Recaps

Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang entered the Dragon Court Main Hall with Long Zhantian, where Long Yun tried to use their presence to accuse his Third Brother and win favor with Long Xuan. Long Xuan crushed Long Yun with his pressure, then spared him with a warning, leaving Long Yun consumed by hatred for the Dragon Palace.

• Xuanjing told Zhang Xuanchen that the Dragon Court Main Hall held many powerful demons and that the Turtle Prime Minister was the strongest expert she had sensed.
• Zhang Xuanchen stood behind Long Zhantian as Long Zhantian asked Long Xuan to overlook his human friends for his sake.
• Long Yun accused Long Zhantian of disgracing the Dragon Court by bringing humans into the Main Hall and asked permission to kill them.
• Long Xuan questioned Long Yun about accusing him of favoritism, then crushed Long Yun against the Spirit Jade floor with his pressure.
• Long Yun pleaded for mercy, and Long Xuan released him but warned that he would die if he did it again.

Long Yun was expelled from the Dragon Court after Long Xuan warned him, and he vowed to return and take revenge. Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang revealed two Fifth-Rank Spirit Tools to prove they could offer a valuable trade for Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan, leaving Long Xuan and the Dragon Court’s demons wary of them.

• Long Xuan threw Long Yun out of the Main Hall, and Long Yun vowed to return and kill Long Xuan and Long Zhantian.
• Long Xuan asked Long Zhantian whether he was satisfied with how the matter had been handled, and the two discussed Long Yun’s fate.
• Zhang Xuanchen asked Long Xuan to exchange a Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan for a treasure, while the demons mocked him.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang revealed the Three Lives Samsara Mirror and the Tidal Lotus Lamp, and the Turtle Prime Minister identified them as Fifth-Rank Spirit Tools.
• Long Xuan and the demons feared the spirit tools’ destructive power, and Long Xuan assured Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang that no one would attack them.

Zhang Xuanchen negotiated with Long Xuan to trade a dragon-transformation cultivation method for three portions of Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan, while securing protections for himself and Luo Lingshuang. Long Xuan accepted the terms, and Zhang Xuanchen learned that Turtle Prime Minister had warned the Dragon Court about this opportunity years earlier.

• Zhang Xuanchen revealed the dragon-transformation method and offered to trade it for three portions of Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan, prompting the Flood Dragon experts to react with greed.
• Luo Lingshuang threatened the demons with the Tidal Lotus Lamp, and its power shattered the hall's five dragon pillars and stopped them from attacking.
• Long Xuan offered Zhang Xuanchen half the Dragon Court Treasury's spiritual treasures as well as the Dragon Yuan, but Zhang Xuanchen clarified that the method would go only to Long Zhantian.
• Zhang Xuanchen demanded that Long Zhantian alone cultivate the method, that everyone present swear to keep the meeting secret and leave his family unharmed, and that he himself swear not to reveal Long Zhantian's secret to other Flood Dragons.
• Long Xuan accepted Zhang Xuanchen's terms and said Turtle Prime Minister had warned the Dragon Court years earlier that Long Zhantian's opportunity to transform into a dragon was meant for him.
• Zhang Xuanchen realized that Turtle Prime Minister may have a divine skill for foreseeing the future and wondered what price it required.

Zhang Xuanchen negotiated with Long Xuan for Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan and access to the Dragon Court Treasury, while Turtle Prime Minister urged the Dragon King to demand a favor in return. Long Xuan made the favor a condition of the trade, leaving Zhang Xuanchen to decide whether to accept.

• Turtle Prime Minister praised Long Xuan for preventing the Dragon Court tragedy, and Long Xuan credited the minister with helping the court reach its current strength.
• Long Xuan offered Zhang Xuanchen one portion of Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan in exchange for the cultivation technique, arguing that the technique’s restricted use lowered its value.
• Long Zhantian began to object when Long Xuan said he did not want to transform into a dragon, but stopped after his father gave him a meaningful look.
• Zhang Xuanchen countered by asking for one portion of Fourth-grade Mid-tier Dragon Yuan and the right to choose three treasures no higher than Fourth-Grade Mid-Rank from the Dragon Court Treasury.
• Turtle Prime Minister advised Long Xuan to accept Zhang Xuanchen’s terms on the condition that Zhang Xuanchen owe the Dragon Court a favor.
• Long Xuan asked Zhang Xuanchen to accept the favor condition, making clear it was his final offer.

Zhang Xuanchen secured the Dragon Court’s oaths and taught Long Zhantian the Divine Dragon Hegemony Body Art. Long Zhantian recovered from the strain of receiving the technique and proclaimed his ambition to become a True Dragon as Long Xuan dismissed the hall.

• Zhang Xuanchen accepted Long Xuan’s offer of a favor, and he and Luo Lingshuang stored their spirit artifacts away.
• Long Xuan, Turtle Prime Minister, Long Wu, and the other demons swore Heavenly Dao Oaths, while Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang swore Blood Oaths to protect Long Zhantian’s secret and affirm the technique’s authenticity.
• Zhang Xuanchen imparted the Divine Dragon Hegemony Body Art to Long Zhantian, and Long Xuan warned Long Guang and the other demons against coveting it.
• Luo Lingshuang gave Zhang Xuanchen a Mind Focusing Pill, and Zhang Xuanchen gave two to Long Zhantian after they both suffered intense headaches.
• Long Zhantian awoke excitedly, proclaimed that he would become a True Dragon and unite the South Sea Immortal Continent, and Long Xuan ordered the demons to withdraw.

Zhang Xuanchen received a Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan and earned Long Xuan’s favor, who invited him to call him Uncle Xuan. After accepting, Zhang Xuanchen revealed that Li Feiyu was his assumed name and shared his real name.

• Turtle Prime Minister gave Zhang Xuanchen a Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan and explained its benefits and origins.
• Long Xuan arranged for Long Zhantian to take Zhang Xuanchen to the Dragon Court Treasury to choose spiritual treasures.
• Long Xuan offered to befriend Zhang Xuanchen and asked him to call him Uncle Xuan, startling Luo Lingshuang and Turtle Prime Minister.
• Long Zhantian suspected Long Xuan had been possessed, but Long Xuan seized and threw him to the ground.
• Zhang Xuanchen accepted Long Xuan’s offer and revealed that his real name was Zhang Xuanchen, explaining that Li Feiyu was an assumed name.
• Long Xuan praised Zhang Xuanchen’s caution and advised him that survival mattered most in the cultivation world.

Long Zhantian took Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang to the Dragon Clan Treasury after Long Xuan gave him the Dragon King Token, while Long Xuan explained why he wanted to build a closer relationship with Zhang Xuanchen. On the way, Jin Shijiu, a Golden-winged Azure Water Roc, tried to attack the humans, and Zhang Xuanchen remained intent on killing it despite Long Zhantian’s apology.

• Long Xuan gave Long Zhantian the Dragon King Token and sent him, Zhang Xuanchen, and Luo Lingshuang to choose spiritual treasures in the Dragon Clan Treasury.
• Long Xuan told Turtle Prime Minister that he wanted to befriend Zhang Xuanchen because of his potential and his knowledge of the Divine Dragon Hegemony Body Art.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang admired the underwater scenery as Long Zhantian urged them to keep up.
• Jin Shijiu confronted Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang, and Zhang Xuanchen shielded Luo Lingshuang and readied the Dragon Abyss Sword.
• Long Zhantian intervened and explained that Jin Shijiu hated humans because human cultivators had killed its parents, but Zhang Xuanchen’s killing intent remained unchanged.

Zhang Xuanchen, Luo Lingshuang, and Long Zhantian entered the Dragon Court Treasury, where Zhang Xuanchen discovered the Fourth-Grade Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Jade Marrow Fruit. The chapter left them inside the treasury, poised to choose among its rare treasures.

• Zhang Xuanchen warned Long Zhantian that he would kill Jin Shijiu if the Golden-winged Azure Water Roc provoked them again, and Long Zhantian agreed it would be Jin Shijiu’s own fault.
• Long Zhantian led Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang to the Dragon Court Treasury, where the Deep Sea Yaksha and three hundred Giant Crabs saluted him as the Third Prince.
• Long Zhantian opened the Dragon Gate with the Dragon King Token, and Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang followed him inside.
• Zhang Xuanchen marveled at the treasury’s vast stores of rare Third Stage spiritual items and regretted teaching Long Zhantian the Divine Dragon Hegemony Body Art.
• Zhang Xuanchen used Dragon Qi to pass through the barrier guarding the Fourth Stage treasures, while Long Zhantian used the Dragon King Token to let Luo Lingshuang enter.
• Zhang Xuanchen spotted a Fourth-Grade Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Jade Marrow Fruit and identified it aloud.

Zhang Xuanchen chose a Dragon Blood Jade Marrow Fruit and two Fourth-Grade Mid-Rank Dragon Pearls to help cultivate the Divine Dragon Hegemony Body Art. After storing the treasures, he flirted with Luo Lingshuang, prompting Long Zhantian to complain about their public affection.

• Zhang Xuanchen chose the Dragon Blood Jade Marrow Fruit and discussed Long Zhantian's complicated relationship with his brothers and his father's protection.
• Zhang Xuanchen admired the Nine Revolutions Dragon Saliva Lotus, but Long Zhantian explained that he could not use a Fourth-Grade treasure yet.
• Luo Lingshuang showed Zhang Xuanchen the Suspended Lamp Red Fire Dragon Pearl and the many Dragon Pearls kept in the Dragon Court.
• Zhang Xuanchen chose the Suspended Lamp Red Fire Dragon Pearl, the Soaring Wind Flood Dragon Pearl, and the Dragon Blood Jade Marrow Fruit, and Long Zhantian used the Dragon King Token to release them.
• Zhang Xuanchen stored the three treasures, flirted with Luo Lingshuang, and drew Long Zhantian's exasperated protest.

Long Zhantian hosted Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang while Jin Shijiu recruited Jin Xingtian to attack them, prompting Long Xuan to let the Golden-winged Azure Water Rocs face the consequences. Before leaving, Zhang Xuanchen agreed to occasional small trades with the Dragon Court and proposed broader cooperation once his clan grew stronger.

• Long Zhantian invited Zhang Xuanchen to stay overnight and insisted on arranging Mermaid Race dancers, irritating his guest.
• Jin Shijiu persuaded Jin Xingtian to help kill Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang to repay a debt to Jin Shijiu's parents.
• Long Xuan watched the two Golden-winged Azure Water Rocs set out and decided not to intervene, seeing their attack as a chance to curb their clan's arrogance.
• The next morning, Zhang Xuanchen told Long Zhantian that his clan could not yet openly trade with the Dragon Court without risking attacks from righteous immortal sects.
• Zhang Xuanchen agreed to arrange small transactions at Wind Green Island once every five years and promised to revisit full cooperation when his clan gained influence.

Long Zhantian resolved to cultivate toward the Third Stage while Long Xuan granted him free access to the treasure vault and revealed his hopes for the Dragon Court’s future. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang waited for Jin Shijiu and Jin Xingtian, then trapped them in a vast field of ice with a talisman.

• Long Zhantian asked Azure Ao to summon Jin Shijiu, but Long Xuan arrived and announced that Long Zhantian could freely enter and leave the treasure vault.
• Long Xuan told Long Zhantian that Jin Shijiu and Jin Xingtian had already left, urged him to focus on breaking through, and said the Dragon Court’s future would be entrusted to him and Gui Ming.
• Zhang Xuanjing warned Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang that Jin Shijiu and Jin Xingtian were approaching, so the two stopped and prepared to face them.
• Jin Xingtian sensed Zhang Xuanchen’s hidden talisman and tried to flee, abandoning Jin Shijiu.
• Zhang Xuanchen unleashed the Thousand Frost Shattering Sha Talisman, freezing several li of sea and trapping Jin Xingtian and Jin Shijiu.

Zhang Xuanchen killed Jin Xingtian and escaped with Luo Lingshuang, then returned to Wind Green Island to collect Singing Shells and arrange future trades with Red Shrimp and Green Crab. With the Dragon Yuan secured and his goals accomplished, he told Luo Lingshuang it was time to go home as both of them resolved to act on their feelings.

• Zhang Xuanchen killed Jin Xingtian and the other Golden-winged Azure Water Roc with ice spears, stored their bodies, and fled with Luo Lingshuang before other demon beasts arrived.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang escaped with their auras concealed and discussed the value of the Golden-winged Azure Water Rocs’ wings.
• Five days later, Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang returned to Wind Green Island, where Red Shrimp showed them over a hundred Singing Shells guarded by Red Shrimp and Green Crab.
• Zhang Xuanchen promised Red Shrimp and Green Crab bloodline-improving pills and arranged for his clansmen to trade with Long Zhantian through them every five years.
• Zhang Xuanchen collected the Singing Shells and, reflecting on his gains and the Dragon Yuan, told Luo Lingshuang it was time to go home; both resolved that it was time to confess their feelings.

After obtaining the Dragon Yuan, Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang headed toward Worry-Free City in high spirits. In Yunhua Immortal City, Su Zhengguo negotiated with Zhang Hongkai to transfer Su Jin Pavilion to the Zhang Family in exchange for a promise of protection if the Su Family’s Clan Leader failed to break through.

• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang left for Worry-Free City, relieved after obtaining the Dragon Yuan.
• Su Zhengguo told Zhang Hongkai that the declining Su Family faced pressure from several forces, especially the Bihai Immortal Sect, which threatened them over Su Jin Pavilion.
• Su Zhengguo offered Su Jin Pavilion to the Zhang Family and requested its protection if Su Zhengyi failed to break through.
• Zhang Hongkai accepted the offer and promised to do everything in his power to help the Su Family if trouble arose.
• Su Zhengguo and Zhang Hongkai toasted their agreement, and Zhang Hongkai personally saw him out.

Zhang Xuanchen returned to Xuanxiao Mountain with the Dragon Yuan, and Lin Wanqing revealed that she was nearing a breakthrough to Golden Core. Zhang Xuanbing prepared to refine the Dragon Yuan, warned that the wicked dragon’s lingering will could resist him.

• Zhang Hongkai followed Zhang Xuanchen’s plan, sent Zhang Hongmeng and Zhang Xuanshuo to guard the Su Family’s move at Su Jin Pavilion, and dispatched a letter to Xuanxiao Mountain.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang returned to Xuanxiao Mountain, where Luo Lingshuang went to speak with Zhang Xuanli and Zhang Xuanchen hurried to Zhang Xuanbing’s courtyard.
• Zhang Xuanchen showed his family the Dragon Yuan, and its dragon shadow lunged at the pregnant Su Muyan.
• Lin Wanqing protected Su Muyan and destroyed the dragon shadow with one sword, revealing an aura that showed she was nearing Golden Core.
• Zhang Xuanbing agreed to refine the Dragon Yuan carefully and said its lingering dragon will would not defeat him.

Zhang Xuanchen secured a chance for Zhang Xuanbing to cultivate again, then returned to Flower Fruit Mountain and discussed forging a Natal Sword Pellet with Zhang Guangyao. The chapter ended with Zhang Guangyao accepting Green Jade Bamboos to cultivate for the Zhang Family.

• Zhang Xuanbing accepted the Dragon Yuan and promised to protect Zhang Xuanchen and the Lineage, while Su Muyan considered persuading the Su Family to become an Affiliated Family of the Zhang Family.
• Zhang Xuanbing announced he would enter seclusion, and Zhang Xuanchen headed to the Spirit Beast Garden while considering the Zhang Family’s future Golden Core cultivators.
• Zhang Xuanchen visited Flower Fruit Mountain and admired the newly built cave mansion that Zhang Guangyao, Little Peach, and Great Sage were finishing.
• Zhang Guangyao told Zhang Xuanchen that True Person Yaohuo, the former Sect Leader of Heavenly Craft Pavilion, had forged the Lin Jin Sword.
• Zhang Xuanchen explained that he wanted True Person Yaohuo to forge a Natal Sword Pellet using wings from a third-rank mid-stage Golden-winged Azure Water Roc, and Zhang Guangyao agreed the materials deserved an expert.
• Zhang Xuanchen gave Zhang Guangyao Second Stage Green Jade Bamboos to plant, and Zhang Guangyao promised to cultivate them properly.

Zhang Xuanchen returned with a Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan and Singing Shells, checked on Zhang Wanjun, and ordered Su Jin Pavilion turned into a massive auction house. At Profound Heaven Villa, Luo Lingshuang prepared to confess her feelings to Zhang Xuanchen with a powerful sword tassel she had made.

• Zhang Xuanchen told Zhang Guangli that he had obtained the Fourth-Tier Dragon Yuan and brought back more than a hundred Singing Shells for the Xuanxiao Merchant Guild to raise.
• Zhang Xuanchen visited Zhang Wanjun at school and saw that he was settling in well and cultivating the Myriad Elephant Thunder Pivot Scripture.
• After receiving a letter about Su Jin Pavilion, Zhang Xuanchen instructed Zhang Hongkai to renovate it into an auction house for at least fifty thousand people.
• Zhang Xuanchen took out the Mysterious Heart Reflecting Frost Chain and headed to Profound Heaven Villa, determined that the time had come.
• Zhang Xuanli encouraged Luo Lingshuang as she prepared to confess her feelings to Zhang Xuanchen and give him the Weak Water Sinking Star sword tassel she had crafted.

Zhang Xuanchen confessed his love to Luo Lingshuang beside Moon Gazing Lake and gave her the Mysterious Heart Reflecting Frost Chain. Luo Lingshuang accepted his feelings, and they began their relationship with a promise to face the immortal path together.

• Zhang Xuanchen entered the courtyard and invited Luo Lingshuang to walk with him so he could tell her something.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang walked to Moon Gazing Lake and admired the night scenery.
• Zhang Xuanchen confessed that he loved Luo Lingshuang and asked her to walk the long road of cultivation by his side.
• Luo Lingshuang accepted his feelings and asked him to put the Mysterious Heart Reflecting Frost Chain on her.
• Zhang Xuanchen began to swear a Heavenly Dao Oath, but Luo Lingshuang stopped him and said she trusted him.
• Zhang Xuanchen put the chain on Luo Lingshuang, and they teased each other and embraced.

Luo Lingshuang gave Zhang Xuanchen a sword tassel, and Jun Xiaoyao watched their relationship deepen while brooding over the collapsed spiritual energy shackle and the mysteries of the Upper Realm. The next morning, Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang joined the Zhang Family elders and juniors for a celebration of their relationship.

• Luo Lingshuang gave Zhang Xuanchen the Weak Water Sinking Star sword tassel, and he praised her gift.
• Jun Xiaoyao watched the couple at Moon Gazing Lake and hoped the Luo Clan would attack Zhang Xuanchen so he could rescue them and repay his favor.
• Jun Xiaoyao reflected on the collapsed spiritual energy shackle and wondered what had happened in the Upper Realm before leaving Flower Fruit Mountain.
• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang arrived hand in hand at his mother's courtyard, where the Zhang Family welcomed them with congratulations and fireworks.
• Zhang Xuanchen guessed Zhang Xuanli had arranged the celebration, and Zhang Xuanli asked Luo Lingshuang to protect her from her brother and keep him from flirting with other women.

Jian Yuntian ordered Xia Xiangtian's expulsion and arrest after learning he had been sent away before the war, while Xia Xiangtian planned to claim Lu Qinghan's treasures and Nascent Soul Pill. Five months later, at the Yunjin Barren Ruins, a wounded spear-wielding woman fled toward a cold-faced man as a huge Magnetic Mountain Armored Dragon pursued her.

• Jian Yuntian suspected Lu Qinghan had sent Xia Xiangtian away to protect him and ordered Zhou Tianjian to have the Law Enforcement Hall apprehend or kill Xia Xiangtian.
• Zhou Tianjian accepted Jian Yuntian's command and went to the Law Enforcement Hall to relay it.
• Xia Xiangtian studied Lu Qinghan's treasure map and resolved to break the Seven Star Life Continuation Body Seizure Method and take the treasures and Nascent Soul Pill for himself.
• Xia Xiangtian planned to outwit Divine Blade True Person to obtain the Nascent Soul Pill, which he could claim after the sixty-year oath period.
• At the Yunjin Barren Ruins, a cold-faced middle-aged man with a White Mouse on his shoulder killed an Earth Splitting Golden Centipede with one sword strike.
• A wounded Golden Core Mid Stage woman carrying a red-gold spear rushed toward the man while fleeing a mid-stage Third Stage Magnetic Mountain Armored Dragon.

Zhang Chongxian agreed to help a woman slay a Magnetic Mountain Armored Dragon after learning she carried Star Pattern Sword Crystal, then unleashed his sword techniques against the beast. The battle remained unresolved as he charged through its energy beam.

• Zhang Chongxian turned back after the woman offered him the Magnetic Mountain Armored Dragon’s spoils and revealed she had Star Pattern Sword Crystal.
• Zhang Chongxian brushed the woman aside and struck the Armored Dragon with eight sword phantoms, wounding it and sending it crashing through three mountains.
• The Armored Dragon fired a golden energy beam at Zhang Chongxian, who used One Sword Severing Heaven to split the beam and charge through it.

Zhang Chongxian obtained the Star Pattern Sword Crystal from the injured Crimson Spear True Person and tried to leave, but she pursued him to ask him to stand guard while she healed. After he warned her that her careless trust could get them both killed, she offered to reveal where the Yaoyang Sword Leaf Grass was.

• Crimson Spear True Person gave Zhang Chongxian the Star Pattern Sword Crystal, and he checked it before storing it in his Storage Ring.
• Zhang Chongxian flew away, but Crimson Spear True Person chased him and asked him to stand guard while she recovered from her injuries.
• Zhang Chongxian drew the Lin Jin Sword and accused Crimson Spear True Person of trying to reclaim the Star Pattern Sword Crystal.
• Crimson Spear True Person explained that she needed protection while healing, but Zhang Chongxian refused and called her foolish for exposing her valuables and injuries to a stranger.
• Crimson Spear True Person offered to tell Zhang Chongxian where the Yaoyang Sword Leaf Grass was if he agreed to guard her.

Zhang Chongxian agreed to help Chu Zhiwei recover in exchange for the whereabouts of the Yaoyang Sword Leaf Grass, and the two searched for a secluded place to heal. As they traveled, Chu Zhiwei learned Zhang Chongxian’s name and heard about his devotion to protecting his Lineage, leaving her with a new understanding of his burdens.

• Chu Zhiwei let Zhang Chongxian choose between a Third-grade Top-tier spiritual item and the whereabouts of the Yaoyang Sword Leaf Grass, and he chose the information.
• Zhang Chongxian and Chu Zhiwei flew into the nearby mountain range to find a secluded place where she could recover.
• Chu Zhiwei introduced herself and learned that Zhang Chongxian had shared his real name with her.
• Chu Zhiwei tried to convince Zhang Chongxian that she was clever, but his blunt advice and replies exasperated her.
• Zhang Chongxian said he was focused on becoming stronger and protecting his Lineage rather than seeking a cultivation partner, and Chu Zhiwei understood the pressure he faced.

Zhang Chongxian protected Chu Zhiwei from a Golden Spear Snake King and found a concealed tree hollow where they could rest and recover. A month later, the Zhang Family was managing its affairs while Lin Wanqing prepared to attempt a Golden Core breakthrough and Zhang Zujun neared his tribulation.

• A Golden Spear Snake King attacked Chu Zhiwei, and Zhang Chongxian killed it with the Lin Jin Sword before it could bite her.
• Zhang Chongxian spotted a hidden tree hollow and brought Chu Zhiwei inside, then set third-tier Array Plates at the entrance.
• Chu Zhiwei paid Zhang Chongxian one thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones for protection, and he took ten before standing guard as she recovered.
• One month later, Zhang Hongzhan again handled the Zhang Family's affairs while Zhang Xuanchen, Luo Lingshuang, and the Great Sage were away in the Dark Night Forest.
• Lin Wanqing had entered seclusion to attempt a Golden Core breakthrough, and Zhang Zujun was expected to undergo the Golden Core Tribulation in about a month.

Zhang Xuanchen returned to the Small World in Dark Night Forest with Luo Lingshuang and Great Sage, only to find Han Li cultivating there with a mysterious Little Green Bottle. After Han Li stopped his Formation and tried to leave, Zhang Xuanchen refused to let him go, citing Luo Lingshuang's need to break through to the Golden Core.

• Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang descended through the spiritless zone toward the Small World while Great Sage warned that someone unfamiliar had entered it.
• Zhang Xuanchen, Luo Lingshuang, and Great Sage entered the Small World and found Han Li cultivating beside the Little Green Bottle.
• Han Li's Azure Sun Profound Fire Formation attacked the intruders, but Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang used Defense Spirit Talismans while Great Sage punched through the fireballs.
• Zhang Xuanchen confronted Han Li, who stopped the Formation and explained that he had come to the Small World while fleeing the Ancient Blade Sect.
• Han Li tried to leave, but Zhang Xuanchen stopped him and said Luo Lingshuang needed the Small World to break through to the Golden Core.

Han Li negotiated to remain in the Small World while Luo Lingshuang completed her breakthrough, and the group secured their agreement with Heavenly Dao Oaths. After discovering Luo Lingshuang’s identity, Han Li swore his oath, while Zhang Xuanchen set up arrays to guard her.

• Han Li withdrew his aura and asked Zhang Xuanchen and Luo Lingshuang how they intended to handle him.
• Zhang Xuanchen proposed that Han Li stay until Luo Lingshuang broke through, and Han Li asked for a Heavenly Dao Oath guaranteeing his safety afterward.
• Han Li agreed to remain in the Small World for five years to pursue his own breakthrough, provided Zhang Xuanchen’s group neither disturbed him nor disclosed his location to the Ancient Blade Sect.
• Zhang Xuanchen, Luo Lingshuang, and Great Sage swore oaths, and Han Li reacted with shock when he recognized Luo Lingshuang as Qingming True Lord’s personal disciple.
• Han Li swore not to interfere with Luo Lingshuang’s breakthrough or reveal the Small World’s location.
• Zhang Xuanchen placed two third-grade mid-tier arrays around Luo Lingshuang, while Han Li noticed his continued caution.