Chapter Summaries

Li Xingsheng tested positive for a spiritual root and asked Li Qianqing if he could bring his pet mouse, Shu Shu, when he left to cultivate. After meeting the mouse, Li Qianqing recognized it as likely a mutated Gold Devouring Rat, leaving the family ready to test it.

• Li Xingsheng asked Li Qianqing if he could take Shu Shu, his mouse friend, with him, and Li Qianqing agreed.
• After the spiritual root tests ended, Li Qianqing and the others went with Li Xingsheng to his home and spoke with his mother about his upbringing and fondness for small animals.
• Li Xingsheng showed Li Qianqing the pure-white mouse with a yellow mark on its forehead.
• Li Qianqing said the mouse was likely a mutated Gold Devouring Rat after it eagerly watched the spirit stone he produced.

Li Qianqing recognized Li Xingsheng’s companion as a promising Mutated Gold Devouring Rat and began teaching the boy about cultivation and demonic beasts. The chapter left Li Qianqing observing the close bond between Li Xingsheng and Shu Shu as he assessed the rat’s potential.

• Li Qianqing identified Shu Shu as a Mutated Gold Devouring Rat and allowed Li Xingsheng to keep it, giving him a Low-Grade Spirit Stone for it to eat.
• Li Xingsheng bid farewell to his mother and left Puya County with Li Qianqing, who learned that the boy and Shu Shu had been companions for two years.
• The family’s spiritual root test ended with Li Xingsheng as the only child found to have spiritual roots, and Li Qianqing began his first guidance session.
• Li Xingsheng learned that Shu Shu was a demonic beast and understood why it had thrived at Changqing Mountain, where spiritual energy was abundant.
• Li Xingsheng said Shu Shu had eaten nearly a third of the Low-Grade Spirit Stone, and Li Qianqing judged the rat’s potential while watching their close interaction.

Li Qianqing guided Li Xingsheng toward becoming a Beast Tamer, then reached the true peak of Qi Refining and decided to begin Foundation Establishment. He told Patriarch Li Cunliu, who accepted his decision despite hoping he would wait for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

• Li Qianqing introduced Li Xingsheng to the Beast Tamer profession and watched him leave with the Gold Devouring Rat.
• Li Qianqing absorbed a Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill and reached Qi Refining Tenth Layer Peak.
• Li Qianqing planned to begin Foundation Establishment and went to inform Patriarch Li Cunliu.
• Li Cunliu urged Li Qianqing to wait until the family could purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, but accepted his decision after hearing about his feeling.

Li Qianqing prepared to establish his foundation without a Foundation Establishment Pill, convincing Li Cunliu and Li Lilong to let him proceed. The chapter ended as he entered seclusion and began his breakthrough.

• Li Cunliu offered Li Qianqing the Clear Nectar Spirit Stone, but Li Qianqing refused it and argued that the family should revise its rules for auxiliary Foundation Establishment items.
• Li Cunliu agreed to optimize the rules after Li Qianqing explained that a cultivator should not be able to exchange an item for Contribution Points and then use that same item for Foundation Establishment.
• Li Lilong urged Li Qianqing to wait for the family's next Foundation Establishment Pill, then shared his own experience of succeeding on his second attempt without one.
• Li Qianqing told Li Lilong that his success could save the family a Foundation Establishment Pill, and Li Lilong accepted his decision.
• Li Qianqing entered the ancestors' cave dwelling, activated the Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Gathering Array with Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and began Foundation Establishment.

Li Qianqing began Foundation Establishment in secluded cultivation, while Li Lilong and Li Cunliu prepared for the clan’s future plans. As the clan learned of his attempt, most cultivators believed he had a strong chance of success, though few were as certain as the clan’s core leaders.

• Li Lilong and Li Cunliu discussed preparations for Li Qianqing’s Foundation Establishment and the clan’s plans against the Jiang Family, including informing Clear Wind Valley.
• Li Qianqing activated the Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Gathering Array and began attempting Foundation Establishment.
• Li Qianqing assessed the three Foundation Establishment barriers and concluded that his strong divine sense and liquefied spiritual energy made failure unlikely.
• On the fifth day of Li Qianqing’s secluded cultivation, Li Clan members learned he was attempting Foundation Establishment and debated his chances of success.
• The clan’s younger generation showed strong faith in Li Qianqing, while most clansmen expected him to succeed but some remained doubtful.

Yan Xuewei discussed the Li Family’s plan to attack the Jiang Family with the Clear Wind Valley Master, who tacitly supported the move. After learning that Li Qianqing had established his foundation without a Foundation Establishment Pill, she prepared to visit the Li Family.

• Yan Xuewei reviewed information showing that the Li Family planned to move against the Jiang Family and defended the family’s decision to seek the Clear Wind Valley Master’s guidance.
• The Clear Wind Valley Master asked who in the Li Family was likely to establish their foundation, and Yan Xuewei identified Li Qianqing as a strong candidate.
• A Sound Transmission Talisman informed Yan Xuewei that Li Qianqing had established his foundation without using a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Yan Xuewei explained how the Li Family was shaping Li Qianqing as its future Patriarch, and the Clear Wind Valley Master recognized her close attention to the family.
• The Clear Wind Valley Master let Yan Xuewei depart, tacitly approving the Li Family’s planned attack on the Jiang Family.

Yan Xuewei visited the Li Family on Changqing Mountain and made clear that Clear Wind Valley would not interfere with its plan to deal with the Jiang Family. She also promised personal help by ensuring the Jiang Family would receive no support, leaving Li Cunliu and Li Lilong encouraged as she departed.

• Li Cunliu worried that Clear Wind Valley had not replied about the Li Family's plans against the Jiang Family.
• Yan Xuewei arrived discreetly at Changqing Mountain, and Li Cunliu welcomed her and asked her to speak with him below.
• Yan Xuewei asked whether Li Qianqing was likely to establish his foundation, and Li Cunliu said success was fairly likely.
• Yan Xuewei said Li Qianqing would be a suitable future clan head, and Li Cunliu and Li Lilong took this as support for him.
• Yan Xuewei told Li Cunliu and Li Lilong that Clear Wind Valley would not interfere in the conflict with the Jiang Family and that she would personally prevent the Jiang Family from receiving support.
• Yan Xuewei left Changqing Mountain less than half an hour after arriving, while Li Cunliu and Li Lilong watched her go.

After Li Qianqing began establishing his foundation, the news spread across Xiangshui Prefecture, stirring anxiety in the Jiang Clan and measured acceptance in the Huang Clan. The chapter leaves Li Qianqing’s success uncertain as cultivators speculate about his chances and the consequences for the prefecture.

• Li Cunliu and Li Lilong reflected that Yan Xuewei’s support showed her confidence in Li Qianqing’s future as Li Clan head.
• Jiang Gaoyuan learned that Li Qianqing was establishing his foundation and worried about the Li Clan’s growing strength, though he believed Li Qianqing was unlikely to succeed without a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Jiang Gaoyuan ordered his clan to remain vigilant about the Li Clan while judging Li Qianqing’s chances of success to be low.
• The Huang Clan learned the news and decided to maintain its friendly relationship with the Li Clan, planning to send a generous gift if Li Qianqing succeeded.
• The news spread throughout Xiangshui Prefecture, where cultivators debated Li Qianqing’s chances, the balance of power, and the future cost of his alchemy services.

Li Qianqing successfully completed Foundation Establishment and discovered that his divine sense and spiritual power far exceeded those of an ordinary cultivator at his stage. After absorbing newly unsealed knowledge, he considered learning the Divine Sense Secret Technique Bewitching Heart and looked forward to his next cultivation method.

• Rumors about Li Qianqing's chances of Foundation Establishment stirred unrest among Xiangshui Prefecture's cultivation forces and drew attention from neighboring prefectures.
• After a little over a month in secluded cultivation, Li Qianqing succeeded in Foundation Establishment and sensed his life and aura transform.
• Li Qianqing found that his divine sense had reached one hundred zhang, fifty-five zhang more than before.
• The seal in Li Qianqing's divine sense released new information, including the Bewitching Heart secret technique, which he could now cultivate because his divine sense exceeded its ninety-nine-zhang requirement.
• Li Qianqing found one hundred drops of liquid spiritual power in his qi sea and anticipated cultivating a new method he had not used in his previous life.

Li Qianqing emerged from seclusion after successfully establishing his foundation and mastering the first layer of the Nine Flames Art. Li Cunliu and Li Lilong welcomed him and explained the Li Family’s preparations to attack the Jiang Clan.

• Li Qianqing converted his spiritual power to the Nine Flames Art and cultivated it to the first layer, changing his fire spiritual power into a more violent and offensive kind.
• Li Qianqing ended his seclusion, and Li Cunliu arrived first and celebrated his successful Foundation Establishment.
• Li Lilong arrived and congratulated Li Qianqing, who asked how preparations to deal with the Jiang Clan had gone.
• Li Cunliu and Li Lilong explained that they had gathered information, secured help from a Clear Wind Valley Senior Elder, and planned to seize the Jiang Clan’s two spirit vein lands before attacking its ancestral land.

After Li Qianqing established his foundation, the Li Family prepared to use their advantage and Yan Xuewei’s support to move against the Jiang Clan. Li Qianqing celebrated with Li Qianyin and encouraged her to pursue foundation establishment, while the family prepared for its next steps.

• Li Lilong told Li Qianqing to consolidate his cultivation while the elders arranged his Foundation Establishment Banquet and planned the campaign against the Jiang Clan.
• Li Qianqing flew back to his residence and met Li Qianyin, who congratulated him on establishing his foundation.
• Li Qianqing gave Li Qianyin a damaged Low-Grade Spirit Tool to study and encouraged her to work toward foundation establishment.
• Li Qianqing hoped Li Qianyin would become the family’s next Foundation Establishment cultivator and learn to refine Low-Grade Spirit Tools.

After Li Qianqing successfully established his foundation without a Foundation Establishment Pill, he began cultivating the divine ability First Flame, Sever Rivers, and the Li Clan celebrated its growing strength. News of his breakthrough spread across Xiangshui Prefecture, where cultivators wondered when the Li Clan would move against the Jiang Clan.

• Li Qianqing began cultivating First Flame, Sever Rivers, and planned to use clan Contribution Points to obtain Flame Crystals for advancing it.
• Li Xunting visited Li Qianqing after hearing of his breakthrough, then happily returned to her cultivation.
• The Li Clan celebrated Li Qianqing's success and discussed expanding to the Jiang Clan Spirit Vein Land and possibly recruiting guest elders.
• News of Li Qianqing's Foundation Establishment spread across Xiangshui Prefecture, prompting cultivators to discuss his achievement.
• Cultivators in Tongyang County speculated that the Li Clan would soon attack the Jiang Clan now that Li Qianqing had succeeded.

After Li Qianqing established his foundation, cultivators speculated that the Li Clan would soon attack the Jiang Family, while the Li Clan’s growing strength prompted Qi Refining clans to reconsider their allegiances. The Jiang Family’s subordinate forces debated whether to break away, maintain the status quo, or wait for more information, with no final decision reached.

• Rumors spread that the Li Clan would attack the Jiang Family, while its shops prospered after the Jiang Family closed its shops in Tongyang County’s cultivator market.
• Qi Refining clans that had declined to become subordinate to the Li Clan regretted their choice and considered joining before the price of allegiance rose further.
• The Jiang Family’s subordinate clans debated breaking away, fearing both retaliation from the Jiang Family and rejection or exploitation by the Li Clan.
• Some clans close to the Jiang Family leaned toward maintaining the status quo, while some farther away considered breaking away.
• Many clans remained undecided as they waited for more information and for the Li Clan to make its move.

After Li Qianqing reached Foundation Establishment, the Jiang Clan feared an imminent attack from the stronger Li Clan. Jiang Gaoyuan failed to secure outside support and began considering a desperate counterattack.

• Jiang Clan cultivators panicked after learning that Li Qianqing had reached Foundation Establishment, leaving the Li Clan with three Foundation Establishment cultivators against their one.
• Jiang Gaoyuan recognized that the Li Clan would likely attack and dismissed a subordinate while he considered how to protect the clan.
• Jiang Gaoyuan contacted the Wang Clan and Chen Clan for help, but both refused, claiming they could not spare support.
• Jiang Gaoyuan suspected Clear Wind Valley had intervened to block aid and concluded that the Li Clan might attack soon.
• Jiang Gaoyuan resolved to make the Li Clan pay if the Jiang Clan could not avoid destruction and considered going to Changqing Mountain when the attack began.

Half a month after Li Qianqing reached Foundation Establishment, he discussed his future guidance duties for the Li Clan and prepared for his Foundation Establishment Banquet. The banquet began on Changqing Mountain with Foundation Establishment cultivators and subordinate clan representatives arriving, while Yan Xuewei was still expected to come last.

• Li Qianqing learned that the Jiang Clan had grown quiet and that its market business had declined amid fears of conflict and interference from Loose Cultivators.
• Li Qianqing agreed with Li Cunliu and Li Lilong to guide future juniors, focusing on those with Three Spiritual Roots or better or a Special Physique as the number of cultivators grew.
• Li Qianqing practiced a divine ability and estimated that he needed at least a month and a half to reach entry level.
• The Li Clan held Li Qianqing's Foundation Establishment Banquet on the second day of the second month and welcomed Foundation Establishment cultivators alongside Late-Stage Qi Refining representatives.
• Li Qianqing greeted Clan Head Liu, who joked that he regretted not bringing him into the Liu Clan, and the number of visiting Foundation Establishment cultivators reached seven.
• Yan Xuewei had not yet arrived as the reception below was nearly over, and Li Qianqing expected her to be the last guest again.

Li Qianqing welcomed Yan Xuewei to his Foundation Establishment Banquet and discussed how her support had isolated the Jiang Family. As the banquet turned to talk of Li Qianqing’s advancement, a cultivator asked when the Li Family planned to move against the Jiang Family.

• Li Qianqing greeted Yan Xuewei and thanked her for helping leave the Jiang Family without outside support.
• Li Qianqing invited Yan Xuewei to sit, and the Foundation Establishment Banquet began with Foundation Establishment cultivators seated above the Qi Refining cultivators.
• Li Qianyin spoke with Li Xunting about Li Qianqing and her own place beside him, while Li Xunting resolved to advance her cultivation quickly.
• The Foundation Establishment cultivators congratulated Li Qianqing and discussed him, while avoiding the question of whether he had used other Foundation Establishment spiritual items.
• A cultivator asked Clan Head Li when the Li Family planned to move against the Jiang Family, and the gathered cultivators looked toward Li Cunliu.

At Li Qianqing’s Foundation Establishment Banquet, he kept the Li Family’s plans against the Jiang Clan secret from most guests. After seeing Yan Xuewei off, he told her the clan planned to strike within two years, once it had two more Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators, and promised to notify her after the Jiang Clan was defeated.

• The patriarchs at the banquet questioned Li Qianqing about when the Li Family would move against the Jiang Clan, but he gave them no details.
• The guests drank and exchanged gifts, and the Foundation Establishment Banquet ended with Li Qianqing earning more than Li Lilong had at his previous banquet.
• Li Qianqing saw Yan Xuewei off after she had stayed until the other guests had left.
• Yan Xuewei asked when the Li Family would attack the Jiang Clan, and Li Qianqing told her they would wait until two more Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators were ready.
• Li Qianqing explained that the additional cultivators would help reduce losses while the clan seized the Jiang Clan’s ancestral land and two spirit vein lands.
• Yan Xuewei wished the Li Family success, and Li Qianqing promised to notify her as soon as the Jiang Clan was defeated.

Li Qianqing sorted his Foundation Establishment gifts into the Clan Treasury as rumors spread that Clear Wind Valley might favor the Li Clan. After Li Xunting’s breakthrough strengthened the Li Clan’s plans against the Jiang Family, Li Xingsheng brought Li Qianqing news about Shu Shu.

• Li Qianqing placed Yan Xuewei’s Spirit Solidification Pills and most of his other congratulatory gifts in the Clan Treasury in exchange for Contribution Points.
• Word spread that Yan Xuewei’s second visit to a Li Clan Foundation Establishment Banquet might mean a Clear Wind Valley Senior Elder favored the Li Clan, worsening the Jiang Family’s situation.
• Li Xunting entered Qi Refining Eighth Layer and became strong enough to serve as a core fighter in attacks on the Jiang Family’s spirit vein lands.
• Li Qianqing rewarded and guided Li Xunting after her breakthrough, while the three Li Clan Foundation Establishment cultivators set the Jiang Family’s likely remaining time at no more than a year.
• Li Xingsheng excitedly told Li Qianqing that Shu Shu had finally become a demonic beast.

Li Xingsheng’s Mutated Gold Devouring Rat, Shu Shu, became a First Order Early-Stage demon beast, and Li Xingsheng chose not to bind it with a contract. As the Li Clan prepared for war against the Jiang Clan, Li Qianqing focused on cultivation and awaited the clan’s Rank 2 Low-Grade Seven Leaf Machilus to mature.

• Li Qianqing confirmed Shu Shu’s advancement and rewarded the Gold Devouring Rat with a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.
• Li Xingsheng told Li Qianqing he did not want to sign a contract with Shu Shu, and Li Qianqing accepted his decision while advising him about contracts with other demon beasts.
• In late March of Zhao Calendar year 5040, the number of Li Clan members at Late-Stage Qi Refining exceeded twenty, and cultivators discussed their expected war against the Jiang Clan.
• In early April, Li Qianqing cultivated in the fully activated Rank 1 High-Grade Spirit Gathering Array and paused training his Nine Flames Art divine ability until he obtained Second-Order Middle Grade Flame Crystal Stone.
• Li Qianqing considered that the clan’s Rank 2 Low-Grade Seven Leaf Machilus would mature in nine years, then heard Fourth Uncle Li Lilong call him from outside.

Li Qianqing and the Li Clan’s two other Foundation Establishment cultivators finalized their plan to exterminate the Jiang Clan while minimizing losses. They decided to begin that day, with Li Qianqing guarding Changqing Mountain as the others attacked the Jiang Clan’s ancestral land.

• Li Qianqing met with Li Cunliu and Li Lilong to discuss the Jiang Clan’s lack of movement and the Li Clan’s preparations.
• Li Cunliu assigned himself and Li Lilong to attack the Jiang Clan’s ancestral land while Li Qianqing guarded Changqing Mountain.
• Li Qianqing asked to be summoned if the assault on the ancestral land proved difficult, and Li Cunliu agreed.
• The three Foundation Establishment cultivators planned how to divide the Li Clan’s Qi Refining cultivators between the Jiang Clan’s two spirit-vein lands and their own territory.