Chapter Summaries

A beautiful woman in a black dress destroyed the Zhu Family and sealed Zhu Family Fortress, while news of the massacre unsettled the Great Tang Cultivation World. Shi Yue learned of the disaster and decided to report the Zhu Family’s unpaid Spirit Herbs honestly, as he and Murong Xiaoxiao worried about further attacks.

• The beautiful woman in the black dress killed the Core Formation Cultivators, unleashed Ghostly creatures on Zhu Family Fortress, and sealed it with a formation so no one could escape.
• The Zhu Family was wiped out, and its surviving members fled toward the Myriad Beasts Sect as the Great Tang’s cultivation forces strengthened their defenses.
• Shi Yue told Murong Xiaoxiao that the Zhu Family had paid a deposit for Spirit Herbs, and he refused to keep the goods without reporting the matter.
• Shi Yue and Murong Xiaoxiao speculated that a Nascent Soul Cultivator had destroyed the Zhu Family and discussed the danger to the Great Tang Five Sects and Sanxin Market.
• Murong Xiaoxiao left to consult Uncle Xue and the others about Taixu Sect’s defenses, while Shi Yue predicted a turbulent period for the Great Tang Cultivation World.

After the Zhu Family was wiped out, the Myriad Beasts Sect investigated the destruction and ordered a million Spirit Stone reward for the culprit. At Green Bamboo Valley, a mysterious woman in black revealed that the Zhu Family’s destruction was only the beginning.

• At Sanxin Market, Li Yuanhua and Bai Pu discussed the Zhu Family’s destruction and agreed to keep the market operating while increasing patrols.
• Zhang Yun questioned Zhu Hua about the massacre, then heard Gu Tianqi conclude that a Nascent Soul Cultivator likely infiltrated the birthday celebration and took control of the Zhu Family’s array.
• Zhang Yun ordered a million Spirit Stone reward for the culprit and stronger defenses and surveillance across the Myriad Beasts Sect’s branch halls.
• At Green Bamboo Valley, cultivators discussed the Zhu Family’s destruction and speculated that a Nascent Soul Cultivator was responsible.
• A beautiful woman in black privately declared that the Zhu Family was just an appetizer.

After the Zhu Family was destroyed, Murong Feng strengthened Taixu Sect’s defenses while Shi Yue reassured Murong Xiaoxiao and helped Li Yan with her cultivation. In Palm Heaven Space, Shi Yue paid Xiaoyaozi for his advice and fed Black Phoenix and the others, leaving Black Phoenix eager to fly after advancing to the second level.

• Murong Feng ordered Taixu Sect to increase patrols, pull back its forces, and keep its disciples from leaving the market after the Zhu Family’s destruction.
• Murong Xiaoxiao told Shi Yue that Taixu Sect was safe and that Murong Feng had ordered the disciples to stay in the market; Shi Yue reassured her.
• Li Yan asked Shi Yue for help with her cultivation, and Shi Yue relayed Xiaoyaozi’s guidance, clearing up her confusion.
• Shi Yue paid Xiaoyaozi thirty thousand Spirit Stones for his advice and noted that his Spirit Herbs were ready to harvest.
• Jin'er and Yin'er asked Shi Yue for food, and Shi Yue fed them and Black Phoenix, which had advanced to the second level.

Shi Yue had Jin'er and Yin'er harvest Spirit Herbs in Palm Heaven Space, then secretly left Sanxin Market for Northern Yan. The chapter ended with Liu Shan patrolling the Purple Copper Mine, one year away from completing his twenty-year assignment.

• Shi Yue promised Jin'er and Yin'er Spirit Honey and Spirit Herbs to get them to dig up the plants, then inspected the Spirit Devouring Bee King, which had advanced to Level Three.
• Jin'er and Yin'er finished harvesting the Spirit Herbs and eagerly ate their reward while Shi Yue packed the rest for his trip to Northern Yan.
• Shi Yue used a Puppet Shadow Talisman doppelganger to conceal his departure from Immortal Herb Pavilion and Sanxin Market.
• Shi Yue left the market on Black Phoenix, who had grown faster after advancing to Level Two.
• Liu Shan patrolled the Purple Copper Mine with Myriad Beasts Sect disciples, anticipating the end of his twenty-year assignment in another year.

A woman in black massacred a Myriad Beasts Sect branch hall at a purple copper mine, using ghostly creatures to kill its disciples and Core Formation Cultivators. After the Myriad Beasts Sect mobilized in response, news of the massacre spread and heightened tensions across the Great Tang Cultivation World.

• The woman in black ambushed Liu Shan and nine other Myriad Beasts Sect disciples in a bamboo grove, killing them with five flying knives.
• She attacked the purple copper mine with the Black Command Flag and its ghostly horde, then killed the Red-robed Daoist and the Middle-aged Beautiful Woman with an ape-like ghostly creature.
• The woman in black searched the surrounding area, burned the corpses, and left after declaring that she needed the soul of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
• Zhang Yun led more than a hundred Myriad Beasts Sect disciples out of the sect on a Silver Giant Python after tiger roars signaled that the branch hall had fallen.
• News that the branch hall had been wiped out spread across the Great Tang Cultivation World, prompting sects and clans to tighten security and the Myriad Beasts Sect to withdraw people and reinforce its defenses.

Shi Yue sold six hundred Hundred-Year Spirit Herbs to Hundred Spirit Pavilion for 390,000 Spirit Stones, helping him work toward repaying his debt. While resting at a teahouse, he heard about the Divine Weapon Competition and asked local cultivators to explain it.

• Shi Yue visited Hundred Spirit Pavilion under his true identity and offered Lin Haoran a batch of Hundred-Year Spirit Herbs.
• Lin Haoran’s attendants counted six hundred herbs, and Shi Yue negotiated a price of 650 Spirit Stones per herb.
• Lin Haoran paid Shi Yue 390,000 Spirit Stones, while Shi Yue noted he still needed more to repay his debt and redeem the remaining herbs.
• Shi Yue stopped at a teahouse, where Xiaoyaozi reminded him to buy Spirit Grain for Jin’er and Yin’er.
• After overhearing cultivators discuss the Divine Weapon Competition, Shi Yue introduced himself as Li Mu and asked them what it was.

Shi Yue learned that the Divine Weapon Competition would take place in Ten Thousand Snake Valley and decided to enter for the chance to improve his artifact-refining skills. After visiting Jin'er and Yin'er in Palm Heaven Space, he set off for the competition the next morning.

• A middle-aged cultivator told Shi Yue that the Divine Weapon Competition required participants to be under fifty, be Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and pay an entry fee, and that registration would soon close in Ten Thousand Snake Valley.
• Shi Yue bought three thousand jin of low-grade Spirit Grain and went to an inn, where he entered Palm Heaven Space and found Jin'er and Yin'er longing for food beneath the beehive.
• Shi Yue gave Jin'er Spirit Grain and gave both girls pieces of Spirit Honey, and they cooked and ate Spirit Rice.
• Shi Yue told Xiaoyaozi that he planned to join the Divine Weapon Competition because it might offer an opportunity.
• Shi Yue left the inn the next morning, mounted Black Phoenix outside Hundred Spirit Valley, and flew toward Ten Thousand Snake Valley.

Shi Yue and Chen Yan arrived at Ten Thousand Snake Valley to enter the Divine Weapon Competition. While shopping for medicinal herbs, Shi Yue spotted a White Jade Ginseng with black spots and tried to buy it, but a burly cultivator also claimed it.

• Shi Yue and Chen Yan reached Divine Weapon Pavilion and paid the registration fee for the competition, receiving red entry tokens.
• Chen Yan invited Shi Yue to explore the vendors, but Shi Yue arranged to meet him at Manfu Building in two hours and went shopping alone.
• Shi Yue entered a Spirit Grass Store and noticed a three-hundred-year-old White Jade Ginseng with black spots.
• The Grey-robed Old Man lowered the ginseng's price after Shi Yue questioned the spots.
• A burly Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator demanded the White Jade Ginseng, but Shi Yue insisted he had seen it first and handed over the payment.

Shi Yue kept a rare Snow-Spotted Ginseng after standing up to a threatening buyer, then visited Purple Jade Pavilion to propose selling a thousand Hundred-Year Spirit Herbs. He waited for the manager, hoping to establish ties with the Four Seas Merchant Alliance for his future travels.

• Shi Yue refused to sell the Snow-Spotted Ginseng to the Bearded Man, who threatened him before leaving the shop.
• Shi Yue visited several spirit herb stores, then entered Purple Jade Pavilion and went to its third floor to sell herbs.
• Shi Yue asked the Green-robed Old Man to summon the manager, claiming he had a deal involving a thousand Hundred-Year Spirit Herbs.
• Shi Yue told Xiaoyaozi he wanted to build a relationship with the Four Seas Merchant Alliance before leaving Great Tang.

Shi Yue sold a thousand Hundred-Year Spirit Herbs to Lin Yuhuan, the shopkeeper of Purple Jade Pavilion, for six hundred and eighty thousand Spirit Stones. Lin Yuhuan became curious about his wealth and background, while Shi Yue concealed his identity and claimed to be from Great Tang.

• Shi Yue rejected Xiaoyaozi's concern about being robbed and learned that Xiaoyaozi wanted to sell him an advanced Escape Talisman method.
• Lin Yuhuan arrived with Steward Li, introduced herself as Purple Jade Pavilion's shopkeeper, and asked to inspect Shi Yue's herbs.
• Shi Yue used the false name Li Bai and asked Lin Yuhuan to keep the large sale discreet.
• After reviewing the herb list, Lin Yuhuan offered six hundred and eighty Spirit Stones per herb, and Shi Yue accepted.
• Lin Yuhuan paid Shi Yue exactly six hundred and eighty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones and asked where he was from.
• Shi Yue said he came from Great Tang but withheld his exact location, claiming his sect might take offense.

Shi Yue met with Lin Yuhuan, bought Spirit Herbs, and dined with Chen Yan at Manfu Building, where they learned about the Divine Weapon Competition’s prize. Xiaoyaozi offered Shi Yue a weapon-refining manual to help him place in the competition, and Shi Yue agreed to buy a copy; afterward, he declined Chen Yan’s invitation to visit Jade Spirit Pavilion.

• Lin Yuhuan gave Shi Yue a VIP token for the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, and Shi Yue left with nearly 1.2 million Spirit Stones.
• Shi Yue bought commonly used Spirit Herbs while watching for anyone following him, then met Chen Yan outside Manfu Building.
• Shi Yue and Chen Yan learned that the Divine Weapon Competition’s first-place prize was a Top-Grade Spirit Tool, and Chen Yan declared he would win it.
• Xiaoyaozi offered Shi Yue a weapon-refining manual for fifty thousand Spirit Stones, and Shi Yue agreed to get a copy.
• Shi Yue and Chen Yan ate snake dishes and drank Green Snake Spirit Wine, then Shi Yue declined Chen Yan’s invitation to visit Jade Spirit Pavilion.

Shi Yue attended the Divine Weapon Competition in Myriad Flower Valley and watched its first round begin. He recognized the Bearded Man who had tried to steal his Snow-Spotted Ginseng among the contestants.

• Shi Yue checked into an inn, entered Palm Heaven Space, and received a Green Jade Slip from Xiaoyaozi in exchange for a Blue Storage Bag.
• At the competition plaza, Chen Yan told Shi Yue about his night at Jade Spirit Building and invited him to visit with him, but Shi Yue declined.
• Judge Su Guang explained the competition rules, and the first hundred Artifact Refiners began crafting Spirit Tools on separate platforms.
• Shi Yue spotted the Bearded Man who had previously tried to snatch his Snow-Spotted Ginseng and watched him begin refining a saber.

Shi Yue advanced to the second round of the Divine Weapon Competition after placing ninth, then began refining a set of flying swords using Xiaoyaozi’s Li Fire Sword blueprint. Su Guang recognized Shi Yue’s unusually deep magical power as the judges debated whether he could finish the set within the time limit.

• The judges selected Shen Tengyun for first place and chose the top ten artifact refiners from the first contest.
• Shi Yue and Chen Yan competed in the next batch, and Chen Yan placed first while Shi Yue took ninth with a Mid-Grade Spirit Artifact bearing nineteen layers of restrictions.
• Su Guang announced that the top ten of the thirty advancing artifact refiners would be selected in the second round under the same rules.
• Shi Yue chose to refine a set of flying swords with the Li Fire Sword blueprint Xiaoyaozi had given him and lit fifty pieces of Spirit Charcoal.
• The Middle-aged Scholar doubted Shi Yue could complete the set, but Su Guang argued that Shi Yue’s magical power was unusually deep for a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

Shi Yue used Artifact Refining with Array to forge a set of forty-eight red flying swords during the Divine Weapon Competition, while Junior Sister Wang made a powerful defensive shield. As the judges prepared to compare the two creations, Uncle-Master Wang arrived.

• Shi Yue set up an array and prepared forty-eight red flying swords, drawing attention from the judges and spectators.
• Shi Yue used the array to inscribe restrictions on all forty-eight swords before time ran out.
• The judges inspected Junior Sister Wang's blue shield and found it had twenty-six restrictions, while Shi Yue's swords each had nineteen and formed a powerful set.
• Su Guang and the middle-aged Daoist nun could not decide which artifact was superior, and Uncle-Master Wang announced his arrival.

Shi Yue’s array-refined flying swords won first place in the Divine Weapon Competition after Wang Xin’s shield was tested against them. The contest ended with Shi Yue recognized for his technique, while Xiaoyaozi tried to sell him an artifact-refining manual.

• Red-robed Daoist Wang arrived and took charge of judging the tie between Shi Yue’s flying swords and Wang Xin’s shield.
• Wang asked Shi Yue to strike Wang Xin’s shield with all forty-eight swords, and the shield was left covered in cuts.
• Wang awarded Shi Yue first place, Wang Xin second, and announced the rankings through tenth place.
• Artifact refiners inspected the winning works, and several defended Shi Yue’s victory by citing his forty-eight swords and array-based refining method.
• Xiaoyaozi offered Shi Yue a manual that he claimed could help him refine a Top-Grade Spirit Tool within a year, but Shi Yue doubted the claim.

Shi Yue won first place in the Divine Weapon Competition and received the Azure Luan Sword, a Wind Attribute Top-Grade Spirit Tool. After the competition, he joined Wang Xin and the other artifact refiners at a banquet in the Divine Weapon Pavilion to exchange insights.

• Wang Xin asked Shi Yue about his origins, but he said he came from Great Tang and declined to reveal his background.
• The Red-robed Daoist announced the top ten results and awarded Shi Yue the Azure Luan Sword, with Wang Xin and Chen Yan taking second and third place.
• Shi Yue learned that the Red-robed Daoist had crafted the Azure Luan Sword and accepted Wang Xin's invitation to discuss artifact refining at the Divine Weapon Pavilion.
• After the competition ended, Shi Yue joined the other cultivators at a banquet, where Wang Xin welcomed them and Shi Yue proposed a toast to her.

After winning the Divine Weapon Competition, Shi Yue shared artifact-refining advice with fellow cultivators and accepted Shen Tengyun’s apology. He left Ten Thousand Snake Valley alone on Black Phoenix, while Chen Yan wondered about the strength of his cultivation.

• Wang Xin asked Shi Yue for guidance on refining artifacts with formations, and he explained the need for special formation flags, precise timing, and familiarity with the formation.
• Chen Yan asked Wang Xin about defensive Spirit Tools, and the group spent three hours exchanging artifact-refining knowledge over their meal.
• Shen Tengyun apologized to Shi Yue and invited him to Shen Family Castle, and the other cultivators also invited Shi Yue to visit their homes.
• Shi Yue declined Chen Yan’s offer to travel together and told him he came from Taixu Sect in Great Tang.
• Shi Yue said farewell to Chen Yan, mounted Black Phoenix, and flew away from Ten Thousand Snake Valley.
• Chen Yan watched Shi Yue depart and wondered how strong his cultivation was.

After a Myriad Beasts Sect branch was destroyed, Zhang Yun blamed a Nascent Soul ghost cultivator and ordered a bounty and increased caution. Back in Sanxin Market, Shi Yue learned of the growing danger and Murong Xiaoxiao’s departure, then discovered from Xiaoyaozi that she might have feelings for him.

• Zhang Yun found a Sound Echo Pearl at the destroyed mine and heard a disciple cry out about ghosts.
• Zhang Yun concluded that a Nascent Soul ghost cultivator had wiped out the branch, ordered the sect to withdraw its forces, and announced a bounty.
• Murong Xiaoxiao told Shi Yue that cultivation forces across several regions were strengthening their defenses and handed him three hundred bottles of Spirit Feeding Pills.
• Murong Xiaoxiao said she was returning to the Main Sect, but Shi Yue failed to understand why she wanted him to feel sad about her leaving.
• Xiaoyaozi told Shi Yue that Murong Xiaoxiao liked him and urged him to consider finding a cultivation partner.

Shi Yue focused on growing his cultivation and preparing for the dangers spreading across Great Tang, while raising his spirit beasts and harvesting Spirit Herbs for quick sale. His spirit beasts advanced, and Jin'er and Yin'er refused their promised share so he could pay his debt first.

• Shi Yue planted two mu of common Spirit Herbs in Palm Heaven Space and planned to sell them once they reached a hundred years old.
• Shi Yue fed Spirit Feeding Pills to Black Phoenix, Jin'er, Yin'er, and the aging Yellow Wind Ox, then continued cultivating while Sanxin Market grew quiet amid rising danger.
• After two months, Shi Yue decided to sell his harvested Spirit Herbs to another shop for quick funds as Great Tang faced demonic cultivators and tightened security.
• Shi Yue's Snow Cloud Sable and Yellow Wind Ox advanced to Level Two, gaining Earth Evasion and Stone Skin techniques, respectively.
• Jin'er and Yin'er dug up the Spirit Herbs and declined their promised share, urging Shi Yue to sell them to repay his debt.

Shi Yue gave Jin'er and Yin'er the spirit herbs he had promised, then reassured Qu Feiyan that he was staying home amid unrest in the Great Tang Cultivation World. Two months later, he visited Chen Hua at Hui Chun Building to sell thirteen hundred-year spirit herbs, claiming he needed to cover a shortfall from misappropriated public funds.

• Shi Yue gave Jin'er and Yin'er two hundred spirit herbs, and Yin'er eagerly began eating them.
• Qu Feiyan sent Shi Yue a Sound Transmission Bean Soldier warning him to avoid traveling while the Great Tang Cultivation World was unsettled, and he said he was staying home with his younger sister.
• Two months later, Chen Hua worried that poor business and delayed shipments had left Hui Chun Building short of hundred-year spirit herbs.
• Shi Yue told Chen Hua he needed to sell herbs because he had lent Spirit Stones to friends and was being pressed to repay the people above him.
• Chen Hua suspected Shi Yue had misappropriated public funds and planned to take advantage of his urgent need for Spirit Stones.
• Shi Yue offered Chen Hua thirteen hundred-year spirit herbs after Tai Sheng Tower had offered him six hundred and seventy Spirit Stones per herb.