Chapter Summaries

Yun Jing offered to arrange a private purchase of the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art for He Song, sparing him the risks and trouble of the auction. She brought him to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and summoned the consignor, leaving them to wait in the VIP Hall for a direct price negotiation.

• Yun Jing revealed that she was the disciple of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s Cloud Province master and offered to arrange a private transaction for He Song’s desired auction item.
• He Song accepted Yun Jing’s offer and identified the sixty-sixth item, the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.
• Yun Jing led He Song to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion while acting warmly toward him, and He Song accepted her goodwill and recognized that the private purchase would help him avoid auction troubles.
• At the main pavilion, Yun Jing ordered attendants to summon the art’s consignor and invited He Song to wait with her in the VIP Hall.

Yun Jing True Person arranged a private meeting between He Song and Chang Kong True Person so they could negotiate a direct sale. She subtly elevated He Song’s status to discourage Chang Kong from demanding an excessive price, leaving the transaction ready to begin.

• Yun Jing True Person explained that her subordinates would bring the consignor to the VIP Hall while she and He Song waited.
• A subordinate brought Chang Kong True Person, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, to meet Yun Jing True Person and He Song.
• Yun Jing True Person welcomed Chang Kong True Person with tea and asked to arrange a transaction with He Song outside the auction.
• Yun Jing True Person poured tea for He Song, leading Chang Kong True Person to speculate about He Song’s high status and relationship with her.
• He Song recognized that Yun Jing True Person was using the gesture to build his prestige and help secure a fair price for the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.

He Song bought the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art from Chang Kong True Person for 160,000 Spirit Stones after bargaining to prevent future resentment. Yun Jing True Person learned why He Song had haggled and invited him to a banquet.

• Chang Kong True Person offered the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art, explaining its origin, secrecy, and value.
• He Song asked Chang Kong True Person to name his price and bargained with him over the cost.
• He Song and Chang Kong True Person completed the deal for 160,000 Spirit Stones, and Chang Kong True Person left with his payment.
• Yun Jing True Person asked He Song why he had bargained despite being a wealthy talisman master.
• He Song explained that bargaining would keep Chang Kong True Person from later resenting the sale and causing him trouble.
• Yun Jing True Person understood He Song's caution and invited him to a prepared banquet.

He Song obtained the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art in Cloud Province and hurried to leave for Tianquan Xiancheng, eager to begin cultivating it. After he departed, Yun Jing added the dual cultivation art he had brought to her Myriad Arts Diagram, while Meng Guan was astonished that He Song had finished his business after only a few hours.

• Yun Jing welcomed He Song to a banquet at Treasure Gathering Pavilion, where he met its members and exchanged courteous greetings.
• He Song thanked Yun Jing for her hospitality and announced that he would leave Cloud Province for Tianquan Xiancheng to cultivate the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.
• Yun Jing accepted He Song's farewell and watched him depart, then copied the dual cultivation art onto a Jade Slip and placed it in her Myriad Arts Diagram.
• He Song returned to Meng Guan's residence and told him he was leaving; Meng Guan was stunned that He Song had completed his business in only a few hours.
• Meng Guan lamented that He Song had arrived and departed before he could show him around the Cloud Province Capital.

After a benefactor helped He Song resolve his business in Cloud Province, he and Meng Guan parted ways, each heading south toward new opportunities. Back in Tianquan Xiancheng, He Song reunited with Yu'er and learned Wei Fan was still in seclusion, perhaps nearing a breakthrough.

• Meng Guan saw He Song out of the Cloud Province Capital after He Song explained that a benefactor had helped him settle his business.
• After He Song departed, Meng Guan packed his belongings and left the capital to seek opportunities in other immortal provinces.
• A month and a half later, He Song returned to Tianquan Xiancheng and received Meng Guan's letter saying he had traveled to Li Province; He Song replied that they should travel together when they met again.
• He Song restored his residence, brought Yu'er back, and found that she remained at Qi Refining Late Stage.
• He Song visited Black Crane True Person and learned Wei Fan had remained in seclusion for months, possibly approaching a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

He Song returned to Tianquan Xiancheng after obtaining the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art and reflected on how his resource-intensive cultivation had carried him ahead of Wei Fan, who remained in seclusion at a bottleneck. He visited Master Luo Jing to thank her for helping make the Cloud Province trip successful, but she declined his gift of ten thousand Spirit Stones.

• He Song reasoned that Wei Fan had likely reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage bottleneck, while He Song had already stabilized at that stage through heavy investment in cultivation resources.
• Black Crane True Person told He Song that the profit-sharing arrangement covering his absence had ended now that he had returned to Tianquan Xiancheng.
• He Song learned that Wei Fan was still in closed-door cultivation, so he postponed visiting him and went to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
• Master Luo Jing congratulated He Song on obtaining the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.
• He Song offered Master Luo Jing ten thousand Spirit Stones in gratitude, but she awkwardly asked him to take them back.

He Song cleared up a misunderstanding with Master Luo Jing, exchanged gifts with her, and returned to cultivate. Two years later, his cultivation had advanced modestly, but his combat strength had grown considerably as he refined two top-grade Magic Artifacts and began upgrading his spirit puppets.

• Master Luo Jing explained that the restriction in the Jade Slip was meant to prevent others from reading it, not to guard against He Song, and apologized for the misunderstanding.
• He Song persuaded Master Luo Jing to accept his gift in repayment for her help, and the two exchanged thanks before he left the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
• He Song returned to his residence and resumed cultivating the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.
• Over the next two years, He Song's spiritual power increased somewhat, and he fully refined the Spirit Snake Bone Seal and the Diamond Shield, greatly improving his combat strength.
• He Song began buying precious materials to strengthen his spirit puppets Clear Wind, Mingyue, Idle Cloud, and Wild Crane while continuing to cultivate the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art.

He Song mastered the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art and combined it with the Dust Transformation Art, then left Tianquan Xiancheng to study a nearby Golden Core Great Array. At Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, he received Lin Cong's final letter and learned that his old friend had died.

• He Song mastered the Violet Heavens Tranquil Meditation Art and confirmed that it concealed him from divine sense when combined with the Dust Transformation Art.
• He Song packed his belongings, left Yu'er by the riverside, asked Black Crane True Person to conceal his departure, and set out for Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song passed through the territories of Lianshan Immortal City and Qingyuan Immortal City on his way to the Golden Core Great Array near Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• At Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, He Song recalled Lin Cong's departure four years earlier and wondered whether his old friend was still alive.
• A Sound Transmission Paper Crane delivered Lin Cong's final letter, which said he had settled his family in a blessed land and had died before the letter reached He Song.
• He Song quietly preserved Lin Cong's letter in his Storage Pouch.

He Song followed the trail of his late friend Lin Cong, found the Lin Family’s secluded home, and quietly attended Lin Cong’s burial. After bidding farewell, he returned to the Golden Core Great Array and began studying it while keeping watch for other cultivators.

• He Song followed the traces Lin Cong had left through the forest to a mortal city, where the trail vanished and he realized Lin Cong had concealed his family’s true route.
• He Song read Lin Cong’s map and traveled to the Lin Family’s town, where he waited until the funeral rites were complete before pouring spirit tea at Lin Cong’s grave and saying farewell.
• He Song left the town, drank tea alone atop a mountain, then used three concealment arts to travel underground toward the Golden Core Great Array.
• He Song halted a few miles from the array and studied its operation, occasionally checking whether other cultivators had arrived.

He Song continued studying a multifunctional Golden Core Great Array while the Thick Earth Sect-led Righteous Dao Alliance launched a surprise war against the Devilish Dao Alliance. He remained away from the front, and the conflict began with the Righteous Dao Alliance capturing several cities in enemy territory.

• He Song studied the Golden Core Great Array, deciding that mastering it could still help him despite its weaker combined functions.
• The Thick Earth Sect ordered He Song to guard Tianquan Xiancheng rather than join the attack, and he told Black Crane True Person he could not return because he was occupied.
• Black Crane True Person assured He Song that Tianquan Xiancheng was safe and urged him to flee if he encountered Devilish Dao cultivators he could not defeat.
• He Song heard that the Righteous Dao Alliance’s surprise assault had caught the Devilish Dao Alliance off guard and captured multiple Immortal Markets and Immortal Cities.
• A Golden Core True Lord from each alliance fought briefly, after which both sides treated the current battle line as the war’s front; the Devilish Dao Alliance remained at a disadvantage on its own territory.

He Song learned more about the war between the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Devilish Dao Alliance while remaining focused on studying a Golden Core Great Array. After noticing a brief disruption in the array, he decided to monitor it and prepare for the possibility that it might disappear and reveal what lay inside.

• Clear Moon True Person sent He Song news that Thick Earth Sect elites had been recalled to fight, while Meng Guan said he had received no notice of the war.
• He Song continued studying the Golden Core Great Array and remained concealed while battles raged elsewhere.
• He Song noticed the array’s power briefly fall into disorder and considered whether its Spirit Stones were failing, its setup was flawed, or an array master had left a hidden contingency.
• He Song decided to keep watching the array and prepare to conceal the site with a Nether Smoke Array if the formation dissipated.
• He Song planned to take the array plate and flags if the formation vanished, while staying wary in case a Golden Core True Lord remained inside.

Over three years, He Song advanced his understanding of a Golden Core Great Array while slowly strengthening his cultivation. After receiving Wei Fan’s news that he and True Person Black Crane had reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, He Song replied that he would return to Tianquan Xiancheng within five years and prepared to congratulate True Person Black Crane as well.

• He Song spent three years studying and reverse-engineering the Golden Core Great Array, improving his Array Dao understanding and increasing his strength slightly.
• He Song received a message from Wei Fan, who had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and asked whether He Song would return before he left Tianquan Xiancheng.
• He Song reflected that he had reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage more than five years before Wei Fan and worried that Wei Fan might never reach the Golden Core Path.
• He Song replied that he was traveling in search of opportunities and promised to return to Tianquan Xiancheng within five years to see Wei Fan and True Person Black Crane.
• He Song learned that True Person Black Crane had also reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and began writing him a congratulatory message.

He Song concluded that the increasingly frequent disturbances meant the Golden Core Great Array was running low on Spirit Stones and might soon dissipate, leaving its protected treasures within reach. As he continued studying it from a safe distance, the war between the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Devilish Dao Alliance escalated, with sects recalling elites and the Golden Sword Sect attacking the Seven Star Sect.

• After tracking disturbances that occurred three years ago, a year and a half ago, and half a year ago, He Song concluded the array’s stored Spirit Stones were running low and no Golden Core True Lord was secluded inside.
• He Song decided to keep studying the array from several miles away and planned to conceal the site with a Nether Smoke Array if the formation dissipated.
• As the war dragged on, the major sects of both alliances recalled their scattered elites and committed more forces, expanding the conflict.
• He Song learned that a Perfect Foundation Establishment elder of the Golden Sword Sect had raided Devilish Dao Alliance territory to avenge his disciple, withdrawn when Golden Core True Lords entered the war, then led another team toward the Seven Star Sect.

Clear Moon Real Person recounted the deadly battle that made He Song wary of joining the war, while He Song continued studying an increasingly unstable Golden Core Great Array. As the array neared collapse, he prepared a Nether Smoke Array and decided to wait until he could inspect what lay inside before deploying it.

• Clear Moon Real Person told He Song that the battle had ended after several hours when both sides' Golden Core True Lords halted it, leaving her with lingering resentment and fear.
• He Song concluded that rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators were better kept away from major battles and accepted that the Thick Earth Sect did not consider him one of its own.
• He Song kept comprehending the Golden Core Great Array as its disturbances grew more frequent, until its instability forced him to stop.
• Seeing no cultivators nearby, He Song placed an array disk and several array flags underground to prepare a Nether Smoke Array.
• He Song chose to wait until the Golden Core Great Array nearly dispersed and revealed its interior before deploying his array, so he could check whether anyone was inside without exposing himself.

He Song watched the Golden Core Great Array around a hidden valley weaken until the valley briefly revealed Spirit Fields, medicinal gardens, a cave abode, and two golden-armored guards. He concealed the valley with three arrays and waited for the great array to dissipate while considering how to deal with the guards.

• He Song observed from more than ten li away as the unstable Golden Core Great Array briefly revealed the valley's contents, including two golden-armored guards at a cave entrance.
• He Song checked that no cultivators had been drawn to the valley, then set up the Nether Smoke Array, Seven Killing Heavenly Fire Array, and Sea Stabilizing Yuan Array around it.
• He Song chose not to set up a Small Spirit Gathering Array or remove his concealment arts, so the Golden Core Great Array would dissipate sooner and he could remain hidden if the guards proved dangerous.
• He Song considered the strength of the two guards and concluded that his four spirit puppets might not be able to defeat them.
• He Song recalled the valley's golden spirit rice and medicinal gardens, whose herbs had grown for at least a hundred years, and continued waiting for the array to vanish.

He Song waited for the Golden Core Great Array around the valley to dissipate, convinced its owner was absent, then prepared to claim the opportunity Lin Cong had entrusted to him. After the array vanished, he sent four spirit puppets into the valley to harvest its spirit rice and herbs before testing the golden-armored guards.

• He Song reasoned that a Golden Core cultivator would not spend over a hundred years in seclusion and concluded that no one was present in the valley.
• He Song waited inside the Nether Smoke Array as the valley's Golden Core Great Array grew unstable and finally dissipated.
• He Song decided to probe the two golden-armored guards and remembered his debt to Lin Cong, resolving to support Lin Cong's promising descendants.
• He Song sent four spirit puppets into the valley to harvest the spirit rice and spirit herbs before engaging the guards.

He Song sent four spirit puppets into the valley to harvest spirit rice and herbs, but two golden-armored guards attacked them. After testing the guards and retreating with the harvest, He Song left the puppets badly damaged but secured a haul of valuable spirit rice and herbs.

• He Song sent four spirit puppets to harvest the valley’s spirit rice and herbs while watching the two golden-armored guards.
• The guards attacked Wild Crane, quickly dismantled him, and revealed strength at least equal to Perfect Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• He Song ordered the remaining puppets to scatter and flee, directing Idle Cloud to gather Wild Crane’s scattered pieces.
• Clear Wind and Mingyue escaped into the Nether Smoke Array, both badly damaged, and the guards returned to their post.
• He Song transferred the harvested spirit rice and herbs into his Storage Pouch and recognized the haul as highly valuable.

He Song salvaged the array plate and nine flags from the dissipated Golden Core Great Array and rebuilt it in the valley. With the great array under his control, he prepared to deal with the two golden-armored guards blocking the cave abode.

• He Song assessed the damage to his spirit puppets, decided Wild Crane could not be repaired, and stored the puppets away.
• He Song realized he could use an array to neutralize the two golden-armored guards and considered rebuilding the Golden Core Great Array that had dissipated.
• He Song sent Idle Cloud underground to search for the great array’s buried flags and array plate, then retrieved the complete set.
• He Song positioned the array plate and nine flags around the valley and linked them with hand seals.
• He Song poured Spirit Stones into the array, activated the Golden Core Great Array, and gained control of it.

He Song deployed a Golden Core Great Array to suppress the two golden-armored guards and used Idle Cloud to collect the valley’s spirit herbs and spirit rice before scouting the cave dwelling. With the array consuming Spirit Stones rapidly, Idle Cloud entered the dusty, mountain-internal dwelling as He Song scanned it with his divine sense.

• He Song deployed the Golden Core Great Array and suppressed the two golden-armored guards, stabilizing the array with nearly twenty thousand Spirit Stones.
• He Song sent Idle Cloud to harvest the spirit herbs and spirit rice in the valley and bring them back to him.
• He Song directed Idle Cloud into the cave dwelling while remaining protected by his arrays, despite the guards’ struggles increasing the array’s Spirit Stone consumption.
• He Song extended his divine sense across the valley and used it to guide Idle Cloud through the cave dwelling.
• He Song’s divine sense revealed rooms, objects, and miscellaneous items inside the mountain, all covered in thick dust.

He Song searched a long-abandoned Golden Core cave dwelling and stripped its pill refinement room of pills, herbs, equipment, and furnishings. After transferring the valuable haul from Idle Cloud to his own Storage Pouch, he sent it back inside to continue exploring the cave dwelling.

• He Song searched the reception hall and found no valuables beyond its costly spirit-material furnishings.
• He Song entered the pill refinement room, collected its ordinary Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment pills, and found no pills for Golden Core cultivators.
• He Song harvested valuable spirit herbs stored in Jade Boxes and took a top-grade Magic Artifact pill furnace.
• He Song cleared the pill refinement room of its remaining equipment and furnishings, leaving only its walls, floor, and ceiling.
• He Song transferred the haul from Idle Cloud's Storage Pouch into his own, then sent Idle Cloud back into the cave dwelling to explore deeper.