Chapter Summaries

Zheng Yi resisted the Blood Fetus Ghost Infant’s attempt to bewitch him and prepared to subdue it with his Soul Devouring Banner. The infant pleaded like a harmless baby, but Zheng Yi remained determined to attack it.

• The Blood Fetus Ghost Infant tried to lure Zheng Yi into releasing it, but he broke free of its Bewitching Art.
• Zheng Yi explained that the Qi Family had spent a century using a hidden spirit vein and blood sacrifices to nurture the infant, hoping to gain a Foundation Establishment-level guardian.
• Zheng Yi activated the full power of his Soul Devouring Banner, summoning Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits and the Great Yin-Demon Scripts of Soul-Binding and Ghost-Enslaving.
• The Blood Fetus Ghost Infant sensed the danger, withdrew its fangs and claws, and cried as if it were an innocent baby.
• Zheng Yi recalled the Soul Devouring Sect’s rule never to trust or spare ghostly creatures, and faced the infant without mercy.

Zheng Yi used the Soul Devouring Banner to destroy the Blood Egg and capture the unborn Blood Fetus Ghost Infant, but the banner’s main soul rebelled and tried to seize the infant. He subdued and punished her, leaving her terrified and obedient.

• Zheng Yi rejected the Blood Fetus Ghost Infant’s attempt to win his sympathy and ordered the Soul Devouring Banner’s ghosts to attack the Blood Egg.
• The Malevolent Ghosts and Yin Soldiers tore into the Blood Egg, feeding on its accumulated essence as the Blood-Clothed Female Ghost began to evolve.
• The Blood-Clothed Female Ghost disobeyed Zheng Yi and reached through the Blood Egg to attack the Ghost Infant.
• Zheng Yi drew the Ghost Infant into the Soul Devouring Banner, then used the banner and Azure Nether Flame to suppress the enraged Blood-Clothed Female Ghost.
• Zheng Yi warned the Blood-Clothed Female Ghost that further defiance would make her food for the other ghosts, and she begged for mercy.

Zheng Yi explored the Qi Family’s underground lair, uncovered five Flesh and Blood Demon Pools, and captured all five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants. He resolved to conceal the discovery and destroy the evidence, then found a hall filled with Demonic Path secret techniques.

• Zheng Yi collected the Red-Clothed Female Ghost and other ghostly beings, then followed the Blood Fetus Ghost Infant’s aura deeper underground.
• Zheng Yi discovered four more formation cores and realized the Qi Family had spent generations preparing five Flesh and Blood Demon Pools to hatch five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants.
• Zheng Yi suppressed and collected the remaining four Ghost Infants with the Soul Devouring Banner, which reached its limit after holding all five.
• Zheng Yi decided to hide the secret of the Ghost Infants and destroy traces of the Qi Family’s scheme rather than let the Soul Devouring Sect claim them.
• Zheng Yi found a hollowed-out hall containing dozens of Demonic Path secret techniques, including the Blood Fiend Soul Refining Art and Ghost Infant Cultivation Guide.

Zheng Yi learned how the Qi Family created Blood Fetus Ghost Infants and decided to cultivate the five surviving infants using zombies and spirits from the Apocalyptic World instead of human victims. In the Apocalyptic World, a zombie horde and powerful mutated zombies threatened Jin Wuqian’s Gathering Place.

• Zheng Yi read that the Qi Family had created Blood Fetus Ghost Infants through a hundred years of brutal cultivation and used its bloodline to control them.
• Zheng Yi decided to take the infants to the Apocalyptic World and nourish them with zombie flesh, Vengeful Spirits, and Malevolent Ghosts rather than living humans.
• Zheng Yi sealed the area, gave Qi Lin instructions, and entered seclusion.
• Jin Wuqian ordered his Gathering Place to fire cannons at a horde of tens of thousands of zombies approaching from the south.
• The zombie horde advanced despite the explosions and traps, while dozens of powerful Mutated Zombies—including a five-meter-tall one—neared the Gathering Place.

Jin Wuqian’s Gathering Place was overwhelmed by a zombie horde until Zheng Yi arrived and destroyed the Mutated Zombies. He demanded the survivors submit to him, then unleashed his Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits against the remaining zombies.

• Jin Wuqian urged the defenders to fight as the zombie horde breached the fortifications and Speed Zombies slaughtered people on the walls.
• A Speed Zombie slashed Jin Wuqian’s neck, but a streak of silver light killed the Mutated Zombies before he lost consciousness.
• Zheng Yi descended onto the wall and ordered the survivors to become his servants, declaring their lives belonged to him.
• Zheng Yi summoned forty-nine Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits with the Soul Devouring Banner, and they tore through the zombie horde.

Zheng Yi took control of the Gathering Place after destroying its zombie horde and ordered the survivors to build a modified Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array. He activated the untested array, leaving its effectiveness unknown.

• Zheng Yi slaughtered the zombie horde with his Flying Sword and Malevolent Ghosts, terrifying the survivors into accepting him as their leader.
• Zheng Yi ordered the survivors to collect Zombie Crystal Cores and appointed Jin Wuqian to lead construction of the array.
• Zheng Yi carved the array into the ground and had the survivors place the collected cores at its designated nodes.
• Zheng Yi gathered Jin Wuqian and the other Ability Users inside the concealed array, which was powered by Zombie Crystal Cores and built on zombie flesh and Living Souls.
• Zheng Yi circulated the Black Fiend Technique, enveloped himself in Azure Nether Flame, and commanded the array to open.

Zheng Yi established an array to nurture five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants, then spent two months hunting zombies and advancing his Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art to Iron Fiend Armor. He was called to the Qi Family after Qi Lin discovered an imprisoned cultivator in a hidden passage beneath the ancestral Shrine.

• Zheng Yi activated the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array, and Jin Wuqian and the other Ability Users helped transport zombie flesh and blood to sustain it and feed the five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants.
• Zheng Yi returned to the Da Yi Immortal Domain, judged the ghost infants too dangerous to control, and focused on cultivating the Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art while hunting zombies for crystal cores.
• Over two months, Zheng Yi slaughtered tens of thousands of zombies and reached the Iron Fiend Armor stage of the Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art.
• Qi Lin reported that he had found a hidden passage beneath the Qi Family's ancestral Shrine containing an imprisoned cultivator.
• Zheng Yi summoned the Soul Devouring Banner and followed Qi Lin down the passage to investigate.

Zheng Yi discovered a mutilated Human Swine hidden beneath the Qi Family’s Shrine and learned that he was a True Disciple of the Little Five Elements Sword Sect. After Zheng Yi proved the Qi Family had been destroyed, the captive revealed that they had tortured him to extract the sect’s secret cultivation methods.

• Qi Lin left Zheng Yi alone with the Human Swine and stood guard above the Shrine.
• Zheng Yi questioned the captive and found his consciousness consumed by hatred and despair.
• Zheng Yi told the Human Swine that he had killed the Qi brothers and showed him proof through memories of their deaths.
• The Human Swine believed Zheng Yi and wept with relief that the Qi Family had been destroyed.
• The captive revealed that the Qi Family had rescued him after he was injured in the Demon Domain, then poisoned and tortured him to force him to divulge the Little Five Elements Sword Sect’s True Disciple cultivation methods.

Zheng Yi accepted three techniques from the Human Swine in exchange for granting him a swift death. Back in seclusion, he studied the inheritance and discovered that the Lesser Five Elements Sword Foundation Casting Method offered an unusual path to Foundation Establishment.

• The Human Swine offered to pass Zheng Yi three techniques from his master's lineage in exchange for death, explaining that the sect's core arts were sealed by oaths and restrictions.
• Zheng Yi agreed and chose the Little Zhou Tian Sumeru Sword Array, the True Essentials of the Lesser Five Elements Sword Escape, and the Lesser Five Elements Sword Foundation Casting Method.
• After confirming that Zheng Yi had received the techniques correctly, the Human Swine asked him to end his life, and Zheng Yi destroyed his life force and burned his corpse.
• Zheng Yi left Qi Lin to seal the underground chamber and returned to his cultivation retreat.
• Zheng Yi studied the three techniques and recognized the Lesser Five Elements Sword Foundation Casting Method as a secret art for Foundation Establishment using a sword artifact embryo.

Zheng Yi studied the Lesser Five Elements Sword Foundation Casting Method and planned to use five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants as Artifact Spirits to forge Five Elements Sword Embryos and improve his Spirit Root aptitude. While searching the Qi Family’s secret chamber for useful resources and knowledge, he discovered a fragmentary artifact-refining manual from the Five Venoms Sect.

• Zheng Yi learned that Magical Item Foundation Establishment required a powerful physique, abundant spiritual power, and a Magic Treasure Embryo with its own spirituality.
• After studying the Lesser Five Elements Sword Foundation Casting Method, Zheng Yi decided it suited his Mixed Spiritual Roots and circumstances.
• Zheng Yi planned to use the five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants and Apocalyptic World resources to create Five Elements Sword Embryos and five false Spirit Roots.
• Zheng Yi intended to cultivate the Black Fiend Technique to gather the spiritual power needed to refine the Sword Embryos.
• Zheng Yi searched the Qi Family’s secret stone chamber beneath the Black Refined Iron Ore Vein and found the Five Poison Soul Severing Sword, a fragmentary artifact-refining secret art from the Five Venoms Sect.

Zheng Yi advanced his Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art by hunting zombies in the Apocalyptic World, while his protection and resource gathering transformed the Gathering Place. Two months later, the settlement was larger, better supplied, and fortified enough to face a major zombie horde without his direct intervention.

• Zheng Yi set aside plans for the Five Poison Soul Severing Sword and broke through the first layer of the Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art, gaining Iron Fiend Armor.
• Zheng Yi hunted zombie hordes for their crystal cores and cleared dangerous areas around the Gathering Place.
• Jin Wuqian and the Gathering Place's other personnel gathered supplies from nearby towns and villages under Zheng Yi's orders.
• Jin Wuqian witnessed Zheng Yi's Malevolent Ghosts annihilate a zombie horde of several thousand and stopped questioning his mysterious leader.
• Over two months, the Gathering Place tripled in size, doubled its population, built taller walls, and accumulated crops, food, weapons, tanks, and armored vehicles.

Zheng Yi oversaw the underground formation consuming zombie flesh and blood, rewarded Jin Wuqian, and advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. He then arrived at Ba Dong Town Mine to meet Qi Lin and the newly assembled group who would form his foundation in the Da Yi Immortal Domain.

• Zheng Yi inspected the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array and confirmed that the blood fetus ghost infants were absorbing zombie Flesh Essence successfully.
• Zheng Yi sensed Jin Wuqian's fear and loyalty, gave him high-grade Zombie Crystal Cores, and left him in charge of guarding the formation.
• Zheng Yi's cultivation advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, after which he temporarily set aside affairs in the Apocalyptic World and went to the Da Yi Immortal Domain.
• Zheng Yi summoned Qi Lin and the others to the Qi Family main hall at Ba Dong Town Mine, where he reviewed the reshuffled group Qi Lin had assembled.
• Zheng Yi approved of Qi Lin's use of both Qi Family collateral descendants and experienced outsiders from the Qi Family Chamber of Commerce to supervise and balance the group.

Zheng Yi recruited Qi Family collateral disciples to sell Essence Soul Stones and gave them Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits for protection and control. He entrusted Qi Lin with a cautious plan to trade the stones in small batches, and Qi Lin began preparing the caravan.

• Zheng Yi asked the Qi Family collateral disciples to form a caravan to sell his high-quality Essence Soul Stones.
• Zheng Yi gave the disciples Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits, raising their combat strength while retaining control over them.
• Zheng Yi explained that selling Essence Soul Stones would turn resources from the Apocalyptic World into Spirit Stones without drawing attention.
• Zheng Yi gave Qi Lin a Low-Grade Storage Bag filled with Essence Soul Stones and ordered him to sell them in small batches.
• Qi Lin accepted the instructions and went to prepare the caravan.

Zheng Yi bribed Liu Attendant to secure the sect’s approval of his actions against the Qi Family Main Lineage, then used his resources to cultivate the second stage of the Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art. After completing his training, he sensed a tiny golden light emerge from the depths of his mind.

• Zheng Yi and Qi Lin presented Liu Attendant with evidence of the Qi Family Main Lineage’s crimes, and Liu ruled that Zheng Yi had acted within sect rules.
• Zheng Yi persuaded Liu Attendant to accept Spirit Stones and beauties from the Red Chamber Brothel, and Liu promised the sect would not pursue the matter.
• Zheng Yi used proceeds from selling Essence Soul Stones to renovate his Cultivation Room and improve its Spirit Gathering Array.
• Zheng Yi used Zombie Crystal Cores to advance the Profound Fiend Body Tempering Art to its second stage, Bronze Skin.
• Zheng Yi sensed a bean-sized golden light appear in the depths of his mind and shine through his body.

Zheng Yi discovered a Golden Seed in his Sea of Consciousness that erased the Blood Fiend suppressing him and subdued his unruly Soul Devouring Banner. In the Apocalyptic World, he slaughtered a horde of zombies and sensed that the Golden Seed had grown by an almost imperceptible amount.

• Zheng Yi discovered that a Golden Seed had appeared in his Sea of Consciousness and that its golden light had removed the Blood Fiend from his body.
• Zheng Yi directed his attention to the Golden Seed, which suppressed the rampaging Soul Devouring Banner and frightened its ghosts into submission.
• Zheng Yi ended his seclusion and returned to the Apocalyptic World to face the remaining zombies in a nearby town.
• Zheng Yi used his Flying Sword to kill zombies as the horde crowded around the building where he stood.
• Zheng Yi sensed that the Golden Seed had gained a barely perceptible trace of substance as the zombies fell.

After confirming that killing zombies had caused the Golden Seed to grow, Zheng Yi tested whether destroying ghosts would produce the same golden power. The ghost hunt strengthened his Soul Devouring Banner and led him to suspect the power was Merit Power, though its unusual form and easy acquisition in the Apocalyptic World remained unexplained.

• After wiping out a town's zombie horde, Zheng Yi confirmed that the Golden Seed had grown slightly and decided to investigate the golden threads further.
• Zheng Yi reached a Yin Sha Ghost Land and used Azure Nether Flame and the Soul Devouring Banner to destroy the ghosts there.
• As the ghosts fell, Zheng Yi observed that the Golden Seed grew brighter, confirming that killing Vengeful Spirits and Malevolent Ghosts also yielded golden power.
• The Yin Soldier Vengeful Spirits returned to the Soul Devouring Banner more obediently, with clearer thoughts and less resentment after being illuminated by the golden light.
• Zheng Yi suspected the golden power was Merit Power, which could erase Karmic Force, but wondered how it could be visible and so easily obtained in the Apocalyptic World.

Zheng Yi realized that the Merit Seed in his Sea of Consciousness had formed from his slaughter of zombies and evil spirits in the Apocalyptic World, which helped restore that world's order. He resolved to preserve the Merit Power and use its golden light to cleanse the Soul Devouring Banner while seeking materials to advance it.

• Zheng Yi recalled that Merit Power could dissolve Blood Sin and Karmic Force, while Merit Golden Light could suppress evil forces.
• Zheng Yi reasoned that killing zombies, Vengeful Spirits, and Malevolent Ghosts had helped the Apocalyptic World's World Will, earning him Merit Power.
• Zheng Yi concluded that his outsider status and unprecedented killing spree had allowed him to obtain a Merit Seed that others might not be able to replicate.
• Zheng Yi observed that the golden light was cleansing the Soul Devouring Banner's Blood Sha Aura and helping its Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits regain their sanity.
• Zheng Yi decided to preserve the Merit Seed and continue searching for materials to advance the Soul Devouring Banner.

Zheng Yi cleared zombies and Vengeful Spirits across the Apocalyptic World, strengthening his Merit Seed and gathering resources while his Blood Fetus Ghost Infants changed through feeding. He turned from hunting ordinary threats to cultivating in a secret chamber, as the Qi Family trade caravan withstood attacks using his Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits.

• Zheng Yi swept zombie hordes and Ghost Dens across a range of five hundred li, and his Merit Seed grew slightly more solid.
• Zheng Yi fed zombie flesh and Zombie Crystal Cores to the five Blood Fetus Ghost Infants, which began developing traits of this world's zombies and ghosts.
• Zheng Yi sold low-grade Essence Soul Stones through the Qi Family trade caravan and used the proceeds to support his cultivation and buy materials.
• Zheng Yi concluded that ordinary zombies and Vengeful Spirits yielded little merit, so he stopped hunting them as relentlessly and began cultivating.
• Zheng Yi established a guarded secret cultivation chamber beneath the Ba Dong Town mine and set up a Spirit Gathering Array.
• Qi Lin reported that Rogue Cultivators had attacked the Qi Family's trade routes, but the caravan's Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits and hired experts repelled them.

Zheng Yi used his Spirit Stone wealth to establish a Spirit Gathering Array and devoted much of his time to cultivation. During a breakthrough in his training, Merit Power from his Golden Seed began cleansing the Baleful Intent and other hidden damage caused by the Black Fiend Technique, leaving him with a way to counter the dangers of demonic cultivation.

• Zheng Yi traded Vengeful Spirit resources in small batches and used his earnings to buy formation materials and Spirit Stones.
• Zheng Yi set up a Spirit Gathering Array in a secret chamber, raising the spiritual energy around his cultivation site beyond that of a First Grade Spirit Vein.
• Zheng Yi spent most of the year cultivating while periodically hunting zombies and ghostly creatures in the Apocalyptic World for resources.
• Zheng Yi sensed his Golden Seed release golden light that clung to and repaired damage caused by Baleful Intent from the Black Fiend Technique.
• Zheng Yi realized Merit Power could cleanse Killing Intent, Blood Sin, and resentful power, which might otherwise destabilize his foundation and threaten future breakthroughs.

After Merit Golden Light purged Zheng Yi’s Blood Sin and Killing Intent, he received news that a Flesh Gourd would be auctioned in Secluded Central City. He considered whether the demonic sword-refining material could help him make a Sword Embryo and prepared to pursue it.

• Zheng Yi found that Merit Power had cleared his Blood Sin and Killing Intent, leaving him calmer and quicker to comprehend cultivation techniques.
• Three days later, Zheng Yi ended his seclusion after receiving news about a sword-refining material he needed.
• Qi Chuan reported that the Ninth Merchant Fleet had verified the Flesh Gourd would be auctioned in Secluded Central City in half a month.
• Zheng Yi considered the Flesh Gourd’s origins, its ability to grow by consuming cultivators’ flesh and blood, and the weaknesses of the Flesh Demon Swords it produced.