Chapter Summaries

Jing Wufeng visited Lan Chang'an at Cloud Glow Sect after advancing to Nascent Soul, returning his borrowed puppet and sharing the Ancient Nether Palace spoils. Their meeting brought Lan Chang'an valuable materials and a Blood Dragon Fruit, but also tied him more closely to Jing Wufeng and the dangers surrounding the rumored Pseudo-Spirit Treasure.

• Jing Wufeng defeated two veteran Nascent Soul True Lords near Baqi Mountain, then traveled to Cloud Glow Sect to visit Lan Chang'an.
• Lan Chang'an explained to True Lord Zixia that he and Jing Wufeng had known each other since Jing was a Golden Core cultivator and had arranged a puppet deal.
• Jing Wufeng told True Lord Zixia that he had seen Yunlan injured in the Ancient Nether Palace, and she considered the possible culprits behind Yunlan's destruction.
• Jing Wufeng returned Lan Chang'an's badly damaged Assassin Puppet, paid him Tier 4 materials as his share of the Ancient Nether Palace spoils, and gave him a Blood Dragon Fruit as compensation.
• Jing Wufeng urged Lan Chang'an to cooperate with him as fellow outsiders in Yuan Province, while Lan Chang'an suspected he might possess the Pseudo-Spirit Treasure and resolved to avoid meeting him alone before advancing to Nascent Soul.
• Lan Chang'an and Puppet Master Wei examined the new materials and decided they could begin crafting the Strange Spirit Peacock Puppet ahead of schedule.

After the Cloud Glow Sect changed leadership, True Lord Zixia arranged for Hu Ang to become her nominal disciple while Lan Chang'an declined to take him as a disciple. Lan Chang'an then completed the Strange Spirit Peacock Puppet, whose power approached that of a Tier 4 puppet but came with enormous costs.

• True Person Xuefeng became sect master as True Lord Zixia's allies took over key positions, while Lan Chang'an watched the transition from the sidelines.
• Sect Master Hu brought Hu Ang to meet True Lord Zixia, who asked Lan Chang'an to take the talented young cultivator as his disciple.
• Lan Chang'an questioned Hu Ang's interest in puppet-making, declined to take him as a disciple, and agreed with Sect Master Hu to arrange a marriage alliance between Xiao Qingshan and a Hu family woman.
• True Lord Zixia accepted Hu Ang as a nominal disciple, while Hu Ang privately revealed that he had returned under a new identity to reclaim what he had lost and reunite with his former Dao companion.
• True Lord Zixia privately confirmed that True Lord Yunlan had died, but kept the news secret to protect the sect's stability.
• After a year in seclusion, Lan Chang'an and Puppet Master Wei activated their Strange Spirit Peacock Puppet, tested its formidable five-colored light, and assessed its speed, limitations, and high operating costs.

Lan Chang'an planned for Nascent Soul Formation while strengthening his puppets and remaining loyal to the Cloud Glow Sect. After the Ye Clan’s forces attacked Vine Ridge Mine, True Lord Zixia summoned him and revealed that a mysterious great Core Formation cultivator might have helped the attackers.

• Lan Chang'an allowed Puppet Master Wei to travel within the Cloud Glow Sect’s sphere of influence to temper himself and advance his Puppet Spirit.
• True Lord Zixia confirmed True Lord Yunlan’s death, and Lan Chang'an attended the funeral as Hu Ang advanced to a Half-Step Golden Core and became Zixia’s official disciple.
• Princess Zhiwei tried to recruit Lan Chang'an through an imperial marriage and promises of Nascent Soul resources, but he refused and reaffirmed his loyalty to True Lord Zixia and the Cloud Glow Sect.
• Lan Chang'an assessed his Nascent Soul resources, repaired his Assassin Puppet, and planned to complete a Puppet Army Formation before seeking an Infant Transformation Pill.
• After a battle at Vine Ridge Mine injured Cloud Glow Sect cultivators and looted spirit ore, Lan Chang'an learned that the Ye Clan was pressing its old claim to the mine.
• True Lord Zixia summoned Lan Chang'an and said a mysterious great Core Formation cultivator might have aided the attackers in breaking the mine’s formation and defeating its defenders.

Lan Chang'an accepted Cloud Glow Sect’s assignment to guard Vine Ridge Mine and quickly secured the site by rooting out spies and tightening its defenses. The Ye Clan held back after his arrival, but Elder Ye remained confident in his plans against him.

• True Lord Zixia asked Lan Chang'an to defend Vine Ridge Mine, and he accepted in exchange for sect rewards and access to premium ores.
• Lan Chang'an reached the mine, learned that a mysterious Core Formation cultivator had helped the Ye Clan-backed forces breach its defenses, and took over from the wounded Elder Yuan.
• Elder Ye and Tie Danxin discussed Lan Chang'an's arrival, while Ye Fanchen said he could defeat him if he did not have to face his puppet methods.
• Lan Chang'an spent half a month purging infiltrators, banning suspicious creatures from the mine, and investigating corruption to establish his authority.
• Tie Jing presented Lan Chang'an with premium ores as tribute, and Lan Chang'an used confiscated funds to strengthen the mine's defenses.
• The Ye Clan made no move while Lan Chang'an reorganized the mine, and Elder Ye remained confident despite most of its hidden arrangements being discovered.

Lan Chang'an defended Tengling Mine against a major assault by the Ye Clan faction while Ye Fanchen challenged him to a duel. Lan Chang'an withstood Ye Fanchen’s sword techniques and deployed a high-grade puppet, but their fight remained unresolved as Ye Fanchen proposed a draw.

• Lan Chang'an learned that True Lord Zixia had gone to the Great Dayu Imperial Clan for negotiations and decided to keep Tengling Mine’s defenses focused rather than pursue the Ye Clan faction.
• The Ye Clan faction, led by Elder Ye and joined by Tie Danxin and Ye Fanchen, launched an attack on Tengling Mine with a Third-Order Spirit Ship and its spirit-crystal cannon.
• Lan Chang'an organized the mine’s defense, saved a Pseudo-Core cultivator from Ye Fanchen’s sword strike, and identified Ye Fanchen’s ties to the Sword Pavilion.
• Ye Fanchen challenged Lan Chang'an to withstand him for a hundred breaths without defeat, and Lan Chang'an left puppets to help True Person Xiuyu defend the mine before facing him.
• Lan Chang'an countered Ye Fanchen’s sword techniques with his Illusion Leaf Flying Sword divine ability, then summoned a shield and Twin-Winged Golden Tiger Puppet as the duel intensified.
• Ye Fanchen proposed a draw after their battle strained Lan Chang'an’s resources and his Golden Scale Sword Pool was repelled, suggesting that the mine’s fate be decided by the fighters below.

Lan Chang'an repelled Ye Fanchen and helped Tengling Mine defeat the Ye Clan faction, then avoided pursuing the retreating forces by claiming he was injured. As Ye Fanchen departed on a separate mission, a Five-Colored Peacock ambushed the Ye Clan’s Spirit Ship and slaughtered its leaders and many of its cultivators.

• Lan Chang'an tricked Ye Fanchen with a false poisoning scare, then killed Tie Danxin with Withered Vine Hand while the Ye Clan faction attacked Tengling Mine.
• Lan Chang'an and Ye Fanchen resumed their duel, but Ye Fanchen could not overcome Lan Chang'an’s recovered strength and agreed to withdraw as the mine’s defenders forced the invaders back.
• Lan Chang'an welcomed reinforcements Hu Ang and True Person Yumei, distributed the battle spoils, and claimed his injuries prevented a pursuit of the retreating Ye Clan forces.
• Ye Fanchen left the Spirit Ship to carry out his mission, while the ship continued toward Ye Clan territory with Elder Ye and the Masked Man aboard.
• A Five-Colored Peacock struck the Spirit Ship with a destructive beam, killing more than a hundred cultivators and badly damaging the vessel.
• The Five-Colored Peacock killed Elder Ye and the Masked Man, then swept away while the surviving cultivators fled or begged for mercy.

Lan Chang'an concealed his role in the Five-Colored Peacock attack while the Ye Clan abandoned its pursuit and lost its claim to Tengling Mine. After Fairy Zixia won the imperial negotiations, she visited Lan Chang'an and offered him a reward for his service.

• Lan Chang'an and the others learned that a mysterious Tier 4 Five-Colored Peacock had destroyed the Ye Clan's Spirit Ship and killed Elder Ye Xiang, and Hu Ang and True Person Yumei returned to Cloud Glow Sect.
• Lan Chang'an used his Puppet Avatar to recover the Masked Man's Combined Combat Puppet Manual and valuable spoils, including ores taken from Tengling Mine.
• True Lord Hongxiu urged True Lord Zixia to consider Yu Yuanjin as a Dao companion, but Zixia rejected the match and resolved to protect Cloud Glow Sect's independence.
• The Ye Clan's investigation into the peacock attack ended without results, and Lan Chang'an brought the Strange Spirit Peacock and its spoils back to Tengling Mine.
• The imperial household's mediation awarded Tengling Mine to Cloud Glow Sect, and Fairy Zixia visited Lan Chang'an to praise his service and offer him a reward of his choosing.

Lan Chang'an completed a sixteen-puppet formation capable of resisting an early Nascent Soul cultivator, exchanged for the [Moonfall Flower], and reunited with Di Yan Jun. With most of his Nascent Soul materials gathered, he joined True Lord Zixia on a journey to Yuntian City to seek the rest before reaching the peak of Golden Core.

• True Lord Zixia offered Lan Chang'an the [Moonfall Flower] from her secret inner treasury for eighty thousand Sect Contribution.
• Great Snake Mountain welcomed True Lord Chilian as a new Nascent Soul cultivator, shifting the balance of power against Cloud Glow Sect.
• Lan Chang'an finished his Puppet Army Formation, gathered eighty thousand contribution, and returned from guarding Tengling Mine to exchange for the [Moonfall Flower].
• True Lord Zixia told Lan Chang'an that Di Yan Jun had not produced offspring; Di Yan Jun then reunited with her master on Zixia Peak.
• Lan Chang'an told True Lord Zixia he would travel to seek Nascent Soul resources, and they agreed to attend Yuntian City's auction together.
• After two years of cultivation, Lan Chang'an reached age three hundred and eighty and set out with True Lord Zixia for Yuntian City.

Lan Chang'an traveled with True Lord Zixia to Yuntian City to seek resources for forming a Nascent Soul and attended its Nascent Soul exchange gathering. There, Master Le offered him a matured Heavenly Infant Fruit and help refining an Infant Transformation Pill in exchange for one condition, which he had not yet revealed.

• True Lord Zixia and Lan Chang'an left Cloud Glow Sect and reached Yuntian City safely, leaving Di Yan Jun to guard the sect.
• Lan Chang'an bought supplementary ingredients for the Infant Transformation Pill, chose to pursue Miro Grass at the coming auction, and learned that True Lord Jingtian would not meet him before the auction.
• Lan Chang'an attended the Nascent Soul exchange gathering with True Lord Zixia and traded a Tier 3 Puppet and Spirit Stones to Madam Yu for two auxiliary herbs.
• True Lord Red Snake tried to recruit Lan Chang'an to Great Snake Mountain and later drove up the price of an Infant-Nurturing Grass, preventing Lan Chang'an from obtaining it.
• Master Le offered Lan Chang'an a matured Heavenly Infant Fruit and promised to help refine an Infant Transformation Pill if Lan Chang'an agreed to one condition.

Lan Chang'an negotiated with Master Le to obtain a Heavenly Infant Fruit and help refining an Infant Transformation Pill in exchange for crafting a puppet and making one future move. After winning the final main ingredient at auction, he left Yuntian City with his Nascent Soul preparations nearly complete and considered his plans if he advanced.

• Lan Chang'an rejected Master Le's demand for three actions over three hundred years, then agreed to craft a top-grade Tier 3 puppet within ten years and make one move within a hundred years in exchange for the Heavenly Infant Fruit and alchemy help.
• True Lord Zuolong asked Lan Chang'an about his puppet-refining skills, and Lan Chang'an downplayed his ability to make a top-grade Tier 3 puppet.
• Fairy Zixia warned Lan Chang'an to stay cautious with Master Le, whose past cooperation with True Lord Yunlan had ended in an ambush and serious injuries.
• Lan Chang'an outbid True Lord Bawu for the Miro Grass at the Yuntian City auction, completing his collection of the Infant Transformation Pill's main ingredients.
• Lan Chang'an and Jiang Ziyan left Yuntian City, and Lan Chang'an told Fairy Zixia that he might return to his homeland if he reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

Lan Chang'an and Jiang Ziyan were ambushed by Great Snake Mountain’s Nascent Soul cultivators while crossing Great Dayu, and struggled against a Black Scorpion Insect Swarm and two powerful dharma treasures. With Jiang Ziyan badly pressured and considering abandoning her body to escape, Lan Chang'an offered to hold off True Lord Pagoda.

• Lan Chang'an sensed a blood-stained killing tribulation, and Jiang Ziyan identified the encroaching Black Scorpion Insect Swarm.
• Jiang Ziyan’s Nascent Soul attack killed many insects, but the swarm quickly recovered under a Nascent Soul-level insect control art.
• Lan Chang'an and Jiang Ziyan joined forces to break through the swarm, where True Lord Red Snake attacked them with the Black Blood Inkstone.
• A blue-gray pagoda descended and suppressed Jiang Ziyan, who recognized True Lord Pagoda as the one who had attacked her Senior Brother.
• Jiang Ziyan told Lan Chang'an she might have to abandon her body, but Lan Chang'an urged her to hold on and volunteered to hold off True Lord Pagoda.

Lan Chang'an used a sixteen-puppet formation to hold Baota Sanren and kill True Lord Red Snake’s Crimson Flame Great Snake, but Fairy Zixia was poisoned and driven to the brink of defeat. She and Lan Chang'an escaped together with a Tier 4 Lightning Escape Talisman, leaving Great Snake Mountain’s ambush unresolved.

• Lan Chang'an deployed eight puppets and formed a Puppet Army Formation that helped Fairy Zixia break free of Baota Sanren’s suppression.
• Lan Chang'an expanded the formation to sixteen puppets, severely injured True Lord Red Snake’s Crimson Flame Great Snake, sealed it with talismans, and killed it to seize its great core.
• Fairy Zixia and True Lord Red Snake continued their battle while Lan Chang'an held Baota Sanren at bay, and Lan Chang'an ordered Di Yan Jun to remain at the mountain gate.
• True Lord Red Snake revealed that Tier 4 Infant Poison had infiltrated Fairy Zixia’s magic power, then struck her down as the poison weakened her.
• Lan Chang'an caught Fairy Zixia and helped stabilize her injuries, and she used a Tier 4 Lightning Escape Talisman to carry them both away from the battlefield.

Lan Chang'an escaped True Lord Red Snake’s ambush with the wounded Fairy Zixia, then returned with her to the Cloud Glow Sect. As Zixia withdrew to resist the poison, she entrusted her care to Lan Chang'an, leaving Hu Ang shut out of her cave abode and increasingly resentful.

• Lan Chang'an used a Tier 4 Lightning Escape Talisman to escape with Fairy Zixia and remotely controlled the Puppet Army Formation until True Lord Red Snake and True Lord Pagoda withdrew.
• Lan Chang'an treated Zixia’s wounds while she secretly relied on the Yin-Yang Life-Death Pill to protect her Nascent Soul and counter the Heavenly Centipede Infant Poison.
• Puppet Master Wei reported that True Lord Chilian had stayed behind at Great Snake Mountain, while the Crimson Nether Snake King abandoned its attempt to ambush the Cloud Glow Sect’s Earth Rock Rat.
• Xiao Weifeng escorted Lan Chang'an and Zixia back to the Cloud Glow Sect, where Zixia entrusted Lan Chang'an with her care and gave him the Supreme Elder token.
• Lan Chang'an carried Zixia into her cave abode despite Hu Ang’s protest, and Zixia ordered Hu Ang to remain outside.

Lan Chang'an treated Jiang Ziyan's Heavenly Centipede Infant Poison, and the two grew closer as he revealed part of his past and his plans to pursue Nascent Soul. After three years of tending her and preparing his resources, he set out to inform Fairy Zixia before beginning the final journey toward Nascent Soul.

• Lan Chang'an stabilized Jiang Ziyan's poisoned body and learned that the Yin-Yang Life-Death Pill had protected her Nascent Soul, though fully eradicating the Infant Poison would take three years.
• Jiang Ziyan and Lan Chang'an grew intimate while she recovered, and he told her about his origins, his pursuit of Nascent Soul, and his estimated thirty-to-forty-percent chance of success.
• Lan Chang'an resumed caring for Jiang Ziyan once every seven days, while he processed the Crimson Flame Great Snake's corpse and checked on Di Yan Jun, the Mystic Water Turtle, and the Mystic Heaven Gourd Vine.
• Lan Chang'an refined puppets, guided Xiao Qingshan, and planned to obtain an Infant Transformation Pill from the Pill Dao Alliance after Jiang Ziyan recovered.
• Three years later, Lan Chang'an reached age three hundred and seventy-three, secured a Tier 4 Longevity Fruit, and prepared to leave with Di Yan Jun, the Mystic Water Turtle, and the Mystic Heaven Gourd Vine to pursue Nascent Soul.

Lan Chang'an left the Cloud Glow Sect after spending three days with Jiang Ziyan, then traveled through the Central Region disguised as a merchant with Puppet Master Wei and the Earth Rock Rat. After years of trading and taking occasional commissions, he entered Sang Kingdom and divined an unusually auspicious sign, deciding to stay there longer.

• Lan Chang'an and Jiang Ziyan became lovers, and he promised to return to the Cloud Glow Sect after his travels and core formation; he also offered to help her obtain the Wind and Cloud Fan.
• Lan Chang'an secretly left the Cloud Glow Sect, checked that its fortune had not declined after the Mystic Heaven Gourd Vine's departure, and set out toward the Pill Dao Alliance while searching for opportunities to form a Nascent Soul.
• Lan Chang'an met Puppet Master Wei and brought him along as a guard, while the Earth Rock Rat joined them in the form of a Yellow-Haired Earth Dog.
• Traveling as merchant Lu, Lan Chang'an traded across the Central Region and helped Huang Fan find Huan Hongniang, receiving Huang Fan's ancient Tooth-Shaped Pendant in payment.
• Lan Chang'an divined an exceptionally auspicious sign after entering Sang Kingdom and decided to remain there for a while.

Lan Chang'an traveled through Sang Kingdom, where he uncovered a hidden ghost cultivator and gained a lead on the wood-element Nascent Soul Formation treasure, the Spring-Meeting Withered Vine. After securing the treasure and evading pursuit, he reached the Pill Dao Alliance to fulfill his agreement with Master Le to refine an Infant Transformation Pill.

• Lan Chang'an healed Father Tao and learned that demons and hostile cultivators had devastated the Tao family, so he went to investigate.
• Lan Chang'an and Di Yan Jun destroyed the demons and their hidden ghost cultivator, whose memories revealed that Black River Fortress held the Spring-Meeting Withered Vine.
• Lan Chang'an secretly investigated Black River Fortress and used Di Yan Jun to seize the Spring-Meeting Withered Vine, while True Lord Xuancan tracked him but chose not to pursue further.
• Lan Chang'an spent several more years traveling across the Central Region, completing commissions and reaching the peak of the Golden Core Late Stage.
• Lan Chang'an arrived in the Pill Dao Alliance and headed toward its heartland to fulfill his agreement with Master Le to refine an Infant Transformation Pill.

Lan Chang'an traveled to the Pill Dao Alliance under the alias Xu Xuan and had Master Le refine an Infant Transformation Pill. After securing the pill, Lan Chang'an left Qiu Kingdom quickly and returned safely to Cloud Glow Sect, ready to attempt the Nascent Soul Realm.

• Lan Chang'an entered Qiu Kingdom disguised as Xu Xuan and used Master Le's private signal to gain an audience at Earth Fire Peak.
• Le Qingni deduced that Lan Chang'an wanted an Infant Transformation Pill, and Master Le confirmed that the required materials, including the Heavenly Infant Fruit, were ready.
• Master Le had Chu Yang assist with the refinement while Lan Chang'an waited; after Di Yan Jun intimidated Le Qingni, she stayed to accompany Lan Chang'an.
• Ten days later, Master Le successfully refined a genuine Infant Transformation Pill, which Lan Chang'an took before departing Earth Fire Peak.
• Lan Chang'an and Di Yan Jun traveled rapidly out of the Pill Dao Alliance's territory, and Lan Chang'an returned safely to Cloud Glow Sect.

Lan Chang'an returned to Cloud Glow Sect with an Infant Transformation Pill and prepared to form a Nascent Soul while the sect guarded against Great Snake Mountain. He successfully formed his Nascent Soul and survived the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, leaving his body refinement and Nail-Head Arrows strengthened.

• Lan Chang'an returned to Cloud Glow Sect, warned Jiang Ziyan about Great Snake Mountain, and began preparing for Nascent Soul Formation at Di Yan Jun's Underground Palace.
• True Lord Red Snake and True Lord Chilian learned that Lan Chang'an had obtained an Infant Transformation Pill, but they could not disrupt his guarded seclusion.
• Lan Chang'an received Chu Yang and Le Qingni, gave them Master Le's commissioned puppet, and agreed to let them observe his attempt.
• Lan Chang'an drew on the accumulation of three lives, shattered his Golden Core, and formed an azure Nascent Soul.
• Lan Chang'an used his mana, body, and treasures to withstand all seven bolts of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, though several treasures were damaged.
• Lan Chang'an survived the tribulation with purer Nascent Soul mana, while his body-refinement bottleneck loosened and his Nail-Head Arrows improved.

Lan Chang'an passed the Inner Demon Tribulation and formed his Nascent Soul, becoming True Lord Changqing. The trials tested his regrets and fears, and after his breakthrough he learned of the limits of Human Dao Infant Formation and discovered that the Nine Imprint Tablet had swallowed an Outer Realm Devil.

• Lan Chang'an recovered from the lightning tribulation and faced the Inner Demon Tribulation as the watching cultivators sensed its terrifying power.
• The heart-tribulation showed Lan Chang'an losing Zhao Siyao to the Demonic Path and being defeated by True Lord Qingmu, but he recognized both visions as illusions and overcame them.
• Lan Chang'an passed a further illusion of failing to reach Spirit Transformation, then completed the tribulation and formed his Nascent Soul; the Nine Imprint Tablet swallowed an Outer Realm Devil as the heavenly rules receded.
• Lan Chang'an examined his Nascent Soul and sensed a distant Evergreen Art cultivator, then concealed his aura as Cloud Glow Sect cultivators gathered to greet him.
• Fairy Zixia recognized Lan Chang'an's transformed appearance as Xiang Dalong's true face, and Lan Chang'an accepted the Daoist Title Changqing from the gathered cultivators.

Lan Chang'an consolidated his new Nascent Soul Realm, discovered that the Nine Imprint Tablet had absorbed part of the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon Longjia, and began planning how to strengthen his cultivation and offense. Meanwhile, Xiao Qingshan became the focus of the Cloud Glow Sect’s factions, while Hu Ang and Yi Shuzhen were left to nurse their regrets.

• Hu Ang watched Lan Chang'an receive congratulations after his breakthrough and resolved to conceal his identity and hatred.
• Lan Chang'an returned to the Underground Palace, thanked Monarch Diyan for guarding him, and gave him a quasi-Tier 4 Essence Spirit Great Pill.
• The Cloud Glow Sect celebrated Lan Chang'an’s breakthrough, and Xiao Qingshan drew gifts and marriage offers as factions sought his favor; True Person Yumei sent Yi Shuzhen away and planned to visit him with Xuefeng.
• Lan Chang'an examined his Nine Imprint Tablet and found that the Fifth Life imprint had gained twenty percent after absorbing Longjia’s Demonic Thought Avatar.
• Lan Chang'an learned fragments about Longjia and its Inner Demon Secret Technique, then planned to seek the Evergreen Art’s later volumes and eventually return to Great Qing.