Recaps

Lei Dong revealed his Nascent Soul Realm power and killed the rogue cultivators who had ambushed him, then punished Luo Hongqing and spared Gongsun Rong. He returned to Myriad Flower Valley with Gongsun Rong and Gongsun Qing and explained what had happened to Old Man Gongsun.

• Lei Dong killed Black Vajra with a casual flick, and the surviving attackers froze in terror.
• Lei Dong ordered the group to take their own lives; when they fled, he killed the Qi Refining Cultivators and captured the black-robed Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who recognized him as a Nascent Soul old monster.
• Lei Dong revealed that Gongsun Rong had warned him not to let the attackers cripple his dantian, and he agreed to spare her but killed Luo Hongqing.
• Lei Dong sealed Gongsun Rong's soul for three years, carried her and Gongsun Qing back to Myriad Flower Valley, and flattened the valley where the ambush had occurred.
• Lei Dong told Old Man Gongsun what had happened, and Old Man Gongsun thanked him for sparing his daughter and the Gongsun Family.

Lei Dong, Gongsun Qing, and Old Man Gongsun boarded a Myriad Puppet Sect Flying Boat bound for the sect’s competition, where Lei Dong was expected to contend for a core disciple position. On board, an arrogant young man from the Li Clan mocked Gongsun Qing and challenged Lei Dong before another passenger intervened.

• Lei Dong and Gongsun Qing prepared to travel to the Myriad Puppet Sect competition after years of quiet cultivation and growing reputations.
• A luxurious Flying Boat arrived at Myriad Flower Valley, and Old Man Gongsun presented the customary gifts before boarding with Lei Dong and Gongsun Qing.
• Gongsun Qing asked Lei Dong about the Flying Boat’s cost, prompting a young Li Clan cultivator to boast about its price and capabilities.
• Old Man Gongsun warned Lei Dong that the young man belonged to the powerful Li Clan, and Lei Dong cautioned him not to address him as “Senior” during transmissions.
• The Li Clan youth mocked Lei Dong’s cultivation and puppet-making prospects, then blamed him for the detour the Li Clan had taken.
• An unidentified passenger coldly told the young man to stop bickering and return to his room to cultivate.

Lei Dong arrived at the Myriad Puppet Sect for the Puppet Competition, where the rules appeared to favor candidates from humble families. He settled in among the other candidates, preparing to compete for a core disciple position and gain access to the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique.

• Li Chuchu reprimanded her arrogant younger brother, then apologized to Lei Dong and Old Man Gongsun for his behavior.
• Li Chuchu told Lei Dong that the Grand Elder intended to improve opportunities for candidates from humble families, and Lei Dong thanked her for the information.
• Lei Dong studied Puppet Technique during the flight to the Myriad Puppet Sect, then joined the other Foundation Establishment candidates after landing.
• All twenty-four candidates received lodgings in a compound behind the mountain, with a Nascent Soul elder scheduled to teach them Puppet Technique twice a month.
• The Myriad Puppet Sect offered candidates mid- to high-grade puppet materials, narrowing the advantage held by disciples from great families.

Lei Dong prepared for the Myriad Puppet Sect’s competition by upgrading his puppet while keeping his Nascent Soul Realm strength concealed. After Gongsun Qing qualified as an Inner Sect Disciple, Lei Dong entered the seeded contestants’ matches and faced a young woman who attacked him by surprise.

• Lei Dong obtained better materials and improved his Foundation Establishment level puppet, planning to rely on his Puppet Technique and True Yin Fire without revealing his real strength.
• Over six months, Lei Dong advanced his knowledge of the Mechanism Puppet Technique and watched two more disciples break through to Foundation Establishment Realm.
• Nearly fifteen hundred disciples began the competition, while Lei Dong and the other Foundation Establishment Realm contestants qualified as seeded contestants after age checks.
• Gongsun Qing defeated her opponents and placed seventh in Group Sixteen, earning a place as an Inner Sect Disciple and bringing Old Man Gongsun to tears.
• Lei Dong drew a capable young woman as his opponent, and she sent her puppet rushing at him with a serrated blade while pretending to ask him to go easy.

Lei Dong advanced through the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Puppet Competition, winning with effortless movement and his evolving Great Yellow Bee before deliberately losing to Li Chuchu in the final. Though he secured second place and the status of core disciple, he was eager to return home, while Ghost Thorn had secretly mapped much of the sect.

• Lei Dong dodged a woman’s puppet and barrage of talismans, then kicked her out of the arena and won his first match.
• Lei Dong’s Great Yellow Bee adapted during its fight against a stronger puppet, and he stopped the opponent from using Yang Sha Heavenly Thunder against it.
• A Nascent Soul elder struck down the Golden Core cultivator who attacked Lei Dong after the explosion, and the referee declared Lei Dong the winner.
• Lei Dong won his subsequent matches and then deliberately lost to Li Chuchu in the final, finishing second and qualifying as a core disciple.
• Lei Dong politely fended off recruiting Aristocratic Clans while longing to return home, unaware of nothing: Ghost Thorn had already mapped most of the Myriad Puppet Sect.

Lei Dong used Ghost Thorn’s intelligence to plan a night raid on the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Scripture Pavilion, hoping to find the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique. He slipped past the pavilion’s defenses and reached a sealed entrance to the second floor, where an unfamiliar formation forced him to seek the Tournament Tower spirit’s help.

• Lei Dong decided the end of the puppet competition was an ideal time to search the Scripture Pavilion while most guests were leaving.
• Lei Dong left a lifelike puppet in his room, concealed himself with the Heavenly Concealment Art, and crossed the sect under cover of darkness.
• Lei Dong evaded the Myriad Puppet Sect’s formations, mechanisms, and disguised Mechanism Puppets using what Ghost Thorn had discovered.
• Lei Dong reached the Scripture Pavilion and used his divine sense to scout its defenses, detecting a Nascent Soul Cultivator in a secret room.
• Lei Dong entered the first floor without alerting the guard and found texts and Jade Slips for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Lei Dong found the route to the second floor blocked by a sealed mechanism door and an unfamiliar formation, so he asked the Tournament Tower spirit for help.

Lei Dong arranged to enter the Scripture Pavilion so the Arena Spirit could copy the Nascent Soul Cultivator’s Soul Lock fluctuations and map the second floor. As Lei Dong searched for Puppet Technique materials, Li Chuchu secretly pointed him toward a Jade Slip, but a clash of divine senses erupted over it.

• The Arena Spirit explained how the Soul Lock worked and revealed that it could copy the divine sense fluctuations needed to open it.
• Lei Dong bribed a steward to secure access to the Scripture Pavilion’s second floor alongside the other top newcomers.
• The Arena Spirit recorded the Nascent Soul Cultivator’s fluctuations as the Soul Lock opened, then began mapping the second floor for Lei Dong.
• Li Chuchu told Lei Dong to take a gray Jade Slip as thanks for going easy on her in their final match.
• A domineering divine sense seized the Jade Slip, but another angry strand struck it, reclaimed the slip, and flung it toward Lei Dong.

Lei Dong watched Zhao Wu and Li Chuchu fight over the Jade Slip after Zhao, angered by Lei Dong’s deliberate loss to Li, tried to keep Li from receiving it. Li’s feelings for Lei Dong deepened, though he only wanted the puppet technique and a way to save the Heavenly Demon; Lei Dong finally ordered them to stop.

• Zhao Wu seized the Jade Slip with his divine sense, and Li Chuchu joined Lei Dong in resisting him.
• Zhao Wu blamed Lei Dong for wearing him down and then throwing the final match so Li Chuchu could win, and he accused Li of favoring Lei Dong.
• Li Chuchu denied Zhao Wu’s accusations and attacked him with divine-sense arrows.
• Li Chuchu recalled how Lei Dong’s maturity and decision to let her win had stirred affection in her, while Lei Dong remained focused on finding Life Divine Water for the Heavenly Demon.
• As Zhao Wu and Li Chuchu’s divine-sense fight escalated, Lei Dong told them both to stop.

Lei Dong protected Li Chuchu from Zhao Wu while keeping his true strength hidden, then used the clash to redirect Zhao Wu’s Yang Sha Heavenly Thunder. The blast broke open the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion’s Third Layer, and Elder Xiao turned his fury on Zhao Wu.

• Zhao Wu attacked Li Chuchu with his divine sense, and Lei Dong stepped in to defend her while concealing his strength from the Nascent Soul elder.
• Lei Dong’s steady defense impressed the Nascent Soul elder, who halted the Golden Core steward so he could continue observing.
• Zhao Wu summoned his puppet and fired a Yang Sha Heavenly Thunder at Lei Dong.
• Li Chuchu rushed to protect Lei Dong, and he joined his divine sense with hers to deflect the thunder into the Third Layer’s locked door.
• The blast tore a hole through the door, and Elder Xiao unleashed his rage on Zhao Wu as the Golden Core steward pleaded for mercy.

Lei Dong left the Scripture Pavilion with the Jade Slip Li Chuchu had given him and drew Elder Xiao’s interest as a prospective disciple. After meditating at his residence, he was about to sneak back into the pavilion when someone approached in a disturbed state.

• Elder Xiao expelled Elder Zhao’s kin from the Scripture Pavilion and ordered the remaining contestants to choose their texts quickly.
• Li Chuchu and Lei Dong recovered from their intimate fall, and Lei Dong used a sound-based spell to dispel her sudden desire.
• Li Chuchu insisted Lei Dong keep the Jade Slip, then left after warning him not to mistake her repayment for affection.
• Elder Xiao praised Lei Dong, questioned him about his spiritual sense, and offered to take him as a disciple; Lei Dong agreed to consider it and accepted Xiao’s Jade Slip of cultivation insights.
• Lei Dong returned to his residence, meditated until nightfall, and prepared to sneak into the Scripture Pavilion again before unsteady footsteps approached.

Lei Dong rejected Li Chuchu’s advances, while Old Man Gongsun’s fabricated tragic past deepened her misunderstanding of him. He then returned to the Scripture Pavilion, incapacitated Elder Xiao with a Soul-Locking Nail, and opened the second-floor door.

• Lei Dong refused to receive Li Chuchu, but she entered his room and confronted him about his repeated rejection.
• Lei Dong praised Li Chuchu but said he could not hold her back, and she assumed he was still grieving his supposed tragic past.
• Lei Dong sent Li Chuchu away and then headed to the Scripture Pavilion, where Elder Xiao guarded the secret chamber.
• Lei Dong disguised himself and coordinated with Ghost Thorn to freeze Elder Xiao and threaten him into staying still.
• Ghost Thorn pinned Elder Xiao’s Nascent Soul with a Soul-Locking Nail, and Lei Dong opened the second-floor door after confirming the third-floor door was still unrepaired.

Lei Dong broke into the Scripture Pavilion seeking the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique, but a golden Spirit Transmutation Puppet caught him and forced him to flee. He left the pavilion under attack, with the puppet's powerful strike sending him crashing toward the ground.

• Lei Dong searched the Scripture Pavilion's third floor and realized the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique was probably held by the sect's highest-ranking figure.
• A golden Spirit Transmutation Puppet burst in, exposed Lei Dong's true form, and struck him with a spatially shattering punch that injured him despite his escape.
• Lei Dong used a disguised Immortal Slaying Finger to threaten the pavilion, then unleashed Suicide Ghosts to destroy its texts and formations and distract the puppet.
• Lei Dong slipped away while the puppet tried to contain the destruction, but it spotted him and pursued him out of the Scripture Pavilion.
• The puppet punched Lei Dong from afar; his Indestructible Profound Yin Shield shattered, and the force sent him hurtling toward the ground.

Lei Dong escaped the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Spirit Transmutation Puppet after Ghost Thorn helped him, but he returned to his courtyard gravely injured. There, Li Chuchu discovered his demonic techniques and secret identity, and stayed to support him despite his threats.

• Ghost Thorn ambushed the Spirit Transmutation Puppet to give Lei Dong time to vanish, while the puppet freed Elder Xiao and ordered the Myriad Puppet Sect’s formation sealed for a search.
• Lei Dong concealed his aura, escaped to his courtyard, and realized that the puppet’s blows had nearly shattered his body and Nascent Soul.
• Lei Dong discovered Li Chuchu hiding in the courtyard and seized her with a Netherflame Ghost Claw before recognizing her.
• Lei Dong considered killing Li Chuchu after she saw his demonic appearance, but relented when he noticed the calming jade pendant she carried.
• Lei Dong offered Li Chuchu a pill as a supposed Soul Devouring Pill, but she recognized it as a breakthrough aid and teased him.
• Lei Dong coughed up blood and tried to drive Li Chuchu away, but she flew back and caught him.

Lei Dong and Li Chuchu staged a jealous lovers’ quarrel to distract Elder Zhao while the sect searched for a thief. Elder Li arrived in his Golden Puppet to protect Li Chuchu, but Elder Zhao accused Lei Dong of being the culprit, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Elder Zhao overruled a Golden Core steward’s order for the provisional core disciples to gather and demanded they stay in their rooms for inspection.
• Li Chuchu pretended to accuse Lei Dong of infidelity, and he played along by feigning injury as they argued loudly.
• Elder Zhao tried to seize Lei Dong and Li Chuchu, claiming he would discipline them on Elder Li’s behalf.
• Elder Li’s Golden Puppet destroyed Elder Zhao’s attack and rebuked him for troubling the pair instead of pursuing the thief.
• Elder Zhao accused Lei Dong of stealing a Jade Slip and sought permission to use the Mind-Questioning Technique; Li Chuchu accused him of targeting Lei Dong over Zhao Wu, and Elder Li demanded to know what Zhao Wu had to do with it.

Elder Li, speaking through the Golden Puppet, defended Li Chuchu and Lei Dong against Elder Zhao and revealed his support for their relationship. After taking them to his cave dwelling, he explained that the puppet gave him Spirit Transmutation-level strength but had not brought him into the Spirit Transmutation Realm.

• Li Chuchu tearfully described her conflict with Zhao Wu, and the Golden Puppet rebuked Elder Zhao for blaming her and Lei Dong.
• Elder Zhao criticized Li Chuchu’s conduct and questioned her fitness to inherit, but the Golden Puppet declared that he approved of her relationship with Gongsun Dong and praised Gongsun Dong’s potential.
• Elder Zhao conceded the argument, congratulated Elder Li on gaining a son-in-law, and left to search for the wanted criminal.
• The Golden Puppet carried Li Chuchu and Lei Dong to an ancient cave dwelling and told Lei Dong that Li Chuchu was his chosen successor.
• Elder Li explained that his puppet body granted him Spirit Transmutation-level power, though he remained a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator with little hope of reaching the Spirit Transmutation Realm.

Lei Dong rejected Elder Li’s offer to marry Li Chuchu, unwilling to deceive her despite the risks. He revealed his true identity and seized Li Chuchu as a hostage to protect himself from Elder Li.

• Elder Li offered Lei Dong a choice between ending his connection with Li Chuchu or marrying into the Li household for cultivation resources.
• Li Chuchu accepted the idea of marrying Lei Dong, while Lei Dong weighed the benefits against deceiving her.
• Lei Dong refused Elder Li’s proposal and apologized to Li Chuchu.
• Elder Li realized Lei Dong was the intruder who had broken into the Scripture Pavilion.
• Lei Dong revealed that he was Lei Dong and seized Li Chuchu, threatening to annihilate her if Elder Li moved.

Lei Dong used Li Chuchu as leverage to negotiate a fair trade with Elder Li, revealing his powerful connections and offering rare treasures in exchange for the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Spirit Transmutation-level Puppet Technique. Elder Li apologized for the sect’s earlier treatment of Lei Dong, but rejected his request outright.

• Elder Li confronted Lei Dong for taking Li Chuchu hostage, and Lei Dong insisted he wanted a fair trade rather than an extortion.
• Lei Dong offered valuable materials, Top Grade Spirit Stones, and two Top Grade Spirit Ghosts, impressing Elder Li with the rarity of the ghosts.
• Lei Dong invoked his relationship with Netherworld Ghost Emperor and presented Phoenix Emperor’s letter of introduction, prompting Elder Li to treat him as an equal.
• Lei Dong clarified that he wanted a transaction with no favors owed and asked for the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Spirit Transmutation-level Puppet Technique.
• Elder Li apologized for the sect’s earlier conduct but sprang up and declared that Lei Dong’s request was impossible.

Lei Dong negotiated with Elder Li for the Myriad Puppet Sect’s Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique, arguing that its value could be matched by rare treasures and promising to keep the secret. Elder Li remained tempted but unconvinced, and the chapter ended with him questioning whether Lei Dong could obtain Life Divine Water and would honor his promise.

• Lei Dong offered a Void Refining stage puppet for the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique, then listed other treasures when Elder Li rejected the offer.
• Lei Dong argued that the technique’s practical value was limited by scarce materials and the difficulty of finding cultivators capable of controlling the puppets.
• Lei Dong promised to keep the transaction secret and never spread the technique, while Elder Li weighed the benefits against his attachment to Li Chuchu and the sect.
• Elder Li asked whether Lei Dong would kill Li Chuchu if he refused the trade, and Lei Dong honestly said he would.
• Lei Dong offered to give Elder Li a bottle of Life Divine Water if he obtained at least two bottles during his planned trip to the Bright Holy Domain.
• Elder Li asked how Lei Dong expected to obtain Life Divine Water and why he should trust him to deliver it.

Lei Dong forced Elder Li to agree to trade the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique for a chance at Life Divine Water, then left the Myriad Puppet Sect with Li Chuchu. After releasing her, he faced her anger and prepared to depart, but she called him back.

• Lei Dong threatened Li Chuchu and persuaded Elder Li to accept a deal involving the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique and Life Divine Water.
• Lei Dong and Elder Li carefully formalized their agreement, and Lei Dong obtained a copy of the technique and studied it for several days.
• Lei Dong asked Elder Li to stage Gongsun Dong's death and spare the Gongsun Family, then left the Myriad Puppet Sect while holding Li Chuchu hostage.
• After traveling more than ten thousand miles, Lei Dong released Li Chuchu and apologized before preparing to leave.
• Li Chuchu called Lei Dong a liar and rejected his offered Spirit Stones, then called him back as he was about to depart.

Lei Dong left Li Chuchu after explaining that he had to enter the Bright Holy Domain to obtain Life Divine Water for his gravely wounded beloved. He then studied the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique for years and devised a plan to repair his ancient bronze puppet.

• Lei Dong let Li Chuchu curse him, then reassured her that the Winged God Clan did not eat people and promised he would survive the trip to the Bright Holy Domain.
• Lei Dong told Li Chuchu he needed Life Divine Water to save his beloved and urged her to forget him before flying away.
• Li Chuchu tried to chase Lei Dong, then cried as she realized he had risked taking her hostage rather than tricking her into surrendering the puppet technique.
• Lei Dong traveled over a hundred thousand miles, settled in an abandoned cave, and studied the Spirit Transmutation Puppet Technique.
• Lei Dong spent several years examining the puppet remains and developed a repair plan with a seventy-to-eighty percent chance of success.
• Lei Dong assembled a thirty-zhang bronze puppet equipped with a special halberd made for Ghost Clan Spirit Transmutation experts.

Lei Dong considered how to preserve the combat knowledge in powerful Primordial Spirits while removing their stubborn self-awareness. With the Arena Spirit's help, he began replacing the Archaic Giant Dana's consciousness, and Dana's self-awareness started to fade.

• Lei Dong concluded that the Crimson Refining Divine Snake's and the Archaic War Giant's Primordial Spirits held valuable combat experience but also powerful self-awareness.
• Lei Dong learned from the Arena Spirit that a clone's consciousness could become independent if it was not periodically refreshed.
• Lei Dong agreed to let the Arena Spirit invade the Archaic War Giant Dana's Primordial Spirit and replace its self-awareness.
• Lei Dong sealed Dana's Primordial Spirit in a Soul Sealing Ball, suppressed its resistance, and summoned the Arena Spirit from his Nascent Soul.
• The Arena Spirit fused with Dana's Primordial Spirit, and Dana's self-awareness began to weaken under Lei Dong's control.

After taking control of the Primordial Giant’s consciousness, Lei Dong planned to repair its puppet body using a fire vein in the Purgatory Domain. He prepared for the journey, settled his affairs, and named his newly strengthened Ghost Servant Gui Ming.

• Lei Dong took control of the Primordial Giant’s consciousness and began planning to rework its body, but found that his True Yin Fire was too weak to refine its components.
• Lei Dong chose the Purgatory Domain for its abundant natural fire veins and selected a public route there from the Great Gan Continent.
• Lei Dong secretly settled his remaining affairs with the Gongsun Family, leaving Gongsun a large sum of Spirit Stones.
• Lei Dong traveled in disguise, bought valuable supplies, and sold Top Grade Spirit Ghosts while evading or killing those who tried to ambush him.
• Lei Dong’s new Ghost Servant devoured the flesh and blood of Nascent Soul Cultivators, advanced to early-stage Ghost King, and showed exceptional talent for Netherworld spells.
• Lei Dong named the new Ghost Servant Gui Ming, and Ghost Thorn took responsibility for teaching him.

Lei Dong used his powerful summoned creatures to bait Wanli Yang into attempting a robbery, then turned the ambush against him. Wanli Yang fled after his men were attacked, but Lei Dong intercepted him and shattered his shield, leaving him begging for his life.

• Lei Dong sold a Top Grade Spirit Ghost in Tianji City and bought goods, deliberately attracting greedy cultivators.
• Wanli Yang and two Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivators intercepted Lei Dong and demanded his valuables.
• Lei Dong summoned the Netherflame Ghost Banner, and Ghost Thorn killed one attacker while Gui Ming and the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger engaged the other.
• Wanli Yang realized he had been baited and fled, abandoning his companion.
• Lei Dong caught up with Wanli Yang and shattered his silver shield with a Netherworld Immortal Slaying Finger.
• Wanli Yang mistook Lei Dong for a Spirit Transmutation expert and begged him to spare his life.

Lei Dong killed Wanli Yang, evaded the hunt for the fishing maniac, and traveled to the Scorching Canyon as the Demon-Slaying Alliance collapsed into infighting. The chapter left him arriving in the fire-filled canyon, a region where cultivators sought fire-type treasures and beasts.

• Lei Dong froze Wanli Yang’s escape attempt and killed him with Big Belly Cannon Ghost, then had Ghost Thorn gather the spoils.
• Lei Dong promised to consider a Blood Sacrifice that might give Ghost Thorn a Netherworld Ghost Body after settling the matter of the Spirit Transmutation Puppet.
• Lei Dong disguised himself as a Golden Core Martial Cultivator and traveled toward his next destination as the deaths of nineteen Nascent Soul cultivators caused an uproar across Great Gan Continent.
• Lei Dong evaded Demon-Slaying Alliance checkpoints and reached the Scorching Canyon after two or three months of travel.
• The Demon-Slaying Alliance fractured and disappeared after its search teams committed abuses across Great Gan Continent and Spirit Transmutation cultivators demanded an investigation.

Lei Dong traveled across Scorching Canyon toward Scorching City, watched a Magma Giant Crocodile kill a small Monster Beast, and joined a group of cultivators led by Wu Ji. He introduced himself as the Rogue Cultivator Ding Dong and began meeting the group’s members.

• Lei Dong flew over Scorching Canyon in disguise and watched a Magma Giant Crocodile ambush and eat one of several small Monster Beasts.
• Wu Ji of Yunshan Sect invited Lei Dong to travel with his group to Scorching City, but Lei Dong initially declined.
• Li Xianxian insulted Lei Dong, while Wu Ji urged him to join the group for safety and offered to wait for him at the city gates.
• Lei Dong introduced himself as Ding Dong, a Rogue Cultivator, and accepted Wu Ji’s invitation to travel together.
• Wu Ji introduced Chen Yun of Sword Hero Sect, and Lei Dong exchanged greetings with him.
• Wu Ji introduced the Murong Sisters, Murong Fu and Murong Lian, and Lei Dong greeted them.