Chapter Summaries

Gao Xian settled into Shaking Light Palace with Qingqing and two young attendants, Yonghe and Yongzhen, while his reputation and lavish wealth fascinated them. After a beautiful Nascent Soul cultivator departed his residence, Taining arrived to visit him, and Gao Xian prepared to meet her over her desire for the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror.

• Gao Xian rejected Shouren's trap, accepted positions as elders at Shaking Light Palace, and received new identity tokens and an escort to the palace.
• Shou'an assigned Yonghe and Yongzhen to serve Gao Xian and Qingqing, and the group settled into Heavenly Rainbow Garden.
• Gao Xian took Qingqing and the attendants to Mysterious Brightness City, gave the attendants three days off, and they later speculated about his wealth and romantic stories.
• When Yonghe and Yongzhen returned, they saw a beautiful Nascent Soul woman leaving the rear courtyard and assumed she had been with Gao Xian.
• Taining visited Gao Xian and asked to see him, and Gao Xian welcomed her, reasoning that she wanted the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror.

After Gao Xian advanced in cultivation, Taining asked him to obtain the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror, offering her Maiden Jade Body and access to the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven in exchange. When he learned the mirror was needed to open the grotto-heaven, she offered to begin their dual cultivation immediately, and Gao Xian found himself drawn into her embrace.

• Gao Xian welcomed Taining into his meditation room and thanked her for giving him the Positive and Negative Five Elements Primal Chaos Scripture.
• Taining asked Gao Xian to help her obtain the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror and offered him two hundred years of Maiden Jade Body cultivation and access to the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven.
• Gao Xian proposed that Taining open the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven first, but she explained that only the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror could open it.
• Gao Xian realized Taining likely needed the mirror to break the restrictions on a secret grotto-heaven, making it necessary for him to help her first.
• Taining offered her Maiden Jade Body immediately, crossed the table, and coiled into Gao Xian's arms while he hesitated but embraced her.

After more than a month of dual cultivation with Taining, Gao Xian reached the ninth level of Nascent Soul and used their soul-harmonizing technique to break through the Thunder and Lightning Scripture into the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Flying Lightning Scripture. He prepared for an earth-tier mission in the Heavenly Ghost Prison and began refining the Blood River True Scripture, which consumed his precious artifacts and materials until he risked feeding it the Taixuan Divine Image itself.

• Gao Xian and Taining benefited from more than a month of dual cultivation, advancing their cultivation and deepening their feelings for each other.
• Gao Xian chose the Thunder and Lightning Scripture for a breakthrough with Taining’s help, creating the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Flying Lightning Scripture and reaching the ninth level of Nascent Soul.
• Taining left Gao Xian’s room, and Yonghe and Yongzhen realized she had spent more than a month with him and marveled at her radiant appearance.
• Gao Xian gave Taining Spirit Stones to buy lightning-element materials for upgrading his whip before his mission to collect ten Heavenly Ghost inner cores.
• Gao Xian took the Taixuan Divine Image to a remote valley and began refining the Blood River True Scripture, feeding it numerous artifacts and materials.
• When the Blood River True Scripture’s runes remained unstable, Gao Xian drove the Taixuan Divine Image into its bloody flames.

Gao Xian endured the Blood River True Scripture’s dangerous refinement and bonded the Blood River Celestial Venerable Transformation Origin Book to the Taixuan Divine Image. After evading the Spirit Transformation expert Long Yin, he returned to Six Paths City and began studying the newly acquired inheritance.

• Gao Xian and Sister Lan located the Blood River True Scripture’s restriction core, and Gao Xian deciphered its runes to stabilize the Taixuan Divine Image.
• The Blood River Celestial Venerable Transformation Origin Book fused with the Taixuan Divine Image’s yin spirit and transformed into a crimson robe.
• Gao Xian sensed a Spirit Transformation expert approaching, concealed himself deep underground, and used the Flower Appraising Treasure Mirror to identify the newcomer as Long Yin.
• Long Yin searched for the person who had refined the powerful Divine Artifact but failed to find Gao Xian and returned to the Lesser Thunderclap Temple.
• Gao Xian returned to Six Paths City, entered the Primordial Beginning Divine Palace, and studied the Blood River Celestial Venerable Transformation Origin Book’s inheritance.

Gao Xian tested the Blood River Nine Arts, arranged for Taiming to reforge his thunder whip, and prepared to enter the Heavenly Ghost Prison. With Taining accompanying him, he set off for the prison after making his preparations.

• Gao Xian used the Six-Tailed Heavenly Fox to test the Blood River Nine Arts and killed its Primordial Spirit with the Azure Blood God-Slaying Sword.
• Gao Xian met Taining, received the thunder-attributed spiritual items she had bought, and learned she had arranged for Taiming to refine his Spirit Artifact.
• Gao Xian commissioned Taiming to upgrade the Purple Firmament Tianshu Demon-Subduing Golden Whip and returned seven days later to help refine it.
• Gao Xian and Taiming spent two days refining the Divine Firmament Tianshu Demon-Subduing Golden Whip into a fourth-grade top-tier Spirit Artifact.
• Gao Xian prepared pills and talismans for the Heavenly Ghost Prison, agreed to bring Taining, and set off with her on the Gale Green Leaf Boat.

Gao Xian entered Heavenly Ghost Prison to hunt for Heavenly Ghost inner cores, relying on the Blood River Celestial Venerable Essence-Transforming Book to withstand the corrosive foul Qi. After collecting thirteen cores, he sensed an unusual presence deep in the prison and was suddenly bound by a powerful, disciplined divine consciousness.

• Gao Xian left Taining outside Heavenly Ghost Prison and forced his way through the Grotto-Heaven’s half-sealed restriction.
• Gao Xian discovered that the Blood River Celestial Venerable Essence-Transforming Book protected him from foul Qi and could convert it into Blood River dharma power.
• Gao Xian used the Blood-Dissolving Divine Blade and Blood River True Word to destroy groups of Heavenly Ghosts, including fifth-order ones.
• Gao Xian ventured deeper into Heavenly Ghost Prison, killing hundreds of fifth-order Heavenly Ghosts and gathering thirteen inner cores over more than twenty days.
• Gao Xian followed an unusual shift in aura and was seized by a powerful divine consciousness that bound him through his robe.

Gao Xian encountered a powerful evil creature in the Heavenly Ghost Prison and escaped after his divine arts burned away its spiritual-sense attack. Back at the Profound Bright Church, Taining reassured him that he mattered more to her than the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror, leaving Gao Xian confused by her heartfelt confession.

• A six-armed, three-headed evil creature attacked Gao Xian with overwhelming spiritual sense, but he used the Breaking Army Divine Talisman, Sister Lan, and the Blood Sun Divine Light to survive and break free.
• Gao Xian fled the Heavenly Ghost Prison at high speed, and Taining met him outside before taking him back to Heavenly Origin Hall with a Great Universe Displacement Talisman.
• True Lord Shouyuan recorded Taining and Gao Xian's return through the teleportation array and speculated that their closeness would distress Tayuan.
• Gao Xian returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden, sent Yongzhen and Yonghe away, and reflected on the dangers of overconfidence.
• Taining took Gao Xian's hand and told him that he mattered to her as much as, or more than, the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror.

Gao Xian exchanged the Heavenly Ghost inner cores for merit so he could obtain the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror for Taining. When he met Bai Yujing to lift its restriction, she saw through his Great Five Elements Divine Light and warned him not to enter the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven.

• Taining revealed her trust in Gao Xian, and he reassured her before presenting her with ten Heavenly Ghost inner cores.
• Gao Xian offered the inner cores to the Heavenly Virtue Hall, where Dao Lord Shouye and other appraisers confirmed they were fifth-rank divine objects and registered his merit.
• Gao Xian went to Zhenyi at the Heavenly Treasure Hall and exchanged his merit for access to the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror.
• Gao Xian entered Bai Yujing's grotto-heaven and asked Bai Yujing to lift the mirror's restriction.
• Bai Yujing recognized that Gao Xian had learned the Great Five Elements Divine Light and deduced that he planned to visit the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven.
• Bai Yujing warned Gao Xian not to go to the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven, leaving him silent.

Gao Xian learned about the dangers and origins of the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven, then received a Return-to-Origin Spirit Crystal from Bai Yujing to help refine his Five Elements sword artifacts. In exchange, he agreed to teach an eight-year-old girl swordsmanship in the mortal city of Pingyang for ten years, then returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden with the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror.

• Gao Xian asked Bai Yujing about the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven and learned that its Five Elements qi made it deadly even for Spirit Transformation cultivators.
• Bai Yujing explained that outer-path beings, including evil ghosts, were remnants of the Six Paths and other worlds cut off from this world long ago.
• Gao Xian asked why his Five Elements sword artifacts could not fuse, and Bai Yujing gave him a Return-to-Origin Spirit Crystal while warning that his swordsmanship needed further breakthroughs.
• Bai Yujing asked Gao Xian to teach an eight-year-old girl from the Shui family in Pingyang City swordsmanship for ten years in exchange for the favor.
• Gao Xian registered the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror with Zhenyi and returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden, where Taining eagerly celebrated seeing it.

Gao Xian refined the Origin-Return Spirit Crystal, investigated the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven, and secured thirty years of leave from Shaking Light Palace. He prepared to travel to the mortal world with Yongzhen, while his Taiyuan Divine Image remained in secluded cultivation.

• Taining left to refine the Ten Directions True King Heavenly Sound Mirror, and Gao Xian began refining the Origin-Return Spirit Crystal into his Five Elements sword artifacts.
• Gao Xian traveled to Heaven Gate Mountain and found that the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven's spatial restriction was beyond his current ability to open.
• Gao Xian returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden, recovered from the journey, and asked Yonghe and Yongzhen about the procedures for taking leave.
• Gao Xian gave Shou'an spiritual items, and Shou'an approved thirty years of leave for him.
• Qingqing advised Gao Xian to bring Yongzhen to the mortal world, and Gao Xian agreed.

Gao Xian visited the Shui Family after hearing of the omen surrounding Shui Mingxia’s birth and recognized her as the girl he had been seeking. He asked Shui Tiancheng to let her become his disciple, and Shui Tiancheng eagerly agreed.

• Shui Tiancheng watched eight-year-old Shui Mingxia practice swordsmanship and hoped she might join the Profound Bright Church.
• Yao Qinglin arrived with iron-armored guards and told Shui Tiancheng that Immortal Master Gao had come to see him.
• Gao Xian entered the Shui Family estate with Yongzhen and Yongqing, then watched Shui Mingxia finish her sword forms.
• Shui Mingxia smiled at Gao Xian, who said she was fated with him and could become his disciple.
• Shui Tiancheng eagerly agreed to let Shui Mingxia become Gao Xian’s disciple.

Gao Xian took Shui Mingxia as his disciple and stayed with her family to teach her swordsmanship, while using his powers to make everyone else forget his presence. More than a year later, Shui Mingxia awakened a mysterious connection to her sword and spoke as though she remembered a past life with Gao Xian.

• Gao Xian erased outsiders’ memories of his presence and his decision to take Shui Mingxia as his disciple, causing Yao Qinglin and Shui Tiancheng to misunderstand each other.
• Yongzhen explained to Shui Tiancheng that only he and Shui Mingxia could remember Gao Xian and her, and instructed him to address Gao Xian as True Lord.
• Shui Mingxia agreed to become Gao Xian’s disciple, performed the formal bows, and received the seven-jin Cloudwater Sword he had forged.
• Gao Xian stayed at the Shui Family and taught Shui Mingxia swordsmanship while Yongzhen taught her reading and writing.
• More than a year later, Gao Xian sensed spiritual light between Shui Mingxia’s brows and saw her resonate with the Cloudwater Sword.
• Shui Mingxia picked up the sword and asked Brother Gao where her Peach Blossom Brew was, suggesting she remembered a connection to him from another life.

Gao Xian defeated an external demon that used Shui Mingxia’s appearance and continued guiding her through the mortal world, eventually taking her on a five-year journey. When he returned with the seventeen-year-old Shui Mingxia to Pingyang City, he found the Shui Residence had become the Fang Residence and warned her that something had happened to her family.

• Gao Xian recognized the apparent Yun Qiushui in Shui Mingxia as an external demon and destroyed it with the Pure Yang Divine Spear.
• Gao Xian warned Yongzhen to take Yuqing Pills regularly after sensing the foul qi’s influence on her emotions.
• Gao Xian trained Shui Mingxia in reading, writing, and a tailored form of Iron Dragon Hand while carefully strengthening her body.
• When Shui Mingxia was eleven, Yongzhen attracted evil spirits whose scattered evil qi killed nearby neighbors, so Gao Xian decided to take Shui Mingxia traveling.
• Gao Xian took Shui Mingxia across the Wei Kingdom and other countries for over five years, and she grew into a seventeen-year-old young woman.
• Gao Xian returned to Pingyang City with Shui Mingxia and found that the Shui Residence had become the Fang Residence.

Shui Mingxia learned that her family had been arrested and taken to the capital on treason charges, and resolved to find them. Gao Xian sent her to the capital, where she planned to seek help from her father’s old friend Cheng Wanli.

• Shui Mingxia asked the new occupants of her family’s home about the Shui Family and learned that imperial guards had taken them to the capital over a treason case.
• Gao Xian contacted Yongqing, who reported that Shui Tiancheng had once belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction and was caught up in purges after the Third Prince took the throne.
• Shui Mingxia vowed to go to the capital to rescue her family if they were alive or avenge them if they were dead.
• Gao Xian created a water mirror and sent Shui Mingxia through it to the capital.
• Shui Mingxia arrived near the Xuanwu inner city gate and recalled that her father’s old friend Cheng Wanli lived in the capital.

Shui Mingxia entered the palace to confront the Chengde Emperor, who had imprisoned her family to force Gao Xian to meet him. After Shui Mingxia attacked the emperor and Gao Xian stopped her, Gao Xian learned that the emperor wanted a longevity pill and Huang Yuan wanted a way to reincarnate, then killed them both and their guards, leaving Yongzhen worried about the karmic consequences.

• Shui Mingxia confronted Yao Qinglin at his estate and learned that the Chengde Emperor had imprisoned her family to draw Gao Xian to the palace.
• Shui Mingxia entered the palace with Yao Qinglin and refused to surrender the Cloud Water Sword before meeting the Chengde Emperor.
• The Chengde Emperor demanded that Shui Mingxia summon Gao Xian and threatened to execute her family, while Huang Yuan revealed himself as the emperor’s powerful demonic cultivator ally.
• Shui Mingxia drew her sword and nearly killed the Chengde Emperor, but Gao Xian arrived and stopped her, warning that killing the ruler would bring harmful karmic backlash.
• The Chengde Emperor asked Gao Xian for a longevity pill, and Huang Yuan asked for a method of reincarnation.
• Gao Xian killed the Chengde Emperor, Huang Yuan, and the four guards, while Yongzhen worried that the killings would bring a karmic devil tribulation.

Gao Xian made Shui Mingxia his disciple and arranged for Yongqing to help her family before facing the filthy aura caused by killing the Wei emperor. He went to White Stone Island to undergo the resulting demonic tribulation, but a lightning tribulation gathered overhead.

• Gao Xian invited Shui Mingxia to cultivate with him, and she accepted joyfully.
• Gao Xian brought Yongqing to the capital and entrusted him with restoring order and arranging the Shui Family's return.
• A new emperor ascended the throne, but most of the former emperor's filthy aura and resentment clung to Gao Xian.
• Gao Xian left the capital for uninhabited White Stone Island so he could face the tribulation away from innocents.
• Dark clouds and lightning gathered as Gao Xian realized he was facing a lightning tribulation, the first trial for a Spirit Transformation powerhouse seeking Pure Yang.

Gao Xian endured the lightning drawn by the foul energy coating him, using his artifacts and multiple Nascent Souls to withstand it and turn it into a chance to refine his cultivation. After rebuilding the Taixuan Divine Image’s Nascent Soul, he began tempering the Taiyuan Divine Image with stronger lightning, which had started to melt its golden exterior.

• Gao Xian realized the lightning was targeting the foul energy on him rather than his soul, and prepared to use the storm as a controlled opportunity for cultivation.
• Gao Xian blocked the first bolts with the Anti-Five Elements Annihilation Divine Blade and Breaking Army Divine Talisman, then switched to the Taixuan Divine Image and used the Blood River Celestial Venerable Transformation Origin Book to withstand the storm.
• Gao Xian drew lightning radiance into the Taixuan Divine Image’s Nascent Soul and discovered that its foundation contained impurities that the cleansing exposed.
• Gao Xian used the Blood River Celestial Venerable Transformation Origin Book to restore the Taixuan Divine Image’s Nascent Soul after lightning had destroyed its structure, leaving it clearer and with a foundation for pure yang.
• Gao Xian shifted to the Great Five Elements Nascent Soul and wielded the fused Five Elements sword artifact against the lightning, then allowed stronger lightning to reach the Taiyuan Divine Image and watched its golden Nascent Soul begin to melt.

Gao Xian tempered his Nascent Souls and soul with heavenly lightning, returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden, and spent years recovering and cultivating. When he visited Shou'an, the older cultivator said the sect had assigned him a grave responsibility.

• Gao Xian used the Taiyuan Divine Image and its sword to guide lightning, cleansing his Nascent Souls and strengthening his soul.
• Gao Xian exposed the Divine Firmament Tianshu Demon-Subduing Golden Whip to the final bolt of lightning, causing its innate spirit to fall dormant as the weapon began transforming.
• Gao Xian teleported back to Mysterious Brightness City and returned to Heavenly Rainbow Garden, where he reunited with Shui Mingxia and introduced her to Qingqing as her junior sister.
• Gao Xian spent three years recovering in seclusion, guided Shui Mingxia and others in cultivation, and continued promoting the Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Joyous Union Grand Ode with Fan Qingyuan.
• Gao Xian visited Shou'an, who told him the sect had assigned a grave responsibility and said he was the only one in the palace who could handle it.

Gao Xian learned that the Profound Bright Church had assigned him to investigate the dangerous Sword-Hiding Cave, and he sought Taining’s information and warning before setting out. He reached the teleportation formation and found that Wan Qingxia was going to Sword-Hiding Cave too.

• Shou'an told Gao Xian that two Nascent Soul cultivators had died in Sword-Hiding Cave and assigned him to investigate it.
• Gao Xian visited Taining at Jade Plum Peak, renewed their intimacy, and asked her about Sword-Hiding Cave.
• Taining explained the cave’s history, its Spirit Transformation-level Evil Spirit, and the rumored Myriad Swords Return-to-Sect Token, then warned Gao Xian to be careful.
• Taining told Gao Xian that the Five Qi Grotto-Heaven was too dangerous to explore for now, and Gao Xian agreed to focus on cultivation first.
• Gao Xian settled affairs at home and went to the great teleportation formation, where he met Wan Qingxia, who was also heading to Sword-Hiding Cave.

Gao Xian and Wan Qingxia arrived at Sword-Hiding Cave, inspected its dangerous foul qi, and prepared to explore it. After improving his thunder arts, Gao Xian entered the cave with Wan Qingxia and destroyed a powerful evil spirit with one strike, leaving her stunned by his strength.

• Gao Xian and Wan Qingxia arrived at the valley guarding Sword-Hiding Cave, where Shouping advised them to rest and inspect the area before entering.
• Gao Xian and Wan Qingxia explored the cave’s entrance and found its vast interior filled with foul qi that restricted their divine senses.
• Gao Xian spent 1.4 billion Humanity Aura to advance the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Flying Lightning Scripture, greatly increasing his speed and thunder-art power.
• Gao Xian and Wan Qingxia entered Sword-Hiding Cave together, where a half-headed sword-wielding evil spirit approached them.
• Gao Xian invoked Divine Firmament Thunder and destroyed the evil spirit and its sword with one strike, astonishing Wan Qingxia.