Chapter Summaries

Lei Dong reviewed the strength of his Ghost Guards and Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger, then arranged for Ouyang Rong'er to train as an alchemist. He traveled to a plague-stricken, abandoned region near Tianyin Palace to capture Yin Souls and, after finding a group at night, sent his Ghost Guards into the darkness.

• Lei Dong noted that his three Upper Grade Spirit Ghosts had become level-seven Ghost Guards and that his Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger had reached the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
• Lei Dong gave Ouyang Rong'er alchemy ingredients worth five hundred thousand Spirit Stones and told her to progress from experimenting with Qi Refining Stage pills to making Lesser Five Elements Pills.
• Lei Dong left a Shadow Ghost Guard in Little Green Valley to protect Ouyang Rong'er and encourage her cultivation and alchemy practice.
• Lei Dong traveled tens of thousands of miles to a desolate region near Tianyin Palace, where a centuries-old plague and past spirit-herb harvesting had left abandoned ruins and scattered Yin Souls.
• Lei Dong settled near an ancient city and waited for nightfall, then sensed a group of ghosts and sent three level-seven Ghost Guards and one level-one Ice Ghost Guard into the darkness.

Lei Dong spent two months gathering Yin Souls from ruined Yin Grounds, refining their Soul Force into Soul Beads and strengthening the Myriad Ghost Banner. He found thirteen Low-grade Spirit Ghosts but no Middle Grade ones, and began upgrading four of them as he considered how to sell the valuable results safely.

• Lei Dong lured hundreds of Yin Souls into his Netherworld domain, collected them in the Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda, and refined Inferior Ghosts into Soul Beads.
• Lei Dong spent the night gathering more than four thousand Yin Souls, then returned to the ruins on subsequent nights and moved between Yin Grounds as his catches dwindled.
• Over two months, Lei Dong caught about one hundred and seventy thousand Inferior Ghosts and thirteen Low-grade Spirit Ghosts, while encountering no serious danger.
• Lei Dong strengthened the Myriad Ghost Banner by replacing its cannon fodder with eighteen Soul Guard-class and around three hundred Soul Soldier-class fierce ghosts.
• Lei Dong used more than four hundred Soul Beads to begin upgrading four Low-grade Spirit Ghosts, then considered how to sell the resulting Upper Grade Spirit Ghosts safely.

Lei Dong prepared to sell an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost while hiding his identity and true cultivation to reduce the danger of being robbed. He sold it to Shopkeeper Chen for one million five hundred thousand Spirit Stones, but expected trouble after leaving the shop.

• Lei Dong bought ten False Death Pills and ten Concealment Talismans to support his plan to sell an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost.
• Lei Dong scouted a marketplace in the Heavenly Dao Alliance, chose an escape route, disguised himself, and used a Concealment Talisman to appear to be a first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.
• Lei Dong offered the Upper Grade Spirit Ghost to a large shop in exchange for a Top Grade Spirit Item, but Shopkeeper Chen said the shop had none.
• Lei Dong haggled with Shopkeeper Chen and agreed to sell the Upper Grade Spirit Ghost for one million five hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
• Shopkeeper Chen brought the payment, and the two completed the deal; Lei Dong anticipated danger once he left the shop.

Lei Dong escaped cultivators who tried to rob him while selling Upper Grade Spirit Ghosts, then advanced to the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm. With more than six million Spirit Stones and a plan to prepare for his duel with Huangfu Ce, he arranged to meet Qi Feifei for help buying equipment.

• Lei Dong used a False Death Pill to evade three Foundation Establishment cultivators who pursued him after he sold an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost for one and a half million Spirit Stones.
• Lei Dong sold more Upper Grade Spirit Ghosts at distant markets, then escaped a Golden Core cultivator by hiding underground and staying under the False Death Pill for another ten days.
• After the danger passed, Lei Dong broke through to the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm using a Heavenly Spirit Pill and the pressure of his encounter with the Golden Core cultivator.
• Lei Dong counted more than six million Spirit Stones and decided to use them to prepare for his duel with Huangfu Ce without revealing himself to the Yin Sha Sect.
• Lei Dong traveled near the Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect's territory and met Qi Feifei, who had grown more secure in her position after bringing back two Heart Cleansing Fruits.

Lei Dong reunited with Qi Feifei and asked her to secretly buy equipment and supplies for an upcoming fight. After spending his six million spirit stones, she delivered a powerful arsenal and Lei Dong subdued a formidable War Puppet, greatly increasing his strength.

• Lei Dong surprised Qi Feifei and told her not to use the Charm Technique because he had an important matter to discuss.
• Qi Feifei mistook Lei Dong's visit for a request to cultivate together, but he asked her to buy items for killing people without revealing his identity.
• Over the following weeks, Qi Feifei used different identities to spend Lei Dong's six million spirit stones on weapons, bombs, talismans, replenishing pills, and a War Puppet.
• Lei Dong used his extraordinary spiritual strength to overpower and refine the War Puppet, which could fight on par with a tenth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lei Dong spent the year before his life-or-death duel honing his combat spells and preparing his spirit items for battle against Huangfu Ce. He greatly improved his Netherflame Bullet and began familiarizing himself with his three Top Grade Spirit Items.

• Lei Dong judged that Huangfu Ce’s strength remained uncertain and used the year before their duel to train at Little Green Valley.
• Lei Dong repeatedly cast the Netherflame Bullet until its power, speed, and accuracy improved, then practiced hitting moving boulders and seventh-level Ghost Guards.
• Lei Dong mastered using the Netherflame Bullet against fast, evasive targets, eventually striking the Ghost Guards often enough to exhaust them.
• Lei Dong made the Crimson Refining Flying Sword his main weapon and kept the Annihilation item in reserve.
• Lei Dong began training with his Crimson Refining Flying Sword, Top Grade Spirit Shield “Undying,” and blood-colored cloak ahead of the duel.

Thousands gathered at the Yin Sha Sect headquarters to watch Lei Dong and Huangfu Ce fulfill their ten-year life-and-death pact. As the crowd waited and wondered where Lei Dong was, a blood-red streak finally appeared in the sky.

• The crowd and five Golden Core Ancestors assembled at the plaza, while rumors about Lei Dong’s feats and Tantai Bingyun’s praise heightened anticipation for the duel.
• Dongfang Fu asked Ding Wanyan whether Lei Dong had sent word, and Ding Wanyan assured her he would not miss the fight.
• The duel’s delay annoyed the spectators as more Golden Core Ancestors and young disciples from other sects arrived to watch.
• Li Huntian watched Dongfang Fu and Ding Wanyan, resenting their greater cultivation, while Qi Feifei disguised herself and wondered why Lei Dong had not appeared.
• A blood-red streak raced toward the plaza, and the crowd announced that Lei Dong had arrived.

Huangfu Ce arrived at the duel grounds and revealed that he had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, prompting most spectators and Ancestors to bet against Lei Dong. As the stakes mounted, Qi Feifei placed a large bet on Lei Dong and confronted Yin Sha Sect cultivators who challenged her.

• Huangfu Ce greeted the Ancestors and Yang Mu, who praised his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and learned he was forty-eight.
• Myriad Ghost Ancestor worried that Lei Dong lagged far behind Huangfu Ce, while Nether Ancestor and Flame Demon discussed the danger of the duel.
• Flame Demon opened betting on the duel, and spectators, Asura Heaven disciples, and Demon Prison Sect disciples mostly wagered on Huangfu Ce.
• Flame Demon refused to change the odds as Withered Bone Ancestor and other Golden Core Ancestors placed large bets on Huangfu Ce.
• Qi Feifei bet one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones on Lei Dong, then rebuked Yin Sha Sect cultivators who challenged her before an icy wave drove them away.

Lei Dong confronted the Heavenly Devil Lord, who tested his strength and warned him about Huangfu Ce's Blood God Saber. After she questioned him about Qi Feifei, she used force to claim that he belonged to her, leaving him trapped in the ravine.

• Qi Feifei met Ding Wanyan and Dongfang Fu and exchanged polite greetings with them.
• The Heavenly Devil Lord swept Lei Dong from the Yin Sha Sect's gate to a secluded ravine and challenged him with the Great Heavenly Devil Hand.
• Lei Dong blocked her attack with Indestructible and countered with Crimson Refinement, revealing that he also owned the Blood cape.
• The Heavenly Devil Lord praised Lei Dong's progress and warned him that Huangfu Ce's Blood God Saber had been empowered with the blood of more than a million people.
• The Heavenly Devil Lord demanded to know what was between Lei Dong and the girl from the Hehuan Sect, then used demonic Qi to capture him and declare that he was hers.

Lei Dong and the Heavenly Demon reunited before she gave him a powerful War Puppet to help with his duel against Huangfu Ce. After keeping the waiting crowd and Golden Core Ancestors in suspense, Lei Dong arrived at the Yin Sha Sect and paid his respects to Myriad Ghost Ancestor.

• Lei Dong and the Heavenly Demon finished their encounter, and she reminded him that he still had a duel to fight.
• The Heavenly Demon gave Lei Dong a peak Foundation Establishment Realm War Puppet, suppressing it with a wisp of her soul.
• Flame Demon and the other Golden Core Ancestors grew impatient as Lei Dong failed to appear, while Myriad Ghost Ancestor insisted he would come.
• The crowd and Huangfu Ce waited as rumors spread that Lei Dong had fled the duel.
• Lei Dong arrived at the Yin Sha Sect, went to the stands, and knelt before Myriad Ghost Ancestor, who welcomed him with relief.

Lei Dong arrived for his duel with Huangfu Ce, and Myriad Ghost Ancestor tried to postpone it by claiming Lei Dong was badly injured. After the other Golden Core Ancestors pressured them to honor the challenge, Lei Dong agreed to fight, and Myriad Ghost Ancestor secured him half a day to rest on the viewing platform.

• Myriad Ghost Ancestor praised Lei Dong's advance to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment and privately asked how confident he was against Huangfu Ce.
• Lei Dong told Myriad Ghost Ancestor he was at least eighty percent sure he could kill Huangfu Ce, relying on the Heavenly Devil's gifts and knowledge of Huangfu Ce's weaknesses.
• Myriad Ghost Ancestor announced that Lei Dong was injured and sought to postpone the duel, but Withered Bone Ancestor, Ghost Fiend Ancestor, and others accused him of breaking his word.
• Lei Dong knelt before Myriad Ghost Ancestor and insisted that the duel take place that day, saying he would not disgrace his master or Myriad Ghost Cave.
• Myriad Ghost Ancestor argued that Lei Dong could rest until that night, but Withered Bone Ancestor blocked him from taking Lei Dong away, so Lei Dong began treating his injuries on the viewing platform.
• Flame Demon changed the betting odds, but the crowd rushed to bet on Huangfu Ce.

Lei Dong faced Huangfu Ce in a duel to the death while his friends secretly wagered heavily on Lei Dong. The fight began with Huangfu Ce’s Blood God Saber attack meeting Lei Dong’s fierce ghosts and golden shield.

• Qi Feifei, Dongfang Fu, Ding Wanyan, Chen Ge, and Wei Hua trusted that Lei Dong was concealing his confidence and would not accept the duel without a plan.
• Zuo Chao, Chen Ge, and Wei Hua pooled seven hundred thousand Spirit Stones and secretly bet on Lei Dong as Flame Demon raised his odds.
• Flame Demon closed the betting after thousands of wagers favored Huangfu Ce, leaving her facing a possible loss of twenty million Spirit Stones if he won.
• Lei Dong and Huangfu Ce took their positions, and a Golden Core elder declared the duel begun.
• Huangfu Ce summoned the Blood God Saber and launched a giant blood-red slash at Lei Dong.
• Lei Dong sent his fierce ghosts surging toward Huangfu Ce and used a golden talisman to conjure a Vajra Indestructible Shield, shocking the Ancestors.

Lei Dong used talismans, Ghost Guards, and his Crimson Refining Flying Sword to withstand Huangfu Ce’s assault and destroy the Blood God Saber. The saber’s destruction left Huangfu Ce badly wounded and unable to continue his plan to kill Lei Dong.

• Lei Dong protected himself with a Vajra Indestructible Talisman while summoning three level-eight Ghost Guards, astonishing the watching ancestors.
• Huangfu Ce drove the Blood God Saber against Lei Dong’s shield as elite fierce ghosts battered Huangfu Ce’s Profound Yin Shield.
• Huangfu Ce’s third strike shattered the Vajra Indestructible Shield, but a Ghost Guard froze the Blood God Saber and Lei Dong’s Crimson Refining Flying Sword damaged it.
• Lei Dong and his Ghost Guards repeatedly struck the weakened saber while Huangfu Ce struggled against the ghost horde.
• Lei Dong’s Crimson Refining Flying Sword split the Blood God Saber in two, gravely injuring Huangfu Ce through their soul connection.
• Lei Dong mocked Huangfu Ce for failing to refine his Blood God Saber well enough.

Lei Dong overwhelmed Huangfu Ce after destroying the Blood God Saber, using his Ghost Guards, spirits, and puppets to force Huangfu Ce to beg for mercy before killing him. He took Huangfu Ce’s Storage Bracelet as the spectators watched and cheered.

• Lei Dong destroyed the Blood God Saber, leaving Huangfu Ce wounded and exposed to the elite vengeful ghosts.
• Lei Dong summoned his Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger and the Heavenly Demon’s Peak Puppet, shocking the spectators and leading the Golden Core Ancestors to suspect a Nascent Soul Cultivator backed him.
• Lei Dong’s Ghost Guards, beasts, and puppets overwhelmed Huangfu Ce, who used talismans and pills but could only defend himself.
• Huangfu Ce begged Lei Dong to spare his life and offered him all his wealth, but Lei Dong renewed the attacks and let the vengeful ghosts devour Huangfu Ce’s soul.
• Lei Dong seized Huangfu Ce’s Storage Bracelet, and the spectators began cheering for him.

After killing Huangfu Ce, Lei Dong publicly proposed to Ding Wanyan, and Myriad Ghost Ancestor approved their marriage after accepting a lavish betrothal gift. Their wedding was set for the eighteenth of next month, and Lei Dong left the viewing platform with Ding Wanyan and his fellow disciples.

• Lei Dong asked Myriad Ghost Ancestor for permission to marry Ding Wanyan and offered Purgatory Red Lotus seeds, pills, bombs, talismans, and a Silver Puppet as the betrothal gift.
• Myriad Ghost Ancestor asked Ding Wanyan whether she would marry Lei Dong, and she shyly agreed.
• Flame Demon gave Ding Wanyan two hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones as a wedding gift, while Myriad Ghost Ancestor handed her the betrothal gifts and gave Lei Dong a generous dowry.
• Myriad Ghost Ancestor warned Lei Dong to cherish Ding Wanyan, gave her a Top Grade Spirit Item whip to keep him in line, and invited the Golden Core Ancestors to the wedding feast on the eighteenth of next month.
• Lei Dong left the viewing platform with Ding Wanyan, called over Chen Ge and the others, and teased Chen Ge after he challenged him to a duel.

Lei Dong returned to Myriad Ghost Cave with Ding Wanyan and prepared for their wedding while old friends and fellow cultivators gathered to celebrate. As the wedding day arrived, he was reunited with his family and grew uneasy over Ding Wanyan’s growing friendship with Qi Feifei.

• Lei Dong’s brothers teased him about his proposal, and Qi Feifei mischievously made it sound as if he had abandoned her after an affair; Ding Wanyan invited her to stay for the wedding.
• Wu Peng and Li Huntian accepted Lei Dong’s invitation, and Lei Dong joked them into promising wedding gifts.
• At Myriad Ghost Cave, the visiting cultivators shared cultivation advice and sparred, while Li Huntian admitted Ding Wanyan had beaten him in a private match.
• Lei Dong discovered that his younger sister Lei Qing'er had reached the first level of Foundation Establishment and found his parents healthy and happy in Myriad Ghost City.
• Lei Dong worried as Ding Wanyan and Qi Feifei grew close, and the wedding day arrived amid celebrations at Myriad Ghost Cave.

Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan celebrated their grand wedding, but Mu Yanmei intercepted him on his way to their bridal chamber. She insisted on taking precedence over the bride, leaving Lei Dong trapped in her grasp.

• Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan held a lavish wedding attended by guests from across the Yin Sha Sect, and Myriad Ghost Ancestor presided over the ceremony.
• Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan completed their wedding rites and received Top Grade Spirit Stones from Myriad Ghost Ancestor.
• Lei Dong drank potent Immortal Wine with his fellow disciples and hurried toward his new residence, where Ding Wanyan was waiting.
• Mu Yanmei stopped Lei Dong in the mountain hollows and revealed her name after he asked what to call her.
• Lei Dong confronted Mu Yanmei for trying to delay his wedding night, then softened and apologized when he saw her anger fade.
• Mu Yanmei wrapped Lei Dong in black qi, tore at his clothes, and declared that she had to come before Ding Wanyan.

After Mu Yanmei confronted Lei Dong about Qi Feifei and threatened to claim authority over him, she left him to dress and continue to his bridal chamber. Lei Dong reunited with his bride Ding Wanyan, but she unexpectedly turned away and announced that they had to pass three tests before consummating the marriage.

• Mu Yanmei questioned Lei Dong about learning sexual techniques from Qi Feifei and forbade him from becoming involved with her, but Lei Dong insisted he needed Qi Feifei’s Su Nu Yuan Yin to improve his chances of reaching the Golden Core Stage.
• Lei Dong tried to placate Mu Yanmei by calling her Meimei and asking her to be gentler, but she said she preferred their rough encounters and vanished.
• Lei Dong dressed in spare robes and hurried to his new cave abode, where he found Ding Wanyan waiting in the bridal chamber.
• Lei Dong lifted Ding Wanyan’s veil and leaned in to kiss her, but she floated away and said they had to pass three tests before consummating their marriage.
• Ding Wanyan noticed Lei Dong was not wearing his groom’s clothes and asked where they were.

Lei Dong faced Ding Wanyan’s bridal-chamber trials, losing repeatedly at War Chess before she let him pass the literary test and challenged him to a martial contest. As the incense neared its end and Lei Dong struggled to take her pearl, he suddenly stopped moving and crashed to the floor.

• Ding Wanyan explained the three trials, and Lei Dong eagerly accepted the War Chess challenge.
• Ding Wanyan defeated Lei Dong repeatedly until he cheated to win a game and claimed his reward.
• Ding Wanyan embraced and teased Lei Dong, then waived the literary trial and set a martial test: he had to take her pearl before the incense burned out without damaging the room.
• Lei Dong chased Ding Wanyan around the bridal chamber, but her Yin Sha Qi shattered his dark tendrils and the incense nearly ran out.
• Lei Dong abruptly froze in midair and crashed to the floor.

After marrying Ding Wanyan, Lei Dong planned how to invest their wealth and build a team without neglecting cultivation. He chose a cultivation market in the Great Ding Kingdom near the borders of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Tianyin Palace as the starting point for his plans.

• Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan spent several months together after their wedding, living at the Yin Sha Sect and then the Great Ding Kingdom.
• Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan pooled their roughly nineteen million Spirit Stones and discussed using the wealth to support their cultivation and future business.
• Lei Dong decided to recruit people beyond Ouyang Rong'er and considered starting with a shop rather than attempting to establish a market town.
• Lei Dong assessed the Great Ding Kingdom's prosperity, location, and cultivation community as advantages for his plans.
• Lei Dong chose a northeastern cultivation market near both the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Tianyin Palace as his intended base.