Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi rejected Yuan Qinghua’s plan to sell his calligraphy and instead gave him treasures to organize a major auction for Zimo Xuan. He also ordered Yuan to advertise for rare Five Elements materials, hoping ordinary people might bring them in.

• Yuan Qinghua told Xu Yi that buyers would pay enormous sums for his calligraphy, but Xu Yi refused to sell his writing and warned him to run Zimo Xuan properly.
• Xu Yi produced Sumeru Rings, blood weapons, magic robes, Precious Medicine, and refining materials for Yuan Qinghua to sell through an auction.
• Yuan Qinghua chose magic robes and a Sumeru Ring, then discovered the ring held five cubic feet of space and realized it could headline a prestigious auction.
• Xu Yi told Yuan Qinghua to accept gold notes and post notices offering high prices for Blue Crystal, Flame Fruit, and Taiyi Divine Wood.
• Xu Yi reasoned that ordinary farmers, woodcutters, or low-level cultivators might find the rare materials, and Yuan Qinghua left to prepare the auction.

Xu Yi reviewed the writings and techniques he had collected while preparing for Yan Zi’s breakthrough. After mastering the Still Water Art’s calming effect and studying two rare techniques, he grew eager to test the Sound Interception Technique but held back so Yan Zi could focus on regulating her condition.

• Yuan Qinghua fled after Xu Yi offered him chores at Futuo Mountain, and Xu Yi asked him to send any ducks there.
• Xu Yi told Yan Zi to spend three days regulating her condition before beginning her breakthrough at midnight, and promised not to cultivate meanwhile.
• Xu Yi examined his collected writings and identified the Still Water Art, Great Evolution Footwork, and Sound Interception Technique as rare treasures.
• Xu Yi used the Still Water Art to calm his mind quickly and found that the Great Evolution Footwork applied mathematics to martial arts.
• Xu Yi learned that the Sound Interception Technique duplicated sound waves through refined True Qi control and exceptional perception, then chose not to disturb Yan Zi to test it.

Xu Yi mastered the Sound Interception Technique, forged five flawless flying spears, and helped Yan Zi break through to form a Black Purple Lake. The chapter ended with a young farmer learning that Landlord Zhou's family had taken his sister-in-law and racing home.

• Xu Yi practiced the Sound Interception Technique through the night and successfully reproduced his own voice and longer passages.
• Xu Yi forged five flawless flying spears, then rested and meditated before returning to Yan Zi.
• Yan Zi consumed three Divine Essence Pills with Xu Yi's help, shattered her dantian, and formed a Black Purple Lake.
• Xu Yi gave Yan Zi a Top-grade Qi Replenishing Pill and advice for consolidating her cultivation.
• A young farmer learned from his little sister that Landlord Zhou's family had taken his sister-in-law and ran toward home.

Xu Yi endured twelve days of nightmares while cultivating with the Life and Death Realm, then left the mountain to collect supplies and make arrangements for Yan Zi. After checking on Zimo Xuan’s business, he boarded a Rail Train and doubled back to the bustling shop.

• Xu Yi woke from a vivid nightmare and reflected on the daily horrors caused by sending his mind into the Life and Death Realm.
• Xu Yi told Yan Zi he was leaving, gave her a Sumeru Ring with supplies, pills, and a cultivation manual, and took the new robes she had made for him.
• Xu Yi visited Zimo Xuan, where Yuan Qinghua gave him the purchased supplies and reported that Marquis Anqing’s help had secured a rare Netherflame Bottle.
• Xu Yi rejected Yuan Qinghua’s suggestion to rely further on Marquis Anqing and heard that Zimo Xuan’s auctions and concealment formation were attracting customers.
• Xu Yi left Zimo Xuan, boarded the Rail Train, rode two stops, doubled back, and returned to the shop.

Xu Yi entered Azure Dragon Mountain and stopped by a river, where Prince Pu'an Yi and his men waited above him to kill him. Brother Tianfang suspected Xu Yi had noticed their pursuit, but Prince Pu'an Yi dismissed the concern and agreed to wait before making their move.

• Xu Yi asked Yuan Qinghua to pack food, then left the city and ran into Azure Dragon Mountain.
• Xu Yi stopped beside a tributary of the Azure Dragon River and fell asleep beneath a crooked tree.
• Prince Pu'an Yi watched Xu Yi from a dragon boat and discussed his plan to kill him with Jiu Toutuo, Brother Tianfang, and Brother Jianming.
• Brother Tianfang pointed out that Xu Yi's return to Zimo Xuan before leaving the city might mean he had detected the pursuit.
• Prince Pu'an Yi dismissed Brother Tianfang's suspicion and decided to wait, while Brother Tianfang claimed Xu Yi's spirit for himself after his death.

Xu Yi lured his pursuers into an underwater cavern and used the terrain to ambush them. As the cave collapsed, Jiu Toutuo and the armored soldiers’ leader were struck down, leaving the fight’s outcome unresolved.

• Prince Pu'an Yi and Brother Tianfang arranged to capture Xu Yi and preserve his Yin Soul, while Jiu Toutuo and the Blind Daoist were brought in to help.
• Xu Yi noticed the pursuit, left the city deliberately, and dove into the river as Jiu Toutuo and the others chased him.
• Jiu Toutuo’s Killing Intent wounded Xu Yi, but Xu Yi used his perception and underwater knowledge to evade the eleven pursuers and reach a submerged karst cavern.
• Xu Yi darted through the cavern and triggered an explosion that sent stalactites and rubble crashing down on the surrounding pursuers.
• Jiu Toutuo and the burly leader were struck during the cave-in and lost consciousness.

Xu Yi ambushed and killed the eleven men sent to capture him, then dragged the last survivor beneath the river. Prince Pu'an Yi had wagered with Brother Tianfang on whose men would surface first, and he watched in horror as the corpses emerged.

• Xu Yi used the explosion and rockslide to kill Jiu Toutuo, the burly man, and five more attackers.
• Xu Yi killed three of the four remaining men as they approached, then pursued the last two when they fled.
• Xu Yi caught and killed the final soldier as he reached the surface of the river.
• Prince Pu'an Yi wagered five hundred thousand gold coins and Xu Yi's soul with Brother Tianfang on whose men would surface first.
• Prince Pu'an Yi watched the eleven men emerge as corpses and realized Xu Yi had killed them all.
• Brother Tianfang told Prince Pu'an Yi that he had won the wager because his men surfaced first.

Chen Tianfang revealed that he wanted Xu Yi’s spirit and poetry for himself, then attacked him with Blind Daoist’s help. Xu Yi endured their assaults and resisted the Soul-Summoning Banner, leaving both men stunned by his strange resilience.

• Blind Daoist struck Prince Pu'an Yi, extracted his spirit, and sealed it inside the Soul-Summoning Banner.
• Chen Tianfang used Prince Pu'an Yi’s corpse and Sumeru Ring to try to lure Xu Yi from the river, but Xu Yi surfaced and identified him as the Imperial Guard Commander.
• Chen Tianfang admitted he wanted Xu Yi’s spirit so he could learn his poems and build his own literary fame.
• Chen Tianfang attacked Xu Yi with the Startling Swan Sword, but its sword light failed to injure him.
• Chen Tianfang fired Baleful Intent needles into Xu Yi, leaving bloody holes without stopping his charge.
• Blind Daoist shook the Soul-Summoning Banner to pull out Xu Yi’s spirit, but it could not draw out his spirit or blood.

Xu Yi survived a close-range Heavenly Thunder Pearl explosion, killed Chen Tianfang, and fled deep into Azure Dragon Mountain. He found the hidden cave he had sought and reached a fiery underground chamber, where a small white firebird lay trapped on the ground.

• The Original Ghost escaped the Soul-Summoning Banner, devoured the Blind Daoist, and was destroyed by Chen Tianfang with a Heavenly Thunder Pearl.
• Chen Tianfang chased Xu Yi, but Xu Yi turned back and detonated a Heavenly Thunder Pearl to conceal his attack with the Crimson Short Sword and Wailing Stick.
• Xu Yi killed Chen Tianfang, took his Sumeru Ring, and recovered from his injuries by swallowing pills.
• Xu Yi flew southwest for a day and night, reaching a volcanic wasteland deep in the southern hinterlands of Azure Dragon Mountain.
• Xu Yi found a hidden cave and descended into its scorching depths, where he saw a small white firebird made of flame, unable to leave the ground.

Xu Yi prepared to condense the Gang Malice of Fire from an Earth Spirit Fire while expecting the Ghost Master to betray him. When the Ghost Master attacked, Xu Yi used the Wailing Stick and Blood River Flag to absorb his powers and ghosts, leaving the Ghost Master shocked.

• Xu Yi confirmed the firebird was an Earth Spirit Fire and prepared to condense its Gang Malice with Condensing Water Pills and an ice crystal.
• Xu Yi used Flame Balls to create the appearance of condensing malice and draw out the Ghost Master, who had secretly followed him to kill him for his treasures and knowledge.
• The Ghost Master attacked Xu Yi with Black Death Qi, but Xu Yi's Wailing Stick absorbed it.
• The Ghost Master unleashed hundreds of vicious ghosts with Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour the Heart, but Xu Yi's Blood River Flag swallowed them all.
• Xu Yi challenged the Ghost Master to use any remaining tricks, while the Ghost Master reeled from losing his ghosts.

Xu Yi fought the Ghost Master, using his treasures and the Wish Scripture to drive the powerful ghost back. He recorded evidence that the Ghost Master had obtained a Thousand Machine Formation and planned to open the Imperial Tomb, then left his survival uncertain.

• The Ghost Master's Soul-Swaying Demonic Sound and evil ghosts failed to harm Xu Yi, but his Blood Bat King Skeleton struck him and tore through his defenses.
• Xu Yi and the Ghost Master clashed at close quarters, injuring each other as Xu Yi taunted him and used his Crimson Short Sword.
• The Ghost Master charged Xu Yi, but the Wish Scripture burned the Blood Bat King Skeleton and forced him to retreat.
• The Ghost Master threatened Zimo Xuan in the capital, but Xu Yi laughed and revealed he had recorded their encounter with an Audio-Visual Orb.
• Xu Yi's recording stated that the Ghost Master had acquired a Thousand Machine Formation and planned to open the Imperial Tomb, and would be made public if Xu Yi failed to return within a few months.

Xu Yi forced Ghost Master to guard him while he attempted to condense Fire Gang Malice from the Earth Spirit Fire. After Xu Yi’s first attempt went wrong, Ghost Master explained how dangerous and rare Fire Gang Malice was.

• Xu Yi used the Audio-Visual Orb recording to make Ghost Master abandon his threats and agree to guard him.
• Xu Yi began condensing Fire Gang Malice, but the firebird’s flame burned his hand before Ghost Master extinguished it.
• Xu Yi admitted his books had not prepared him for the process and asked Ghost Master for guidance.
• Ghost Master explained that Fire Gang Malice was the most violent and difficult of the Five Elements, and that he knew of only King of Killing who had successfully condensed it.

Xu Yi forced Ghost Master to help him draw Fire Malice into his body and begin condensing it. After enduring the agony for an hour, Xu Yi was still absorbing fire qi, leaving Ghost Master unable to understand why the process had not reached its end.

• Xu Yi refused to abandon his attempt to condense malice and pressured Ghost Master to explain how to draw in fire qi.
• Ghost Master gave Xu Yi a dark jade tablet, and Xu Yi used his blood to activate the Firebird's flames and draw fire qi into his body.
• Xu Yi circulated the fire qi through his meridians into his Qi Sea, enduring intense pain as the sea churned and began to contract.
• When Xu Yi's water ran low and his body began to crack, Ghost Master gave him pills and ice crystals to restore him.
• Xu Yi continued absorbing fire qi for an hour while Ghost Master replaced his ice crystals and wondered why Xu Yi's Seven Souls had not been shaken.

Xu Yi endured the fiery energy surging through his body as he completed the fifth turn of the Undefeated Golden Body, broke through hidden meridians, and formed a fetal shape in his Qi Sea Realm. A Great Cloud Tribulation struck, leaving Xu Yi alive with thunder in his mind while Ghost Master suffered severe injuries and lost his treasured formation.

• Xu Yi completed the fifth turn of the Undefeated Golden Body, then redirected the fiery energy into the Three Yang and Three Burners Passes.
• Xu Yi's Qi Sea Realm compressed into a purple fetal form as purple qi spread above his head, heralding the Great Cloud Tribulation.
• Ghost Master planted azure formation flags around Xu Yi to shield him from the lightning, then retreated into the stone wall.
• Three bolts of lightning shattered the barrier, blasted Xu Yi into the cavern wall, and damaged Ghost Master along with his Senluo Great Formation.
• Ghost Master pulled Xu Yi from the wall and discovered that Xu Yi had survived with two lashes of lightning in his mind.

Xu Yi recovered from the lightning tribulation but discovered that his Qi Sea contained no energy, only a crimson sphere. Ghost Master identified it as a Vengeful Embryo, a disastrous result of Xu Yi’s attempt to condense malice.

• Xu Yi healed his shattered body with pills but found that he could no longer sense energy in his meridians.
• Ghost Master questioned Xu Yi about his Qi Sea and accused him of not being the original owner of his body.
• Xu Yi denied knowing any resurrection art and swore a Heart Oath to prove he was telling the truth.
• Xu Yi promised not to reveal the Imperial Tomb plot, and Ghost Master explained that Xu Yi had formed a Vengeful Embryo.
• Ghost Master recounted how an ancient Ghost Emperor repeatedly formed a Vengeful Embryo and eventually abandoned his cultivation.

Xu Yi questioned the Ghost Master about his apparent rebirth and learned how the Seven Souls, the three souls, and Killing Intent shaped cultivation. The Ghost Master explained the stages leading from Condensing Liquid to peak Soul Sensing, while Xu Yi remained wary of his motives.

• Xu Yi feared his body would decay, but the Ghost Master discovered that Xu Yi was still warm, breathing, and had a beating heart.
• The Ghost Master explained how Killing Intent blended with True Qi and liquefied when the Seven Souls stirred the Yin Soul, bringing a cultivator to peak Liquid Condensation.
• Xu Yi pressed the Ghost Master to explain the Seven Souls, and learned that they were energy centers governed by the life soul, which was also called the Yin Soul inside the body.
• The Ghost Master described the three souls and explained how opening the Dragon Gate, cleansing the soul, and undergoing the Minor and Major Yin Tribulations led through the Soul Sensing Realm.

Xu Yi learned that his Vengeful Embryo should have left him dead, but he remained alive and could not understand why. Ghost Master stole the Quiet Fire Bottle, then realized Xu Yi’s condition might make his Heart Oath meaningless and returned the bottle in shock.

• Ghost Master explained the Ghost Emperor’s Vengeful Embryo and said he knew nothing about Xu Yi’s unusual survival.
• Xu Yi suspected the seven lights that had formed his Vengeful Embryo were the Seven Souls, but could not explain their connection to the gray sun in his Qi Sea.
• Ghost Master mocked Xu Yi and tried to trade a promise of wealth for his treasures, prompting Xu Yi to curse at him.
• Ghost Master snatched Xu Yi’s Quiet Fire Bottle and trapped the firebird inside, revealing he had lured Xu Yi there to obtain the Earth Spirit Fire.
• Ghost Master realized Xu Yi’s Vengeful Embryo might prevent him from facing inner demons, shrieked in alarm, and threw the bottle back to Xu Yi, who stored it away.

Xu Yi forced the Ghost Master to impersonate the Scar-faced Daoist, then flew toward the capital to investigate the Vengeful Embryo despite having lost his cultivation. After crashing into a battle and surviving, he reunited with Zhao Baling, whose followers expected him to rescue them.

• Xu Yi ordered the Ghost Master to appear as the Scar-faced Daoist and threatened to expose the Imperial Tomb's secret if he refused.
• Xu Yi rode the Mechanical Bird toward the capital to search for records about the Vengeful Embryo.
• The Mechanical Bird ran out of energy over a battlefield, and Xu Yi plunged into the fighting, crushing two people but surviving.
• Zhao Baling recognized Xu Yi and greeted him joyfully, while Xu Yi worried that he could not help the Hero Society in his crippled state.

Xu Yi confronted Upper Three Heavens disciples who had attacked Zhao Baling’s group and revealed that his physical strength remained dangerous despite losing his cultivation. When Venerable Guangcheng ordered the fight to resume, Xu Yi produced a Heavenly Thunder Pearl and five jade-glowing pills, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Xu Yi questioned the bearded leader about why his men had attacked Zhao Baling’s group, then struck him down and charged the two White Horse Men.
• Xu Yi dodged a Baleful Intent attack, and Venerable Guangcheng arrived and reprimanded the White Horse Men.
• Xu Yi learned Venerable Guangcheng’s identity and asked whether Zhao Baling’s group could join the Upper Three Heavens, while Zhao Baling urged him to retreat.
• Venerable Guangcheng ordered the disciples to resume the fight and threatened to kill the Body Tempering Realm juniors if they failed to finish it quickly.
• Xu Yi stopped the battle by revealing a Heavenly Thunder Pearl, then produced five jade-glowing pills.

Xu Yi faced Venerable Guangcheng and his men while buying time for Zhao Baling and the Hero Society to escape. Though Venerable Guangcheng’s attack revealed that Xu Yi had lost his True Qi, his Undefeated Golden Body let him withstand deadly blows and counterattack, leaving him newly hopeful about his strength.

• Xu Yi offered the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, top-grade pills, and Sumeru Ring as bait while insisting that Venerable Guangcheng let Zhao Baling and the Hero Society leave.
• Venerable Guangcheng agreed to wait while Zhao Baling led the others toward the woods, then used a burning stick of incense to distract Xu Yi.
• Venerable Guangcheng struck Xu Yi with two streams of energy, and the Round-faced White Horse Man and Donkey-faced White Horse Man rushed to seize his treasures.
• Xu Yi endured the attack and knocked both White Horse Men away with his fists, realizing that his body had become unusually tough.
• Venerable Guangcheng battered Xu Yi with more than ten Qi cones, but the Undefeated Golden Body left him unharmed, and Xu Yi leapt at Venerable Guangcheng.