Chapter Summaries

Wu Tao and Qian Chang traveled to Myriad Stars Island to compete for three openings in the Star Immortal Palace Artifact Refining Hall. Wu Tao passed the bone-age test at just sixty-four, and he and Qian Chang awaited the final artifact-refining assessment.

• Qian Chang told Wu Tao that the Star Immortal Palace would recruit three Tier 3 Low-Grade Artifact Refiners on Myriad Stars Island, and they agreed to travel there together.
• Wu Tao and Qian Chang registered for the recruitment and prepared for the assessment while other Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners arrived to compete.
• Qian Chang exhausted himself practicing artifact refinement, but Wu Tao arranged a Beast Carriage and gave him time to recover before the assessment.
• Yu Zhixin began the assessment with bone-age tests, and several Artifact Refiners were disqualified for exceeding the two-hundred-year limit.
• Qian Chang passed the bone-age test, and Wu Tao's age registered as sixty-four after Yu Zhixin tested him twice.
• Wu Tao and Qian Chang joined the other qualified candidates to await the final assessment of refining a True Artifact.

Li Mo passed the Star Immortal Palace Artifact Refining Hall assessment after refining an Origin Water Sword, and Yu Zhixin selected him, Wei Zhou, and Qian Chang as the three new Guest Artifact Refiners. The three were told to return the next day to head to the Star Immortal Palace.

• Yu Zhixin led the eleven cultivators who passed the bone-age test into a Main Hall, where each received one set of Spiritual Materials and a private space created by a formation.
• Li Mo carefully prepared and refined an Origin Water Sword while Yu Zhixin watched his techniques; Li Mo and four others succeeded, while six failed.
• Yu Zhixin inspected the five completed True Artifacts and judged Li Mo's Origin Water Sword the most refined, then assessed the cultivators' bone ages and conduct.
• Yu Zhixin chose Li Mo, Wei Zhou, and Qian Chang as the three candidates, with Qian Chang's calm breath regulation helping him secure the final place over Fang Qi.
• Yu Zhixin announced that Li Mo, Wei Zhou, and Qian Chang had passed and told them to return the next day to travel to the Star Immortal Palace.

Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou entered the Star Immortal Palace and learned the rules and benefits of serving as Guest Artifact Refiners. After signing the sect contract, Wu Tao received his supplies and an island in the Golden Core Sea Region, and he planned to obtain a Golden Core cultivation technique the next day.

• Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou celebrated their recruitment as Guest Artifact Refiners and met Yu Zhixin at the Artifact Refining Hall Branch the next morning.
• Yu Zhixin brought the three on a Spell Ship to the Star Immortal Palace, explained its protected sea regions, and identified He Chang and Mo Lin as Core Disciples they passed along the way.
• At the Affairs Hall, Jiang Hao explained the Guest Artifact Refiner benefits and obligations, including that Wu Tao could obtain a Golden Core Early Stage cultivation technique for free.
• Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou signed the sect contract, received their monthly supplies and identity tokens, and each chose an island in the Golden Core Sea Region.
• Jiang Hao told the three they could visit the Cultivation Technique Hall the next day to select Golden Core cultivation techniques.

Wu Tao arrived at Jade Star Island, subdued a Tier 3 Snow-White Tiger to guard it, and obtained the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art from Star Immortal Palace. He then set out for the Immortal Management Hall to arrange a steward for the island and planned to consult the Heavenly Craft Hall about building his cave abode.

• Jiang Hao explained the Golden Core islands, and Yu Zhixin escorted Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou to their chosen islands.
• Wu Tao discovered a Tier 3 Low-Grade Snow-White Tiger on Jade Star Island, defeated it, and made it his island-guarding Demonic Beast.
• Wu Tao spent the night on Jade Star Island, put the tiger in a Beast Pouch, and flew to the Cultivation Technique Hall.
• Wu Tao selected the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art and received its technique transmission from True Lord Wu Yuanhua.
• Wu Tao met Wei Zhou at the Instruction Hall; Wei Zhou had selected a new cultivation technique, while Qian Chang decided not to switch techniques.
• Wu Tao headed to the Immortal Management Hall in the Starlit Sea Region to inquire about hiring an Immortal Steward and planned to visit the Heavenly Craft Hall about constructing his cave abode.

Wu Tao recruited Wang Sheng to manage Jade Star Island and arranged for Heavenly Artisans to build a palace cave abode there. While construction continued, Yu Zhixin reported Li Mo's recruitment to Deputy Hall Master Luo, who approved treating him as an ordinary Guest Elder, and eight palaces had been erected by the chapter's end.

• Wu Tao hired Wang Sheng as Jade Star Island's Tier 2 Immortal Administrator after reviewing his experience reclaiming Golden Core Islands.
• Wang Sheng brought Chief Heavenly Artisan Jia Yuan and eleven other Heavenly Artisans to Jade Star Island, where they began building a palace cave abode.
• Wu Tao tamed the island's Earth Bear Monster and Diamond Ape Demon, then began comprehending the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art.
• Yu Zhixin showed Deputy Hall Master Luo the bone-age records and artifact-refining process of the recruited Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners, including Li Mo.
• Deputy Hall Master Luo judged Li Mo talented but instructed Yu Zhixin to treat him like any other Guest Elder, without special training.
• Six days later, Wu Tao saw that the Heavenly Artisans had completed eight palaces on Jade Star Island.

Wu Tao and the other newly recruited Guest Artifact Refiners met Yu Zhixin at the Star Immortal Palace Artifact Refining Hall, received robes and communication tokens, and were promised advanced Tier 3 Low-Grade artifact refining knowledge. Yu Zhixin then assigned them a lecturer mission, leaving Wu Tao wondering why rogue cultivator refiners had been chosen to teach the hall’s Tier 2 Artifact Refiners.

• Wu Tao checked the construction of the ninth palace on Jade Star Island before setting out for the Artifact Refining Hall with Qian Chang and Wei Zhou.
• Liu Yidao recognized the three as newly recruited Guest Artifact Refiners, and Yu Zhixin’s disciple Ding Xuan escorted them to Yu Zhixin.
• Yu Zhixin gave Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou Artifact Refiner robes and improved Communication Tokens, which they refined and used to exchange their spiritual messages.
• Yu Zhixin explained that the three could obtain Tier 3 Low-Grade artifact refining knowledge by taking an advance of Merit Points and repaying it through future missions.
• Yu Zhixin brought the three to the Artifact Book Tower and assigned them a lecturer mission teaching Tier 2 artifact refining knowledge to the hall’s Tier 2 Artifact Refiners.

Wu Tao received Star Immortal Palace’s Tier 3 Low-Grade artifact refining knowledge and was assigned to prepare lessons for Tier 2 refiners. After inspecting Jade Star Island and arranging its management, he asked Wang Jing for Star Stones to cultivate without revealing his Body Cultivator identity and waited for a reply.

• Xu Ya gave Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou jade slips containing the first volume of the Artifact Refining Hall’s Tier 3 Low-Grade knowledge and explained that they must remain within the Sect.
• Yu Zhixin assigned the three men to study the Hall’s Tier 2 Low-Grade books and prepare lesson plans within two months before teaching at the Artifact Refiner Lecture Hall.
• Wu Tao read ten books, returned to Jade Star Island, inspected its completed nine-palace residence, and released the Snow-White Tiger, Earth Bear Monster, and Diamond Ape Demon.
• Wang Sheng reported on Jade Star Island’s reclamation and requested startup funds; Wu Tao provided the Spirit Stones and delegated the island’s management to him.
• Wu Tao considered the risk of drawing attention by cultivating the Cosmic Star Body Refining Art, so he messaged Wang Jing to request Star Stones; Wang Jing replied, “Wait three days!”

Wu Tao studied Golden Core cultivation and artifact-refining techniques, then met Wang Jing, who gave him Star Stones to advance his body cultivation. Two months later, Wu Tao had comprehended the first layer of the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art and recorded it in his Personal Status.

• Wu Tao studied Tier 3 Low-Grade artifact-refining knowledge overnight and reflected on how artifact restrictions advanced alongside cultivation realms.
• Wu Tao flew to the Central Sea Area while carrying the Snow-White Tiger and warned Wang Sheng to keep Jade Star Island's residents away from his other two Tier 2 Demonic Beasts.
• Wang Jing appeared beside Wu Tao unnoticed, praised his perfected Transformation and Breath-Concealing Secret Technique, and gave him sixty thousand catties of Star Stones for body cultivation.
• Wu Tao declined Wang Sheng's offer to have twelve Female Cultivators manage and attend to his cave abode palace.
• Wu Tao cultivated the Cosmic Star Body Refining Art with the Star Stones for two months and finally comprehended the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art's first layer.

Wu Tao submitted his artifact-refining lesson plan and was appointed chief lecturer, earning Merit Points and Spirit Water and Spirit Fire allotments. Back on Jade Star Island, Wang Jing gave him the Witch Dao Combat Technique and revealed that witches were said to be the ultimate end of the Body Cultivator path.

• Wu Tao reviewed his cultivation progress and considered using the Secret Market to sell Devil Race treasures for Spirit Water and Spirit Fire.
• Wu Tao, Qian Chang, and Wei Zhou submitted their lesson plans to Yu Zhixin, who praised Wu Tao's work and approved him as chief lecturer while assigning the others as assistant lecturers.
• Qian Chang and Wei Zhou copied Wu Tao's lesson plan, thanked him for helping them receive lecturer tasks, and returned to their islands to study.
• Wang Jing visited Wu Tao and gave him the Witch Dao Combat Technique, which contained one combat technique each for the True Body, Nascent Body, and Divine Body realms.
• Wang Jing told Wu Tao that records he found described witches as the end of the Body Cultivator path, then urged him to study the difficult technique before vanishing.

Wu Tao began studying the Witch Dao Combat Technique and gave his first lecture at the Artifact Refining Academy, earning Zhao Yu’s praise for his skill and potential. After his lesson, he met Liu Yidao and set off with him for Jade Star Island to discuss the Secret Market.

• Wu Tao examined the Witch Dao Combat Technique Wang Jing had given him, then used up his Spirit Fire and Spirit Water cultivating the Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art.
• Wu Tao traveled with Qian Chang and Wei Zhou to the Artifact Refining Academy, where Zhao Yu introduced him as the chief lecturer for Tier 2 Low-Grade Artifact Refiners.
• Wu Tao encouraged his students and taught them about Magic Restrictions, impressing both the students and Zhao Yu with his clear, comprehensive explanations.
• Zhao Yu reported Wu Tao’s talent and potential to Yu Zhixin, who discussed the short lifespans of cultivators and warned Zhao Yu not to pry into the Divine Monarchs’ search for immortality.
• Liu Yidao received Wu Tao’s message and agreed to visit Jade Star Island with him; Wu Tao met Liu Yidao after his lecture, and they flew there together.

Wu Tao visited the Secret Market with Liu Yidao and traded his Devil Race treasures for Spirit Fire and Spirit Water to support his cultivation. Eight months later, comprehending the Witch Dao Combat Technique showed him a vision of ancient giants crushing a god, leaving him with questions about the Star Sea Cultivation World’s past.

• Wu Tao welcomed Liu Yidao to Jade Star Island, and Liu Yidao invited him to visit the Secret Market five days later.
• Liu Yidao led Wu Tao to the Secret Market in the Outer Island Sea Region, where both concealed their identities before entering.
• Wu Tao traded his Devil Race treasures at a Secret Market shop for one hundred bottles of Third-Tier Spirit Fire and Spirit Water.
• Wu Tao returned to Jade Star Island and resumed cultivation, then spent eight months studying the Witch Dao Combat Technique Jade Slip from Wang Jing.
• Wu Tao reached the technique’s threshold and saw a vision of thousand-zhang giants smashing a god with Heaven-Supporting Pillars.
• Wu Tao recognized the scene as a fragment of ancient history, wondered about the world’s buried secrets, and decided to focus on cultivation.

Wu Tao reviewed his progress and planned to increase his income by advancing his artifact-refining work, then collected the next volume of Tier 3 knowledge from Xu Ya. After expanding his teaching duties, he used his increased Spirit Fire and Spirit Water quota to complete the first refinement of the Golden Core Nine Refinements, boosting his magic power by ten percent.

• Wu Tao assessed his cultivation and artifact-refining progress, deciding to pursue higher-level teaching work to earn more cultivation resources.
• Wu Tao traveled to the Artifact Book Tower with Qian Chang and Wei Zhou, then collected the second volume of Tier 3 Low-Grade Artifact Refining Path knowledge from Xu Ya.
• Wu Tao spent half an hour speaking with Xu Ya and learned that the Tier 3 Low-Grade knowledge was divided into ten volumes.
• Two months later, Wu Tao passed Yu Zhixin's inspection of his Tier 2 High-Grade teaching materials and began teaching Tier 2 Advanced Artifact Refiners, increasing his Merit Points and resource quotas.
• After another two months, Wu Tao completed the first refinement of the Golden Core Nine Refinements and increased his Golden Core magic power by ten percent.

Wu Tao entered Star Immortal Palace’s Heart Demon Secret Realm to temper his state of mind and improve his God-Breaking Technique. The Coffin Nail devoured most of the Heart Demons, but Wu Tao endured several illusions of death before leaving with a firmer resolve and faster progress in the technique.

• Wu Tao practiced the God-Breaking Technique and realized it required him to break the gods within his own heart, so he decided to visit the Heart Demon Secret Realm.
• Wu Tao paid Elder Li five hundred Merit Points to enter the First Area, where Golden Core cultivators tempered their state of mind.
• The Coffin Nail devoured the first Heart Demons that invaded Wu Tao’s Sea of Divine Sense, so Wu Tao negotiated with it to reserve some Heart Demons for his cultivation.
• Wu Tao resisted a Heart Demon’s deadly illusion by turning to face the pursuing beast and striking it down, then endured another terrifying vision that strengthened his state of mind.
• The Coffin Nail devoured ten more Heart Demons during the remaining hour, and Wu Tao left the secret realm after his two-hour entry ended.
• Wu Tao practiced the God-Breaking Technique back on Jade Star Island and found that his improved state of mind had accelerated his progress, though he could afford to visit the secret realm only once every three months.

Wu Tao’s Heart Demon illusion showed him returning to the Immortal Origin Realm too late to save Chen Yao, and he awakened before the imagined tragedy could continue. After leaving the Heart Demon Secret Realm, he was stopped by a Core Disciple who offered him a fortuitous opportunity.

• Wu Tao’s illusion depicted him returning to the Immortal Origin Realm, killing Zhang Baiyin, reuniting with Chen Yao, and learning she had only thirty years left to live.
• Wu Tao’s illusion showed Chen Yao dying after giving birth to their daughter, Nian Yao, and Wu Tao realizing the scene was fake before destroying it.
• Wu Tao awakened in the Second Area of the Heart Demon Secret Realm and had the Coffin Nail devour the Heart Demon.
• Wu Tao left the Second Area after the Coffin Nail devoured nine Heart Demons and encountered the same two Core Disciples outside the First Area.
• One Core Disciple stopped Wu Tao and asked whether he wanted a fortuitous opportunity.

Wu Tao rejected Pi Baibai’s invitations to explore Golden Core cave abodes, preferring to cultivate safely, and continued tempering his mind in the Heart Demon Secret Realm. After learning that Zhang Hui died in a cave abode’s killing formation, Wu Tao was glad he had resisted the temptation.

• Pi Baibai and Tang Jingquan invited Wu Tao to explore a Golden Core cave abode in the Crescent Moon Sea Area, but Wu Tao declined because he wanted to avoid danger.
• Wang Sheng presented Jade Star Island’s accounts to Wu Tao, who approved them and granted the island’s workers a ten-percent wage bonus.
• Wu Tao cultivated the God-Breaking Technique and destroyed a Heart Demon illusion in which he had become the Star Sea Cultivation World’s foremost cultivator and reunited with Chen Yao.
• Pi Baibai returned from the Crescent Moon Sea Area with Tang Jingquan and Zhang Hui, showed Wu Tao his newly acquired True Artifact, and invited him to another exploration; Wu Tao declined and revealed he was a Tier 3 Low-Grade Artifact Refiner.
• Three months later, Pi Baibai told Wu Tao that Zhang Hui had died in a killing formation inside the Golden Core cave abode, confirming Wu Tao’s decision to stay away.

Wu Tao progressed through the Heart Demon Secret Realm, bought Spirit Water and Spirit Fire at the Secret Market, and later broke through to the second layer of his Star True Body. The chapter left him stronger and resolved to measure himself against the prodigies of the Star Immortal Palace.

• Wu Tao declined Pi Baibai and Tang Jingquan’s invitation to explore another Golden Core cave abode, then tempered his state of mind in the Second Area of the Heart Demon Secret Realm.
• Wu Tao agreed to attend the Secret Market with Liu Yidao, sold two Origin Water Swords for Spirit Water and Spirit Fire, and declined to buy a damaged Beast Control Token.
• Three months later, Wu Tao entered the Third Area of the Heart Demon Secret Realm and slew an illusion shaped by the marriage pressures of his previous life.
• Elder Li observed that Wu Tao had defeated a Third Area heart demon despite having only Golden Core Layer 1 cultivation.
• After six more months of cultivation, Wu Tao used ten thousand jin of Star Stones to break through to the second layer of the Star True Body, increasing his Divine Sense range to 1,350 li.

Wu Tao spent two and a half years comprehending Tier 3 Low-Grade Artifact Refining Dao and then went to collect the next volume of study materials. Yu Zhixin told him the Artifact Refining Hall had decided to assign him another task.

• Wu Tao planned to spend more time comprehending Tier 3 Low-Grade True Restrictions so he could qualify for more Merit Point tasks.
• Wu Tao visited the Secret Market with Liu Yidao, but learned that someone had already bought the damaged Beast Control Token he wanted.
• Liu Yidao revealed that he had bought the token, repaired it, and used it to control a Silver Moon White Wolf guarding his island.
• Wu Tao welcomed neighboring Island Master Fang Wuya to Jade Star Island after Fang returned from a sect mission.
• Over two and a half years, Wu Tao raised his Tier 3 Low-Grade Artifact Refining Dao comprehension to 80% and collected the jade slip for Volume Nine from Xu Ya.
• Yu Zhixin summoned Wu Tao and told him the Artifact Refining Hall had decided to assign him another task.

Wu Tao learned that his new Artifact Refining Hall mission was to inspect and repair artifacts on Demon Suppressing Island, where captured Devil Race members were held. After reaching the island and meeting Zhu Tianzhao, he saw that his work would involve checking the Imprisonment True Artifacts restraining the prisoners.

• Yu Zhixin told Wu Tao his new mission would not interfere with his lecturing duties and that he would not need to leave the sect alone.
• Yu Zhixin took Wu Tao through the Nascent Soul Sea Area to the Nameless Sea Area, where Wu Tao saw the Illusion God Sky Wheel belonging to Wang Jing.
• Yu Zhixin explained that Demon Suppressing Island held captured Devil Race members and warned Wu Tao not to reveal the Devil World's existence to outsiders.
• Yu Zhixin introduced Wu Tao to Zhu Tianzhao, who was nearing the end of his lifespan and would train Wu Tao before leaving the island.
• Zhu Tianzhao showed Wu Tao Devil Core Early Stage prisoners whose source devil qi was being collected, and explained that Wu Tao's duty was to inspect their Imprisonment True Artifacts.

Wu Tao learned the duties and dangers of inspecting Demon Suppressing Island, then took over Gold Area 1 after Zhu Tianzhao retired. During a later inspection, an alchemist showed Wu Tao how to increase Origin Devil Qi extraction, and Wu Tao accidentally drained a White Bone Devil Race member to death; back on Jade Star Island, his cultivation reached 99% of the first layer, nearing Golden Core Layer 2.

• Zhu Tianzhao showed Wu Tao Gold Area 1 and explained the seven-day inspections, the imprisoned Devil Race members, and the risk of overlooking damaged Imprisonment True Artifacts.
• Wu Tao returned to Jade Star Island and studied Zhu Tianzhao’s Jade Slip, then spent six months learning the inspection and repair procedures until he could work alone.
• Zhu Tianzhao reported to Yu Zhixin and left Demon Suppressing Island, while Wu Tao continued inspecting Gold Area 1 and earned greater merit rewards.
• During an inspection, a White Bone Devil Race member warned Wu Tao that the Original Spirit Devil Race area was dangerous, but Wu Tao rebuked it and continued his work.
• Wang Quan demonstrated how to increase the extraction force on a Devil Race member, and Wu Tao accidentally drained the White Bone Devil Race member to death.
• Wu Tao returned to Jade Star Island and saw that his Nine Luminaries Melting Yang Ultimate Art had reached 99% of its first layer.

Wu Tao visited the Heart Demon Secret Realm, where the Coffin Nail devoured every heart demon, then returned to cultivating while the sect mistakenly attributed the disappearance to Ying Xuandao. He fully comprehended the Third Tier Low-Grade Artifact Refining Dao and reported his progress to Yu Zhixin, who advised him to focus on cultivation and his existing duties rather than seek another task.

• Elder Li warned Wu Tao that the Third Area no longer tempered his state of mind, but Wu Tao entered anyway to keep his promise to the Coffin Nail.
• The Coffin Nail dragged tens of thousands of heart demons into Wu Tao’s Sea of Divine Sense and devoured them all, while Wu Tao failed to stop it.
• Elder Li discovered that the Heart Demon Secret Realm had been emptied and suspected Ying Xuandao, who had visited and was preparing to challenge Cui Qing for the True Disciple Chief position.
• Wu Tao continued cultivating for more than ten days without being summoned, then completed his comprehension of the Third Tier Low-Grade Artifact Refining Dao and informed Chen Shan of his achievement.
• Wu Tao reported his new refining level to Yu Zhixin and asked about other assignments, but Yu Zhixin advised him to keep his existing duties and focus on cultivation and refining.