Chapter Summaries

Zhuang Jin continued his cultivation and mechanism research as rumors of the Sky Hanging Division’s targeting of talented martial practitioners unsettled the Gang Qi Realm circle. After refusing Li Tingguan’s invitation to the Round Table Gathering, he prepared for the coming Major Year and completed his First Layer of Innate Gang Qi Realm accumulation.

• Zhuang Jin invented Gang Qi-powered mechanisms and spent a year cultivating while the circle’s gatherings continued, until a promising Gang Qi Realm martial practitioner disappeared in the Funiu Mountain Range and was confirmed dead.
• The Purple Kangaroo Rat broke through to the Five Viscera Realm and demonstrated its strength by blasting apart practice dummies, including a meteorite-iron one.
• Li Tingguan secretly told Zhuang Jin that the Sky Hanging Division might be eliminating talented or troublesome practitioners and invited him to join the Round Table Gathering, which Zhuang Jin refused.
• Zhuang Jin noticed that Zong Dai, Shentu Biao, Xi Guiling, and Cui Pangui appeared involved in the Round Table Gathering, while Qin Douzhan also stayed out of it and grew closer to him.
• Zhuang Jin anticipated the year-end Major Qi Tide and completed his First Layer of Innate Gang Qi Realm accumulation on the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month.

Zhuang Jin advanced to the Innate Gang Qi Realm Second Layer, then entered the Funiu Mountain Range during a Large Qi Tide to gather treasures and strengthen himself. He found a Wind Spirit Pearl, but his attempt to claim it ended in a standoff with two powerful Exotic Beasts that erupted into battle.

• Zhuang Jin broke through to the Innate Gang Qi Realm Second Layer, refined his Gang Qi into Ice Gang Qi, and advanced his cultivation techniques to Greater Mastery.
• When the Large Qi Tide began on December 1st, Zhuang Jin entered the Funiu Mountain Range, where the Purple Kangaroo Rat helped him find valuable treasures and defeat several Exotic Beasts.
• Zhuang Jin discovered a Rainbow Tea Tree near the Second Layer Death Zone and defeated a Sonic Bat, a Vine Flower Frog, and a Steel Pupa Snake that attacked him.
• On December 5th, the Purple Kangaroo Rat led Zhuang Jin to a Wind Spirit Pearl guarded by a Stone Armor Dragon; a Wind Thunder Bird and a Unicorn also arrived, and the Stone Armor Dragon retreated.
• When the Wind Spirit Pearl emerged, Zhuang Jin, the Wind Thunder Bird, and the Unicorn attacked at once, and Zhuang Jin threw an object between the two beasts before detonating it with a Meridian Severing Divine Sword strike.

Zhuang Jin lost the Wind Spirit Pearl to Ming Guangxie after using a Qi Blast to injure two Six Viscera Realm Exotic Beasts, but he found companion treasure and struck back when Ming Guangxie publicly smeared him. Their feud escalated, and Zhuang Jin began planning to strengthen himself and kill Ming Guangxie when the opportunity came.

• Zhuang Jin detonated a Qi Blast that injured the Wind Thunder Bird and Unicorn, but Ming Guangxie seized the Wind Spirit Pearl and escaped their combined attacks.
• Zhuang Jin declined to pursue Ming Guangxie, found Wind Splendor Dew beneath the pearl’s former location, and returned to the provincial city.
• Members of Zhuang Jin’s circle congratulated him on reaching the Innate Gang Qi Realm Second Layer and warned him that Ming Guangxie had accused him of attacking first.
• Zhuang Jin sent out his own account, revealing that Ming Guangxie had taken the Wind Spirit Pearl and sarcastically praising Ming Guangxie’s strength to attract scrutiny toward him.
• The Sky Hanging Division asked Ming Guangxie to put the Wind Spirit Pearl in an auction, and Ming Guangxie realized he was under observation and blamed Zhuang Jin.
• Zhuang Jin planned to condense his attribute, hunt Ice Attribute Exotic Beasts after the Qi Tide, and remain in the provincial city until he was strong enough to take revenge on Ming Guangxie.

After forging the Ice Soul Divine Sword, Zhuang Jin entered the Funiu Mountain Range to hunt ice-attribute Nether Baleful Pythons for their Beast Cores. At Cloud Pool Mountain, he killed a python and was about to continue hunting when the Purple Kangaroo Rat sensed a treasure inside its cave.

• Zhuang Jin sold resources from the Qi Tide, made one Qi Blast, and focused his efforts on a divine weapon capable of storing Gang Qi for an over-limit strike.
• Zhuang Jin and Shentu Biao completed the Ice Soul Divine Sword, which could unleash a devastating strike up to three times before breaking; Zhuang Jin paid Shentu Biao three times the normal forging price.
• Zhuang Jin entered the Second Layer Death Zone with the Purple Kangaroo Rat and traveled toward Cloud Pool Mountain, avoiding the territories of powerful Exotic Beasts.
• Zhuang Jin hunted Nether Baleful Pythons at Cloud Pool Mountain and collected seven Beast Cores over ten days.
• Zhuang Jin killed another Nether Baleful Python and took its Beast Core, then the Purple Kangaroo Rat pointed into the python's cave, signaling that it sensed a treasure.

Zhuang Jin uncovered a hidden cavern beneath a Mysterious Ice Stone vein and discovered an Immortal's relic behind an illusory Ice Flow Slurry lake. As he tried to bypass its sealed entrance, the stone door opened and two shadows emerged.

• The Purple Kangaroo Rat led Zhuang Jin to a small piece of Mysterious Ice Marrow, and he kept digging after noticing the cold grew stronger deeper inside.
• After two days of excavation, Zhuang Jin broke through into a vast cavern containing an underground ice lake and discovered that its upper layer of Ice Flow Slurry was an illusion.
• Zhuang Jin and the Purple Kangaroo Rat passed through the illusion and found a hidden stone valley and a sealed entrance that he recognized as an Immortal's relic.
• The Purple Kangaroo Rat sensed many treasures inside, including one especially suited to Zhuang Jin, and he decided to enter the relic.
• Zhuang Jin began digging around the stone door, but it suddenly opened and two fiery-red and icy-blue shadows flew out.

Zhuang Jin fought the elemental Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix guarding the Immortal’s relic, but learned that they could resurrect each other and would need to be killed at the same time. Shangguan Yun Chang arrived, and the chapter left them facing off with dangerous attacks held in reserve.

• Zhuang Jin discovered that the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix were elemental guardians whose chest tokens could unlock the cave, then used One Sword Returns to Origin to destroy the Fire Phoenix and badly wound the Ice Phoenix.
• The Ice Phoenix resurrected the Fire Phoenix, and the pair attacked together until a boundary stopped them from pursuing Zhuang Jin beyond the bridge.
• Zhuang Jin concluded that he had to kill both phoenixes simultaneously, but found neither suitable terrain nor a trustworthy helper and spent two days testing possible openings.
• Shangguan Yun Chang arrived after tracing an immortal’s painting to Cloud Pool Mountain, and she and Zhuang Jin recognized each other as they reached the relic.
• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang attacked one another, then stopped when his One Sword Returns to Origin and her Jade Token stirred their Martial Intuitions and signaled danger.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang negotiated a wary alliance and defeated the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix trial guardians together. They opened the entrance to the Immortal's Ruins, leaving the two poised to enter.

• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang revealed their lethal trump cards, negotiated a temporary truce, and swore not to scheme against one another.
• Zhuang Jin explained that the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix had to be killed simultaneously to obtain the tokens that opened the cave.
• Shangguan Yun Chang tried to rush through the stone door, but its barrier repelled her as the phoenixes attacked.
• When the Ice Phoenix began a self-destructive attack, Zhuang Jin interrupted the guardians' attempted fusion, allowing him and Shangguan Yun Chang to kill them together and claim their tokens.
• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang placed the tokens in the stone door, causing it to shatter and open the entrance to the Immortal's Ruins.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang discovered the relic’s supreme treasures and negotiated how to divide them while addressing the risks of their alliance. After they refined their chosen treasures, they began cultivating the Dual Spirit Union Art to absorb the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow.

• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang found vast quantities of Mysterious Ice Marrow, a Mid-grade Azure Origin Pot, a Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade, and a Sacred Spirit Pearl in the cave.
• Shangguan Yun Chang explained that her family did not know about the relic and offered Zhuang Jin the Sacred Spirit Pearl and remaining Mysterious Ice Marrow while she took the Azure Origin Pot and Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade.
• Shangguan Yun Chang promised to conceal Zhuang Jin’s existence and protect him through her family’s control of the Sky Hanging Division, while Zhuang Jin jokingly asked to marry into her family and she said he would have to beat her.
• The two divided the treasures, refined the Sacred Spirit Pearl and Dual Spirit Cleansing Jade, and Zhuang Jin searched the relic’s cultivation methods for the complete Black Fiend Art.
• Shangguan Yun Chang showed Zhuang Jin the Dual Spirit Union Art, which could absorb the Mysterious Ice Marrow faster and strengthen their spirits.
• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang began cultivating the Dual Spirit Union Art, and the Sacred Spirit Pearl and Dual Spirit Cleansing Jade resonated and floated into the air.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang cultivated with the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, refining their attributes and awakening Ultimate Ice as Zhuang Jin advanced to the Innate Gang Qi Realm Third Layer. After Shangguan Yun Chang agreed they could consider marrying once they reached the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm, Zhuang Jin questioned her about the Round Table Gathering, then absorbed the cave’s remaining Mysterious Ice Marrow into the Sacred Spirit Pearl before they departed.

• The Sacred Spirit Pearl and Dual Spirit Cleansing Jade amplified Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang’s Dual Spirit Union Art, revealing that Zhuang Jin’s divine soul was stronger than hers.
• After ten days of cultivation, both nearly completed refining their attributes, and Zhuang Jin’s breakthrough to the Innate Gang Qi Realm Third Layer restarted their absorption of the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow.
• Zhuang Jin condensed Ultimate Ice and manifested a crystalline purple sword, while Shangguan Yun Chang also completed her ultimate attribute refinement.
• Shangguan Yun Chang said she would consider marrying Zhuang Jin if they both reached the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm and she became the designated Shangguan Family head; Zhuang Jin accepted.
• Shangguan Yun Chang warned Zhuang Jin to avoid the Round Table Gathering, and he questioned her about its links to the Shangguan Family, the Sky Hanging Division, and earlier societies before choosing not to press her further.
• Zhuang Jin absorbed the cave’s remaining Mysterious Ice Marrow into the Sacred Spirit Pearl, which took on a purple glow and contained an Ice Phoenix, then he left with Shangguan Yun Chang.

After condensing his attribute, Zhuang Jin returned to Cang Prefecture City and learned that Ming Guangxie’s followers had been targeting his allied families. With Shangguan Yun Chang’s help, he gained a sword art and information about Ming Guangxie’s movements, and prepared to take revenge.

• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang confronted the Fire Phoenix Bird, whose attacks Shangguan Yun Chang easily froze, while Zhuang Jin killed a Fire God Moth with his Ice Soul Sword Qi.
• Shangguan Yun Chang failed to make the Fire Phoenix Bird submit, so Zhuang Jin decided to leave it in the forest and return for it as a mount later; the two parted before reaching Cang Prefecture City.
• Ji Tongxiu told Zhuang Jin that Ming Guangxie’s associates had pressured the Ji and Teng Families and bullied Ji Tongwei, prompting Zhuang Jin to make a plan.
• Zhuang Jin attended Gang Qi Realm gatherings and visited the Sky Hanging Division while concealing his realm, leading Ming Guangxie to assume he would not retaliate.
• Zhuang Jin secretly told Shangguan Yun Chang about Ming Guangxie, and she sent him the Myriad Swords Return to Origin secret art and details of a chance to intercept him.
• Zhuang Jin reviewed Shangguan Yun Chang’s help and resolved to use what he had learned to kill certain people.

Zhuang Jin killed Ming Guangxie in an ambush, then used the Ming Family leader’s disappearance to help the Ji and Teng Families seize the family’s wealth. As Ji Tongwei’s troubles at White Deer Academy eased and he grew closer to Ge Mingzhi, Zhuang Jin cultivated his relationship with Shangguan Yun Chang and obtained a secret medicine formula to accelerate his cultivation.

• Zhuang Jin ambushed Ming Guangxie with the Meridian Severing Divine Sword and killed him before he could call for help.
• Zhuang Jin absorbed the Wind Spirit Pearl into the Sacred Spirit Pearl, then ordered Ji Gongji and Teng Zushou to take advantage of the Ming Family’s leaderless state.
• Ji Tongwei received apologies and gifts after Ming Wenyuan withdrew from White Deer Academy, while Ge Mingzhi told him her family planned to transfer her to another class; the two grew closer as Ji urged them to wait.
• Zhuang Jin gave Shangguan Yun Chang a jade hairpin, and she gave him a secret medicine formula for accelerating cultivation accumulation.
• Zhuang Jin offered to help Shangguan Yun Chang cultivate the Dual Spirit Union Art, and she hurriedly left.

As the Round Table Gathering expanded in secret, Cang Prefecture City erupted into a purge that exposed the Sky Hanging Division’s suppression of the group and hinted at the Hanging Sky Mirror’s hidden role. Zhuang Jin survived the upheaval, but Qin Douzhan’s revelations and a new Command Token function suggested the authorities were absorbing even their opponents’ methods.

• Shentu Biao announced that he would take his family to Capital Yong'an, then gave Zhuang Jin an upgraded Ice Soul Divine Sword and warned him about the Round Table Gathering before leaving Cang Prefecture City.
• A month later, Zong Dai announced that he would leave for a prefecture city, while Zhuang Jin continued cultivating and growing closer to Shangguan Yun Chang.
• During the October upheaval, Shangguan Yun Chang met Zhuang Jin at Taiyuan Lake, revealed that she had become the Shangguan Family’s designated next head, and gave him a secret art suited to his Sacred Spirit Pearl.
• The Sky Hanging Division declared the Round Table Gathering illegal and announced a purge; Qin Douzhan told Zhuang Jin that Li Tingguan had been killed and Cui Pangui had betrayed the group.
• Qin Douzhan suggested that the Sky Hanging Division had absorbed resistance and questioned how Ascension Pavilion had originated; ten days later, the Command Token gained a Round Table Gathering function.

After the Sky Hanging Division destroyed the Round Table Gathering, Zhuang Jin reflected on its new supervised gatherings and the fractured Gang Qi Realm circle. He entered seclusion in the snow to break through into the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm, convinced that his powerful soul would let him overcome the perilous trial without a Corpse Suppressing Pill.

• The Sky Hanging Division and the Three Great Prominent Families wiped out the Round Table Gathering, while Zhan Shengchu reportedly escaped and Zhuang Jin received a share of the spoils.
• The Sky Hanging Division opened its own supervised Round Table Gathering, and Zhuang Jin considered how the prominent families used such systems to control martial practitioners.
• At the Gang Qi Realm gathering, Cui Pangui tested Xi Guiling and Qin Douzhan warned Zhuang Jin that his advancement might provoke stronger opposition.
• After another half month, Zhuang Jin reached completion at the Innate Gang Qi Realm Third Layer and went into seclusion to attempt the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm breakthrough.
• Zhuang Jin studied the Three Corpse Worms and the Corpse-Inciting Worm Pill, decided he did not need a Corpse Suppressing Pill, and began his breakthrough.

Zhuang Jin broke through to the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm, gained spiritual power and transformed his Innate Gang Qi into Innate Gang Yuan. He kept his advancement quiet while considering his new abilities and responding to news from those around him, then received surprising news from Qin Douzhan.

• Zhuang Jin manifested spiritual power, found the Three Corpse Worms within his body, and slew the Green Worm, breaking through to the Innate Corpse Slaying Realm.
• Zhuang Jin transformed his Innate Gang Qi into Innate Gang Yuan, tested his strength and spiritual power, and formed a powerful shield with the Sacred Spirit Pearl.
• Zhuang Jin decided to keep his breakthrough concealed from the Sky Hanging Division and the prominent families, while planning to tell Shangguan Yun Chang at the proper time.
• Ji Tongxiu told Zhuang Jin about Mu Bai and Xiu Xian’s child, Li Tingguan’s family, and Ning Tongxuan’s coming marriage, and Zhuang Jin arranged gifts for the first two.
• Zhuang Jin stayed behind closed doors to stabilize his cultivation, then Qin Douzhan brought him surprising news.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang were attacked by Zhan Shengchu at Tongfu Teahouse, but Shangguan Jin Feng intervened before he could self-destruct. Afterward, Zhuang Jin learned the Shangguan Family was treating him as Yun Chang’s prospective husband and asked her to explain the attack and the family’s role in it.

• Qin Douzhan told Zhuang Jin that Zhan Shengchu had escaped the Round Table Gathering purge and was killing Martial Artists in the Funiu Mountain Range, and Zhuang Jin suspected the attacks served the Sky Hanging Division and the Three Great Prominent Families.
• Zhuang Jin met Shangguan Yun Chang at Tongfu Teahouse, discovered she had also broken through, and learned she held three-tenths of the Sky Hanging Realm’s authority as the Shangguan Family’s designated heir.
• Zhan Shengchu attacked Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang with the Flower Fox Sable, and they fought back as Zhuang Jin wounded him with an over-limit sword strike.
• Zhan Shengchu accused Shangguan Yun Chang and the Shangguan Family of betraying his family, then tried to self-destruct, but Shangguan Jin Feng froze and captured him.
• Shangguan Jin Feng brought Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang to the Shangguan Family, where Shangguan Yun Chang later agreed to answer his questions about the attack and her grandmother’s surveillance.

Shangguan Yun Chang explained how the Shangguan Family had used Zhan Shengchu and why he turned against them, while Zhuang Jin learned that Shangguan Jin Feng had secretly tested his sincerity. Zhuang Jin accepted the family’s compensation and agreed to marry Shangguan Yun Chang on the eighteenth day of the eleventh month, as Cang Prefecture City turned its attention toward the wedding and the coming Qi Tide.

• Shangguan Yun Chang told Zhuang Jin that Shangguan Jin Feng had begun watching him after the Round Table Gathering purge.
• Shangguan Yun Chang explained that the Shangguan Family had cooperated with Zhan Shengchu, used him to eliminate targets after the purge, and later let Cen Guang Sheng’s actions provoke his revenge.
• Shangguan Yun Chang revealed that Shangguan Jin Feng had allowed Zhan Shengchu to test Zhuang Jin’s sincerity, and Zhuang Jin reassured her that he did not blame her.
• Shangguan Yun Chang gave Zhuang Jin a Corpse Suppressing Pill and proposed the eighteenth day of the eleventh month for their wedding; Zhuang Jin accepted.
• The Shangguan Family announced the wedding, drawing attention across Cang Prefecture City as people reacted to Zhan Shengchu’s death and prepared for the Qi Tide.

After Zhuang Jin’s marriage to Shangguan Yun Chang became public, the prominent families adjusted their plans around his new status, while Ji Tongxiu worried about her place and the Ji Family’s safety. Shangguan Yun Chang surprised Ji Tongxiu by welcoming her and offering to accept her, leaving the onlookers astonished.

• Cen Zhongxuan resented Cen Guang Sheng’s actions for bringing the Shangguan Family to demand concessions from the Cen Family.
• Ge Mingzhi asked her parents whether Zhuang Jin’s standing meant she could remain in her class, and Ge Zhaoxu agreed she would not have to switch.
• Zhuang Jin visited Qin Douzhan, discussed the costs and benefits of marrying into the Shangguan Family, and anticipated taking over as head of White Deer Academy.
• Ji Tongxiu moved out of Zhuang Jin’s manor and returned to the Ji Family, while Ji Gongji worried that Shangguan Yun Chang might target them.
• Ji Tongxiu’s siblings and friends gathered at the Ji Family, and Shangguan Yun Chang arrived and took Ji Tongxiu’s hand, welcoming her as a little sister.

Shangguan Yun Chang and Ji Tongxiu grew close, strengthening the Ji Family’s prospects, while Shangguan Yun Chang and Zhuang Jin discussed their marriage and the provincial city’s remaining Innate Corpse Slaying Realm practitioners. As their lavish wedding approached, old acquaintances Bi Boyi and Teng Yuansong arrived, and Teng Yuansong confronted his family’s suddenly warm reception and his own changed view of Cang Prefecture City.

• Shangguan Yun Chang and Ji Tongxiu shopped together, became close, and Shangguan Yun Chang invited Ji Tongxiu to join her bridal retinue before offering her a place back in the Second Ring.
• Ji Tongwei wrote an essay titled “My Gentleman,” while Zhuang Jin reassured Shangguan Yun Chang and listened as she explained the five remaining Innate Corpse Slaying Realm practitioners outside the Three Great Prominent Families.
• Li Shicong, Mai Yinghuang, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiq agreed to send Zhuang Jin a wedding gift and visit him to build a relationship.
• The Shangguan, Cen, and Ge Families helped make Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang’s wedding a grand citywide celebration as its date drew near.
• Bi Boyi and Teng Yuansong traveled to Cang Prefecture City for the wedding, where Zhuang Jin arranged rooms for them and Teng Yuansong wandered to Tongfu Teahouse.
• Teng Yuansong’s family found him and treated him warmly because of his connection to Zhuang Jin, but he recognized their self-interest and thought that Cang Prefecture City had not changed.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang celebrated their wedding in a citywide ceremony attended by prominent practitioners and old acquaintances. After the festivities, the newlyweds shared a sword dance on their wedding night before retiring together as dawn approached.

• Mu Bai refused Lu Tai's request for an extra invitation to Zhuang Jin's wedding banquet, then left with leftover pastries for his son.
• The Three Great Prominent Families turned Cang Prefecture City into a grand celebration and hosted Innate Martial Practitioners and commoners for Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang's wedding.
• Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yun Chang greeted guests at Star Picking Tower, where old companions and other practitioners reflected on Zhuang Jin's rise and offered their blessings.
• The Hanging Sky Mirror filled the city sky with fireworks, and the Sky-Rending Dragon King and Phoenix King carried the newlyweds overhead as their old acquaintances watched.
• That night, Shangguan Yun Chang challenged Zhuang Jin to a sword fight, and the two danced beneath the moon before going inside together until dawn.

Zhuang Jin strengthened his body with the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art and exchanged Energy Storage Core Technology with Shangguan Jin Feng for resources and a powerful Jade Token. After meeting five independent Corpse Slaying Realm cultivators and building a cautious connection with them, he prepared to take up his post as headmaster of White Deer Academy.

• Zhuang Jin cultivated the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art to the fifth revolution, using it to strengthen his physical essence and balance his three treasures before attempting to reach the Yin Spirit Realm.
• Zhuang Jin gave Shangguan Jin Feng his Energy Storage Core Technology in exchange for cultivation resources and a special Jade Token capable of unleashing a half-step Yin Spirit Realm attack.
• Zhuang Jin met Li Shicong, Mai Yinghuang, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiq, assessed their circumstances, and decided to maintain a useful but distant connection with them.
• Zhuang Jin cultivated the Golden Body Art to the sixth revolution as the year-end Qi Tide passed, then prepared to begin his duties at White Deer Academy.
• Shangguan Yun Chang gave Zhuang Jin a list of Shangguan Family personnel at the academy and offered to deal with anyone who disobeyed him, but chose not to attend his first day so he could keep the spotlight.