Chapter Summaries

Lu Xuan planted Copper Bone Bamboo, learned it needed ore to grow well, and declined Wu Wenjing’s suggestion to explore a secret realm. After harvesting Blood Jade Ginseng and receiving rewards, he left four plants unharvested to test Hundred Herbs Hall’s Seed Condensation Method.

• Lu Xuan planted five Copper Bone Bamboos and learned that copper-iron ore or spirit ore could speed their growth.
• Wu Wenjing told Lu Xuan that the Wang Family had opened the secret realm’s outer area to rogue cultivators and admitted he was tempted to seek opportunities there.
• Lu Xuan warned Wu Wenjing about the dangers posed by other cultivators, and Wu Wenjing decided to remain in the Marketplace.
• Lu Xuan bought a small amount of ore to test on the Copper Bone Bamboo and harvested five Blood Jade Ginsengs, receiving three Blood Spirit Pills and two Blood Burning Arrow experience packs.
• Lu Xuan left four Blood Jade Ginsengs unharvested so he could try using Hundred Herbs Hall’s Seed Condensation Method on them.

Lu Xuan continued cultivating his Spirit Plants and caring for the Cloud Stepping Lynx while the market grew restless over a newly opened Secret Realm. Harvesting the first mature Spirit Firefly Grass brought him enough cultivation to advance to Qi Refining Stage 7.

• Lu Xuan nurtured Blood Jade Ginseng seeds and tended the Spirit Firefly Grass, whose growth he accelerated with the Wood Genesis Art.
• The Cloud Stepping Lynx caught the last Red-Beard Carp, and Lu Xuan harvested its White Light Orb to obtain the Wood Wall Technique.
• Lu Xuan and the Cloud Stepping Lynx cooked and ate the Red-Beard Carp together.
• Lu Xuan found ten mature Spirit Firefly Grass plants, harvested them, and received cultivation rewards from five White Light Orbs.
• The added Spiritual Power pushed Lu Xuan from Qi Refining Stage 6 to Qi Refining Stage 7.

Lu Xuan inspected his spirit plants, absorbed a Gold Metal Swordplay experience pack, and decided to raise aquatic demon beasts in his spirit spring. At the Rogue Cultivator Market, he bought four Iron Pincer Crab young beasts, choosing the one that had challenged him first.

• Lu Xuan harvested First Grade Talismans, Grass Spirit Essence Liquid, and a Gold Metal Swordplay experience pack from mature Spirit Firefly Grass, reaching Grandmaster Realm in the sword art.
• Lu Xuan checked his other spirit plants and decided to fill the Spirit Spring Pool with edible aquatic demon beasts.
• Lu Xuan went to the Rogue Cultivator Market and heard cultivators discussing treasures found in the newly explored Secret Realm.
• Lu Xuan visited a demon beast shop and examined its Rank 1 Iron Pincer Crabs.
• Lu Xuan bargained for four young Iron Pincer Crabs at twenty Spirit Stones each and picked the crab that had waved its pincers at him.

Lu Xuan brought four young Iron Pincer Crabs home, had the Cloud Stepping Lynx tame them, and set the Grass Puppet to return any escapees to the Spirit Spring Pool. He then put their powerful pincers to work breaking Fine Iron Ore for the Copper Bone Bamboo.

• Lu Xuan bought four young Iron Pincer Crabs and had the Cloud Stepping Lynx beat them into submission before releasing them into the Spirit Spring Pool.
• Lu Xuan learned how to feed and raise the Iron Pincer Crabs, then built a barrier around the Pure Snow Lotus to protect it from their clamping.
• Lu Xuan ordered the Grass Puppet to patrol the pool, and that night it caught an escaping crab and dropped it back into the water.
• The next morning, Lu Xuan fed the crabs Spirit Rice and tested their pincers by having them split Fine Iron Ore.
• Lu Xuan set all four Iron Pincer Crabs to breaking ore, easing the work of preparing Copper-Iron Ore for the Copper Bone Bamboo.

Lu Xuan harvested his first mature Second Grade Spirit Plant, the Dark Marrow Mushroom, and received a third-grade Concealing Spirit Cloak as its Light Orb reward. He tested its concealment, then checked on his nearly mature Sword Grass and found fifteen mature Spirit Firefly Grass plants.

• Lu Xuan collected twenty-eight Spirit Seeds from four Blood Jade Ginseng plants but received no Light Orb reward when he harvested them.
• Lu Xuan discovered that his Second Grade Dark Marrow Mushroom had matured at Good Grade and harvested it.
• Lu Xuan received a third-grade Concealing Spirit Cloak from the Dark Marrow Mushroom’s Light Orb.
• Lu Xuan tested the cloak’s concealment, noting its heavy Spiritual Power consumption and limited duration as the Cloud Stepping Lynx reacted to his disappearance.
• Lu Xuan checked the nearly mature Sword Grass and found fifteen fully mature Spirit Firefly Grass plants.

Lu Xuan harvested his mature Spirit Firefly Grass and collected cultivation, talismans, and pills from its light orbs. He then harvested a Superior Grade Sword Grass and obtained a Third Grade Swift Lightning Sword Pellet, leaving him confident in his growing strength and cultivation plan.

• Lu Xuan harvested fifteen Spirit Firefly Grass plants, gaining cultivation, talismans, and essence-nurturing pills from their light orbs.
• Lu Xuan studied a spirit-plant book, ate lunch with the Cloud Stepping Lynx, and made the Iron Pincer Crab young beasts break Fine Iron Ore.
• Lu Xuan harvested a mature Superior Grade Sword Grass and learned that it could serve as a natural sword weapon.
• Lu Xuan collected a Third Grade Swift Lightning Sword Pellet from the Sword Grass's light orb and tested its sword qi, discovering its immense power and heavy Spiritual Power cost.
• Lu Xuan assessed his weapons and defenses, then resolved to grow Spirit Firefly Grass for cultivation while cultivating higher-grade Spirit Plants for their rewards.

Wang Ruhai and Li Jianfeng invited Lu Xuan to enter a newly discovered Secret Realm and identify and harvest unusual spirit plants for the Wang Family. Lu Xuan accepted, advanced to Qi Refining Stage 8 by harvesting his Spirit Firefly Grass, prepared his spirit field for his absence, and left with the two cultivators.

• Wang Ruhai and Li Jianfeng arrived at Lu Xuan’s courtyard and invited him to work in the Wang Family’s Secret Realm.
• Wang Ruhai explained that the family needed Spirit Plant Masters to distinguish and harvest unusual Second Grade Spirit Plants infested with strange insects.
• Lu Xuan weighed the danger of refusing the Wang Family against the risks of entering the Secret Realm and decided to go, setting rules for how he would act there.
• Lu Xuan harvested his remaining ninety-five stalks of Spirit Firefly Grass, gained over ten years of cultivation, and advanced to Qi Refining Stage 8.
• Lu Xuan transplanted his Third Grade Spirit Plants, left the Grass Puppet to watch the spirit field, asked Manager He to check on it, and departed with Wang Ruhai and Li Jianfeng.

Lu Xuan traveled with Wang Family cultivators and Spirit Plant Masters into a Secret Realm to harvest mutated Dragon Beard Grass. After receiving an advance payment, he decided to avoid danger and let the other Spirit Plant Masters take the lead.

• Lu Xuan met He Ping on the Iron Feather Eagle, and He Ping explained the different kinds of Secret Realms.
• Wang Ruhai and Li Jianfeng led Lu Xuan and the Spirit Plant Masters through the Secret Realm entrance to a mountain covered in Dragon Beard Grass.
• Wang Ruhai explained that the mutated grass could attack during or after harvesting and asked the Spirit Plant Masters to identify and process it.
• Wang Ruhai gave each Spirit Plant Master one hundred Spirit Stones in advance and promised further rewards.
• Lu Xuan accepted his payment and resolved to follow behind the others rather than risk himself harvesting the grass.

Lu Xuan investigated the mutated Dragon Beard Grass and discovered how to identify it, then found a dormant Third Grade Ghost Face Stone Mushroom. He left the other Spirit Plant Masters unaware of his discovery and learned that the mushroom needed a pill made from Grievance Souls to awaken.

• Lu Xuan observed the Spirit Plant Masters struggle to distinguish normal Dragon Beard Grass from mutated stalks while the tendrils occasionally attacked cultivators.
• Lu Xuan harvested and replanted Dragon Beard Grass, discovering that mutated filaments reacted to both fire and ice techniques and identifying one mutated stalk.
• Lu Xuan realized that personally planting a spirit plant let him sense its real-time condition and detailed information, though a transplanted plant likely would not yield a Light Orb reward.
• Lu Xuan secretly continued testing plants and discovered a mushroom-shaped stone beneath a strange rock.
• Lu Xuan planted the stone and learned that it was a dormant Third Grade Ghost Face Stone Mushroom that fed on Grievance Souls and needed a pill made from them to awaken.

Lu Xuan discovered that the strange stones in the Secret Realm were dormant Third Grade Ghost Face Stone Mushrooms, but concealed their value from the Wang Family and the other Spirit Plant Masters. He secretly retrieved one at night and planned to find Grievance Souls to awaken it after leaving the Secret Realm.

• Lu Xuan identified a strange stone as a dormant Third Grade Ghost Face Stone Mushroom and found two more while searching the mountainside.
• Lu Xuan pretended to mistake a Ghost Face Stone Mushroom for a worthless stone and let Li Jianfeng confirm that the Wang Family had dismissed the stones as junk.
• Lu Xuan and the other Spirit Plant Masters spent the afternoon struggling to distinguish normal Dragon Beard Grass from Mutated Dragon Beard Grass, while Wang Ruhai returned with a demon beast corpse.
• Lu Xuan used his Concealing Spirit Cloak to sneak out at midnight and retrieve one Ghost Face Stone Mushroom.
• Lu Xuan replenished his Spiritual Power and planned to collect the remaining mushrooms gradually and awaken them with Grievance Souls after leaving the Secret Realm.

Lu Xuan discovered that an Evil Spirit had infiltrated the Wang Family camp and used his Cloud Stepping Lynx and Spirit Fruit to identify Wang Ruhai as its host. The Evil Spirit was a Strange-Class Parasitic Skin that occupied a cultivator’s body, and Lu Xuan had just uncovered its identity.

• Lu Xuan secretly collected Ghost Face Stone Mushrooms while helping inspect Dragon Beard Grass and used Sword Qi Talismans to destroy several attacking Mutated Dragon Beard Grass.
• After sensing his Flawless Jade grow icy near camp, Lu Xuan concluded that an Evil Spirit had infiltrated the Wang Family members.
• Lu Xuan brought out the Cloud Stepping Lynx and took it into the Wang Family’s quarters to search for the Evil Spirit.
• The Cloud Stepping Lynx reacted to Wang Ruhai, and Lu Xuan offered him and Li Jianfeng Spirit Fruit.
• After Wang Ruhai ate the fruit, Lu Xuan identified him as the host of a Strange-Class Evil Spirit called Parasitic Skin.

Lu Xuan discovered that feeding Spirit Fruits to Wang Ruhai had revealed the Evil Spirit possessing him, so he secretly warned Li Jianfeng and fled when the creature exposed itself. After Li Jianfeng claimed to have killed the Evil Spirit and found Lu Xuan, Lu Xuan suspected that he was also possessed and demanded a countersign.

• Lu Xuan concluded that reporting the Evil Spirit to someone else was safer than confronting it himself, then secretly warned Li Jianfeng with a paper note.
• After a Spirit Plant Master named Xia disappeared, Li Jianfeng kept watch and the Evil Spirit emerged from Wang Ruhai’s body as a Pale Skin.
• Li Jianfeng attacked the Pale Skin, while Lu Xuan and several other Spirit Plant Masters fled the camp.
• Lu Xuan headed toward the Secret Realm’s outer region and later encountered Li Jianfeng, who said he had dealt with Wang Ruhai and the Evil Spirit.
• Lu Xuan pointed his sword at Li Jianfeng and demanded their countersign to prove he was not an Evil Spirit.

Lu Xuan discovered that the supposed Li Jianfeng was a Parasitic Skin and destroyed it after it revealed the skins of several murdered cultivators. He left the Secret Realm with Li Jianfeng’s Storage Bag, eager to return to his courtyard.

• Lu Xuan feigned trust in Li Jianfeng, then struck him with the Red Thread Needle and a sword attack after realizing his severe wounds had not affected him.
• The Parasitic Skin peeled away its disguises, revealing familiar faces among the stolen skins, and sent them flying at Lu Xuan.
• Lu Xuan destroyed the attacking skins with three Second Grade Myriad Sword Qi Talismans, then used the Flawless Jade and a Blood-Red Arrow to counter the Parasitic Skin’s soul-shaking attack.
• Lu Xuan unleashed the Swift Lightning Sword Pellet to shred the Parasitic Skin, purified the battlefield, and burned the remains to ash.
• Lu Xuan took Li Jianfeng’s Storage Bag, buried his ashes, and headed toward the Secret Realm’s outskirts after replenishing his blood and qi.
• Lu Xuan found Dragon Beard Grass, pills, Magic Tools, Talismans, and Spirit Stones in the Storage Bag, and continued toward the exit rather than searching for more loot.

Lu Xuan escaped a trap set by three cultivators and later received an Ancient Sword Sheath that seemed connected to his Swift Lightning Sword Pellet. He vanished beneath his Concealing Spirit Cloak as a Blood Skeleton searched for the sheath, leaving its whereabouts unknown.

• Lu Xuan asked three cultivators to guide him out of the Secret Realm, then killed them after they lured him close and attacked.
• Lu Xuan checked their Storage Bags and found only a modest haul of Spirit Stones, pills, Talismans, and low-grade materials.
• The Wang Family Head and other cultivators broke the restriction outside the Palace and scrambled to seize the treasures inside.
• Lu Xuan's Swift Lightning Sword Pellet began trembling, and an Ancient Sword Sheath flew to him and stopped against his dantian.
• Lu Xuan's Concealing Spirit Cloak made him vanish, and a Blood Skeleton searched the area for the sword sheath before heading north.

Lu Xuan escaped the Ghoul-Class Skeleton and met Heaven Sword Sect cultivators who recognized his Sword Grass. Su Manman gave him an Azure Cloud Token and invited him to join the sect, leaving him considering a new path.

• Lu Xuan hid from the Blood Skeleton, replenished his Spiritual Power, and made his way toward the secret realm’s outskirts.
• Su Manman and Senior Brother Zhang stopped Lu Xuan and asked about the Sword Grass he carried.
• Lu Xuan explained that he had cultivated the Sword Grass himself, and Su Manman offered him an Azure Cloud Token to help him join Heaven Sword Sect.
• Su Manman showed Lu Xuan her Fourth Grade Sword Peacock, whose Sword Qi spread like a peacock’s tail.
• After Lu Xuan accepted the token, Su Manman told Senior Brother Zhang she believed his talent could make him a valuable Spirit Plant Master for the sect.

Lu Xuan returned safely from the Secret Realm to Vast Forest Market and checked on his courtyard, Spirit Plants, and accumulated gains. He replanted and tended his plants, then concluded that quiet cultivation was preferable to the dangers of exploring Secret Realms.

• Lu Xuan returned to Vast Forest Market with the help of two cultivators and learned from Wu Wenjing that Zhang Xiuyuan and Manager He had visited while he was away.
• Lu Xuan inspected the Spirit Field, found the four Iron Pincer Crab Young Beasts hungry, and saw that the Pure Snow Lotus had grown a lotus seedpod.
• Lu Xuan tended the Clear and Wonderful Spirit Tea and Copper Bone Bamboo, let the Cloud Stepping Lynx out, and replanted the Illusory Mist Luo Fruit and Flood Dragon Vine.
• Lu Xuan reviewed his rewards, including five dormant Ghost Face Stone Mushrooms, Dragon Beard Grass, Spirit Stones, magic tools, and the Azure Cloud Token.
• Lu Xuan reflected on the dangers and profits of Secret Realm exploration and decided that quietly cultivating Spirit Plants suited him better.

After returning from the Secret Realm, Lu Xuan decided to prepare to leave Vast Forest Market and seek entry into the Heaven Sword Sect. He told Manager He that Wang Ruhai’s negligence had caused the disaster, shifting blame from the surviving Spirit Plant Masters as the Wang Family faced pressure from the market’s other powers.

• Lu Xuan considered leaving Vast Forest Market after the Secret Realm trip exposed how little control a rogue cultivator had, and settled on joining a sect, especially the Heaven Sword Sect with the Azure Cloud Token.
• Lu Xuan returned to Hundred Herbs Hall and reassured Manager He that he had survived the evil spirit invasion in the Secret Realm.
• Lu Xuan told Manager He that He Ping had likely been killed by an evil spirit while fleeing.
• Lu Xuan said Wang Ruhai had left the camp to explore alone and brought the evil spirit upon the group through his negligence.
• Manager He concluded that the Wang Family would have to answer to the other market powers, leaving Lu Xuan less likely to be blamed.

Lu Xuan prepared to leave Vast Forest Market for Heaven Sword Sect, selling his harvested plants and other gains to afford passage on a Myriad Manifestation Ship. Before departing, he harvested the Pure Snow Lotus and obtained Sweet Dew Ointment, then packed his plants, spirit pet, and other possessions for the journey.

• Lu Xuan bought two hundred Spirit Firefly Grass seeds from Manager He and sold four diseased Second Grade Spirit Plants at Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion for 340 Spirit Stones.
• Lu Xuan paid 200 Spirit Stones for a Fourth-Class room on a Myriad Manifestation Ship bound for Sword Gate Town, which would depart in about ten days.
• Lu Xuan sold his demon beast materials, spirit grasses, medicines, Magic Tools, and Storage Bags, raising his wealth to two thousand Spirit Stones, and bought Yu Jie's Azure Water Python Blood.
• Lu Xuan bid farewell to Zhang Xiuyuan and Manager He, then harvested sixteen Pure Snow Lotus seeds and collected a White Light Orb that gave him a bottle of Sweet Dew Ointment.
• Lu Xuan packed his Spirit Plants, Iron Pincer Crab, Cloud Stepping Lynx, Grass Puppet, and Mist Concealing Formation into his bags as he prepared to leave.

After arriving in Sword Gate Town, Lu Xuan waited for Heaven Sword Sect to recruit Outer Sect Disciples while searching the market for unfamiliar spirit seeds. He showed Bai Li Jian Qing his Superior Grade Second Grade Sword Grass and offered to help him obtain a high-quality one in exchange for answers.

• Lu Xuan arrived in Sword Gate Town aboard the Myriad Manifestation Ship and booked a room while waiting for Heaven Sword Sect's recruitment.
• Lu Xuan checked the spirit plants and Spirit Beasts in his Life-Preserving Bag and found they had remained healthy during the journey.
• After nearly twenty days in town, Lu Xuan failed to find an unfamiliar spirit seed and chose not to buy ordinary seeds before joining the sect.
• Bai Li Jian Qing told Lu Xuan about his longing for Heaven Sword Sect's Sword Grass and his hope of becoming an Outer Sect Disciple.
• Lu Xuan showed Bai Li Jian Qing his Superior Grade Second Grade Sword Grass and offered to help him obtain a high-quality one if he answered some questions.

Lu Xuan learned about life in the Heaven Sword Sect and joined the prospective disciples traveling to the sect. He entered through its formidable protective formation and arrived amid its rich Spiritual Power and spectacular grounds.

• Lu Xuan asked Bai Li Jian Qing about the Heaven Sword Sect and explained that he planned to focus on cultivating Spirit Plants and raising Spirit Beasts.
• Lu Xuan and Bai Li Jian Qing used their Azure Cloud Tokens to join the short screening line and passed the initial admission check.
• A Heaven Sword Sect Outer Disciple took Lu Xuan and the other prospective disciples aboard a Flying Boat toward the sect.
• The Outer Disciple introduced the Zhou Tian Star Fighting Sword Formation and the Town Mountain Turtle guarding the entrance.
• Lu Xuan passed through the formation and admired the sect’s abundant Spiritual Power, mountains, rivers, and roaming spirit creatures.