Chapter Summaries

Zhou Ling celebrated reaching the Third Layer of Foundation Establishment as the Zhou Family’s Spirit Land neared completion, then visited the Purple Cloud Sect to guide its disciples and collect resources. After returning to Qingyun Immortal City and emerging from seclusion, he learned the Spirit Land was finished and found his family and former Medicine Seeking Team companions gathered at home.

• Zhou Ling reached the Third Layer of Foundation Establishment, and his family celebrated while Sun Dajie continued building the Zhou Family’s Spirit Land.
• Zhou Ling sent Chu Xing to Lingxia Immortal City to invite former Medicine Seeking Team members to Qingyun Immortal City, then traveled to the Purple Cloud Sect.
• Zhou Ling guided Liu Yue'er, Li Yun, and their disciples in cultivation, inspected the sect’s flourishing resources and demon beasts, and gave the sect supplies and puppets.
• Zhou Ling collected ore, spirit grain, and herbs from the Purple Cloud Sect before returning to Qingyun Immortal City and entering seclusion for the upcoming Dao Academy competition.
• After emerging from seclusion, Zhou Ling learned the Spirit Land was complete and returned home to find his family, Xu Jiu’s family, and Yuan Hu’s family gathered there.

Zhou Ling organized his family and associates to establish a Workshop, drew Earth Fire to the new Zhou Family residence, and held a housewarming celebration attended by influential cultivators from Qingyun Immortal City. The chapter ended with Zhou Ling thanking the guests and inviting them to drink together.

• Yuan Hu brought his family from Lingxia Immortal City to help Zhou Ling, while Zhou Ling assigned him and others roles in running the Workshop and winery.
• Zhou Ling invited Dean Zhong and other Dao Academy and Heavenly Crafts Division figures to the housewarming, then safely drew Earth Fire from the Dao Academy to the Zhou Family Workshop.
• Zhou Ling prepared the Workshop’s furnaces and completed the new family residence, spirit fields, and protective array before the celebration.
• Yuan Hu announced valuable gifts from the guests, including Song Nian’s rare Tier 3 Top-Grade Thunderwood and Wang Qingshang’s Azure Gold Stone.
• Zhou Ling welcomed the prominent guests to the main table and thanked the assembled cultivators before inviting them to drink.

At the Zhou Family’s founding banquet, Zhou Ling secured a major batch of Treasure Artifact orders and deposits for the Zhou Family Workshop. He then organized the new family’s finances, membership, and plans for the Workshop as it began operations.

• The Song Family Head gave Zhou Ling a two-month Treasure Artifact order and fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones as a deposit, prompting other guests to place orders at the banquet.
• Zhou Ling accepted more than twenty-six orders, while Yuan Hu reported that the gifts were worth over one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones and the deposits totaled ninety-six mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• Zhou Ling assigned the Third-Tier gifts to himself and the remaining treasures to the family treasury, then established a contribution-points system for family members to exchange for resources.
• Zhou Ling welcomed Sun Dajie as a guest elder and tasked him with making puppets, gathering intelligence, and recruiting Artifact Refiners from the Inner Academy.
• Zhou Ling directed Yuan Hu and Bai Ji to prepare materials for the orders and outlined pay and benefits for the Workshop’s second-rank Artifact Refiners.

Zhou Ling planned to speed up the Zhou Family Workshop by using intelligent Puppets to process materials and forge artifact blanks. After finding and studying the Puppet Essence Source Art, he crafted an Artifact Refiner Puppet and successfully tested it at the Workshop, where it proved efficient and economical.

• Zhou Ling discussed using versatile, intelligent Puppets as an assembly line for the Workshop’s large orders and decided to craft two to test the idea.
• Zhou Ling found the Puppet Essence Source Art in Xuanyuan Daoist Academy’s Scripture Pavilion, exchanged points for two Soul Stones, and studied its Puppet Seals, including the difficult Natal Soul Puppet Seals.
• Zhou Ling drew the Artifact Forging Master Soul Puppet Seal and began refining a Puppet using Profound Iron Stone, Soul Stones, and other materials.
• Two days later, Zhou Ling activated the Artifact Refiner Puppet at the Zhou Family Workshop and ordered it to forge a Wu Jing magic sword artifact.
• The Puppet purified Wu Jing ore and formed it into a sword artifact, impressing Bai Ji and Zhou Ling with its skill, efficiency, and low Spirit Stone consumption.

Zhou Ling received an order for five Third-Tier Treasure Robes and a Profound Origin Fire Lotus from Wang Qingshang, who warned him that Blood Soul Sect remnants might be active in Qingyun Immortal City. After refining the lotus into his Qi Sea, he began studying the Golden Core Spirit Flame Technique.

• Zhou Ling inspected his new Artifact Refiner Puppets and planned to expand the Zhou Family Workshop and strengthen the family's defenses.
• Wang Qingshang commissioned five Third-Tier Treasure Robes for the Evil Slaying Department, gave Zhou Ling a deposit and the Wang Family's congratulatory Profound Origin Fire Lotus, and explained how it could aid the Golden Core Spirit Flame Technique.
• Wang Qingshang warned Zhou Ling that Blood Soul Sect remnants had been spotted in Qingyun Immortal City and asked him to help patrol; Zhou Ling agreed to deliver the robes in six days and signed the contract.
• After Wang Qingshang left, Zhou Ling refined the Profound Origin Fire Lotus into his Qi Sea, where it began absorbing spiritual energy.
• Zhou Ling took out the jade slip and began comprehending the Golden Core Spirit Flame Technique.

Zhou Ling advanced his Golden Core preparations and helped his students prepare for their assessments before joining Xuanyuan Daoist Academy’s delegation to the Four Great Daoist Academies’ competition. The chapter ended with the disciples studying last year’s powerful Foundation Establishment Peak competitors as they traveled to Tianxia Daoist Academy.

• Zhou Ling cultivated the Golden Core Spirit Flame Technique, considered gathering materials and pills for forming a Heaven-Grade Golden Core, and chose two defensive inscription patterns for Wang Qingshang’s request.
• Zhou Ling gave Bai Ji and Song Yue Qi Gathering Pills and advice before their Foundation Establishment Seed Assessment, and Song Yue announced that she had reached Foundation Establishment Peak.
• Zhou Ling reviewed the Zhou Family Workshop’s recent orders and profits, noting that its production was running efficiently.
• Dean Zhong led Zhou Ling and the Xuanyuan Daoist Academy disciples aboard a Spirit Boat to Tianxia Daoist Academy for the competition between the Four Great Daoist Academies.
• Dean Zhong explained that the other academies had several Foundation Establishment Peak competitors and promised one thousand points if a Xuanyuan disciple took first place.
• Zhou Ling and the others watched recordings of last year’s top competitors, while Zhou Ling assessed their combat strength.

Zhou Ling traveled with Xuanyuan Daoist Academy to Tianxia Daoist Academy’s combat competition, where a Heaven-Grade Golden Returning Jade Pill awaited the winner. Despite being ranked thirteenth and facing a higher-ranked Lightning Attribute sword cultivator in the first round, Zhou Ling won decisively with two Third-Tier Treasure Swords.

• Dean Zhong announced the Heaven-Grade Golden Returning Jade Pill reward and urged the disciples to compete for the top places.
• Zhou Ling arrived at Tianxia Daoist Academy, drew Bing Three, and learned he would fight in the first round.
• Dean Gong recognized Zhou Ling as a Deputy Steward and asked him to refine treasured swords after the competition, drawing attention to his identity and talent.
• Zhou Ling faced He Rui of Tianxia Daoist Academy, whose Thunder Sword Qi initially seemed overwhelming to the spectators.
• Zhou Ling used two Third-Tier Treasure Swords to break He Rui’s attacks and force him to concede, securing Xuanyuan Daoist Academy’s first victory.

After Zhou Ling easily defeated He Rui, Dean Zhong wagered that he would win the championship, while the other deans doubted him. Zhou Ling then faced Li Yun, who attacked with powerful lightning Runes, but he revealed that he could control three Third-Tier Treasure Swords at once.

• Zhou Ling defeated He Rui with one sword strike, astonishing the deans and prompting them to discuss his chances against Li Yun and the other top disciples.
• Dean Zhong wagered a Fourth Order Soul Calming Bead that Zhou Ling would become champion, and Dean Huang and Dean Qi wagered treasures against him.
• Zhou Ling recovered while Sun Dajie briefed him on Li Yun, her Rune and Formation skills, and her Flying Dragon Sword Talisman Formation.
• Before their match, Li Yun offered Zhou Ling Runes if he forfeited, but he refused and challenged her to fight.
• Li Yun blasted Zhou Ling with lightning Runes, and he countered by using three Third-Tier Treasure Swords to cut apart her Thunder Flood Dragon Runes.

Zhou Ling defeated Li Yun in the quarterfinals with his three Treasure Swords and fused spiritual flames, then recovered with an Essence Augmentation Pill. He advanced to the semifinals after Qian Huo conceded, while the other deans doubted he could overcome the remaining Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators.

• Li Yun unleashed her Flying Dragon Sword Talisman Formation, but Zhou Ling’s three Treasure Swords and fused sword qi broke through her defenses and won the match.
• The spectators and deans reacted to Zhou Ling’s strength, while Dean Zhong remained confident that he could contend for the championship.
• Zhou Ling took an Essence Augmentation Pill and used his Spirit Medicine Reaction talent to restore his spent spiritual energy.
• Qian Huo asked how much strength Zhou Ling had recovered, then conceded after Zhou Ling said he had recovered about eighty percent.
• Dean Gong praised Qian Huo’s decision, while Dean Qi and Dean Huang predicted Zhou Ling would lose to one of the remaining Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators.

Dean Gong invited Zhou Ling to join the Nine Heavens Sword Academy after recognizing his talent with five Five Elements Treasure Swords. Zhou Ling accepted an Outer Academy Instructor position and received a Sword Soul Stone, while his semifinal against Wan Kun remained ahead.

• Dean Gong told Dean Zhong that Zhou Ling could become a Five Realms Sword Cultivator and planned to recruit him to the Nine Heavens Sword Academy.
• Zhou Ling observed Wan Kun defeat his opponent with the Thunderous Cloud Art, then learned that they would face each other in the semifinals.
• Dean Gong invited Zhou Ling to dinner in Qingyun Immortal City and confirmed that he had refined five Third-Tier Five Elements Treasure Swords.
• Dean Gong offered Zhou Ling access to the Nine Heavens Sword Academy's Sword Dao resources, and Zhou Ling agreed to begin as an Outer Academy Instructor.
• Dean Gong gave Zhou Ling an azure Sword Soul Stone containing her insights into the Third Realm of Sword Dao and invited him to teach after the competition.

Zhou Ling studied Dean Gong’s Falling Wood Sword Intent and used his talents and Illusionary Realm Deduction Simulation to enter the Man and Sword as One realm overnight. After restoring his soul for the coming battle with Wan Kun, he told Wang Xin that Dean Gong had offered him an instructor position at the Nine Heavens Sword Academy.

• Zhou Ling used Dean Gong’s sword stone to study her Falling Wood Sword Intent, including its four-season cycle and time-sealing effect.
• Zhou Ling’s talents helped him comprehend the sword stone, and he tested his own sword qi against the sword shadow within it.
• Zhou Ling spent the night in Illusionary Realm Deduction Simulation and entered the Man and Sword as One realm, though he could sustain it for only a dozen breaths.
• Zhou Ling absorbed a Soul Origin Pill and considered how to prepare for Wan Kun, whose Thunder Ape Battle Physique he had not yet seen.
• Wang Xin called Zhou Ling to breakfast, and he told her Dean Gong had offered him an instructor position at the Nine Heavens Sword Academy.

Zhou Ling used his spirit flames and sword formation to challenge Wan Kun, whose Thunder Ape Battle Body raised his strength to near Golden Core level. Zhou Ling pierced Wan Kun’s lightning defense and wounded his shoulder, leaving Wan Kun shocked and wary as the battle continued.

• Wan Kun attacked Zhou Ling with lightning techniques, but Zhou Ling’s Earth Spirit Land Fire blocked and devoured the attacks.
• Zhou Ling summoned Beast Flame to attack, forcing Wan Kun to reveal his Thunder Ape Battle Body.
• Wan Kun’s transformed body blocked Beast Flame and attacked Zhou Ling with giant lightning fists.
• Zhou Ling formed the Five Elements Sword Lotus with five treasured swords and strengthened it with the Fire Cloud Sword’s flames.
• The sword lotus shattered Wan Kun’s lightning hammer and pierced his lightning defense, injuring his shoulder and causing him to protect the wound from further blood essence loss.

Zhou Ling defeated Wan Kun by using Man and Sword as One to break his Thunder Ape Moving Mountain attack, shocking the judges and spectators. After recovering in the resting area, Zhou Ling faced the prospect of the afternoon matches, while a confident Senior Brother Zhao prepared to challenge him.

• Wan Kun wagered everything on a decisive Thunder Ape Moving Mountain strike, and Zhou Ling agreed to settle their match in one move.
• Zhou Ling analyzed Wan Kun's bloodline ability, then merged with his Wood Lotus Sword and unleashed the Four Seasons Wood Lotus sword strike.
• Zhou Ling's Man and Sword as One shattered Wan Kun's lightning attack, leaving Wan Kun injured and forcing him to concede defeat.
• The judges and spectators marveled at Zhou Ling's sword talent, while Senior Brother Zhao vowed to avenge Li Yun and planned to face Zhou Ling.
• Zhou Ling returned to the resting area, took a pill, and told Wang Xin that he had recently comprehended Man and Sword as One through a fortunate coincidence.

Zhou Ling watched Zhao Jie defeat Qin Hao with a Fire Gang Dharma Aspect, then faced Zhao Jie in the final of the Four Great Daoist Academies competition. Zhou Ling revealed his five spirit flames and defeated Zhao Jie, securing the championship.

• Zhao Jie used his Fire Gang Dharma Aspect to overwhelm Qin Hao and win their match.
• Zhou Ling recovered before the final while Zhao Jie managed to restore less than sixty percent of his mana.
• Zhou Ling and Zhao Jie began the final, and Zhou Ling first attacked with the Wood Lotus Sword.
• Zhou Ling revealed five Five-Colored Spirit Flames and formed the Greater Five Elements Sword Formation.
• Zhou Ling's flaming sword qi shattered Zhao Jie's Fire Gang Dharma Aspect, knocked Zhao Jie unconscious, and won the match.

Zhou Ling collected his competition reward, supported Song Yue and Bai Ji in their Foundation Establishment plans, and strengthened his family’s cultivation resources. He used a Jade Clarity Pill to break through to the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment, reaching Mid Foundation Establishment.

• Zhou Ling collected one thousand points and a Jade Clarity Pill from Dean Zhong, who urged him to build a solid foundation and accepted his decision to teach at Nine Heavens Sword Academy.
• Zhou Ling praised Song Yue for winning first place and Bai Ji for placing fourth, promised Song Yue an extra month in the spiritual chamber, and gave her his Foundation Establishment experience.
• Bai Ji told Zhou Ling he planned to pursue a Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill next year, and Zhou Ling supported his goal while warning him of the difficulty.
• Zhou Ling exchanged points for a Third Order Spirit Gathering Formation, which Wang Xin set up at home to increase the family’s spiritual energy.
• Wang Xin told Zhou Ling she could refine Jade Clarity Pills and one-pill-pattern Essence Augmentation Pills, giving him more cultivation resources.
• Zhou Ling took a Jade Clarity Pill and broke through to the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment.

After breaking through to Mid Foundation Establishment, Zhou Ling joined Nine Heavens Sword Academy as an Outer Academy Instructor and considered Dean Gong’s advice to cultivate Five Elements Man and Sword as One. He met the disciples of Class Three Dao House and began his first lesson by inviting their questions.

• Zhou Ling celebrated his breakthrough with his family, while Li Ru urged him and Wang Xin to have a child soon.
• Zhou Ling arranged a family-only celebration at the Workshop, then received Dean Gong’s message confirming his Instructor position.
• Dean Gong welcomed Zhou Ling to Nine Heavens Sword Academy, gave him his Instructor token, and advised him to cultivate sword intent across the Five Elements.
• After reading about Senior Lei’s Five Elements Sword Dao, Zhou Ling accepted Dean Gong’s advice and followed her to Class Three Dao House.
• Dean Gong introduced Zhou Ling to the thirty-seven disciples, and Zhou Ling invited them to ask questions for his first lesson.

Zhou Ling taught the Nine Heavens Sword Academy disciples, corrected their sword techniques, and earned the Exemplary Teacher talent after ten accepted pieces of guidance. He helped Luo Xuan understand how to cultivate her incomplete Thunder-Breaking Sword Art, then ended the lesson as she asked to speak with him privately.

• Zhou Ling advised Bai Jian to cultivate a Water Attribute technique to protect his meridians, and Bai Jian accepted his correction.
• Zhou Ling corrected Lu Xin's Fire Rainbow Sword technique and guided the disciples through their sword demonstrations, impressing Dean Gong with his careful instruction.
• Luo Xuan explained that her incomplete Thunder-Breaking Sword Art sometimes failed, then unleashed a powerful strike that Zhou Ling blocked with Earth Spirit Land Fire.
• Zhou Ling deduced that Luo Xuan had cultivated all three layers despite the last two being incomplete and advised her to keep refining the path she had used for the first layer.
• Luo Xuan followed Zhou Ling's guidance, completing the requirement for his Good Teacher talent, and Zhou Ling dismissed the disciples after the lesson.
• Dean Gong praised Zhou Ling's teaching, and Luo Xuan approached him to discuss something privately.

Luo Xuan asked Zhou Ling to study her incomplete family sword art, and he accepted her as his disciple before agreeing to investigate how to restore it. Dean Gong then taught Zhou Ling about the Five Elements Sword Intent and entrusted him with repairing five damaged treasure swords, leaving him better prepared to begin the work.

• Luo Xuan gave Zhou Ling her family's incomplete Thunder-Breaking Sword Art to examine, and Dean Gong confirmed that she could share it with him.
• Zhou Ling asked Luo Xuan to become his disciple, and she accepted and performed the apprenticeship rites.
• Zhou Ling examined the Jade Slip, recognized that the sword art lacked its crucial second layer, and promised to study whether he could deduce it.
• Dean Gong asked Zhou Ling to repair five damaged Third-Tier High-Grade treasure swords, and Zhou Ling agreed to try if he could suppress the sword intents within them.
• Dean Gong guided Zhou Ling for five days in the Five Elements Sword Intent, explaining the qualities of each attribute and how they could help him repair the swords.
• Zhou Ling thanked Dean Gong for her guidance and left, planning to obtain any repair materials he needed from the Xuanyuan Daoist Academy.

Zhou Ling repaired Dean Gong’s five Five Elements Treasure Swords, comprehended Pure Yang Five Elements Sword Intent, and deduced the second layer of the Thunder-Breaking Sword Art. He gave the cultivation method to Luo Xuan, offered to forge her a Lightning Attribute sword, and agreed to let her stay with the Zhou Family.

• Zhou Ling repaired the damaged blades and sword seals of the five Five Elements Treasure Swords over ten days, increasing their overall power by twenty percent.
• Zhou Ling reached the Three Realms of Sword Dao and comprehended Pure Yang Five Elements Sword Intent, including Five Elements unity and the Five Elements Sword Domain.
• Zhou Ling deduced the second layer of the Thunder-Breaking Sword Art and gave its cultivation method to Luo Xuan.
• Zhou Ling explained that Luo Xuan’s Lightning Light Sword had guided her Thunder-Breaking Sword Art cultivation and advised her to develop her own Lightning Attribute Sword Intent.
• Zhou Ling offered to forge Luo Xuan a Lightning Attribute magic sword and agreed that she could move to the Zhou Family for cultivation and guidance.

Zhou Ling returned the repaired Five Elements Treasure Swords to Dean Gong and demonstrated his Five Elements Unity Sword Intent, earning a Sword Shadow Jade to aid his cultivation. That evening, Li Ru announced she would attempt Foundation Establishment next month, and the Zhou family prepared a secure cultivation room for her.

• Zhou Ling gave Dean Gong the repaired Five Elements Treasure Swords and told her he had comprehended the Five Elements Unity Sword Intent.
• Zhou Ling demonstrated Five Elements unity, and Dean Gong estimated he had about a seventy percent chance of reaching the Fourth Realm of Swordsmanship.
• Dean Gong gave Zhou Ling a Sword Shadow Jade containing five of her Sword Shadows and explained how he could use it to train.
• Li Ru told Zhou Ling and Wang Xin that she planned to attempt Foundation Establishment next month, and her family encouraged her.
• Zhou Ling gave Li Ru his Cultivation Room, and Wang Xin set up a shielding Magic Array around it to protect her attempt.