Chapter Summaries

Ling Wuyuan left Huayan City after Sun Poyun and Zheng Sajuan came to see him off, continuing his difficult journey toward home. After Zheng Sajuan revealed that Ling Wuyuan was truly as young as he looked, Sun Poyun was left questioning his understanding of the world.

• Sun Poyun hurried to see Ling Wuyuan off and tried to learn more about him, while Ling Wuyuan gave only brief replies.
• Zheng Sajuan wished Ling Wuyuan a safe return to his distant homeland, and he thanked her before vanishing at extreme speed.
• Sun Poyun asked Zheng Sajuan about Ling Wuyuan's origins, and she said his home was so far away that returning safely would be difficult even for him.
• Sun Poyun asked Ling Wuyuan's true age, and Zheng Sajuan said it matched his appearance and called him a peerless genius.
• Sun Poyun was stunned that someone so young could possess such strength, while Zheng Sajuan wondered why his reaction was so extreme.

Ling Wuyuan tested using [Divine Sense] and true qi to create an artificial vacuum zone while flying at extreme speed, confirming it worked but required too much energy to maintain for long. Far away, Shen Yunqing fed corpses and living souls into a vast blood pool as part of his own goal.

• Ling Wuyuan used [Divine Sense] to move air away from his path and explored ways to reduce air resistance at extreme speed.
• Ling Wuyuan combined [Divine Sense] with true qi to create an artificial vacuum zone, finding that maintaining it at high speed consumed too much energy.
• Shen Yunqing opened a small metal coffin in an underground cavern beneath the [Crimson Blood Ghost Sect] and poured its corpses and living souls into a huge blood pool.
• The blood pool dissolved most of its contents quickly, while remains from powerful beings lasted longer.
• Shen Yunqing's four human victims and two demonic beast victims had reached the [Enlightened Intent Realm], but he had overwhelmed them and slaughtered their families and clans.

Shen Yunqing slaughtered the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect and cast its members into his blood pool as materials for his cultivation. As he returned to the pool, the Great Elder’s resentful voice reached him, prompting Shen Yunqing to remark on the elder’s many methods.

• Shen Yunqing watched the trapped Enlightened Intent Realm souls slowly erode in the blood pool and prepared to gather more materials.
• Shen Yunqing ambushed and killed three Enlightened Intent Realm elders, then sealed the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect with layers of formations.
• Shen Yunqing unleashed his vicious ghosts, which slaughtered the sect members he had summoned back to the sect.
• Shen Yunqing returned to the blood pool with the sect’s corpses and souls, reflecting on his past ties to the sect.
• The Great Elder demanded to know why Shen Yunqing had done it, and Shen Yunqing expressed surprise that the elder could still make his voice heard.

Shen Yunqing explained that he was sacrificing the Great Elder and the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect to secure a brilliant future and possibly cleanse himself of his past. The Great Elder understood Shen Yunqing’s ambition but remained furious and envious as Shen Yunqing prepared to kill him.

• Shen Yunqing told the Great Elder that the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect had to disappear so he could gain power and step into a brighter future.
• The Great Elder inferred that Shen Yunqing planned to use their deaths to whitewash himself, though he doubted Shen Yunqing could hide his ghostified nature.
• The Great Elder considered how hated the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect was and found the possibility of living openly in the light tempting.
• The Great Elder cursed Shen Yunqing, resenting that a former companion might escape his past and use him as a stepping stone.
• Shen Yunqing calmly told the Great Elder to finish cursing before it was time for him to die.

Shen Yunqing used the blood pool and earth-vein energy to purge his demonic cultivation and advance into the Divine Ability Realm, a breakthrough he had delayed for over twenty years. Meanwhile, Ling Wuyuan reached the Old Dust Kingdom ruins but bypassed the contested capital to seek books stored in a safer location.

• Shen Yunqing entered the blood pool, where its power drew out the demonic traces in his body while pure life force kept him from collapsing.
• The secret art and blood-pool runes drew in earth-vein energy as Shen Yunqing embraced his long-delayed breakthrough into the Divine Ability Realm.
• Ling Wuyuan arrived at the Old Dust Kingdom capital and judged the war-torn city too troublesome to visit.
• Ling Wuyuan followed Wenying Tower’s intelligence toward a safer repository, hoping to gather books for the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion.

Ling Wuyuan arrived at a well-preserved mountain city that kept outsiders from settling, then used Wenying Tower’s identification to gain permission to buy books at Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion. He began searching its enormous catalog for useful titles, leaving the purchase undecided.

• Ling Wuyuan watched city officials forcibly expel residents whose permission to stay had expired, then received a deferential welcome when he flew into the city.
• Ling Wuyuan used Wenying Tower’s identification to secure high-level purchasing privileges for books and treasures.
• An elderly attendant at Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion told Ling Wuyuan that unique books were sold only as reprints and assured him the copies matched the originals.
• Ling Wuyuan rapidly scanned the pavilion’s massive book list and assessed which titles were worth buying.

Ling Wuyuan bought a vast collection of books and martial manuals to broaden his understanding of the world, then arranged to purchase medicinal herbs, ores, and metals while the Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion prepared his order. Shen Yunqing continued advancing toward the Divine Ability Realm.

• Ling Wuyuan gave the old man at the Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion a list of one hundred thousand books covering many different subjects.
• The old man assumed Ling Wuyuan planned to fill a library, and Ling Wuyuan agreed that he could understand it that way.
• Ling Wuyuan selected hundreds of martial techniques, secret arts, and Cultivation Methods because he wanted to gather knowledge from many perspectives.
• After reviewing the transaction, the old man agreed to deliver the copied and transported books within three days.
• Ling Wuyuan decided to buy medicinal herbs, ores, and metals while he waited, and the Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion began explaining its wares.
• Shen Yunqing continued advancing toward the Divine Ability Realm with the blood pool and earth vein supporting him.

Ling Wuyuan failed to contact his [Soul Beacon] remotely, then used an array to project his will into the [Incubation Control Tower]. He discovered that the beacon had developed hunger after his breakthrough and quickly contacted Pei Yiman to check whether the soul fragment in her mind had harmed her.

• Ling Wuyuan failed to reach his [Soul Beacon] directly and prepared an array to connect by other means.
• Ling Wuyuan projected his will into the [Incubation Control Tower] and found that his [Soul Beacon] felt hunger.
• Ling Wuyuan examined the tower’s records and traced the beacon’s changes to his breakthrough into the [Spirit Infusion Realm].
• Ling Wuyuan worried that his soul fragment in Pei Yiman’s mind might affect her, so he severed his connection to the beacon and contacted her.

Ling Wuyuan confirmed that the Gray Mist Imprint remained safe and discovered that his Soul Beacon could be fed with psychic energy drawn from the Incubation Control Tower. After consuming a large supply, the Soul Beacon grew and became more active.

• Ling Wuyuan had Pei Yi test the Gray Mist Imprint’s sealing, removal, and use methods, and she confirmed that it was safe and had strengthened.
• Ling Wuyuan speculated that his soul fragments might grow stronger alongside him and could eventually serve as a lich’s phylactery.
• Ling Wuyuan returned to Dragon Beast Sea Ridge and used his Level Eleven Temporary Authority to summon stored psychic energy.
• The Soul Beacon devoured the psychic energy, grew to about ten centimeters in diameter, and formed a more imposing scene within its gemstone.
• Ling Wuyuan noticed that the Soul Beacon had become even more active.

As Ling Wuyuan grew stronger, the [Soul Beacon] began to show signs of life, suggesting it could eventually become his clone or incarnation at [Dragon Beast Sea Ridge]. He set aside the distant possibility and studied the [Incubation Control Tower]'s newly accessible knowledge to find ways to grow stronger now.

• Ling Wuyuan discovered that his growing strength had enhanced the [Gray Mist Imprint]'s signal and reduced its energy consumption.
• Ling Wuyuan sensed vitality emerging within the [Soul Beacon] and found that projecting his will through it had become slightly more comfortable.
• Ling Wuyuan speculated that the [Soul Beacon] might eventually become his clone or incarnation, giving him a way to act directly in [Dragon Beast Sea Ridge].
• Ling Wuyuan turned to confidential knowledge in the [Incubation Control Tower], hoping to find practical insights from the [Thorn Civilization].

Ling Wuyuan learned that a powerful cultivator had begun unifying the war-torn region, raising hopes of peace among its people. He discovered the new ruler had destroyed the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect, which connected the news to the deaths of its leaders.

• Ling Wuyuan asked a maid why the city’s people and merchants seemed so happy.
• The maid explained that a supreme expert had conquered several powerful factions and was expected to unite the land.
• Ling Wuyuan guessed the expert had reached the Divine Ability Realm and wondered whether the person appeared on Wenying Tower’s list.
• The maid revealed that the would-be ruler had exterminated the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect to establish a claim to the throne.
• Ling Wuyuan realized the sect’s destruction explained why it had not reacted to the deaths of its higher-ups, and judged it a logical first target.

Ling Wuyuan checked the goods he had bought from the Floating Cloud Treasure Pavilion and refused the old man’s offer to meet the land’s newly promoted Divine Ability Realm expert. As Ling Wuyuan prepared to leave, Yi Yunhe arrived in the city to a fervent welcome from officials and commoners who hoped he would restore order.

• Ling Wuyuan inspected the items in his spatial ring while the old man told him that the land’s only Divine Ability Realm cultivator would soon visit.
• Ling Wuyuan declined to meet the expert, saying he would soon leave the region, and the old man grew curious and alarmed about his identity.
• After about three hours, Ling Wuyuan was about to leave the city as Yi Yunhe entered with a large escort.
• Officials and commoners welcomed Yi Yunhe, hoping he would end the chaos and establish royal law.
• Yi Yunhe, also known as Shen Yunqing, relished the glory of the welcome.

Yi Yunhe’s past revealed how he survived his clan’s massacre, became Shen Yunqing, and rose to lead the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect while plotting to restore his family’s former glory. As he approached the City Lord’s Mansion amid public celebrations, he noticed a figure whose indifference stood out from the crowd.

• When Yi Yunhe was twelve, a Crimson Blood Ghost Sect member spared him only after he tore out his father’s heart, then crippled his meridians and made him a servant.
• Yi Yunhe renamed himself Shen Yunqing, survived years of torment, and eventually captured his enemies and tortured them.
• Remembering his father’s wish to restore the Yi Family’s glory by founding a nation, Yi Yunhe set out to establish one and killed anyone who obstructed him.
• Yi Yunhe became sect master of the Crimson Blood Ghost Sect and began a plan to return to the sunlight under his true identity.
• As Yi Yunhe led his group toward the City Lord’s Mansion, he noticed a figure on the street who remained completely indifferent to the cheering crowd.

Yi Yunhe sensed a faint Crimson Blood Ghost Sect imprint on Ling Wuyuan and suspected he was connected to Teng Shenghu’s disappearance. The two recognized each other as dangerous but went their separate ways, with Yi Yunhe deciding to investigate Ling Wuyuan while continuing his plans to establish a nation.

• Yi Yunhe detected an imprint linked to Teng Shenghu on Ling Wuyuan and considered whether Ling Wuyuan had fought or killed him.
• Ling Wuyuan sensed Yi Yunhe’s hostility, and the two exchanged distant looks, each recognizing the other as difficult to deal with.
• Ling Wuyuan continued toward the city gates while Yi Yunhe headed for the City Lord’s Mansion, and neither attacked.
• Yi Yunhe decided Teng Shenghu’s fate did not matter to him and hoped he had been eliminated without a trace.
• Yi Yunhe resolved to have someone investigate Ling Wuyuan and guessed that Ling Wuyuan’s Divine Ability concealed his true level.

Ling Wuyuan left the city and crossed two vast, chaotic regions while traveling home and studying. When an apparent earthquake shook the ground, a brilliant pillar of light erupted tens of thousands of miles away, leaving him facing an unexplained spectacle.

• Yi Yunhe concluded that Ling Wuyuan was a disguised Divine Ability Realm cultivator of unknown identity, while Ling Wuyuan judged Yi Yunhe to be exceptionally strong and sensed something strange about him.
• Ling Wuyuan left the city alone and traveled onward, studying knowledge at night as he crossed two vast regions in two days.
• Ling Wuyuan witnessed the lawlessness and hardship across the regions, which strengthened his resolve to cultivate and study harder.
• As Ling Wuyuan prepared to study at night, the ground began to shake, and he wondered whether an earthquake had struck.
• A pillar of light rose tens of thousands of miles away and burst open like a new sun, illuminating Ling Wuyuan's surroundings.

Ling Wuyuan witnessed a distant explosion and chose not to investigate the disturbance, which lay along his route home. As a battle involving numerous powerful cultivators escalated through the night, he hoped it would end before it delayed his journey.

• Ling Wuyuan saw a huge sphere of light explode in the distant sky and protected himself from the resulting gale with Telekinesis.
• Ling Wuyuan considered investigating the disturbance but decided the likely dangers and powerful rivals made it too troublesome.
• Ling Wuyuan realized the disturbance was near the route he planned to take and hoped it would not delay his journey.
• Ling Wuyuan sensed a fierce battle involving more than ten Divine Ability Realm cultivators, with more powerful figures joining as the fighting continued.

Ling Wuyuan continued toward the distant battlefield, witnessing the disaster's effects on ordinary people along the way. A few thousand kilometers from the fighting, he entered a city and discovered its guards were publicly listing donations to maintain the protective formation.

• Ling Wuyuan decided against taking a detour and continued toward the battlefield at a steady pace.
• He saw fleeing civilians, collapsed homes, and casualties caused by the gales, while noting that caves and burrows offered ordinary people shelter.
• Ling Wuyuan reflected on the devastation of powerful battles and how implausible it seemed that ordinary people survived the cosmic battles described in webnovels.
• Several thousand kilometers from the incident, Ling Wuyuan approached a city whose defenders opened its protective formation to let him in.
• A guard showed Ling Wuyuan a sign soliciting aid for the formation and publicly naming contributors, prompting him to recognize the city's real-name donation system.

Ling Wuyuan learned that a battle between the Blue Serpent Society, Jade Moon Society, and another faction had triggered an ancient ruin’s weapon, drawing powerful cultivators to the city. As he prepared to seek more information at Fragrant Tea Goose Tower, a man invited him to join a temporary team.

• Ling Wuyuan gave a soldier a mid-grade spirit stone and asked what had caused the commotion outside the city.
• The soldier explained that a battle over ancient ruins had activated a weapon and sent a pillar of light into the sky.
• The soldier directed Ling Wuyuan to Fragrant Tea Goose Tower, where powerful figures had gathered.
• Three figures approached Ling Wuyuan, and their leader invited him to form a temporary team.

Ling Wuyuan refused a stranger’s offer to team up, then approached Fragrant Tea Goose Tower while cultivators inside watched him with suspicion and awe. He focused on trying the restaurant’s signature dish, unaware that some mistook his thoughtful expression for hesitation.

• Ling Wuyuan rejected the man’s invitation to join forces, and the man left with his two displeased companions.
• The man told his companions that Ling Wuyuan seemed far stronger than him and lamented that he had refused to join their expedition.
• Ling Wuyuan arrived near Fragrant Tea Goose Tower and drew fearful, reverent, and hostile looks from the people around it.
• Ling Wuyuan wondered whether the restaurant was named after its signature dish and decided he wanted to taste it.
• Some observers mistook Ling Wuyuan’s thoughtful expression for reluctance to enter, not realizing he was thinking about the food.

Ling Wuyuan treated the tense gathering at Fragrant Tea Goose Tower as a feast, prompting other cultivators to order food and relax. A burly cultivator then began sharing information about the ancient ruin and urged the others to pool what they knew.

• Ling Wuyuan ordered a varied table of the inn’s signature dishes and took a window seat despite the tense gathering.
• He rapidly devoured the food while the other cultivators watched, and several hungry guests eventually began ordering dishes themselves.
• A burly man holding a chicken leg and wine cup called the gathering to order and proposed that they openly share their information about the ancient ruin.
• The burly man said the ruin might be over five hundred thousand years old and was built from special metal in a style unlike their era.