Chapter Summaries

After the demon-elimination mission was completed, Pang Yuanfu asked Li Xiuchang to help manage the wages for two Rogue Cultivators doing his father’s labor duties while he went away for a sect trial. Li agreed to pay them monthly until Pang returned from Yellow Wind Valley.

• Li Xiuchang saw that his Length Value had reached 4.82 after a month of cultivating and skill practice.
• Pang Yuanfu told Li Xiuchang that their demon-elimination mission had succeeded and that the Contribution Points had been issued.
• Pang Yuanfu explained that he had hired two Mid Qi Condensation Rogue Cultivators to handle Pang Daqiang’s menial labor for four spirit stones a month.
• Pang Yuanfu asked Li Xiuchang to pay the Rogue Cultivators monthly while he attended a five-month trial at Yellow Wind Valley, fearing they would flee if paid in advance.
• Li Xiuchang agreed to handle the payments until Pang Yuanfu returned.

Li Xiuchang learned that Domineering Arrogant Heaven had accepted his request for a follow-up to the Fire Starting Skill, but the technique was still unfinished. While Zhang Wanzhi and Chen Changsheng waited for Mo Tu to review their draft, Li Xiuchang prepared for Foundation Establishment and received a message from Pang Daqiang.

• Li Xiuchang checked the Preaching Ranking and saw that Domineering Arrogant Heaven had accepted his request.
• Zhang Wanzhi and Chen Changsheng argued over the follow-up technique before compromising on a draft and deciding to wait for Mo Tu's opinion.
• Li Xiuchang continued preparing for Foundation Establishment by filling and compressing his spiritual power.
• Li Xiuchang received a message from Pang Daqiang and wondered what Pang Yuanfu's father wanted.

Li Xiuchang intervened in a dispute between Pang Daqiang and two Rogue Cultivators, learning that Pang wanted to replace them with cheaper workers despite their doing their jobs properly. After arranging for them to finish the month, Li Xiuchang grew suspicious of the pair and secretly watched them.

• Pang Daqiang summoned Li Xiuchang to help settle a dispute with two Rogue Cultivators over their wages.
• Li Xiuchang learned Pang wanted to dismiss the pair because he had hired two Rogue Cultivators who were Tier 1 Talisman Masters for lower wages.
• Li Xiuchang persuaded Pang to keep the pair until the end of the month and offered to cover the half-spirit-stone wage difference.
• Li Xiuchang sensed that the two Rogue Cultivators had unusually strong souls and hid nearby to observe them.

Li Xiuchang discovered that the three rogue cultivators were demonic cultivators and teamed up with Wang Long to capture two of them. The captives claimed they belonged to the New Demonic Path, leaving Li Xiuchang and Wang Long unsure whether to believe them as they prepared to take them to the sect.

• Li Xiuchang followed the black-faced rogue cultivator to a shack and discovered him treating an injured man with demonic power and a yin soul's aura.
• Li Xiuchang contacted Wang Long, who urged him to capture the three demonic cultivators for greater Contribution Points and offered to help.
• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long agreed to capture the cultivators quietly, and Wang Long immobilized the black-faced man and his injured companion.
• The captives insisted they were good demonic cultivators from the New Demonic Path, while Li Xiuchang and Wang Long decided to take them back to the sect for judgment.

Li Xiuchang and Wang Long captured three Demonic Cultivators and brought them to the Immortal Dust Sect, where they learned the prisoners belonged to a peaceful branch called the New Demonic Path. Senior Brother Yan Song explained that the Demonic Path had collapsed after its own leader slaughtered its forces, and the chapter left Li Xiuchang and Wang Long learning that the traitorous Lord had founded the New Demonic Path before ascending to the Upper Realm.

• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long captured the last Demonic Cultivator and escorted all three prisoners to the Immortal Dust Sect.
• Senior Brother Yan Song had the elders question the three and confirmed that they were New Demonic Path cultivators who had committed no serious wrongdoing.
• Senior Brother Yan Song explained that the New Demonic Path had split from the Soul Demonic Path and cultivated without killing people to refine souls.
• Senior Brother Yan Song told Li Xiuchang and Wang Long that the Demonic Path had fallen because its leader unified the Soul and Blood Demonic Paths, then slaughtered a million Demonic Cultivators.
• Senior Brother Yan Song said the Lord of the Demonic Path had founded the New Demonic Path and later ascended to the Upper Realm, after which the Righteous Path tolerated New Demonic Path cultivators who had done no evil.

Li Xiuchang escorted three New Demonic Path cultivators out of the Immortal Dust Sect after its elders cleared the area of Soul Demonic Path remnants. When one cultivator rang a Soul Bell, Li Xiuchang recognized its connection to Senior Brother Mo Tu and suspected Mo Tu belonged to the New Demonic Path.

• Yan Song released the three demonic cultivators and assigned Li Xiuchang and Wang Long to escort them out after half an hour.
• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long took the cultivators by flying boat toward the sect border, where the Black-faced Demonic Cultivator revealed that they had come seeking refuge from a New Demonic Path senior.
• Yan Xue informed Li Xiuchang that the elders had slain three Soul Demonic Path remnants and captured two near the sect.
• At the border, the Black-faced Demonic Cultivator rang his Soul Bell, but it received no response, and the three cultivators left the sect.
• Li Xiuchang recognized the Soul Bell's patterns and effects from Senior Brother Mo Tu's artifact and suspected Mo Tu was a member of the New Demonic Path.

Li Xiuchang rescued the three New Demonic Path cultivators from two Fierce Ghosts, while the Immortal Dust Sect’s elders watched to see whether their hidden senior would appear. Mo Tu had just returned and observed the battle from above, and Li Xiuchang left the New Demonic Path cultivators stunned by how demonic he looked.

• Li Xiuchang heard the New Demonic Path cultivators’ cries for help after two Fierce Ghosts chased them beyond the Immortal Dust Sect’s territory.
• The Black-faced Demonic Cultivator rang the Soul Bell as the three fled, and Li Xiuchang and Wang Long arrived to help.
• The Immortal Dust Sect’s elders revealed that they had deliberately left the Fierce Ghosts to lure out the New Demonic Path expert, while Mo Tu watched them from above.
• Li Xiuchang charged both Fierce Ghosts alone to claim the spoils and summoned a pack of Yin Souls with his Rainbow Soul Banner.
• The three New Demonic Path cultivators stared at Li Xiuchang and wondered how an Immortal Dust Sect disciple could look more demonic than they did.

Li Xiuchang and Paw Patrol defeated two Fierce Ghosts, then he returned to the Eastern Geng District and accepted Mo Tu’s gift of Yin Souls after paying for them. Mo Tu offered to improve Li Xiuchang’s Soul Banner, but Li Xiuchang declined, and Mo Tu asked to see the nearly mature Netherfrost Grass in his courtyard.

• Li Xiuchang ordered Paw Patrol to overwhelm and devour the two Fierce Ghosts, then collected their remaining soul bodies in the Rainbow Soul Banner.
• The Immortal Dust Sect elders left after deciding their target had not taken the bait, while Mo Tu stayed behind and later approached the three rescued New Demonic Path cultivators.
• Li Xiuchang and Wang Long returned to the General Affairs Hall, collected their Contribution Points reward, and then headed back to the Eastern Geng District.
• Mo Tu gave Li Xiuchang more than a dozen Yin Souls, but Li Xiuchang paid him six thousand spirit stones rather than accept them as a favor.
• Mo Tu offered to improve Li Xiuchang’s Rainbow Soul Banner, but Li Xiuchang declined and brought Mo Tu to his courtyard to inspect the nearly mature Netherfrost Grass.

Mo Tu repaid Li Xiuchang with a secret art for feeding Yin Souls Gloomy Chill Flowers and explained Su Qingchun’s potential to cultivate both the Ghost and Confucian Paths. After Li Xiuchang showed him Paw Patrol, Mo Tu noticed how much he valued the canine soul Wangcai.

• Mo Tu ripened Li Xiuchang’s ten Netherfrost Grass plants and gave him a secret art to help Yin Souls absorb Gloomy Chill Flowers’ energy.
• Mo Tu explained that Gloomy Chill Flowers could strengthen Yin Souls, calm their minds, and eliminate Malevolent Energy.
• Mo Tu recognized Su Qingchun’s talent and advised Li Xiuchang to make the Ghost Path primary and the Confucian Path supplementary, using Confucian books to guide his cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang released Paw Patrol, and Mo Tu asked whether he especially valued Wangcai; Wangcai snarled at Mo Tu’s description, then cowered when Mo Tu glanced at him.

Li Xiuchang used Mo Tu’s advice to strengthen his Yin Souls and continued preparing to compress his magical power for Foundation Establishment. As he left to begin compressing it, Zhang Wanzhi, Chen Changsheng, and Mo Tu finally agreed on a cultivation method for the Fire Starting Skill.

• Mo Tu advised Li Xiuchang to have his Yin Souls practice battle formations and taught him how to use Gloomy Chill Flowers to nourish them.
• Li Xiuchang fed Wangcai a Gloomy Chill Flower, then prioritized Wangcai, the Yin Soul Wolf King, and Su Qingchun for further cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang hired a Rogue Cultivator couple to replace Pang Daqiang’s expelled demonic Talisman Masters and returned to his own cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang used his remaining Fierce Ghost soul bodies and Gloomy Chill Flowers to strengthen his Yin Souls, while saving flowers to harvest Netherfrost Grass seeds.
• Li Xiuchang’s magical power reached fullness, and he left Eastern Geng District for the medicinal fields to compress it.
• Zhang Wanzhi, Chen Changsheng, and Mo Tu ended their dispute and finalized a cultivation method for the Fire Starting Skill after two months of debate.

Li Xiuchang compressed his Charcoal Attribute Mana until it liquefied, leaving him on the brink of Foundation Establishment, and obtained a powerful follow-up cultivation technique from Domineering Arrogant Heaven. He then found a crowd of outer disciples protesting outside the General Affairs Hall.

• Li Xiuchang transferred mana from his Second Dantian into his main dantian until his mana liquefied, though he had not achieved Foundation Establishment.
• Li Xiuchang decided to keep accumulating liquid mana and prepare a spiritual-energy-rich site before attempting Foundation Establishment.
• Li Xiuchang paid Dao Grains for Domineering Arrogant Heaven's follow-up technique and suspected it had been tailored to his needs.
• Li Xiuchang saw outer disciples, including several Tier 1 Talisman Masters who had worked as his fire starters, protesting outside the General Affairs Hall.

Li Xiuchang chose to pursue the Culinary Star Championship’s Beast King Bone prize while preparing to establish his foundation. After months of cultivation, he began breaking through in Wang Long’s cultivation room, secretly using his abundant magical power to advance.

• Li Xiuchang learned that the sect would hold competitions for unpopular skills, and Senior Brother Yan Song secured support for talisman crafting after Talisman Masters protested.
• Li Xiuchang favored the spirit cooking competition’s Beast King Bone reward over the soul mastery competition’s yin soul prize, but focused first on strengthening his cultivation.
• After more than two months, Li Xiuchang filled both his dantian and Second Dantian with magical power and decided to establish his foundation in secret.
• Li Xiuchang borrowed Wang Long’s rarely used cultivation room and asked about the commotion caused by Foundation Establishment, then waited until Wang Long left.
• Li Xiuchang began his breakthrough by filling the room with spiritual energy and using his increased physical endurance to move magical power from his Second Dantian into his main dantian.

Li Xiuchang achieved Foundation Establishment and began cultivating a revised technique that produced stronger Charcoal Attribute Mana. After learning of Pang Yuanfu’s disastrous, rain-soaked trial, Li Xiuchang tested the new technique and prepared to replace all his old mana before judging its effects.

• Li Xiuchang completed Foundation Establishment, reaching the limit of the Early Stage, and decided to cultivate the next version of the Fire Starting Skill to advance further.
• Pang Yuanfu returned from his trial, repaid Li Xiuchang with extra spirit stones, and left without sharing what was troubling him.
• Wang Long told Li Xiuchang that Pang Yuanfu’s Water Source Physique had drenched everyone in Yellow Wind Valley for the five-month trial, earning him the nickname “Pang Too Wet.”
• Li Xiuchang cultivated the revised technique, named it the Charcoal Burning Skill, and confirmed that it produced Charcoal Attribute Mana.
• Li Xiuchang tested the new mana and found that it made stronger fires and spells, allowed him to control smoke, and made him immune to his poisonous smoke.

After establishing his foundation, Li Xiuchang sought work for his surplus Yin Souls and help preparing for the Culinary Star Championship. Mo Tu offered the Wolf Souls jobs in his mines, and Chen Changsheng arrived to assess them for a suitable battle formation.

• Li Xiuchang left Wang Long's cultivation room after suppressing his Cultivation Level, and Wang Long discovered the leftover spiritual energy and began cultivating in it.
• Li Xiuchang decided to find more medicine fields, improve his Spirit Chef Arts, and ask his senior brothers for help with his Yin Souls and Paw Patrol.
• Li Xiuchang visited Mo Tu and Zhang Wanzhi, who noticed that he had established his foundation despite his apparent Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation.
• Zhang Wanzhi suggested putting the Wolf Souls to work mining, and Mo Tu offered them jobs at his mineral veins in exchange for twenty percent of the ore they mined.
• Li Xiuchang asked about a battle formation for Paw Patrol, and Chen Changsheng arrived and asked to see the Wolf Souls.

Li Xiuchang learned the Yin-Yang Seven Wolves Battle Formation and searched for a way to advance his Spirit Chef Arts. He began developing a unique Spirit Delicacy Dish based on Snail Noodles, leaving his experiment unfinished as his Length Value surged toward the Twenty-Inch Mark.

• Chen Changsheng designed a Yin and Yang battle formation for Li Xiuchang's wolf souls, and Li Xiuchang named it the Yin-Yang Seven Wolves Battle Formation.
• Li Xiuchang asked Zhang Wanzhi and the other senior brothers for guidance in Spirit Chef Arts, but none of them practiced it.
• Li Xiuchang went to the Preaching Ranking, spent one Dao Grain on a Spirit Chef post, and realized he could earn Dao Grains by publishing an original dish.
• Li Xiuchang chose Snail Noodles as the basis for a new Spirit Delicacy Dish and bought spirit snails, spirit bamboo shoots, spirit rice, and other ingredients.
• Li Xiuchang began fermenting spirit bamboo shoots, testing snail soup bases, and making rice noodles while the Yin Soul Wolf King and Wangcai trained their groups.
• Li Xiuchang's experiments and practice rapidly increased his Length Value as it neared the Twenty-Inch Mark.

After reaching Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, Li Xiuchang discovered that his Charcoal Attribute Mana had separated into solid, liquid, and gaseous forms, then used his Second Dantian as a centrifuge to sort them. With his mana problem resolved, he decided to save his Length Value and considered using it on spirit-plant seeds instead.

• After completing the Charcoal Burning Skill, Li Xiuchang found that his mana had uneven density and contained tiny specks of solid mana.
• Li Xiuchang broke through to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, but his mana became even more uneven, with solid, liquid, and gaseous forms mixed together.
• Li Xiuchang spun his Second Dantian at high speed and successfully separated the three forms of mana, discarding the gaseous mana and storing the liquid and solid mana separately.
• Li Xiuchang decided to save most of his twenty inches of Length Value rather than immediately improve his body or Qi cultivation.
• Li Xiuchang considered that adding length to spirit-plant seeds might be more worthwhile than adding it directly to mature spirit plants.

Li Xiuchang enlarged a Netherfrost Grass seed with his length and successfully grew an unusually large sprout, then perfected a Snail Noodles spirit dish whose fragrance effect could last half a month. He published the recipe and a melodramatic clickbait story on the Preaching Ranking, earning dao grains from the story while waiting to see whether anyone else would pay for the recipe.

• Li Xiuchang added three inches in each direction to a Netherfrost Grass seed and planted it.
• After a prolonged wait, the oversized seed sprouted into a shoot dozens of times thicker than usual.
• Li Xiuchang cooked and tested Snail Noodles, discovering that it curbed hunger and gave cultivators a personal fragrance for half a month.
• Li Xiuchang published the Snail Noodles recipe as Paid Content under a sensational title, but commenters initially only watched and joked.
• Li Xiuchang posted a short melodramatic story as Paid Content and quickly earned several strands of dao grain from readers.
• A reader finally paid to unlock the Snail Noodles recipe, and Li Xiuchang decided to let the post attract more buyers.

Li Xiuchang passed the first-tier Spirit Chef examination and celebrated with Zhang Wanzhi over his newly invented dishes and precious wine. After learning that he did not need to become a professional Beast Tamer to raise a pet, Li Xiuchang reconsidered his plan and decided to seek an insect demon beast egg for his Length Value.

• Li Xiuchang created new Spirit Delicacy Dishes, rapidly improved his Spirit Chef Arts, and passed the first-tier examination.
• Li Xiuchang visited Zhang Wanzhi with his dishes, and they shared food and a rare wine that strengthened Li Xiuchang’s body.
• Li Xiuchang asked Zhang Wanzhi about Beast Taming Arts, and Zhang explained that raising one Spirit Pet did not require learning the profession.
• Li Xiuchang considered raising a turtle spirit beast, but Zhang warned him that turtle beasts lived long and had varied personalities.
• Li Xiuchang decided to find an insect demon beast egg and add Length Value to it.

Li Xiuchang’s Snail Noodles tutorial spread through the Immortal Dust Sect, bringing fame and Dao Spikes to his anonymous Preaching Ranking account, “The Longest Man.” He chose not to post more, saving his one chance at the Annual Preaching Ranking for a possible top-ten finish or first place.

• Li Xiuchang drank tea with Zhang Wanzhi and Wang Long, who told them about the sect’s gossip, including the popularity of “The Longest Man’s” sensational posts and the first disastrous attempt to cook Snail Noodles.
• A senior sister’s stinking Snail Noodles drew both dry-heaving disciples and curious tasters, prompting Li Xiuchang to realize his tutorial’s first readers had begun making the dish.
• Snail Noodles spread across the sect as female cultivators sought its fragrance and others enjoyed its flavor, while Li Xiuchang’s tutorial earned Dao Spikes and praise from culinary seniors.
• Li Xiuchang stayed silent despite the surge in attention because he wanted to reserve his Annual Preaching Ranking opportunity for a top-ten finish or first place, whose Anointing rewards could rapidly improve his skills.

Li Xiuchang delivered Spirit Flowers to Senior Brother Chu Ya and learned that Chu Ya’s repeated love confessions were tied to his Heartless Sword Dao cultivation. The chapter ended with Chu Ya revealing an unsevered love silk that he believed he must cut to ascend to immortality.

• Li Xiuchang harvested two hundred Her Fragrance flowers and delivered them to Senior Brother Chu Ya, who paid him and requested three hundred Bitter Love Chrysanthemums.
• Chu Ya asked Li Xiuchang about unforgettable love, and Li Xiuchang invented a story about a childhood sweetheart who had disappeared.
• Chu Ya explained that he had fallen for a woman he saw once, whose name he never learned, and showed Li Xiuchang a portrait of her.
• Chu Ya said he confessed sincerely to women who resembled his first love but lost interest if they accepted him and dismissed those who rejected him as not being her.
• Chu Ya revealed his Heartless Sword Dao technique, Severing Love Silks, which increased his Cultivation Level whenever he severed a love silk formed by developing feelings.
• Chu Ya showed Li Xiuchang hundreds of severed red threads and pointed to a thick, unsevered thread stretching into the firmament, saying he had to sever it to ascend to immortality.