Chapter Summaries

Qin Fengming, Dong Guangyuan, and Zong Sheng spent months breaking the ancient Restrictive Spell on the stone gate. Once it fell, Zong Sheng trapped Qin Fengming and revealed that he had lured both men there to take the treasures for himself, leaving Dong Guangyuan to fight him.

• Qin Fengming and the others repeatedly attacked the stone gate’s Restrictive Spell, resting to restore their magical power.
• After several months, the barrier began to loosen, and the three men continued attacking until it finally broke.
• As Qin Fengming dodged a sudden white light, Zong Sheng trapped him inside a white sphere.
• Dong Guangyuan confronted Zong Sheng, who admitted that his story about sharing the treasures had been a lie and that he had lured them there.
• Dong Guangyuan attacked Zong Sheng, then concealed himself inside a strange azure mist.

Zong Sheng and Dong Guangyuan clashed with their Azure Ling Great Law and magic treasures, but the Gilded Hammer and Yin-Yang Two Forms Plate became locked in a stalemate. As both men exhausted their spiritual power, Dong Guangyuan grew anxious, while Zong Sheng also worried because Qin Fengming remained motionless inside the shroud.

• Dong Guangyuan formed the Azure Ling Great Law into a massive palm, but Zong Sheng shattered it with the Gilded Hammer.
• Dong Guangyuan sent out the Yin-Yang Two Forms Plate, whose vortex caught the Gilded Hammer and held it in a stalemate.
• Zong Sheng and Dong Guangyuan drove their magic treasures while guarding against sneak attacks and replenishing their spiritual power with spirit stones.
• Dong Guangyuan recognized that his spiritual power was weaker and grew anxious as the stalemate continued.
• Zong Sheng worried because Qin Fengming remained seated motionless inside the shroud after being trapped by a top-grade spirit artifact.

Qin Fengming waited until Zong Sheng and Dong Guangyuan were nearly exhausted before breaking free and unleashing a powerful attack. Dong Guangyuan died, while Zong Sheng fled the hall and confronted Qin Fengming near the cave entrance.

• Zong Sheng and Dong Guangyuan continued their stalemate until both were nearly out of magical power.
• Qin Fengming broke through Zong Sheng’s barrier and sent dozens of powerful fire pythons at the two cultivators.
• Dong Guangyuan was killed by the fire pythons, while Zong Sheng used a shield to survive and fled toward the hall’s exit.
• Qin Fengming collected Dong Guangyuan’s treasures and storage rings, then pursued Zong Sheng through the cave tunnel.
• Zong Sheng stopped near the cave entrance and threatened to return after recovering, while Qin Fengming said he would soon kill him.

Qin Fengming trapped the weakened Zong Sheng in the Four Symbols Primordial Chaos Formation and used its fire pythons to wear him down. Zong Sheng tried to break out with a magic treasure, but Qin Fengming intercepted it with his Ruyi Purple Gold Hooks.

• Zong Sheng fled from Qin Fengming, but a formation transformed the scenery around him and trapped him.
• Zong Sheng raised his defenses and fought off successive pairs of fire pythons as Qin Fengming watched from outside.
• Qin Fengming revealed that he had prepared the Four Symbols Primordial Chaos Formation as a backup plan and aimed to exhaust Zong Sheng's remaining magical power.
• Zong Sheng realized the fire pythons were meant to wear him down and sent his Gilded Hammer toward the formation's edge to escape.
• Qin Fengming summoned his Ruyi Purple Gold Hooks, which intercepted the Gilded Hammer.

Qin Fengming defeated Zong Sheng, who detonated his spirit artifacts rather than be captured, and searched the devastated battlefield for anything he had left behind. After recovering the Gilded Hammer and securing the ancient Cave Abode, Qin Fengming entered its empty hall and approached the middle stone door.

• Zong Sheng realized he was defeated and detonated his two spirit artifacts, unleashing an explosion that destroyed the area and buried the cave entrance.
• Qin Fengming survived the blast, searched for Zong Sheng's remains and belongings, and found nothing but recovered the intact Gilded Hammer from the rubble.
• Qin Fengming checked the area for nearby threats and reset the Four Symbols Primordial Chaos Formation as a precaution.
• Qin Fengming used his Puppet beasts to clear the boulders from the cave entrance, then returned to the Cave Abode hall.
• Qin Fengming searched the empty hall and, after hesitating at the three stone cave entrances, walked toward the middle stone door.

Qin Fengming searched three chambers in an ancient cave dwelling, finding stored treasures and a vast collection of rare spirit herbs. In the final chamber, touching one of five strange spheres drew him into vivid memories of his family and childhood.

• Qin Fengming cautiously searched the first chamber and stored away two beast-hide scrolls, five pills, a bronze disc, a candleholder, and a box of fragrant powders.
• Qin Fengming entered the left chamber and discovered a spirit herb garden filled with dozens of kinds of medicinal plants.
• Qin Fengming dug up every herb, sealed them in Jade Boxes with Qi Concealing Talismans, and stored them away.
• Qin Fengming entered the final chamber and found five colored spheres that reflected his divine sense.
• Qin Fengming touched one sphere and was overcome by memories of his parents, grandparents, brothers, and childhood in his homeland.

Qin Fengming escaped a dangerous encounter with a strange sphere and secured five suspected demon beast eggs before leaving the Ancient Cultivator's cave dwelling. After resting, he examined his spoils and recognized two exceptionally rare magical treasures, while preparing to continue his journey through the Ancient Battlefield.

• Qin Fengming realized that one of the five spheres had nearly trapped his consciousness and suspected the spheres were demon beast eggs, so he stored all five in his Spirit Beast Bracelet.
• Qin Fengming searched the stone chambers, sealed the cave entrance, and flew east, avoiding a third-level demon beast as he sought a safe place to rest.
• Qin Fengming set up the Four Symbols Primordial Chaos Formation in a cave in the Red Leaf Forest and slept until the third day.
• Qin Fengming examined Dong Guangyuan's storage ring and found two bottles of pills that seemed intended for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, along with one usable high-grade spirit artifact.
• Qin Fengming discovered that the Gilded Hammer had belonged to a Grand Elder of the Floating Purity Sect and identified the round-plate treasure as the long-lost Yin-Yang Two Forms Plate.

Qin Fengming examined the treasures and writings from the ancient cave abode, learning about the Five Elements Beast eggs and the Xuanji Huayin Art. After recovering his strength, he set off east, unaware that one of two newly arrived cultivators was following him.

• Qin Fengming identified Cheng Shan's formation implements as a simplified Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Formation and found that an ancient letter linked the cave abode to Qin'er and Brother Long.
• Qin Fengming learned that the five round spheres were living Five Elements Beast eggs that had remained unhatched for over a hundred thousand years.
• Qin Fengming translated the Xuanji Huayin Art, a rare cultivation art meant for women with a Yin constitution, and stored it away.
• Qin Fengming put away the unidentified pills and the cave abode owner's dressing box, then stored the beast eggs in his Spirit Beast Bracelet.
• After nearly two days of rest, Qin Fengming set off east with his recovered strength and treasures.
• Two cultivators appeared above the valley; after conferring, one flew northwest while the other followed Qin Fengming.

Qin Fengming discovered a cultivator secretly following him and tried to draw him closer by confronting a Grade 4 Purple-backed Mantis. After the beast shattered his defense, Qin Fengming dodged into the forest as the Mantis pursued him.

• Qin Fengming sensed a concealed cultivator following him from about forty li away and kept flying without revealing that he had noticed.
• Qin Fengming spotted a powerful demon beast ahead and deliberately flew toward it, hoping to bring the pursuer into danger.
• Qin Fengming identified the beast as a Grade 4 Purple-backed Mantis and prepared to test its strength.
• The Purple-backed Mantis battered Qin Fengming's Five Elements Defense barrier until it shattered, then lunged at him.
• Qin Fengming dodged toward the forest below, and the Purple-backed Mantis turned and dived after him.

Qin Fengming lured the Purple-backed Mantis Beast into pursuing a Molten Mountain Sect cultivator, then withdrew while the beast attacked him. After the beast broke through the cultivator’s trapping spirit tool and resumed its pursuit, Qin Fengming slowly flew toward their battle.

• Qin Fengming led the enraged Purple-backed Mantis Beast toward a cultivator who had been traveling ahead, forcing the man to flee when he noticed them.
• Qin Fengming recognized the fleeing man as a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator from the Molten Mountain Sect and decided to let the beast attack him.
• The Mantis Beast abandoned Qin Fengming and pursued the cultivator, quickly destroying the man’s high-grade spirit tool.
• The cultivator trapped the beast in a top-grade yellow silk net and fled northwest, while Qin Fengming withdrew west and rested at a distance.
• The Mantis Beast tore through the net and caught up with the fleeing cultivator, and Qin Fengming slowly flew toward their battle.

A Purple-backed Mantis killed a Molten Mountain Sect cultivator before two powerful sect members drove it away with a black whip. Qin Fengming revealed himself to the survivors, who recognized him as the cultivator their junior brother had pursued and prepared to attack him.

• The Purple-backed Mantis cut through the fleeing Molten Mountain Sect cultivator’s talismans and spirit artifact, then killed and devoured him.
• Two Molten Mountain Sect cultivators arrived and repeatedly struck the Mantis Beast with a black whip until it fled.
• One newcomer collected and burned the dead cultivator’s body while the other two flew toward Qin Fengming’s hiding place.
• Qin Fengming stopped concealing himself and told the two men that he knew what had happened to their fellow sect member.
• The cultivators recognized Qin Fengming as the man Junior Brother Yu had pursued and threatened to kill him for revenge.
• One cultivator flew toward Qin Fengming to attack while Senior Brother Gu watched.

Qin Fengming was trapped inside Junior Brother Feng’s Ghost Soul Banner, but he summoned the Soul Devouring Beast to prey on the banner’s ghostly souls. Outside the fog, Junior Brother Feng and Senior Brother Gu expected Qin Fengming to be killed, unaware that the beast was devouring the banner’s spirits.

• Junior Brother Feng attacked Qin Fengming with a top-grade spear and unleashed his Ghost Soul Banner, surrounding him with black fog and countless spirits.
• Qin Fengming recognized the banner’s sinister nature but let the fog envelop him, protecting himself with two Five Elements Defense Talismans.
• Qin Fengming summoned the Soul Devouring Beast, which rushed into the ghostly creatures and devoured hundreds of them as the others fled in terror.
• Junior Brother Feng told Senior Brother Gu that Qin Fengming would not escape the banner, and the two watched the fog without taking further action.

Qin Fengming survived the Ghost Soul Banner’s attack as the Soul Devouring Beast devoured the ghosts inside it. After the banner was destroyed, Qin Fengming emerged unharmed, leaving the Molten Mountain Sect cultivators stunned.

• Qin Fengming relied on his Five Elements barrier while the Soul Devouring Beast tore through the ghosts and swallowed them.
• The cultivator surnamed Feng kept powering the Ghost Soul Banner, while the cultivator surnamed Gu questioned why Qin Fengming had not been killed.
• After an hour and a half, the Soul Devouring Beast had consumed nearly all the ghosts, including the powerful souls, and Qin Fengming recalled it to his Soul Devouring Banner.
• Qin Fengming struck the depleted Ghost Soul Banner with the Purple Fire Meteor Sword and destroyed it.
• The cultivator surnamed Feng shouted in anger at the loss of his banner, and the cultivator surnamed Gu stared at Qin Fengming in disbelief.

Qin Fengming fought two Molten Mountain Sect cultivators in Red Leaf Forest, losing control of the Purple Fire Meteor Sword after Feng used a sinister spirit tool to trap it. He feigned a stalemate, crept close to Feng, and killed him with a sudden red attack, leaving Gu as his remaining opponent.

• Feng trapped Qin Fengming's Purple Fire Meteor Sword inside a mass of black liquid, while Gu moved to block Qin Fengming's escape.
• Qin Fengming unleashed his Ruyi Purple Gold Hooks and nearly killed Feng, but Gu intervened with his whip-shaped magic treasure and saved his junior brother.
• Feng threatened Qin Fengming and warned him that Red Leaf Forest was a gathering place for Molten Mountain Sect cultivators.
• Qin Fengming quietly moved closer to Feng while their treasures clashed, then pierced Feng's body with a streak of red light and killed him.

Qin Fengming killed the cultivator surnamed Feng, escaped the cultivator surnamed Gu, and hid in the forest to recover. He examined Feng’s unusual treasures and discovered they included the Ink Cloud Dou and the Black Dragon Crutch.

• Qin Fengming killed the cultivator surnamed Feng with a red spiritual artifact as the cultivator surnamed Gu rushed to intervene.
• Qin Fengming used talismans to slow Gu’s green mist secret technique, collected Feng’s treasures, and fled into the Red Leaf Forest.
• The cultivator surnamed Gu failed to catch Qin Fengming under the aerial-restriction formation and threatened to hunt him down.
• Qin Fengming concealed his spiritual power, used an Invisibility Talisman, and traveled east before setting up the Four Symbols Pure Spirit Formation to rest.
• Qin Fengming examined Feng’s treasures and identified the pitch-black artifact as the Ink Cloud Dou and the crutch-like magic treasure as the Black Dragon Crutch.

After recovering from his fight with the Molten Mountain Sect, Qin Fengming learned that its cultivators were searching for him and fled toward the edge of the Red Leaf Forest. The chapter leaves him close to escaping the forest, while he suspects the sect is preparing a larger operation.

• Qin Fengming assessed his spoils, considered the strength of demonic cultivation, and meditated to recover his magic power.
• The cultivator surnamed Gu told Wei that Qin Fengming had escaped after killing Feng, and Wei ordered the Foundation Establishment cultivators to hunt Qin Fengming and recover the lost treasures.
• Two days later, Qin Fengming spotted three Molten Mountain Sect cultivators searching nearby, concealed himself, and headed northwest.
• Qin Fengming spent several days avoiding search parties and demon beasts as he made his way toward the edge of the Red Leaf Forest.
• Qin Fengming discovered more Molten Mountain Sect search groups and suspected the sect was planning a major operation.

Qin Fengming neared the edge of the Red Leaf Forest but was ambushed by two Molten Mountain Sect cultivators waiting to intercept him. He feigned terror to lure Wu close, then struck him down with a red thread-like spirit artifact while Yun watched.

• Qin Fengming evaded a flying demon beast and reached a point about seventy or eighty li from the Red Leaf Forest's edge.
• A silver rope attacked Qin Fengming, but he dodged it and found Yun and Wu waiting in ambush.
• Yun and Wu identified Qin Fengming as a Luoxia Sect cultivator wanted by Martial Uncle Wei, and Wu moved to capture him.
• Qin Fengming pretended to be frightened and claimed he had only just been teleported into the area.
• Wu sent a skull-shaped spirit artifact after Qin Fengming, who dodged until he was close enough to attack.
• Qin Fengming launched his red thread-like spirit artifact at Wu, striking him in the chest and killing him.

Qin Fengming killed the Wu-surnamed cultivator and battled the Yun-surnamed cultivator, resisting his illusion-filled pink fog and its Pink Skull attack. The Yun-surnamed cultivator recognized Qin Fengming’s Ink Cloud Dou as Senior Brother Feng’s artifact, and Qin Fengming revealed that he had killed Feng and taken it.

• Qin Fengming killed the Wu-surnamed cultivator, and the Yun-surnamed cultivator confronted him.
• The Yun-surnamed cultivator engulfed Qin Fengming in pink fog that induced illusions and hindered movement, but icy spiritual energy freed Qin Fengming from the seductive vision.
• The Yun-surnamed cultivator sent waves of Pink Skulls to attack, while Qin Fengming’s Five Elements Ring grew sluggish from the contaminating fog.
• Qin Fengming recalled the Five Elements Ring and sent out the Ink Cloud Dou, whose black clouds clashed with the pink fog.
• The Yun-surnamed cultivator recognized the Ink Cloud Dou as Senior Brother Feng’s artifact, and Qin Fengming said he had killed Feng and taken his belongings.

Qin Fengming fought the Yun-surnamed cultivator, overcame his spirit tools and magic treasure, and killed him. He collected the valuables from both fallen cultivators and burned their bodies.

• The Yun-surnamed cultivator denied that Qin Fengming had killed Senior Brother Feng, then discovered that the Ink Cloud Dou was devouring his pink mist and withdrew his technique.
• The Yun-surnamed cultivator summoned a fourth-level Mountain Shaking Beast and attacked Qin Fengming with a sand-spraying teapot and a bronze-bell magic treasure.
• Qin Fengming used the Ruyi Purple Gold Hooks to resist the bell’s sonic attack, then sent twenty fire serpents at the Yun-surnamed cultivator and followed them in.
• The fire serpents shattered the Yun-surnamed cultivator’s spiritual-power shield, and a yellow rope bound him and sealed his magical power.
• Qin Fengming summoned a yellow little beast and killed the Yun-surnamed cultivator with a fiery-red spear; the beast swallowed the cultivator’s soul.
• Qin Fengming collected the Yun-surnamed cultivator’s storage rings and treasures, then searched and burned the Wu-surnamed cultivator’s corpse.

Qin Fengming fled into Shattered Stone Valley to avoid Molten Mountain Sect, then witnessed the valley’s deadly hurricanes and proceeded with extreme caution. Meanwhile, Martial Uncle Wei ended the search for him and prepared to gather the sect’s disciples for their next undertaking.

• After confirming the area was clear, Qin Fengming left Red Leaf Forest and concluded that fighting multiple Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators would be far more dangerous than facing one.
• Qin Fengming consulted his jade slip, learned he was in Shattered Stone Valley, and chose to cross it rather than return to Red Leaf Forest and risk meeting Martial Uncle Wei.
• Martial Uncle Wei learned that the search had found no trace of Qin Fengming, then ordered the sect’s thirty-seven assembled disciples to gather before setting out the next morning.
• After traveling twenty li into Shattered Stone Valley, Qin Fengming saw a massive hurricane destroy a boulder and vanish upon reaching the edge of Red Leaf Forest.
• Qin Fengming recognized the valley’s danger, slowed his flight, and focused his divine sense and spirit as he continued onward.