Chapter Summaries

Li Changsheng persuaded Little Orchid to poison him with an incurable illness so he could qualify to meet the Medical Immortal. Elsewhere, Yuan Chang revealed that Xu Qianzhui had sent him to capture Feng Zhi, who refused to surrender.

• Li Changsheng failed to persuade a healer to help him and approached Little Orchid, an apprentice healer carrying medicinal herbs.
• Li Changsheng offered Little Orchid a Golden Core in exchange for giving him an illness that her senior brothers and sisters could not cure.
• Little Orchid agreed to concoct a poison for Li Changsheng after he explained that he needed a difficult illness to meet the Medical Immortal.
• Yuan Chang introduced himself to Feng Zhi as Xu Qianzhui's hidden student and said he had been ordered to capture her.
• Feng Zhi refused to go with Yuan Chang and prepared to fight rather than be taken captive.

Feng Zhi and Zhang Ling faced powerful opponents in the Apricot Forest Realm, while Long Aotian realized the simultaneous attacks were part of a larger threat and tried to escape. The chapter ended with Chen Yang, the Sage Emperor’s son, confronting Long Aotian.

• Yuan Chang used Confucian true words and a Buddhist phenomenon to bind and pressure Feng Zhi, but she transformed into a phoenix and attacked him.
• A stranger who wanted something related to the Virtual World fought Zhang Ling and demonstrated how to wield lightning by forming it into a spear.
• After sensing the battles, Long Aotian tried to flee the Apricot Forest Realm without using the Teleportation Array.
• Chen Yang struck Long Aotian down, introduced himself as the Sage Emperor’s son, and challenged him to prove himself.

Chen Xiao, disguised as Chen Yang, defeated Long Aotian in a physical contest and learned why the prodigies had come to the Apricot Forest Realm. Long Aotian revealed that they sought the Sage Emperor to obtain the title of Physical Body Saint, a mission assigned by the Virtual World.

• Long Aotian challenged Chen Yang to a contest of strength, but Chen Xiao overpowered him and explained the importance of controlling the body.
• Chen Xiao limited his physical strength to the Title Immortal Venerable Realm and continued fighting Long Aotian, who was ultimately defeated after three hours.
• Zhang Ling was beaten unconscious, Feng Zhi was gravely injured by Yuan Chang, and Little Orchid's poison left Li Changsheng in such a state that Apricot Forest Mountain's healers carried him to the summit.
• Chen Xiao offered Long Aotian a healing pill and reassured him that he could grow strong enough to surpass those above him.
• Long Aotian admitted his defeat but asked Chen Xiao to keep his words secret, then explained that the prodigies had come seeking the Sage Emperor and the title of Physical Body Saint on the Virtual World's orders.

Long Aotian revealed that the Virtual World offered rare cultivation methods in exchange for resources and secrets, and that it had tasked him and others with gathering the Five Spirits to resurrect Imperial Tutor Chen Changsheng. Chen Xiao questioned the mission and the Virtual World's origins, while Long Aotian asked him for support.

• Long Aotian explained that he and others had traded valuable resources and inherited cultivation methods for knowledge from the Virtual World, prompting Chen Xiao to criticize them for exposing their secrets.
• Long Aotian revealed that they had obtained the Talisman Emperor's Insights, and listed powerful manuals from the Chang Sheng and Pill Epochs, including the Sage Emperor Body Tempering Insights.
• Chen Xiao offered to provide treasures for the Sage Emperor method, but Long Aotian warned that funding the exchange could cost him access to the Virtual World and compromise Chen Xiao's lead.
• Long Aotian disclosed that the Virtual World had ordered them to gather the Five Spirits and resurrect Imperial Tutor Chen Changsheng, and Chen Xiao insisted the dead could not return to life.
• Long Aotian said the resurrection might be possible if Chen Changsheng had not fully died, then admitted he had sought Chen Xiao out because the others had found powerful backers.

Chen Xiao questioned Long Aotian about why he revealed the Virtual World's secret, and Long Aotian explained that he wanted a powerful but restrained backer. Impressed by Long Aotian's judgment, Chen Xiao took him as his first and final disciple.

• Chen Xiao praised Long Aotian's courage and careful reasoning, then asked why he had revealed the Virtual World's secret.
• Long Aotian explained that he and the others sought marginalized backers so their own races would not claim most of the opportunity.
• Long Aotian said he told Chen Xiao because powerful figures would notice their actions, and he hoped to gain whatever benefits they left behind.
• Chen Xiao praised Long Aotian's judgment and asked him to become his disciple.
• Long Aotian accepted Chen Xiao as his master and vowed not to tarnish his name.

Chen Changsheng and Bai Ze discussed adding stronger opponents and obstacles to the Virtual World, then Chen Changsheng left Bai Ze to oversee the academy. Wang Hao received a signal and decided to enter the fray himself.

• Chen Xiao warned Long Aotian that he could be expelled from the Imperial Tutor Lineage and began disguising him for their bet.
• Chen Changsheng and Bai Ze discussed involving the Buddhist Sect and adding powerful opponents to the Virtual World.
• Chen Changsheng selected Nine-Headed Xiang Liu as an opponent for Li Changsheng's group and Wang Hao as an opponent for Chen Xiao's group.
• Chen Changsheng left Bai Ze in charge of the academy and told him to watch the family pup, who had contacted the Chai family.
• Wang Hao noticed a glowing token in the Nether River Forbidden Ground and decided to enter the fray to seek compensation for the injured second-in-command.

Wang Hao confronted Zhang Zhen about his hesitation and revealed that Chen Changsheng was waiting for him to choose a side. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dao Society discussed the Chang Sheng Epoch and their desire to escape Dream’s control.

• Wang Hao told Zhang Zhen that the Nether River Forbidden Ground deserved compensation from Chen Changsheng and urged him to make a firm choice.
• Wang Hao explained that he was the fish being caught and said Chen Changsheng was waiting for him to come.
• Zhang Zhen asked Wang Hao to tell Sir that he wanted a share of this life's benefits, then left.
• Wang Hao caught a blood-made fish, reflected on having repeatedly taken the bait, and left the Blood Sea to reenter the struggle.
• At the Heavenly Dao Society, two phantoms argued over Lu Mingyu until Dream stopped them.
• Dream said Chen Changsheng’s example had changed their thinking, while the Society’s members considered seeking allies to escape Dream’s control.

Dream discussed Chen Changsheng’s possible return with the Heavenly Dao Society and sent Yun Ya Zi to investigate him in the Chang Sheng Epoch. Chen Changsheng reunited with Nine-Headed Xiang Liu in the Cosmic Black Hole, where Xiang Liu angrily confronted him about being left there.

• Dream told the Heavenly Dao Society that Chen Changsheng might have returned and asked someone to investigate the Chang Sheng Epoch.
• Dream assigned Yun Ya Zi to find Chen Changsheng and remind him that he remained a member of the Heavenly Dao Society.
• Chen Changsheng entered the Cosmic Black Hole and lured Nine-Headed Xiang Liu out of its cave with a bottle of green liquid.
• Nine-Headed Xiang Liu recognized Chen Changsheng and complained that he had been left to guard the place.
• Chen Changsheng defended his decision and teased Nine-Headed Xiang Liu about its bad breath.

Chen Changsheng reconciled with Nine-Headed Xiang Liu and proposed turning the desolate territory into a cultivation ground by promoting the Saint Emperor Body Tempering Method. He gave Nine-Headed Xiang Liu control of the territory and a story template for a staged plan, leaving Xiang Liu to study the deception.

• Chen Changsheng reassured Nine-Headed Xiang Liu that he would honor his promise and compensate him for his past grievances.
• Chen Changsheng explained that the territory’s pressure and restrictions made it suitable for cultivating and tempering the body.
• Chen Changsheng revealed that he would attract cultivators by claiming the territory held the key to the Saint Emperor Body Tempering Method.
• Chen Changsheng gave Nine-Headed Xiang Liu control of the territory and sixty percent of its proceeds, while hinting at another plan.
• Chen Changsheng handed Nine-Headed Xiang Liu part of his Divine Sense Realm and a story template, instructing him to follow the script when visitors arrived.

Chen Changsheng persuaded Nine-Headed Xiang Liu to take the first role in a major plan, while Feng Zhi and her injured companions recovered in the Apricot Forest Realm. Chen Mengjie revealed that Chen Yang was her son and gave Li Changsheng the Sage Emperor’s location, leaving the group suspecting someone had leaked information about the Virtual World.

• Chen Changsheng rebuked Nine-Headed Xiang Liu until it agreed to take the first link in his plan, warning that failure would endanger everything that followed.
• Feng Zhi woke in the Apricot Forest Realm, where Chen Mengjie treated her and brought her to her injured companions.
• Yuan Chang urged Feng Zhi to return to the academy, but she refused; Chen Yang declined to use lethal force and left after Chen Mengjie called him her son.
• Chen Mengjie gave Li Changsheng a Jade Slip showing where the Sage Emperor was in seclusion and said Little Orchid had been expelled from the Apricot Forest Realm.
• After Chen Mengjie left, the group concluded that their visitors had sought information about the Virtual World and suspected someone had already revealed the secret.

Li Changsheng and Feng Zhi learned that the Virtual World’s secrets had leaked and that powerful figures were already involved. Feng Zhi spoke with Hua Feng about the forces behind the scheme, while Li Changsheng changed plans and blamed Feng Zhi and Long Aotian for revealing the news.

• Li Changsheng copied the Jade Slip, handed copies to the others, and left Apricot Forest Mountain with them without discussing the traitor.
• Feng Zhi asked Hua Feng about the Virtual World leak, and Hua Feng said someone behind the scenes was controlling when the news spread.
• Hua Feng told Feng Zhi that Meng De might help her overcome obstacles in gathering the Five Spirits, then ended their call.
• Li Changsheng told Sword Come that the Sage Emperor and the Dean had arrived, and ordered him to return to the academy to inform three powerful figures about the Virtual World.
• Li Changsheng accused Long Aotian of telling the Sage Emperor and Feng Zhi of informing the Phoenix Empress, explaining that Long Aotian had learned of Feng Zhi’s tampered communicator through the Dragon Race.

Li Changsheng and Sword Come discussed the Dragon Race’s knowledge of the Virtual World and planned to turn the Phoenix Race against Feng Zhi. At Apricot Forest Mountain, Chen Mengjie, Xu Qianzhui, and Chen Xiao considered whether the Virtual World’s secrets and the Dragon Race’s caution suggested that Grandfather Changsheng might still be alive.

• Li Changsheng told Sword Come that the Dragon Race had likely discovered the Virtual World but was waiting to understand it, and that Zhang Ling probably had a backer.
• Sword Come agreed to return to the academy and investigate, while warning Li Changsheng they would settle his deception later.
• Li Changsheng asked Sword Come to spread word that Feng Zhi had betrayed the Phoenix Race so its people would target her.
• Chen Mengjie scolded Xu Qianzhui and Chen Xiao, then questioned Chen Xiao about Long Aotian’s injuries; Chen Xiao kept his promise not to reveal what Long Aotian had told him.
• Xu Qianzhui reasoned that the Dragon Race’s caution might stem from suspicion that Grandfather Changsheng was alive, though Chen Mengjie said she had verified his death.
• Xu Qianzhui proposed waiting to see whether the Chang Sheng Epoch and the Pill Epoch could force Grandfather Changsheng to reveal himself.

Ruan Su Xian confronted Zhang Ling for seeking the Daoist Sage instead of trusting his master, and ended their master-disciple bond. Zhang Ling revealed his resentment over being denied the Heaven-Piercing Talismans, but Ruan Su Xian ultimately gave him the art and left, while Xu Qianzhui offered comfort.

• Ruan Su Xian questioned Zhang Ling about contacting the Daoist Sage and accused him of distrusting his master and abandoning the sect.
• Ruan Su Xian ended their master-disciple relationship, but Zhang Ling asked why he had been denied the complete Heaven-Piercing Talismans.
• Zhang Ling explained that he had sought greater powers because pressure from rising geniuses had overwhelmed him, and he believed the talismans could make him the foremost student at the Ten Thousand Races Academy.
• Ruan Su Xian nearly killed Zhang Ling, then remembered his own past and gave him a Jade Slip containing the Heaven-Piercing Talismans and his insights.
• Xu Qianzhui found Ruan Su Xian after he walked away, and Ruan Su Xian refused help with Zhang Ling, saying he only wanted to drink.

Ruan Su Xian finally understood that his master had abandoned him in the Buddha Pagoda trial to force him to grow strong enough to survive the coming Dark Turmoil. He recognized that he had treated Zhang Ling similarly, then turned with Xu Qianzhui to find The Person Behind the Scenes while leaving Zhang Ling to learn in his own time.

• Ruan Su Xian recalled the Imperial Preceptor Decree trial and how his sect and master had left him trapped in the Buddha Pagoda.
• Ruan Su Xian realized his master had not rescued him because surviving the trial would strengthen him for the coming Dark Turmoil.
• Ruan Su Xian connected his master's silence to his own decision to withhold advanced talismans and techniques from Zhang Ling so Zhang Ling could build a solid foundation.
• Ruan Su Xian regretted that he could no longer call his deceased master Master again and accepted that Zhang Ling would have to learn through experience.
• Ruan Su Xian and Xu Qianzhui set out to find The Person Behind the Scenes and keep the situation surrounding the Virtual World under control.

Xu Qianzhui and Ruan Su Xian resolved to settle their old grudges with the Forbidden Ground’s former forces. At the Apricot Forest Realm, Meng De sought the Sage Emperor’s help to enter the Cosmic Black Hole, then revealed a sensational announcement about the Virtual World that sent Chen Mengjie rushing to the Heavenly Court, where Wei Guang had released it.

• Xu Qianzhui and Ruan Su Xian agreed to confront the people left behind by the Forbidden Ground and settle the grudges from a hundred thousand years earlier.
• Meng De asked Chen Mengjie for the Sage Emperor’s whereabouts so he could seek a way to enter the Cosmic Black Hole.
• Chen Mengjie warned Meng De that the Sage Emperor might not teach him, but Meng De said he would enter the Cosmic Black Hole regardless and directed her to the Qilin Communicator for information about the Virtual World.
• Chen Mengjie saw a Heavenly Court announcement from Chen Changsheng inviting everyone to find five hidden spiritual treasures and claim his inheritance.
• Chen Mengjie hurried to the Heavenly Court to find out who had published the announcement, while Wei Guang stood by the Qilin Communicator’s backend after releasing it.

Wei Guang used the Imperial Preceptor Decree to secure his release after sending a startling message through the Heavenly Court’s formation. As powerful figures gathered at the Imperial Preceptor’s Mausoleum and Guan Ping prepared to seek Chen Changsheng, Ye Yu and Yun Ya Zi urged restraint while the truth and purpose of Chen Changsheng’s plan remained uncertain.

• Wei Guang revealed the Imperial Preceptor Decree to Wang Zhigao, who recognized it and allowed Wei Guang to leave, warning that many people would seek him out.
• Wang Zhigao wondered whether the news would make people doubt that Chen Changsheng had died.
• Ye Yu barred the Ancestral Dragon and other visitors from entering the Imperial Preceptor’s Mausoleum until the Five Spirits were gathered, and the Ancestral Dragon chose to leave.
• Guan Ping saw the message about Chen Changsheng, inferred that he might still be alive, and prepared to leave the Pill Tower to find him.
• Yun Ya Zi stopped Guan Ping and argued that she should remain in the Pill Epoch because Chen Changsheng’s plan might involve it and the broader situation needed stabilizing.

Yun Ya Zi persuaded Guan Ping to keep the Pill Tower in place and restrain the powerful figure ruling the Pill Epoch while he prepared to negotiate, offering to investigate Chen Changsheng’s situation in return. After Guan Ping agreed, Qian Ya made Cui Tian Rui wait while she finished her skincare and ate fruit before agreeing to talk.

• Yun Ya Zi urged Guan Ping to remain calm about Chen Changsheng and argued that the people close to him should hold their positions in the Pill Epoch.
• Yun Ya Zi revealed that he and other powerful beings wanted to leave the Pill Epoch but needed the ruler’s approval and time to prepare for negotiations.
• Guan Ping inferred Yun Ya Zi wanted them to keep restraining the ruler and agreed to help in exchange for information about Chen Changsheng.
• Yun Ya Zi promised to investigate Chen Changsheng’s situation and said he had never wanted Chen Changsheng dead, then vanished.
• Cui Tian Rui asked Qian Ya whether Chen Changsheng was really alive, but Qian Ya made him wait while she finished her facial treatment.
• After an hour, Qian Ya washed off her mask and ate Spiritual Fruit, then invited Cui Tian Rui to sit and talk.

Cui Tian Rui asked Qian Ya about following Sir into battle again, but she rejected the idea and told him to let the Tiger Guard settle who would go to the Chang Sheng Epoch. Meanwhile, the Virtual World spread through the Cultivation World, and Sword Come recruited Mo Bai and two others to help restrain Long Aotian and his group.

• Qian Ya warned Cui Tian Rui that acting without Lu Mingyu's orders was dangerous and that Sir could not take command of the Tiger Guard back from him.
• Qian Ya rejected Cui Tian Rui's wish to follow Sir into battle and suggested the Tiger Guard fight among themselves to decide who would go to the Chang Sheng Epoch.
• News of the Virtual World drew people to Ten Thousand Races Academy, but they found Chen Changsheng's shop sold out.
• Sword Come revealed to Mo Bai and two others that using the Virtual World would help it and Li Changsheng restrain Long Aotian and the others.
• One of the men agreed that conflict over the unique Five Spirits task was inevitable, so they could settle it early.

Mo Bai, Feng Ran, and Lin Yao joined forces against Long Aotian’s group and headed for the Cosmic Black Hole. Chen Changsheng revealed to Bai Ze that the Five Spirits trial was designed to draw attention away from his true goal: distributing the Virtual World’s shares to Liu Yidao and his allies.

• Mo Bai, Feng Ran, and Lin Yao agreed to deal with Long Aotian’s group, with Lin Yao claiming Zhang Ling as his target.
• Mo Bai rejected Sword Come’s offer to lead them to Sage Emperor and took the others straight to the Cosmic Black Hole to wait for Long Aotian’s group.
• Sword Come contacted Li Changsheng and reported that the three prodigies had gone to the Cosmic Black Hole.
• Chen Changsheng told Bai Ze he had prepared things inside the Cosmic Black Hole and explained that he had no need to hold a real Heaven’s Pride Assembly.
• Bai Ze realized Chen Changsheng intended to use the Five Spirits trial to make powerful factions focus on Long Aotian’s group while Liu Yidao and his allies advanced the Virtual World.
• Chen Changsheng explained that the distraction would let him spread the Virtual World and allocate its limited shares to Liu Yidao’s group before other powerful figures could claim them.

Chen Changsheng explained how the Virtual World’s side quests taught users about its functions, while Meng De discovered that completing a hidden quest could earn him a connector for bringing others into it. Meng De realized the Virtual World was a product that could expand, and learned he could profit from the Divine Power and space created by its users.

• Chen Changsheng told Bai Ze that side quests served as a guide to the Virtual World and pointed out Meng De’s lead in completing them.
• Chen Changsheng unlocked more side quests for Meng De and said he intended to teach the young cultivators a lesson.
• After completing a side quest and earning the title “Spiritual Medicine Expert,” Meng De found the hidden “Self-Reliance” quest, which offered a Virtual World Large Connector.
• The qilin explained that the Connector let multiple people enter the Virtual World and that Meng De would receive a portion of their leaked Divine Power and the space they opened.
• Meng De realized the Virtual World was a product that could spread, then complained that the system had not told him about the Connector sooner.