Chapter Summaries

Li Shiming purified and refined two Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banners, then realized their ghost shadows could power a generator and reduce his reliance on diesel. He built a Perpetual Motion Generator in the server room space and put three ghost shadows to work driving it.

• Li Shiming studied Senior Brother Zhu Ji’s booklet and learned how to weaken the fierce ghosts’ resentment without destroying the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner.
• Li Shiming cleansed the first banner, refined it with the Dragon's Eye Awakening Touch Art, and released five transparent ghost shadows.
• Li Shiming discovered the ghost shadows could rest inside the banner and take turns powering a generator, offering an alternative to his dwindling diesel supply.
• Li Shiming purified and refined his second Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner, then used the IBMz15 to design a generator suited to the ghost shadows.
• Li Shiming modified the old generator with the ghost shadows’ help, and three of them drove the completed Perpetual Motion Generator’s rotor.

Li Shiming used the Diamond Sutra played by the IBMz15 to withstand the dangerous first cultivation of the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art and reached its beginner level. He realized that without body-refining Spiritual Herbs, he would have to wait several days between sessions, leaving his cultivation caught in a vicious cycle.

• Li Shiming replaced the diesel generator with the Perpetual Motion Generator, using the Ghost Shadows to solve the Server Room Space’s power needs.
• Li Shiming chose the Diamond Sutra as support for cultivating the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art and played a chant stored in the IBMz15.
• As he cultivated, rage overwhelmed Li Shiming and threatened to cause Cultivation Deviation, but the Diamond Sutra helped him maintain control.
• Li Shiming endured severe pain until the Vajra Force circulated through his whole body, bringing the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art to beginner level.
• After recovering, Li Shiming saw that he needed Spiritual Herbs to cultivate the technique more often, but he could not yet obtain them in Clear Autumn Pavilion.

Li Shiming endured the Copper Corpse’s nightly resistance and steadily cultivated through the Novice Period at Clear Autumn Pavilion. As the period ended, he had strengthened his mind and advanced in Qi Refining Stage 3, while most youths with weaker spiritual roots still had not reached Qi Refining First Level.

• Li Shiming woke just before midnight and used the Great Compassion Mantra to quiet the Copper Corpse’s struggle against their Blood Contract.
• Senior Brother Zhu Ji explained that more than a hundred newcomers from the sect’s sea region were being screened for discipleship, and Li Shiming asked him questions about cultivation.
• Jin Fengzhi reached Qi Refining First Level on the fourth day, and the other newcomers from Li Shiming’s batch advanced over the following days, while two remained unable to condense a Spiritual Qi Vortex.
• Li Shiming cultivated daily, refined the Blazing Flame Sword and Azure Kite Wooden Sword, and learned to withstand the Copper Corpse’s midnight resistance without the mantra.
• At the end of the Novice Period, Li Shiming had advanced to the middle-late phase of Qi Refining Stage 3, while more than eighty newcomers from the sea region had still not reached Qi Refining First Level.

At the end of the Novice Period, Li Shiming chose to take the Novice Spirit Planter assessment before deciding where to go. He passed the assessment at Xun Peak, earning a Novice Spirit Planter mark on his Identity Jade Disc.

• Zhu Ji announced that the thirty-two newcomers who had condensed Spiritual Qi Vortices had become Apprentice Disciples and could join one of the Eight Peaks or pursue other options.
• While the other new Qi Refining disciples gathered around the Eight Peaks' stewards, Li Shiming asked Zhu Ji to take him to the Novice Spirit Planter assessment.
• Zhu Ji brought Li Shiming to Thunder Rain Pavilion on Xun Peak, where Uncle-Master Cheng asked him to cast spirit planting spells.
• Li Shiming cast the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art, Geng Metal Art, and Earth Spirit Art, and Uncle-Master Cheng judged his abilities sufficient.
• Uncle-Master Cheng marked Li Shiming's Identity Jade Disc as that of a Novice Spirit Planter and encouraged him to return for an Intermediate assessment.

Li Shiming rented Eagle Beak Island as his spiritual field cave dwelling and traveled there to inspect it. He activated the island’s defenses and began preparing its long-abandoned cave dwelling as his home.

• Zhu Ji told Li Shiming that the Nine Peaks had no available low-rank spiritual fields, and took him to the Affairs Hall.
• Li Shiming chose the isolated Eagle Beak Island, and the Affairs Hall Senior Brother added access to the island and its defense formation to his Identity Jade Disc.
• Li Shiming accepted the field’s annual quota of seven hundred and fifty jin of spiritual rice and three hundred and twenty-five merit points.
• Li Shiming flew to Eagle Beak Island, activated its defense formation, and inspected its five mu of low-grade low-rank spiritual field.
• Li Shiming opened the cave dwelling, then used his respirator and Object Manipulation Spell to clear its trash and foul air.

Li Shiming settled into his cave dwelling on Eagle Beak Island, prepared its Spirit Field and plantings, and improved the Spiritual Qi with his Spirit Gathering Disk. The next morning, he dressed the Bronze Corpse in a Clear Wind Robe and identified its giant magical artifact as a weapon for Refined Corpses.

• Li Shiming cleaned his cave dwelling, placed a meditation cushion in the Cultivation Room, and set the Spirit Gathering Disk above the Sub-Grade Spiritual Meridian.
• Li Shiming released the Spirit Field's solidified state, adjusted its Spiritual Qi with Spirit Soil Art, and removed a fist-sized mass of Spirit Insect Eggs.
• Li Shiming planted the available Spirit Rice Seedlings and Talisman Spirit Bamboo, then used Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art to water them.
• Li Shiming cultivated in his cave dwelling and exchanged spells with the Bronze Corpse at midnight.
• Li Shiming summoned the Bronze Corpse the next morning, replaced its black clothes with a Clear Wind Robe, and recognized its giant Low Grade Magical Artifact as a weapon for a Refined Corpse.

Li Shiming used the Bronze Corpse to excavate an underground chamber beneath Eagle Beak Island, but accidentally opened a passage into a vast cavern beneath the seabed. He explored the dry, sealed space and discovered its air held unusually dense Spiritual Power, suggesting another Spiritual Vein was nearby.

• Li Shiming gave the Bronze Corpse a giant axe and directed it to dig a planned underground chamber, using the excavated rock and soil to practice controlling it.
• As the Bronze Corpse dug the chamber’s final corner, its axe broke through into a natural opening, so Li Shiming sent a Drone down to investigate.
• The Drone revealed a huge underground space beneath the seabed, and Li Shiming enlarged the passage so he could enter with the Bronze Corpse.
• Li Shiming illuminated the cavern and found a large dry area with a water pool, then wondered how it remained dry and its air fresh.
• Li Shiming sensed that the cavern’s air contained Spiritual Power comparable to that gathered by a Spirit Gathering Disk and suspected another Spiritual Vein was present.

Li Shiming discovered a hidden spiritual meridian and spirit spring beneath his underground space, then began planning how to conceal and develop the area for cultivation. He caught spirit fish from the spring and eagerly prepared to make soup.

• Li Shiming traced the spiritual qi to bubbles rising from a hidden spiritual meridian beneath the pool and decided to conceal the entrance.
• Li Shiming planned to build a secret chamber above the underground space and use a generator to power its construction.
• Li Shiming considered his cultivation priorities, including body refining, sword arts, spirit planting, and training with his bronze corpse, while worrying about merit points.
• Li Shiming noticed white fish swimming in the pool and used the Object Manipulation Spell to catch three.
• Li Shiming sensed that the pool held Spirit Spring water and cooked the spirit fish with the spring water on his Diesel Stove.

Li Shiming spent the day tending his Spirit Field and Talisman Spirit Bamboo, practicing the Sword Control Art, and cultivating the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art with Spirit Fish. He learned that Spirit Fish accelerated his body-refinement progress and resolved to ration them rather than risk exhausting the pond.

• Li Shiming cast the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art over his Spirit Field and studied how to improve its range while using the Geng Metal Art to clear Spirit Insects.
• Li Shiming watered the recovering Talisman Spirit Bamboo with its Nutrient Solution, then practiced controlling the Blazing Flame Sword with the Sword Control Art for four hours.
• Li Shiming caught two Spirit Fish from the Spirit Spring and ate them with Spiritual Rice Meal for dinner.
• Li Shiming cultivated the Vajra Body Protection Divine Art and relied on IBMz15's calculations to confirm that two Spirit Fish before each session gave the best results.
• Li Shiming chose not to overfish the Spirit Spring, while recognizing that Spirit Fish both strengthened his body and improved his cultivation progress.

Li Shiming spent two months cultivating and refining his combat skills, then waited for his first Spirit Field harvest on Eagle Beak Island. When a Qi Refining Stage 3 sea beast attacked the island’s Defense Formation, he wounded it with the Blazing Flame Sword and pursued it to finish the fight.

• Li Shiming practiced the Sword Control Art against the Bronze Corpse and gained enough control to wield the Blazing Flame Sword throughout its thirty-meter range.
• After two months on Eagle Beak Island, Li Shiming’s Spirit Rice matured, and he continued researching ways to improve its yield.
• While Li Shiming waited for the Spirit Rice to ripen fully, the Identity Jade Disc warned him that a creature was attacking the Defense Formation.
• Li Shiming flew to the attack site on the Paper Crane and found a calf-sized monster ramming the formation.
• Li Shiming guided the Blazing Flame Sword around the monster’s Water Shield, wounded it, and then stabbed the sword into its skull as it tried to flee.

Li Shiming met Qiu Tan after killing a Sea Pig Beast, and learned about Changming Island Market and the value of sea-beast materials. They exchanged contact information, leaving Li Shiming with a new source of trade knowledge and connections.

• Li Shiming sensed Qiu Tan nearby after slaying the Sea Pig Beast, and Qiu Tan identified himself as a cultivator from Changming Island.
• Li Shiming introduced himself as a Novice Spirit Planter, and Qiu Tan explained that cultivators could trade with Spirit Stones at Changming Island Market.
• Qiu Tan offered to buy half the Sea Pig Beast and showed Li Shiming how its hide and meat could be sold.
• Li Shiming accepted fifty Spirit Stones for half the meat, then spent the same amount on Qiu Tan's Sea Beast Compendium.
• Qiu Tan and Li Shiming exchanged Identity Jade Disc information so they could contact each other.

Li Shiming considered the value of hunting Sea Beasts and concluded that his immediate priority was gathering supplies and knowledge. He flew to Changming Island to shop at its morning Day Market.

• Li Shiming ate Sea Pig Meat and learned from Qiu Tan that the sect’s Sea Defense Line kept Sea Beasts away from its sea territory.
• After reading the Sea Beast Compendium, Li Shiming imagined hunting Sea Beasts for Spirit Stones and Inner Cores once he grew stronger.
• Li Shiming judged that the Tianhai Sea Area’s cloudy, rainy weather made Spirit Rice difficult to grow and decided to keep his Genetically Modified research private.
• Li Shiming decided to travel to Changming Island to buy Talisman Ink Materials, Spirit Plant seeds, and cultivation knowledge with his Spirit Stones.
• Li Shiming left before dawn on his Paper Crane so he could reach Changming Island’s Day Market in the morning.

Li Shiming encountered Yin Shilan at sea and helped shield her array formation blueprint from the rain, then continued to Changming Island to trade Hao Family magical artifacts for a Spirit Turtle Shield. There, Qiu Tan invited him to his spirit plant shop and offered to buy all the Spirit Rice he had brought.

• Li Shiming spotted Yin Shilan studying an array formation blueprint on her flying boat and used the Sword Control Art to shield her from the rain.
• Yin Shilan thanked Li Shiming, then hurried away and left her blueprint behind; she later used her Identity Jade Disc to learn his name and sect status.
• Li Shiming collected the blueprint and continued to Changming Island, where he sold several Hao Family magical artifacts and traded another for a Spirit Turtle Shield.
• Qiu Tan found Li Shiming at the Market and brought him to his spirit plant shop, where he offered one Spirit Stone per jin for all of Li Shiming's Spirit Rice.

Li Shiming traded his surplus Spirit Rice with Qiu Tan and secured a reliable supply channel for Spirit Seeds, cultivation materials, and other goods. On his way home, he studied Qi Refining knowledge and realized he still needed to save Spirit Stones for better equipment and Qiu Tan’s promised Spiritual Herbs.

• Li Shiming agreed to supply Qiu Tan with Spirit Rice and sold him two thousand catties for two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones.
• Qiu Tan agreed to source three rare Spiritual Herbs Li Shiming needed to advance the Bronze Corpse into an Iron Corpse, and helped him obtain Spirit Seeds, Talisman Ink Materials, and Qi Refining knowledge.
• Li Shiming left Changming Island Market safely and used a Jade Slip to study practical knowledge with IBMz15.
• Li Shiming learned about Spiritual Herb storage, Sea Beast processing tools, Pill quality and drug resistance, and the Magic Tools made by Departure Peak.
• Li Shiming inspected his Spirit Turtle Shield, realized it lacked the Departure Peak mark, and decided to keep it while saving for better equipment and transportation.

Yin Shilan invited Li Shiming aboard her Flying Boat, apologized for leaving abruptly, and offered him precious spirit tea and a formation inheritance. After studying the inheritance, Li Shiming examined his Spirit Turtle Shield as a formation material, and he and Yin Shilan grew absorbed in working together.

• Yin Shilan spotted Li Shiming from her Flying Boat, approached him, and invited him aboard while returning to the sect.
• Yin Shilan served Li Shiming spirit tea in her Glazed Qi Gathering Cup, and the tea pushed his cultivation close to the Qi Refining Fourth Level bottleneck.
• Li Shiming returned Yin Shilan's Array Formation Blueprint, and she gave him a Purple Jade Slip containing a formation master's inheritance.
• Li Shiming absorbed the inheritance and recognized the patterns in his Spirit Turtle Shield as a Land Turtle Shell's formation markings.
• Li Shiming began sketching the shell's pattern while Yin Shilan watched, and the two sat unusually close without noticing.

Li Shiming and Yin Shilan jointly designed a mobile formation that enhanced the Spirit Turtle Shield, then exchanged contact information and agreed to meet again. After Yin Shilan gave him a precious breakthrough pill, Li Shiming improved his Spirit Field, prepared Spirit Tea for her visit, and reached a bottleneck at Peak Qi Refining Stage 3.

• Li Shiming used IBMz15's computing power to design formations with Yin Shilan, and together they created a mobile formation that boosted the Spirit Turtle Shield's defense and could flash to stun attackers.
• Li Shiming and Yin Shilan exchanged Identity Jade Disc information; she borrowed the shield and blueprint, gave him a Top Grade 1 Breakthrough Pill, and invited him to visit Eagle Beak Island.
• Li Shiming ordered Beginner Formation Materials and Mortal Metal from Qiu Tan, then used soil analysis and cultivation arts to raise his Spirit Field from Low-Grade to Middle-Grade.
• Li Shiming and Yin Shilan communicated about formations at noon each day, and he prepared Spirit Tea and Spirit Spring Water for her anticipated visit.
• Li Shiming sensed a bottleneck during his nighttime cultivation and reached Peak Qi Refining Stage 3.

Yin Shilan returned to Eagle Beak Island, where Li Shiming broke through to Qi Refining Fourth Level after drinking his newly harvested spirit tea. Before leaving, she gave him the completed Spirit Turtle Shield formation, accepted his pocket watch, and departed as Qiu Tan arrived with a large chest of goods.

• Yin Shilan explained that a sect mission had kept her away, and Li Shiming welcomed her to Eagle Beak Island and served her spirit tea.
• Li Shiming's bottleneck loosened while drinking the tea, and he entered the cultivation room and broke through to Qi Refining Fourth Level.
• Li Shiming offered Yin Shilan the Breakthrough Pill, but she refused it and told him to keep it.
• Yin Shilan gave Li Shiming the newly inscribed Spirit Turtle Shield, and he gave her a pocket watch and explained its timing functions.
• Yin Shilan received another sect message and left on her flying boat, while Qiu Tan approached the island carrying a large chest of goods on White Bird.

Qiu Tan delivered formation materials, metals, and Spiritual Herbs to Li Shiming on Eagle Beak Island, then spread news of Li’s meeting with Yin Shilan. Baili Jin Yan heard the gossip, marked Qiu Tan and his assistants, and set off for Eagle Beak Island intending to kill Li Shiming.

• Qiu Tan arrived at Eagle Beak Island with Li Shiming’s requested supplies and noticed that Li had met Yin Fairy, Yin Shilan.
• Li Shiming paid Qiu Tan, who saw Li’s Talisman Spirit Bamboo and tried to recruit him as a supplier before leaving.
• Qiu Tan told his shop assistants that he had seen Yin Shilan with Li Shiming and noticed Li had advanced to Qi Refining Fourth Level.
• Baili Jin Yan overheard Qiu Tan’s gossip, grew jealous of Li Shiming, and secretly marked Qiu Tan and the two shop assistants.
• Baili Jin Yan used a confidential map to locate Eagle Beak Island and flew there, plotting to kill Li Shiming.

Li Shiming sorted Qiu Tan’s spoils and considered his growing abilities before Baili Jin Yan broke into Eagle Beak Island and captured him. Baili Jin Yan tortured him over his connection to Yin Shilan, while Li Shiming secretly analyzed his captor’s formation and kept his Server Room Space available as a possible way to escape.

• Li Shiming stored the Mortal Metal and formation materials, kept three Spiritual Herbs, and reflected on his Bronze Corpse, Talisman Spirit Bamboo, and future prospects.
• Baili Jin Yan used a Formation Breaking Talisman to enter Eagle Beak Island without alerting the Sky Ocean Sect and quickly subdued Li Shiming.
• Li Shiming hid his important possessions in the Server Room Space as Baili Jin Yan bound him and took him to an isolated island.
• Baili Jin Yan placed Li Shiming inside a sealed formation and interrogated him, while Li Shiming recorded and analyzed the Array Plate’s inscriptions.
• Baili Jin Yan revealed that he had captured Li Shiming because of Yin Shilan, then threatened to kill him and turn his soul into a Soul Banner.

Li Shiming used IBMz15, the Bronze Corpse, and two bombs to turn Baili Jin Yan's own formation against him. After confirming Baili Jin Yan's death, Li entered the cocoon to claim the Array Plate and left the story with control of the formation within reach.

• Li Shiming used IBMz15's screams to briefly hypnotize Baili Jin Yan while the Bronze Corpse altered the Array Plate and carried him beyond the Energy Cocoon.
• Li Shiming detonated a White Phosphorus Bomb and a Thermite Bomb inside the cocoon, trapping Baili Jin Yan amid heat, poisonous gas, and rebounding shockwaves.
• Li Shiming sensed that the Binding Spirit Rope and Soul Piercing Needle had lost their ownership marks and inferred that Baili Jin Yan was dead.
• Li Shiming entered the Temporary Cave Mansion, opened the formation, and cleared the poisonous gas and heat before going inside.
• Li Shiming confirmed Baili Jin Yan's death and began refining the unowned Array Plate so he could control the formation.