Chapter Summaries

Wu Tao stayed behind with Che Mingxiao during the land reclamation, setting up a formation and helping injured cultivators while remaining wary of danger. On the fifth day, Che Mingxiao received a message to relocate, but as Wu Tao finished packing away his formation, he realized Che Mingxiao was acting against him.

• Wu Tao summoned the invisible Soul-Devouring Insect, then helped Che Mingxiao build a pavilion and set up the Small Five Elements Inversion Formation around it.
• Returning Foundation Establishment cultivators shared Tier 2 Low-Level Demonic Beast meat with Wu Tao, and he gave Guan Peng healing pills after Guan Peng returned injured.
• After resting for a day, Guan Peng went back out with Feng Yuan and Li Zhi to continue the land reclamation task.
• On the fifth day, Che Mingxiao received a talisman message ordering them to change locations, and Wu Tao put away his formation.
• When Wu Tao offered to help Che Mingxiao put away the pavilion, Che Mingxiao stopped and looked at him, prompting Wu Tao to shout in alarm.

Che Mingxiao revealed himself as a Devil Sect agent and attempted to kill Wu Tao, but Wu Tao exposed overwhelming cultivation and combat abilities. Che Mingxiao was left wondering whether Wu Tao was an old monster who had possessed someone.

• Che Mingxiao attacked Wu Tao after tricking him into putting away the Small Five Elements Inversion Formation, but Wu Tao's Mysterious Radiant Magic Robe blocked the strike.
• Che Mingxiao admitted he was a Devil Sect agent who planned to eliminate Wu Tao because he was a Tier 2 Artifact Refiner.
• Wu Tao used Star-Shining Step to evade Che Mingxiao's spell and strike him, then relentlessly attacked his defensive barrier with martial techniques and Heart-Connecting Sword Radiance.
• Che Mingxiao realized Wu Tao had reached Foundation Establishment Layer 3 and was also a Body Cultivator.
• Che Mingxiao, overwhelmed by Wu Tao's abilities, asked whether he was an old monster who had possessed someone.

Wu Tao killed Che Mingxiao and concealed the evidence, then used the Small Five Elements Inversion Formation to protect himself from another demonic cultivator. The newcomer believed Wu Tao was a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator and began attacking the formation with a Formation-Breaking Devil Talisman.

• Che Mingxiao tried to recruit Wu Tao to the Celestial Yin Sect and then fought back, but Wu Tao stayed close and broke through his defenses.
• Wu Tao stunned Che Mingxiao with the Soul-Devouring Insect and Yin Spirit Tremor, then killed him with the Heavenly Net Falling Star Hand.
• Wu Tao collected Che Mingxiao's belongings, burned his corpse, and set up the Small Five Elements Inversion Formation to hide his strength and cover the circumstances of the death.
• A Foundation Establishment Layer 5 demonic cultivator arrived, attacked Wu Tao, and asked where Che Mingxiao was.
• The demonic cultivator dismissed Wu Tao as a weak spell combatant and activated a Formation-Breaking Devil Talisman against the formation.

Wu Tao killed the devilish cultivator who attacked him, then hid the evidence and told Sun Heng that Che Mingxiao had sacrificed himself to help him escape. Sun Heng rescued the other Foundation Establishment cultivators and ordered the survivors back to the sect, leaving Che Mingxiao’s fate unresolved.

• Wu Tao dispelled the damaged formation and killed the Foundation Establishment Layer 5 devilish cultivator with River Severing, then destroyed the body and collected his belongings.
• Wu Tao prepared a cover story, claiming Che Mingxiao had drawn the devilish cultivator away so Wu Tao could escape.
• Sun Heng found Wu Tao and brought him aboard the demon-slaying warship; Wu Tao said Che Mingxiao had intercepted the attacker to protect him.
• Sun Heng led the warship to rescue the other Foundation Establishment cultivators, though one Foundation Establishment Layer 4 cultivator had died.
• After searching for Che Mingxiao without success, Sun Heng ordered the group to return to the sect for treatment and an investigation.

After surviving a devilish cultivator ambush, Wu Tao returned to the Ethereal Void Sect and learned that the attack had targeted Tier 2 Artifact Refiners involved in the Immortal Boat Project. Zhao Zhen then told him that the sect planned to launch a Fishing for Devils Plan against the devil sects.

• The Demon-Slaying War Boat returned to the Ethereal Void Sect after the ambush killed two Foundation Establishment cultivators and nine Qi Refining disciples, and Sun Heng ordered the cultivators to stay in the sect while he reported the incident.
• Wu Tao told Zhao Zhen and Chen Yao about the attack, then returned to his cave abode and began wearing down the restrictions on Che Mingxiao's and the devilish cultivator's storage bags.
• Zhao Jitian questioned Wu Tao about the ambush and explained that the devilish cultivators had targeted Tier 2 Artifact Refiners because they were important to the upcoming Immortal Boat Project.
• Meng Haoting summoned Wu Tao to meet Zhao Zhen, who told him the sect intended to carry out a Fishing for Devils Plan in response to the attack.

Wu Tao declined Zhao Zhen’s request to serve as bait in the Fishing for Devils Plan and returned to artifact refining, where he guided Meng Haoting and Zhou Jinquan. After collecting the land reclamation mission’s merit points, he found he still needed two thousand more to exchange for the flying magic tool secret manual.

• Zhao Zhen told Wu Tao that the sect planned to use false personnel information and a hidden Golden Core Master to lure out devilish sect moles, but Wu Tao refused to participate.
• Zhao Zhen agreed to have Junior Brother He accompany him instead and told Wu Tao the Mission Hall would award eight-tenths of the land reclamation mission’s merit points.
• Wu Tao offered to guide Meng Haoting in artifact refining, and Meng Haoting asked to bring Zhou Jinquan along.
• Wu Tao taught Meng Haoting and Zhou Jinquan while they refined magic tools, pointing out their mistakes and helping them improve.
• Wu Tao collected the merit points at the Mission Hall and realized he still needed two thousand more to obtain the flying magic tool secret manual.

Wu Tao sold a defensive Mysterious Radiant Magic Robe to Feng Yuan and exchanged for a Tier 2 Flying Magic Tool Refining Manual. After a day refining Immortal Boat components, he met Qin Yi, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator newly returned from the Heavenly Gate Region, who came to visit him.

• Feng Yuan visited Wu Tao to buy a defensive Magic Robe before the next Land Reclamation mission, and Wu Tao agreed to let him pay the last thousand Merit Points after he returned.
• Wu Tao exchanged for the Tier 2 Low-Grade Flying Magic Tool Refining Manual and studied it in the Cultivation Room.
• Wu Tao asked Meng Haoting to purchase Spiritual Materials for him, then spent the day refining Immortal Boat components and cultivating alongside Fan Zhifeng and He Changcheng.
• He Changcheng told Wu Tao and Fan Zhifeng that he would not be at Earth Fire Peak the next day because he was going to serve as bait.
• Wu Tao found Qin Yi waiting outside his Cave Abode, learned that Qin Yi had returned from the Heavenly Gate Region and advanced beyond Foundation Establishment Layer 6, and invited him inside.

Wu Tao transferred Ming Yao’s Foundation Establishment Pill to Qin Yi in front of witnesses, then returned to Earth Fire Peak to begin refining a Tier 2 flying magic tool. The chapter left Wu Tao preparing to forge a nine-restriction Purple Wing Boat.

• Wu Tao welcomed Qin Yi back and asked about the situation in the Heavenly Gate Region, learning that it had stabilized but that some cultivators remained behind to guard the Loose Cultivator Alliance Sect.
• Wu Tao invited Qin Yi, Feng Yuan, Li Zhi, Guan Peng, and Ming Song to Ming Yao’s cave abode so the transfer of the Foundation Establishment Pill could be witnessed.
• Wu Tao showed the pill to everyone and handed it to Qin Yi for safekeeping, while Qin Yi urged Ming Song to cultivate diligently.
• The next day, Wu Tao went to Earth Fire Peak and received spiritual materials from Meng Haoting for Immortal Boat components and a Second Tier Flying Magic Tool.
• Wu Tao decided to refine a nine-restriction Purple Wing Boat and began drawing Earth Fire.

Wu Tao completed a purple wing boat, tested its speed on the way home, and gave Chen Yao a better flying boat. He then opened Che Mingxiao's storage bag and found an unfamiliar iron scroll.

• Wu Tao refined and bonded a purple wing boat, completing it in less than an hour.
• Wu Tao finished his work refining immortal boat components and cultivating, then declined Fan Zhifeng's invitation to visit.
• Wu Tao flew home on the purple wing boat and gave Chen Yao a First-Rank Level 9 flying sword boat to refine.
• Wu Tao dispelled the remaining restriction on Che Mingxiao's storage bag and found a large iron scroll inside.

While sorting through Che Mingxiao’s belongings, Wu Tao discovered why he had carried an ordinary iron scroll and decided to have Master Nail examine it. The iron scroll clashed with the coffin nail in Wu Tao’s Sea of Divine Sense, leaving behind a golden page that identified itself as “Body Avatar.”

• Wu Tao found a Formation-Breaking Devil Talisman and other valuable cultivation items while tallying Che Mingxiao’s storage bag.
• Wu Tao read Che Mingxiao’s notebook and learned that a rogue cultivator had tricked him into buying the iron scroll, which he kept as a reminder of the fraud.
• Wu Tao brought the iron scroll into his Sea of Divine Sense to ask Master Nail to appraise it.
• The coffin nail attacked the iron scroll, and their clash knocked Wu Tao unconscious as brilliant golden light enveloped the nail.
• Wu Tao awoke to find a golden page beside the coffin nail, and the page revealed the words “Body Avatar” before his injured divine sense forced him to stop.

Wu Tao learned the Body Avatar secret technique from the golden page and planned to gather materials to refine an avatar. The next day, Gao Xing assigned him to represent the Ethereal Void Sect Artifact Refining Hall at the Loose Cultivator Alliance's founding ceremony in the Heavenly Gate Region.

• Wu Tao examined the golden page in his sea of consciousness and learned that its Body Avatar technique could create a second true self as powerful as his main body.
• Wu Tao decided to seek the spiritual materials needed for the technique and increase his monthly Immortal Boat component production to earn more merit points.
• Fan Zhifeng told Wu Tao that Gao Xing wanted to see him at the Artifact Refining Hall.
• Gao Xing ordered Wu Tao to attend the Loose Cultivator Alliance's founding ceremony in three days as the Artifact Refining Hall's representative, and Wu Tao accepted.

Wu Tao joined the Ethereal Void Sect delegation traveling to the Heavenly Gate Region to witness the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s event, reassured by Sect Master Ning Qiudao’s presence. The journey passed safely, and Wu Tao arrived with the other sects’ delegations, deciding to aim first to become undefeated among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

• Gao Xing told Wu Tao that Ning Qiudao and Yao Guangsheng would accompany the delegation, and Wu Tao prepared to leave for the Heavenly Gate Region.
• Wu Tao said goodbye to Chen Yao and boarded the Flying Void Boat with fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Liu Qinyuan, Gu Xinyuan, and Chen Li.
• Ning Qiudao and Yao Guangsheng arrived, and the Flying Void Boat departed with Wu Tao and the delegation aboard.
• Fifteen days later, Yao Guangsheng announced that they had reached the Heavenly Gate Region, where Wu Tao saw the other five sects’ Flying Void Boats arriving.
• Wu Tao reflected that his streak of trouble on trips outside the sect had ended and resolved to become undefeated among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Wu Tao learned that the Loose Cultivator Alliance was a force supported by the six sects and largely made up of former Heavenly Gate Mountain cultivators. After its founding ceremony, he met Alliance Leader Wu Zhongxing and challenged him to consider whether he could stay true to rogue cultivators from his new position of power.

• Wu Tao arrived with the six sects and learned from Liu Qinyuan that Jing Tianhong, a former Heavenly Gate Mountain official, was receiving them in place of Alliance Leader Wu.
• Han Zhen and Jiang Lian told Wu Tao that the six sects had helped overthrow Heavenly Gate Mountain and that the Loose Cultivator Alliance was effectively their puppet.
• Wu Zhongxing established the Loose Cultivator Alliance and promised to improve rogue cultivators’ lives and access to Foundation Establishment techniques.
• Wu Zhongxing invited Wu Tao to Heavenly Gate Peak, where Wu Tao asked whether he could still see and serve the rogue cultivators from his lofty position.
• Wu Zhongxing acknowledged the danger of losing touch with rogue cultivators and said he hoped his ideals would endure and inspire them to save themselves.

Wu Tao learned that Wu Zhongxing had sacrificed his future cultivation to become the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s puppet alliance master, then attended a Foundation Establishment exchange meeting with cultivators from the six sects. The meeting began with everyone displaying items for trade, and Wu Tao prepared to see what he could obtain.

• Wu Tao used the Qi Observation Technique and learned that Wu Zhongxing’s Foundation Establishment cultivation had been forced upon him by a secret technique, severing his path forward.
• Wu Zhongxing explained that he accepted the secret technique to make the Loose Cultivator Alliance possible and said he had invited Wu Tao only to reminisce, not to recruit him.
• Yang Qi reported Wu Tao’s visit to Heavenly Gate Peak, but Ning Qiudao told him not to interfere and later explained his interest in Han Fan as affection for artifact refiners.
• Yang Qi invited Wu Tao to a Foundation Establishment exchange meeting, and Wu Tao went to the Reception Garden with Jiang Lian and Han Zhen.
• Yang Qi and the other Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivators opened the exchange, and Wu Tao displayed his spare items, including a Mysterious Radiant Magic Robe.
• Han Zhen explained that cultivators at large exchange meetings freely used Divine Sense to inspect displayed items and could communicate with their owners about trades.

Wu Tao traded his Mysterious Radiant Magic Robe for materials and supplies, then discovered Spirit Fetus Jade at the Immortal Medicine Valley cultivator’s stall. The chapter ended with him bargaining for the jade, a key material for forging his body avatar.

• Wu Tao traded the Mysterious Radiant Magic Robe to a Five Spring Mountain cultivator for two spiritual materials, Spirit Stones, Magic Power Pills, and Source Qi of Spells.
• Wu Tao examined the high-ranking cultivators’ wares but found no beast-taming books to help him control his Golden Winged Eagle as it grew.
• Wu Tao spotted a large piece of Spirit Fetus Jade among the Immortal Medicine Valley cultivator’s items and recognized it as one of the materials needed for his body avatar.
• The Immortal Medicine Valley cultivator quoted a high price for the Spirit Fetus Jade, and Wu Tao began negotiating it down.

Wu Tao obtained the Spirit Fetus Jade at the Foundation Establishment Exchange Meeting and returned to the Ethereal Void Sect with the other cultivators. At Heavenly Gate Mountain, its Nascent Soul True Lord told Jing Tianhong to keep the Loose Cultivator Alliance in place and use its Foundation Establishment cultivators in the coming war.

• Yang Qi helped Wu Tao negotiate with Fellow Daoist Yao, and Wu Tao bought the Spirit Fetus Jade.
• The exchange meeting ended, and Yang Qi told the Ethereal Void Sect cultivators they would return the next day.
• Wu Tao left the Loose Cultivator Alliance with the Six Sects, suspecting the Righteous-Demonic War would soon intensify.
• Jing Tianhong visited the Nascent Soul True Lord of Heavenly Gate Mountain, who said the alliance should remain as a banner for now.
• The Nascent Soul True Lord planned to send the alliance's Foundation Establishment cultivators to the battlefield and spare Heavenly Gate Mountain's own cultivators.

Wu Tao returned safely to the Ethereal Void Sect after the trip to the Heavenly Gate Region and reunited with Chen Yao. At the Artifact Refining Hall, Gao Xing announced that war was nearing and ordered the Tier 2 artifact refiners to begin making more Immortal Boat components.

• Yao Guangsheng and Ning Qiudao discussed their confrontation with the Spirit Planter and Ji Lingxu’s chances of forming a Golden Core.
• Wu Tao cultivated during the fifteen-day return voyage, then reached his cave abode safely and reunited with Chen Yao.
• Wu Tao and Chen Yao planned to harvest the ripe spirit rice together the next day.
• Wu Tao met He Changcheng at the Artifact Refining Hall and learned that the Fishing for Devils Plan had ended without attracting any devilish cultivators.
• Gao Xing told the Tier 2 artifact refiners that the Immortal Boat manuals had been gathered and instructed them to forge more components as war approached.

As the Ethereal Void Sect prepared for war, Wu Tao began refining immortal boat components at Earth Fire Peak while adjusting his schedule to protect his cultivation. He returned to Chen Yao after a day’s work and urged her to stay in the sect and cultivate as the Minor Mystic Heaven Secret Realm approached.

• Gao Xing and Zhao Zhen discussed which Tier 2 artifact refiner, Han Fan or Fan Zhifeng, was more likely to advance and help ease their workload.
• Wu Tao and the other four artifact refiners flew to Earth Fire Peak and went to their refining rooms to work on immortal boat components.
• Wu Tao refined five components in three hours, cultivated for two hours, and decided to match the monthly output of Fan Zhifeng and the others rather than work all day.
• Wu Tao returned to his cave abode and harvested the spirit rice crop with Chen Yao.
• Wu Tao told Chen Yao that he might spend longer at Earth Fire Peak and advised her to remain in the sect and cultivate toward Foundation Establishment.

Wu Tao refined Immortal Boat components as the Righteous-Demonic War began and arranged for Liu Ming to bring his acquaintances from Five Spring Mountain to the Ethereal Void Sect’s cultivation city. While delivering a month’s work, he witnessed Ji Lingxu break through to the Golden Core Stage and wondered when he could reach it himself.

• Wu Tao established a daily routine of refining Immortal Boat components and cultivating, then learned the Righteous-Demonic War had begun with battles between Qi Refining cultivators.
• Concerned that Lin Xinquan, Gu Mingsheng, and the others might be forced onto the battlefield, Wu Tao sent Liu Ming to bring them from Five Spring Mountain to the Ethereal Void Sect’s cultivation city.
• Wu Tao refined 150 Immortal Boat components in a month, earning 12,000 Merit Points, while Fan Zhifeng refined 160 and the other refiners each exceeded 150.
• As Wu Tao and the others headed to the Artifact Refining Hall to deliver their components, a Golden Core appeared above Ethereal Void Immortal Peak and the Immortal Bell rang seven times.
• Fan Zhifeng identified the breakthrough as Ji Lingxu’s, and Wu Tao yearned to reach the Golden Core Stage himself.

Wu Tao learned that Ji Lingxu had reached the Golden Core Realm and was invited to his Golden Core Ceremony. He reunited with old friends who came to settle in Ethereal Void Cultivation City, then attended the beginning of Ji Lingxu’s ceremony.

• Zhao Zhen told Wu Tao and the other artifact refiners to attend Ji Lingxu’s Golden Core Ceremony and urged Wu Tao and Fan Zhifeng to study Tier 2 Intermediate artifact refining.
• Wu Tao returned to his Cave Abode and told Chen Yao that Ji Lingxu had reached the Golden Core Realm.
• Liu Ming informed Wu Tao that Lin Xinquan, Gu Mingsheng, and Li Feiyao had come to the Ethereal Void Sect’s Artifact Refining Hall.
• Wu Tao reunited with his three old friends, welcomed them to settle in Ethereal Void Cultivation City, and arranged for Liu Ming to escort them back.
• Half a month later, Ji Lingxu’s Golden Core Ceremony began.