Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ping'an used the Dangjin Peak Token to deter three Menial Disciples sent after him, while Shui Muhua concluded that Dongfang Jintang’s anger toward him concealed former love. After meeting Dongfang Jintang on the street, Jiang Ping'an found her at his cave abode late that night and let her through his array; she went inside.

• Jiang Ping'an confronted three Menial Disciples who had followed him, and they claimed Wang Yuanshan had sent them after seeing his Dangjin Peak Token.
• The Menial Disciples secretly admitted they had lied about who sent them, then reported to Wu Huagu, who decided to leave Jiang Ping'an alone because Dangjin Peak protected him.
• Shui Muhua probed Dongfang Jintang about Jiang Ping'an, then interpreted Dongfang Jintang’s angry reaction as evidence that she had once loved him.
• Jiang Ping'an encountered Dongfang Jintang in Fulong Daping Valley but passed her without speaking.
• Dongfang Jintang visited Jiang Ping'an late at night, challenged his treatment of her, and entered his cave abode after he opened the Defense Array.

Dongfang Jintang came to Jiang Ping'an's cave abode to fulfill her promise, and they spent four days and five nights dual cultivating. Jiang Ping'an opened all his spiritual apertures and reached the peak of the Spirit Aperture Realm before Dongfang Jintang left, and he planned to prepare for the Menial Disciple Competition.

• Dongfang Jintang drank Jiang Ping'an's Spirit Wine, entered his bedroom, and let him use the Ode to Yin-Yang Bliss with her.
• Jiang Ping'an opened his eighth spiritual aperture while refining the benefits in the Cultivation Chamber, then remained wary that Dongfang Jintang might attack him.
• Dongfang Jintang told Jiang Ping'an she would stay for four days and five nights, and they spent nearly all that time dual cultivating.
• Jiang Ping'an opened his final spiritual aperture, the Baihui Spiritual Aperture, on the evening of the fourth day.
• Dongfang Jintang left Jiang Ping'an's cave abode after their final session, and Jiang Ping'an planned to earn spirit stones and prepare formations and spells for the Menial Disciple Competition.

Jiang Ping'an learned and refined basic formation flags, then sold them at the market to earn spirit stones. After Shen Jing bought both sets and introduced herself, she asked his name, leaving him poised to answer.

• Jiang Ping'an exchanged merit points and spirit stones for the Nine Origin Foundation Arrays and used Proficiency Points to comprehend all nine formations.
• Jiang Ping'an bought materials and refined Illusionary Mist Array Flags and Boulder Array Flags at his cave abode.
• Jiang Ping'an took both sets of flags to Jadeite Street after learning their market prices.
• Shen Jing bought the Illusionary Mist Array Flags for one hundred spirit stones, and her younger cousin bought the Boulder Array Flags for twenty-five.
• Shen Jing introduced herself as a member of the Shen Family of Lianshui Lake and asked Jiang Ping'an how to address him.

Jiang Ping'an refused Shen Jing's offer of a rankings booklet, then refined and tested a Bewildering Trail Array before Wu Duan tried to buy it. The chapter ended with Wu Duan threatening him after Jiang Ping'an demanded one hundred and fifty spirit stones.

• Jiang Ping'an joined Shen Jing and her cousin for tea, where Shen Jing offered him a booklet about the Grand Competition's strongest menial disciples.
• Jiang Ping'an refused the booklet, angering Shen Jing, and left without trying to reconcile with her.
• Jiang Ping'an bought materials and spent five days refining a set of Bewildering Trail Array Flags, then tested them on wild rabbits.
• Wu Duan arrived, praised the array flags, and offered Jiang Ping'an eighty spirit stones for them.
• Jiang Ping'an demanded one hundred and fifty spirit stones, and Wu Duan threatened him with spiritual pressure.

Jiang Ping'an kept selling array flags while refusing Wu Duan's attempts to obtain his exceptional Bewildering Trail Array Flags without paying the full price in spirit stones. Shen Jing bought the flags for the upcoming competition and warned Jiang Ping'an that his wealth could attract danger; as he rode home, four Iron Corpses ambushed him.

• Jiang Ping'an forged and sold array flags, but found that ordinary disciples could rarely afford his Bewildering Trail Array Flags.
• Wu Duan returned and tried to buy the flags with other treasures, but Jiang Ping'an insisted on receiving 150 spirit stones and refused him.
• Jiang Ping'an delivered seven bottles of Golden Marrow Pills to Dangjin Peak and then set up a stall at Jadeite Street.
• Shen Jing bought Jiang Ping'an's exceptional Bewildering Trail Array Flags for 180 spirit stones after securing his promise not to sell more before the competition ended.
• Shen Jing warned Jiang Ping'an that his earnings could attract dangerous Outer Sect Disciples, but he declined her offer of Lianshui Lake's protection.
• Four Iron Corpses sprang from both sides of a secluded road and attacked Jiang Ping'an as he rode home.

Jiang Ping'an killed Wu Duan after surviving his ambush, then chose and mastered the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array. He bought most of its materials and planned to ask He Zudao for the missing Seven Emotions Nightmare Spider Silk.

• Jiang Ping'an evaded Wu Duan's ambush and killed him with his flying knives and White Bone Shield.
• Jiang Ping'an beheaded the four Iron Corpses, cleansed his flying knives, took Wu Duan's spirit stones, and hid the bodies and Storage Bag away from the road.
• At the Skill Repository Hall, Jiang Ping'an rejected the costly Illusory Annihilation Dragon Slaying Array and exchanged spirit stones and merit points for the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array.
• Jiang Ping'an studied the formation jade slip in his cave abode and used his panel and Proficiency Points to fully comprehend the array.
• Jiang Ping'an bought nearly all the required materials at Fulong Daping Valley Market but could not find Seven Emotions Nightmare Spider Silk.
• Jiang Ping'an decided to visit He Zudao for help locating the silk or a Seven Emotions Nightmare Spider and bought Spirit Wine and Spirit Fruit as gifts.

Jiang Ping'an sought Seven Emotions Nightmare Spider silk in Vengeful Sword Valley and easily defeated the valley’s spectral threats and his first spider. He continued hunting for the materials needed to weave three banner surfaces when several people approached through the fog behind him.

• He Zudao told Jiang Ping'an that Seven Emotions Nightmare Spiders might live in Vengeful Sword Valley and warned him about their dangerous abilities.
• Jiang Ping'an bought and studied the Illustrated Compendium of Demonic Beasts, then traveled to Vengeful Sword Valley.
• Jiang Ping'an entered the valley on foot and destroyed three Sword Wraiths with his Spiritual Sense, collecting a Vengeful Soul Bead.
• Jiang Ping'an found a Seven Emotions Nightmare Spider, resisted its attacks, killed it with a flying dagger, and collected its web and corpse.
• Jiang Ping'an continued deeper into the valley to seek enough spider webs and silk sacs for three banner surfaces, when several people approached through the fog.

Jiang Ping'an escaped a fight in Vengeful Sword Valley, then tested the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array and planned to use it in the grand competition. After selling the Foot Binding Array to Shen Jing, he was left wondering what offer of hers he had forgotten.

• Jiang Ping'an fled Vengeful Sword Valley after Yin Suhun killed three fleeing cultivators and briefly pursued him, then returned to Azure Origin Sect six or seven days later.
• Jiang Ping'an refined the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array and tested its illusions and poison on Green-Haired Wild Wolves.
• Jiang Ping'an decided to use the Bewildering Trail Array early in the grand competition and the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array in its final matches, but realized he needed more spells and spirit stones.
• Jiang Ping'an delivered seven bottles of Golden Marrow Pills to Dangjin Peak for one hundred nineteen spirit stones, then set up a stall to sell the Foot Binding Array.
• Shen Jing bought the Foot Binding Array for one hundred twenty spirit stones, then scolded Jiang Ping'an for forgetting what she had told him before and left.

Jiang Ping'an prepared for the Menial Disciple Competition by learning spells and buying Spirit Talismans. Dongfang Jintang warned him not to fight for first place, citing an extremely secret rumor, but she did not know its source.

• Jiang Ping'an bought three mid-grade spells and derived three high-grade spells using his Proficiency Points.
• Jiang Ping'an purchased Gravity, Gale, and Ice Spike Talismans to prepare for the competition.
• Dongfang Jintang visited Jiang Ping'an late at night, noticed he had reached Spirit Aperture Realm perfection, and grew angry at his cultivation progress.
• Dongfang Jintang warned Jiang Ping'an not to compete for first place, saying he might die if he did.
• Jiang Ping'an questioned Dongfang Jintang about the warning, and she said it was an extremely secret rumor and cautioned him not to ask anyone else about it.

Jiang Ping'an weighed the danger of competing for Nether True Qi and decided to pursue a top prize despite the risks. After buying a Spirit Source Crossbow, he entered the Menial Disciple Competition, and his first chaotic battle began with him approaching the summit from the steep western slope.

• Jiang Ping'an warned Dongfang Jintang to be careful of Shui Muhua, but Dongfang said she already knew Shui resented her and left.
• Jiang Ping'an considered the risks of the competition's Nether True Qi and decided to fight for Lunar Moonlight to advance his cultivation and pursue his goals in the Dream Realm.
• Jiang Ping'an bought a Spirit Source Crossbow suited to trapping opponents in his formation and entered the Menial Disciple Competition after the new month began.
• Jiang Ping'an joined nine other Menial Disciples in a chaotic battle where they had to contend for a golden ball atop a hill within one incense stick's time.
• Jiang Ping'an chose the steep western slope as his starting point, intending to reach the summit quickly and prevent anyone else from taking the golden ball.

Jiang Ping'an and three other Menial Disciples joined forces to eliminate their rivals in the melee while keeping the golden ball out of reach. After forcing the last two contestants to concede, they immediately turned on one another.

• Jiang Ping'an and the other western Menial Disciples reached the summit, agreed to work together, and defeated a contestant climbing from the north.
• Jiang Ping'an's group joined the two Menial Disciples from the south to defeat the two western contestants who tried to flee.
• The four contestants agreed to hunt down the two eighth-level Spirit Aperture Realm Menial Disciples together.
• Jiang Ping'an and the others found the first eighth-level contestant, a Primordial Fiend Peak disciple, who conceded to protect his Bronze Corpses.
• The four found the second eighth-level contestant, who also conceded, and then immediately turned on one another.

Jiang Ping'an used Bewildering Trail Arrays and a Spirit Source Crossbow to win the first melee round, then advanced through the second round to become one of forty-two contestants. He received match token number eleven and learned the arena matches would begin the next morning.

• Jiang Ping'an escaped a joint assault, trapped an Azure Gu Peak cultivator and her Golden-Ring Venom Bees in a Bewildering Trail Array, and forced her to concede with crossbow shots.
• Jiang Ping'an lured the two remaining contestants into another Bewildering Trail Array and defeated them with repeated arrows before claiming the golden ball.
• An Outer Sect Disciple referee declared Jiang Ping'an the winner, and spectators whispered that his array gave him an unfair advantage.
• Seven or eight days later, Jiang Ping'an joined the forty-two surviving contestants and spoke with Shen Jing, who warned him that others also had arrays and that he might not be able to use one in the arena.
• Wang Zhongyou distributed match-number tokens and announced the next morning's arena matches; Jiang Ping'an drew number eleven and departed by Sword Flight.

Jiang Ping'an won his arena match against Hu Xueguang after using Three Suns True Fire, a Bewildering Trail Array, and repeated Ice Spike Talismans. Bai Ruoxue watched from the stands, recognizing Jiang Ping'an and reacting with delight.

• Bai Ruoxue and Shui Muhua saw Jiang Ping'an's name on the arena match list and wondered whether he was the same Jiang Ping'an they knew.
• He Zudao visited Jiang Ping'an and congratulated him on advancing to the Menial Disciple Competition's arena matches.
• Jiang Ping'an entered the arena with He Zudao, while Bai Ruoxue watched from the stands and hid her familiarity with him from the cultivators beside her.
• Hu Xueguang charged through Jiang Ping'an's crossbow bolt and fivefold gravity field, forcing Jiang Ping'an to use Three Suns True Fire to buy time to set his Bewildering Trail Array.
• Jiang Ping'an trapped Hu Xueguang and battered him with Ice Spike Talismans until Hu Xueguang conceded, giving Jiang Ping'an the victory.

Jiang Ping'an entered the top eleven after a bye and faced Su Wanwan and Chen Bailian in a three-person melee. He trapped Chen Bailian’s refined corpse in his array and destroyed it, while Su Wanwan held back and Jiang Ping'an preserved his strength as the fight continued.

• After winning his first match, Jiang Ping'an received a bye and advanced to the top eleven, then drew a place in the first three-person melee.
• Jiang Ping'an entered the arena against Su Wanwan and Chen Bailian and set up the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array in a corner.
• Su Wanwan and Chen Bailian agreed to attack Jiang Ping'an together, with Su Wanwan sending her flying sword over the array and Chen Bailian releasing a refined corpse into it.
• Jiang Ping'an used the array to sever Chen Bailian’s control of the refined corpse, then destroyed it with two Ice Spike Talismans.
• Su Wanwan recalled her flying sword, and Jiang Ping'an lowered the array’s banners to conserve spiritual power and Spiritual Sense as spectators watched in astonishment.

Jiang Ping'an used the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array and Spirit Talismans to defeat Su Wanwan and Chen Bailian in the three-person arena melee. He advanced to the final four while Shui Muhua reconsidered how easily she could control him.

• Su Wanwan and Chen Bailian swallowed Spirit Guarding Pills and entered Jiang Ping'an's formation together.
• Jiang Ping'an attacked Chen Bailian with crossbow bolts, then wore down Su Wanwan with repeated Ice Spike Talismans.
• Jiang Ping'an used Spirit Piercer to overwhelm Su Wanwan's Spiritual Sense and guided her into attacking Chen Bailian.
• Chen Bailian conceded after Jiang Ping'an and Su Wanwan's attacks threatened him and his strongest corpse puppet.
• The referee stopped Jiang Ping'an's attack on Su Wanwan, declared him the winner, and confirmed his place in the final four.
• Shui Muhua watched Jiang Ping'an and reconsidered her plan to control him.

Jiang Ping'an defeated Zheng Baotong in the competition semifinals by trapping and poisoning him with the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array. Zheng Baotong conceded, promised to keep the formation’s poison secret, and the match left Jiang Ping'an advancing toward the final.

• Jiang Ping'an defeated Su Wanwan, entered the top four, and went with He Zudao to buy more spirit talismans.
• Jiang Ping'an learned that his next opponent, Zheng Baotong, could burrow underground, fly, and use poison, and He Zudao advised him to conserve his strength if necessary.
• Jiang Ping'an used a boulder and the Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array to guard against Zheng Baotong’s underground ambushes, blocking two flying-sword strikes with his Black Tortoise Magic Shield.
• The poison from Jiang Ping'an’s formation weakened Zheng Baotong, who emerged into the array’s illusions and conceded the match.
• Jiang Ping'an gave Zheng Baotong an antidote, and Zheng Baotong agreed to keep the formation’s poison secret.

Jiang Ping'an defeated Duqing Mountain in the tournament final and claimed the championship after killing him with the True Thunder Spell. The spectators were stunned, while Shui Muhua began considering how to ally herself with Jiang Ping'an.

• Shen Jing watched the final after taking third place, while Dongfang Jintang and Shui Muhua focused on Jiang Ping'an.
• Duqing Mountain avoided Jiang Ping'an's Illusory Prison Poison Heart Array and gathered boulders, but Jiang Ping'an recalled the array before he could use them.
• Duqing Mountain charged through Jiang Ping'an's ice spikes and resisted his Spirit Piercer, then broke the Black Tortoise Magic Shield with Destructive Bloodlight.
• Jiang Ping'an's Golden Fiend Bodyguard Shield repelled Duqing Mountain's punch, giving him time to cast the True Thunder Spell and kill Duqing Mountain.
• The referee declared Jiang Ping'an the winner, Dongfang Jintang left, and Shui Muhua considered attaching herself to Jiang Ping'an.

Jiang Ping'an received his Menial Disciple Competition reward and was unexpectedly accepted as True Lord Xuan Luo’s Registered Disciple. True Lord Xuan Luo assigned Wang Zhongyou to protect and teach him, and Wang Zhongyou prepared to take him to exchange for a cultivation method.

• Wang Zhongyou brought Jiang Ping'an and the other surviving top-ranked menial disciples to Azure Origin Peak to receive their rewards.
• True Lord Xuan Luo accepted Jiang Ping'an as his Registered Disciple and gave him a Protective Jade Token.
• True Lord Xuan Luo distributed jade bottles containing Nether True Qi and ordered Wang Zhongyou to protect Jiang Ping'an and teach him.
• After the others left, Wang Zhongyou offered to pay for Jiang Ping'an’s second-realm cultivation method, but Jiang Ping'an refused and offered his Spirit Talismans and Golden Marrow Pills for sale.

Jiang Ping'an exchanged his supplies for a cultivation method, canceled his cave lease, and followed Wang Zhongyou to Biyou Peak. Wang Zhongyou arranged for Jiang Ping'an to move into Feiquan Cave Mansion and assigned Yu Lianhua to attend to him.

• Wang Zhongyou gave Jiang Ping'an one hundred spirit stones and escorted him to exchange for the early Qi Refining Realm method of the Azure Nether Illusory Array Canon.
• Jiang Ping'an returned to Thousand Emerald Mountain, where He Zudao learned he had become Wang Zhongyou's Martial Uncle, then agreed to cancel Jiang Ping'an's cave lease.
• Wang Zhongyou brought Jiang Ping'an to Biyou Peak and introduced him to his disciples Yu Lianhua and Nie Jianyuan.
• Wang Zhongyou ordered Nie Jianyuan to move out within half a day and assigned Yu Lianhua to show Jiang Ping'an around and help him move into Feiquan Cave Mansion.

Jiang Ping'an moved into Feiquan Cave Mansion and suspected that True Lord Xuan Luo had accepted him as a Registered Disciple for a hidden, dangerous purpose. After Jiang Ping'an began studying a Qi Refining cultivation method, Wang Zhongyou ordered Yu Lianhua to use dual cultivation to help raise and monitor his cultivation.

• Yu Lianhua showed Jiang Ping'an Biyou Peak’s scenic sights and brought him to Feiquan Cave Mansion, where he declined her offer to assign Ziling to serve him.
• Jiang Ping'an inspected the spacious, spiritually rich Cave Mansion, accepted its jade talisman and message paper cranes, then considered the danger behind True Lord Xuan Luo’s favor.
• Jiang Ping'an resolved to conceal his Spiritual Sense, adapt his Divine Soul to the Dreamland Heavenly Dao, and focus on reaching the Qi Refining Realm.
• Yu Lianhua reported to Wang Zhongyou, who ordered her to spend more time near Jiang Ping'an and engage in dual cultivation with him once he entered the Qi Refining Realm.
• Yu Lianhua reluctantly agreed after Wang Zhongyou promised to help her achieve Foundation Establishment when she reached Qi Refining Realm perfection.