Chapter Summaries

Li Xiuchang offered Wang Long a steady supply of smoked Spirit Meat to sell, then considered expanding production with hired workers and rented Artifact Fire Furnaces. Wang Long proposed ways to find cheap labor and equipment, leaving Li Xiuchang ready to scale up his business.

• Wang Long tasted Li Xiuchang's unranked smoked Spirit Meat and estimated it could sell for about twice the price of a Grain-Aversion Pill.
• Li Xiuchang offered to supply Wang Long with twenty strips for three low-grade Spirit Stones, and Wang Long agreed to help sell them.
• Li Xiuchang explained that his Charcoal Attribute Mana let him smoke Spirit Meat, and he considered hiring workers to operate more furnaces.
• Wang Long suggested hiring Tier 1 Talisman Masters for one low-grade Spirit Stone a day and renting Artifact Fire Furnaces from First-tier Artifact Refiners.
• Li Xiuchang recognized that competition among the sect's disciples could make it easier to expand his smoked-meat production.

Li Xiuchang and Wang Long prepared to smoke-cure Spirit Beast Meat by gathering ingredients, renting Artifact Fire Furnaces, and hiring Talisman Masters. After marinating the meat and studying an alchemy book, Li Xiuchang welcomed Wang Long and the three Talisman Masters to his residence, where the work was about to begin.

• Li Xiuchang lent Wang Long ten Spirit Stones to cover the cost of hiring workers and renting furnaces.
• Li Xiuchang bought Spirit Beast Meat, a piece of Tier 1 Spirit Paulownia Wood, and a cheap piece of Tier 1 Demonic Beast Meat at the market.
• Wang Long rented thirty low-grade Artifact Fire Furnaces, hired three Tier 1 Talisman Masters, and resigned from his Reception Area work.
• Li Xiuchang set up the furnaces at his Eastern Geng District residence and spent half a day marinating the meat.
• Li Xiuchang read Introduction to Alchemy until Wang Long arrived the next day with the three Talisman Masters, one of whom Li Xiuchang recognized.

Li Xiuchang started producing Smoked Spirit Meat with hired Talisman Masters while experimenting with a furnace artifact and cultivating the Charcoal Burning Skill. The smoke from his furnaces drew the attention of the Immortal Dust Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall, whose members arrived at his courtyard.

• Li Xiuchang hired Pockmarked Senior Brother and two other Talisman Masters to help Wang Long operate thirty furnaces.
• Li Xiuchang calculated that the first batch of Smoked Spirit Meat could bring in more than 180 spirit stones in net profit.
• Wang Long took over tending Li Xiuchang’s furnace while Li Xiuchang planned to practice alchemy and cultivate with Spirit Tung Wood.
• A huge column of smoke gathered over the Eastern Geng District, prompting the Law Enforcement Hall to investigate a suspected fire.
• Li Xiuchang stopped cultivating and saw several Law Enforcement Hall members descend into his courtyard.

Li Xiuchang’s smoking operation produced so much smoke that the Law Enforcement Hall came to investigate, but several groups of cultivators soon arrived hoping to use it. He arranged for the groups to share the smoke collection rights and realized the nuisance could bring in spirit stones.

• Senior Brother Wu told Li Xiuchang to stop releasing the smoky, slightly poisonous fumes inside the sect or find a way to contain them.
• Tier 1 Poison Masters, Gu Masters, artifact refiners, Formation Masters, and other cultivators arrived to collect the smoke for their work.
• Li Xiuchang watched the groups bid for exclusive collection rights, then proposed that they each contribute one spirit stone and collect the smoke together.
• The groups accepted Li Xiuchang’s proposal to expand production, and he asked Senior Brother Wu to witness a written agreement.
• Senior Brother Wu and Li Xiuchang’s hired fire tenders were astonished that the smoke could earn more than the workers’ wages.

Li Xiuchang turned the smoke from his furnaces into a source of income, recruited more workers, and borrowed money to expand production. Four days later, the first batch of smoked spirit meat was finally ready.

• Li Xiuchang signed contracts with several small groups to collect smoke for daily spirit-stone payments, and their members quickly cleared much of the smoke overhead.
• Five Law Enforcement Hall disciples joined Li Xiuchang’s workshop after Senior Brother Wu gave them permission to leave.
• Li Xiuchang arranged to rent fifty more furnace artifacts, and Wang Long secured a fifty-spirit-stone loan from the five new workers.
• Wang Long bought spirit meat and rented the furnaces, which began smoking a second batch outside Li Xiuchang’s courtyard the next day.
• Four days later, the first batch of spirit meat from thirty furnaces finished smoking.

Li Xiuchang’s Smoked Spirit Meat sold out quickly, leaving him with enough Spirit Stones to expand production and invest in cultivation. He planned to spend heavily to reach the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, hoping Spiritual Sense would let him raise his Cultivation Level by directly increasing his magic power.

• Li Xiuchang abandoned plans to smoke Tier 1 Demonic Beast Meat in large batches after it took too long to cure.
• Li Xiuchang paid the fire tenders and worked with Wang Long to cut and sell the first 1,500 strips of Smoked Spirit Meat, earning a profit.
• Wang Long sold the meat to wealthy Qi Condensation disciples within the Immortal Dust Sect, and the second batch of 2,500 strips sold out in under two hours.
• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long decided to expand from eighty to one hundred furnaces while limiting future growth according to sales.
• Li Xiuchang resolved to spend heavily to reach the Third Layer of Qi Condensation so he could form Spiritual Sense and look inward at his magic power.

Li Xiuchang spent lavishly on cultivation supplies and used them to cultivate in seclusion, reaching the Second Layer of Qi Condensation after ten days. He then set out with Wang Long to buy a flying boat, insisting on choosing an ordinary one.

• Li Xiuchang spent more than three hundred Spirit Stones on cultivation supplies, despite Wang Long urging him to be frugal.
• Li Xiuchang set up a Spirit Gathering Fire Formation, used fire-boosting wine and other aids, and poured over a hundred Spirit Stones into his Spirit Eye to intensify his cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang cultivated in seclusion for ten days while Wang Long synchronized the furnace schedule to reduce interruptions; two batches of Smoked Spirit Meat earned Li Xiuchang nearly fifteen hundred Spirit Stones.
• Li Xiuchang emerged having advanced from the First Layer to the Second Layer of Qi Condensation, leaving Wang Long astonished and privately troubled by his spending.
• Li Xiuchang told Wang Long he wanted to buy a flying boat, then said he would choose the most ordinary one to save Spirit Stones.

Li Xiuchang went shopping with Senior Brother Wang Long for a practical flying boat and discovered a cheap, unusual model that suited him better than the costly options. After test-flying it, he decided to buy the ten-Spirit-Stone boat for everyday travel around the sect.

• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long visited Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens, where the shopkeeper showed them a top-grade flying boat priced at sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• Li Xiuchang asked for a cheaper option, and the shopkeeper offered a ten-low-grade-Spirit-Stone flying boat with tall sides and a canvas canopy.
• Li Xiuchang test-flew the boat with Wang Long, finding its enclosed cabin comfortable, quiet, and sheltered from the wind and rain.
• Wang Long admitted the boat was practical for traveling around the sect, and Li Xiuchang decided to buy it.

Li Xiuchang and Wang Long discussed the limits of their Smoked Spirit Meat business while Zhang Wanzhi returned and planned to move Li Xiuchang’s furnaces. That night, a ghost bewitched the workers and Wang Long, who lunged at an apparition and found a skeleton in his arms.

• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long agreed that Smoked Spirit Meat sales would eventually slow and that they would scale back or stop production when the market became saturated.
• Zhang Wanzhi returned with Old Mo, praised Li Xiuchang’s progress, and rejected Old Mo’s suggestion to force him to advance through demonic techniques.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Old Mo decided to find a way to move Li Xiuchang’s furnaces away from Eastern Geng District No. 18.
• Wang Long left the Quiet Room and found the fire tenders and smoke collectors bewitched, then saw a beautiful fairy and lunged at her.
• Wang Long realized the fairy in his arms was a skeleton with scraps of flesh, and recognized it as a ghost.

Li Xiuchang and the other disciples were attacked by Yin souls that escaped from Mo Tu’s control, but Mo Tu captured them before anyone was seriously hurt. After Zhang Wanzhi compensated the frightened disciples, Li Xiuchang decided to move his spirit-meat workshop and heard Zhang’s offer to help find a new use for his courtyard.

• Li Xiuchang watched female ghosts chase the outer disciples and saw that many, including Wang Long, remained trapped in an illusion.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu arrived, and Mo Tu used a bell to capture the ghosts and free the disciples from the illusion.
• Zhang Wanzhi explained that the Yin souls had escaped while he visited Mo Tu, who revealed that he was a Soul Master and had captured the wild ghosts.
• Zhang Wanzhi distributed ten low-grade Spirit Stones to each disciple as an apology, and Li Xiuchang sent the workers home after the danger passed.
• Li Xiuchang, Wang Long, Zhang Wanzhi, and Mo Tu cleaned the courtyard, and Li Xiuchang asked Wang Long to find another place for the spirit-meat workshop.
• Zhang Wanzhi offered to provide a new place for the workshop and suggested putting Li Xiuchang’s courtyard to use for a different purpose.

Li Xiuchang learned that growing Netherfrost Grass could earn him spirit stones, so Mo Tu gave him seeds and offered to plant them for him. When Liuchang saw Mo Tu’s ghosts tending the plants, he realized they could handle the ongoing work.

• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu showed Li Xiuchang Mo Tu’s Netherfrost Grass, which earned Mo Tu three thousand spirit stones a year in flower sales.
• Mo Tu gave Li Xiuchang ten seeds and the cultivation method, asking him not to share the seeds or pass them on.
• Zhang Wanzhi explained that he and Mo Tu hoped to borrow Li Xiuchang’s unusual magical power for research, and Li Xiuchang agreed.
• Mo Tu agreed to grow Li Xiuchang’s Netherfrost Grass and taught him how to cultivate it.
• Mo Tu summoned his female ghosts, who tended the plants, and Li Xiuchang realized ghosts could serve as a productive workforce.

Li Xiuchang saw how Mo Tu used Yin Souls as labor and decided to learn Soul Mastery, but Mo Tu instead began teaching him Spirit Plant Cultivation Arts while they planted Netherfrost Grass. Li Xiuchang succeeded twice and saw his Length Value soar, leaving him convinced he had exceptional talent for the art.

• Li Xiuchang learned that Mo Tu employed female ghosts to tend Spirit Grass and over a thousand male ghosts to mine, and he resolved to pursue Soul Mastery.
• Li Xiuchang asked to buy Yin Souls for practice, and Mo Tu offered to teach him Soul Mastery.
• Mo Tu led Li Xiuchang to Eastern Geng District No. 18 and explained how to prepare a suitable environment for Netherfrost Grass.
• Li Xiuchang planted a Netherfrost Grass seed successfully under Mo Tu's guidance, then took the lead in planting another seed and succeeded again.
• Li Xiuchang saw his Length Value rise from below 1.7 to 2.89 and concluded he had a gift for Spirit Plant Cultivation Arts.

Li Xiuchang finished planting Netherfrost Grass and began learning spirit control from Mo Tu, despite Zhang Wanzhi advising him to focus on spirit plants. He accepted Mo Tu’s Jade Flute and started practicing with two First-tier malevolent spirits, while his Length Value rose more slowly than it had during his farming lessons.

• Mo Tu praised Li Xiuchang’s exceptional talent for spirit plants as Li Xiuchang planted the seven remaining Netherfrost Grass seeds.
• Zhang Wanzhi advised Li Xiuchang to focus on spirit plants, but Li Xiuchang insisted that he wanted to learn multiple skills like Zhang Wanzhi.
• Mo Tu lent Li Xiuchang a Jade Flute containing two First-tier malevolent spirits, a married couple, and explained how to command them.
• Mo Tu taught Li Xiuchang the basics of spirit control and explained that nurturing malevolent spirits was its true core.
• Li Xiuchang practiced controlling the two spirits, and his Length Value began rising more slowly than it had during his spirit-plant lessons.

Li Xiuchang moved his Smoked Spirit Meat production away from his doorway and worked with Zhang Wanzhi on ideas for an upgraded flying boat. He settled back into cultivation, then remembered that Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu had meant to borrow his Charcoal Attribute Mana for research.

• After Mo Tu's lesson, Li Xiuchang considered asking Zhao Yuansi for alchemy instruction but decided to focus on his existing techniques.
• Li Xiuchang took Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu to the empty flying boat plot, where Zhang suggested they build and sell a more comfortable flying boat together.
• Li Xiuchang listed features for the upgraded boat, including reclining seats, temperature control, and automatic navigation, and Zhang agreed to start building it.
• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long moved the Smoked Spirit Meat production line to the rented medicinal fields, freeing Li Xiuchang's doorway.
• As Li Xiuchang resumed cultivating, he remembered that Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu had wanted to borrow his Charcoal Attribute Mana but had apparently forgotten.

Li Xiuchang expanded his Smoked Spirit Meat business through traveling merchants, then entered seclusion and broke through to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation. His first attempt to use length cultivation appeared to push him into the Fourth Layer, but Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu sensed that his condition was deteriorating.

• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long expanded Smoked Spirit Meat production to supply merchants across the Immortal Shade Realm, then stopped production after building a large surplus.
• Wang Long entered seclusion to pursue Tier 2 Talisman Master, while Li Xiuchang secluded himself to advance his cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang broke through to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation and used his new Spiritual Sense to inspect the magical power in his body.
• Li Xiuchang tried adding length to his magical power while keeping healing pills ready in case something went wrong.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu sensed Li Xiuchang reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation shortly after his first breakthrough, then realized his condition was poor.

Li Xiuchang stabilized his body after a reckless increase in magical power raised him to the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, then decided to improve his physical strength before using length to advance further. While he stayed in seclusion and practiced his Spirit Plant Cultivation Arts, he discovered that every seed he planted had sprouted successfully.

• Li Xiuchang swallowed healing pills and circulated his cultivation technique until his strained meridians and dantian stabilized.
• Li Xiuchang decided to stay in his residence for several months, build his physical strength, and avoid drawing attention to his rapid advancement.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu discussed Li Xiuchang's unexplained breakthrough and agreed not to act rashly until Gui Wuyan returned.
• Li Xiuchang hung an In Seclusion sign and filled the available courtyard space with First-grade Spirit Plants.
• Li Xiuchang achieved a hundred percent success rate planting seeds and realized that mastering forced maturation could qualify him for the First-grade Spirit Planter examination.

Li Xiuchang discovered that his Charcoal Attribute Mana could fertilize Spirit Plants, then spent over two months in seclusion practicing cultivation arts, Alchemy, and Spirit Cooking. He reached a Length Value of 5.03, but messages from the General Affairs Hall and Zhao Yuansi forced him to consider leaving his courtyard.

• Li Xiuchang realized he could use Charcoal Attribute Mana as fertilizer and increased the growth of his First-grade Spirit Plants, though it had a weaker effect on Netherfrost Grass.
• Li Xiuchang continued cultivating Spirit Plants, studying Alchemy, and practicing Spirit Cooking while the ghost couple helped collect smoke from his fires.
• Li Xiuchang spent more than two months in seclusion and raised his Length Value to 5.03, with Spirit Plant Cultivation Arts ranking as his strongest talent.
• Li Xiuchang received a message from the General Affairs Hall asking him to attend a coming-of-age examination and collect his gift after turning eighteen.
• Li Xiuchang received Zhao Yuansi's summons to attend a lecture at Zhao Manor half a month later and wondered how he could leave his courtyard.

Li Xiuchang worried that his rapid cultivation progress would draw attention, but decided to test Wang Long’s reaction after learning that Wang Long had become a Tier 2 Talisman Master. Meanwhile, Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu discussed finding Li Xiuchang a secret method to conceal his Cultivation Level, leaving the choice to him.

• Li Xiuchang weighed whether to skip Zhao Yuansi’s upcoming lesson or explain his rapid progress as the result of spending money and taking a Breakthrough Pill.
• Li Xiuchang received Wang Long’s message announcing his advancement to a Tier 2 Talisman Master and went out to meet him as a test of how others might react to his cultivation.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu discussed the risks of Li Xiuchang entering the Immortal Dust Sect’s inner circles and decided to seek Chen the Turtle’s concealment method for him.
• Mo Tu suggested using the Preaching Ranking to arrange the secret method without revealing too much about their identities.
• Wang Long congratulated Li Xiuchang on his Spirit Chef Apprentice success and asked whether his skills had improved during seclusion, while Li Xiuchang concluded that few people had noticed his breakthrough.

Zhang Wanzhi showed Li Xiuchang a new flying boat based on Li's ideas, and they agreed to share its profits while Wang Long offered to handle sales. After seeing Li's rapidly growing spirit plants, Wang Long discovered that Li had reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation.

• Zhang Wanzhi showed Li Xiuchang a comfortable new flying boat and offered him a deluxe version, which Li declined.
• Zhang Wanzhi agreed to give Li Xiuchang twenty percent of the flying boat profits in return for future improvement plans, and Wang Long volunteered to sell the boats.
• Mo Tu asked to see Li Xiuchang's Netherfrost Grass, and the visitors saw his flourishing spirit plants and his use of Charcoal Attribute Mana as fertilizer.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu collected some of Li Xiuchang's Charcoal Attribute Mana in a jade bottle.
• Zhang Wanzhi lifted an invisible veil from Wang Long's perception, and Wang Long exclaimed that Li Xiuchang was at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Li Xiuchang learned that his early Breakthrough Pill violated Outer Sect rules and could bring trouble from Yan Song at the General Affairs Hall. His Senior Brothers suggested using the Preaching Ranking to find a way to conceal his Cultivation Level, and explained its origins and benefits.

• Wang Long warned Li Xiuchang that taking a Breakthrough Pill before the sixth layer of Qi Condensation violated Yan Song’s rules, and urged him to keep it secret.
• Li Xiuchang learned that his eighteenth-birthday examination was overseen by Yan Song and considered delaying it, though that could mean missing Elder Zhao’s lecture.
• Mo Tu suggested concealing Li Xiuchang’s Cultivation Level, but Zhang Wanzhi said Outer Sect techniques could not hide it well enough.
• Wang Long and Zhang Wanzhi advised Li Xiuchang to seek help through the Preaching Ranking and explained that it was a Confucian Treasure where cultivators exchanged knowledge anonymously.
• Zhang Wanzhi explained that the Annual Preaching Ranking’s top one hundred received a yearly opportunity for the Preaching Ranking’s Anointing.