Chapter Summaries

Lu Xuan attended the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild’s grand auction, where he learned that the event offered treasures from Fourth Grade to Seventh Grade across several sessions. After the host explained the rules, the auction began in the Merchant Guild’s mysterious starry tower.

• Lu Xuan kept the Saint Infant Fruit Mother Plant hungry so it would produce more sub-plant Spirit Seeds.
• Lu Xuan went to the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild branch and met Luo Ming and Daoist Mu before entering the auction.
• Lu Xuan and the other cultivators were transported into a vast starry space inside the treasure tower, where they controlled floating meteorites.
• Daoist Mu identified prominent Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators attending the auction for Lu Xuan.
• Daoist Huang explained the auction’s sessions, bidding rules, and dangers, then announced that the auction had begun.

Lu Xuan attended an unusual auction aboard a meteorite and waited for a rare spirit plant to appear. He outbid a Core Formation cultivator and won the Fifth Grade Fiendish Granny Treant for twenty-eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

• Lu Xuan watched the auction and passed on a Fifth Grade Sword Pellet because it was too expensive.
• Lu Xuan bid on an Earth Fire Heart Lotus Spirit Seed but stopped when its price climbed beyond what he considered worthwhile.
• The auctioneer presented a Fifth Grade Fiendish Granny Treant, whose mature tree heart could strengthen the body and aid special divine abilities.
• A Core Formation cultivator and Lu Xuan competed for the Fiendish Granny Treant, and Lu Xuan raised his bid to twenty-eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
• The Core Formation cultivator gave up, and Lu Xuan won the Fiendish Granny Treant.

Lu Xuan collected the Fifth Grade Fiendish Granny Treant sapling he had won and continued bidding at the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild auction. He also won a Rank 5 Giant Spirit Elephant skeleton, then awaited the main auction’s higher-grade treasures.

• Lu Xuan paid for and collected the Fiendish Granny Treant sapling, then soothed and nourished it with Azure Wood Source Qi before storing it in his Gluttony Insect Pouch.
• Lu Xuan returned to the spiritual herb auction, observed that most high-grade plants were naturally found rather than cultivated, and left when no appealing Spirit Seeds appeared.
• Lu Xuan bid on a Fourth Grade Evil Magical Artifact containing Yin Souls but gave up when its price climbed, and a Core Formation Evil Cultivator won it.
• Lu Xuan won the skeleton of a Rank 5 Giant Spirit Elephant for twenty-five thousand Spirit Stones, intending to use it to nurture his Corpse Demon Temple.
• As the branch auction ended, Lu Xuan looked forward to the main auction, where treasures could reach Seventh Grade.

Lu Xuan watched the main auction and bid against several cultivators for the sixth-grade Sitting Buddha Lotus Spirit Seed. He won it for one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

• The auctioneer opened the main auction with the Demon Enchantment Art, which a Core Formation Mid-Stage cultivator bought for over one hundred and twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Lu Xuan considered the auctioned treasures and reflected on the value of the Soul Seizing Blood Palm he owned.
• The auctioneer presented the sixth-grade Sitting Buddha Lotus Spirit Seed, and several cultivators began bidding for it.
• Lu Xuan outbid the barefoot monk and the remaining competitors, insisting that he wanted the Spirit Seed.
• The auctioneer sold the Sitting Buddha Lotus to Lu Xuan for one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

After winning a Sixth Grade Sitting Buddha Lotus Spirit Seed, Lu Xuan watched the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild auction conclude and listened as its treasure building’s Artifact Spirit offered three foreign treasures to anyone who could identify them. Lu Xuan recognized that one was a spirit seed and waited for a chance to examine it as cultivators tried and failed to identify the treasures.

• Lu Xuan received the Sixth Grade Sitting Buddha Lotus Spirit Seed and returned to the crowd, while the auction’s final seventh-grade treasures were sold.
• The Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild auction concluded, and its Treasure Pagoda Little Person Artifact Spirit announced a guessing game with three rare foreign treasures as prizes.
• The Artifact Spirit revealed an ancient beast hide, a seasonal ore, and a spirit seed surrounded by Black Qi and coiled by an evil ghost.
• Lu Xuan recognized the spirit seed as a prize he could identify with his special ability, but held back to avoid drawing attention before the Nascent Soul True Lords.
• Several Core Formation Cultivators made incorrect guesses and were punched back by the Artifact Spirit, while one Core Formation Mid-Stage cultivator remained by the ore after apparently identifying part of it.

Lu Xuan identified the evil-ghost Spirit Seed as a Sixth Grade Ghost Eating Evil Vine by briefly nurturing it in Spirit Soil. He obtained the seed from the Treasure Pagoda Little Person, which concealed his identity from the envious crowd.

• Lu Xuan asked to plant the Spirit Seed in Spirit Soil, and the Treasure Pagoda Little Person allowed him to examine it.
• After nurturing the seed, Lu Xuan recognized it as a Ghost Eating Evil Vine from the Nether Ghost Domain and described its properties.
• Lu Xuan attributed his knowledge to an ancient text from the Heaven Sword Sect and correctly identified the Spirit Seed to the Treasure Pagoda Little Person.
• Lu Xuan asked the Artifact Spirit to keep his identity secret, then received the Ghost Eating Evil Vine.
• The Treasure Pagoda Little Person rearranged the meteorites and strengthened the concealment around hidden cultivators, causing Lu Xuan to disappear from the crowd.

After the auction, Lu Xuan accepted an invitation to become a Guest Elder of the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild because of his Spirit Plant Attainment. He returned to Thunder Fire Star Cave with rare Spirit Seeds and new guild connections, looking forward to gaining access to more high-level Spirit Plants.

• The auction ended after a Nascent Soul True Lord claimed the seasonal ore and another cultivator received a reward for identifying the mysterious beast hide.
• A Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild representative privately congratulated Lu Xuan on obtaining the Ghost Eating Evil Vine Spirit Seed and assured him the guild would keep it secret.
• The representative offered Lu Xuan a Guest Elder position, and Lu Xuan accepted after learning about its pay, duties, and benefits.
• Lu Xuan showed Daoist Mu his Sea Pavilion Token, revealed his new status, and was welcomed into the branch's private areas by Daoist Mu and Daoist Wen.
• Lu Xuan returned to Thunder Fire Star Cave and reviewed his gains, including the Fiendish Granny Treant, Sitting Buddha Lotus, Ghost Eating Evil Vine, and Giant Spirit Elephant skeleton.

Lu Xuan planted three high-grade Spirit Plants and used the Red Dust Tablet to temper his soul and resolve through countless alternate lives. After days of cultivation, he harvested a Purification Glazed Tea Leaf and obtained Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid from its Light Orb.

• Lu Xuan planted the Fiendish Granny Treant, Sitting Buddha Lotus, and Ghost Eating Evil Vine, then planned how to nourish them.
• Lu Xuan entered the Red Dust Tablet and experienced lives marked by hardship, failure, and death, strengthening his resolve to pursue cultivation.
• Lu Xuan continued cultivating Spirit Plants, raising Spirit Beasts, and tempering his mind in the Red Dust Tablet.
• Lu Xuan harvested a mature Purification Glazed Tea Leaf, which could improve comprehension and purify tainted spiritual energy.
• Lu Xuan touched the tea plant's Light Orb and received the Sixth Grade treasure Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid.

Lu Xuan obtained a Sixth Grade Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid that greatly improved his prospects of reaching Core Formation, then spent half a year cultivating Spirit Plants and preparing for the breakthrough. With the Ice Firefly Grass nearing maturity and many other plants close to harvest, he felt everything was ready.

• Lu Xuan opened an Aura Opening Group and obtained a drop of Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid, which could greatly increase his success rate at Core Formation.
• Lu Xuan spent half a year cultivating Spirit Plants, tempering his will and divine soul, and occasionally visiting the Thunder Sea and Sea Pavilion Branch.
• The Cloud Stepping Lynx repeatedly entered the Fiendish Granny Treant's territory and dodged its attacks, while Lu Xuan scolded the lynx and calmed the treant.
• Lu Xuan observed the Ghost Eating Evil Vine and Sitting Buddha Lotus growing, while several mature Spirit Plants approached harvest.
• Lu Xuan saw that the Ice Firefly Grass was nearly mature and concluded that everything was ready for his Core Formation breakthrough.

After harvesting four Ice Firefly Grass, Lu Xuan used the rewards and his preparations to attempt Core Formation in his Cave Mansion. He successfully formed a Golden Core as cultivators nearby watched the breakthrough.

• Lu Xuan harvested four Ice Firefly Grass and gained twenty years of cultivation, an Ice Soul Pill, and other rewards from their light orbs.
• Lu Xuan secured his Cave Mansion with two Fifth Grade formations and began compressing the spiritual liquid in his dantian into spiritual crystals.
• A spiritual energy vortex formed over the Cave Mansion, drawing nearby Core Formation cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including Luo Ming and Lei Zheng.
• Lu Xuan endured the pressure of the breakthrough, using his stored Taishui Meat essence and Saint Infant Pill to sustain his body and spiritual energy.
• Lu Xuan used the Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid to link his Spiritual Sense with the spiritual crystals, then fused them into a Golden Core and joined his Divine Sense with it.

Lu Xuan successfully advanced to the Core Formation Realm and hosted the cultivators drawn to his breakthrough phenomenon. As prominent figures arrived to congratulate him, his standing among Thunder Fire Star Cave’s cultivators rose.

• Lu Xuan examined the changes brought by Core Formation and realized his stronger Spiritual Power would let him cultivate more spirit plants.
• Lu Xuan appeared before the cultivators outside his Cave Mansion, confirmed his successful breakthrough, and invited them inside.
• Lu Xuan served the guests Spirit Fruits and Jade Cleansing Spirit Dew while presenting himself as a devoted Spirit Plant Master and meeting several Core Formation True Persons.
• Star Envoy Qi Wuheng arrived to congratulate Lu Xuan, prompting the guests to reassess his influence.
• Yan Jiu'an of the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild announced his visit with a junior, surprising the assembled cultivators.

After Lu Xuan advanced to Core Formation, Yan Jiu'an and Daoist Mu visited his Cave Mansion, where Qi Wuheng and other cultivators gathered to congratulate him. They gave Lu Xuan valuable gifts, including a Snow Barrier Ice Jade Lotus Spirit Seed and Five-Colored Soil, which he used to prepare a field for the Five Elements Fruit.

• Yan Jiu'an brought Daoist Mu to Lu Xuan's Cave Mansion to congratulate him on reaching Core Formation.
• Yan Jiu'an revealed that Lu Xuan was already a Guest Elder of the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild, impressing the assembled cultivators.
• Qi Wuheng presented Lu Xuan with a fifth-grade Snow Barrier Ice Jade Lotus Spirit Seed in gratitude for healing his Spirit Beast.
• Yan Jiu'an gave Lu Xuan Five-Colored Soil, and the other guests offered their own congratulatory gifts.
• After the guests left, Lu Xuan spread the Five-Colored Soil over a section of his Spirit Field to cultivate the Five Elements Fruit.

Lu Xuan planted a Snow Barrier Ice Jade Lotus and harvested a Purification Glazed Tea Leaf, whose light orb rewarded him with the Sixth Grade cultivation method "Profound Heaven Pure Subtle Method." The tea leaf boosted his comprehension enough to begin understanding the method, though mastering it would take much longer.

• Lu Xuan planted the Snow Barrier Ice Jade Lotus Spirit Seed inside a piece of Hundred-Year Ice Soul and planned to nourish it with Underworld Spring Spiritual Dew.
• Lu Xuan found a Purification Glazed Tea Leaf had matured, harvested it, and stored it in a Jade Box.
• Lu Xuan touched the leaf’s light orb and received the Sixth Grade cultivation method "Profound Heaven Pure Subtle Method," which could carry him to Core Formation Completion and restrain evil arts.
• Lu Xuan struggled to understand the method, ate a Purification Glazed Tea Leaf, and used its boost to gain a preliminary understanding of the text.
• Lu Xuan regretted that only one tea leaf remained, after the two harvested leaves had yielded rare treasures.

After forming his Core, Lu Xuan chose the Gluttony Insect Pouch and Peacock King Ming Sword to refine into magical treasures and settled back into his routine. Harvesting mature Ice Firefly Grass earned him cultivation, Ice Marrow Spirit Wine, and its brewing recipe, while he decided to focus on producing more Ice Firefly Grass seeds.

• Lu Xuan decided to refine the Gluttony Insect Pouch and Peacock King Ming Sword into magical treasures, while keeping his other treasures for later.
• After many cultivators visited him following his breakthrough, Lu Xuan resumed cultivating spirit plants and studying the Profound Heaven Pure Subtle Method.
• Lu Xuan harvested four mature Ice Firefly Grass plants and received eight years of cultivation, Ice Marrow Spirit Wine, and its brewing recipe from their light orbs.
• Lu Xuan decided to reserve more Ice Firefly Grass plants for seed condensation and stop harvesting Water Firefly Grass for now.

Lu Xuan cultivated his Spirit Plants in Thunder Fire Star Cave, observed their growth and rivalries, and anticipated several upcoming harvests. After a month, he obtained another drop of Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid, continued refining his sword, and began cultivating the Profound Heaven Pure Subtle Method.

• Lu Xuan surveyed his thunder-attribute Spirit Plants and found that the Azure Wood Spirit Thunder Vine had finally sprouted.
• Lu Xuan fed Grievance Souls to the Ghost Eating Evil Vine and flesh and blood to the Flesh Spirit God, whose strength had reached roughly Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
• The Demon Ghost Vine easily defeated the Fiendish Granny Treant and declared itself the strongest Spirit Plant in the Cave Mansion.
• Lu Xuan assessed his Netherworld Spirit Plants and noted that several high-grade plants, including the Phoenix Wood, were nearing maturity.
• A month later, Lu Xuan harvested a drop of Marrow Cleansing Jade Liquid, continued refining the Peacock King Ming Sword, and began cultivating the Profound Heaven Pure Subtle Method.

Lu Xuan left his Cave Mansion to seek resources and arrange a shop in Star Plucking Tower where he could sell his surplus treasures. Daoist Mu gave him a possible location for a Yuan Magnetic Spirit Mountain and agreed to search for a Confucian cultivator and help him find a shop.

• Lu Xuan decided to look for a Yuan Magnetic Spirit Mountain, a Confucian cultivator to study his treasure, and a shop where he could sell surplus goods.
• Lu Xuan visited Star Plucking Tower and asked Daoist Mu about the Yuan Magnetic Spirit Mountain he had previously heard about.
• Daoist Mu said a clan senior had found a Yuan Magnetic Spirit Mountain on Yuan Feng Island more than two hundred years earlier.
• Lu Xuan asked Daoist Mu to find a Confucian cultivator who could help him uncover the secrets of his Confucian Dao Treasure.
• Lu Xuan explained that he wanted to sell treasures to support his cultivation and asked about renting or buying a shop; Daoist Mu promised to make inquiries.

Lu Xuan arranged to open a shop in Star Plucking Tower and hired Wen Qian to manage it. With a three-year lease and a trustworthy shopkeeper secured, You Jian General Store was ready to begin operating.

• Lu Xuan asked Daoist Mu for help finding a shop and a reliable cultivator to manage it.
• Lu Xuan identified unusual spirit plants for the Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild while withholding some details to avoid drawing attention.
• Daoist Mu showed Lu Xuan a shop in Star Plucking Tower, and Lu Xuan agreed to rent it for three years.
• Lu Xuan named the shop You Jian General Store and asked Daoist Mu to find a shopkeeper from the merchant association.
• Daoist Mu introduced Wen Qian, and Lu Xuan hired him after they established a contract, offering him three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones per month.

Lu Xuan stocked You Jian General Store with rare pills, talismans, and magic tools, then left Wen Qian in charge of managing it. A curious young cultivator entered and was astonished by the shop’s valuable treasures, including Rank 4 Sword Talismans.

• Lu Xuan gave Wen Qian a large assortment of pills and treasures to categorize, price, and display in You Jian General Store.
• Wen Qian recognized the rarity of the stock, and Lu Xuan chose Rank 4 Sword Talismans as the shop’s Store’s Treasure.
• Lu Xuan handed the shop’s management to Wen Qian and advised him to learn about Spirit Plants.
• After Lu Xuan left, a Qi Refining High Stage young man entered the shop and marveled at its Foundation Establishment Pills, Third-grade treasures, Sword Nurturing Gourds, and Rank 4 Sword Talisman.

You Jian General Store’s rare treasures drew crowds and strengthened its reputation, while Wen Qian turned away a threatening buyer by invoking the shop’s powerful backing. Lu Xuan also received news from Daoist Mu about where two Confucian cultivators lived in Heavenly Star Grotto.

• A young cultivator chose a Sword Nurturing Gourd over a Foundation Establishment Pill because it was cheaper and suited his immediate needs.
• You Jian General Store became known for fine goods, and cultivators began lining up for its regular releases of rare Rank 4 treasures.
• Wen Qian sold a Great Sun Sword Talisman to the first cultivator in line, following the shop’s usual rules despite other buyers’ offers.
• A cultivator from the Xinyang Wang Family tried to pressure Wen Qian into selling another Sword Talisman, but Wen Qian warned him that the shop’s owner was a Core Formation True Person and a Sea Pavilion Merchant Guild Guest Elder.
• Daoist Mu told Lu Xuan where two Confucian cultivators could be found in Heavenly Star Grotto.

Lu Xuan met two Confucian cultivators and weighed their suitability for helping nurture the Nine Confucian Treasure Tree. He favored Hong Qinghai, offering to help him reach Foundation Establishment if he completed a task, and Hong eagerly accepted.

• Daoist Mu brought Lu Xuan to meet Zhang Yingqi, a disguised Foundation Establishment Confucian cultivator who had fled the Great Xia Territory after his clan was destroyed.
• Zhang Yingqi explained that a powerful aristocratic family had seized his clan’s Confucian Dao cultivation method and killed those who resisted.
• Daoist Mu introduced Lu Xuan to Hong Qinghai, a Qi Refining Completion cultivator who had left the Great Xia Territory after being oppressed by a great scholar’s son.
• Lu Xuan judged Hong Qinghai more likely to settle in Heavenly Star Grotto, despite his lower cultivation, and asked whether he would follow him and complete a task.
• Lu Xuan promised to help Hong Qinghai break through to Foundation Establishment if he satisfied him, and Hong Qinghai dropped to one knee and accepted.