Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ping'an sought information on how yin spirits advanced after his Sword Wraith could no longer absorb Black Mist Vengeful Soul Beads. Yin Suhun explained the rare yin objects needed for advancement, leaving Jiang Ping'an with knowledge to consider how he might use his panel and Proficiency Points to develop a method of raising yin spirits.

• Jiang Ping'an found the Record of Raising Yin Gods in the Skill Repository Hall but avoided exchanging for it, fearing True Lord Xuan Luo would discover his intentions.
• Jiang Ping'an contacted Yin Suhun with a communication paper crane and traveled to Yinyun Mountain to meet her.
• Jiang Ping'an asked Yin Suhun how Fierce Spirits advanced into Ghost Generals, and she named Profound Yin Jade Bone, the Sha Gathering Ghost Mask, and Netherworld Black Water.
• Yin Suhun explained that Ghost Generals needed three rare yin objects to become Ghost Kings, while each Ghost King required different things to become a Yin God.
• Yin Suhun kissed Jiang Ping'an, and he left Yinyun Mountain two hours later refreshed and invigorated.

Jiang Ping'an used Proficiency Points to create a working art for advancing Sword Wraiths and mastered sword techniques powerful enough to produce sword qi. He obtained Mysterious Yin Bone Jade through Dongfang Jintang, but had to maintain the appearance of visiting her for intimacy.

• Jiang Ping'an refined the false Vengeful Sword Spirit Soul Art until it became a real method requiring Mysterious Yin Bone Jade and sword qi, or a slaughtered sword and Netherworld Black Water.
• Jiang Ping'an exchanged for the Heart-Slaying Sword Art, then used Proficiency Points to comprehend the stronger Profound Firmament Sword Art, though his cultivation limited what he could use.
• Jiang Ping'an met Dongfang Jintang to settle spirit stones and asked her to buy Mysterious Yin Bone Jade, but declined to search for it with her because Yu Lianhua might report his movements to Wang Zhongyou.
• Dongfang Jintang gave Jiang Ping'an a black jade box containing Mysterious Yin Bone Jade three days later and insisted he accompany her to the bedroom so others would not suspect his true reason for visiting.

Jiang Ping'an traveled to Vengeful Sword Valley and advanced his Sword Wraith into a Ghost General-level Sword Envoy Spirit named Xiao Duanyu. After Xiao Duanyu subdued the spirits in his banner, Jiang Ping'an unleashed his forces against the wild Sword Wraiths that had been drawn to him.

• Jiang Ping'an, Yu Lianhua, and Ziling inspected the Cloud Pattern Steel Mine, where Yu Lianhua reviewed its accounts while Jiang Ping'an kept the mine guards company.
• After they left, He Zudao told Yun Weixia to have Jiang Feng return one hundred jin of Cloud Pattern Steel or pay for it in spirit stones.
• Jiang Ping'an reached Vengeful Sword Valley, concealed himself from its patrols, and used Mysterious Yin Bone Jade and sealed sword qi to advance his Sword Wraith into a Sword Envoy Spirit.
• The Sword Envoy Spirit recalled that he had been a disciple of the Profound Firmament Sword Sect named Xiao Duanyu, and Jiang Ping'an made him the banner's secondary master soul.
• When wild Sword Wraiths swarmed toward Jiang Ping'an, Xiao Duanyu led more than twelve hundred spirits from the banner to attack them.

Jiang Ping'an captured hundreds of Sword Wraiths through ambushes in Vengeful Sword Valley, then used his growing forces to capture a wild Sword Envoy Spirit. After refining the spirit as a deputy soul and naming him Zhang Kaifeng, Jiang Ping'an began building his loyalty by giving him Nether True Qi.

• Jiang Ping'an routed the wild Sword Wraiths in Vengeful Sword Valley, captured more than a hundred, and escaped to refine them.
• Jiang Ping'an ambushed patrols over the next several days and captured more than eight hundred Sword Wraiths, then refined them and let them recover their strength.
• Jiang Ping'an attacked a thousand-strong patrol with Xiao Duanyu and more than two thousand Sword Wraiths, capturing the wild Sword Envoy Spirit after defeating it.
• Jiang Ping'an fled the valley, refined the captured Sword Envoy Spirit into a deputy soul, and learned that his name was Zhang Kaifeng.
• Jiang Ping'an threatened Zhang Kaifeng into pledging loyalty, then gave him Nether True Qi, which Zhang Kaifeng eagerly absorbed.

Jiang Ping'an left Vengeful Sword Valley after its black fog vanished, then gave Dongfang Jintang Youth Preserving Pills to support her Foundation Establishment. More than a year later, he tried to exchange high-grade True Qi for Xuan Shuang and Xiu Yun, but learned that sect rules barred him from doing so for his two companions.

• Jiang Ping'an refined the captured Sword Wraiths and let his injured spirits recover in Vengeful Sword Valley while the black fog remained absent.
• Jiang Ping'an and Yu Lianhua returned to the Azure Origin Sect after more than ten nights, and he later gave Dongfang Jintang eleven bottles of Youth Preserving Pills.
• Dongfang Jintang said she expected to complete Foundation Establishment in two or three years and asked Jiang Ping'an not to visit until then.
• More than a year later, Jiang Ping'an learned that Xuan Shuang had reached perfection in the Spirit Aperture Realm and promised her High-grade True Qi of Water Virtue; he also promised Xiu Yun Fire Virtue True Qi.
• At the Hall of Creation, an Outer Sect Disciple told Jiang Ping'an that he could not exchange for high-grade True Qi for Xuan Shuang and Xiu Yun because they were Menial Disciples and could not receive it from him.

Jiang Ping'an helped Xuan Shuang earn enough merit points to exchange for high-grade Xuan Yuan Cang Ming True Qi, then protected her while she prepared to refine it. More than a month later, Xuan Shuang successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm.

• Jiang Ping'an explained that Xuan Shuang and Xiu Yun would need to earn merit points for Path to Power True Qi and promised to help them do so quickly.
• Jiang Ping'an used spirit stones to secure missions for Xuan Shuang and Xiu Yun, and Xuan Shuang earned twelve thousand merit points in just over half a year.
• At the Hall of Creation, Xuan Shuang chose Xuan Yuan Cang Ming True Qi, and Deputy Hall Master Chen Haoshui helped her exchange for it.
• Jiang Ping'an warned Xuan Shuang and Xiu Yun to remain inside the cave mansion's Defense Array and stocked the mansion with their necessities.
• Jiang Ping'an patrolled Pingzhang Mountain to protect Xuan Shuang, who successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm more than a month later.

Jiang Ping'an investigated the robbery of the Cloud Pattern Steel Mine and uncovered clues pointing to a Crimson Sun Lightning Technique user and a possible spy. The chapter ended with him asking Zhu Junchen who had vouched for the two missing workers.

• Jiang Ping'an registered Xuan Shuang as an Outer Sect Disciple and bought her the Abysswater flying sword and Cold Jade Mirror.
• Jiang Ping'an warned Xuan Shuang to leave the Azure Origin Sect with Xiu Yun once she was strong enough, but Xuan Shuang refused to abandon him.
• Yun Weixia reported that robbers led by a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator had stolen over three thousand jin of Cloud Pattern Steel and the workers' Storage Bags, killing four Menial Disciples and injuring Zhu Junchen and He Zudao.
• Jiang Ping'an brought Yu Lianhua, Wei An, and others to the mine, where Yu Lianhua identified the attackers' Thunder Art as the Crimson Sun Lightning Technique.
• Jiang Ping'an and the others questioned the mine workers and found that miner Jiang Yifan and ore refiner Ye Yongnan were missing.
• Jiang Ping'an asked Zhu Junchen who had guaranteed Jiang Yifan and Ye Yongnan when they were recruited.

Jiang Ping'an investigated the mine robbery, uncovered spies, and took Zhu Junchen to confront the Qin Cultivation Clan over its role in the theft. When the clan’s guards delayed them, Jiang Ping'an attacked, and Zhu Junchen struck back against the Qin cultivators.

• Jiang Ping'an ordered a thorough interrogation of everyone at the mine and compensated workers who were cleared of suspicion.
• Jiang Ping'an and the others discovered seven spies passing information about the profitable Cloud Pattern Steel Mine, and Zhu Junchen executed them publicly.
• Jiang Ping'an took Yu Lianhua and Zhu Junchen to the Qin Cultivation Clan while He Zudao and Jiang Feng stayed behind to guard the mine.
• At Da Hua Mountain, Zhu Junchen identified Jiang Ping'an as a Registered Disciple of True Lord Xuan Luo and asked to see the clan head.
• When the Qin Clan cultivator made them wait, Jiang Ping'an attacked him with the Nether Guide Flying Sword, and Zhu Junchen knocked several Qin Clan disciples from the air with a purple vine palm.

Jiang Ping'an and Zhu Junchen confronted the Qin Family over Jiang Yifan and Ye Yongnan, two suspected traitors recommended by the clan. After confirming the Qin Family had vouched for them, Jiang Ping'an demanded that the clan find them, then left with Zhu Junchen.

• The Qin Family elders challenged Jiang Ping'an and Zhu Junchen, but stepped aside after Zhu Junchen identified Jiang Ping'an as a Registered Disciple under True Lord Xuan Luo.
• At the Qin Family hall, Zhu Junchen told the Qin Family Head that Jiang Yifan and Ye Yongnan had betrayed the mine and escaped when it was attacked.
• The Qin Family Head summoned Sixth Elder, who initially claimed not to remember whether the clan had recommended the two Rogue Cultivators.
• Second Elder and Sixth Elder returned with case files and confirmed that the Qin Family had guaranteed and recommended Jiang Yifan and Ye Yongnan.
• Jiang Ping'an rejected the Qin Family's objections and ordered them to find the two traitors, then flew out of the hall with Zhu Junchen.

After the Qin Family began searching for the two suspected spies, Jiang Ping'an returned to the mine and arranged to repair its Defense Formation. Wang Zhongyou took over the investigation, recovered the stolen goods and compensation, and Jiang Ping'an returned to the Azure Origin Sect with the mine's Cloud Pattern Steel after the formation was repaired.

• The Qin Family Head ordered the search for Jiang Yifan and Ye Yongnan, and sent elders to investigate Jiang Ping'an's identity and interrogate everyone involved.
• Jiang Ping'an and Zhu Junchen returned to the mine, where Jiang Ping'an arranged to resume production and repair the Defense Formation.
• Jiang Ping'an returned to the Azure Origin Sect, and Wang Zhongyou promised to investigate the Robbing Cultivators so Jiang Ping'an could focus on cultivation.
• Wang Zhongyou found the Robbing Cultivators, killed more than half, recovered the stolen goods, and gave Jiang Ping'an two thousand spirit stones as compensation.
• Jiang Ping'an returned the Storage Bags to their owners and held the recovered Cloud Pattern Steel until the mine's Defense Formation was repaired.
• Jiang Ping'an and Yu Lianhua left the mine and returned to the Azure Origin Sect after the repairs were complete.

Jiang Ping'an reached the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Realm after more than four months of secluded cultivation and visited Xiu Yun and Xuan Shuang, where Xuan Shuang refused his plan to fake their deaths and leave the Azure Origin Sect. Later, Su Xiaodie asked him to help her advance, and Yin Suhun told him which treasures she needed.

• Wang Zhongyou questioned Jiang Ping'an about his cultivation progress and urged him to reach the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Realm within half a year.
• Jiang Ping'an entered secluded cultivation and reached the mid-stage after more than four months, then sent Ziling to report his progress to Wang Zhongyou.
• Jiang Ping'an visited Xiu Yun and Xuan Shuang, learned that Xiu Yun had reached the Qi Refining Realm, and offered them spirit stones for a spirit boat.
• Xuan Shuang rejected Jiang Ping'an's suggestion that she and Xiu Yun fake their deaths to leave the Azure Origin Sect, warning that it would expose him.
• Su Xiaodie emerged from the Soul Jade Token and asked Jiang Ping'an to help her advance from the Charm Spirit stage.
• Jiang Ping'an visited Yin Suhun, who named Profound Yin Essence and Dragon Ether Fragrance as the treasures Su Xiaodie needed to advance into a Charm Mistress.

Jiang Ping'an obtained the materials needed to advance Su Xiaodie into a Charm Mistress and oversaw her transformation in Yin Suhun's cave abode. Su Xiaodie completed the advancement and gained a corporeal form, while Jiang Ping'an agreed to her request for a Soul Jade Bottle.

• Jiang Ping'an gave Yin Suhun spirit stones to buy Dragon Ether Fragrance and Profound Yin Essence, and she brought the materials to him half a month later.
• Jiang Ping'an waited until midnight in Yin Suhun's Cultivation Chamber and summoned Su Xiaodie to begin her advancement.
• Su Xiaodie absorbed the Dragon Ether Fragrance and fused five drops of Profound Yin Essence before condensing into a bead and absorbing Jiang Ping'an's Nether True Qi.
• Su Xiaodie emerged as a beautiful, corporeal Charm Mistress, and Jiang Ping'an resisted her seductive influence.
• Su Xiaodie asked to move her residence to a Soul Jade Bottle, and Jiang Ping'an agreed before she returned to the Soul Jade Token.
• Yin Suhun confirmed Su Xiaodie's success and pulled Jiang Ping'an into her bedroom.

Jiang Ping'an gave Su Xiaodie his self-created formation manual and arranged for her to learn and refine formations to help him prepare for True Lord Xuan Luo. After Su Xiaodie quickly mastered two basic formations and crafted a Wood Element Formation, Jiang Ping'an tested it and found it stronger than Azure Origin Sect’s basic formations.

• Jiang Ping'an placed Su Xiaodie's vessel in a Soul Jade Bottle and gave her Jiang's Basic Formations, which he had created to avoid violating Azure Origin Sect's Heavenly Dao Oath.
• Su Xiaodie quickly memorized the manual, then returned to the bottle to study its formations.
• A month later, Su Xiaodie told Jiang Ping'an she had comprehended the Metal Element Formation and the Wood Element Formation, and he promised to provide materials for her to refine one.
• Jiang Ping'an supplied three sets of materials, and two days later Su Xiaodie presented a set of Wood Element Formation flags made using one and a half sets.
• Jiang Ping'an tested the formation in an uninhabited valley, where its vines restrained the sika deer and strangled one; he judged it stronger than Azure Origin Sect's basic formations.

Yu Lianhua learned that Dongfang Jintang had reached Foundation Establishment and asked Wang Zhongyou for permission to do the same, but he refused. Meanwhile, Jiang Ping'an visited Dongfang Jintang to congratulate her and left her cave abode five days later with the suppression on his Divine Soul greatly weakened.

• Yu Lianhua told Jiang Ping'an that Dongfang Jintang had reached Foundation Establishment and later asked Wang Zhongyou for permission to advance, but he ordered her to wait.
• Yu Lianhua blamed Jiang Ping'an for Wang Zhongyou's refusal, then returned to her abandoned cave abode in tears.
• Jiang Ping'an visited Dongfang Jintang, congratulated her, gave her twenty bottles of Youth Preserving Pills, and asked her to buy five pieces of Mysterious Yin Bone Jade.
• Dongfang Jintang took Jiang Ping'an to her bedroom and kept him at her cave abode for five days.
• Jiang Ping'an left Dongfang Jintang's cave abode with weakened suppression on his Divine Soul, though his cultivation had not improved.

Jiang Ping'an used Yu Lianhua’s angry departure to refine and sell more Youth Preserving Pills, while making a secret outing with Ziling. After Dongfang Jintang summoned him to her cave abode, he looked forward to collecting the Spirit Stones from the pills she had sold.

• Jiang Ping'an found Ziling’s letter, learned Yu Lianhua had returned to her mother’s home, and visited her, but she ignored his attempts to reconcile.
• Jiang Ping'an spent days refining Youth Preserving Pills, then visited Yu Lianhua again and arranged to meet Ziling at Fulong Daping Valley Market.
• Jiang Ping'an took Ziling shopping and to an inn, then bought ingredients to make more Youth Preserving Pills.
• Jiang Ping'an continued refining pills and, after running out of ingredients, returned to Fulong Daping Valley Market to restock and sell a bottle.
• Dongfang Jintang sent Jiang Ping'an a Spiritual Sense voice transmission summoning him to her cave abode that night, and he anticipated receiving Spirit Stones from her sales.

Jiang Ping'an traded with Dongfang Jintang, waited until Yu Lianhua resumed accompanying him, and helped three Sword Wraiths advance into Sword Envoy Spirits. He then devised and assembled the Mystic Nether Returning Array to supply yin qi for his spirit companions.

• Jiang Ping'an gave Dongfang Jintang twenty bottles of Youth Preserving Pills to sell and asked her to acquire rare materials for his Charm Mistress and Ghost General.
• Dongfang Jintang told Jiang Ping'an she would move to Mist Sea Cave Mansion, and he gave her two bottles of Youth Preserving Pills as a housewarming gift.
• After more than a month, Yu Lianhua returned to Feiquan Cave Mansion and later accompanied Jiang Ping'an to inspect the mines and visit Vengeful Sword Valley.
• Over three nights in Vengeful Sword Valley, Jiang Ping'an helped three Sword Wraiths advance into Sword Envoy Spirits, and they recovered the names Tang Zhanfei, Hu Yijian, and Zhuo Bufan.
• Jiang Ping'an studied the Yin Gathering Array, derived the Profound Yin Spirit Gathering Array, and used his panel to perfect a new array called the Mystic Nether Returning Array.
• Jiang Ping'an spent nearly two months refining the array disk and flags, then bought five hundred Yin Qi Beads to power the array.

Jiang Ping'an cultivated his Sword Envoy Spirits with Mystic Yin Qi, met Dongfang Jintang to obtain rare treasures, and devised a new array for advancing a Ghost General into a Ghost King. The chapter left him with the Nine Nether Ghost King Soul Devouring Array and the Nightmare Demon Core among the materials he was gathering.

• Jiang Ping'an used the Mystic Nether Returning Array to make Mystic Yin Qi and let all five Sword Envoy Spirits absorb it, improving their cultivation.
• Jiang Ping'an sold Youth Preserving Pills at Jadeite Street, then met Dongfang Jintang and received the Seven Emotions Fiend Crystal and Yin Jade Spirit Wall.
• Jiang Ping'an traded Youth Preserving Pills for spirit stones and shared Spirit Wine with Dongfang Jintang before they entered the bedroom together.
• More than a year later, Dongfang Jintang helped Jiang Ping'an buy a Nightmare Demon Core, one of the treasures needed for a Ghost General to advance into a Ghost King.
• Jiang Ping'an exchanged merit points for three high-grade arrays, used his panel to comprehend three top-grade arrays, and combined them into the Nine Nether Ghost King Soul Devouring Array.

Jiang Ping'an arranged for Dongfang Jintang to acquire materials for his ghost arrays and traded large batches of Youth Preserving Pills to finance the purchases. After more than half a year of cultivation and waiting, Dongfang Jintang delivered five rare treasures, leaving Jiang Ping'an owing her an errand fee.

• Jiang Ping'an gave Dongfang Jintang a materials list for the Nine Nether Ghost King Soul Devouring Array and exchanged Youth Preserving Pills for Solar Flowing Pulp.
• Su Xiaodie reported that she needed another year to advance to Charm Empress and had nearly mastered the intermediate arrays Jiang Ping'an taught her.
• Over the following months, Jiang Ping'an nourished two thousand five hundred Sword Wraiths with Mystic Yin Qi while the five Sword Envoy Spirits reached the peak of the Ghost General realm.
• Jiang Ping'an sold Youth Preserving Pills on Jadeite Street and agreed to lower their price to forty-five spirit stones when Dongfang Jintang returned.
• Dongfang Jintang delivered Rakshasa Hair, Xuan Nether Blood Iron, Two-Yin Magnetic Fiend Stone, Myriad Souls Wailing Bead, and Ink Flood Dragon Inverse Scale, then charged Jiang Ping'an a three-thousand-spirit-stone errand fee.
• Jiang Ping'an gave Dongfang Jintang thirty-seven more bottles of Youth Preserving Pills to cover the fee.

Jiang Ping'an guided Su Xiaodie in beginning work on the Five Elements Life and Death Array, but first sensed a mysterious presence in her Sea of Consciousness and suggested it might be her previous life. After twenty-seven days of refining, the array was completed, bringing Jiang Ping'an closer to making the Nine Nether Ghost King Soul Devouring Array.

• Su Xiaodie told Jiang Ping'an that she had comprehended the Five Elements Life and Death Array, and he prepared her to refine it under his guidance.
• Jiang Ping'an entered Su Xiaodie's Sea of Consciousness, sensed a powerful presence, and searched for it without finding anything.
• Jiang Ping'an suggested the presence might be Su Xiaodie's previous life and reassured her that awakening could strengthen her rather than replace her.
• Jiang Ping'an controlled Su Xiaodie's spirit body as she began refining the Five Elements Life and Death Array, then replenished her with Nether True Qi.
• Twenty-seven days later, Su Xiaodie completed the Five Elements Life and Death Array, and Jiang Ping'an looked forward to refining the Nine Nether Ghost King Soul Devouring Array.

Jiang Ping'an entered Vengeful Sword Valley to recruit its Sword Envoy Spirits and Sword Wraiths, then learned that ten Nightmare Demon Cores lay sealed in the sect's forbidden grounds. After defeating the valley's defenders and capturing more than two thousand Sword Wraiths, he prepared to press deeper into the valley.

• Jiang Ping'an flew into Vengeful Sword Valley at night to investigate its depths and search for Sword Envoy Spirits and Sword Wraiths.
• Jiang Ping'an questioned Xiao Duanyu and Zhang Kaifeng, and Zhang Kaifeng revealed that opening the seals on ten Nightmare Demon Cores had once caused the valley's black mist.
• Jiang Ping'an ordered Zhang Kaifeng to scout ahead and Xiao Duanyu to guard him as they moved deeper into the valley, capturing wandering native Sword Wraiths along the way.
• Zhang Kaifeng warned Jiang Ping'an that several Sword Envoy Spirits and thousands of Sword Wraiths were approaching, so Jiang Ping'an assembled his forces into a defensive circle.
• Jiang Ping'an's forces repelled and routed the native Sword Wraiths and Sword Envoy Spirits, capturing more than two thousand Sword Wraiths in the Mystic Nether Spirit Controlling Banner.