Chapter Summaries

Fang Xiao searched the void for remnants of the Qingyun Sword Sect's Myriad Green Clouds and discovered the Ascension Platform. He found it pierced by an azure longsword and covered in sword marks.

• Li Mobai and Qin Qing took separate routes to search for the missing Ascension Platform, while Fang Xiao stayed behind to use his Primordial Reflection Mirror.
• Fang Xiao began collecting scattered Myriad Green Clouds power, hoping to deduce the Dharma manifestation.
• As Fang Xiao followed the growing traces, his progress rose to nearly sixty percent by the fifth day.
• On the seventh day, Fang Xiao found Myriad Green Clouds and the Ascension Platform within it.
• Fang Xiao saw that the Ascension Platform was covered in sword marks, with an azure longsword piercing the Realm Positioning Disk.

Fang Xiao found the Ascension Platform and tried to claim the azure Spirit Treasure sword embedded in it, but the sword attacked him with Spirit Transformation power. Zhenkong saved Fang Xiao and helped him strike the sword spirit, though the azure sword broke apart and its spirit vanished.

• Fang Xiao followed the traces of Myriad Green Clouds through the void and discovered the Ascension Platform, which appeared to have been destroyed or abandoned by its former owner.
• Fang Xiao asked Zhenkong to suppress the azure sword, and Zhenkong first tried to communicate with it.
• The azure sword broke free and drew in the world's spiritual energy to attack Fang Xiao with Spirit Transformation power.
• Zhenkong drew in the world's spiritual energy and suppressed the azure sword long enough for Fang Xiao to pierce its artifact spirit with his Thought Sword.
• The azure sword's spiritual energy collapsed, and it snapped into several pieces as a dragon-like phantom escaped and vanished.

Fang Xiao survived the azure sword’s destruction with Zhenkong’s help, collected the remaining Azure Cloud Dharma Aspect power, and took the Ascension Platform with him. At the gathering point, Li Mobai and Qin Qing discussed Fang Xiao’s delay and their plans to travel to the Central Lands before heading out to meet him.

• Fang Xiao realized the azure sword was an unusual soul-infused Spirit Treasure and that its sword spirit had destroyed itself.
• Zhenkong returned the broken sword, pledged himself to Fang Xiao, and asked him to call him by name.
• Fang Xiao collected the shattered sword fragments and gathered the remaining Azure Cloud Dharma Aspect power with the Primordial Reflection Mirror.
• Fang Xiao drew the Ascension Platform to his side and left, hoping the sect could repair it and use its Realm Positioning Disk as a replacement.
• At the gathering point, Qin Qing criticized Fang Xiao for missing the deadline, while Li Mobai defended his experience and discussed taking disciples to the Central Lands.
• Li Mobai and Qin Qing agreed to travel together and set off aboard the flying vessel to meet Fang Xiao.

Li Mobai and Qin Qing discussed the damaged Ascension Platform with Fang Xiao, then revealed that Tianlan Sect would publicly declare him a traitor so he could work undercover. Fang Xiao accepted the arrangement, made provisions for his disciple, and planned to seek an empowerment opportunity at the Five Elements Sect.

• Li Mobai and Qin Qing said they could not repair the damaged Ascension Platform and urged Fang Xiao to keep its existence secret while they investigated its origins.
• As they traveled back to the Taichang Realm, Li Mobai told Fang Xiao about events during his three years away and explained that Tianlan Sect would publicly brand him a traitor while using him as a hidden agent.
• Fang Xiao asked Li Mobai to report his safety to Ling Taichu and deliver gifts and letters to Fan Chen, Fatty Han, Xiao Yan, and Yuan Chen, while arranging for Fan Chen to receive a share of his Spirit Wine business.
• Fang Xiao said he would go to the Five Elements Sect to seek an empowerment opportunity that could advance his cultivation, and Li Mobai agreed to have the sect's candidates bring his belongings to Myriad Immortal City.

Fang Xiao left the Nine Heavens and waited in Myriad Immortal City for Tianlan Sect’s arrival while planning how to open an inner grotto-heaven before reaching Deity Transformation. He received a message through his Identity Token, leaving his next move pending.

• Fang Xiao retrieved his Life-Soul Lamp from Li Mobai and departed alone, leaving Li Mobai and Qin Qing to take the Ascension Platform back to Tianlan Sect.
• Li Mobai and Qin Qing discussed undergoing tribulation together while the Cultivation World was calm, hoping to strengthen Tianlan Sect before traveling to the Central Lands.
• Fang Xiao spent more than two months in Myriad Immortal City, buying soul-strengthening herbs and Demon Cultivator Essence Blood while waiting for Tianlan Sect.
• Fang Xiao assessed his cultivation and concluded he needed Fifth Order resources to raise his Body Refining to Deity Transformation level and open an inner grotto-heaven early.
• Fang Xiao’s Identity Token suddenly trembled.

Li Manshan, Jiang Qinyue, and Yuan Chen visited Fang Xiao to receive the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s empowerment opportunity and thanked him for helping them advance. Yuan Chen delivered a Mobile Spirit Mansion from Li Mobai, and Fang Xiao noticed that Yuan Chen’s cultivation technique resembled the Yang Scroll of the Carefree Roaming Scroll.

• Li Manshan, Jiang Qinyue, and Yuan Chen greeted Fang Xiao, who was surprised that Yuan Chen had reached the Nascent Soul realm.
• Yuan Chen thanked Fang Xiao for saving and guiding him, while Li Manshan and Jiang Qinyue credited Fang Xiao’s Xuan Yin Spirit Forging Wine for helping them advance.
• Yuan Chen gave Fang Xiao a Mobile Spirit Mansion that Li Mobai had sent for him.
• Fang Xiao explored the Spirit Mansion, found its fifth-tier Spirit Vein and transplanted spirit garden, and saw that the Sea Calming Ape had reached the late stage of transformation.
• Fang Xiao recognized a familiar aura in Yuan Chen’s cultivation and asked whether he was cultivating the Yang Scroll of the Carefree Roaming Scroll.

Fang Xiao discovered that Yuan Chen’s cultivation of two extreme Yang techniques endangered his foundation, then gave him the Guanghan Art to balance his power. He also gave Yuan Chen, Li Manshan, and Jiang Qinyue Yin-Yang body-refinement secret arts, leaving all three grateful for his gifts.

• Fang Xiao warned Yuan Chen that his Heavenly Fire Spirit Root and Innate Primordial Yang Physique made his two blazing Yang cultivation techniques dangerously extreme.
• Yuan Chen explained that Li Mobai planned for him to cultivate the Yin Volume of the Carefree Roaming Scroll after his soul reached pure Yang completion, but he lacked a compatible Yin technique.
• Fang Xiao inscribed the Guanghan Art for Yuan Chen, who found it ideal for balancing his true Yang spiritual power with simulated lunar power.
• Li Manshan teased Fang Xiao for favoring Yuan Chen, prompting Fang Xiao to give Li Manshan and Jiang Qinyue secret arts as well.
• Fang Xiao gave all three the Lunar Body Refinement and Primordial Yang Creation secret arts, which they received as priceless treasures.

Fang Xiao stayed in Myriad Immortal City to study Secret Arts, brew Spirit Wine, and advance his natal treasures. He prepared to refine a dangerous Mind Splitting Spirit Stone into the Nascent Soul Dao Sword in the future, then left the city to raise two other treasures to Top-grade.

• Fang Xiao arranged lodging for the three and stayed in Myriad Immortal City while they studied their Secret Arts and he prepared Spirit Wine.
• Fang Xiao noted that the Great White Sword Pellet and Sword Nurturing Gourd were close to becoming Top-grade magic treasures, while his other four natal treasures had already reached that rank.
• Li Mobai identified the broken Spirit Treasure sword's material as Mind Splitting Spirit Stone and suspected its beast spirit had been a Distracting Thoughts Flood Dragon.
• Fang Xiao planned to incorporate the Mind Splitting Spirit Stone's effects into the Nascent Soul Dao Sword after he condensed his True Spirit and consulted artifact-refining manuals.
• Fang Xiao left Myriad Immortal City for a remote place to advance the Great White Sword Pellet and Sword Nurturing Gourd.

Fang Xiao advanced the Great White Sword Pellet in a remote region, where it devoured underground mineral deposits and destroyed Gold-attribute magic treasures for their Essence of Five Metals. The chapter left him impressed by the pellet’s power after it swept up a concentrated mass of essence and carved a vast ravine into the land.

• Fang Xiao completed the fusion of the Heavenly Dipper and Earth Fiend Restriction in the Sword Nurturing Gourd, triggering tremors across a vast region.
• Fang Xiao watched the Great White Sword Pellet draw Essence of Five Metals from underground deposits, sinking the land and forming a valley more than a hundred thousand li wide.
• The Great White Sword Pellet flew away to seek more mineral deposits, so Fang Xiao destroyed ten high-grade Gold-attribute magic treasures to lure it back.
• The Great White Sword Pellet pierced the broken treasures, carved a deep ravine with its sword light, and absorbed the concentrated Essence of Five Metals.

Fang Xiao traveled with Yuan Chen, Li Manshan, and two other cultivators toward the Five Elements Sect after receiving Yuan Ye’s message. Along the way, he explained why Tianlan Sect preserved subordinate factions and told Li Manshan that keeping them compliant depended on instilling a “slave mentality.”

• Fang Xiao recalled the Great White Sword Pellet, concealed his aura, and left the site of his battle using the Five Elements Evasion Technique.
• Scouts from the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association inspected the devastation Fang Xiao had left behind and hurried back to report it.
• Fang Xiao and three other cultivators traveled aboard a concealed flying shuttle toward the Five Elements Sect more than a year after his magic treasure advanced.
• Yuan Chen asked why Tianlan Sect had not destroyed the weakened Five Elements Sect and taken its grotto-heaven.
• Fang Xiao explained that Tianlan Sect kept subordinate sects to manage territory, provide services, and absorb internal and external conflict.
• Fang Xiao told Li Manshan that Tianlan Sect needed to keep subordinate factions in their proper place through a “slave mentality.”

Fang Xiao explained Tianlan Sect’s strategy of controlling advancement to Spirit Transformation and using influence beyond the Eastern Domain. At the Five Elements Grotto-heaven gateway, Xian Hua defied Tianlan Sect, and Fang Xiao’s unusual insight into her talent made Yuan Ye suspect he resembled someone familiar.

• Fang Xiao explained that Tianlan Sect could control Spirit Transformation opportunities to keep rival cultivators loyal, and he planned to build influence beyond the Eastern Domain after reaching Spirit Transformation.
• Yuan Ye and Xian Hua arrived at the Five Elements Grotto-heaven gateway, where Xian Hua protested that Tianlan Sect had taken most of the Five Elements Sect’s empowerment opportunity.
• Yuan Ye told Xian Hua that the Five Elements Sect was too weak to challenge Tianlan Sect, but Xian Hua vowed to reclaim the sect’s territory once she reached Spirit Transformation.
• Fang Xiao and three Tianlan Sect cultivators arrived after hearing Xian Hua threaten Tianlan Sect, and Yuan Ye hurried to apologize for her words.
• Xian Hua refused to apologize, but Fang Xiao praised her Heavenly Spiritual Root and Pure Heart, prompting Yuan Ye to study Fang Xiao and recognize a familiar bearing.

Fang Xiao entered the Five Elements Grotto-heaven with Yuan Ye, Xian Hua, and his disguised disciples, drawn to the vast Five Elements Spirit Plant and its power over their cultivation. A hostile alliance entered after them, planning to seize the plant’s roots and attack the Tianlan Sect group.

• Fang Xiao introduced himself to Yuan Ye as Profound Origin and entered the Grotto-heaven with Yuan Ye, Xian Hua, and his three disciples.
• Seven cultivators from the Nine Marvels Sect, Yuetian Sect, Gongye Family, and Shangqing Sect gathered outside and agreed to divide the empowerment opportunities and the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s heartwood, while the Nine Marvels Sect claimed its roots.
• Hua Lin of the Shangqing Sect asked to take on the Five Elements Sect’s sword cultivator and Yuan Ye, while the Nine Marvels Sect declared that Fang Xiao must be killed for murdering its disciples.
• The seven cultivators entered the Grotto-heaven, intending to seal the exit and trap Fang Xiao’s group.
• Fang Xiao’s group flew toward the enormous Five Elements Spirit Plant, and Yuan Ye warned them to take no more than three portions of its branches and leaves.
• Fang Xiao sensed the Five Elements Spirit Plant drawing on his cultivation techniques, while Yuan Chen and the other disciples felt their spiritual power growing more active.

Fang Xiao chose to prioritize the bestowal over the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s other benefits, and arranged for the group to undergo the ritual at positions suited to their attributes. Before they separated, he gave his companions a safeguard against possible attackers from rival sects.

• Fang Xiao explained why cultivating the Great Five Elements Heavenly Heart Art in the grotto-heaven would help him condense a true spirit, then declined to pursue the spirit plant’s leaves before completing the bestowal.
• Yuan Ye explained that the five bestowal sites lay in different directions, each aligned with a Five Elements attribute, and that Li Manshan and Jiang Qinyue would need to reunite before their tribulation lightning descended.
• Fang Xiao assigned Li Manshan and Jiang Qinyue to the southern and northern sites, Yuan Chen to the eastern site, and himself to the central site; he also placed strands of Lunar Divine Light within Yuan Chen to restrain his mana.
• Yuan Ye and Xian Hua departed for the western site, while Li Manshan prepared to head to his own position.
• Fang Xiao warned Li Manshan, Jiang Qinyue, and Yuan Chen that rival sects might send True Lord incarnations, then gave each a streak of his Nascent Soul Dao Sword’s soul-slaying power as a safeguard.

Fang Xiao began receiving the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s empowerment while the other entrants rushed to claim their positions. When three cultivators interrupted his empowerment, he stopped it and prepared to deal with them, concerned that fighting might also have broken out at Li Manshan’s position.

• Fang Xiao attached Void Cutter Sword Threads to three companions and sent the four of them toward their designated positions.
• Fang Xiao reached the central stone platform first, placed his token talisman in its groove, and began receiving the spiritual essence empowerment.
• The other seven entrants hurried toward the remaining positions after seeing the empowerment pillars appear.
• The empowerment at Yuan Ye and Xian Hua’s western position suddenly stopped, and three cultivators flew toward Fang Xiao’s platform.
• Fang Xiao recognized two of the three as members of the Nine Marvels Sect, removed his token talisman to stop the empowerment, and prepared to deal with them.

Fang Xiao fought three cultivators from the Yuetian and Nine Marvels Sects, killing the Yuetian Sect man and destroying his True Lord incarnation with the Nascent Soul Dao Sword. When the two remaining enemies summoned their incarnations, Fang Xiao recognized Miao Zhen and tried to destroy her before she could identify him.

• A Yuetian Sect cultivator attacked Fang Xiao with the Top-grade magic treasure Thousand Peaks, and Fang Xiao split it in half with the Great White Sword Pellet.
• The two Nine Marvels Sect cultivators joined the attack, but Fang Xiao's force field blocked their Buddhist Prayer Beads while Great White pressured all three.
• Fang Xiao sent his Nascent Soul Dao Sword into the Yuetian Sect man's sea of consciousness, annihilating his soul and True Lord incarnation before it could possess him.
• The two Nine Marvels Sect cultivators summoned their True Lord incarnations, and Fang Xiao recognized one as Miao Zhen.
• Fang Xiao locked onto Miao Zhen with the Nascent Soul Dao Sword, seeking to destroy her before she could take control or recognize him.

Fang Xiao defeated the three opponents possessed by True Lord avatars, then teleported to the Five Elements Spirit Plant, where Cang Xi was preparing to take Xian Hua to the Shangqing Sect. Yuan Ye tried to secure Xian Hua’s freedom, but Cang Xi refused.

• Fang Xiao concealed his Nascent Soul Dao Sword and Profound Origin Dao Platform, then used the Great Sun Golden Crow divine ability against the Nine Marvels Sect True Lord avatar.
• Fang Xiao’s Solar Essence Fire weakened the avatar’s white-light spell while the Great White Sword Pellet broke through its giant arms, allowing Fang Xiao to kill her and finish off all three opponents.
• Fang Xiao collected the spoils, sensed his Void Cutter Sword Threads to the south, and teleported to the Five Elements Spirit Plant.
• Cang Xi, possessing Hua Lin, revealed that the Shangqing Sect had secretly controlled the Five Elements Sect’s Gold Vein and said he would take Xian Hua back to the Shangqing Sect.
• Yuan Ye asked Cang Xi to let him and Xian Hua leave, offering to abandon the empowerment opportunity, but Cang Xi said only Yuan Ye could go.

Yuan Ye tried to protect Xian Hua from Cang Xi by threatening to unseal the Five Elements Spirit Plant, but Cang Xi betrayed them and severed Yuan Ye’s head. Yuan Ye unsealed the plant and self-destructed to save Xian Hua, leaving her grieving amid the chaos of the grotto-heaven.

• Yuan Ye refused Cang Xi’s demand to take Xian Hua and revealed that he could unseal the Five Elements Spirit Plant with a crystal pearl.
• Cang Xi agreed to let Yuan Ye and Xian Hua leave, and Yuan Ye carefully led her away.
• Cang Xi ambushed Yuan Ye, severing his head, and Yuan Ye sent the sealing method into the crystal pearl to unleash the Five Elements Spirit Plant.
• Cang Xi attacked again, so Yuan Ye pushed Xian Hua away and self-destructed his Nascent Soul to stop him.
• The blast threw Xian Hua through the Spirit Plant’s roots, and she realized Yuan Ye had died saving her and swore vengeance on the Shangqing Sect.

After Yuan Ye’s self-destruction disrupted the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s empowerment, Fang Xiao discovered that the tokens no longer restricted harvesting and sent Yuan Chen to collect materials while he investigated. Xian Hua blamed the Shangqing Sect for Yuan Ye’s death and resolved to avenge him before leaving the grotto-heaven.

• Fang Xiao sensed the explosion in the west but first protected his companions, defeating their enemies and arriving too late to help Yuan Ye.
• Yuan Chen found that his token could no longer activate the empowerment, and Fang Xiao concluded the Five Elements Sect’s method had been disconnected from it.
• Fang Xiao cut down and stored branches and leaves from the Five Elements Spirit Plant, then told Yuan Chen to gather more while he went to investigate the disturbance.
• Xian Hua mourned Yuan Ye and vowed to destroy the Shangqing Sect, then decided to abandon the empowerment and leave the grotto-heaven.
• Hua Lin’s charred body fell from the site of Yuan Ye’s self-destruction, and Xian Hua continued to stare at it in hatred without losing her reason.

Cang Xi’s weakened divine sense incarnation pursued Xian Hua and tried to seize her body, but Fang Xiao secretly suppressed him with the Void Suppressing Sword. Cang Xi dispersed his incarnation after realizing he could not win, leaving Xian Hua free and alive.

• Xian Hua fled after hearing Cang Xi’s voice emerge from Hua Lin’s charred corpse, but Cang Xi’s divine sense incarnation pursued her to take over her body.
• Cang Xi bound Xian Hua’s mana and soul, but an unseen force stopped his incarnation before it could enter her sea of consciousness.
• Fang Xiao concealed himself with the Great Five Elements Escape Arts and used the Void Suppressing Sword to suppress Cang Xi while avoiding revealing his identity.
• Fang Xiao displayed all six command tokens, showing Cang Xi that his allies had been defeated and that he was alone.
• Cang Xi admitted defeat and dispersed his divine sense incarnation, freeing Xian Hua from his control.

Fang Xiao rescued Xian Hua after Yuan Ye’s death and learned that the Five Elements Spirit Plant had rioted after a sealed crystal pearl released gray light. He searched the ruined western sector and found an indestructible, Dao-patterned seed, then summoned the Sea-Shaking Ape to examine it.

• Fang Xiao revealed himself to Xian Hua, who thanked him for saving her and mourned Yuan Ye.
• Fang Xiao asked Xian Hua about the Five Elements Spirit Plant’s riot and learned of Cang Xi’s conversation with Yuan Ye about a sealed crystal pearl and gray light.
• Xian Hua led Fang Xiao to where the gray light had appeared, and he searched the devastated area for it.
• Fang Xiao used the Profound Origin Dao Platform to grind and scan the western sector, eventually finding an unbreakable blackish-gray seed covered in natural Dao patterns.
• Fang Xiao summoned the late transformation-stage Sea-Shaking Ape to inspect the seed, shocking Xian Hua with the strength of his spirit beast.