Chapter Summaries

Zhou Miaoli learned that the Si Hong Clan was sending her to the Liulan Dynasty to pursue its real target, the Medicine Fairy in the Lesser Freedom Heaven. More than three months later, Pei Ling arrived in Qucheng with Shi Wanli ahead of the Pill Refining Grand Ceremony and entered the bustling city.

• Si Honglang told Zhou Miaoli that the clan's mission concerned the Medicine Fairy in the Lesser Freedom Heaven, not simply disrupting the Pill Refining Grand Ceremony.
• More than three months later, Shi Wanli escorted Pei Ling off a spirit vessel at Quzhou Port and offered him a place to stay in Qucheng.
• Pei Ling accepted Shi Wanli's offer because he lacked a good reason to refuse, despite wanting to avoid the Cicada Tower member.
• Shi Wanli used his credentials to get himself and Pei Ling through Qucheng's crowded gates before they closed.
• Pei Ling took in the lively city and asked Shi Wanli whether there were any good pill furnaces for sale.

Pei Ling secured access to Shi Wanli’s residence and its pill-refining room so he could obtain a better furnace before the preliminary selection. He began refining Dreamless Powder with the system, but the poison pill he swallowed interrupted the session, leaving him to neutralize the poison himself.

• Shi Wanli promised to obtain a decent pill furnace for Pei Ling before he left the next day.
• Shi Wanli brought Pei Ling to his residence, then asked Steward Hao to host him while he handled other matters.
• Pei Ling inspected the pill-refining room, pretended to faint to check for watchers, and failed to contact Senior Li Wumei with the Sound Transmission Talisman.
• Pei Ling swallowed a poison pill and used the system to begin refining Dreamless Powder.
• The system stopped the session when the poison caused Pei Ling severe pain, and Pei Ling took an antidote and circulated the Burning Night Chapter to neutralize it.

Pei Ling tested using poison to interrupt the system while it refined pills and prepared to rely on the method at the Pill Refining Grand Ceremony. After arriving at the Ministry of Works alone, he registered for the Preliminary Selection and joined the line to enter.

• Pei Ling tested his poison-and-antidote method, sealing ten poisonous pills and ten Poison Dispelling Pills with True Essence and saber intent.
• Shi Wanli showed Pei Ling an eighth-grade pill furnace and accompanied him to the Ministry of Works, where guards barred him from entering.
• Pei Ling entered the Ministry of Works, registered for the Preliminary Selection, and received a jade pendant.
• Pei Ling joined the line at the mist-shrouded courtyard and noticed a powerful blue-robed cultivator nearby.
• A voice summoned the next batch, and forty pill masters entered the courtyard.

Pei Ling watched as three disciples from Jade Lin Academy arrived to join the Pill Refining Grand Ceremony’s Preliminary Selection, learning that only Fifth-Rank Pill Masters could bypass it. Gu Nanxun and her companions took their place in line, and the selection had yet to begin.

• Pill Masters waited anxiously as explosions and the smell of failed alchemy came from inside the mist.
• Three Jade Lin Academy disciples arrived, and Pei Ling learned from nearby Pill Masters that even they had to enter the Preliminary Selection unless they had passed the Fifth-Rank examination.
• Pei Ling observed the newcomers’ pure auras and reflected on the differences between orthodox and demonic cultivators.
• Gu Nanxun, Xin Yuhan, and He Zhuzhi joined the line without seeking special treatment.
• Xin Yuhan complained about Rogue Cultivators delaying the line, while Gu Nanxun urged him to respect the rules and stay cautious.

Pei Ling entered the Preliminary Selection arena with the Jadefin Academy students and saw the grand hall where the Pill Masters would be tested. As the judges discussed the students’ abilities, the contestants were told to take separate Pill Platforms and prepare to begin.

• Pei Ling followed Gu Nanxun and the other contestants through the mist into a vast hall lined with forty Pill Platforms.
• The judges welcomed the Jadefin Academy students as promising alchemists and criticized the poor showing of earlier contestants.
• The judges discussed Gu Nanxun’s background, training, and rumored Eighth-grade Alchemist skill.
• A judge ordered the Pill Masters to choose one Pill Platform each and warned that anyone who argued would be expelled and barred from the next three ceremonies.

At the Qucheng Preliminary Selection, Pei Ling prepared to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but Gu Nanxun’s prized seventh-grade Spring Blossom Bird Furnace made him fear the system would steal it. The assessment began with Pei Ling still hesitating, expecting the system to seize the furnace if he let it take control.

• He Wufu explained the Preliminary Selection rules and announced that Pill Masters could pass by successfully refining one batch of Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Pei Ling received the recipe and ingredients, confident he could refine the pills quickly with the system’s help.
• Gu Nanxun revealed her seventh-grade Spring Blossom Bird Furnace, drawing the admiration of the other Pill Masters and examiners.
• Gu Nanxun felt proud of the furnace her aunt, the Virtuous Consort, had given her and mistook Pei Ling’s stare for envy.
• He Wufu called for the assessment to begin, and the Pill Masters started refining while Pei Ling remained frozen, fearing the system would steal Gu Nanxun’s furnace.

During the Preliminary Selection, Pei Ling waited for Gu Nanxun to put away her pill furnace so the system could detect it, while other Pill Masters struggled to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. The chapter left He Zhuzhi and Xin Yuhan having produced mid-grade pills as the remaining candidates faced mounting pressure.

• Pei Ling reasoned that the system could detect pill furnaces only when they were outside a cultivator's Storage Pouch, so he waited for Gu Nanxun to finish refining before starting.
• Gu Nanxun refined with her eighth-grade Frost Sky Plum Blossom Fire while Pei Ling stood idle, drawing the judges' attention.
• A pill furnace exploded and triggered a chain of failures, leaving many Pill Masters with ruined batches while the Jade Qilin Academy students and Pei Ling remained unaffected.
• Pei Ling watched Gu Nanxun aim for high-grade pills and judged the other candidates' results, recognizing Jin Sumian's exceptional talent by comparison.
• He Zhuzhi produced six Foundation Establishment Pills, including four mid-grade pills, while Xin Yuhan produced five mid-grade pills.
• The struggling Rogue Cultivators lost focus under pressure, and several more batches failed as their Pill Liquid evaporated.

Gu Nanxun completed a remarkable batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, drawing the judges’ admiration. With little time left in the examination, Pei Ling finally began refining a pill under the system’s control.

• Xin Yuhan and He Zhuzhi watched as Gu Nanxun steadied her furnace after a nearby Pill Master suffered an Exploded Furnace.
• Gu Nanxun refined eight Foundation Establishment Pills—three high-grade and five mid-grade—and impressed the judges and the other Pill Masters.
• After Gu Nanxun put away her furnace, Pei Ling activated the system and began refining a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• He Wufu and the other judges noticed Pei Ling starting with only about a quarter of an hour remaining and doubted he could finish a mid-grade pill.

Pei Ling refined thirty top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills in the Preliminary Selection, astonishing the examiners and his fellow contestants. The time expired with him recognized as a hidden pill-refining master alongside Gu Nanxun, Xin Yuhan, and He Zhuzhi.

• The judges noticed Pei Ling’s flawless technique and composure, even as a nearby furnace explosion triggered a chain reaction that caused the other Rogue Cultivator Pill Masters to fail.
• Under the system’s control, Pei Ling finished a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, but a burst of pain ended the cultivation session when the system detected poison.
• Pei Ling dispelled the poison and revealed thirty top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, shocking He Wufu and the other examiners.
• Gu Nanxun, Xin Yuhan, and He Zhuzhi recognized the pills as top-grade and decided to befriend Pei Ling after the selection.
• He Wufu announced that time was up, with only four contestants having refined middle-grade or better pills: Gu Nanxun, Xin Yuhan, He Zhuzhi, and Pei Ling.

Pei Ling passed the Preliminary Selection after refining thirty Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, and Qucheng’s officials arranged for him to take the Fifth-Rank Pill Master examination. Master Xue Ruyan arrived to examine him, but regarded Pei Ling’s skill as far beyond his own and hoped to learn from his insights.

• He Wufu ordered the judges to inspect the alchemists’ pills, while more than twenty Rogue Cultivators who had failed were sent to pay for the recipe and ingredients.
• A judge praised Wang Gao’s alchemy, declared that he had passed the Preliminary Selection, and invited him to wait for Master Xue Ruyan to arrive.
• Pei Ling rested in a flower hall while the judge arranged the Fifth-Rank Pill Master examination.
• He Wufu introduced Master Xue Ruyan to Pei Ling, and Xue Ruyan humbly acknowledged Pei Ling’s superior alchemical skill.
• Xue Ruyan asked Pei Ling about spiritual aptitude, hoping to learn from his understanding of alchemy before granting him Fifth-Rank credentials.

Pei Ling tried to bluff his way through Xue Ruyan’s request for Pill Dao insights by speaking about the Saber Dao, then demonstrated pill refining under the system’s control. The demonstration convinced Xue Ruyan of his skill, and Pei Ling ended with twelve supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pills.

• Xue Ruyan decided Master Wang Gao could pass the Fifth-Rank Pill Master examination and asked him to share his Pill Dao insights.
• Pei Ling improvised an explanation of spirituality by describing the principles of different saber intents, and Xue Ruyan and He Wufu listened with admiration.
• Pei Ling used the system to refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills while Xue Ruyan and He Wufu watched.
• The poison pill interrupted the system’s control, so Pei Ling suppressed the poison with a Poison Dispelling Pill and opened the furnace to reveal twelve supreme-grade pills.

Pei Ling passed Qucheng’s Fifth-Rank Pill Master examination after demonstrating his exceptional pill-refining skill. He declined the award ceremony, chose the Sparrow Flame Law as his reward, and left with the rewards still to be delivered.

• Pei Ling refined twelve Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, stunning Xue Ruyan and He Wufu with his skill and composure.
• Pei Ling asked whether he had passed the examination, and Xue Ruyan granted him Fifth-Rank Pill Master status and presented the jade pendant.
• He Wufu offered Pei Ling a place at Qucheng’s award ceremony, but Pei Ling declined because he had other matters to attend to.
• He Wufu presented the Fifth-Rank Pill Master rewards and described the Ebbing Water Art, Sparrow Flame Law, and Evergreen Merit.
• Pei Ling chose the Sparrow Flame Law, which could improve his control of the Cold Marrow Fire and strengthen his fire-based attacks.

Pei Ling obtained the Sparrow Flame Law and learned about the County Trial, which offered a righteous cultivation technique among its rewards. After passing the Fifth-Rank Pill Master assessment, he decided to go to Meiyang City for the trial.

• He Wufu arranged for a cultivator to bring Pei Ling the jade slip containing the Sparrow Flame Law, and the system recorded the unfamiliar method.
• Xue Ruyan explained the County Trial and its rewards, prompting Pei Ling to seek a righteous technique to complement his cultivation method.
• Pei Ling decided to enter the County Trial, then took his leave while Xue Ruyan and He Wufu escorted him to the Flower-Decorated Gate.
• He Wufu wondered whether Pei Ling understood basic pill-refining concepts, but Xue Ruyan concluded that his genius was simply beyond their comprehension.
• Shi Wanli asked Pei Ling about his assessment, and Pei Ling said he had passed and planned to attend the County Trial.

Pei Ling prepared to take the County Trial in Meiyang City, while Shi Wanli arranged an introduction to Qucheng’s City Lord. After clearing his body of poison pills and checking that his cultivation room was unobserved, Pei Ling set traps and prepared to use the system to cultivate the Sparrow Flame Law.

• Shi Wanli told Pei Ling that he could take the County Trial directly and offered to arrange a meeting with Qucheng’s City Lord.
• Shi Wanli warned Pei Ling not to attack demon beasts at the City Lord’s Mansion because the City Lord’s wife was a transformed demon beast.
• Pei Ling returned to his residence, tested whether anyone was watching him, and spat out the poison pills and Poison Dispelling Pills in his stomach.
• Pei Ling chose to cultivate the Sparrow Flame Law in the residence’s spirit-vein-connected cultivation room, then tested it for surveillance and set traps.
• Pei Ling prepared to have the system cultivate the Sparrow Flame Law.

Shi Wanli brought Wang Gao, a newly recognized Fifth-Rank Pill Master, to Qucheng, where Yuchi Keshao arranged to host him before he traveled to Meiyang City. Yuchi hoped to befriend Wang Gao and persuade him to refine a top-grade Shapeshifting Pill for his wife’s younger brother, a demonic wolf.

• Shi Wanli told Yuchi Keshao that Wang Gao had passed the Preliminary Selection as a Fifth-Rank Pill Master and wanted to use Qucheng’s Teleportation Array to reach Meiyang City.
• Yuchi Keshao claimed the array needed inspection, invited Wang Gao to dinner, and offered to escort him to Meiyang City the next day.
• Yuchi Keshao’s wife discussed her younger brother’s failed attempts to take human form and her hopes of obtaining a better Shapeshifting Pill for him.
• Yuchi Keshao told his wife that an outsider Fifth-Rank Pill Master was coming to dinner and that he would ask him to refine a top-grade Shapeshifting Pill.
• Yuchi Keshao’s wife eagerly agreed to prepare the banquet, and the demonic wolf perked up at the prospect of the pill.

Pei Ling began cultivating the Righteous Path [Sparrow Flame Law], but the system took control of him and sent him out to find fire-type demon beast ingredients. At the City Lord’s Mansion, Yan Qinlang prepared a meal for a visiting Fifth-Rank Pill Master, when an unfamiliar young man with Killing Intent approached her.

• Pei Ling let the system cultivate the [Sparrow Flame Law], and it unexpectedly searched for fire-type demon beast meat and cores.
• The system used [Blood Ghost Escape Technique] to dodge Pei Ling’s defensive mechanism and flee the cultivation room, revealing his original appearance and aura.
• Yan Qinlang prepared a huge pot of food at the City Lord’s Mansion for the honored Fifth-Rank Pill Master, while the staff gathered to watch.
• Yan Qinlang ordered the steward to bring a Black Winged Pig, and two guards volunteered to fetch the fattest one.
• An unfamiliar young man with a cold air and faint Killing Intent followed the cleared passage toward Yan Qinlang.

Pei Ling’s system-controlled attempt to cook a fire-type demon beast instead led him to throw Qucheng’s City Lord’s wife into a pot in front of the gathered guests. Meanwhile, Xue Ruyan decided to seek Master Wang Gao’s guidance, but a guard reported trouble at the mansion.

• Pei Ling worried about being exposed as a demonic cultivator, then seized Qucheng’s City Lord’s wife and tossed her into a pot as the system announced its gift.
• Xue Ruyan refined Foundation Establishment Pills and, encouraged by his improved results after seeing Master Wang Gao refine pills, hoped to learn more from him.
• Xue Ruyan refused Yuchi Keshao’s banquet invitation until he learned Master Wang Gao would attend, then hurried to the Ministry of Works’ reception hall.
• Xue Ruyan joined the city’s dignitaries in supporting Master Wang Gao settling in Qucheng so he could seek his guidance.
• A guard arrived at the reception hall and told Yuchi Keshao that trouble had broken out at the City Lord’s Mansion.

Pei Ling’s system-controlled attack left Yan Qinlang boiling in a cauldron before guards drove him off with a powerful strike, forcing him to escape by talisman. Yan Qinlang emerged unharmed but humiliated, and she insisted on continuing preparations for the evening banquet.

• Pei Ling shoved Yan Qinlang into a cauldron, and the Wolf Demon attacked him after realizing what had happened.
• Pei Ling evaded the Wolf Demon under the system’s control, revealing himself as a Demonic Cultivator to the guards and onlookers.
• A guard captain’s golden palm struck Pei Ling and ended the system session, but Pei Ling activated his Hundred Mile Escape Talisman before hitting the ground.
• The guards opened the cauldron and found Yan Qinlang unharmed; she dried herself with her demonic aura and questioned them about Pei Ling.
• The guard captains identified Pei Ling as a likely elite of one of the Four Great Demonic Sects and advised Yan Qinlang to wait in the secret chamber.
• Yan Qinlang refused to delay the evening banquet for a Fifth-Rank Pill Master and ordered the attendants to wash and refill the cauldron.

After escaping into Qucheng, Pei Ling hid at Shi Wanli’s residence and recovered while considering how to evade the citywide search. He realized his growing carelessness was a side effect of the “Law,” resolved to form his Core as soon as possible, and emerged from cultivation to find Shi Wanli waiting outside.

• Pei Ling appeared inside Qucheng despite using a Hundred Mile Escape Talisman, treated his wounds, disguised himself, and blended into the crowds.
• Pei Ling decided not to leave Qucheng and returned to Shi Wanli’s residence, relying on his credentials as Wang Gao to protect him from searches.
• Pei Ling used the system to cultivate the Burning Night Chapter and realized he had become increasingly forgetful and careless.
• Pei Ling resolved to obtain the Righteous Path Technique, cultivate in hiding, and form his Core as soon as his state of mind was ready.
• Pei Ling recovered during cultivation, checked that no one had entered his room, and found Shi Wanli waiting outside when he emerged.

Pei Ling learned that Qucheng had issued a wanted notice showing his true appearance, while Shi Wanli mistook his unease for fear of Demonic Cultivators and escorted him toward a banquet. At the City Lord's Mansion, Yuchi Keshao's guests discussed the incident and questioned whether Wang Gao was truly a Fifth-Rank Pill Master.

• Shi Wanli showed Pei Ling a wanted notice bearing his true appearance and said Qucheng's gates were sealed while the city hunted the intruder.
• Pei Ling concealed his alarm, changed into Fifth-Rank Pill Master robes, and swallowed ten poison pills with their antidotes before leaving for the banquet.
• Shi Wanli believed Pei Ling feared Demonic Cultivators and expected the dynasty's protection to persuade him to stay and serve.
• At the City Lord's Mansion, Yuchi Keshao and the assembled guests condemned the Demonic Cultivator and discussed Wushi Villa's responsibility.
• A blue-robed old man asked Xue Ruyan whether Wang Gao's pill-refining skill had truly reached the Fifth-Rank level.