Chapter Summaries

Yu Shoucheng confirmed that an Aperture Unification Realm Human-Strange was gestating in Shangwu City and sealed the city off from some Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. As the news spread and nearby residents fled, Chen Fei continued cultivating and simplified several sword techniques.

• Yu Shoucheng examined Shangwu City, resisted the Mind Hook tempting him with the city as a treasure, and attacked it with a talisman.
• Yu Shoucheng formed a seal that hindered Shangwu City from absorbing Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, then reported that the Human-Strange could only be defeated by several Aperture Unification Realm experts.
• News of the Human-Strange spread across the Dynasty, and people began fleeing Qin Hai City because of its proximity to Shangwu City.
• Chen Fei focused on improving his cultivation and simplified Water Jade Sword into Starry Night Sword and Slaughtering Edge Sword into Initial Origin Sword.
• Chen Fei simplified Great Thunderclap Sword into Snoring Like Thunder.

Chen Fei used loud snoring to accelerate his Great Thunderclap Sword comprehension and advanced rapidly in cultivation with secret support from the Yuan Chen Sword Sect. As Chen Fei’s resources ran low and his apertures caught up with his Mind Power, the Human-Strange Xilian True Person’s presence in Shangwu City drew the attention of major forces.

• Chen Fei discovered that making louder snoring sounds accelerated his comprehension of the Great Thunderclap Sword.
• Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixun secretly increased Chen Fei’s cultivation resources to support his rapid progress.
• Chen Fei opened seven apertures in less than a month, bringing his total to fifty-two and matching his Mind Power.
• Chen Fei perfected the third layer of the Yuan Chen Sword Canon and smelted Escaping Heavens Travel into it, strengthening his sword formation.
• Chen Fei advanced the Slaughtering Edge Sword, Water Jade Sword, and Great Thunderclap Sword, with the Great Thunderclap Sword nearing proficiency.
• Major forces stationed themselves around Shangwu City to watch Xilian True Person, while they had yet to agree on a plan to kill the Aperture Unification Realm Human-Strange.

Xilian True Person revealed a cultivation art that could turn Aperture Unification Realm experts into Human-Strange and extend their lifespans, disrupting the forces preparing to attack him. Chen Fei realized the art might tempt an aging expert in the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, just as Chi Shuqing arrived at his courtyard.

• Martial artists found a cultivation art carved into a boulder thrown from Shangwu City, and it taught its practitioner to become a Human-Strange.
• Several Aperture Unification Realm experts gathered to inspect the art, but Xilian True Person appeared and argued that becoming a Human-Strange could greatly extend their lifespans.
• Xilian True Person claimed that maintaining spiritual wisdom required devouring fifty thousand people each year, causing the experts to reconsider attacking him and take the art away to study.
• News of the art spread throughout the Dynasty, and Chen Fei recognized that Xilian True Person had disrupted the planned assault on Shangwu City.
• Chen Fei wondered whether an aging expert from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect would cultivate the art, and Chi Shuqing visited him after recovering from her injuries.

Chen Fei cultivated with Chi Shuqing for five days, rapidly increasing his Mind Power and Aperture count before returning to training. Meanwhile, Xilian True Person’s method for becoming a Human-Strange stirred fear and temptation among the region’s powerful families.

• Chi Shuqing visited Chen Fei to cultivate together, and he asked her about methods to increase Mind Power.
• Chi Shuqing taught Chen Fei Sinking Water Pavilion’s Secret Art, which he quickly mastered and used to raise his Mind Power from controlling fifty-two Apertures to sixty.
• After five days, Chi Shuqing left because she could not endure the pace, while Chen Fei had opened one more Aperture and reached fifty-three.
• Chen Fei resumed cultivating with resources from the Yashan Sect as unrest grew over Xilian True Person’s Human-Strange transformation technique.
• Yu Zhanrong asked Yu Shoucheng whether Xilian True Person’s technique was genuine, and Yu Shoucheng warned that its promise of escaping the Aperture Unification Realm’s lifespan limit could fuel greed and disaster.

You Shounan destroyed the Northern Rain Sect and transformed himself toward becoming a Human-Strange, then joined Xilian True Person in Shangwu City. After their battle against five Aperture Unification Realm experts ended without either being killed, Chen Fei advanced his Great Thunderclap Sword and began testing electromagnetic acceleration with his bow.

• You Shounan consumed the Northern Rain Sect and Northern Rain City's hundreds of thousands of residents to pursue a longer life, then joined Xilian True Person in Shangwu City.
• Zhang Tu confronted You Shounan over his betrayal of the Northern Rain Sect, and Xilian True Person invited others to learn his cultivation method.
• Zhang Tu and four other Aperture Unification Realm experts fought Xilian True Person and You Shounan, but both sides suffered heavy losses and survived after Xilian True Person used a damaged Superior Magic Treasure.
• Tong Zhongqiu reassured Gong Guanzhi that he would never destroy the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect to prolong his life and urged the sect's disciples to cultivate.
• Chen Fei advanced the Great Thunderclap Sword to the Proficient Realm and began testing electromagnetic acceleration with the Meteorite Iron Bow.

Chen Fei refined his cultivation and considered how to sell the Spirit Artifacts he had collected, while Shangwu City’s threat continued to unsettle the surrounding region. After Chi Shuqing suggested Black City Market as a discreet sales channel, Baka showed its first sign of awakening.

• Chen Fei’s attempt to accelerate an arrow with lightning ended when the arrow shattered, and he concluded that he needed better control of the Great Thunderclap Sword.
• Shangwu City remained a threat after repelling five Aperture Unification Realm experts, prompting people to flee nearby cities while the experts’ grudges prevented them from uniting.
• Chen Fei advanced the Slaughtering Edge Sword and Water Jade Sword to Proficient, raised his Apertures to fifty-eight, and decided to keep most of the Yashan Sect’s Spirit Artifacts for sale rather than use them to upgrade the Qian Yuan Sword.
• Chen Fei asked Chi Shuqing how to sell his Spirit Artifacts discreetly, and she recommended Black City Market because buyers there cared about quality rather than provenance.
• The next morning, Chen Fei watered Baka with Spirit Awakening Liquid, and a faint voice from the wooden block called, “Chen Fei?”

Baka awakened in Chen Fei's sect, where Chen Fei helped him recover and learned that Baka could grow valuable medicinal herbs when supplied with enough Primordial Qi. Near Shangwu City, rogue cultivator Zeng Zixin harvested its powerful Yin Qi for cultivation, then noticed something strange behind an exhausted acquaintance.

• Baka awakened in a wooden block and transformed into a small Treant, though his strength had fallen to the Tier 1 Initial Stage.
• Chen Fei gave Baka Primordial Stone powder to aid his recovery, and Baka offered to grow medicinal herbs for him.
• Baka told Chen Fei that he had grown the high-age medicinal herbs from the secret realm, but the sect lacked enough Primordial Qi for him to do so again.
• Zeng Zixin collected the potent Yin Qi around Shangwu City, using it to support his cultivation.
• An exhausted cultivator asked Zeng Zixin whether he had seen Old Fang, and Zeng Zixin sensed something behind the man as he left.

Zeng Zixin ignored his unease about the growing number of disappearances and continued cultivating with precious Yin Qi, deciding to stay in camp for another month. Meanwhile, Chen Fei went to Black City Market in disguise to sell spirit artifacts and revealed a Mid-Grade Spirit Sword taken from Yashan Sect's sect master, Qi Yuanlu.

• Zeng Zixin recalled that a Rogue Cultivator had disappeared and worried that an evil-path expert or Shangwu City might be responsible.
• Zeng Zixin decided to remain in camp for another month and resumed cultivating with the Yin Qi.
• Chen Fei left the Yuan Chen Sword Sect for Black City Market after checking on Baka and informing Qu Qingsheng.
• Chen Fei concealed his Aura and appearance, entered Black City Market, and visited a discreet shop recommended by Chi Shuqing.
• Chen Fei sold a damaged Low-Grade Spirit Sword from Xu Yanxin for thirty-eight Primordial Stones.
• Chen Fei presented another case containing a two-foot-eight-inch Mid-Grade Spirit Sword taken from Qi Yuanlu.

Chen Fei sold Spirit Artifacts and bought spirit pills in Black City Market, unaware that Dai Fangxuan had recognized his Aura. Dai Fangxuan asked Miao Qisheng to help kill Chen Fei, and Miao Qisheng began assessing whether he was traveling with other Aperture Refining Realm cultivators.

• Chen Fei sold two Low-Grade Spirit Artifacts and a Mid-Grade Spirit Sword, earning three hundred sixty-seven Primordial Stones, then bought spirit pills.
• Dai Fangxuan recognized Chen Fei's Aura on Black City Market's Array Plate and recalled how Chen Fei had nearly killed him three years earlier.
• Dai Fangxuan left the Array Plate station and asked Miao Qisheng to help him kill Chen Fei.
• Miao Qisheng realized Chen Fei had entered Black City Market and asked whether any other Aperture Refining Realm cultivators were with him.

Dai Fangxuan and Miao Qisheng plotted to kill Chen Fei outside Black City Market, believing he had come alone. After selling his spirit artifacts and exploring the market, Chen Fei left through the city gate, where the two were waiting for him.

• Dai Fangxuan told Miao Qisheng that Chen Fei appeared to be alone, and they agreed to wait until he left Black City Market before killing him.
• Dai Fangxuan revealed that Chen Fei possessed an extraordinary body-tempering technique, making Miao Qisheng interested in claiming its inheritance.
• Chen Fei sold his remaining spirit artifacts, stored most of his Primordial Stones and pills in his Space Grid, and cultivated overnight at an inn.
• Dai Fangxuan reported that no other Aperture Refining Realm cultivators had approached Chen Fei, and Miao Qisheng told him to keep watching.
• Chen Fei browsed Black City Market, lost interest in its wares, and decided to leave.
• Chen Fei stepped out through Black City Market's city gate, where Dai Fangxuan and Miao Qisheng were waiting.

Dai Fangxuan led Miao Qisheng to ambush Chen Fei, expecting the Rain Tower elder to capture him. Chen Fei revealed his overwhelming strength and Mid Aperture Refining Realm cultivation, leaving Miao Qisheng badly injured and Dai Fangxuan terrified for his life.

• Dai Fangxuan urged Miao Qisheng to pursue Chen Fei, and Miao Qisheng quickly caught up with him in the wilderness.
• Chen Fei recognized Dai Fangxuan and calmly told Miao Qisheng that no one else was waiting nearby.
• Miao Qisheng attacked Chen Fei with sword intent, but Chen Fei's defenses in his Sea of Consciousness nullified it.
• Chen Fei countered with the Severing God Sword, overwhelming Dai Fangxuan's mind and forcing Miao Qisheng to block the attack.
• Chen Fei's strike smashed Miao Qisheng's sword aside and severely injured him, while Dai Fangxuan realized Chen Fei had concealed his Mid Aperture Refining Realm cultivation and feared he would die.

Chen Fei killed Miao Qisheng, forced Dai Fangxuan to guide him into Rain Tower’s branch in Black City Market, and found hidden Jade Slips in Miao Qisheng’s study. At the secret vault, Chen Fei stopped Dai Fangxuan from opening the first layer after realizing it would alert the Black City Market Master.

• Chen Fei defeated Miao Qisheng with one sword strike, asked about his exceptional Mind Power, and killed him when he refused to answer.
• Dai Fangxuan offered to lead Chen Fei to Rain Tower’s branch and Miao Qisheng’s room in exchange for his life, and Chen Fei agreed.
• Chen Fei sealed Dai Fangxuan’s cultivation, returned with him to Black City Market, and entered the Rain Tower residence disguised as a weak cultivator.
• Chen Fei searched Miao Qisheng’s study and found several Jade Slips protected by Mind Power before ordering Dai Fangxuan to take him to the secret vault.
• At the vault’s array-sealed door, Chen Fei restrained Dai Fangxuan and asked whether opening the first layer would summon the Black City Market Master.

Chen Fei saw through Dai Fangxuan’s scheme, killed him, and broke into Rain Tower’s secret vault to take its resources. After returning to the Yuan Chen Sword Sect, Chen Fei studied Rain Tower’s Jade Slips and prepared to investigate Miao Qisheng’s unusually powerful Mind Power.

• Dai Fangxuan tried to lure Chen Fei into triggering a formation that would summon the Black City Market Master and protect him, but Chen Fei exposed the plan.
• Chen Fei used the Blood Origin Art to dissolve the secret vault’s formations, then killed Dai Fangxuan and collected his possessions.
• Chen Fei looted the secret vault, evaded its warning measures, and left Black City Market without attracting attention.
• Chen Fei returned to the Yuan Chen Sword Sect and read Rain Tower’s Jade Slips, finding little useful for Aperture Refining Realm cultivators except the Burning Blood Art.
• Chen Fei turned to Miao Qisheng’s Jade Slips, hoping to learn how Miao had developed Mind Power nearly twenty Apertures beyond his own.

Chen Fei opened Miao Qisheng’s Jade Slips and discovered that Miao Qisheng had used a formation in the Heart Strange Realm to refine Heart Strange and grow his Mind Power. Chen Fei simplified the Heart Refining Formation and began mastering it by drawing its diagram with over a hundred strands of Mind Power at once.

• Chen Fei cracked the Jade Slips and found Miao Qisheng’s cultivation technique, diary, damaged sword inheritance, map, formation, and Rain Tower spy list.
• Chen Fei recognized that the map depicted the Heart Strange Realm and recorded the names of Rain Tower spies inside the Yuan Chen Sword Sect.
• Chen Fei read Miao Qisheng’s diary and learned that the Heart Refining Formation refined weak Heart Strange into Mind Wraith Source, which could strengthen Mind Power but risked contaminating the mind.
• Chen Fei simplified the Heart Refining Formation through the Panel, which reduced it to drawing the formation diagram.
• Chen Fei used the Thousand Thread Art to draw the diagram with over a hundred strands of Mind Power and absorbed the resulting insights.

Chen Fei completed the Heart Refining Formation and entered the Heart Strange Realm at the map location Miao Qisheng had recorded. He discovered a ruined complex containing human-written techniques and found the Heart Refining Formation inscribed on a temple wall, then set out to explore the other buildings.

• Chen Fei cultivated the Heart Refining Formation to Great Perfection in seven days and decided to investigate the location on Miao Qisheng's map.
• Chen Fei gave Chi Shuqing three bottles of Youth Preservation Pills before spending several hours cultivating with her.
• Chen Fei traveled to a remote waterfall, protected his body with the Dragon Elephant Formation and Shadow Clone, and entered the Heart Strange Realm.
• Chen Fei followed the map through the black-and-white realm and discovered a ruined temple and several battered buildings.
• Chen Fei found the Heart Refining Formation written on the temple wall and watched a destroyed brick restore itself before leaving to inspect the other buildings.

Chen Fei discovered a ruined inheritance devoted to Mind attacks and used the Panel to organize its damaged techniques into the Stargazing Art, which could track people by their Aura. In the Heart Strange Realm, he killed a first-tier Mind Wraith and purified its source, gaining nearly half an Aperture’s worth of Mind Power and realizing the realm’s Weird could nourish him.

• Chen Fei searched the ruined buildings and used the Panel to simplify their scattered techniques into the Stargazing Art, then simplified it further into Gaze at the Stars.
• Chen Fei left the ruins and followed a frenzied Aura to a first-tier Mind Wraith hidden in black fog.
• Chen Fei killed the Mind Wraith with the Severing God Sword and purified its source with three layers of the Heart Refining Formation.
• Chen Fei absorbed the purified Mind Wraith Source, raising his Mind Power from nearly sixty-one Apertures to sixty-one.
• Chen Fei realized the Heart Strange Realm’s Mind Wraiths could serve as sources of nourishment for his mind and spirit.

Chen Fei rapidly increased his Mind Power by hunting first-rank heart stranges, then cultivated the Stargazing Art to improve his ability to find them. He left the Heart Strange Realm with Mind Power strong enough to control eighty Apertures.

• Chen Fei used the Heart Refining Formation to purify first-rank mind wraith sources and decided to avoid stronger Tier 2 Ghastly beings.
• After a day of hunting, Chen Fei raised his Mind Power to control seventy-two Apertures, surpassing Miao Qisheng’s peak.
• Chen Fei cultivated the Stargazing Art beneath the stars, greatly increasing his comprehension and perception.
• Over the next ten days, Chen Fei opened three Apertures and brought his total to sixty-one while advancing the Stargazing Art to the Proficient Realm.
• Chen Fei returned to the Heart Strange Realm and used his improved perception to slay nearly a hundred first-rank heart stranges in two hours, raising his Mind Power to control eighty Apertures.

Chen Fei brought Chi Shuqing into the Heart Strange Realm to help her absorb Mind Wraith Source, but discovered she could not interact with it. He suspected the Heart Refining Formation required a special constitution and planned to teach it to her; over the next month, he opened seven more Apertures, reaching sixty-eight.

• Chen Fei stopped visiting the Heart Strange Realm for the time being because his Mind Power had greatly outpaced his Aperture cultivation.
• Chen Fei took Chi Shuqing into the Heart Strange Realm and killed a Heart Strange, but she could not absorb the Mind Wraith Source he extracted.
• Chen Fei had Chi Shuqing kill a weakened Heart Strange herself, yet she still could not absorb the purified source from the Heart Refining Formation.
• Chen Fei suspected the Heart Refining Formation required a special constitution and said he would teach it to Chi Shuqing so she could try to control it.
• Over the next month, Chen Fei deliberately slowed his cultivation and opened seven Apertures, bringing his total to sixty-eight.

Chen Fei’s cultivation and perception advanced rapidly, but he detected that Wu Guangyin had returned to the Yuan Chen Sword Sect under strange influence and stopped him from killing a disciple. When Wu Guangyin woke with no memory of what happened, Chen Fei provoked a reaction by insulting Xilian True Person, revealing that Wu Guangyin remained connected to the threat.

• Chen Fei advanced to sixty-eight apertures, perfected the Stargazing Art, and continued cultivating with Chi Shuqing.
• Chen Fei sensed Wu Guangyin entering the sect and used the Stargazing Art to watch him approach an Inner Sect Disciple.
• Wu Guangyin tried to crush the disciple’s neck, but Chen Fei subdued him and carried him to Qu Qingsheng.
• Wu Guangyin regained consciousness and said he remembered being in Shangwu City but could not recall what happened afterward.
• As Qu Qingsheng prepared to examine Wu Guangyin’s Sea of Consciousness, Chen Fei insulted Xilian True Person, causing Wu Guangyin’s eyes to turn red and his apertures to quake.
• Chen Fei tapped Wu Guangyin’s forehead with a Sword Finger as Wu Guangyin began to erupt.

Chen Fei exposed and destroyed the slave-chang controlling Wu Guangyin, uncovering Xilian True Person’s plan to use a blood array to pollute the nearby sects. He rushed with Chi Shuqing to Sinking Water Pavilion to warn its master, but sensed something wrong there and sent a clone ahead to find Ji Ruiqing.

• Chen Fei used the Stargazing Art to detect the black shadow inside Wu Guangyin, then struck it down before it could pollute Qu Qingsheng.
• Wu Guangyin recalled that Xilian True Person planned to kill disciples, extract their essence blood, and use a blood array to spread pollution.
• Qu Qingsheng sent Chen Fei to warn Sinking Water Pavilion, and Chen Fei took Chi Shuqing there at high speed.
• Chen Fei sensed something amiss despite the peaceful appearance of Sinking Water Pavilion and sent his clone toward the main peak to find Ji Ruiqing.
• Chu Yushuang confronted Chen Fei, who explained that he had come under Sect Master Qu’s orders to request an audience with Ji Ruiqing.