Recaps

Xu Yi attended the Divine Capital Business Alliance auction and began bidding aggressively on Divine Essence Pills for Yan Zi, who was close to breaking through to Sea Transformation. He won two pills and drove Number Thirty-Six to overpay for another, while the fourth pill came up for bidding.

• Xu Yi found his seat in the auction hall as black mist concealed the audience and protected their identities.
• The auction opened with a Divine Essence Pill refined by Alchemist Fu Zi, and Xu Yi bid one hundred and fifty thousand gold to buy it for Yan Zi.
• Number Thirty-Six raised the bid to one hundred and sixty thousand gold, won the first pill, and Xu Yi stayed silent.
• Xu Yi offered one hundred and fifty thousand gold for the second pill, and the other bidders let him win it at that price.
• Number Thirty-Six challenged Xu Yi for the third pill, and Xu Yi’s bids pushed the price to one hundred and eighty thousand gold before Number Thirty-Six won.
• The fourth Divine Essence Pill appeared, and Xu Yi immediately bid one hundred and fifty thousand gold.

Xu Yi watched the Divine Essence Pills and other auction items sell for soaring prices, then competed for the Thousand Machine Formation. He raised his bid to one million gold, drawing out a previously hidden bidder as the auction continued.

• Xu Yi bought two more Divine Essence Pills for Yan Zi, while Number Thirty-Six struggled against other bidders to acquire pills.
• The remaining Divine Essence Pills sold at sharply increased prices, with Number Thirty-Six winning the last one for two hundred thousand gold.
• The Top-grade magic robes and Top-grade Essence Restoration Pills sold for prices far above market value, while Xu Yi saved his gold for key items.
• Xu Yi recognized the Thousand Machine Formation as one of his targets and decided to obtain it at any cost.
• Xu Yi stayed in the bidding as the formation's price climbed, then raised his offer to one million gold and drew out Number One Hundred Thirty.

Xu Yi won the Thousand Machine Formation and spent over eight hundred thousand gold to secure three drops of Taiyin Liquid at the auction. With his main goals accomplished, he sat back to wait for the rare treasure linked to Sword King Feng Xifeng.

• Xu Yi outbid Number One Hundred Thirty and won the Thousand Machine Formation for one million three hundred twenty thousand gold.
• Xu Yi counted his remaining funds and resolved not to bid on anything else before the Taiyin Liquid appeared.
• Xu Yi watched wealthy bidders purchase extravagant lots, including a Purple Lightning Sable that Number Seventy-Seven bought for six million eight hundred thousand gold.
• The auctioneer introduced twelve drops of Taiyin Liquid and hinted that a later rare treasure might be connected to the late Sword King Feng Xifeng.
• Xu Yi bid over eight hundred thousand gold and secured three drops of Taiyin Liquid, then settled back to await the rare treasure.

Xu Yi won the Life and Death Realm for 2.4 million gold and learned that spirit soil was far more valuable than he had realized. As the auction continued, he spotted a silver needle made of the same material as an item from Feng Xifeng's Sumeru Ring.

• The auctioneer introduced the Life and Death Realm, explaining its risks and its connection to Sword King Feng Xifeng's mastery of the Divine Intent Sword.
• Xu Yi bid against the hall and won the Life and Death Realm for 2.4 million gold.
• Xu Yi listened to the auction of spirit soil and realized the supply in Old Ancestor Wen's Sumeru Ring was worth far more than he had thought.
• Xu Yi watched the five boxes of spirit soil sell for increasingly high prices and resolved to pay closer attention to the auctioneer's explanations.
• Xu Yi noticed a silver needle whose material matched an item he had obtained from Feng Xifeng's Sumeru Ring.

Xu Yi watched the auction of rare Five Elements materials and a powerful water-elemental Spirit Talisman, whose bidding escalated into a dispute over whether Zhan Shence could count his treasures and family prestige toward his offer. The auctioneer was left to decide whether to accept Zhan Shence’s claimed twenty-million-gold bid.

• Xu Yi watched the Source Iron Needle, Blue Crystal, Flame Fruit, and Taiyi Divine Wood sell for enormous sums and realized his wealth was modest by comparison.
• The merchant alliance introduced a water-elemental origin Spirit Talisman and promised a full refund if it could not match a Soul Sensing Ancestor’s full-strength strike.
• Bidding for the Spirit Talisman surged past eight million gold as bidders treated it as a force capable of guarding a family or sect against a Soul Sensing Ancestor.
• Bidders challenged one another as the price rose, and Zhan Shence claimed his remaining gold and treasures made his offer worth twenty million.
• An opponent rejected Zhan Shence’s offer because auction rules required gold coins, while Zhan Shence invoked his father, War Son of Heaven, and his opponent answered that the Ninth Prince would not fear him.
• The auctioneer became stuck deciding whether to make an exception for Zhan Shence’s claimed bid.

Xu Yi collected the treasures he won at the auction and met Marquis Anqing, who asked him to recreate the calligraphy destroyed during the literary contest. Xu Yi agreed and called the marquis Brother Gao, leaving them on friendly terms as Marquis Anqing prepared the writing materials.

• The auctioneer upheld Number Thirty-Five's bid of fifteen million gold and ended the auction without accepting treasures as payment.
• Xu Yi paid for and collected three Divine Essence Pills, three drops of Taiyin Liquid, the Thousand Machine Formation and its manual, and the black token for the Life-and-Death Mirror.
• Marquis Anqing found Xu Yi after the auction and brought him to a private room, praising his success at the literary contest.
• Marquis Anqing explained that Xu Yi's calligraphy had been destroyed and asked him to write it again.
• Xu Yi accepted the request, proposed that they call each other brothers, and told Marquis Anqing to bring the Four Treasures of the Study.

Xu Yi secured a black mist formation from Marquis Anqing and delivered the Thousand Machine Formation to Li Xiuluo, who warned him to prepare carefully for Condensing Malice. Back at Futuo Mountain, Lu Shanren arrived and confronted him about the powerful officials seeking to recruit him.

• Xu Yi accepted a black mist formation and a black-gold token from Marquis Anqing after Marquis Anqing insisted on repaying him for his calligraphy.
• Xu Yi gave Li Xiuluo the Thousand Machine Formation and its manual, and Li Xiuluo said the Demoness had been dealt with.
• Li Xiuluo advised Xu Yi to seek Essence of Earth Fire soon and thoroughly prepare before attempting Condensing Malice.
• Xu Yi returned to Futuo Mountain and shared a meal with Yan Zi as evening fell.
• Lu Shanren arrived, scolded Xu Yi for causing a stir at the gathering, and told him that powerful offices across the capital were competing to recruit him.

Xu Yi learned that Lu Shanren had protected him from being sent to the frontier and arranged an easy assignment at the Talent Selection Ceremony. He was then promoted to Deputy Commander of the Southern Guard, leaving Lu Shanren indignant at how quickly his rank had risen.

• Lu Shanren told Xu Yi that he had kept the Imperial Guards Commander from sending him to the frontier amid criticism from scholars.
• Xu Yi thanked Lu Shanren over a meal, and Lu Shanren advised him to lie low until the uproar passed.
• Lu Shanren assigned Xu Yi to represent the Imperial Guards at the Talent Selection Ceremony on Dragon Head Peak a month later.
• Lu Shanren revealed that Xu Yi had been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Southern Guard because his Literary Fame had boosted the Imperial Guards' prestige.
• Xu Yi questioned how he could rise so quickly, and Lu Shanren explained that the Commander had secured his promotion despite the Ministry of Personnel's usual restrictions.

Xu Yi gave Yan Zi three Divine Essence Pills to prepare for her breakthrough, then used three drops of Taiyin Liquid to strengthen his Yin Soul. The process caused a violent, mysterious backlash that left him unconscious for three days, and he woke still unsure what had gone wrong.

• Lu Shanren handed Xu Yi the official ring and left after Xu became Deputy Commander of the Southern Guard.
• Xu Yi gave Yan Zi three Divine Essence Pills and told her to prepare for a breakthrough while he went to the alchemy room.
• Xu Yi absorbed three drops of Taiyin Liquid, and his Yin Soul grew before swelling into a giant amid a storm of negative emotions.
• Lightning struck the giant Yin Soul, shrinking and refining it, while Xu Yi lost consciousness.
• Xu Yi woke after three days and told Yan Zi he was hungry, then wondered why the Taiyin Liquid had caused such a strange reaction.

After surviving the Taiyin Liquid’s effects, Xu Yi recovered enough to face sunlight again and discovered his perception had greatly improved. Yuan Qinghua visited with news of Xu Yi’s fame and a lucrative business opportunity involving his writing.

• Xu Yi realized the thunder’s power had calmed his soul after the Taiyin Liquid nearly overwhelmed it, and he recovered from his collapse.
• Xu Yi tested his perception and found it reached three times farther, covering everything within thirty zhang.
• Xu Yi removed his skin mask and Dark Robes, felt no discomfort in the sunlight, and celebrated being alive.
• Yan Zi urged Xu Yi not to rush his cultivation, and he teased her until she blushed and ran off.
• Yuan Qinghua arrived at Green Flat, complained that Xu Yi had neglected Zimo Xuan, and hinted at a major business deal involving the words from the exchange meeting.

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.