Chapter Summaries

After reaching the semifinals of the Outer Sect Grand Competition, Zhang Qingyuan was selected by the Mystic Water Lineage and traveled toward the Cloud Water Sect’s Inner Sect. He arrived on the verge of entering a world with far greater cultivation resources and inheritances.

• Zhang Qingyuan accepted his semifinal finish, reasoning that entering the Inner Sect mattered more than winning fame or delaying for a better ranking.
• Daoist Ming Shui selected Zhang Qingyuan for the Mystic Water Lineage after the Outer Sect Grand Competition finals.
• Daoist Ming Shui led Zhang Qingyuan and the other selected disciples toward the Inner Sect on flying sword shadows.
• Zhang Qingyuan listened as fellow disciples explained that the Inner Sect Eight Peaks were founded on branch Spirit Veins from the Cloud Water Mountain Spirit Vein.
• Zhang Qingyuan looked forward to entering the Inner Sect and beginning the next stage of his cultivation.

Zhang Qingyuan completed the Cloud Water Sect’s initiation rites and settled into the Mystic Water Lineage, where he learned the Inner Sect’s rules and began cultivating. After families sent congratulatory gifts, the Huainan Zhang Family contacted him, and a visit from Zhang Changyang left him uncertain about what to do next.

• Zhang Qingyuan and the other new disciples paid respects in the Cloud Water Sect’s Ancestral Hall and officially became Inner Sect Disciples.
• Daoist Ming Shui brought the new disciples to the Mystic Water Peak and left them with Wang Yuènián to learn about their home and the Inner Sect rules.
• Zhang Qingyuan studied the rules, including the three-year period without mandatory tasks, the thirty-year deadline to reach the True Essence Realm, and the Inner Sect’s cultivation benefits.
• The Hu Family, families from River Pond Town, and the Luoshui Jiang Family sent gifts to Zhang Qingyuan, who accepted them and returned gifts to maintain their connections.
• Zhang Changyang of the Huainan Zhang Family visited Zhang Qingyuan outside the sect gate and discussed something that left Zhang Qingyuan uncertain after he departed.

Zhang Qingyuan considered how to respond to the Huainan Zhang Family’s offer of support and decided to postpone visiting them while he focused on cultivating. He then went to Mystic Water Peak’s Hidden Skills Pavilion to choose a new cultivation method, where he noticed the old man at the entrance was reading a shocking book.

• Zhang Qingyuan weighed the Huainan Zhang Family’s offer of inheritance techniques and treasures against the risk of becoming entangled in the Lineage’s affairs.
• Zhang Qingyuan decided he would return to the family someday but would delay the visit until he had more strength or needed its help.
• Zhang Qingyuan sent a letter to the Old Clan Leader through Zhang Changyang, who encouraged him to ask the Lineage for help if necessary.
• Zhang Qingyuan went to the Hidden Skills Pavilion to select a cultivation method for Mystic Water Peak.
• Zhang Qingyuan greeted the seemingly ordinary old man guarding the Pavilion, then saw the title of the book in his hands and was stunned.

Zhang Qingyuan recalled that his wildly popular, unfinished cultivation story had failed to recharge his Proficiency Panel, and worried the old man reading it would discover he was its author. He paid the old man for guidance on Mystic Water Peak’s cultivation methods and chose to focus on methods that led directly to the Cave True Immortal Realm.

• Zhang Qingyuan remembered writing Little Ming Cultivation Story, whose popularity had spread through the Cultivation World despite his cutting it off before its climax.
• The Slovenly Old Man put away the book and questioned Zhang Qingyuan, who concealed his panic and presented his Inner Sect Identity Token.
• The Slovenly Old Man hinted that he expected a gratuity, and Zhang Qingyuan paid him twelve Spirit Stones for guidance.
• The Slovenly Old Man explained that Mystic Water Peak offered eleven free Hand Seals, four of which led directly to the Cave True Realm.
• Zhang Qingyuan dismissed the seven incomplete or unconventional methods and chose to pursue a method with a clear path to the Cave True Immortal Realm.

Zhang Qingyuan chose the One Origin Gui Water Scripture from four advanced cultivation methods and began rebuilding his cultivation. After half a month, he reached its second level and increased his strength by at least twenty percent.

• Zhang Qingyuan paid the old man to explain the four cultivation methods and chose the One Origin Gui Water Scripture.
• The old man gave Zhang Qingyuan a jade slip and told him to return it after one month.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned to his Cave Dwelling and spent about ten days dispersing the Water Essence Art and cultivating the scripture to entry level.
• Zhang Qingyuan advanced the One Origin Gui Water Scripture to the second level in half a month, increasing his strength by at least twenty percent.

After rebuilding his cultivation with the One Origin Gui Water Scripture, Zhang Qingyuan advanced to its Third Layer and prepared to extract Essence of Gui Water from the Profound Water Dark River. He accepted Zhao Yuanyang’s invitation to a gathering and entered the river to cultivate.

• Zhang Qingyuan restored his Spirit Essence with the One Origin Gui Water Scripture, whose purified energy strengthened his foundation.
• After two months of diligent cultivation, Zhang Qingyuan reached the scripture’s Third Layer and neared a breakthrough in his Cultivation Realm.
• Zhang Qingyuan accepted Zhao Yuanyang’s invitation to meet with Shen Hongzhou and other Newly Promoted Inner Sect Disciples.
• Zhang Qingyuan went to Profound Water Cave, paid the required Sect Contribution Points, and entered the first layer of the Profound Water Dark River.
• Zhang Qingyuan plunged into a tributary and followed it in search of a secluded place to refine Essence of Gui Water.

Zhang Qingyuan refined a drop of Essence of Gui Water in the Profound Water Dark River and used it to break through to the Spirit Essence Realm Eighth Level Late Stage. As he prepared to leave, a passing whirlpool sparked an idea he could not yet grasp.

• Zhang Qingyuan traveled through the Underground Dark River and found a secluded cavern hollow for refining Essence of Gui Water.
• He spent ten days refining a single drop from more than a hundred tons of river water.
• Zhang Qingyuan absorbed the drop, strengthened his One Origin Gui Water Scripture, and advanced to the Spirit Essence Realm Eighth Level Late Stage.
• As Zhang Qingyuan prepared to return to his Cave Dwelling, a whirlpool passed by and gave him a sudden flash of inspiration.

Zhang Qingyuan discovered that centrifugal force made refining the Essence of Gui Water more than three times faster, then left the underground river cavern and was ambushed by a powerful creature. The chapter ended as the creature charged at him again.

• Zhang Qingyuan realized he could use centrifugal force while refining the Essence of Gui Water to make it gather more efficiently.
• He tested the method and refined a drop of Essence of Gui Water in three days, greatly improving his efficiency.
• After recovering, Zhang Qingyuan decided to leave the Cavern Space of the Underground Dark River and return later.
• A hidden attacker struck Zhang Qingyuan with force comparable to the Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level, hurling him through rock into a tributary.
• Zhang Qingyuan drew his Silver Shadow Longsword as a massive black creature emerged from the gap and pounced at him.

Zhang Qingyuan killed a powerful Underground Water Race fish in the Profound Water Dark River, then escaped as an earthquake shook the river. He learned the fish had come through a damaged formation and was assigned to guard one of the gaps until the sect’s Formation Masters arrived.

• Zhang Qingyuan killed a Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Layer strange fish with his Sword Drawing Technique and stored its corpse after an earthquake began shaking the dark river.
• Zhang Qingyuan fled to the main current of the Profound Water Dark River, where Wang Yuènián conscripted him to help contain an invasion.
• Wang Yuènián explained that gaps in the protective formation were allowing Underground Water Race members into the sect’s dark river.
• Wang Yuènián led Zhang Qingyuan to a gap in the formation, where Zhang Qingyuan realized the powerful fish he had killed had likely entered through one of these breaches.
• Wang Yuènián left Zhang Qingyuan to guard the gap and kill any Underground Water Race members that emerged until the Formation Masters repaired the formation.

Zhang Qingyuan guarded a gap in the Profound Water Dark River formation, studying the Spirit Pearls found inside the strange fish he killed. When five powerful fish burst through together, he struck first and killed one, but the rest charged at him.

• Zhang Qingyuan guarded the formation gap and easily killed the low-level strange fish that escaped through it.
• Zhang Qingyuan examined the fish corpses and discovered Spirit Pearls containing different elemental attributes.
• Five strange fish emerged together: two at the Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level and three at the Eighth Level.
• Zhang Qingyuan used his Sword Drawing Technique to kill one Ninth Level fish and wound another.
• The remaining strange fish surged toward Zhang Qingyuan in a furious attack.

Zhang Qingyuan fought five strange fish near the light curtain’s gap, killing four before the last escaped. He recovered and watched the gap until the formation was repaired, then was praised by a returning cultivator.

• Zhang Qingyuan blocked the strange fish’s attacks with Circle Defense, then used Cloud Smoke Steps to evade their charge and killed their second Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level leader with Heavenly Eagle Hand.
• Zhang Qingyuan killed two fleeing Spirit Essence Realm Eighth Level strange fish with his Silver Shadow Longsword and Qi Breaking Needle, while the fifth escaped.
• Zhang Qingyuan took Qi Recovery Pills, collected the strange fish corpses, and hid away from the gap to recover and keep watch.
• The gap in the light curtain closed after two hours, and a cultivator arrived and told Zhang Qingyuan that the great formation had been repaired.

After Wang Yuènián inspected the repaired formation, Zhang Qingyuan recounted an embellished account of his battle with the Underground Water Race and received extra rewards. He returned to his cave abode with Alchemy Fundamentals and contribution points, then set out to meet Zhao Yuanyang and the other Inner Sect Disciples.

• Wang Yuènián arrived and inspected the formation sealing the waters below.
• Zhang Qingyuan claimed he had barely survived an attack by five strange fish, and Wang Yuènián recognized that he was exaggerating while acknowledging his merits.
• Wang Yuènián gave Zhang Qingyuan Alchemy Fundamentals and promised extra mission rewards.
• Zhang Qingyuan received credit for a Human Tier mission and 13,000 Sect Contribution Points at the Inner Affairs Hall.
• Zhang Qingyuan studied Alchemy Fundamentals at his cave abode before leaving to meet Zhao Yuanyang and the other Inner Sect Disciples.

Zhang Qingyuan attended Zhao Yuanyang’s gathering for newly inducted Inner Sect Disciples, made useful connections, and met Shen Hongzhou again. After the banquet, the gathering turned to trading, and Lin Yan asked whether anyone had a spare drop of Essence of Gui Water.

• Zhao Yuanyang welcomed Zhang Qingyuan and introduced the gathered Inner Sect Disciples to one another.
• Zhang Qingyuan greeted Shen Hongzhou, who admired his rapid progress and steadfast cultivation.
• Zhao Yuanyang hosted a banquet where Zhang Qingyuan made connections with Lin Yan, an intermediate Artifact Refiner, and Qian Sen, who cultivated Spiritual Medicine.
• After the banquet, the attendees began exchanging goods and services.
• Lin Yan asked the gathering for a drop of Essence of Gui Water to help him become an advanced Artifact Refiner.

At Zhao Yuanyang's gathering, Zhang Qingyuan traded a drop of Essence of Gui Water to Lin Yan for an upgrade to his Silver Shadow Longsword and a new scabbard, and arranged future deals with Qian Sen. He declined Zhao Yuanyang's invitation to explore a True Essence Realm senior's Cave Dwelling, choosing instead to strengthen his cultivation and techniques.

• Lin Yan sought Essence of Gui Water, and Zhang Qingyuan offered him a drop in exchange for upgrading the Silver Shadow Longsword and forging a scabbard from Spirit-Devouring Fish materials.
• Qian Sen offered to trade spiritual herbs and other goods for any surplus Essence of Gui Water Zhang Qingyuan obtained in the future.
• Zhang Qingyuan exchanged Communication Talismans with Lin Yan and Qian Sen, then ordered mature low-tier medicinal herbs from Qian Sen for practicing Alchemy.
• Zhao Yuanyang invited the gathering to explore a True Essence Realm senior's Cave Dwelling in the Outer Domain, but Zhang Qingyuan declined so he could focus on improving his strength and acquiring techniques.
• The gathering ended, and the attendees returned to their Cave Dwellings.

Zhao Yuanyang’s Third Uncle assessed the new Inner Sect Disciples and worried that Zhao was neglecting cultivation to build connections, believing Zhang Qingyuan would soon surpass him. Meanwhile, Zhang Qingyuan stayed in his Cave Dwelling while his sword was upgraded, then gathered herbs and equipment to begin learning Alchemy by refining Qi Sensing Pills.

• After the gathering, Zhao Yuanyang asked Third Uncle to assess the attendees, and Third Uncle praised their potential while noting Zhao’s excessive focus on connections.
• Third Uncle judged Zhang Qingyuan to be diligent and predicted that he would reach the Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level within a year and a half, likely surpassing Zhao Yuanyang.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned to his Cave Dwelling and gave the Silver Shadow Longsword to Lin Yan for upgrading, deciding to stay in and cultivate without it.
• After studying Alchemy Fundamentals, Zhang Qingyuan used Qian Sen’s connections to buy low-grade medicinal herbs and an ordinary pill furnace.
• Once prepared, Zhang Qingyuan began setting up the furnace to refine Qi Sensing Pills as his first practical step in studying Alchemy.

Zhang Qingyuan used the Proficiency Panel to improve his alchemy by refining basic pills, while spending Spirit Stones to speed up his cultivation. After reaching Intermediate Alchemy and finding that his recipes no longer increased his proficiency, he sought a way to obtain new pill recipes.

• Zhang Qingyuan refined Qi Sensing Pills until they no longer improved his Alchemy proficiency, then switched to three other basic pill recipes.
• Over the following month, Zhang Qingyuan bought qi-benefiting pills and cultivated until he neared Eighth Level Perfection, spending most of his Spirit Stones.
• Zhang Qingyuan raised the Meridian Clearing and Activating Pill, Bigu Pill, and Qi-Melting Pill to Great Accomplishment and advanced his Alchemy to Intermediate.
• Zhang Qingyuan stopped refining pills when the recipes he had ran out of usefulness and decided to seek intermediate pill recipes.
• Zhang Qingyuan sent Zhao Yuanyang a Communication Talisman asking how to obtain intermediate pill recipes.

Zhang Qingyuan retrieved his upgraded Silver Shadow from Lin Yan and bought a questionable Overturning Sea Threefold Wave manual at the Inner Sect marketplace. He sold most of his low-grade pills for little profit, but still had to find a way to dispose of his Qi Sensing Pills.

• Zhang Qingyuan received Lin Yan's message that Silver Shadow had been upgraded and traveled to Lieyang Peak to collect it.
• Lin Yan gave Zhang Qingyuan the intermediate-grade Silver Shadow Longsword and a Human Tier Low Grade scabbard, and asked him to save any spare Essence of Gui Water for him.
• Zhang Qingyuan bought the Overturning Sea Threefold Wave palm manual from a stall despite uncertainty about whether it was genuine.
• After shops offered too little for his low-grade pills, Zhang Qingyuan sold more than half of them at his own stall and recovered only a little over a hundred spirit stones.
• Zhang Qingyuan found almost no buyers for his Qi Sensing Pills and then searched the marketplace for pill recipes.

Zhang Qingyuan failed to find affordable pill recipes in the Inner Sect Marketplace, so he enlisted local cultivation families to search while selling them his Qi Sensing Pills. After refining his Silver Shadow Longsword and cultivating in the Profound Water Dark River, he reached eighth-level Spirit Essence perfection and turned to mastering Three Waves Covering the Sea.

• Zhang Qingyuan searched the Inner Sect Marketplace for pill recipes but gave up when he found none at a reasonable price.
• Zhang Qingyuan asked the Hu Family and River Pond Town's Cultivation Alliance to look for pill recipes and sold them his stock of Qi Sensing Pills.
• Zhang Qingyuan refined the Silver Shadow Longsword and discovered that nurturing it improved his Sword Drawing Technique and his rapport with the sword.
• Zhang Qingyuan tried to nurture his Profound Origin Bodyguard Armor and Qi Breaking Needle, but gained only somewhat better control of them.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned to the Profound Water Dark River, refined ten drops of Essence of Gui Water, and reached perfection at the eighth level of the Spirit Essence Realm.
• Unable to advance further for now, Zhang Qingyuan began practicing the Human Tier High-Grade Martial Skill Three Waves Covering the Sea.

Zhang Qingyuan mastered the entry-level Three Waves Covering the Sea after practicing in the Profound Water Dark River, then left when he could no longer make progress. His cultivation and martial skill both reached bottlenecks, so he headed to the Inner Affairs Hall to seek an outside mission that might reward a pill recipe.

• Zhang Qingyuan spent half a month comprehending Three Waves Covering the Sea and successfully executed it, creating a huge palm seal in the dark river.
• Zhang Qingyuan practiced the martial skill for another half a month, raising his proficiency to Entry (9/10) but failing to merge a second surge of power.
• Zhang Qingyuan left the Profound Water Dark River after more than two months and found that Zhao Yuanyang had not returned.
• Zhang Qingyuan sold one drop of Essence of Gui Water each to Lin Yan and Qian Sen, receiving twelve hundred spirit stones and strengthening their friendships.
• Zhang Qingyuan failed to break through to the Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level, while the Hu Family and the Small Cultivation Alliance of River Pond Town found no pill recipes for sale.
• Zhang Qingyuan went to the Inner Affairs Hall to seek an outside mission that might offer a pill recipe as a reward.

Zhang Qingyuan accepted a mission to find hundred-year-old Ghostly Soul Grass in Yin Feng Valley, hoping to earn the Hundred Herbs Pill recipe. After learning that the outer region had been picked clean, he set out for the dangerous core region, while two burly cultivators noticed his Inner Sect identity token and exchanged meaningful looks.

• Zhang Qingyuan accepted Senior Brother Nangong's mission to collect ten hundred-year-old Ghostly Soul Grass plants, preferably including one Yellow Tier plant.
• He prepared at his cave abode and traveled five or six days to Yin Feng City, near the Cloud Water Sect's western boundary.
• Zhang Qingyuan searched the city's marketplace and learned from a guide that the explored outer region was unlikely to yield the grass he needed.
• He decided to risk entering Yin Feng Valley's demon-filled core region and left through the West Gate without paying the toll as an Inner Sect disciple.
• Two burly cultivators near the back of the queue noticed Zhang Qingyuan's identity token and exchanged wary glances.