Chapter Summaries

Chu Mu searched the Longevity Sect’s Scripture Pavilion and chose a Blade Scripture and a Divine Fire art before returning toward Tianshu City. After more than ten days of study, he began cultivating the Void Abyss Blade Scripture and learned new ways to wield true fire from the Divine Fire Records.

• Chu Mu searched all eight floors of the Scripture Pavilion for methods to cultivate Blade Intent and unleash the power of Great Sun True Fire.
• Chu Mu selected the Void Abyss Blade Scripture and the Divine Fire Records, then left the Longevity Sect and headed toward Tianshu City.
• Chu Mu studied both Jade Slips aboard his Flying Boat for more than ten days.
• Chu Mu cultivated the Void Abyss Blade Scripture, which actively tempered his Essence, Qi, and Spirit and helped stabilize his body.
• Chu Mu used the Divine Fire Records to manifest a solid-feeling blade of true fire and then returned to Tianshu City with Wangcai.

Chu Mu continued studying the Void Abyss Blade Scripture and Divine Fire Records before attending an auction at Hundred Treasures Pavilion in Tianshu City. There, he recognized Chang Hongyi, whose appearance and temperament had changed dramatically, and wondered how she had become able to sense him.

• Chu Mu observed that the Void Abyss Blade Scripture was strengthening his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and he continued studying the Divine Fire Records until sunset.
• Chu Mu went to Hundred Treasures Pavilion and secured a private room for its upcoming auction.
• Chu Mu watched the auction’s Foundation Establishment Middle Stage hostess use a Bewitchment Art, while his own sharp Sea of Consciousness resisted its effects.
• Chu Mu recognized Chang Hongyi among the audience and noticed that her seductive demeanor differed greatly from the quirky woman he remembered.
• Chang Hongyi sensed Chu Mu watching her despite the array restrictions, leaving him to wonder whether she had gained an opportunity or undergone some other change.

Chu Mu attended an auction at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, bought Enlightenment Pills for Wangcai, and discovered that Chang Hongyi was the niece of the pavilion’s chief steward, Chang Yue. After he left, Chang Yue learned about Chu Mu’s rise from Chang Hongyi and considered drawing him into the pavilion.

• Chu Mu bid on a bottle of Enlightenment Pills and spent lavishly on other rare auction items, nearly exhausting several hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
• After the auction, Chang Yue delivered Chu Mu’s purchases and recognized him as an old acquaintance of her niece, Chang Hongyi.
• Chang Hongyi greeted Chu Mu respectfully and explained that she had known him when he was a Qi Refining First Layer cultivator.
• Chang Yue learned that Chu Mu had reached Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, had advanced Body Refining cultivation, and traveled with a Second Order Middle Stage Monster Beast.
• After Chu Mu left the pavilion, Chang Yue asked Chang Hongyi to visit him more often because she hoped to recruit the Artifact Refining master and alchemist.

After the auction, Chu Mu considered whether to establish a reliable supply network but decided he could not settle in Tianshu City. When he saw the youth being followed by bandits, Chu Mu let him face the danger, then had Wangcai rescue him and ended their journey early, leaving the youth shaken by the lesson.

• Chu Mu left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and considered building a channel for gathering rare resources, but decided settling in Tianshu City would bring trouble from the Longevity Sect.
• Chu Mu noticed several cultivators following the youth and followed him out of Tianshu City after warning him through a Sound Transmission Talisman.
• Five Qi Refining cultivators attacked the youth, who panicked and failed to use most of the combat and escape methods Chu Mu had taught him.
• Chu Mu sent Wangcai to subdue the attackers and bring the youth to the Flying Boat.
• Chu Mu told the youth they were returning to Tongyou Village, and the youth collapsed in despair.

Chu Mu studied the effects of the Enlightenment Pill, repaired his Bright Moon Battle Armor, and cultivated during the long journey toward Hanhai. He reached the Northwest Gobi Desert and continued toward the Southern Border Region, with Hanhai drawing near.

• Chu Mu left the youth behind in a mountain village and examined the gains from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion auction aboard the Flying Boat.
• Chu Mu gave Wangcai an Enlightenment Pill, observed its effects, and recorded that the pills should be taken no more than once a year.
• Chu Mu repaired the damaged Bright Moon Battle Armor over nearly a month using prepared spirit materials and Great Sun True Fire.
• After roughly two years of travel, Chu Mu reached the Northwest Gobi Desert and determined that Hanhai was close at hand beyond the Chu River.
• Chu Mu took a Spiritual Milk Pill and cultivated as the Flying Boat crossed the desert and detoured around the southwestern war toward the Southern Border Region.

Chu Mu crossed the vast Chu River into the Southern Border Region, where he encountered a Second Order fish demon beast and learned that the Hanhai region held denser spiritual energy. At Tianhe Market, he noticed the surrounding land showed no sign of human habitation and disguised himself and Wangcai before descending.

• Chu Mu sent Wangcai to kill a giant fish demon beast attacking the Flying Boat, and Wangcai brought him its Demon Core.
• Chu Mu crossed the Chu River and used a map to locate Tianhe County and Tianhe Market.
• Chu Mu noticed the land around the river had no visible human settlements despite its green hills and clear waters.
• Chu Mu descended toward Tianhe Market and used a transformation technique to change his appearance and Wangcai's.

Chu Mu entered a Marketplace in the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm and found a society shaped by Bloodline Cultivation and beast taming. After buying Second Order Monster Beast Blood Essence and ten manuals, he learned how bloodline grade and concentration governed a cultivator’s prospects.

• Chu Mu descended near the Marketplace and crossed the river, noticing that cultivators there commonly traveled with Spirit Beasts.
• Chu Mu entered the Marketplace with Wangcai and saw that its cultivators and streets were dominated by Bloodline Cultivators and Monster Beasts.
• Chu Mu visited Ten Thousand Blood Pavilion and ordered Second Order Blood Essence and ten Bloodline Cultivation manuals.
• Chu Mu examined the Ice Soul Silver Snake Blood Essence, paid for his purchases, and studied the manuals.
• Chu Mu learned that Bloodline Cultivation depended on bloodline grade and concentration, and that advancing with the shop’s Second Order bloodline would be difficult.

Chu Mu explored Tianhe Market in the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm and discovered that Qi and Blood Great Pills made from mortals were common, likely because Bloodline Cultivators and demon beasts could tolerate their harmful effects. After studying the region and considering his scarce cultivation supplies, he settled in Tianhe Market and began secluded cultivation while planning to use demon-beast alchemy to advance himself and help Wangcai grow.

• Chu Mu examined the market's demon-beast-based goods and found a Qi and Blood Great Pill refined from a human and demon-beast materials.
• Chu Mu inferred that mortals in the Vast Ocean were used to make the pills because Bloodline Cultivators and demon beasts were less affected by their harmful properties.
• Chu Mu studied a map and records showing that the Hanhai Chen Family ruled the region and that overseas settlements frequently faced demon-beast attacks and Beast Tides.
• Chu Mu realized his remaining Spiritual Milk Pills could not carry his Qi Refining cultivation to Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but demon-beast alchemy might suit him and Wangcai.
• Chu Mu rented a residence in Tianhe Market, swallowed a Spiritual Milk Pill, and began secluded cultivation.

After nearly three years of secluded cultivation in Tianhe Market, Chu Mu exhausted his Spiritual Milk Pills and decided to enter the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm to gather resources and knowledge. He set out for Red Cloud Island, a major transportation hub governed by the Hanhai Chen Family, while studying demon-beast-based alchemy aboard his Flying Boat.

• Chu Mu completed nearly three years of cultivation, stabilizing his body-refining cultivation at Foundation Establishment Late Stage and advancing his Qi Refining cultivation beyond halfway toward the next goal.
• Chu Mu examined the map and chose Red Cloud Island as his destination because its teleportation arrays and flying-boat routes made it a central hub in the nearby seas.
• Chu Mu returned his rented dwelling in Tianhe Market, then left with Wangcai aboard his Flying Boat.
• Chu Mu began studying books and Jade Slips on demon-beast-based alchemy as the Flying Boat traveled toward Red Cloud Island.

After two years studying Vast Ocean demon-beast alchemy, Chu Mu reached Red Cloud Island, a major hub of the overseas cultivation world. He registered at an outpost and received a token that let him enter the island and travel through the Chen Family’s overseas territory.

• Chu Mu refined a second-order high-grade pill and reflected on how demon cores and Great Sun True Fire made Vast Ocean alchemy well suited to his needs.
• After traveling across the Southern Border Region and studying alchemy for two years, Chu Mu grew eager to use demon cores to make pills for himself.
• More than half a year later, Chu Mu arrived near Red Cloud Island and saw its busy harbor and extensive defensive formations.
• A surveillance system directed Chu Mu to Outpost Island to register, prompting him to suspect the Chen Family monitored cultivators across the overseas region.
• At the outpost, Chu Mu met a Foundation Establishment Early Stage man and several Jiaolong Bloodline cultivators; after confirming he came from Great Chu, Chu Mu registered and received an identity token.
• Chu Mu used the token to pass into Red Cloud Island’s harbor and enter the overseas hub.

Chu Mu entered Red Glow City and learned from Chang Er that the nearby Livestock City bred humans to be refined into Human Pills. He continued toward the city’s largest shop for cultivation manuals and pill formulas, newly aware of the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm’s dependence on human livestock.

• Chu Mu spotted Livestock City outside Red Glow City, then flew on to the city and entered with Wangcai.
• Chu Mu revealed his cultivation as he walked through Red Glow City, deterring the volatile Bloodline Cultivators around him.
• Chang Er approached Chu Mu and offered to guide him around the city for a Mind-Soothing Pill.
• Chu Mu asked Chang Er about his mutations, and Chang Er explained how bloodline corruption afflicted low-level Bloodline Cultivators.
• Chang Er told Chu Mu that Livestock City held humans raised for Human Pills, which were sold cheaply in nearby pill shops.
• Chu Mu reflected that mortal humans were treated as a plentiful resource in the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm.

Chu Mu settled into a cave estate in Red Glow City and learned how the Chen Family and other powers controlled the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm. After preparing his spirit field and studying maps and local records, he considered the dangers of the Outer Sea and the teleportation array that led there.

• Chang Er explained Red Glow City's cave estates and major powers to Chu Mu, including the Chen Family, the Cloud Firmament Merchant Alliance, and the Ten Thousand Beasts Zhao Family.
• Chu Mu rented a Grade B Cave Estate on Red Flame Peak and spent several days learning about Red Glow City, including visiting the Cloud Firmament pavilion and other shops.
• Chu Mu inspected the cave estate's Second Order Earth Attribute formation and planted more than a hundred Spirit Herbs in a Loating Mountain Spirit Field.
• Chu Mu studied the pill formulas and other materials he had acquired, noting that the Second Order formulas required Demon Cores.
• Chu Mu read a map distinguishing the safer Near Sea from the perilous Outer Sea and identified the city's central Teleportation Array as a route to the Outer Sea.

After nearly two years of refining, Chu Mu completed a hundred puppets tailored for hunting demon beasts at sea and prepared his cave estate to care for itself while he was away. He left with Wangcai to study the demon beast records and make his final preparations for going out to sea.

• Chu Mu spent more than a month buying spirit materials in Red Glow City, then used them and his collected resources to prepare for a sea hunt.
• Over nearly two years, Chu Mu refined one hundred puppets, including twenty Second Order Puppets and eighty First Order Completion puppets designed for different roles against demon beasts.
• Chu Mu created a Spirit Planting Puppet and tested its spirit-plant care and pest-clearing techniques in his cave estate.
• Chu Mu stored the puppets in Storage Talismans and checked the map Jade Slip and Demon Beast Compendium before leaving his cave estate with Wangcai.

After spending half a year studying demon beasts and the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm, Chu Mu teleported to Crescent Moon Island in the outer sea to pursue his target. He arrived safely and surveyed the island, where cultivators faced constant danger from demon beasts.

• Chu Mu spent six months studying demon beast atlases and gathering knowledge about the Vast Ocean Cultivation Realm.
• Chu Mu paid for a teleportation to Crescent Moon Island and observed the array’s operation before stepping onto it.
• Chu Mu arrived at Crescent Moon Island, surrendered his teleportation token to the white-haired old man, and left through the side door.
• Chu Mu surveyed Crescent Moon Island’s shops, sparse cultivators, defensive formation, and bloodstained reefs.
• Chu Mu entered the island’s deserted street and recognized that even Foundation Establishment cultivators risked becoming prey to demon beasts.

Chu Mu traveled beyond Crescent Moon Island into unfamiliar waters, using his concealed Flying Boat and Falcon Puppets to scout for demon beasts. After weeks without finding suitable prey, he concluded that he needed to venture deeper into the outer sea.

• Chu Mu departed Crescent Moon Island aboard his modified Flying Boat, whose wind-based concealment made it difficult to detect.
• He crossed the charted waters cautiously, then began recording the unknown sea on a blank Jade Slip.
• Chu Mu deployed Falcon Puppets to scout nearly a hundred li ahead and inspected a Silver Thread Fish they caught.
• He spent several dozen days avoiding groups of demon beasts and directing Wangcai to eat low-level prey, but found no solitary Second Order Demon Beasts.
• After detecting nearby cultivators in advance and keeping his distance, Chu Mu realized he had to travel farther into unknown waters to find suitable hunting grounds.

Chu Mu discovered a late-stage Second Order Mystic Water Golden-Patterned Crocodile guarding a silent stretch of sea and prepared a trap to hunt it without letting it enter its berserk state. The chapter ended as a Falcon Puppet struck the sleeping crocodile and provoked it.

• Chu Mu noticed that the sea had become empty and saturated with spiritual energy as he traveled farther into the outer sea.
• Wangcai alerted Chu Mu to a deathly silent sea region, and Chu Mu identified the aura there as belonging to a late-stage Second Order Demon Beast.
• Chu Mu used Falcon Puppets to locate a Mystic Water Golden-Patterned Crocodile and considered the danger of its bloodline-fueled berserk state.
• Chu Mu moved his Flying Boat to a nearby coral reef and concealed twelve Water Attribute puppets to form a mobile Small Heavenly Cycle Grand Array.
• Chu Mu confirmed the area was clear, then sent a Falcon Puppet to hit the sleeping crocodile, provoking it despite causing almost no damage.

Chu Mu used the Small Heavenly Cycle Grand Array and his Man-Blade Unity technique to kill a Second Order Late Stage Mystic Water Golden-Patterned Crocodile. After extracting its Demon Core and storing its remains, he fled the area with Wangcai before the battle attracted trouble.

• The Mystic Water Golden-Patterned Crocodile attacked Chu Mu with a soul-shaking roar and poisonous black water, but his Blade Intent and Great Sun True Fire held it off.
• Chu Mu lured the crocodile onto the coral reef and trapped it with the Small Heavenly Cycle Grand Array and twelve Second Order Puppets.
• Chu Mu merged his Blade Intent into a Flame Blade and unleashed Man-Blade Unity, killing the crocodile with a single strike.
• Chu Mu extracted the crocodile's Demon Core and stored its body in Storage Talismans.
• Chu Mu recalled his puppets, gathered Wangcai, and escaped by Flying Boat under concealment.

Over nearly six years in the outer sea, Chu Mu hunted demon beasts for their cores and materials, gathering thirty-eight Second Order Demon Cores while surviving mounting dangers. After a battle against two mutated giant snakes, he turned the battered flying boat toward Crescent Moon Island.

• Chu Mu dissected a Second Order Late Stage Mystic Water Golden-Patterned Crocodile, stored its valuable parts, and fed its remaining flesh and blood to Wangcai.
• Chu Mu killed a Second Order mid-stage Tiger Shark Beast and continued searching the outer sea for demon beasts and Demon Cores.
• Nearly six years passed as Chu Mu hunted across the outer sea, gathering thirty-eight Demon Cores and charting nearly five hundred thousand li southwest of Crescent Moon Island.
• Chu Mu fought and killed two mutated giant snakes on Emerald Island, collected their Demon Cores and materials, and found a spiritual flower in their nest.
• Chu Mu recalled the dangers that had destroyed most of his equipment, including a near-fatal pursuit by a Third Order Crimson Hawk Beast.
• Chu Mu checked his chart, found himself about two hundred thousand li from Crescent Moon Island, and sped toward it.

After studying the Bloodline Divine Ability of an Ink Eye Beast, Chu Mu realized that such abilities might be understood as bloodline-based Spell Models and could offer him a new path to powerful techniques. The chapter ended with a sudden rift opening in the sea and Chu Mu fleeing with Wangcai as a terrifying force emerged.

• Chu Mu reviewed his gains from six years of hunting in the Vast Ocean and examined the corpse of a cultivator whose Ink Eye Beast bloodline had let him evade the Falcon Puppets.
• Chu Mu studied the cultivator’s eyes and Blood Essence, then sensed that the Spirit Eye Divine Ability was connected to its bloodline like a Spell Model.
• Chu Mu concluded that understanding Bloodline Divine Abilities might let him adapt them into techniques for himself, though his current cultivation limited his ability to investigate further.
• Chu Mu discarded the corpse and prepared to check his location, but Wangcai spotted danger and roared at the projection screens.
• A wide fissure split the sea and released terrifying spiritual energy, so Chu Mu grabbed Wangcai and fled with Flame Blade Intent.

Chu Mu and Wangcai were ambushed at sea by four Bloodline Cultivators who tried to rob him, and they fought back against the group. After killing all four, Chu Mu took their spoils and fled in the direction opposite Crescent Moon Island.

• The four Bloodline Cultivators surrounded Chu Mu and demanded that he hand over his gains from the sea.
• Chu Mu killed one pursuer with a sudden Man-Blade Unity strike, then turned to fight the remaining three with Wangcai.
• Chu Mu and Wangcai battled the cultivators, with Chu Mu killing another using his Flame Blade and Great Sun True Fire.
• The remaining men joined forces, and one transformed into a spiked monster that fought Wangcai while the winged cultivator attacked Chu Mu.
• Chu Mu killed the winged cultivator and then cut down the transformed monster, leaving all four attackers dead.
• Chu Mu collected several spoils and fled with Wangcai, traveling away from Crescent Moon Island.