Chapter Summaries

Chen Mobai hired Wu Wan to appraise the White Jade Bell and joined him for lunch with Luan Jingsheng, hoping to improve his Talisman drawing. With Luan Jingsheng’s guidance, Chen Mobai finally learned to draw the Revival Talisman himself.

• Wu Wan agreed to appraise Chen Mobai’s White Jade Bell for up to 8,000 Merit Points and promised to finish within ten days.
• Chen Mobai accepted Wu Wan’s invitation to meet Luan Jingsheng, hoping to get advice on drawing Talismans.
• Luan Jingsheng watched Chen Mobai fail to draw a Revival Talisman, then identified a flaw and demonstrated a smoother brush technique.
• Luan Jingsheng guided Chen Mobai’s wrist through the correct stroke, helping him succeed after several more attempts.
• Chen Mobai drew and activated a Revival Talisman on his own, confirming that he had finally mastered it.

Chen Mobai practiced drawing Revival Talismans and searched Green Light Island, where he found a Brass Ring and decided to have it appraised later. After a month of limited progress in both scavenging and talisman-making, Luan Jingsheng examined the Divine Wood Sect’s remaining life Talismans and discovered something that shocked Chen Mobai.

• Chen Mobai rested, cultivated, and practiced drawing Revival Talismans under Luan Jingsheng’s guidance.
• Chen Mobai searched Green Light Island in daylight but found nothing in the ruined market.
• Chen Mobai used his flying needles to retrieve a Brass Ring from the Spirit Vein ruins and chose not to wear or test it.
• Chen Mobai asked Wu Wan about the White Jade Bell and learned its unorthodox sacrificial refinement method was proving difficult to appraise.
• Over the next month, Chen Mobai cultivated, drew Talismans, and searched Green Light Island, finding only a patterned blue kerchief.
• Luan Jingsheng examined the remaining four Divine Wood Sect life Talismans and discovered something that shocked Chen Mobai.

Luan Jingsheng discovered that a street-stall manual had deliberately altered the strokes of the Divine Wood Sect's five basic life talismans, explaining Chen Mobai's repeated failures. After receiving corrected samples and books from Luan, Chen quickly learned to draw all five; just as he planned another trip to Green Light Island, Wu Wan arrived with news that the White Jade Bell's sacrificial refinement method had been reverse-deduced.

• Luan Jingsheng identified altered strokes in the five life talismans and explained that the flawed manual would make beginners' attempts fail.
• Chen Mobai told Luan Jingsheng he had bought the manual at a street stall, then asked him to inspect the Crimson Flame Sword Talisman notes; Luan found no obvious flaw but said testing it would take substantial effort.
• The next day, Luan Jingsheng gave Chen Mobai corrected talisman samples and annotated basic books, and Chen thanked him with two tubes of Qi Replenishing Spirit Water.
• Using Luan Jingsheng's references, Chen Mobai successfully drew all five basic life talismans within ten days and realized the bad manual had caused his earlier failures.
• As Chen Mobai prepared to visit Green Light Island, Wu Wan arrived and announced that the reverse deduction of the White Jade Bell's sacrificial refinement method was complete.

Chen Mobai had Wu Wan appraise the White Jade Bells and learned how to use their mind-steadying and mind-bewildering effects. He also commissioned appraisals of two other Magic Artifacts, and learned that the Brass Ring released powerful sword qi.

• Wu Wan completed the appraisal of the White Jade Bells and explained their abilities and limitations to Chen Mobai.
• Chen Mobai refined and tested the bells, finding that Mind-Bewildering unsettled him and Mind-Steadying quickly restored his composure.
• Chen Mobai hired Wu Wan to appraise a green scarf handkerchief and a Brass Ring, asking him not to test the ring’s material composition.
• Chen Mobai signed the appraisal contracts, then returned to his Cave Mansion to cultivate the Pure Yang Scroll and draw talismans.
• Wu Wan identified the handkerchief as a reusable defensive Magic Artifact and the Brass Ring as a sword-qi artifact that could unleash up to nine Sword Lights.

After half a year of instruction from True Person Scarlet Robe, Chen Mobai completed the foundation of the Pure Yang Scroll but had only transformed his spiritual power to Qi Refining Layer 4. He left Vermillion Cinnabar Academy for the New Year, returned home without his father, and then teleported to Green Light Island to prepare to return to the Water Mansion.

• True Person Scarlet Robe explained that he had cultivated the Pure Yang Scroll before switching to the Sky Burning Technique to prioritize Core Formation, and warned Chen Mobai not to let cultivation delay his breakthroughs.
• True Person Scarlet Robe criticized Chen Mobai's slow progress, though he acknowledged that using Qi Replenishing Spirit Water had helped make Chen Mobai's Pure Yang Spiritual Power foundation solid and pure.
• True Person Scarlet Robe ended his guidance and departed, while Chen Mobai gave him a respectful disciple's salute.
• Chen Mobai packed his belongings, canceled his lease at Vermillion Cinnabar Academy, and took a shuttle bus home for the New Year.
• Chen Mobai learned that his father had entered death seclusion and would not return for the New Year, then teleported to Green Light Island to prepare to return to the Water Mansion.

After finishing his search of Green Light Island, Chen Mobai sold recovered artifacts, left for South Stream Market, and spent New Year with his family. He reunited with Qing Nü to receive the Fire Clearing Pills she had refined, and the chapter ended as Yan Bingxuan and Mo Simin joined them at the grilled fish shop.

• Chen Mobai sold the recovered artifacts to Wu Wan for 138,000 Merit Points and left Green Light Island by raft for South Stream Market.
• Chen Mobai returned home for New Year, celebrated with Tang Pancui and Wang Xinying, and contacted Qing Nü after his sister asked about her.
• Qing Nü gave Chen Mobai 24 Fire Clearing Pills she had refined and accepted his payment for her alchemy work.
• Qing Nü bought a Fire Clearing Pill for Yang Jing and paid Chen Mobai 5,000 Merit Points.
• Yan Bingxuan arrived at the grilled fish shop with Mo Simin, who was surprised to find Chen Mobai and Qing Nü there.

Chen Mobai said goodbye to his classmates before reaching South Stream Market’s island in the Sky River Realm, where he learned that Demon Beasts had devastated the surrounding markets. The island’s Teleportation Array was destroyed, and the chapter left him asking whether Wind Rain Dock had fallen.

• Chen Mobai, Qing Nü, Yan Bingxuan, and Mo Simin discussed their academy plans, and Qing Nü arranged for Yang Jing to attend Natural Academy with Yan Bingxuan.
• Chen Mobai wished his friends success in reaching Foundation Establishment and later said farewell to Lu Hongsheng, Yu Shu, Pu Jiangxue, Song Zheng, and other classmates.
• Chen Mobai reached South Stream Market’s island after drifting for three days and learned that Demon Beasts had breached twenty-four of the sixty-six outer markets.
• A Liu-family cultivator explained that Spirit-Seeking Birds helped Demon Beasts locate spiritual objects and said the island’s Teleportation Array had been destroyed.
• Chen Mobai asked whether Wind Rain Dock had fallen, and the Liu-surnamed cultivator shook his head and sighed.

Chen Mobai learned how a newly advanced Third Tier Yao Beast had devastated the markets around Cloud Dream Marsh before the Seven Great Sects drove it away. After buying a ticket back to South Stream Market, he encountered the maimed He Qun aboard the boat.

• Cultivator surnamed Liu told Chen Mobai that the Third Tier Yao Beast had destroyed the arrays and Spirit Veins of twelve markets before Golden Core ancestors injured it and pursued it.
• The Nascent Soul yao beast attacked the seal at the center of Cloud Dream Marsh, forcing the four Golden Core ancestors to abandon their hunt and return to Wind Rain Dock.
• Cultivator surnamed Liu said the Seven Great Sects had driven away the Third Tier Yao Beast, so Chen Mobai registered on the island and bought a boat ticket to South Stream Market.
• Chen Mobai found that the rebuilt market had few transactions, medicinal pills were in demand, and he could not sell his sixteen bottles of pills there.
• Three days later, Chen Mobai met He Qun boarding the boat; He Qun had lost a hand and was traveling alone.

Chen Mobai helped defend the Liu Family’s Icebreaker Ship from water-snake Demon Beasts and tested his Magic Artifacts in battle. After reaching shore, he chose to travel back to Yun Country with the Luo Family’s caravan, while He Qun followed him aboard the same convoy.

• Liu Yongnian asked Chen Mobai and the other Late Qi Cultivation cultivators to help repel the water snakes attacking the ship.
• Chen Mobai used his Floating Talisman, flying needles, Green Kerchief Handkerchief, and Brass Ring to fight the snakes and test his Magic Artifacts.
• The cultivators killed the leading Black Great Serpent, and Liu Yongnian refunded their fares and distributed snake meat among them.
• The ship avoided a group of Black Armored Turtles and reached shore three days later.
• Chen Mobai bought a ticket with the Luo Family’s caravan to return to Yun Country, and He Qun bought a ticket for the same convoy after conferring with two Rogue Cultivators.

Chen Mobai returned to South Stream Market, sold his goods, and learned the Divine Wood Sect’s recruiters would arrive in about half a month. He stayed in the market while hoping to contact Zhuo Ming and unaware that two rogue cultivators planned to ambush him for his Sword Casting Ring.

• Chen Mobai entered South Stream Market, refused He Qun’s offer of Black Water, and did not notice He Qun reporting his Sword Casting Ring to two rogue cultivators plotting to kill him.
• Chen Mobai sold snake meat and sixteen bottles of pills, collected sixty-eight used Spirit Stones from Qi Er, and asked about Lu Shu.
• Chen Mobai went to Zhuo Ming’s Cave Mansion but left without contacting her, then asked Qi Er to pass along his request to speak with her.
• Chen Mobai learned the Divine Wood Sect’s Spirit Ferrying Envoys would arrive in Yun Country in about half a month and decided to remain in the market.

Chen Mobai settled in South Stream Market and used a Spirit Stone to cultivate the Pure Yang Dharma Body, reaching the entry stage of the One Yang Body without seeing any change in his measured spiritual roots. As he prepared to continue cultivating, Qi Er informed him that Zhuo Ming had emerged from cultivation.

• Chen Mobai rented the cheapest Cave Mansion in South Stream Market to cultivate while awaiting the Divine Wood Sect's Spirit Ferrying Envoy.
• Chen Mobai used a Spirit Stone to circulate spiritual energy through his body and practice the One Yang Body method.
• Chen Mobai spent three days draining the Spirit Stone, and his Qi and Blood surged as he reached the One Yang Body's entry stage.
• Chen Mobai measured his spiritual roots twice but found that their readings had not changed.
• Qi Er sent Chen Mobai a Telepathic Message saying Zhuo Ming had exited cultivation.

Chen Mobai questioned Zhuo Ming about Lu Shu’s Talisman Crafting Insights and waited in South Stream Market for the Divine Wood Sect’s Spirit Ferrying Envoy. The envoy finally arrived as hostile Rogue Cultivators plotted against Chen Mobai and more hopeful candidates gathered in the market.

• Chen Mobai showed Zhuo Ming Lu Shu’s Talisman Crafting Insights, but she denied knowing anything about it and hurried away after he pointed out that she had not made the Talismans at her stall.
• He Qun told two Mysterious Light Sect Rogue Cultivators to wait until Chen Mobai left the market before attacking him, while he and two surviving companions planned to kill the attackers afterward.
• Chen Mobai learned that the Spirit Ferrying Envoy was one of the Divine Wood Sect’s top True Disciples and that many Rogue Cultivators had come to South Stream Market hoping to join the sect.
• After two more days, the Divine Wood Sect’s Spirit Ferrying Envoy arrived at South Stream Market.

Chen Mobai watched the Divine Wood Sect recruit disciples at South Stream Market and learned that Yuan Chiye and Ding Ying had come in place of E Yun. After the Four Great Families’ candidates were tested, the recruitment turned to the Rogue Cultivators.

• Chen Mobai identified the two visiting disciples as Yuan Chiye and Ding Ying after Qi Er confirmed they were assisting E Yun with the recruitment mission.
• Yuan Chiye set up the Spirit Measurement Platform and announced that cultivators of suitable age with appropriate spiritual roots could join the Divine Wood Sect.
• Candidates from the Four Great Families stepped onto the platform, which displayed their spiritual-root attributes but not numerical values.
• Yuan Chiye recruited thirteen disciples from the Four Great Families and favored the Liu Family’s candidate with a Triple Attribute True Spirit Root.
• The spiritual-root tests for the Rogue Cultivators began.

Chen Mobai passed the Divine Wood Sect’s spirit measurement with a three-attribute True Spirit Root, and Yuan Chiye accepted him into the sect without requiring the Talisman assessment. Chen Mobai was surprised when Yuan Chiye mistook his ordinary Triple Spirit Root for talent close to a Dual Spirit Root.

• Yuan Chiye warned that anyone who skipped spirit measurement could not take part in the Talisman assessment, prompting a bald Rogue Cultivator to test his Spirit Roots.
• The bald man revealed a Five Elements False Spirit Root, but Yuan Chiye let him proceed to the Talisman assessment because he had reached Qi Cultivation Level 8.
• The Late Qi Cultivation Rogue Cultivators tested one by one, and Chen Mobai learned from Qi Er that they already knew their Spirit Roots were poor and had been barred from earlier recruitment rounds.
• A Divine Wood Sect shopkeeper told Yuan Chiye that Chen Mobai had escaped the destruction of Green Light Island and claimed he had discovered a Water Mansion while fishing as a child.
• Chen Mobai’s spirit measurement showed a three-attribute True Spirit Root, and Yuan Chiye accepted him into the sect after checking his age and cultivation.
• Yuan Chiye praised Chen Mobai’s talent as close to a Dual Spirit Root, leaving Chen Mobai astonished because he knew his Triple Spirit Root was ordinary.

Chen Mobai learned that his Triple Attribute True Spirit Root made him the most talented cultivator discovered in South Stream Market, and his attempt to enter the Divine Wood Sect quietly fell apart. As he prepared to join the sect, other recruits began treating him as their leader, drawing the attention of the True Disciples.

• Yuan Chiye judged the South Stream Market candidates, reserving the young Triple Spirit Root Shen Wei for the Divine Wood Sect and requiring an older Rogue Cultivator to pass the Talisman assessment.
• Yu Tian befriended Chen Mobai and asked him to remember his hopes of returning to Giant Wood Ridge if Chen Mobai later advanced in the sect.
• Zhuo Ming, a twenty-four-year-old Triple Spirit Root with Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, apologized to Chen Mobai after being admitted directly to the Divine Wood Sect.
• Chen Mobai reassured Zhuo Ming that they could help each other, but Liu Wenbai and Shen Wei then came to pay their respects to him.
• Other Rogue Cultivators gathered around Chen Mobai, making him appear to lead the South Stream recruits as Yuan Chiye and Ding Ying watched thoughtfully.

Chen Mobai and Zhuo Ming uncovered Lu Shu’s scheme of distributing flawed talisman manuals, and Chen reported it to Yuan Chiye, who set out to alert his superiors. With time before joining the Divine Wood Sect, Chen headed back to the Water Mansion, unaware that several Rogue Cultivators were pursuing him for his Sword Casting Ring.

• Zhuo Ming told Chen Mobai that Lu Shu had knowingly distributed altered Divine Wood Sect Talisman Crafting Insights and suspected he was connected to the Five Elements Sect.
• Chen Mobai gave the flawed manual to Yuan Chiye, who recognized the damage it had done and left to report the matter, warning Chen to conceal what he knew.
• Chen Mobai decided to return to the Water Mansion while waiting for the spirit-crossing mission to finish across Yun Country.
• Two Rogue Cultivators followed Chen Mobai, intending to rob him of his Sword Casting Ring, while He Qun and his sworn brothers secretly trailed them.

Chen Mobai was ambushed by two sword-cultivator Rogue Cultivators who demanded his Sword Casting Ring, and the three reached a mutual agreement to spare one another. He Qun arrived with his sworn brothers and attacked all three with lightning, leaving their standoff unresolved.

• Chen Mobai defended himself against two masked Rogue Cultivators whose sword attacks overwhelmed his initial protections.
• Chen Mobai offered the attackers his Spirit Stones, but they demanded the Sword Casting Ring instead.
• The taller Rogue Cultivator agreed to spare Chen Mobai if he surrendered the ring, while asking him not to pursue their identities later.
• Chen Mobai and the two Rogue Cultivators prepared to swear a Dao Heart Oath as they reached an agreement.
• He Qun arrived with his two sworn brothers and sent lightning toward Chen Mobai and the Rogue Cultivators, who deflected it with their combined swords.

Chen Mobai unleashed a second-order Yi Wood Divine Thunder Talisman against Kan Xiu, Kan Ping, and the South Mountain Bandits, then fled while the bandits pursued him. E Yun of the Divine Wood Sect intercepted Thunder Chief and Wang Liu, declaring that they should not have attacked a sect disciple.

• He Qun and the South Mountain Bandits confronted Chen Mobai and the Rogue Cultivator brothers Kan Xiu and Kan Ping over the Sword Casting Ring.
• Thunder Chief demanded that Kan Xiu and Kan Ping kill Chen Mobai, and the brothers turned their swords on him.
• Chen Mobai used the Yi Wood Divine Thunder Talisman, killing Kan Xiu and Kan Ping and badly injuring He Qun and Thunder Chief while Wang Liu lost his Heart-Protecting Mirror.
• Chen Mobai escaped as Thunder Chief lit Tracking Incense and pursued him with Wang Liu carrying the wounded He Qun.
• E Yun appeared in the bandits' path and confronted Thunder Chief for attacking a Divine Wood Sect disciple.

Chen Mobai opened a Water Mansion side hall and found Jade Bamboo, whose shoots temporarily increased his Wood Spiritual Root. After returning to Earth Origin Star and testing the shoots, he wondered whether they could help protect his liver and gallbladder while he cultivated the Pure Yang Dharma Body.

• Chen Mobai hid in the Water Mansion, restored his spiritual power, and prepared to escape if the South Mountain Bandits attacked.
• Chen Mobai cracked the Ren Shui Thunder Method Restrictions and opened a side hall containing Gold-edged and Silver-edged Jade Bamboo growing in Red Soil.
• Chen Mobai harvested Jade Bamboo Shoots and bamboo leaves, then found Liu Lengpei's other side hall empty.
• Chen Mobai returned to Earth Origin Star and ate a Jade Bamboo Shoot, raising his Wood Spiritual Root from 27 to 28 temporarily.
• Chen Mobai tested another shoot and found his Wood Spiritual Root briefly rose to 29 before returning to 28 the next morning.
• Chen Mobai considered whether Jade Bamboo Shoots could nourish his liver and gallbladder before he cultivated the Pure Yang Dharma Body.

Chen Mobai completed the One Yang Body, raising his Fire Spiritual Root and reaching the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, then planned a safer route to Giant Wood Ridge after receiving Yuan Chiye’s message. As he prepared to take Qing Nü’s Fire Clearing Pill, he noticed the side hall’s spiritual energy was unusually dense.

• Chen Mobai discovered that the Pure Yang Dharma Body transformed only his innate spirit root points, not temporary increases from Jade Bamboo Shoots, and continued cultivating with Spirit Stones.
• Chen Mobai completed the One Yang Body after using nine Low-grade Spirit Stones, raising his Fire Spiritual Root by 9 points and reaching the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.
• Chen Mobai set a goal of achieving Foundation Establishment within ten years and booked a train ticket to report to Wuqi Dao Academy.
• Chen Mobai returned to the Water Mansion and received a Telepathic Message from Yuan Chiye saying Uncle Shan would take him to Giant Wood Ridge in seven days.
• Chen Mobai decided to avoid South Stream Market in case the South Mountain Bandits were waiting for him and planned to travel across the Eastern Wasteland instead.
• Chen Mobai prepared to take Qing Nü’s Fire Clearing Pill in the cultivation side hall, but sensed that the spiritual energy there was unusually dense.