Chapter Summaries

Li Xingsheng refined the Flame Dragon Pearl and planned to focus on his Divine Sense Secret Technique. Years later, he searched for Metal Spirit Ore with Shu Shu while considering his limited prospects for advancing and the future of the family’s beast tamers.

• Li Qianqing completed refining the Flame Dragon Pearl and decided to focus next on his Divine Sense Secret Technique.
• Li Xingsheng and Shu Shu carefully searched a grassland for Metal Spirit Ore.
• Li Xingsheng reflected on his slow cultivation, his limited chance of reaching Foundation Establishment Peak, and Shu Shu’s difficulty advancing further.
• Li Xingsheng discussed his other demon beasts and the family’s Wind Cloud Horses with Shu Shu.
• Li Xingsheng said Shu Shu could follow Li Changfeng or Thirteenth Grandfather after his death, and he planned to take Li Changfeng to the Ten Thousand Mountain Marshlands once he reached Late-Stage Qi Refining.

Li Xingsheng and Shu Shu discovered a large Small Spirit Stone Mine for the Li Clan, while Li Qianqing sent Li Xunting to the Four Sects Trial to observe Heaven Harmony Sect. On the journey, Zuoqiu Lipeng pursued Li Xunting, who told him he would have to defeat Li Qianqing if he formed his core and wished to marry her.

• Shu Shu found Metal Spirit Ore, and Li Xingwei dug down to uncover a large Small Spirit Stone Mine that could produce four or five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones in annual profit for at least five hundred years.
• Li Qianqing summoned Li Xunting and tasked her with watching Heaven Harmony Sect's cultivators and results at the upcoming Four Sects Trial.
• Li Xunting joined Clear Wind Valley's party under Yan Xuewei and traveled with them to the trial.
• Zuoqiu Lipeng told Li Xunting he was interested in her, but she asked whether he would marry into the Li Clan and told him to put aside his advances when he refused.
• Zuoqiu Lipeng vowed to seek her out after forming his core, and Li Xunting replied that he would have to defeat Li Qianqing to marry her.

Li Xunting assessed the sects’ performance at the Four Sects Trial while Zuoqiu Lipeng pursued her and promised to win the final round. Clear Wind Valley took first place overall, while Heaven Harmony Sect finished last, leaving Li Xunting concerned that it might act as its resources dwindled.

• Zuoqiu Lipeng confessed his feelings to Li Xunting, and she said she would wait for him only if he formed a core and defeated Li Qianqing; Yan Xuewei later heard about their conversation.
• Li Xunting observed the Four Sects Trial and saw Clear Wind Valley take first in the opening round while Heaven Harmony Sect placed third.
• As the trial progressed, Li Xunting noted that Heaven Harmony Valley’s invited cultivators were performing poorly and that the sect was at risk of finishing last.
• Zuoqiu Lipeng confidently promised to take first in the final round, and Yan Xuewei offered him an extra reward if he won, with the original reward at stake if he failed to place second.
• Zuoqiu Lipeng won all seven matches, Lü Yufen placed fourth, and Clear Wind Valley secured first overall while Heaven Harmony Sect finished last.
• Heaven Harmony Sect’s Supreme Elder left with his cultivators, and Li Xunting resolved to report the trial’s results to Li Qianqing because the sect might make a move after losing resources.

Li Qianqing assessed the threats posed by Heaven Harmony Sect’s poor Four Sects Trial results and planned to keep Li Family forces in Wutong Prefecture. Meanwhile, Heaven Harmony Sect’s leaders began negotiating with Zhao Wuming, but their disagreement over Clear Wind Valley’s territory left cooperation unresolved.

• Li Xunting reported Heaven Harmony Sect’s weak performance to Li Qianqing, who considered whether the Zhao Country Royal Family had undermined the sect and warned that Heaven Harmony Sect might turn to them.
• Li Xunting recounted Zuoqiu Lipeng’s confession, and Li Qianqing joked that he could challenge him after forming his core.
• Li Qianqing decided the Li Family should maintain or increase its Foundation Establishment forces in Wutong Prefecture while gathering more information about Heaven Harmony Sect and the Shen Family.
• More than half a month later, Zhao Wuming met with Heaven Harmony Sect’s sect master and Supreme Elders, who confronted him about the sect’s last-place finish in the trial.
• Heaven Harmony Sect’s sect master demanded all of Clear Wind Valley’s territory for cooperation, while Zhao Wuming offered at most half.
• Yan Yunxian asked Zhao Wuming to leave so Heaven Harmony Sect’s leaders could discuss the offer.

Heaven Harmony Sect’s Core Formation cultivators debated whether to cooperate with the Zhao Country Royal Family and gave Zhao Wuming one last chance to improve its offer. Zhao Wuming returned to Zhao Longyin with the negotiations unresolved, while Zhao Longyin anticipated using the proposed alliance to begin subduing Zhao Country’s cultivation forces.

• Yan Yunxian urged the Heaven Harmony Sect to end its negotiations rather than let the royal family keep delaying, while Liu Wuhua and the sect master favored bargaining for better terms.
• After two hours of discussion, the Heaven Harmony Sect sect master told Zhao Wuming that the sect might cooperate if the royal family improved its offer, but otherwise he would be sent away.
• Zhao Wuming offered to add three tenths to the royal family’s original proposal, and Yan Yunxian told him the sect would contact the royal family if it chose to cooperate.
• Zhao Wuming returned to Huangmin Prefecture and told Zhao Longyin how the meeting had gone; Zhao Longyin estimated a seventy-to-eighty-percent chance of cooperation within ten years.
• Zhao Longyin privately considered the alliance a step toward removing a Core Formation sect and bringing Zhao Country’s cultivation forces under royal control.

Li Xunming told Li Qianqing that a Blazing Sun Fruit would be traded for Foundation Establishment Pills in Lu Kingdom, and Li Qianqing agreed to attend with him. They set out for Tongji County the following June, with Li Xunming planning to separate from his grandfather at the trade.

• Five years after the Four Sects Trial, the Li Family had restored its supply of Foundation Establishment Pills and focused on obtaining Core Formation Spiritual Objects.
• Li Xunming reported that an unknown Core Formation cultivator planned to trade a likely Blazing Sun Fruit for Foundation Establishment Pills in Tongji County, Lu Kingdom.
• Li Qianqing agreed to go, and allowed Li Xunming to accompany him but separate from him in Tongji County for safety.
• Li Qianqing told Li Xunming that the clan had thirteen Foundation Establishment Pills, concealing that it actually had twenty-one.
• The following June, Li Xunming met Li Qianqing on Changqing Mountain, and they departed together on a flying spiritual weapon.

Li Qianqing won a Blazing Sun Fruit at an auction in Tongji County by offering six Foundation Establishment Pills, then safely reunited with Li Xunming. He gave the fruit to his grandson to inspect and left the clan’s next step dependent on Li Xunming reaching Foundation Establishment Peak.

• Li Qianqing parted from Li Xunming at Tongji County’s border and traveled on to the auction near Hongyu City.
• A golden-robed Peak Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivator revealed the Blazing Sun Fruit and set the minimum bid at four Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Li Qianqing outbid the other Core Formation Cultivators with six Foundation Establishment Pills and exchanged them for the fruit.
• Li Qianqing and the golden-robed cultivator left in opposite directions after the trade, while Old Feng discouraged another cultivator from pursuing Li Qianqing.
• Li Qianqing took a long detour to reunite with Li Xunming, then showed him the Blazing Sun Fruit and said they would wait for him to reach Foundation Establishment Peak.

Li Qianqing gave Li Xunming the Blazing Sun Fruit as his Core Formation resource after Xunming agreed to keep cultivating toward Foundation Establishment Peak. Meanwhile, Heaven Harmony Sect and the Zhao Country Royal Family finalized a secret alliance against the other three sects, with Clear Wind Valley as their first target.

• Li Xunming urged Li Qianqing to give the Blazing Sun Fruit to Li Qiuben, but Li Qianqing explained that Xunming could claim it by reaching Foundation Establishment Peak first.
• Li Xunming accepted the Blazing Sun Fruit and estimated that he could reach Foundation Establishment Peak within fifteen years.
• Yi Zongde met Zhao Wufeng at Dragon Rumble Mountain and confirmed Heaven Harmony Sect's cooperation with the Zhao Country Royal Family in exchange for sixty-five percent of Clear Wind Valley's territory.
• Yi Zongde and Zhao Wufeng agreed that Clear Wind Valley would be their first target, though they left the timing of the royal family's intervention uncertain.
• Yi Zongde reported the negotiations to the Heaven Harmony Sect sect master, who approved the plan and hoped Yi Zongde would achieve Core Formation before the conflict with Clear Wind Valley escalated.

The Tian Clan received Heaven Harmony Sect’s order to attack the Ma Family or Chen Family, prompting it to coordinate with the An Clan and other forces. Li Qianqing learned of the meeting and told Li Lilong to warn the Ma and Chen Families while treating the intelligence as uncertain.

• The Tian Clan Head received Heaven Harmony Sect’s command to attack a Wutong Prefecture family and gathered the clan’s Foundation Establishment cultivators to discuss it.
• The Tian Clan Head contacted the An Clan Head, confirmed the An Clan had received a similar command, and arranged a meeting to discuss cooperation.
• The Tian Clan Head proposed seeking cooperation from other Foundation Establishment forces as Heaven Harmony Sect’s order spread to neighboring prefectures.
• Li Lilong informed Li Qianqing that the An Clan and Tian Clan seemed to have met, and Li Qianqing judged they might target the Ma Family or Chen Family.
• Li Qianqing told Li Lilong to warn the Ma Family and Chen Family to stay alert while making clear the report was not confirmed.

Li Qianqing prepared the Li Clan to capitalize on tensions in Weishui Prefecture while warning Clear Wind Valley, and the Ma and Chen Families considered how to strengthen their ties with the Li Clan. At the clan’s spiritual-root testing, he discovered that Li Qingqing had a Thunder Spiritual Root and began personally guiding the mischievous child.

• Li Qianqing told Yan Xuewei that Heaven Harmony Sect might be acting against Clear Wind Valley and considered how the Li Clan could expand its influence into Weishui Prefecture.
• Ma Xuanzong and the Chen Clan Head received the Li Clan’s warning about the An Clan and Tian Family, and both resolved to reward the Li Clan’s support.
• Li Qianqing tested Li Qingqing and confirmed she was the Li Clan’s second Variant Spiritual Root cultivator, with a Thunder Spiritual Root.
• Li Qianqing sternly taught Li Qingqing basic lessons about the dangers of the Cultivation World and explained that she was not the clan’s only Variant Spiritual Root cultivator.
• Li Qingqing asked about the difference between Thunder and Wind Spiritual Roots and learned that Li Qianqing had Three Spiritual Roots.

Li Qianqing trained Li Qingqing and began assessing whether she had talent for the Puppet Dao. Meanwhile, the Tian Clan and An Clan prepared to attack Wutong Prefecture, and Ma Xuanzong readied the Ma Clan’s former Chang Clan stronghold for their arrival with Li Family support on standby.

• Li Qianqing ended Li Qingqing’s lesson and told her to study the material before he tested her again in three days.
• Three months later, Li Qingqing asked about the Puppet Dao, and Li Qianqing said he would test her aptitude within half a year.
• The Tian Clan Head received word that Foundation Establishment forces had begun acting and worried that the Li Family might move too soon.
• Ma Xuanzong learned that the An Clan and Tian Clan were heading toward the Ma Clan’s stronghold in Wutong Prefecture and alerted the Li Family.
• Ma Xuanzong told the Ma Clan cultivators to stay calm because support was coming, and they learned their Clan Head was guarding the stronghold himself.

Ma Xuanzong defended the Ma Clan’s spirit-vein land as four Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the An Clan and Tian Family attacked, while warning them that the land belonged to the Li Clan. The Mountain Protection Spirit Array held until Li Xunting arrived, leaving the attackers facing the Li Clan’s support.

• Ma Xuanzong activated the Mountain Protection Spirit Array when An Dejian, Tian Youdao, and two other Foundation Establishment Cultivators approached with their forces.
• Ma Xuanzong challenged the An Clan and Tian Family, invoking the Chang Clan’s destruction and claiming the spirit-vein land was guarded for the Li Clan.
• An Dejian ordered the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators to attack the array, while Ma Xuanzong defended it and reassured the Ma Clan cultivators that help was coming.
• The attackers continued bombarding the array for about an hour, but it remained intact as Ma Xuanzong awaited the Li Clan’s support.
• Tian Youdao noticed one person approaching, and the newcomer was revealed to be Li Xunting.

Li Xunting intervened when the An and Tian Families tried to seize the Ma Family’s spirit vein, forcing the attackers to retreat and revealing strength close to the Pseudo-Core Realm. Back at the Tian Clan’s ancestral land, the Tian Clan Head questioned why the Li Clan supported the Ma Family if the spirit vein did not belong to the Li Clan.

• An Dejian ordered the An and Tian Family cultivators to retreat after learning Li Xunting had arrived, while Ma Xuanzong left the spirit array to delay them.
• Li Xunting’s Ice Soul Sword forced An Dejian to escape with a blood-powered talisman, then pursued him ten li away and clashed with his Thousand Gold Cauldron.
• Li Xunting arrived to assist Ma Xuanzong, and the two spoke about Li Qianqing after the An and Tian Families withdrew.
• Li Xunting left, while Ma Xuanzong returned to guard the spirit vein and expected the Li Clan to act against the An and Tian Families.
• Tian Youdao reported Li Xunting’s intervention and strength to the Tian Clan Head, who doubted the spirit vein belonged to the Li Clan and asked why it supported the Ma Family.

The Tian Clan Head and Tian Youdao weighed the Li Clan’s intervention and decided to report their setback to Heaven Harmony Sect while embellishing their account. Half a month later, news spread that Heaven Harmony Sect and Clear Wind Valley were on the verge of all-out war, prompting Xiangshui Prefecture’s Qi Refining clans to consider whether to support the Li Clan.

• The Tian Clan Head and Tian Youdao concluded that the Ma Clan had likely prompted the Li Clan to intervene, then agreed to inform Heaven Harmony Sect and portray their failed operation more favorably.
• Half a month later, cultivators across Zhao Country discussed the escalating conflict between Heaven Harmony Sect and Clear Wind Valley after subordinate forces fought in several prefectures.
• Loose cultivators in Wutong Prefecture discussed the Li Clan’s intervention and generally praised the clan for ending local disorder.
• The Zhang Clan Head agreed to visit Changqing Mountain to offer the Li Clan assistance, while other Xiangshui Prefecture Qi Refining clans also considered supporting the Li Clan and some chose to wait.

Zhao Wuming persuaded Clear Wind Valley to join Water Cloud Gate and Heaven Transmission Mountain in destroying the Heaven Harmony Sect, using the Zhao Country Royal Family’s supposed cooperation with the sect as leverage. After Zhao Wuming left, the Clear Wind Valley Master explained that the royal family and Clear Wind Valley were using each other, then urged Yan Xuewei to consider the overall situation as a future valley master.

• Zhao Wuming arrived at Clear Wind Valley and met with the Clear Wind Valley Master and Yan Xuewei.
• Zhao Wuming revealed that the Zhao Country Royal Family had agreed to cooperate with the Heaven Harmony Sect but would not enter the conflict, hoping Clear Wind Valley would help destroy the sect.
• Zhao Wuming argued that Clear Wind Valley had public and private reasons to act and said the royal family would help persuade Heaven Transmission Mountain to join Water Cloud Gate and Clear Wind Valley.
• The Clear Wind Valley Master accepted the plan and decided to present fabricated evidence of the royal family’s cooperation to secure greater benefits after the Heaven Harmony Sect’s destruction.
• After Zhao Wuming left, Yan Xuewei observed that the royal family was using Clear Wind Valley, and the Clear Wind Valley Master said they were using each other and advised her to think about the overall situation.

Li Qianqing learned that the Zhao Country Royal Family planned to use the three sects to destroy Heaven Harmony Sect, so he revised the Li Clan’s strategy to exploit the coming conflict. Meanwhile, Li Qingqing tested her first Tiger-shaped Puppet on Li Qinghe and proudly brought it to Li Qianqing, asking him to try it.

• Yan Xuewei sent Li Qianqing news that the Zhao Country Royal Family’s supposed cooperation with Heaven Harmony Sect was a trap, and he concluded that Heaven Harmony Sect would be besieged while the royal family stayed out of the fighting.
• Li Qianqing revised his plan to pursue a more aggressive counterattack and considered using affiliated Qi Refining clans in small-scale battles.
• Li Qingqing finished a first order low-grade Tiger-shaped Puppet and recruited Li Qinghe to test its power.
• Li Qingqing controlled the puppet against Li Qinghe, who was knocked down and cried; she gave him a Low-Grade Spirit Stone to keep him from reporting her.
• Li Qingqing brought the puppet to Li Qianqing and eagerly asked him to test its power.

Li Qianqing praised Li Qingqing’s puppet talent and planned the Li Family’s expansion amid the sect war, while the Zhao royal family advanced its strategy against Heaven Harmony Sect. The chapter ended as Wei Zihe arrived to brief Li Qianqing on the conflict in Longhui Prefecture.

• Li Qianqing tested Li Qingqing’s tiger-shaped puppet, praised its strength, and gave her a book on puppets to study.
• Li Qianqing drafted the Li Family’s development and counterattack plans, sent Li Xunting advice to wait for an opportunity, and resumed cultivating.
• Zhao Wuming reported his successful negotiations with Clear Wind Valley, and Zhao Longyin rewarded him with a Core Formation Spiritual Object.
• Zhao Longyin considered Zhao Wuming as a future leader of the royal family’s long-term plan and emphasized the need to build its strength.
• Li Lilong told Li Qianqing that Wei Zihe had arrived, and Li Qianqing met the Foundation Establishment cultivator to hear about the situation in Longhui Prefecture.

Li Qianqing agreed that the Li Clan would join the Wei Clan’s campaign at the beginning of next year and learned that Clear Wind Valley had offered the Wei Clan support but none to the Li Clan. He put Li Xunting in charge of the Li Clan’s operation, which would likely face the Shen Family of New Moon Prefecture.

• Wei Zihe told Li Qianqing that the Guan and Zhuang Families had taken spirit vein lands near Yuemeng Prefecture and that the Wei Clan planned to act at the beginning of next year.
• Wei Zihe asked the Li Clan to join the campaign, and Li Qianqing agreed after learning that Clear Wind Valley wanted the Wei Clan to seize Yuemeng Prefecture first.
• Wei Zihe left Changqing Mountain, pleased with the prospect of deeper cooperation between the Wei and Li Clans.
• Li Qianqing summoned Li Xunting and assigned her command of the Li Clan’s operation at the beginning of next year.
• Li Qianqing explained that the Ma and Chen Families and Xiangshui Prefecture’s Qi Refining clans would provide cultivators to support Li Xunting.

Li Changgui successfully established his foundation, bringing the Li Family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators to thirteen. As the family prepared to counterattack Weishui Prefecture early next year, Duan Rongrong arrived and offered to help Li Qianqing.

• Li Xunting asked Li Qianqing to let Li Xunchen join the expedition to Weishui Prefecture, and Li Qianqing agreed.
• Li Changgui asked Li Qianqing for a Foundation Establishment Pill and entered seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.
• A month and a half later, Li Changgui emerged successful, and he sent Duan Rongrong a Sound Transmission Talisman with the news.
• Duan Rongrong arrived at Changqing Mountain, reunited with Li Changgui, and discussed his studies in arrays with him.
• Li Qianqing told Duan Rongrong that he planned to move against Weishui Prefecture early next year, and she offered to help.

Li Qianqing accepted Duan Rongrong’s offer to help the Li Family attack the Tian Clan and agreed to let her bank her earned Contribution Points for her disciple. In early January, Li Xunting organized the allied forces at Changlin Mountain for the coming campaign, and an unexpected woman arrived as the preparations concluded.

• Duan Rongrong offered to help the Li Family seize more of the Tian Clan’s spirit-vein lands, and Li Qianqing agreed to reward her with Contribution Points for Li Changgui to hold.
• Duan Rongrong told Li Qianqing that Yan Xuewei would not attend Li Changgui’s Foundation Establishment Banquet because of the conflict between Clear Wind Valley and Heaven Harmony Sect.
• At Changlin Mountain, Li Xunting told Chen Changsheng and Ma Xuanzong that the operation would begin in five days and gathered their clans’ troop commitments.
• Li Xunting revealed that Xiangshui Prefecture would send sixty-seven Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators, including thirty from the Li Family, and that both Chen Changsheng and Ma Xuanzong would personally join the campaign.
• Li Xunting announced that she, Li Xunming, and three other Li Family Foundation Establishment cultivators would take part, then a woman entered and astonished Ma Xuanzong and Chen Changsheng.