Recaps

Lin Ming and his companions arrived in Sacred Pill City, where Ye Zhong explained the city’s scale and the Pill Tower’s authority. Before Lin Ming could enter the Pill Gathering, he needed a Pill Tower-certified Alchemist Grade Badge, so he prepared to take the official assessment the next day.

• Lin Ming and his companions passed through a violent spatial halo and emerged at a crowded landing plaza in Sacred Pill City.
• Ye Zhong explained that the plaza was one of eight in the city’s outer region and described how much larger Sacred Pill City was than Ye City.
• Ye Zhong told Lin Ming that the Five Great Families Assessment was approaching and proposed finding lodging before visiting an official testing site the next day.
• Ye Zhong explained that Pill Tower certification was mandatory for registering for the Pill Gathering and entering the Inner Region Core Arena.
• Lin Ming agreed to take the Pill Tower’s alchemist assessment and wondered what grade his skills would earn.

Lin Ming stayed at the neglected Ye Courtyard before Ye Zhong took him to a Pill Tower branch to earn a certified Grade Badge. When they learned the Cao Family was using the special testing room, Lin Ming chose to proceed anyway.

• Ye Zhong brought Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, and Elder Yao to the run-down Ye Courtyard, where they spent the night.
• Ye Zhong took Lin Ming to a Pill Tower branch for grade certification and mentioned a coming auction reserved for certified Alchemists.
• Ye Zhong found a special testing room for Lin Ming, but learned that Cao Xue, Cao Xiu, and other Cao Family members were using it.
• Ye Zhong warned Lin Ming that the Cao Family might cause trouble, but Lin Ming insisted they continue to the testing room.

Lin Ming accompanied Ye Zhong to the Pill Tower’s testing room, where the Cao Family mocked the struggling Ye Family and showed off its young alchemists. When asked what grade he wanted to test for, Lin Ming requested the branch tower’s highest level, Seventh Grade Intermediate, leaving everyone stunned.

• Lin Ming and Ye Zhong entered the testing room and were ridiculed by Cao Ying and Cao Xue for the Ye Family’s decline and Lin Ming’s lack of a Pill Tower badge.
• Elder Han Li intervened to stop the quarrel and let the Cao Family test first.
• Two Cao Family men announced they would test for Sixth Grade Intermediate badges, and Cao Xue declared she would test for Sixth Grade High-level.
• When it was Ye Zhong’s turn, Lin Ming asked about the testing limits, then chose Seventh Grade Intermediate.
• The room fell silent as Cao Ying, Cao Xue, the Cao Family men, and Elder Han Li reacted in disbelief.

Lin Ming insisted on testing for a Seventh Grade Intermediate Alchemist badge, drawing disbelief and mockery from the Cao Family. After Cao Ying threatened Ye Zhong and attacked Lin Ming, Deacon Han Li intervened, and the test had yet to begin.

• Lin Ming confirmed that he wanted to test for a Seventh Grade Intermediate Alchemist badge, and Deacon Han Li arranged to take him to the Heaven-class room after the other tests.
• Cao Xue and the other Cao Family candidates entered their assigned testing rooms while Lin Ming waited with his eyes closed.
• Cao Ying taunted Ye Zhong about the Ye Family's decline, and Ye Zhong retorted that she was excluded within her own family.
• Lin Ming insulted Cao Ying for her family's lack of manners, prompting her to lunge at his throat.
• Deacon Han Li stepped between Cao Ying and Lin Ming and warned her to obey the Pill Tower rules, so she backed off and threatened Lin Ming and Ye Zhong.

Lin Ming entered the Heaven-grade room to take the Seventh Grade Intermediate assessment while Cao Xue and the Cao Family members mocked and waited for him to fail. He emerged without a badge, and Cao Ying and Cao Xue celebrated what they believed was his failure.

• Two Cao Family members passed the Sixth Grade Intermediate assessment, and Cao Xue passed the Sixth Grade High-level assessment.
• Deacon Han Li led Lin Ming into the Heaven-grade room to personally supervise his Seventh Grade Intermediate assessment.
• Cao Ying and Cao Xue stayed behind, confident Lin Ming would fail, while Ye Zhong remained calm because he knew Lin Ming's skill.
• After several hours, Lin Ming emerged from the Heaven-grade room without a badge visible on his chest.
• Cao Ying mocked Lin Ming as a failure, and Cao Xue looked down on him.

Lin Ming passed the seventh-grade intermediate alchemist test and received his badge, humiliating the Cao Family after Cao Ying had mocked him. As Cao Ying tried to leave, Lin Ming confronted her and struck back with a powerful punch.

• Han Li announced that Lin Ming had flawlessly passed the seventh-grade intermediate test and could likely qualify for a higher grade.
• Lin Ming declined Han Li's offer to recommend him for testing at Pill Tower Headquarters and accepted his seventh-grade intermediate alchemist badge.
• Cao Ying questioned whether Han Li had issued the badge fairly, then mocked Ye Zhong and insisted Lin Ming could not save the Ye Family.
• As Cao Ying turned to leave, Lin Ming stopped her and asked whether she had called someone trash.
• Lin Ming moved at extreme speed and met Cao Ying's killing punch with his own, overwhelming her Dou Qi and sending the room's occupants reeling.

Lin Ming defeated Cao Ying with one punch after she provoked him, then heard news that Yao Chen had appeared in the Pill Tower with his disciple Xiao Yan. He and Ye Zhong left the tower to browse the markets, and Ye Zhong told him about an upcoming alchemists-only trade fair where rare treasures might be found.

• Lin Ming struck Cao Ying down with a single punch, leaving the Cao Family members terrified.
• Han Li told Cao Xue to take the injured Cao Ying away, and the Cao Family members hurried out of the testing room.
• Han Li told Ye Zhong that Yao Chen had reappeared in the Pill Tower as a soul and had brought Xiao Yan, his newly accepted disciple.
• Lin Ming and Ye Zhong browsed the Outer Sacred Pill City markets, where Lin Ming bought several rare medicinal goods at low prices.
• Ye Zhong told Lin Ming that an alchemists-only Internal Trade Fair would take place near the Inner Sacred Pill City the night after tomorrow.

Lin Ming and his companions visited Sacred Pill City's Pill Tower-backed Alchemist Trade Fair, where his Seventh Grade Intermediate badge secured them entry. After surveying the crowded first floor, they went up to the quieter second floor to seek better-quality goods.

• Lin Ming agreed to attend the Alchemist Trade Fair with his companions.
• Ye Zhong, Xiao Yi Xian, Heavenly Flame Venerate, and Xin Lan met Lin Ming at the Ye Courtyard, and they traveled together to the trade fair.
• Lin Ming displayed his Seventh Grade Intermediate badge, and the guards respectfully let the group enter.
• Inside the trade hall, Ye Zhong explained the ranked floors and their entry requirements.
• Lin Ming chose to skip the first-floor stalls for now, and the group passed the guards and entered the second floor.

Lin Ming reunited with his senior brother Xu Shilin at the trade fair and joined him in browsing the second floor. After Xu Shilin stayed behind with Xin Lan, Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Ye Zhong went up to the third floor, where the continent’s top alchemists and experts gathered.

• Lin Ming recognized Xu Shilin while he was negotiating for a Blood Essence Demonic Fruit and teased him by pretending to outbid him.
• Xu Shilin recognized Lin Ming, and the two fellow disciples joyfully reunited before Xu Shilin bought the fruit.
• Lin Ming and Xu Shilin exchanged jokes as their companions joined them in browsing the second floor, where both alchemists acquired rare materials.
• At the staircase to the third floor, Xu Shilin and his clan uncle stayed behind with Xin Lan because they lacked the required rank.
• Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Ye Zhong entered the third floor of the trade fair.

Lin Ming and his companions reached the Alchemist Trade Fair’s top floor, where he asked about a Bodhi Seed. Though none was available, the Yellow Robe Elder told him that a rare Bodhi Treasure Liquid was being offered for trade and offered to introduce its holder.

• The Yellow Robe Elder recognized Lin Ming’s Seventh Grade Alchemist badge and sensed the Dou Venerate power of Xiao Yi Xian and Heavenly Flame Venerate, then led the group upstairs.
• Lin Ming noticed hidden sentries on the staircase and entered the top floor, where the gathered experts reacted to his badge and his companions’ presence.
• Lin Ming asked the Yellow Robe Elder whether anyone at the fair had a Bodhi Seed, and the elder explained its rarity and value.
• The Yellow Robe Elder revealed that a holder was offering nine-hundred-year Bodhi Treasure Liquid for trade and offered to introduce Lin Ming.

Lin Ming found Master Di’s Bodhi Treasure Liquid and learned that he wanted a Soul Infant Fruit in exchange. Cao Dan arrived and tried to provoke Lin Ming, who asked whether Master Di would accept other items of equal value that could repair the soul.

• The Yellow Robe Elder led Lin Ming and his companions past Old Yan’s stall to Master Di’s quieter stall.
• Lin Ming identified the Bodhi Treasure Liquid and confirmed that its aura was genuine.
• Master Di explained that he wanted a Soul Infant Fruit to repair the Soul Origin damage caused by Nether Soul Devouring Insects.
• Cao Dan arrived with Ku Yi and proposed his earlier offer, then taunted Lin Ming about the Ye Family’s inability to provide a Soul Infant Fruit.
• Lin Ming admitted he had no Soul Infant Fruit but asked Master Di whether he would trade the liquid for soul-repairing pills or cultivation methods of equal value.

Lin Ming secured Master Di’s Bodhi Treasure Liquid by promising to deliver a mature Soul Infant Fruit within three years, with an Eighth Grade Pill Recipe as compensation if he failed. The Pill Tower prepared to notarize their Soul Contract as Cao Dan left in fury.

• Master Di rejected Cao Dan’s offers and Old Yan’s Ancient Bronze Fragment because neither could reliably repair his damaged Soul Origin.
• Lin Ming revealed that he knew where a Soul Infant Fruit Tree grew and offered to deliver a mature fruit to Master Di within three years.
• Lin Ming promised an Eighth Grade Pill Recipe if he failed to deliver and proposed that the Pill Tower notarize a Soul Contract.
• Master Di accepted Lin Ming’s terms and handed him the Bodhi Treasure Liquid.
• Cao Dan left with Bitter Robe Venerate, while the Yellow Robe Elder led Lin Ming and Master Di to the Notary Office.

Lin Ming traded a Seventh Grade Intermediate Suxin Pill recipe with Old Yan for an ancient copper plate at the Pill Tower trade fair. As Lin Ming’s group returned to the Ye Family courtyard, he noticed people following them and suspected they were treasure seekers or Cao Family spies.

• Lin Ming completed a Soul Contract with Master Di for the Soul Infant Fruit, and Master Di left to prepare for the next three years.
• Lin Ming bargained with Old Yan over an ancient copper plate and offered a Suxin Pill recipe in exchange.
• Old Yan accepted the offer, and Lin Ming confirmed the copper plate held an obscure fluctuation that attracted the soul.
• Lin Ming and his companions reunited with Xu Shilin and Xin Lan, then left the trade fair for the Ye Family courtyard.
• Xu Shilin warned Lin Ming that people had followed them, and Lin Ming said they were likely treasure seekers or Cao Family spies.

Back at Ye Courtyard, Lin Ming, Elder Yao, and Xiao Yi Xian examined the Ancient Bronze Fragment and discovered that its secret was hidden in the green patina rather than the copper itself. Lin Ming used his Purple Extreme Annihilation Flame to refine the patina, revealing glowing pale-yellow particles as the chapter ended.

• Lin Ming dismissed the people who had followed the group from the Alchemist Trade Fair, and they returned to Ye Courtyard.
• Elder Yao asked how Lin Ming had recognized the Ancient Bronze Fragment, and Lin Ming claimed he had traded the Suxin Pill formula for it on a hunch.
• Elder Yao carefully scraped the green patina from the fragment, then discarded the cleaned copper and compressed the scraped residue into a small ball.
• Elder Yao explained that the secret was in the patina and asked Lin Ming to temper it with his Heavenly Flame.
• Lin Ming intensified his Purple Extreme Annihilation Flame until the green ball began melting, releasing tiny glowing pale-yellow particles.

Lin Ming learned that the five grains he had obtained were Spirit Nurturing Dust, a rare treasure that strengthened the soul and aided high-tier pill refinement. After Elder Yao and Xiao Yi Xian left him to prepare for the Five Great Families Assessment, Lin Ming began drawing one grain toward himself to merge it with his soul.

• Elder Yao identified the five grains as Spirit Nurturing Dust and praised Lin Ming for obtaining them in exchange for the Suxin Pill formula.
• Elder Yao explained that Spirit Nurturing Dust helped create Spirituality in Tier 8 Medicinal Pills and could nurture the soul’s spirit qi, support Spirit Realm advancement, and aid enlightenment.
• Elder Yao warned Lin Ming to use the dust when attempting Tier 8 pill refinement and reminded him to rest before the Five Great Families Assessment.
• Elder Yao and Xiao Yi Xian left Lin Ming alone, urging him to rest and prepare for the assessment.
• Lin Ming extinguished the flame, drew one grain of Spirit Nurturing Dust toward his forehead, and sank his mind into his soul.

Lin Ming used Spirit Nurturing Dust to draw Spirit Qi into his Soul Origin, enduring severe pain as his soul rapidly strengthened. After the dust revealed an ancient, incomplete soul-cultivation chant, Lin Ming recognized its familiar aura and retrieved an item from his Storage Ring.

• Lin Ming absorbed a particle of Spirit Nurturing Dust and endured intense pain as it merged with his Soul Origin.
• The dust drew Spirit Qi from the void for nearly an hour and a half, rapidly nourishing Lin Ming’s soul before it shattered and lost its effect.
• A brief flash from the dust’s remnants conveyed an ancient chant about absorbing Spirit Qi and forging a perfected Spirit Realm Soul.
• Lin Ming considered that the voice came from an ancient expert connected to the Spirit Nurturing Dust and tried to identify its familiar origin.
• Lin Ming remembered where he had encountered something with the same aura and took an item from his Storage Ring.

Lin Ming used two grains of Spirit Nurturing Dust to complete an ancient soul cultivation method and advance to Spirit Realm Grand Perfection. He left with Elder Yao, Ye Zhong, and Xiao Yi Xian for the Five Great Families Assessment, confident he could secure the Ye Family’s future.

• Lin Ming recognized that the Beast King Token and Spirit Nurturing Dust came from the same ancient source and resolved to investigate the Beast King Sect after the Pill Gathering.
• Lin Ming used two grains of Spirit Nurturing Dust to strengthen the resonance with the fragmentary inheritance and endured a violent Soul impact while cultivating.
• By dawn, Lin Ming had reconstructed a basically complete ancient soul cultivation method and advanced his Soul Power to Spirit Realm Grand Perfection.
• Lin Ming joined Elder Yao, Ye Zhong, and Xiao Yi Xian as they prepared to attend the Five Great Families Assessment of Pill Tower.
• Lin Ming led the group out of Ye Courtyard and declared that he would suppress the other families himself.

Ye Zhong led Lin Ming and the Ye Family delegation into the Pill Martial Hall for the Five Great Families Assessment, where many factions expected the Ye Family to lose its seat. Lin Ming remained confident as he studied the rival families, while the Cao Family’s likely representative, Cao Xiu, remained to be seen.

• Ye Zhong brought Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and the Ye Family members through the hostile crowd and into the Pill Martial Hall.
• The assembled factions watched the Ye Family delegation with curiosity and contempt as Ye Zhong led them to their secluded seats.
• Ye Zhong pointed out the Dan, Cao, Bai, and Qiu Family seats, and Lin Ming noticed the Dan Family’s white-clad girl and Dan Xuan.
• Ye Zhong told Lin Ming that Dan Xuan was a leading alchemy talent and that the Cao Family might send Cao Xiu, a steady Seventh Grade Alchemist, instead of Cao Dan.

Cao Ying arrived at the Pill Martial Hall and confronted Dan Chen over their alchemical progress, while Cao Dan and Cao Xiu challenged Lin Ming over his support for the Ye Family. As the assessment approached, Cao Dan urged Cao Xiu to ensure Lin Ming failed to place in the top three.

• Cao Ying entered the hall with the Cao Family, drawing the attention of the gathered factions and revealing her formidable Soul Power.
• Cao Ying questioned Dan Chen about the alchemical realm she had pursued, and Dan Chen answered with a firm challenge of her own.
• Cao Dan confronted Lin Ming, but Cao Xiu stopped him and warned Lin Ming that trying to save the Ye Family could bring serious consequences.
• Cao Xiu returned to the Cao Family's seats, and Ye Zhong explained that Cao Xiu had built his standing through exceptional perseverance.
• Cao Dan privately urged Cao Xiu to keep Lin Ming out of the top three so the Ye Family would be ruined as the assessment began approaching.

The Five Great Families Assessment began as Lin Ming joined the representatives of the five families in the plaza. Elder Sheng revealed that the first test would measure their Soul Value, with a score of four hundred required to pass.

• Elder Sheng opened the assessment and summoned the five family representatives to the plaza.
• Lin Ming, Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying, and Qiu Ji introduced themselves to Elder Sheng.
• Elder Sheng recognized Lin Ming’s reputation from the Ice River Valley incident, and Lin Ming answered modestly.
• Elder Sheng uncovered a crystal stele and explained that the first test measured Soul Value, with a score of four hundred needed to pass.
• Elder Sheng announced that Cao Ying held the assessment’s highest Soul Value record from the past several decades.

Lin Ming began the Soul Value assessment by asking whether he could damage the Pill Tower’s crystal stele, then unleashed a Soul Storm so immense that it shocked the hall and drove several prominent alchemists backward. The test’s result had not yet appeared, but Elder Sheng and the others realized Lin Ming’s Soul Power far surpassed Cao Ying’s famed display.

• Elder Sheng recalled that Cao Ying had once achieved a record Soul Value of 976 and invited the contestants to begin the assessment.
• Lin Ming volunteered to go first, then asked Elder Sheng how much Soul Power the crystal stele could withstand and whether he would have to pay if it exploded.
• Elder Sheng assured Lin Ming that the stele was extremely durable and promised to claim credit for him if he managed to break it.
• Lin Ming touched the stele, closed his eyes, and released a tremendous Soul Storm that twisted the space around him.
• Elder Sheng recognized the storm as a Spirit Realm phenomenon far exceeding Cao Ying’s, while Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying, and Qiu Ji were blasted backward by its pressure.

Lin Ming scored an unprecedented 2499 on the Soul Power test, overwhelming the Five Great Families and securing the Ye Family’s Elder Seat. The other four families conceded, and Elder Sheng declared Lin Ming and the Ye Family the winners.

• Lin Ming triggered a massive Soul Storm and revealed a Soul Value of 2499, shattering Cao Ying’s record of 976.
• Cao Ying, Cao Dan, Ye Zhong, Xin Lan, and Elder Sheng reacted with shock, while Elder Sheng recognized Lin Ming as a rare Spirit Realm talent and resolved to bind him to the Pill Tower.
• Cao Ying conceded for the Cao Family, and Dan Chen conceded for the Dan Family.
• Bai Ying and Qiu Ji conceded for the Bai Family and Qiu Family, leaving Lin Ming’s victory uncontested.
• Elder Sheng declared the Ye Family victorious and Lin Ming the overall first-place representative, fulfilling Lin Ming’s promise to Xin Lan and the Ye Family.

After Lin Ming helped the Ye Family preserve its place among the Five Great Families, Cao Ying made peace with him and Elder Sheng invited him to the Pill Tower Headquarters. The chapter ended with Elder Sheng considering Lin Ming a potential ally against the Soul Hall at the upcoming Pill Gathering.

• Cao Ying formally introduced herself to Lin Ming and made Cao Dan apologize for provoking him.
• Lin Ming accepted Cao Dan's apology and warned him and the Cao Family not to provoke him again.
• Elder Sheng congratulated Ye Zhong and praised Lin Ming for turning the assessment around.
• Elder Sheng invited Lin Ming to visit the Pill Tower Headquarters and meet its chairman before the Pill Gathering, and Lin Ming accepted.
• After Lin Ming left with Ye Zhong, Xin Lan, and the others, Elder Sheng reflected that Lin Ming might help oppose the Soul Hall's efforts to seize the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

After the Five Great Families Assessment, Lin Ming became the talk of Sacred Pill City but kept cultivating in seclusion as the Pill Gathering approached. Elder Mu Gu of the Soul Hall secretly confronted him and offered him a place in the organization, but Lin Ming mocked the offer, provoking Mu Gu to attack.

• News spread that the Ye Family had kept its seat and won first place in the assessment thanks to Lin Ming, whose Soul Power had impressed Elder Sheng.
• Lin Ming stayed at the Ye Family courtyard, studying the Ancient Soul Cultivation Method and saving his remaining Spirit Nurturing Dust as the Pill Gathering drew closer.
• Lin Ming sensed an intruder in the courtyard and confronted a black-robed man, who revealed himself as Elder Mu Gu, a Venerable Elder of the Soul Hall.
• Elder Mu Gu blamed Lin Ming for killing Soul Hall members, then offered to forgive him and reward him if he joined the Soul Hall and helped with its plans.
• Lin Ming demanded an outrageous deposit of pill formulas and Heaven Tier techniques before agreeing to help, and Elder Mu Gu grew furious and formed gray flames to attack him.

Elder Yao rescued Lin Ming from Elder Mu Gu, who had tried to kill him inside a Soul Barrier. Xuan Kongzi intervened, warned Lin Ming about Soul Hall’s plans, and invited him to the Pill Tower, leaving Lin Ming resolved to go as Sacred Pill City’s conflict intensified.

• Elder Mu Gu trapped Lin Ming inside a Soul Barrier and threatened to kill him, but Elder Yao appeared behind him.
• Elder Yao sealed the space around Elder Mu Gu and crushed his defenses, leaving him gravely injured.
• Xuan Kongzi emerged, dissolved the Soul Barrier, and stopped Elder Yao from killing Elder Mu Gu.
• Xuan Kongzi banished Elder Mu Gu and warned Soul Hall not to attack Pill Tower alchemists during the Pill Gathering.
• Xuan Kongzi cautioned Lin Ming that Soul Hall sought the Three Thousand Burning Flame and invited him to the Pill Tower to discuss their cooperation.
• Lin Ming accepted the invitation, recognizing that he needed to visit the Pill Tower as tensions in Sacred Pill City rose.