Chapter Summaries

Cheng Buzheng, disguised as Jiang Yuan, visited the Wind Information Department to investigate the six Golden Core cultivators who had once pursued him. Xiang Tianwen agreed to provide information on five of them, leaving Cheng Buzheng to decide whether to proceed despite one being off-limits.

• Cheng Buzheng changed his appearance and went to the City Lord Mansion’s Supervision Office, where a First-Rank Supervision Disciple escorted him to the Wind Information Department.
• Cheng Buzheng introduced himself to Director Xiang Tianwen as Garrison Commander Jiang Yuan and asked about the backgrounds of several people.
• Xiang Tianwen explained the Immortal Alliance’s fees and said he could only provide information on Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Cheng Buzheng placed six thousand Spirit Stones on the table and conjured portraits of the six Golden Core cultivators who had attacked him.
• Xiang Tianwen removed one portrait and offered to reveal the backgrounds of the remaining five; Cheng Buzheng accepted.

Cheng Buzheng learned about five Golden Core cultivators from Xiang Tianwen, then used puppets and Image Recording Orbs to expose Zhao He’s pursuit of him throughout Xuanfeng Immortal City. Zhao He destroyed the orbs and publicly claimed he had been impersonated, while the city’s cultivators had already begun abandoning his family’s shop.

• Xiang Tianwen described the backgrounds of five Golden Core cultivators, including Zhao He, the Zhao Family patriarch who had pursued Cheng Buzheng.
• Cheng Buzheng decided to collect interest from his enemies and left the Wind Information Department without learning the identity of an Immortal Alliance insider.
• That night, Cheng Buzheng’s three puppets activated Image Recording Orbs across Xuanfeng Immortal City, displaying footage of Zhao He pursuing him and subtitles explaining the incident.
• Cultivators recognized Zhao He in the footage, spread the news, and left the Zhao Family’s shop, leaving it without customers.
• The shopkeeper warned Zhao He through a Sound Transmission Talisman, and Zhao He rushed out to destroy every Image Recording Orb.
• Zhao He proclaimed throughout the city that an impostor had framed him and promised a reward for information.

Cheng Buzheng undermined the Zhao Immortal Clan’s shop in Xuanfeng City, collected interest from several more shops, and spent a year refining pills before returning to his cave mansion. He then guided Cheng Liu through a problem in his cultivation method.

• Zhao He fled after realizing the Zhao Immortal Clan’s new shop could be exposed, while Cheng Buzheng concluded the clan’s shop in Xuanfeng City was doomed.
• Cheng Buzheng traveled to four shops and used puppets to distribute Image Recording Beads, collecting interest throughout the night.
• Cheng Buzheng spent a year refining Bipolar Pills and Spirit-Increasing Pills, then returned to his cave mansion on the seventeenth level of Immortal Mansion Spirit Mountain.
• Cheng Liu asked Cheng Buzheng why his Spirit Power weakened at the Heaven Pool Acupoint.
• Cheng Buzheng explained that Cheng Liu needed to reverse the flow through the acupoint three times in a single thought, and Cheng Liu understood the correction.

Cheng Buzheng discovered Cheng Liu's talent for alchemy and supplied him with valuable formulas and resources, while warning him to protect the secret cultivation pills. He planned to train Cheng Liu so he could eventually entrust him with the Cheng Family and focus on cultivation.

• Cheng Liu told Cheng Buzheng that he could refine Bigu Pills with a thirty-percent success rate but had spent nearly all his Spirit Stones practicing.
• Cheng Buzheng gave Cheng Liu two Jade Slips containing detailed Alchemical Formulas, restricting access to the three supreme-grade cultivation formulas to cultivators with a Soul Seed.
• Cheng Buzheng warned Cheng Liu to keep the improved formulas secret and told him to study them before joining him in the Alchemy Chamber in three days.
• Cheng Buzheng gave Cheng Liu two thousand Spirit Stones, and Cheng Liu began studying the formulas with renewed resources and guidance ahead of him.
• Cheng Buzheng returned to Secret Chamber No. 1, reflected on eventually leaving the clan in Cheng Liu's care, and rested after a year of intensive alchemy.

Cheng Buzheng trained Cheng Liu in refining Qi Nourishing Pills, guiding him through the difficult alchemy steps until he produced one intact pill. After a month of instruction, Cheng Buzheng left Cheng Liu to build experience through practice.

• Cheng Liu extracted and purified Spirit Medicine under Cheng Buzheng's guidance, losing some essence to dregs.
• Cheng Liu's first attempt to merge the Spirit Medicine essence failed when the combined mass burst apart at the fifth addition.
• Cheng Liu extracted enough essence for about four pills without guidance, then merged it successfully with Cheng Buzheng's instructions.
• Cheng Liu divided the mixture and refined four Qi Nourishing Pills, but mistimed their removal and ruined three.
• Cheng Buzheng continued instructing Cheng Liu in the Alchemy Chamber for a month, then left him to practice on his own.

After two years of alchemy and cultivation, Cheng Buzheng went to the Immortal Alliance Headquarters to choose a guard mission that would earn him enough Contribution Points for a breakthrough treasure. He accepted the risky Mission 777 to guard Zimu Spirit Island for twenty-four years.

• Cheng Buzheng refined his stored materials into Spirit Pills, while Cheng Liu advanced to Qi Refining Level 4 and became a First-order Low-grade Alchemist.
• Cheng Buzheng went to the Guard Hall with a little over 3,800 Contribution Points and considered the cost of earning enough for a breakthrough treasure.
• Cheng Buzheng ruled out taking another mission at Xuanli Island because its weak Spirit Vein would not support a breakthrough and the assignment would waste too much time.
• Cheng Buzheng chose Mission 777 to guard Zimu Spirit Island for twenty-four years at 210 Contribution Points per year.
• The old man processed the assignment, and Cheng Buzheng checked that his Contribution Points had not been deducted before taking the Mission Ring.

The Cloud Sea Ten Fiends organized a plan to seize the Immortal Alliance’s Purple Spirit Peaches, expected to ripen in nine years, and negotiated with several lineages. The Ming Immortal Clan, Evergreen Immortal Clan, and a small lineage agreed to join, while the Grand Elder of that lineage prepared to lead its forces.

• Heavenly Fiend told his second brother to offer the Ming Immortal Clan, Evergreen Immortal Clan, and other lineages an even split of the spoils rather than the seventy percent they demanded.
• Little Tenth returned and reported that the Purple Spirit Peaches would ripen around mid-July nine years later, and Heavenly Fiend awarded him one-tenth of the spoils.
• A Patriarch agreed to the Cloud Sea Ten Fiends’ terms after his Grand Elder volunteered to take the field, citing the lineage’s declining income and his limited remaining lifespan.
• The Grand Elder persuaded the Patriarch to let him lead the lineage’s effort while the Patriarch stayed behind to guard it.
• The Ming Immortal Clan and Evergreen Immortal Clan agreed to accept an even split, reasoning that the prize was too large for the Cloud Sea Ten Fiends to claim alone.

Cheng Buzheng forged the Spirit Refining Thunder Prison Array in preparation for a dangerous assignment, then brought Cheng Liu to Minghua Immortal City and visited its Spirit Source Department. He introduced himself to the department’s presiding officer, Ye Lai.

• Cheng Buzheng bought Spirit Materials and spent two months refining nine Array Flags and an Array Plate for the Spirit Refining Thunder Prison Array.
• Cheng Buzheng traveled to Xuanfeng City and asked Cheng Liu whether he wanted to cultivate there or accompany him to Zimu Spirit Island.
• Cheng Liu chose to accompany Cheng Buzheng and cultivate in Minghua Immortal City, and Cheng Buzheng let him keep his cave deposit as a reward for becoming an Alchemist.
• Cheng Buzheng and Cheng Liu traveled to Minghua Immortal City and went to the Spirit Source Department in the City Lord Mansion.
• Ye Lai introduced himself as the Spirit Source Department’s presiding officer, and Cheng Buzheng told him to call him Daoist Cheng.

Cheng Buzheng rented a shop in Minghua Immortal City and arranged for Cheng Liu to run a restaurant while he went on a mission. He left Cheng Liu with funds and recipes, and Cheng Liu named the restaurant the Dust World Pavilion.

• Cheng Buzheng asked Ye Lai to help him rent a shop, and Ye Lai showed him the few remaining options.
• Cheng Buzheng rented a shop on West Spirit Street and gave Ye Lai a thousand Spirit Stones to ask him to look after Cheng Liu.
• Cheng Buzheng told Cheng Liu that opening the shop was connected to the Blood Pool, and instructed him to focus on managing funds and cultivating the Jade Refining Pill.
• Cheng Buzheng gave Cheng Liu the shop’s Identity Token, start-up funds, and recipes, then left him to run the restaurant.
• Cheng Liu decided to name the restaurant the Dust World Pavilion.

On Zimu Spirit Island, True Person Ma and True Person Ren discussed how to protect Chu Daofeng, the highly valued junior of Hall Master Chu, when he arrived. They agreed to wait for the remaining cultivators before reshuffling the island’s squads, leaving the current teams unaware that their hard-won bonds were about to be disrupted.

• True Person Ma told True Person Ren that six cultivators had accepted the island-guarding mission and that Chu Daofeng was among them.
• True Person Ma and True Person Ren agreed that Chu Daofeng should join the island’s strongest squad because of Hall Master Chu’s influence and his own talent.
• True Person Ren proposed Ye Han, and True Person Ma proposed Shangguan Qingyu, as candidates for the strongest squad.
• True Person Ma and True Person Ren recommended several other powerful cultivators and decided to wait until everyone arrived before making the assignments.
• True Person Ren left the task of testing the juniors to True Person Ma, while the stationed cultivators remained unaware that their squads would be reshuffled.

Cheng Buzheng arrived at Zimu Spirit Island, where he was met by Guan Da and escorted inside. He discovered the island was filled with thousands of unfamiliar spirit trees, leaving their identity and the purpose of his assignment unresolved.

• Cheng Buzheng saw Desolate Beasts attacking Zimu Spirit Island’s barrier and watched cultivators emerge to kill them.
• Cheng Buzheng reached the island, where Guan Da cautiously asked to inspect his Guard Ring.
• Guan Da verified Cheng Buzheng’s ring, introduced himself as a cultivator from Tianluo Valley, and offered to take him to meet True Person Ma.
• Cheng Buzheng entered the barrier and noticed the island’s dense spiritual energy and countless enormous spirit trees bearing radiant fruits.
• Cheng Buzheng estimated that at least three thousand of the unknown spirit trees stood across the island.

Cheng Buzheng learned about the Spirit Ascension Ancient Trees and their valuable fruits while Guan Da explained the defenses and cultivators stationed on Zimu Spirit Island. The two continued toward True Person Ma, who would assign Cheng Buzheng to a team.

• Guan Da asked Cheng Buzheng whether he knew Shangguan Qingyu, and Cheng Buzheng said they had never dealt with each other.
• Guan Da showed Cheng Buzheng the Spirit Ascension Ancient Trees and explained how their fruits grew and improved cultivation.
• Guan Da said Spirit Ascension Fruits were more potent than ordinary second-tier cultivation pills but likely offered little benefit to Golden Core cultivators.
• Cheng Buzheng realized the island's thousands of trees and valuable fruits attracted Demonic Beasts and Desolate Beasts, making its defense dangerous and its missions lucrative.
• Guan Da described the island's stationed cultivators, their teams, and how True Person Ma assigned or changed team members.

Cheng Buzheng arrived at the island’s forbidden grounds and met True Person Ma, who unexpectedly postponed team assignments and ordered Guan Da to find him a residence. Cheng Buzheng settled into a vacant pavilion, uncertain what changes True Person Ma was planning.

• Guan Da brought Cheng Buzheng to the multicolored Light Screen surrounding True Person Ma’s cultivation grounds.
• True Person Ma inspected Cheng Buzheng’s Mission Ring, marked it with a formation seal, and postponed assigning the cultivators to teams until everyone had arrived.
• True Person Ma told Guan Da to find Cheng Buzheng a Cave Mansion, then returned through the Light Screen without explaining his changed plans.
• Guan Da led Cheng Buzheng to the western base and warned that True Person Ma’s arrangements might change in a few days.
• Cheng Buzheng chose a vacant pavilion, cleared its dust, and activated its concealing formation.

True Person Ma summoned the cultivators on Zimu Spirit Island and announced that he would reorganize them into teams of ten according to the attributes of their main cultivation techniques. Cheng Buzheng recognized Shangguan Qingyu and Ye Han among the gathering, then joined the other cultivators in their assigned areas.

• True Person Ma summoned the island's cultivators to its center, where Cheng Buzheng saw fellow sect member Shangguan Qingyu and the Ancient Sword Sect's Ye Han.
• More than one hundred and ten cultivators gathered, including Cheng Buzheng and six others at Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
• True Person Ma announced that the cultivators would be reorganized into teams of ten, with the highest-cultivation member as captain, to improve their safety.
• True Person Ma divided the gathering area into eight squares marked Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Ice, and Lightning, and ordered the cultivators to choose areas according to their main cultivation techniques.
• The cultivators reluctantly moved into the squares corresponding to their cultivation attributes.

Cheng Buzheng chose a metal-attribute Treasure Art as True Person Ma organized teams and announced rewards for the strongest groups. True Person Ma began testing the cultivators with mounting pressure, and the first teams were formed from those eliminated early.

• Cheng Buzheng weighed his fire- and metal-attribute Treasure Arts and chose the metal-attribute area to avoid damaging battle spoils and conceal his cultivation technique.
• True Person Ma offered Spirit Ascension Fruit rewards to the top five teams and said he would assess them every eight years.
• True Person Ma released mounting pressure, eliminating the Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators first.
• True Person Ma appointed two of the eliminated cultivators as captains and formed two ten-person teams, ensuring each team included the Five Elements.
• Cheng Buzheng observed that the second team was stronger and inferred that the remaining eliminated cultivators would join teams led mainly by Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators.

True Person Ma increased the pressure to test the cultivators and rank them into teams, while Cheng Buzheng observed the strongest candidates. The test left only the most resilient cultivators standing, and True Person Ma's unusual interest in a handsome Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator raised Cheng Buzheng's suspicions.

• True Person Ma increased the pressure, and Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators began falling as the others struggled to endure.
• Cheng Buzheng saw Shangguan Qingyu and Ye Han withstand the pressure, and recognized that Ye Han's Sword Soul had gained sentience and cleared his path to Golden Core Stage.
• True Person Ma watched a handsome Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator who showed no strain, prompting Cheng Buzheng to suspect that something about him was unusual.
• As the pressure continued to mount, a weaker Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator fell, followed by Shangguan Qingyu and Ye Han.
• The handsome cultivator eventually sat down cross-legged as well.

Cheng Buzheng completed the guarding cultivator assessment and joined a squad assigned to the island’s frequently attacked north. True Person Ma and True Person Ren later revealed they had arranged extra rewards and the strongest squad to protect Hall Master Chu’s junior, while keeping his identity secret.

• True Person Ma increased the pressure until Cheng Buzheng deliberately dropped out fourth among the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators.
• True Person Ma formed the guarding squads and awarded Spirit Ascension Fruits to the five strongest squads.
• True Person Ma assigned Cheng Buzheng’s squad to guard the north alongside squads of roughly equal strength.
• True Person Ren asked True Person Ma whether he had arranged protection for Hall Master Chu’s junior, and True Person Ma confirmed he had placed him in the strongest squad.
• True Person Ma and True Person Ren agreed to conceal the junior’s identity and keep watch over his safety in hopes of earning Hall Master Chu’s favor.

After True Person Ma left, Cheng Buzheng and the other cultivators mingled with their new squad, whose captain was Qiao Hong. As the members introduced themselves, Chu Daofeng tried to court Shangguan Qingyu and was warned to keep his distance.

• Cultivators congratulated Cheng Buzheng’s squad, while Shangguan Qingyu and Ye Han were left alone.
• Qiao Hong introduced himself as captain and urged the squad to support one another.
• Cheng Buzheng suspected that Qiao Hong’s forthright manner concealed a calculating nature.
• The squad members introduced themselves, including Shangguan Qingyu, Ye Han, and Chu Daofeng.
• Chu Daofeng tried to impress Shangguan Qingyu with stories about his sect, but she threatened him with her sword when he moved closer.

The team prepared to leave for North Garrison Canyon, while Chu Daofeng tried to learn about Shangguan Qingyu through her fellow sect member, Cheng Buzheng. Cheng Buzheng refused to share rumors, but Chu Daofeng persisted until he persuaded Cheng to call him a friend, then asked for a favor.

• The cultivators learned that Chu Daofeng's Ice and Snow Secret Realm was likely a rare special Secret Realm, and Cheng Buzheng suspected Chu's background was powerful.
• Qiao Hong told the team to meet at the entrance to North Garrison Canyon in half a day, and the cultivators dispersed to make preparations.
• Chu Daofeng asked Cheng Buzheng about Shangguan Qingyu, but Cheng said they had never dealt with each other and refused to spread rumors.
• Chu Daofeng apologized for putting Cheng in a difficult position, and Cheng reluctantly agreed that they could call each other friends.
• Chu Daofeng asked Cheng to do him a small favor.

Cheng Buzheng and Chu Daofeng traveled to the northern garrison post, where they met Ye Han and Shangguan Qingyu before their mission. Chu Daofeng tried to court Shangguan Qingyu and was rebuffed, while cultivators across Zimu Spirit Island marked their separations with solemn farewells.

• Chu Daofeng asked Cheng Buzheng whether Shangguan Qingyu had a Daoist partner, then invited him to travel to the western garrison canyon.
• At the eastern garrison post, Qiao Hong toasted the cultivators who had supported him, pledged future aid, and honored fallen companions with a memorial drink.
• Cheng Buzheng packed his belongings and left with Chu Daofeng for the northern garrison post without saying goodbye to teammates.
• Cheng Buzheng and Chu Daofeng arrived to find Ye Han and Shangguan Qingyu waiting on opposite sides of the canyon.
• Chu Daofeng approached Shangguan Qingyu and invited her to admire a secret realm with him after their mission, but she told him to get lost and threatened him with a sword.