Chapter Summaries

Su Mu punished the Black-Robed Man for illegally crossing the River of Time, collecting three treasures and making him sign a debt contract before sending him away. He then charged Ye Fan, Wu Shi, and Ruthless another crossing fee as they returned to their own time and space.

• Su Mu confronted the Black-Robed Man, who admitted illegally crossing the River of Time, and demanded ten times the River Crossing Fee as punishment.
• The Black-Robed Man paid with a bronze mirror, a jade pendant, and a talisman, then signed a debt contract for the seven remaining treasures.
• The Black-Robed Man asked Su Mu to help eliminate Huang, but Su Mu refused and sent him downstream in his Black Coffin.
• Ye Fan, Wu Shi, and Ruthless appeared on the river as they prepared to return to their own time and space, and Su Mu stopped them to demand another crossing fee.
• Su Mu let Ye Fan put the fee on his tab, and Ruthless and Wu Shi thanked him for intervening against the Black-Robed Man.
• Ye Fan invited Su Mu to visit the Big Dipper and promised to repay his debt and entertain him.

After Su Mu sent Ye Fan and the others away, the Golden-Armored Empress and her companions hid in a foreign stretch of space-time, while the Black-Robed Man told the powerful figures of the Myriad Realms about his failed mission and Su Mu. Old Seven went to confront the River Warden in person and disappeared; years later, a figure with his aura began emerging from the void.

• Ye Fan and the other two departed after Su Mu said he might visit the Big Dipper in the future.
• The Golden-Armored Empress ordered the Brawny Man and the Silver-Haired Man to lie low until time carried them back to their original timeline.
• The Black-Robed Man reported his failure and the IOU he had been forced to sign, but several voices doubted his account of Su Mu guarding the River of Time.
• A Black Dragon reported that Huang had grown stronger and killed more than a hundred of their generals.
• Old Seven dismissed the warnings and went to the River of Time with his true body, then failed to return for decades.
• Several years later, the void twisted and the others recognized Old Seven's aura as something emerged.

Old Seven returned from the River of Time gravely injured, stripped of his treasures, and burdened with an Astronomical Debt. As the others wondered whether the River Warden supported Huang, Third Brother began to voice an even more terrifying suspicion.

• Old Seven crawled out of a space-time rift, and the others spent hours healing him, though his leg remained crippled.
• Old Seven told the others that a powerful River Warden had taken all his treasures and left him owing an Astronomical Debt.
• Old Nine asked whether Old Seven had provoked the River Warden, but Old Seven refused to explain and asked to be left alone.
• Third Brother asked Old Nine whether the River Warden backed Huang, and Old Nine said the senior likely had no interest in their conflict.
• Third Brother concluded that Huang would have been erased already if the River Warden supported him, then said he had a terrifying guess.

Old Nine persuaded Third Brother and the other ancestors to embrace their role in the struggle over Huang and seek the favor of the powerful being beyond the River of Time. The ten brothers agreed to kill Huang, and the figure on the tenth throne offered a plan to do it quickly and securely.

• Old Nine argued that the brothers could win the battle of raised insects by killing Huang and attracting the attention of the powerful being.
• Third Brother struggled with the idea of following someone else, then agreed to gather their brothers and settle the matter.
• The ten brothers convened above the Source of the Unseen Heights to discuss the proposal.
• Old Seven warned Second Brother that the being could halt and manipulate the River of Time with a wave of his hand.
• First Brother ordered the brothers to kill Huang, and a voice from the tenth throne offered a plan to do so.

The Strange Progenitors decided to wear Huang down through relentless rotating attacks, while Huang guarded the World Sea and reflected on the benefactor who had once saved him. In the Ancient Desolate Immortal Domain, Oldest and the others established the Shepherd Heaven Alliance, and Su Mu continued tending the River of Time before stumbling over something.

• The Strange Progenitors agreed to fight Huang in rotations, cutting off his allies and forcing him to battle without rest.
• Huang held the World Sea against the Source of the Strange and used his brief respite to remember the existence who had saved him.
• Oldest and the others named their united forces the Shepherd Heaven Alliance and made Oldest its Alliance Leader, with Old Three, Fourth Sister, and Little Five as Vice Alliance Leaders.
• Oldest appointed Dong'er Supreme Military Advisor with authority equal to a Vice Alliance Leader.
• Su Mu cleared debris and weeds and repaired a Stone Dam in the River of Time, then slipped and cursed after stepping on something.

After finding an enormous golden shell, Su Mu struggled to pry it open until seven-colored light seeped out, then heard a gong-like sound from the river and went to investigate. Old Green Ox also woke and watched the river.

• Su Mu found a heavy, unusually patterned golden shell buried in the shore sand and carried it home.
• Su Mu recalled beating and robbing a troublemaker on the river, gaining three hundred thousand Favor Points and raising his River Affinity to 23%.
• Su Mu tried for hours to pry open the shell, finally creating a tiny gap that released a wisp of seven-colored light.
• Su Mu heard a muffled gong-like sound coming from downstream and angrily headed toward the riverway.
• Old Green Ox woke at the sound and looked toward the black water.

Su Mu met the Old Daoist, whom he remembered beating while drunk years earlier, and agreed to play chess with him for a promised treasure. They played on a board formed from the River of Time, where the Old Daoist launched a desperate attack and played the Hand of God.

• Su Mu recognized the Old Daoist as the former master of Old Green Ox and recalled beating him while drunk.
• The Old Daoist said he had come to play chess, offering Su Mu a gift for victory and asking for a small favor if he won.
• Su Mu agreed to play until dawn, and the Old Daoist formed a chessboard and pieces from the River of Time.
• The Old Daoist gained the advantage but struggled to sustain the effort of controlling the Time Water.
• Su Mu revealed his strength and repeatedly countered the Old Daoist's attacks, until the Old Daoist found an opening and played the Hand of God.

Su Mu broke the Old Daoist’s deadlocked chess position in moments and showed him more than a hundred solutions, prompting the Old Daoist to concede and give him Merit Soil, an incense burner, and incense. The Old Daoist also asked Su Mu to keep or discard a black stone depending on whether he saw an enormous black turtle cross the river, and Su Mu asked if the Old Green Ox had once been his Spirit Pet.

• Su Mu used his Divine Sense to see the chessboard in three dimensions, found over a hundred ways to break the deadlock, and played one of them.
• The Old Daoist conceded, and Su Mu explained more than a hundred solutions, leaving the Old Daoist convinced that Su Mu’s greater vantage point had made the loss inevitable.
• The Old Daoist gave Su Mu Merit Soil, an incense burner, and three incense sticks, explaining that Su Mu could sculpt and enshrine a statue of himself.
• The Old Daoist asked Su Mu to keep or discard a black stone depending on whether he saw an enormous black turtle cross the river, and Su Mu readily agreed.
• The Old Daoist said he had been called Jiang Yuan in his first life and Jiang Qing in his second, and Su Mu asked whether the Old Green Ox had been his Spirit Pet.

Su Mu accepted Old Green Ox’s decision to remain with him, then sent Nannan out with Little Black Dragon and Old Green Ox to visit Nan Mu Island. The chapter ended with Jin Yao rushing to see Nannan after learning she had arrived.

• The Old Taoist told Su Mu that Old Green Ox should stay with him, then severed his ties with the ox and departed downstream.
• Su Mu reassured Old Green Ox and asked it to accompany Nannan and keep her safe on her outing.
• Su Mu sent Nannan and Old Green Ox off on Little Black Dragon’s back, telling them to be careful and return early.
• The Oldest brought Nannan to Nan Mu Island, the Shepherd Heaven Alliance’s central headquarters.
• Jin Yao learned Nannan had arrived and flew toward Green Fragrance Courtyard to see her.

Jin Yao reunited with Nannan in the Ancient Desolate Immortal Domain, while Oldest Wu Zhong kept the Shepherd Heaven Alliance’s campaign plans from her. The Old Green Ox gave the domain a World Solidifying Stone for its defenses, and the chapter ended as Dong'er arrived and saw Nannan.

• Oldest Wu Zhong brought Jin Yao to Green Fragrance Courtyard, where she joyfully reunited with Nannan and held her.
• Nannan asked after Third Brother and Fifth Brother, and Oldest Wu Zhong said both were away on long journeys without revealing their duties.
• Jin Yao spent the day telling Nannan stories, then left after receiving a voice transmission and promised to take her to the Azure Valley Flower Sea.
• The Old Green Ox gave Oldest Wu Zhong a World Solidifying Stone to strengthen the Ancient Desolate Immortal Domain and assured him that Nannan would be safe.
• Jin Yao asked Oldest Wu Zhong to keep Nannan company while she handled urgent business, and Dong'er entered Green Fragrance Courtyard and froze upon seeing Nannan.

Dong'er met Nannan and began teaching her wooden carving, quickly recognizing the girl’s extraordinary talent. On the third day, Jin Yao took Nannan to a forbidden sea of flowers, where Nannan found something that startled Jin Yao.

• Dong'er saw that Thunder Haze Immortal Mist obscured everything about Nannan, then introduced herself and guessed that Nannan was the master’s daughter.
• Dong'er taught Nannan about wooden carvings and began showing her how to carve after Nannan asked to learn.
• Oldest saw Dong'er and Nannan getting along and left them together, relieved that Dong'er could accompany the Little Master.
• By the next day, Nannan had carved a rough likeness, astonishing Dong'er with her natural talent.
• Jin Yao took Nannan to a forbidden sea of flowers, where the Ferocious Beasts kept away and Nannan ran among the spiritual butterflies.
• Nannan called Jin Yao over to show her something she had found, and Jin Yao reacted with shock.

Nannan picked a Seven Elements Chaos Flower without being harmed and impressed Dong'er with her carving talent, though her attempt to carve Su Mu failed because of his immense karma. After declining cultivation lessons in favor of learning to paint, Nannan left Dong'er wondering about her origins, while Su Mu opened a shell above the Long River and saw black light.

• Jin Yao warned Nannan to drop the Seven Elements Chaos Flower, whose poison instantly withered the surrounding flowers, then explained that it became a peerless medicinal treasure after being picked.
• Nannan asked Jin Yao if she could give the flower to her Daddy, and Jin Yao agreed.
• After seven days of carving lessons, Nannan's skill astonished Dong'er, but her attempt to carve Su Mu's likeness ended with the wood shattering.
• Dong'er explained that Su Mu's immense karma prevented Nannan from carving his likeness unless he gave her permission, and Nannan asked to take some Purple Wood home.
• Dong'er offered to teach Nannan cultivation, but Nannan refused and eagerly accepted painting lessons instead.
• Su Mu pried open a shell above the Long River, and black light emerged from inside.

Su Mu found a portrait of himself nailed with Bone Nails inside a shell, but gave up trying to remove them and threw the shell into the river. He continued patrolling, broke up a fight between crocodiles, and confronted the blood-red leader.

• Su Mu discovered his portrait inside the shell and realized it had been formed from tens of thousands of Bone Nails.
• Su Mu managed to pull out one Bone Nail, but found the others far too difficult to remove.
• Su Mu carried the shell to shore and threw it into the river before resuming his patrol.
• Su Mu stopped fifty-five crocodiles from fighting, earning ten thousand Favor Points.
• Su Mu lined up the crocodiles, asked who had started the fight, and pointed at their blood-red leader.

Su Mu moved the fighting crocodiles to a vast lake and returned home to Nannan, who tried carving the Merit Soil into his likeness. The chapter ended with Su Mu waking to find that Nannan had finished the sculpture.

• Su Mu lectured the two crocodile leaders about the damage their fighting caused and moved more than fifty crocodiles to a vast lake, where they fled from stronger creatures.
• Su Mu continued his patrol as Nannan returned home from playing with Dong'er, bringing gifts for him and preparing their meal.
• After Nannan fell asleep, Su Mu tried unsuccessfully for several nights to carve the Merit Soil into his own likeness.
• When Nannan mentioned learning wood carving, Su Mu asked her to carve the Merit Soil into his likeness, and she agreed.
• Su Mu fell asleep while Nannan carved, then woke the next day to find that she had finished the sculpture.

Nannan finished carving a lifelike clay figurine of Su Mu, and he tried using the green incense the Old Daoist had given him, though nothing happened. Meanwhile, Dong'er drew inspiration from Nannan and proposed a new way for the Shepherd Heaven Alliance to nurture geniuses across the Myriad Realms.

• Nannan told Su Mu she had carved his figurine in under two hours, and he praised her work before she left on patrol with the old Azure Bull.
• Su Mu placed the figurine on a cabinet, burned three sticks of green incense, and waited without seeing any effect.
• Dong'er studied her portrait of Nannan and formed a plan to help the Shepherd Heaven Alliance conquer the Myriad Realms.
• At the Alliance Leaders' Conference, Old Three, Little Five, and Jin Yao reported on preparations against the Longevity Immortal Domain and the alliance's affairs.
• Dong'er proposed secretly finding and nurturing geniuses from every world under the alliance's command, then said the key difference from existing plans was time and space.

Dong'er proposed that the Shepherd Heaven Alliance recruit Heaven's Chosen from the past and future by traveling through the River of Time, and the group began planning how to use the strategy against the Longevity Immortal Domain. Su Mu returned home and found a mysterious note in his incense burner.

• Dong'er told Oldest, Old Three, Jin Yao, and Little Five that the alliance could recruit Heaven's Chosen from the past and future because Master let them travel freely through the River of Time.
• Old Three suggested turning the Longevity Immortal Domain's barrier commander into an ally, but Jin Yao, Little Five, and Oldest pointed out that finding precise information and making successful changes would be difficult.
• Dong'er offered to see a target's past life using something that had been close to their body, and Old Three agreed to bring back a limb from a leader guarding the border defenses without killing him.
• Old Three asked Little Five to accompany him and help gather intelligence.
• Su Mu returned home, saw that the clay statue still showed no reaction, and found a yellowed slip of paper buried in the incense burner ash.

Su Mu learned that belief could gather Merit Power on his statue, but he did not realize that Oldest, Old Three, and Dong'er had already spread his faith through many worlds. On Nan Mu Island, Old Three brought back the border commander's organs and clothing after fighting him for ten years, and Dong'er began deducing from the evidence.

• Su Mu read that believers generated Merit Power, which could gather on his statue and be absorbed for cultivation.
• Su Mu wondered how he could gain believers while trapped on the River of Time and dismissed the treasure as useless for now.
• Old Three arrived at Green Fragrance Courtyard carrying a blood-soaked sack, and Oldest discovered it contained the border commander's organs and severed body parts.
• Old Three explained that he had fought the border commander for ten years, repeatedly removing and collecting his body parts without killing him.
• Old Three produced more than a thousand bloodstained garments he had stripped from the commander, and Dong'er began deducing from the collected items.

Dong'er uncovered Lin Ran’s past and Old Three set out to recruit him by changing events in the past. In the Longevity Immortal Domain, Pavilion Master Bai warned the Deputy Domain Lord that Lin Ran was in danger, but the Deputy Domain Lord chose to intervene himself.

• Dong'er revealed that Lin Ran had been swept from the Ancient Desolate Immortal Domain to the Longevity Immortal Domain as a child and recorded the key turning points in his life.
• Old Three memorized Lin Ran’s past and entered the River of Time to help and recruit him, while Dong'er warned that Oldest’s presence would create greater karma.
• Pavilion Master Bai divined that someone planned to travel into the past and kill Lin Ran, then summoned the Deputy Domain Lord.
• The Deputy Domain Lord decided to take Gu Yuan and enter the River of Time to protect Lin Ran, despite Pavilion Master Bai’s growing unease.

Yan Dong and Gu Yuan returned to the Longevity Immortal Domain after a century of wandering, having been defeated by the River Warden when they refused to pay the River Crossing Fee. After learning that Lin Ran was safe, Yan Dong mentioned the Shepherd Heaven Alliance to Pavilion Master Bai.

• Pavilion Master Bai recognized the disheveled Yan Dong and Gu Yuan when they emerged into the White Jade Pavilion and gave them Holy Spring to drink.
• Gu Yuan recounted how the River Warden had defeated them and exiled them into another time-space after they refused to pay a River Crossing Fee.
• Yan Dong and Gu Yuan described spending a century wandering through dangerous time-spaces, including a God Realm, before finding their way home.
• Pavilion Master Bai told Yan Dong that Lin Ran was safe and had repelled challengers from beyond two years earlier.
• Yan Dong told Pavilion Master Bai that an organization called the Shepherd Heaven Alliance was important.

Yan Dong dismissed the Shepherd Heaven Alliance’s threat to the Longevity Immortal Domain, while Old Three reported that he had recruited Lin Ran as an inside agent. As Jin Yao pursued her own mission in the past, Su Mu encountered a raft on the Long River and heard someone address him as a senior.

• The white-haired youth warned Yan Dong that the Shepherd Heaven Alliance had conquered the Ancient Desolate Immortal Domain and might target the Longevity Immortal Domain, but Yan Dong said he feared no invaders.
• Old Three returned to Southern Shepherd Immortal Island and told Oldest that he had made Lin Ran his disciple, saved Lin Ran’s younger sister, and arranged for him to become the Longevity Immortal Domain’s Border Defense Great General.
• Oldest told Old Three that Jin Yao had traveled into the past to approach the Longevity Immortal Domain’s Female Deputy Domain Lord, though Dong’er estimated her chances of success at less than ten percent.
• While patrolling the Long River, Su Mu heard a cicada cry and approached a wooden raft that had appeared at the End of the River Channel.
• A figure on the raft greeted Su Mu, saying they had finally met again.