Chapter Summaries

Chen Fei continued absorbing Rice Village’s energy while comprehending the Gathering Wind Technique, forcing the villagers to expel him. He regained his memories outside the village and prepared to face what had happened.

• Lu Zhichun and Hua Daohong failed to escape Rice Village and Lu Zhichun damaged his spirit artifact to search for the Ghastly Domain’s Node.
• Chen Fei continued comprehending the Gathering Wind Technique as the old woman’s energy was drained until she died.
• The Butcher backed away from teaching Chen Fei the Spirit Severing Art, fearing he would suffer the old woman’s fate.
• The village chief forcibly sent Chen Fei out of Rice Village, sacrificing his right hand to do so.
• Chen Fei landed on the barren mountain, recovered his memories, and realized the village chief had forced him out.

After escaping Rice Village, Chen Fei found a cave and broke through from the Peak Viscera Refining Realm to the Aperture Refining Realm, using his foundation and cultivation technique to absorb Primordial Qi for half a day. The chapter ended with him examining the dark green energy Lu Zhichun had left in his Sea of Consciousness.

• Chen Fei recalled Rice Village’s dangers and decided to postpone returning until after he broke through.
• Chen Fei found a secluded cave and used his Mind Power to loosen his Apertures, enduring the painful transformation.
• Chen Fei successfully entered the Aperture Refining Realm as Primordial Qi flooded into his body.
• Chen Fei simplified the Heavy Yuan Sword Aperture Refining Chapter and used it to extend his Primordial Qi absorption for half a day.
• Chen Fei examined the trembling dark green energy Lu Zhichun had left in his Sea of Consciousness.

Chen Fei discovered that Lu Zhichun had escaped Rice Village, but Lu Zhichun had sacrificed his spiritual weapon and shattered most of his Apertures in the process. When Chen Fei caught up to him, Lu Zhichun tried to flee and pleaded for mercy.

• Chen Fei sensed Lu Zhichun nearby and wondered how much strength remained after his escape from Rice Village.
• Lu Zhichun reflected on how he had tricked Hua Daohong and used a life-risking move to escape, leaving five of his seven Apertures shattered and the other two near breaking.
• Lu Zhichun decided to recuperate before returning to Lin Yin Mountain, but Chen Fei appeared beside him.
• Lu Zhichun pretended to attack, then fled when he realized Chen Fei had reached the Aperture Refining Realm.
• Lu Zhichun offered to repay Chen Fei if spared, but Chen Fei refused to trust him.

Chen Fei used his newly awakened Aperture Refining Realm power to pursue and trap the badly injured Lu Zhichun in the Heavy Yuan Sword Formation. Lu Zhichun unleashed a desperate, self-destructive surge of strength, but Chen Fei destroyed him with a combined formation attack and sword strike.

• Lu Zhichun tried to bargain with Chen Fei and threatened to fight to the death, but Chen Fei saw through his bluff and slowed him with the Heavy Yuan Force Field.
• Chen Fei trapped Lu Zhichun in the Heavy Yuan Sword Formation and attacked him with ten sword pearls, draining his blood and worsening his injuries.
• Lu Zhichun begged Chen Fei to spare him, then gave in to madness when Chen Fei refused.
• Lu Zhichun shattered his apertures and organs to regain his former strength, then charged at Chen Fei in a final attack.
• Chen Fei compressed and detonated the Heavy Yuan Sword Formation, then pierced Lu Zhichun with the Qian Yuan Sword and turned him to ash.

After defeating Lu Zhichun, Chen Fei checked the fate of Rice Village and saw the danger posed by the Weird in Pingyin County before heading toward Xingfen City. Meanwhile, Chu Wennian, Chu Lan, and Ruan Qiaojun fled their pursuers and decided to seek cover in Xingfen City.

• Chen Fei collected Lu Zhichun’s ruined spiritual weapon and Earth Rock Crystal, then left the site.
• Chen Fei confirmed that Rice Village remained in the mist and considered returning, but lacked enough silver taels to safely enter.
• Chen Fei sensed the powerful Weird in Pingyin County and watched Fang Ziqiu escape its East Gate before leaving for Xingfen City.
• Chu Wennian carried the injured Chu Lan while Ruan Qiaojun gave him a medicinal pill that stopped his wound from bleeding.
• Ruan Qiaojun proposed returning to Xingfen City to hide their Aura and delay the people pursuing them.

In Xingfen City, Chen Fei encountered Ruan Qiaojun, Chu Wennian, and Chu Lan fleeing pursuers, and agreed to escort Ruan Qiaojun to Qin Hai City in exchange for Heaven Stone Gold. The next morning, they set out by carriage, with Chen Fei cultivating on the way.

• Chen Fei recognized Chu Wennian and Chu Lan as they fled through an alley with Ruan Qiaojun, who knelt and asked him to save them.
• Ruan Qiaojun offered Chen Fei Heaven Stone Gold to protect them and escort her to Qin Hai City, and Chen Fei removed the tracking mark from her.
• Chen Fei took the three to an empty courtyard, where Ruan Qiaojun explained that she was returning to claim her place in the Ruan Family after her father’s death.
• Chen Fei agreed to escort Ruan Qiaojun to Qin Hai City in exchange for the Heaven Stone Gold.
• The next morning, Chen Fei and the others left Xingfen City by carriage, while Chen Fei cultivated the Heavy Yuan Sword.

Chen Fei guarded Ruan Qiaojun as Rain Tower assassins approached, then rejected their attempt to persuade him to leave. The encounter turned violent when Chen Fei killed one of the hidden assassins and revealed that poison gas had been sent toward the group.

• Ruan Qiaojun asked Chen Fei whether he was the Yuan Chen Sword Sect’s Chief True Disciple, and Chen Fei confirmed it.
• Chen Fei sensed that Ruan Qiaojun’s pursuers were close while the group rested for the night.
• Qu Yuan'en approached and used the Heart Stepping Art, but Chen Fei recognized and dispelled it.
• Qu Yuan'en admitted that he worked for Rain Tower and urged Chen Fei to abandon Ruan Qiaojun, while Ruan Qiaojun offered to pay to cancel the mission.
• Chen Fei refused to leave, killed a hidden assassin with a streak of Black Light, and gathered the poison gas that had been sent toward the group.

Chen Fei foiled Rain Tower’s poisoned ambush against Ruan Qiaojun and pursued the fleeing Qu Yuan'en to the assassins’ gathering place. He killed Yuan Haixing and demanded that the remaining assassins reveal who had hired them.

• Qu Yuan'en ordered poisoned arrows and hidden weapons to attack Chen Fei, but Chen Fei used the Gathering Wind Technique to divert them.
• Assassins attacked from underground and tried to stab Ruan Qiaojun, but Chen Fei’s Heavy Yuan Force Field pinned them down and his sword pearl killed them.
• Chen Fei deliberately let the injured Qu Yuan'en escape, then followed him by listening to sounds carried on the wind.
• Qu Yuan'en reached Yuan Haixing and other Rain Tower assassins, reported the ambush’s failure, and proposed reporting the matter to their superiors.
• Chen Fei caught up with them and restrained the group; when Yuan Haixing threatened him and contradicted his earlier claim about the employer’s payment, Chen Fei killed him and asked who would disclose the details.

Qu Yuan'en revealed that Rain Tower had been hired to kill Ruan Qiaojun and that the task would continue despite Chen Fei’s presence. Dai Fangxuan identified Chen Fei, revealed he had accepted a separate contract to kill him, and attacked, leaving Chen Fei’s sword formation unable to slow him.

• Qu Yuan'en told Chen Fei that someone had paid Rain Tower to ensure Ruan Qiaojun never returned to Qin Hai City, and that the assassins involved were all present.
• A message from Rain Tower listed Carefree Wanderer Xiao Bo, Immortal Cloud True Disciple Nie Chuanshan, and Yuan Chen Chief Chen Fei as possible identities for the cultivator protecting Ruan Qiaojun.
• Dai Fangxuan appeared and deduced that Chen Fei was the Yuan Chen Sword Sect’s chief, then revealed his Aperture Refining Realm aura.
• Chen Fei dismissed Dai Fangxuan as unworthy, and Dai Fangxuan attacked him with his blade.
• Chen Fei’s Heavy Yuan Sword Formation trapped Dai Fangxuan, but Dai Fangxuan blocked its sword beads and steadily advanced toward Chen Fei.

Chen Fei used the Heavy Yuan Sword Formation’s Refining Sword into Silk technique and his powerful physical strength to overwhelm Dai Fangxuan. Dai Fangxuan escaped after Chen Fei pierced his chest, leaving Chen Fei to return without having captured him.

• Chen Fei transformed the sword beads into Sword Threads, forcing Dai Fangxuan to break through the formation and attack him directly.
• Chen Fei held Dai Fangxuan’s Wind Severing Slash at bay with Sword Threads wrapped around the Qian Yuan Sword, then knocked him back with his tremendous physical strength.
• Chen Fei pressed his attack, wounded Dai Fangxuan, and cut off his left arm while Ruan Qiaojun and the others watched.
• Dai Fangxuan exploded his severed arm to create an opening and fled, while Chen Fei pursued him and killed Qu Yuan'en and the other assassins with Sword Threads.
• Chen Fei returned a quarter of an hour later after piercing Dai Fangxuan’s chest, but Dai Fangxuan had burned his blood essence and escaped.

Chen Fei explained why Rain Tower’s killers would not return, then escorted Ruan Qiaojun to Qin Hai City and reflected on his sword techniques and Suppress Dragon Elephant. Ruan Donglai welcomed Ruan Qiaojun with a show of warmth while planning to undermine her authority, and Chen Fei recognized his duplicity.

• Chen Fei told Ruan Qiaojun and her companions that Dai Fangxuan’s severe injuries would keep him and the other Rain Tower killers away, then refused the killers’ discarded supplies.
• On the journey, Chen Fei considered the limits of his Heavy Yuan Sword, his use of Sword Threads, and the strength Suppress Dragon Elephant gained when driven by origin force.
• After three peaceful days, Ruan Donglai told Ruan Bojun to welcome Ruan Qiaojun publicly while planning to hollow out her control of the Ruan Family.
• Ruan Donglai and the Ruan Family waited outside Qin Hai City and greeted Ruan Qiaojun when Chu Wennian’s carriage arrived.
• Ruan Qiaojun introduced Chen Fei as the senior who had protected her, and Ruan Donglai offered him the Ruan Family’s assistance.
• Chen Fei noticed the Ruan Family members’ insincere smiles and recognized Ruan Donglai as an old fox.

Chen Fei collected the Heaven Stone Gold and a map from Ruan Qiaojun, then helped her forcibly break through to the Viscera Refining Realm. Ruan Donglai realized the breakthrough threatened his influence over the Ruan Family, but did not dare interfere.

• The Ruan Family welcomed Chen Fei and offered him several women, but he refused to take any of them with him.
• Ruan Qiaojun gave Chen Fei the Heaven Stone Gold and a map to the place where her father had found it.
• Chen Fei warned Ruan Qiaojun that she would struggle to control the Ruan Family until her cultivation advanced, then offered to help her reach the Viscera Refining Realm.
• Chen Fei refined a Flying Mausoleum Pill and guided Ruan Qiaojun through its medicinal power.
• Ruan Qiaojun broke through to the Viscera Refining Realm, and Ruan Donglai realized what had caused his unease but stayed outside the courtyard.

Ruan Qiaojun broke through to the Viscera Refining Realm with Chen Fei’s help, strengthening her position in the Ruan Family before he left for Xingfen City and continued toward Immortal Cloud City. On the road, Chen Fei passed Zhang Sinan and Dan Xiang, then discovered that the Strange Bride’s thatched hut had lost its Yin Qi and the Strange Bride was gone.

• Ruan Qiaojun broke through to the Viscera Refining Realm, and Ruan Donglai left after realizing her new cultivation and connection to Chen Fei weakened his influence.
• News of Ruan Qiaojun’s breakthrough spread through the Ruan Family, and many members began to support her as their future family head.
• Chen Fei departed Qin Hai City, and Ruan Qiaojun decided to return to Immortal Cloud City after putting the Ruan Family in order.
• Chen Fei reached Xingfen City and saw Zhang Sinan and Dan Xiang, who planned to travel to Immortal Cloud City after the Xu Clan collapsed.
• Chen Fei continued toward Immortal Cloud City and found that the Strange Bride had disappeared from her thatched hut.

Chen Fei avoided a suspicious thatched hut, then discovered it had secretly trapped him in an illusion before he escaped toward the Yuan Chen Sword Sect. He returned as an Aperture Refining Realm expert, reuniting with Feng Xiupu as news of his breakthrough spread through the sect and beyond.

• Chen Fei left the mountain with the thatched hut behind and rested, considering the cultivation methods and money he would need after returning to the sect.
• A dark-red energy from the thatched hut trapped Chen Fei in an illusion, but he detected it, extracted the energy, and escaped its influence.
• Chen Fei resolved to strengthen his mind and investigate the thatched hut later, then hurried on toward the Yuan Chen Sword Sect.
• A sect disciple recognized Chen Fei’s changed aura and suspected he had reached the Aperture Refining Realm.
• Chen Fei met Feng Xiupu, confirmed his breakthrough, and received his master’s delighted congratulations.
• News of Chen Fei’s breakthrough spread through the Yuan Chen Sword Sect and reached surrounding sects.

After breaking through to the Aperture Refining Realm, Chen Fei received a new position and congratulatory gifts from the Yuan Chen Sword Sect. As he began cultivating with an Essence Stone, his Panel presented him with a new prompt.

• News of Chen Fei's breakthrough spread through the sects, bringing jubilation to the Yuan Chen Sword Sect and envy from the others.
• Qu Qingsheng offered Chen Fei a position in the sect, and Chen Fei accepted.
• Qu Qingsheng and the other Aperture Refining Realm cultivators gave Chen Fei congratulatory gifts, including Spiritual Materials to help his cultivation and Qian Yuan Sword.
• Chen Fei sorted the gifts, then used the Sword Nurturing Art to feed the metals and stones to Qian Yuan Sword.
• A deacon disciple delivered Chen Fei his monthly Spirit Snow Pill and Essence Stone, and Chen Fei tried cultivating with the Essence Stone.
• Chen Fei's Panel displayed the prompt, "Essence Stone discovered. Store it?"

Chen Fei weighed whether to let the Panel use Primordial Stones, then cultivated with his sect resources and discussed reducing pill sales with Chi Defeng. He inherited Escaping Heavens Travel and quickly learned its basics, but after ten days its progress slowed, leaving him determined to simplify it despite his limited funds.

• Chen Fei ignored the Panel’s prompt to store a Primordial Stone, then used the stone and a Spirit Snow Pill to improve his cultivation.
• Chen Fei told Chi Defeng that pill production would remain steady for now but gradually decrease, and Chi Defeng accepted the change.
• Chen Fei visited the True Inheritance Hall and received the Escaping Heavens Travel inheritance from its stone stele.
• Chen Fei immediately used Escaping Heavens Travel and surprised Zhou Cunshan by demonstrating that he had grasped its basics during the inheritance.
• After ten days of rapid practice, Chen Fei found his progress in Escaping Heavens Travel slowing and decided to simplify the technique, though he lacked money.

Chen Fei asked Feng Xiupu how to earn money quickly, and learned that the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect dominated the region because it had two Aperture Unification Realm experts. Feng Xiupu suggested pill refining through the Pill Refiner Alliance or taking a month-long assignment in the Spirit Locking Tower, and Chen Fei went to the alliance to ask about opportunities for Aperture Refining Realm pill refiners.

• Chen Fei told Feng Xiupu he had used all his monthly Primordial Stones and Spirit Snow Pills and asked how to make money quickly.
• Feng Xiupu explained that the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect had two Aperture Unification Realm cultivators, making it the unchallenged leader among the local sects.
• Feng Xiupu suggested Chen Fei earn money by refining pills for the Pill Refiner Alliance or by spending a month in the Spirit Locking Tower for two Primordial Stones.
• Chen Fei went to Immortal Cloud City and visited the Pill Refiner Alliance, where he encountered Qin Jinglan.
• Qin Jinglan recognized Chen Fei's Aperture Refining Realm cultivation and offered to show him tasks available to pill refiners of his level.

Chen Fei sought out Spirit Snow Pill refining tasks at the Pill Refiner Alliance, then copied the recipe and used his Panel to simplify it into the Flying Mausoleum Pill so he could build proficiency without wasting costly Spirit Grass. After months of grinding, he reached Perfected Level in Spirit Snow Pill refining, leaving him ready to pursue Alliance tasks and the Contribution Point cycle he had planned.

• Chen Fei received an Aperture Refining Realm Waist Token and learned that Spirit Snow Pill tasks required three pills per furnace, with four being possible for skilled refiners.
• Chen Fei returned to the Yuan Chen Sword Sect, copied the Spirit Snow Pill recipe, and found that simplifying it would cost one hundred thousand taels of silver.
• Chen Fei sold gifted Spirit Grass, collected herbs through Chi Defeng and the Treasure Pavilion, and simplified Spirit Snow Pill into Flying Mausoleum Pill.
• Chen Fei spent twenty days refining Flying Mausoleum Pills, raising Spirit Snow Pill to Proficient Level while using much of the sect's Contribution Points.
• Three months later, Chen Fei raised Heavy Yuan Sword to Proficient Level and Spirit Snow Pill to Perfected Level.

After mastering the Spirit Snow Pill recipe, Chen Fei took a pill-refining task and began the Rank Six Pill Refiner assessment. He started refining under Chi Guanqing’s watchful eye, while Qin Jinglan worried that his unusually restrained technique signaled trouble.

• Chen Fei tested his improved Heavy Yuan Sword Formation and found that turning the sword beads into Sword Threads greatly increased its power but strained his Mind Power and Primordial Force.
• After perfecting the Spirit Snow Pill recipe, Chen Fei went to the Pill Refiner Alliance and accepted a task to refine five furnaces of Spirit Snow Pills.
• Chen Fei paid one Primordial Stone to take the Rank Six Pill Refiner assessment, which allowed him to use Spirit Snow Pills as his chosen pill.
• Qin Jinglan led Chen Fei to the spirit-pill room, where Chi Guanqing assessed him and supplied the Spirit Grasses for the test.
• Chen Fei inspected the ingredients and pill furnace, then began refining; Qin Jinglan grew worried when he used no dramatic flames.

Chen Fei passed the Rank Six Pill Refiner assessment by refining Spirit Snow Pills and completed five furnaces for the alliance. After selling six pills and using his savings to simplify Escaping Heavens Travel, he changed its practice method to Soaring Void Wander.

• Chen Fei refined four Spirit Snow Pills in his assessment, and Chi Guanqing declared that he had passed as a Rank Six Pill Refiner.
• Chen Fei exchanged his waist token for a Rank Six Pill Refiner token and refined the remaining four task furnaces, earning fifteen thousand Contribution Points.
• Chen Fei arranged for Qin Jinglan to notify him of future Spirit Snow Pill tasks, then sold his six pills at a medicine shop in Immortal Cloud City.
• Chen Fei told Chi Defeng to exchange Contribution Points for Flying Mausoleum Pill ingredients through the alliance.
• Chen Fei spent three hundred thousand taels to simplify Escaping Heavens Travel, successfully changing it to Soaring Void Wander.