Chapter Summaries

Ji An discussed the need to build combat skills and prepare for scarce cultivation resources before finally breaking through to Late Qi Condensation. He left the chapter ready to keep training and regretting that he had missed the sect’s recent chance to take a master.

• Ji An told Chu He, Zhao Mengyao, and Zhang Yuanshan that he intended to temper his combat ability but would not venture out until he had advanced, acquired a full set of magical artifacts, and mastered offensive spells.
• Zhang Yuanshan and Zhao Mengyao explained that pills and cultivation resources grew scarcer at higher realms, and Zhang Yuanshan warned Chu He to beware of rogue cultivator teams.
• A month later, Ji An broke through to Late Qi Condensation and found that his senses and spiritual power had improved.
• Ji An checked the Stone Turtle and reviewed his spell progress, noting that his farming yields and Six Meridian Divine Sword had grown stronger.
• Ji An regretted missing the sect’s chance to take a master, then practiced the Thick Earth Art in his courtyard.

Ji An discovered that his Perfected Realm Thick Earth Art and Minor Cloud and Rain Art had quickly turned his courtyard into a Low-grade First-tier Spiritual Field. After meeting Old Huang and Huang Feihu, he went with them to see Wei Songnian, where he asked about buying fruit tree saplings.

• Ji An realized that his courtyard had become a Low-grade First-tier Spiritual Field and imagined growing better spiritual crops there.
• Old Huang and Huang Feihu noticed the courtyard's aura, and Ji An explained that his Perfected Realm Thick Earth Art and Minor Cloud and Rain Art had cultivated the soil.
• Old Huang invited Ji An and Wei Songnian to share a meal, and the group traveled to Azure Water Market.
• The group met Wei Songnian and went to Liang Qiu's small food shop, while Huang Feihu went to buy spirit wine.
• Ji An asked Wei Songnian whether he could help him obtain two spirit fruit tree saplings.

Ji An discussed Spirit Fruit Tree seedlings and cultivation with Wei Songnian and Old Huang, then joined Wei Songnian at the sect’s free trading venue. The chapter left Ji An meeting Lin Antai inside the crowded hall.

• Wei Songnian mistakenly thought Old Huang had given Ji An a First-tier Spirit Field, and Ji An clarified that he had cultivated his own Low-grade First-tier Spiritual Field.
• Ji An asked Wei Songnian about fruit tree seedlings, including Enlightenment Tea Trees and Soul Nurturing Wood, and Wei Songnian offered to help him find suitable seeds and ordinary Spirit Tea Trees.
• Wei Songnian invited Ji An to a trading venue and offered to sell him five Shengyuan Pills on credit.
• Wei Songnian paid the entrance fee for himself and Ji An, and they entered the trading hall, where Lin Antai approached and introduced himself.

Ji An attended a sect Trade Fair with Wei Songnian, where cultivators traded Dharma artifacts and spiritual materials. Afterward, Wei Songnian helped Ji An negotiate with Li Lingyu for a Grade 2 Low-tier Spiritual Peach Seed, ending with an offer of one Spirit Stone.

• Lin Antai approached Wei Songnian and Ji An, and Wei Songnian explained the rivalry between their clans.
• Chen Shiping presided over the Trade Fair as Cui Yuan offered an Azure Scorpion Sword, which Yang Lie traded for with damaged artifacts and ores.
• Wei Songnian traded Shengyuan Pills for a spiritual item, while other cultivators bought, sold, and appraised goods.
• After the Trade Fair, Wei Songnian introduced Ji An to Li Lingyu and asked whether she had Spiritual Peach Seeds.
• Li Lingyu offered a Grade 2 Low-tier Spiritual Peach Seed for three Spirit Stones, and Wei Songnian countered with one Spirit Stone.

Ji An bought nurtured peach and apricot seeds from Li Lingyu, then demonstrated his perfected Farming Spells to her. Impressed, Li Lingyu offered to advise him, while Wei Songnian explained that he had hoped the display might help Ji An attract a master.

• Wei Songnian bargained with Li Lingyu over the peach seeds, and Li Lingyu offered a Fire Cloud Apricot seed and cultivation insights alongside them for three spirit stones.
• Ji An agreed to buy the seeds and asked Li Lingyu if he could seek her guidance; she agreed and gave him the nurtured seeds and a jade slip.
• Wei Songnian asked whether Ji An could work in Martial Uncle Ge's medicinal garden, but Li Lingyu said it was fully staffed.
• After Wei Songnian described Ji An's skill, Ji An demonstrated his perfected Thick Earth Art and Minor Cloud and Rain Art, impressing Li Lingyu.
• Li Lingyu said she would have recommended Ji An to her master if his disciple quota were not full, and offered future advice at Condensing Emerald Cliff.
• Ji An thanked Wei Songnian, who explained he had hoped the demonstration would help Ji An find a master and admitted he did not expect an elder to choose him.

After a demanding growing season, Ji An harvested and sold his crops, then spent heavily on seeds to expand his next planting and pursue greater wealth. He met Wei Songnian at Azure Water Market, where they planned to visit Junior Brother Liang and congratulate him on renting fishponds.

• Ji An built a fence around his courtyard, tended his vegetables, and planted a spirit peach and a Spiritual Apricot.
• He worked through the growing season by tending spirit fields, gathering Wood Origin Pearls, and practicing spells until the crops were harvested and sold.
• Ji An relaxed in his lush courtyard and dreamed of raising a yellow dog and brewing spirit tea.
• Huang Feihu helped Ji An carry six hundred jin of Yellow Bud Rice to the General Affairs Hall, then refused payment for his help.
• Ji An paid his rent and taxes, bought seeds for his next planting, and decided to prioritize earning spirit crystals.
• Ji An met Wei Songnian at Azure Water Market, and they set off to buy spiritual wine and visit Junior Brother Liang.

Ji An and Wei Songnian visited Liang Qiu’s fish pond, then traded pills and talisman-making supplies while discussing their plans and the sect’s push into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. Ji An left with a larger workload and a renewed sense of urgency about preparing for Foundation Establishment and protecting himself.

• Ji An and Wei Songnian visited Liang Qiu at his fish pond, where Liang Qiu explained that his new business had left him short of Spirit Stones.
• Ji An bought five Shengyuan Pills from Wei Songnian and arranged to purchase enough materials for twenty batches of talisman ink.
• Ji An said he planned to reclaim another five mu of Spirit Fields and make a large profit in three months.
• Wei Songnian told Ji An that the sect was sending Foundation Establishment cultivators deeper into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to seize territory and expand supply bases.
• Ji An felt pressed to learn protective spells and pursue Foundation Establishment as the sect’s expansion began.
• Ji An paid Wei Songnian 1,128 Spirit Crystals for the materials and settled prior debts, leaving ten Spirit Stones still owed.

Ji An weighed his cultivation plans while dining with Wei Songnian and Liang Qiu, who worried about saving enough Contribution Points for a Foundation Establishment Pill. The next morning, Old Huang offered Ji An his graded Spirit Field for Azure Corn cultivation, and Ji An accepted while promising to help Fei Hu if needed.

• Ji An decided to prioritize cultivation and postpone demon hunting until he reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation.
• Liang Qiu explained that his limited time and lack of family support made it difficult to afford and obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, and he considered risking a trip into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains if necessary.
• Ji An, Wei Songnian, and Liang Qiu shared a meal and spiritual wine, discussing cultivation and their prospects for Foundation Establishment.
• Ji An used Thick Earth Art to reclaim five mu of Spirit Fields, and Old Huang praised his skill.
• Old Huang offered Ji An his one mu of graded Spirit Field after the harvest and offered to teach him how to grow Azure Corn.
• Ji An accepted Old Huang's offer and promised to help Fei Hu with any future difficulty within his abilities.

After Ji An’s Sharp Metal Art reached perfection, he discovered its golden energy had become far sharper and more refined. Li Changqing bought Ji An’s rice and warned him to protect his valuable courtyard crops, while Ji An tested his newly perfected spell’s effects.

• Ji An sold 2,500 jin of Yellow Bud Rice to Li Changqing for 2,625 Spirit Crystals.
• Ji An discovered that the Sharp Metal Art had advanced from mastery to perfection after its golden beam made his eyes and face sting.
• Li Changqing admired Ji An’s first-grade Spirit Field and warned him that thieves might target the Spirit Fruit Trees and Fire Cloud Ginseng.
• Li Changqing left on a Talisman Bird, and Ji An shut the gate before testing the perfected Sharp Metal Art again.
• Ji An found that the spell’s golden particles could pierce a bamboo leaf, but dispersing them kept the leaf from showing visible damage.

Ji An bought Shengyuan Pills and talisman supplies from Wei Songnian, then obtained a Jade Slip for Spells and chose four spells to learn. He planned to strengthen his cultivation and prepare for future monster hunting while still lacking a protective formation for his courtyard.

• Wei Songnian discussed the new stronghold, rising trade, and the sect’s policies toward independent cultivators with Ji An.
• Ji An bought Wei Songnian’s twenty Shengyuan Pills and twenty portions of talisman ink materials, using his remaining Spirit Stones toward his debt and a deposit for a courtyard formation.
• Wei Songnian agreed to seek a sealing formation for Ji An during his next trip to Azure Cloud Immortal City.
• Ji An paid his field rent, exchanged ten Spirit Stones for Contribution Points, and obtained the Jade Slip for Spells.
• After studying the jade slip, Ji An chose to learn the Object Control Art, Geng Metal Finger, Water Curtain Art, and Wind Riding Art.

Ji An practiced several spells, used the Stone Turtle to perfect Water Curtain Art, and cultivated with a Shengyuan Pill. The next morning, he began planting Azure Corn with Old Huang, who was impressed by Ji An’s spellwork and promised to send him his cultivation notes.

• Ji An practiced Object Control Art, Wind Riding Art, Water Curtain Art, and Geng Metal Finger, then checked his progress with the Stone Turtle.
• Ji An refined Kan Spirit until Water Curtain Art reached perfection, leaving 78.2 points of Kan Spirit, and tested the stronger, longer-lasting water curtain.
• Ji An cultivated overnight with a Shengyuan Pill, then went to Old Huang’s Spirit Field the next morning to plant Azure Corn.
• Old Huang gave Ji An Wood Origin Pearls and explained the steps for preparing the field, while Ji An cleared the weeds with his Great Accomplishment Blazing Fire Spell.
• Ji An used Thick Earth Art, nourished the soil, and scattered Azure Corn seeds with Object Control Art; Old Huang spread ash and promised to send his Azure Corn cultivation notes through Fei Hu.

Ji An discovered new Zhen Spiritual Inspiration when Yellow Bud Rice shoots sprouted, then planned to earn more by making talismans. After finding that a rodent had eaten two Fire Cloud Ginseng plants, he went to Azure Water Market to buy a Talisman Brush on credit.

• Ji An explained his insights into the Minor Cloud and Rain Art to Old Huang, who thanked him for the guidance.
• Ji An gained 0.2 Zhen Spiritual Inspiration when young shoots emerged, but found no spell that could use it.
• Ji An reduced his Spirit Grain planting and planned to make talismans for profit after perfecting the Water Curtain Art.
• Ji An found that a small animal had gnawed up two Fire Cloud Ginseng plants, scattered Yellow Bud Rice as bait, and decided to watch for the thief.
• Ji An visited Wei Songnian to buy a Talisman Brush on credit, and Wei offered him a worn brush for three Spirit Stones.

Ji An bought a talisman brush and a basic Talisman Master inheritance, then studied talisman techniques while keeping watch for the beast eating his seedlings. He caught a clever Second Layer of Qi Condensation Spirit Seeking Rat and decided its bloodline was worth nurturing.

• Ji An bought a talisman brush from Wei Songnian and asked for help dealing with the beast stealing his Fire Cloud Ginseng seedlings.
• Ji An borrowed Talisman Paper and talisman ink from Wei Songnian, then exchanged Spirit Stones for a basic Talisman Master inheritance.
• Ji An studied talisman techniques, practiced the Object Control Art, and waited in his yard for the thief to appear.
• Ji An caught the rat with the Object Control Art and subdued it with his spiritual pressure.
• Ji An identified the rat as a Spirit Seeking Rat with a promising bloodline and planned to raise it using his family's beast-taming secret art.

Ji An sought Zhao Mengyao’s help to tame a captured Spirit Seeking Rat and obtain ingredients for making pills to raise it. After returning home, he fed the rat its first Spirit Feeding Pill and began its training.

• Ji An cultivated at dawn, then checked his Fire Cloud Ginseng before flying to Green Bamboo Peak with the bound Spirit Seeking Rat.
• Ji An asked Zhao Mengyao for Beast Taming Tokens, and she assessed the rat as having a bloodline close to high-grade.
• Zhao Mengyao sold Ji An two tokens and prepared medicinal materials for three Spirit Stones, leaving him owing her five Spirit Stones in total.
• While Zhao Mengyao prepared the materials, Ji An signed a spirit pet contract with the rat and sealed a wisp of its essence soul in a Beast Taming Token.
• Ji An warned the rat not to touch his spirit herbs, fed it spirit rice, and made twenty-two Spirit Feeding Pills after wasting some ingredients.
• Ji An gave the rat a pill, and it eagerly ate it and rested contentedly in the sunlight.

Ji An practiced crafting Water Curtain Talismans until his success rate reached forty percent, then sold his first batch through Wei Songnian. After installing a sealing array around his courtyard, he continued training his spells and planned to save Spiritual Essence to advance the Minor Cloud and Rain Art.

• Ji An practiced drawing Water Curtain Talismans, initially failed repeatedly, and eventually made three successful talismans out of twenty.
• Over the next few days, Ji An used all one hundred sheets of low-grade Talisman Paper and improved his success rate to forty percent, producing thirty talismans.
• Ji An trained his Geng Metal Finger, Wind Riding Art, and Object Control Art, then decided to save Spiritual Essence to advance the Minor Cloud and Rain Art.
• Wei Songnian visited Ji An and sold him a sealing array, which Ji An installed around his courtyard using four Spirit Stones.
• Ji An asked Wei Songnian to consign his Water Curtain Talismans, and Wei Songnian tested one before agreeing to take the entire batch.

Two years later, Ji An had reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Condensation and learned that competition for Foundation Establishment Pills had intensified, with the queue extending ten years ahead. After hearing that the sect might attack another demon beast territory, he considered hunting in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to earn crystals faster, leaving Wei Songnian concerned about the risks.

• Ji An told Zhang Fan that he planned to prepare for a Foundation Establishment Pill after reaching the Ninth Layer, and Zhang Fan warned him that the sect’s pill allocation was already scheduled ten years in advance.
• Ji An reconsidered Zhao Mengyao’s remarks about new clan regulations and realized that the sect’s expansion and the influx of cultivators could make the wait for a pill much longer.
• Ji An went to Azure Water Market, where Wei Songnian celebrated gathering sixty thousand Contribution Points and said he would receive a Foundation Establishment Pill in ten years.
• Wei Songnian told Ji An that the sect might attack another demon beast territory and urged him to save crystals before competition grew worse.
• Ji An said he wanted to visit the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains for a windfall, and Wei Songnian cautioned him that hunting demon beasts was dangerous.

Ji An prepared to leave the sect on occasional monster-hunting missions to gain combat experience and seek resources for Foundation Establishment. He asked Wei Songnian and Zhao Mengyao for help acquiring magic tools and contacting Chu He, while Zhao Mengyao warned him about the dangers of joining an unfamiliar squad.

• Ji An told Wei Songnian he planned to hunt monsters after preparing two magic tools, and Wei Songnian counted Ji An's talisman earnings and offered to ask Cui Yuan about a shield and a heavy offensive tool.
• Ji An agreed to wait up to half a year for the tools, and Wei Songnian offered to lend him Spirit Crystals if needed.
• Ji An visited Zhao Mengyao to buy medicinal materials and asked about Chu He, who had joined a monster-hunting squad at Cliff Mountain.
• Ji An explained that he wanted to hunt with Chu He in his free time or find a trustworthy squad, and Zhao Mengyao cautioned him about joining unfamiliar teams in the wilderness.
• Ji An said his combat spells were improving but he lacked real battle experience, then pointed out that his Spirit Seeking Rat had reached Qi Condensation Layer 5.

Ji An harvested his Azure Corn and discussed cultivation with Huang Feihu, who had recently reached Late Qi Condensation. Ji An arranged for Huang Feihu to tend his Spirit Fields while he joined a demon-hunting team in half a year.

• At Cliff Mountain, Chu He told his teammates that Ji An wanted to join their demon-hunting team, and they agreed to let him try after he arrived in half a year.
• Ji An finished harvesting his Azure Corn, and Huang Feihu arrived to help carry it back.
• Huang Feihu told Ji An he had broken through to Late Qi Condensation with his grandfather's support, and Ji An advised him to spend most of his Spirit Stones on cultivation.
• Ji An patiently answered Huang Feihu's questions and advised him to overcome his next bottleneck without pills to benefit his chances of Foundation Establishment.
• Ji An asked Huang Feihu to cast rain on his Spirit Fields during his one- or two-month absence for demon hunting, and Huang Feihu agreed.

Ji An visited Red Copper Mountain with Wei Songnian and bought Cui Yuan’s mid-grade Stone Turtle Shield after demonstrating that he could control its twelve pieces. With most of his Spirit Stones spent, he ordered a low-grade Mountain River Seal and arranged to collect it in three months.

• Ji An turned his harvested talisman grass into talismans, cultivated his crops, and practiced spells while saving Spirit Stones by cutting back on pills.
• Wei Songnian met Ji An at Red Copper Mountain and brought him to the Artifact Refining Hall to see Cui Yuan’s Stone Turtle Shield.
• Ji An controlled and split the shield into twelve pieces, impressing Cui Yuan and Wei Songnian with his divine sense.
• Ji An bargained with Cui Yuan and bought the Stone Turtle Shield for ninety-two Spirit Stones, receiving a jade slip on advanced divine sense and Object Control Art techniques.
• Ji An used his remaining seven Spirit Stones as a deposit for a low-grade Mountain River Seal, which Cui Yuan agreed to make for collection in three months.

After preparing for a monster hunt, Ji An left his Spirit Fields in Huang Feihu’s care and traveled to Cliff Mountain. There, Zhang Yuanshan introduced him to Chen Moxuan’s squad and vouched for him, leaving the group curious about Ji An’s abilities.

• Ji An checked his cultivation progress and prepared pills, talismans, artifacts, and other supplies for monster hunting.
• Ji An asked Huang Feihu to care for his courtyard plants and Spirit Fields while he was away, and taught him how to control the formation.
• Ji An traveled from Sunset Mountain to Cliff Mountain by flying boat.
• At Drunken Immortal Inn, Chen Moxuan welcomed Zhang Yuanshan and the others, and Zhang asked the squad to look after Ji An.
• Jiang Qiuyue remarked that Ji An had reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Condensation despite being younger than many of them.