li Shiming cut his fingertip and forced out a drop of Essence Blood, leaving himself severely weakened.
• Li Shiming shaped the Essence Blood into a Rune Pattern and sent it into the Corpse Storage Bag to subdue the Bronze Corpse.
• The Bronze Corpse opened its eyes and sent terrifying visions and sounds through their new mental connection, but Li Shiming used IBMz15 to play the Great Compassion Mantra and resist them.
• Li Shiming sensed that the Bronze Corpse had been successfully subdued and laughed in relief.

Li Shiming discovered that his newly subdued Bronze Corpse was much stronger than expected and began cultivating at Clear Autumn Pavilion to advance quickly. After asking Senior Brother Zhu Ji about cultivation recovery and the Black Banner, he received a purification method for it.

• Li Shiming sensed that the Bronze Corpse was at Qi Refining Stage 7, far stronger than the Mid-Stage Qi Refining Liu Clan Leader had claimed, and planned to mitigate its midnight backlash while strengthening himself.
• Li Shiming used the Spirit Gathering Disk at Clear Autumn Pavilion to cultivate with dense Spiritual Qi, choosing golden Metal Attribute Spiritual Qi to match his Gold Spiritual Root.
• Li Shiming learned from Senior Brother Zhu Ji that advancing to Qi Refining Fourth Level would shorten his cultivation interval, while Body Refining could reduce it further.
• Li Shiming asked about the Black Banner rewarded by Uncle-Master Cui, and Senior Brother Zhu Ji identified it as a Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner that could be purified and used for simple tasks.
• Senior Brother Zhu Ji gave Li Shiming a booklet containing the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner purification method.