Chapter Summaries

Qin Fengming entered Manghuang Mountain’s artifact-refining competition and passed the first flame-control test with exceptional skill. Elder Li personally oversaw his test and sent him onward to the stone chamber marked number one.

• The Manghuang Mountain elder explained the staggered competition schedule and led the top one hundred contestants into an underground cavern.
• Elder Li described the artifact-refining competition’s stages and instructed the contestants to take the flame-control test in order.
• Qin Fengming presented his jade token, and Elder Li personally took charge of his test.
• Qin Fengming activated the Fire-Inducing Beast and smoothly changed its flame from deep-colored to white.
• Elder Li declared Qin Fengming had passed, and Qin Fengming took his jade token to the stone chamber marked number one.

Qin Fengming passed the material-refining test with astonishing speed and skill, then began considering how to craft a spirit artifact from the supplied materials. He decided to demonstrate his true ability by making a top-grade spirit artifact without replacing any materials.

• Qin Fengming entered the artifact-refining room, where Elder Li replaced the assigned evaluator and gave him twenty-seven materials to refine.
• Qin Fengming used the Heart of the Earth Fire to refine all twenty-seven materials in seven or eight hours, impressing Elder Li and passing the test.
• Elder Li instructed Qin Fengming to craft a spirit artifact from the refined materials, allowing him to replace only one material, then left the room.
• Qin Fengming examined the materials and decided to craft a top-grade spirit artifact without replacing any of them.

Qin Fengming completed the artifact-refining trial by forging a top-grade spirit artifact from the twenty-seven provided materials in eight days. After the Core Formation cultivators evaluated it, he returned to his hall with his jade token, having passed the test.

• Qin Fengming chose not to use mysterious liquid and began refining an artifact from the twenty-seven materials.
• Qin Fengming nearly ruined the refinement when an incantation art flew out too early, but he used his spiritual sense to keep it from entering the molten material.
• Qin Fengming finished a top-grade spirit artifact, a small yellow fork, and brought it to the hall for evaluation.
• Elder Li inspected the fork, confirmed it had been made from the supplied materials, and declared that Qin Fengming had passed the test.
• Qin Fengming returned to his hall with his jade token as the cultivators praised his achievement.

Qin Fengming decided to register for the alchemy competition at Manghuang Mountain, where the staff first tried to extort him. When his jade tablet revealed that he had been assigned the first position by Hall Master Wen, they apologized and escorted him into the competition.

• Qin Fengming decided to take the alchemy skill test after considering which disciplines to pursue.
• Qin Fengming went to the alchemy competition site and asked four Manghuang Mountain cultivators how to register late.
• Qin Fengming gave the leading cultivator a storage ring containing five thousand spirit stones to secure their help.
• Qin Fengming activated his jade tablet and discovered that it displayed the number one.
• The leading cultivator recognized that Hall Master Wen had reserved the first position for Qin Fengming, returned the jade tablet and spirit stones, and escorted him into the passageway.

Qin Fengming entered the Alchemy Hall to take its skill test after completing the Artifact Refining Hall test. He passed the spirit-herb identification round but his first attempt at refining the Yihe Pill ended in an apparent failure.

• An old man brought Qin Fengming before the Alchemy Hall stewards, who learned he had already completed the Artifact Refining Hall test and allowed him to proceed without repeating the flame-control test.
• Qin Fengming correctly identified all eleven spirit herbs in the second round.
• A Core Formation steward gave Qin Fengming the Yihe Pill formula and herbs for three attempts, with a twenty-day limit.
• Qin Fengming studied the formula, purified the herbs, and began refining the pill using the Heart of the Earth Fire.
• A crackling sound came from the Alchemy Furnace, and it soon banged open, sending its lid flying.

Qin Fengming discovered errors in Manghuang Mountain’s Yihe Pill formula and used his alchemy knowledge to refine the pill successfully. After passing the alchemy test, he returned to his residence and considered which test to take next.

• After his first Yihe Pill attempt failed, Qin Fengming suspected the formula contained deliberate errors and spent two days studying the problem.
• On the seventh day, Qin Fengming began refining the pill again while the other cultivators’ attempts concluded.
• On the eleventh day, Qin Fengming presented his Yihe Pills to the Core Formation cultivators, who were astonished by their quality and praised his alchemy talent.
• Senior Brother Chu agreed to notify the Hall Master, and the Core Formation cultivators marked Qin Fengming’s jade tablet to confirm he had passed the alchemy test.
• Qin Fengming returned to his residence, relieved that he had passed two tests, and began considering which test to take next.

Qin Fengming arrived at Manghuang Mountain’s Thousand Mechanisms Hall to compete in formations, where elders explained three ways to pass and offered the possibility of meeting the hall master. He chose to enter a formation and find its eye, then followed Elder Yin to begin the trial.

• Qin Fengming flew to the Thousand Mechanisms Hall, puzzled that Manghuang Mountain had no restrictions on flight or divine sense.
• Qin Fengming introduced himself to three late Core Formation elders, and one recognized his rapid progress in cultivation and offered to recommend him to the hall master if he passed.
• An elder explained three formation challenges: finding and destroying a formation eye, completing an incomplete formation, or escaping a dangerous formation.
• Qin Fengming chose the first challenge and followed Elder Yin out of the hall.

Qin Fengming entered Manghuang Mountain’s formation trial and broke a powerful illusion-and-attack formation in less than an hour by identifying and striking a weak point. The elders marked his jade token and discovered that he had already perfected the alchemy and artifact-refining trials, leaving them astonished.

• Steward Yin brought Qin Fengming to a valley and ordered a Foundation Establishment cultivator to lead him into a formation trial.
• Qin Fengming tested the formation, discovered that it combined illusions with powerful wind-blade attacks, and analyzed its workings.
• Qin Fengming used fireballs and wind blades to expose a weak point, then struck it with his spirit tool and broke the formation.
• Qin Fengming returned to the Thousand Mechanisms Hall, where the elders learned he had completed the trial in less than an hour.
• Steward Yin marked Qin Fengming's jade token and saw that he had already perfected the alchemy and artifact-refining trials, astonishing the three Core Formation elders.

Qin Fengming passed the Thousand Mechanisms Hall trial and requested to attempt the other trials as well. He repaired the Three Yuan Array in ten days and returned to the hall after the Manghuang Mountain cultivators confirmed his work.

• Qin Fengming showed the three elders his jade tablet, and Elder Yin confirmed that he had passed the Thousand Mechanisms Hall trial.
• Qin Fengming asked to attempt the other two trials, and the elder in the middle led him to a cave to take the formation-repair trial.
• A Manghuang Mountain cultivator gave Qin Fengming an incomplete jade slip describing the Three Yuan Array and materials for repairing it.
• Qin Fengming studied the array and spent ten days repairing it while the three Foundation Establishment cultivators doubted his formation skills.
• Qin Fengming announced that he had finished, and the formation master inspected the intact Three Yuan Array and confirmed that Qin Fengming had repaired it correctly.
• Qin Fengming thanked the cultivators, left the cave, and returned to the Thousand Mechanisms Hall.

Qin Fengming finished repairing the formation and chose to enter the Thousand Mechanisms Hall’s final trial. As Zhang Wang watched from outside, the formation unleashed escalating attacks, but Qin Fengming defended himself with powerful Fire Snake Talismans.

• Qin Fengming reported completing the formation repair, and Zhang Wang marked his jade token.
• Qin Fengming chose to take the final trial, so Zhang Wang escorted him to the formation and warned him about its growing attacks.
• The formation pulled Qin Fengming into a dense forest and struck him with a disorienting sonic attack.
• Qin Fengming sealed off his senses and surrounded himself with layers of Fire Snake Talismans, destroying the first wave of enormous logs.
• Zhang Wang increased the formation’s attacks, sending dozens of logs at Qin Fengming in an apparent attempt to kill him in one assault.

Qin Fengming broke the powerful formation in Thousand Mechanisms Hall and impressed its Core Formation elders with his skill and knowledge. He then reached Precious Talisman Hall to enter the talisman refinement competition, where he learned he had one month to complete its assignment.

• Qin Fengming identified the formation’s four weak points and destroyed them with four spiritual artifacts.
• Qin Fengming told the Zhang-surnamed Core Formation elder that he had refined the powerful Fire Snake Talismans himself using additional materials.
• The Core Formation elders praised Qin Fengming, and the leading elder sent a voice-transmission talisman to the hall master of Thousand Mechanisms Hall.
• Qin Fengming traveled to Precious Talisman Hall and asked its elders to enter the talisman refinement competition.
• The Core Formation elder who had previously tested Qin Fengming’s bone age welcomed him and explained that he had one month to complete the hall’s assignment.

Qin Fengming entered Manghuang Mountain’s talisman-making competition and completed three thousand Fire Python Talismans in six days, using only four sheets of paper. The elders were astonished by his skill, and he returned to the Precious Talisman Hall for an assessment.

• Qin Fengming learned that he could compete by making three thousand high-grade talismans or by using an unfamiliar formula, and chose to attempt both methods.
• A Foundation Establishment cultivator directed Qin Fengming to a pavilion stocked with talisman-making materials and barred him from using his own supplies.
• Qin Fengming made three thousand Fire Python Talismans in six days, using only four sheets of paper.
• The Foundation Establishment cultivator inspected Qin Fengming’s work, expressed amazement, and sent word of his results to the Precious Talisman Hall.
• The three Core Formation elders were astonished when Qin Fengming returned, recognizing his exceptional talisman-making skill.

Qin Fengming completed Precious Talisman Hall’s talisman test and astonished its elders by revealing that he had also passed the alchemy, artifact refinement, and formation tests. He memorized the mid-grade Beast Roar Talisman incantation and returned to his residence to attempt its refinement within thirty days.

• Qin Fengming presented three thousand high-grade Fire Python Talismans, and the elders discovered he had passed all four skill tests in one month.
• The Precious Talisman Hall elders urged Qin Fengming to join their hall, but he asked to take the second talisman test as well.
• An elder gave Qin Fengming a jade slip containing the Beast Roar Talisman incantation and instructed him to memorize it, then refine the talisman within thirty days using his own materials.
• Qin Fengming studied the incantation for a day and night, memorized it, and returned the jade slip before leaving for his residence.
• Qin Fengming copied the incantation onto a blank jade slip and concluded that the mid-grade talisman required at least third-level beast hide rather than ordinary high-grade talisman paper.

Qin Fengming refined five Beast Roar Talismans and presented them to the Core Formation elders at the Precious Talisman Hall. After testing one and confirming its power, an elder asked about Qin Fengming’s experience with mid-grade talismans and offered to mark his jade token.

• Qin Fengming practiced drawing the Beast Roar Talisman’s incantations, then used third-level demonic beast hide to begin refining it.
• After more than twenty days, Qin Fengming completed five Beast Roar Talismans and used mysterious liquid to refine nearly fifty more.
• Qin Fengming brought five talismans to the Precious Talisman Hall, where a Core Formation elder activated one to test it.
• The talisman’s sound-wave attack overwhelmed Qin Fengming’s mind until a Core Formation elder protected him and stopped the test.
• An elder asked whether Qin Fengming had previously refined a mid-grade talisman, and Qin Fengming explained that he had refined a Sky of Flames talisman.
• The elder asked Qin Fengming to hand over his jade token so he could mark it.

After completing all four skill contests, Qin Fengming waited for Manghuang Mountain to announce its selections and was summoned with the other contestants when the bells rang. At the gathering, he learned that a member of the Huangzhou Mo family was competing in artifact refining, leaving him puzzled about the family's presence.

• Qin Fengming reflected that he had showcased his skills to attract Manghuang Mountain's attention and waited in cultivation for the contests to conclude.
• A bell summoned the contestants, and Qin Fengming met Yuan Shihai, who said he had refined a top-grade spirit artifact on his second attempt.
• Yuan Shihai asked how Qin Fengming had done, and Qin modestly claimed he had barely managed to refine a spirit artifact.
• At the square, cultivators praised Mo Chengfei's cultivation and artifact-refining skill while dismissing Qin Fengming as an unsuccessful competitor.
• Qin Fengming recognized the Mo family as the Huangzhou Mo family, one of the Three Great Cultivation Families, and wondered why it had entered Manghuang Mountain's contests.

Qin Fengming waited among the cultivators who had passed Manghuang Mountain’s trials, wondering which hall to choose. Meanwhile, five senior leaders argued over who would take him as a disciple, until Sima proposed asking Qin Fengming himself.

• Qin Fengming joined the crowd in the plaza and considered which hall to choose, confident he would enter Manghuang Mountain.
• Dao Ling, Zhuang, and Tian Ji each argued that Qin Fengming should become their disciple, citing his potential in formations or puppets.
• Wei Ming proposed auctioning the right to accept Qin Fengming, with the winning bid’s materials and spirit stones divided among the others.
• Sima ended the debate by suggesting that they summon Qin Fengming and ask whose tutelage he wished to enter.

Four powerful cultivators decided to let Qin Fengming choose his own master, while Manghuang Mountain concluded its skills competition and summoned him to meet an elder. As the unsuccessful contestants were escorted away, Shu Jingliang prepared to bring Qin Fengming to her master's Cave Abode.

• Cultivator Sima persuaded the four elders arguing over Qin Fengming to summon him and let him choose a master.
• Elder surnamed Shu announced that the Manghuang Mountain competition had ended and instructed participants to return their jade tokens and slips.
• Shu Jingliang received her master's message ordering her to bring Qin Fengming to his Cave Abode after the proceedings.
• Shu Jingliang learned that news of Qin Fengming's extraordinary competition results had reached powerful elders, who wanted him as a disciple.
• The unselected cultivators returned their items and were escorted out of Manghuang Mountain.

After passing Manghuang Mountain’s skills competition, Qin Fengming and the other cultivators learned they still faced identity checks and a three-year test before being accepted. Elder surnamed Shu told Qin Fengming that his master wanted to meet him, leaving his place in the mountain undecided.

• Elder surnamed Shu announced that competition winners had to pass identity verification and a three-year test to become official disciples.
• Elder surnamed Shu released his Nascent Soul pressure, forcing several Foundation Establishment cultivators to collapse before he withdrew it.
• The cultivators left with their hall administrators, while Qin Fengming remained behind, unsure which hall to join.
• Elder surnamed Shu told Qin Fengming he would take him to meet his master, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators abandoned their plans to recruit him.
• Qin Fengming reassured Yuan Shihai that Manghuang Mountain had arranged his destination and urged him to prepare for the test three years later.

Shu Jingliang brought Qin Fengming to meet Manghuang Mountain’s Supreme Elder, revealing that the hidden cave was protected by the ancient Ephemeral Heavenly Dipper Array. Qin Fengming entered the cave hall and knelt before five elders whose cultivation seemed beyond his perception.

• After the other cultivators left, Shu Jingliang courteously invited Qin Fengming to meet Manghuang Mountain’s Supreme Elder, and Qin agreed.
• Shu Jingliang led Qin Fengming to a secluded valley and opened a hidden passage through the Ephemeral Heavenly Dipper Array.
• Qin Fengming recognized the array’s name and marveled at its power, while Shu Jingliang praised his knowledge.
• Shu Jingliang brought Qin Fengming into the cave hall, where Qin saw five seemingly unfathomable elders.
• Shu Jingliang knelt before his master and four Martial Uncles, and Qin Fengming followed suit.

Qin Fengming appeared before Manghuang Mountain’s five late Nascent Soul Great Cultivators and explained his origins and mastery of four cultivation skills. Sima Bo revealed that all five wished to take Qin Fengming as their disciple, leaving him stunned as he faced the choice.

• Qin Fengming paid his respects to the five Great Cultivators, and Sima Bo asked him to recount his identity and origins.
• Qin Fengming said he came from Quzhou, had joined the Golden Talisman Gate as a Guest Elder, and had studied alchemy, artifact refining, talisman crafting, and formations.
• Sima Bo said Manghuang Mountain would investigate Qin Fengming’s origins, and Qin Fengming offered Du Wanqing and the Golden Talisman Gate as witnesses to his background.
• Sima Bo introduced Venerable Dao Ling, Wei Ming, Tianji, and Zhuang Daoqin, describing each cultivator’s specialty.
• Sima Bo announced that all five Great Cultivators wished to take Qin Fengming as their disciple, and Qin Fengming was left speechless with shock.