Chapter Summaries

Zhou Ling settled into the Jia Yi Daoist Class and improved his inscription skills while struggling to keep pace in cultivation. Before the Sky Lantern Festival, he spotted damaged lanterns at Old Man Zhao’s stall and considered repairing them for profit.

• Zhou Ling cultivated at Jia Yi Study Hall, where Yuan Hu and Wang Xin joined him and instructor Fang Lan began teaching the class.
• Over the next half year, Zhou Ling opened fourteen Spiritual Acupoints and became one of the study hall’s top five students in inscription skills, earning bonuses through assessments.
• Zhou Ling visited Old Man Zhao’s stall on Market Street to buy Spirit Paper for his inscription practice.
• Old Man Zhao offered Zhou Ling damaged Substandard Sky Lanterns for two Broken Spirits each.
• Zhou Ling used Basic Insight to identify flaws in the lanterns’ inscriptions and considered repairing them to sell at a profit.

Zhou Ling bought defective sky lanterns and used his talents and spirit ink to repair several of them, then paused to recover his spiritual power. At dinner, he saw Zhou Shan gift Li Ru a jade hairpin to protect her from kitchen fumes, strengthening Zhou Ling’s resolve to help his parents.

• Zhou Ling bargained with Old Man Zhao and bought ten defective sky lanterns and a bottle of Metal-Attribute Spirit Ink for thirteen Broken Spirits.
• Zhou Ling analyzed a lotus lantern, found that impure spirit ink had damaged its engravings, and repaired it until it shone with azure light.
• Zhou Ling repaired five lanterns before exhaustion forced him to meditate and recover his spiritual power.
• Li Ru called Zhou Ling to a late-night dinner, where Zhou Shan gave her a jade hairpin that warded off fire fumes.
• Zhou Ling realized the fumes could harm Li Ru’s health and resolved to become independent and ease his parents’ burden.

Zhou Ling repaired ten sky lanterns and sold them with Yuan Hu and Wang Xin during the Sky Lantern Festival, earning a substantial profit. After celebrating with pastries and dumplings, he returned home with a new idea of opening a pastry shop for his mother.

• Zhou Ling repaired the remaining sky lanterns and prepared all ten for sale on the morning of the festival.
• Yuan Hu arrived, and Zhou Ling gave Wang Xin a Lotus Lantern before the three headed to Market Street.
• Yuan Hu and Wang Xin helped attract buyers, and Zhou Ling sold the nine remaining lanterns for two hundred and five Broken Spirit.
• Zhou Ling treated Yuan Hu and Wang Xin to Sticky Rice Osmanthus Cake and thought about opening a pastry shop for his mother.
• The three searched the market for defective Magic Artifacts, found none, ate beast-meat dumplings, and then went home separately.

Zhou Ling reached the Third Layer of Qi Condensation and planned to earn spirit stones for Fire Haze Grass and inscription-seal training. Yuan Hu then revealed that his father had been poisoned and his family could not afford the antidote, but Wang Xin offered to obtain it.

• Zhou Ling broke through to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation after more than half a year of cultivation and artifact repairs.
• Zhou Ling decided to earn more spirit stones, try drawing inscription seals, and begin learning offensive spells.
• Yuan Hu told Zhou Ling that he might leave the Dao Academy because his family could no longer afford his cultivation expenses.
• Yuan Hu explained that his father had been poisoned by an Ink Scale Fish and needed an expensive high-grade first-grade Detoxification Pill.
• Wang Xin offered to find the Detoxification Pill for Yuan Hu, and Yuan Hu gratefully accepted her help.

Zhou Ling received the Five Elements Basic Engraving from Instructor Fang and learned the costs and fundamentals of engraving cultivation. Seeking to earn back the spirit stones he spent, he took a defective Fire Pattern Pill Furnace from Old Man Zhao to attempt a repair.

• Zhou Ling asked Instructor Fang which engraving suited him, and Fang recommended the Five Elements Basic Engraving while praising his progress in cultivation and artifact refinement.
• Instructor Fang warned Zhou Ling that engraving required significant resources and advised him to reach the Mid Qi Refining Stage within two years; Zhou Ling bought the annotated Jade Slip for thirty spirit stones.
• Zhou Ling visited Old Man Zhao’s stall and asked for a defective First-order Low-grade Magic Artifact to repair.
• Old Man Zhao offered Zhou Ling a damaged Fire Pattern Furnace for five Low-grade Spirit Stones, and Zhou Ling identified a damaged inscription pattern in its Condensing Fire Engraving.
• Zhou Ling negotiated for ten Low-grade Spirit Stones and asked Old Man Zhao to provide the repair materials.

Zhou Ling studied basic engravings and practiced drawing the Condensing Fire Engraving, gradually overcoming its difficult patterns and connections. After nearly a month, he successfully completed his first engraving and gained the qualifications to become an Artifact Refiner.

• Zhou Ling ate the Fire Pattern Chicken his mother had prepared and saved a drumstick for his father, though his father later insisted he eat it.
• Zhou Ling studied the Five Elements Basic Engraving Jade Slip and, with help from his talents, grasped several engraving connection methods.
• Zhou Ling spent half a month practicing and researching before attempting the Condensing Fire Engraving, whose six difficult patterns challenged his skill and Spiritual Power.
• Zhou Ling used his talents to improve through repeated attempts, despite wasting Spirit Paper and Spirit Ink and struggling to form a stable engraving.
• Zhou Ling identified a weakness in his first successful-looking engraving, recovered his Spiritual Power, and corrected the first pattern's strength.
• Zhou Ling completed the Condensing Fire Engraving after nearly a month, earning the qualifications of an Artifact Refiner.

Zhou Ling repaired Old Man Zhao’s Fire Pattern Pill Furnace and earned ten Low-grade Spirit Stones. Old Man Zhao recommended him to the Lu Family Workshop, where Zhou Ling offered to prove he could draw First-order Low-grade Engravings.

• Zhou Ling repaired the Fire Pattern Pill Furnace, and Old Man Zhao confirmed it worked and paid him ten Low-grade Spirit Stones.
• Zhou Ling asked Old Man Zhao for more defective Magic Artifacts, and Old Man Zhao recommended him to the understaffed Lu Family Workshop.
• Zhou Ling traveled to the workshop on West Cloud Third Street and met Master Lu, who initially mistook him for a child seeking an apprenticeship.
• Zhou Ling told Master Lu that Shopkeeper Zhao Yixi had sent him and that he could draw First-order Low-grade Engravings.
• Master Lu questioned whether Zhou Ling could handle the workshop’s varied engravings, and Zhou Ling offered to demonstrate on an artifact.

Zhou Ling diagnosed a defective Fire-Repelling Bead and agreed to repair it for Master Lu in exchange for two Low-grade Spirit Stones. After returning home to study the engraving, he unlocked the Precise Control talent, leaving him better equipped to handle the delicate repair.

• Master Lu gave Zhou Ling a defective Fire-Repelling Bead, and Zhou Ling identified the engraving's flaw as inscription lines that had been carved inconsistently.
• Zhou Ling agreed to repair the bead within ten days for two Spirit Stones, paid a one-Low-grade-Spirit-Stone deposit, and secured Master Lu's promise of future work.
• Zhou Ling bought a jar of fine Spirit Wine on West Cloud Street and returned home to study the Fire Repelling Engraving in the Five Elements Basic Engraving Jade Slip.
• Zhou Ling's panel announced that he had met the requirement to unlock the Precise Control Growth Talent.

Zhou Ling revealed his earnings from repairing Magic Artifacts to Zhou Shan and Li Ru, and learned that Li Ru had once studied Brewing Art. He promised to help her open a Wine Workshop someday, then finished comprehending the Fire Repelling Engraving.

• Zhou Ling studied the Fire Repelling Engraving and practiced understanding its patterns and connections.
• At dinner, Zhou Ling showed Zhou Shan and Li Ru the twelve Low-grade Spirit Stones he had earned repairing Magic Artifacts.
• Li Ru urged Zhou Ling to prioritize cultivation and revealed that she had studied Brewing Art at the Dao Academy.
• Zhou Shan explained that Li Ru had once been a skilled brewer but had never been able to afford a Brewing Furnace.
• Zhou Ling promised to help Li Ru open a Wine Workshop and affirmed that he would enter the Inner Academy.
• After dinner, Zhou Ling meditated and continued studying until he had comprehended every essential point of the Fire Repelling Engraving.

Zhou Ling used his [Precise Control] talent to practice the Fire Repelling Engraving until he successfully completed one and repaired the Fire-Repelling Bead. Master Lu praised his skill and offered him an order from a Monster Hunter.

• Zhou Ling repeatedly attempted the Fire Repelling Engraving, studying his mistakes and recovering when the effort strained his meridians.
• After five days and more than twenty sheets of spirit paper, Zhou Ling successfully drew the engraving and found that [Precise Control] had greatly reduced its spiritual power cost.
• Zhou Ling discovered that [Precise Control] also improved his Great Yang Fist practice and helped him use his blood qi more efficiently.
• Zhou Ling analyzed the Fire-Repelling Bead's inscription and repaired it, making it glow with flame ripples.
• The next day, Zhou Ling took the repaired bead to Master Lu, who praised him and offered him a Monster Hunter's order.

Zhou Ling accepted Master Lu’s order to refine Thunder Flame Beads using a difficult Thunder Fire Engraving, then studied the engraving during class. He also considered buying a Crystal Jade brewing furnace for his mother and realized he still needed to obtain a Steam Fire Engraving.

• Zhou Ling agreed to refine three of six Thunder Flame Beads within ten days, and Master Lu raised the payment to seven Low-grade Spirit Stones while setting a compensation penalty for failed beads.
• Master Lu paid Zhou Ling two spirit stones for repairing the Fire-Repelling Bead and gave him a brewing furnace quotation sheet.
• Zhou Ling examined the furnace prices at the Dao Academy and decided a Crystal Jade furnace would be gentler for his mother, though he still needed a Steam Fire Engraving.
• Zhou Ling studied the seven-stroke Thunder Fire Engraving throughout the afternoon and gained proficiency as he analyzed its lightning and fire strokes.

Zhou Ling practiced drawing the Thunder Fire Engraving, struggled with its spiritual-energy demands, and learned that his cultivation limited his progress. When Chu Xing visited and gifted him a Fire Haze Grass, Zhou Shan suggested Zhou Ling try repairing Chu Xing’s damaged Thick Earth Shield.

• Zhou Ling studied the Thunder Inscription, then attempted the Thunder Fire Engraving and failed when its lightning inscription lacked enough spiritual energy.
• Zhou Ling used [Basic Analysis] to identify adjustments but stopped practicing when the engraving drained much of his Internal Spiritual Power.
• Zhou Ling spent the next morning practicing instead of flying kites with Wang Xin, but failed twice and concluded his Spiritual Energy Cultivation was too low.
• Zhou Shan brought Chu Xing to visit Zhou Ling, and Chu Xing praised Zhou Ling’s cultivation and artifact-crafting skills.
• Chu Xing gave Zhou Ling a Fire Haze Grass, triggering a panel prompt for the [Spirit Medicine Reaction] talent.
• Zhou Shan suggested that Zhou Ling try repairing Chu Xing’s damaged Thick Earth Shield.

Zhou Ling repaired Chu Xing’s damaged Thick Earth Shield, proving his skill as an Inscription Master to the Medicine Seeking Team. Chu Xing arranged to pay him with spirit herbs for future artifact repairs, and Zhou Ling accepted another stalk of Fire Haze Grass.

• Zhou Shan told Chu Xing that Zhou Ling could repair low-rank magic artifacts, and Chu Xing offered his damaged Thick Earth Shield for Zhou Ling to examine.
• Zhou Ling identified the shield’s materials and Seven-Stroke Mountain Earth Engraving, then determined that he could repair its damaged inscription strokes.
• Zhou Ling redrew the damaged Earth inscriptions and restored the Thick Earth Shield’s ability to form a Mountain Earth Seal.
• Chu Xing praised Zhou Ling after testing the repaired shield and offered him Fire Haze Grass as payment.
• Chu Xing proposed that Zhou Ling repair the Medicine Seeking Team’s damaged artifacts in exchange for spirit herbs, and Zhou Ling agreed.

Zhou Ling used Fire Haze Grass to improve his cultivation and then continued practicing Thunder Fire Engravings, successfully refining several Thunder Fire Beads. He finished with four successful beads out of six, earning seven spirit stones and an extra bead.

• Zhou Ling heard Chu Xing and Zhou Shan discuss their upcoming mountain trip and resolved to make a Thunder Fire Bead for his father’s protection.
• Zhou Ling absorbed the Fire Haze Grass despite the pain, and its medicinal power opened two Spiritual Acupoints while restoring and increasing his Spiritual Power.
• Zhou Ling drew a Thunder Fire Engraving on Spirit Paper, then practiced until he could begin engraving a Thunder Fire Bead.
• Zhou Ling failed his first attempt at engraving the artifact, used [Basic Analysis] to learn from it, and succeeded on his next try.
• Zhou Ling refined Thunder Fire Beads over the following days, succeeding with four of the six and earning seven spirit stones plus an extra bead.

Zhou Ling delivered three Thunder Fire Beads to Master Lu and accepted a recurring order for Golden Bristle Spirit Pens, giving him a new source of income. He told his parents he could support his future Dao Academy expenses, leaving them overjoyed as they celebrated his growing independence.

• Zhou Ling delivered three Thunder Fire Beads to Master Lu, who praised his improving inscriptions and paid him after deducting the deposit for three more blanks.
• Master Lu offered Zhou Ling a standing order from Myriad Treasures Pavilion for Golden Bristle Spirit Pens, and Zhou Ling accepted ten blanks to engrave.
• Zhou Ling bought Spirit Wine and Spirit Cake on his way home, where Zhou Shan and Li Ru had prepared supplies for Zhou Shan's trip into the mountains.
• Zhou Ling told his parents that his workshop order would earn him more than ten Low-grade Spirit Stones each month and showed them a Golden Bristle Brush blank.
• Zhou Shan and Li Ru celebrated Zhou Ling's new income, and Li Ru went to cook more dishes while wiping away tears.

Zhou Ling improved his engraving skills, earned spirit stones and spirit medicines through brush sales and artifact repairs, and cultivated for more than nine months. He reached the fourth level of Qi Refining and prepared to try crafting First-order Mid-grade Engravings.

• Zhou Ling learned the Spirit Condensing Engraving and, after switching to wood-element Spirit Ink, successfully engraved Golden Bristle Brushes.
• Zhou Ling sold surplus Golden Bristle Brushes through Yuan Hu and repaired Herb Seekers' Magic Artifacts for spirit medicines, steadily improving his engraving skills.
• Zhou Ling used Fire Haze Grass to cultivate and gave other spirit medicines to Wang Xin, who advanced to refining First-order Mid-grade pills.
• After more than nine months, Zhou Ling opened his thirty-first spiritual acupoint and reached the fourth level of Qi Refining.
• Zhou Ling checked his improved talents and decided to begin trying First-order Mid-grade Engravings.

Zhou Ling reached the fourth level of Qi Refining and began studying the First-order Mid-grade True Fire Engraving so he could make a brewing furnace for his mother. After struggling through several attempts, he told his parents about his breakthrough.

• Zhou Ling realized his cultivation and savings could help him become an Outer Sect Disciple and make a brewing furnace for his mother.
• Zhou Ling studied the True Fire Engraving and, aided by his comprehension, understood its patterns, nodes, and structure.
• Zhou Ling failed his first attempt at drawing the engraving, then analyzed it and discovered that drawing the framework before the patterns conserved spiritual power.
• Zhou Ling completed another engraving attempt, but a faulty connection between its patterns and nodes made it fail.
• Zhou Ling told Zhou Shan and Li Ru that he had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, and both parents stopped what they were doing in surprise.

After reaching the fourth layer of qi condensation, Zhou Ling celebrated with his family and friends while seeking a Steam Fire Engraving pattern for a Crystal Jade brewing furnace. Master Lu gave him a damaged furnace so he could study its engraving, and Zhou Ling headed home with it.

• Zhou Shan and Li Ru decided to celebrate Zhou Ling’s breakthrough by hosting a feast and inviting his friends.
• Zhou Ling and Yuan Hu met Wang Xin at the Dao Academy and invited her to join the feast.
• Zhou Ling visited Master Lu at the Lu Family Workshop, paid a deposit for a Crystal Jade brewing furnace blank, and asked about a Steam Fire Engraving pattern.
• Master Lu showed Zhou Ling a damaged Crystal Jade Brewing Furnace, and Zhou Ling used his talents to analyze its worn Thirteen-Engraving Pattern.
• Master Lu gave Zhou Ling the damaged furnace, which Zhou Ling carried away to study.

Zhou Ling celebrated reaching the fourth level of Qi Condensation with his family and friends, and chopping meat awakened his Sword Control talent. The banquet ended peacefully, while Zhou Ling planned to seek spells and an engraving at the Dao Academy.

• Wang Xin gave Li Ru a Youth Preserving Pill and a Qi Gathering Pill, then helped her prepare the meal.
• Zhou Ling chopped the beast meat and gained progress toward the Sword Control talent.
• Zhou Ling planned to exchange for offensive and protective spells when he returned to the Dao Academy.
• Zhou Shan hosted a banquet where his friends congratulated Zhou Ling and gave him spirit herbs.
• Master Lu gave Zhou Ling a first-grade mid-rank Cloud Pattern Spirit Brush artifact blank.
• After the guests left, Wang Xin and Yuan Hu helped clean up while Zhou Shan drank Spirit Tea.

Zhou Ling completed his study of the Steam Fire Engraving and made an unsuccessful first attempt to draw it before consulting Instructor Fang about mid-grade engravings and swordsmanship. Instructor Fang gave him the incomplete Azure Wind Sword Art, which Zhou Ling began studying with gratitude.

• Zhou Ling observed and copied the Steam Fire Engraving overnight, then failed to draw it successfully and recorded a plan to improve his attempt.
• Zhou Ling asked Instructor Fang about cultivating First-order Mid-grade Engravings, and Instructor Fang praised his progress while warning him not to rush.
• Zhou Ling asked Instructor Fang to recommend a sword art, and Instructor Fang gave him a Jade Slip containing the incomplete Azure Wind Sword Art.
• Zhou Ling studied the sword art’s two layers and learned that they taught basic sword stances and a method for condensing Azure Wind Sword Qi.
• Zhou Ling put away the Jade Slip and went to the dining hall for a meal.