Chapter Summaries

He Song watched a blood-colored hand kill White Crane, Flying Crane, and three other Foundation Establishment Real Persons before the treasure ground fell silent. A newly emerged Golden Core aura then revealed itself as an unnatural, lifeless mixture of Yin and demonic energy, leaving He Song to reconsider what the formation concealed.

• A blood-colored mana hand trapped three Foundation Establishment Real Persons, and their escape attempts failed as their mana ran out.
• White Crane and Flying Crane sent their spirit beasts to help, but the beasts also died when the three cultivators perished.
• He Song reflected on the five deaths and reminded himself to remain cautious as he pursued strength and safety.
• After the area grew quiet, He Song fortified himself with arrays, Spiritual Artifacts, and defensive spells while wondering whether the Golden Core cultivator had detected him.
• A rumble came from the treasure ground, and a newly emerged Golden Core aura proved to be chaotic, saturated with Yin and demonic energy, and seemingly lifeless.

He Song concluded that the being emerging from the formation was probably a newly refined, instinct-driven Golden Core puppet, with its demonic cultivator master likely absent. He weighed killing it or taking it for himself, but realized either choice might provoke its master, leaving him uncertain how to proceed.

• He Song used his knowledge of the formation and the being’s aura to infer that it was a newly refined Golden Core puppet acting without a controller.
• He Song reasoned that the puppet’s master had probably left it to be nurtured for many decades or centuries and was unlikely to be nearby.
• He Song considered killing the weak puppet to take its Golden Core or wounding it and claiming it with the Spirit Puppet Technique.
• He Song recognized that the technique might not remove the original master’s mark, and that killing the puppet could also bring its master after him.

He Song decided not to seize the Golden Core puppet because doing so could provoke the demonic Golden Core behind it, and instead waited to study the formation that had created it. After the puppet departed, He Song examined its birthplace and began planning how to adapt the formation to cultivate puppets of his own.

• He Song weighed the Golden Core puppet’s value against the danger of offending the demonic Golden Core and chose to watch from a distance rather than claim it.
• He Song waited for the puppet to leave so he could investigate the formation and learn how it had produced a Golden Core puppet.
• The puppet left the site and traveled west, and He Song entered the formation after confirming it had gone far away.
• He Song discovered that the formation had drawn on a Golden Core corpse, abundant spiritual energy, and a deep underground mass of Yin energy produced by past deaths.
• He Song planned to modify the formation to rely on spiritual and Yin energy instead of large amounts of blood qi, though he would still need intact Golden Core corpses.

After returning to Luofeng Prefecture, He Song heard reports of a Golden Core cultivator traveling toward the Myriad Monster Realm and suspected it was the puppet he had released, though its peaceful behavior made him wary of a hidden master. He also learned that Ancestor of Snow Wind planned a Nascent Soul Convention in eight years and that Snow Wind Palace was strengthening ties with other sects.

• He Song returned to his residence in Luofeng Prefecture, removed the puppet that had impersonated him, and emerged as if from years of seclusion.
• He Song heard that a high-profile Golden Core cultivator had traveled west toward the Myriad Monster Realm, frightening cultivators with its aura but killing none.
• He Song suspected the Golden Core cultivator was his puppet and considered whether a hidden master was controlling it to lure opponents into a trap.
• He Song learned Ancestor of Snow Wind would hold a Nascent Soul Convention in Cloudridge Prefecture in eight years and decided not to attend.
• He Song heard rumors that Snow Wind Palace was expanding, recruiting disciples, and cooperating with One Yang Sect and Purple Cloud Sect against the northern demonic path.

He Song learned how Snow Wind Palace had consolidated its position and how White Crane Real Person and his companions had died after returning to the treasure ground. He then heard that Gray Eagle True Lord had attacked the Golden Core puppet He Song had once let pass, and hurried to learn what happened next.

• He Song pieced together reports from An Ning, Meng Guan, Wei Fan, Luo Jing, and Yun Jing about Snow Wind Palace, One Yang Sect, and the wider cultivation world.
• He Song learned that White Crane Real Person, Flying Crane Real Person, and Gale Real Person had been exposed for luring Foundation Establishment cultivators to their deaths, then later died to the Golden Core puppet in the treasure ground.
• He Song heard that Gray Eagle True Lord had begun fighting the Golden Core cultivator traveling toward the Myriad Monster Realm near the border of Golden Snake Sect and Nether Blade Sect.
• He Song went to the restaurant where the news was being discussed so he could follow the battle and find out whether Gray Eagle True Lord would face the puppet's master or gain a fortune.

He Song met Green Edge True Person at a tavern and learned that Gray Eagle True Lord had been ambushed and gravely wounded during a battle with a mysterious Golden Core cultivator. The new report said the attacker had joined forces with that cultivator to trap Gray Eagle True Lord, leaving his fate uncertain.

• He Song entered a tavern to show that he had emerged from seclusion and gather news, where Green Edge True Person recognized him as Feiyu True Person.
• Green Edge True Person introduced himself as a cultivator from Moonwatch Valley and said his senior brother, Han Feng True Person, had recommended He Song; his disciple Qingyang also greeted He Song.
• He Song invited Green Edge True Person to share a drink, then waited as Green Edge received a message and asked whether He Song had heard about the Golden Core cultivator traveling through Luofeng Prefecture.
• Green Edge True Person explained that his sect had learned the traveling Golden Core cultivator fought Gray Eagle True Lord in Nether Blade Sect territory.
• Green Edge True Person reported that another cultivator had ambushed and gravely wounded Gray Eagle True Lord, then joined the traveling cultivator to trap him alive.

He Song learned that Gray Eagle True Lord had been ambushed and trapped by the master of the Golden Core puppet, confirming that he had been right not to attack it. He and Green Edge True Person discussed the danger to Moonwatch Valley and continued building their acquaintance after another message arrived.

• Green Edge True Person told He Song that Gray Eagle True Lord had been ambushed, grievously wounded, and trapped after fighting the Golden Core puppet.
• He Song deduced that the puppet’s master was a Golden Core Great Perfection demonic cultivator and felt relieved that he had avoided risking a confrontation.
• Green Edge True Person worried that Gray Eagle True Lord’s death could draw danger and unwanted attention to Moonwatch Valley.
• He Song reacted with apparent surprise to the news, and he and Green Edge True Person continued chatting over their meal.
• Green Edge True Person received another message, and He Song respectfully looked away from the paper before Green Edge True Person unfolded it.

He Song learned that True Lord Cangying had been killed by two Golden Core True Lords, and suspected the demonic cultivator had taken Cangying’s corpse to refine into a puppet. He reassured Green Edge True Person, then returned to his residence after gathering news and buying talisman materials, where his established network of acquaintances welcomed him.

• Green Edge True Person told He Song that True Lord Cangying had likely been slain and that the two surviving Golden Core True Lords had headed west.
• He Song suspected the demonic Golden Core cultivator had lured Cangying into an ambush and taken his corpse to make another Golden Core puppet.
• He Song reassured Green Edge True Person that Luofeng Prefecture’s stationed Golden Core True Lords made the provincial capital relatively safe.
• He Song left the tavern, circulated through Luofeng Prefecture, met acquaintances, and learned about events from the years he had missed.
• He Song publicly bought talisman-making materials and returned to his residence, where his acquaintances soon gathered around him.

He Song modified the Puppet Refining Grand Array into the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array, which used spiritual energy and Yin energy to refine Golden Core puppets more quickly. With a Golden Core puppet-refining technique due to appear at an auction in Yan Yun Prefecture, he left Luofeng Prefecture to scout places rich in Yin energy and seek Golden Core demonic beast corpses.

• He Song checked Green Edge True Person's background with Cold Edge True Person and gathered intelligence on visiting Foundation Establishment Real Persons to avoid troublesome entanglements.
• He Song modified the Puppet Refining Grand Array to absorb spiritual energy instead of blood qi, shortening the time to refine a Golden Core puppet to several decades.
• He Song named the modified array the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array after testing its puppet-refining and other functions.
• He Song learned that a Golden Core puppet-refining technique would be auctioned in Yan Yun Prefecture several months later.
• He Song left Luofeng Prefecture to find Yin-rich locations for his array and search nearby capitals for Golden Core demonic beast corpses.

He Song traveled to Yan Yun Prefecture ahead of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion auction, hoping to find Golden Core demon beast corpses and suitable demonic sect artifacts. He found the city heavily guarded and learned that, though he had located three sites rich in Yin energy, he had not yet found any demon beast corpses.

• He Song journeyed through nearby Immortal Province Capitals, finding three Yin-rich locations and concealing each with a Nether Smoke Array, but found no Golden Core demon beast corpses.
• He Song arrived in Yan Yun Prefecture, concealed his cultivation as Perfect Foundation Establishment, changed his appearance and aura, and left a Heavenly Dipper Divine Thunder Array outside the city.
• He Song saw cultivators openly using demonic sect Magic Artifacts in the province and considered looking for artifacts that might increase his strength.
• He Song learned that thirteen Golden Core True Lords were publicly present in Yan Yun Prefecture, so he kept a low profile while gathering information.
• With the Treasure Gathering Pavilion auction due to begin in half a month, He Song observed that the city was filling with cultivators, including people bringing treasures out of the Myriad Monster Realm.

He Song arrived in Yan Yun Prefecture to attend the Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s auction and search for Golden Core remains or cores to use in puppet refinement. After failing to locate them through investigation, he discovered a cultivator’s Golden Core listed among the auction items, leaving him poised to bid for it alongside the Golden Core Puppet Refinement Method.

• He Song planned to investigate Yan Yun Prefecture for Golden Core demon beast corpses, cultivator corpses, and Golden Cores before the auction.
• He Song learned that a Golden Core demon beast corpse belonged to a Nether Blade Sect garrison True Lord, who treated it as a collectible and would not sell it.
• He Song failed to locate any cultivator’s Golden Core or demon beast core and shook off watchers before changing his appearance and aura.
• He Song entered the Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s auction in disguise and reviewed the auction items in a Jade Slip.
• He Song found a cultivator’s Golden Core listed among the auction lots, despite having failed to uncover its whereabouts during his investigation.

He Song set his sights on the Lunar Yin Puppet Art, a Golden Core puppet-refinement method that could help him create powerful puppets in the future. He began bidding after the auction opened, and the price rose before he called out thirteen thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, drawing the room’s attention.

• He Song decided he wanted the cultivator's Golden Core and the Golden Core puppet-refinement method to strengthen himself in the future.
• He Song reviewed the auction offerings and decided to bid freely only on items that would not significantly affect his reserves if he lost them.
• A female Foundation Establishment cultivator introduced the Lunar Yin Puppet Art, a Golden Core puppet-refinement method, with a starting bid of one thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• He Song opened the bidding at the starting price, prompting Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators to raise the price.
• He Song let the bids climb to around twelve thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, then offered thirteen thousand, briefly silencing the auction hall.

He Song continued bidding on the Golden Core Puppet Refinement Method, driving away the Foundation Establishment competitors before a Golden Core True Lord joined the auction. He Song challenged the Golden Core True Lord and raised the price to twenty thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, leaving the auction at a tense standoff.

• He Song raised his bid to sixteen thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, and the remaining Foundation Establishment bidders withdrew.
• As the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's Foundation Establishment female cultivator counted down, a Golden Core True Lord bid seventeen thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• He Song surprised the auction hall by bidding eighteen thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones against the Golden Core True Lord.
• The Golden Core True Lord calmly raised the bid to nineteen thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, and He Song answered with twenty thousand.

He Song won a Golden Core puppet-refining method for twenty thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, while rumors spread that a Foundation Establishment cultivator had outbid a Golden Core True Lord. The auction then presented a late Golden Core cultivator’s Golden Core under the protection of True Monarch Shadow Fox, Pavilion Master of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

• He Song bid twenty thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones and secured the Golden Core puppet-refining method after his rival stopped bidding.
• Cultivators outside the auction hall speculated about He Song’s identity and discussed his apparent victory over a Golden Core True Lord.
• He Song dismissed the rumors and waited for the auction to present the cultivator’s Golden Core.
• The Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s female Foundation Establishment cultivator displayed a late Golden Core cultivator’s Golden Core and announced a starting bid of ten thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• True Monarch Shadow Fox arrived beside the auctioneer, and his Golden Core spiritual pressure curbed the crowd’s greed.

True Monarch Shadow Fox’s presence kept the auction orderly but left bidders afraid to speak, until a Golden Core True Lord broke the silence over the cultivator’s Golden Core. He Song stayed quiet and assessed the rising bids as the price passed one hundred thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones.

• True Monarch Shadow Fox appeared beside the Golden Core, making the cultivators abandon thoughts of disrupting the auction.
• The auction hall fell silent as Golden Core True Lords and lower-ranked cultivators hesitated to bid.
• He Song decided to conceal his interest in the Golden Core and wait for a critical moment to act.
• Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s Foundation Establishment female cultivator raised the jade box, announced a starting bid of ten thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, and urged the bidders to participate.
• A Golden Core cultivator opened the bidding at fifty thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, and other bidders drove the price above one hundred thousand.

He Song watched the bidding for a cultivator’s Golden Core climb past one hundred thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones and calculated that his wealth should still be enough to win it. When the price reached 150,000, he bid 160,000 at once, revealing to the auction hall that he was a wealthy Golden Core True Lord; no one immediately challenged his offer.

• He Song worried that another wealthy Golden Core cultivator might outbid him, but reasoned that buyers would reserve funds for the costly work of refining the Golden Core into a treasure.
• The Golden Core True Lords gradually raised the price, while cultivators below Golden Core marveled at the enormous sums being offered.
• As the bidding reached 150,000 mid-grade Spirit Stones, He Song decided to act.
• He Song bid 160,000 mid-grade Spirit Stones, prompting the crowd to recognize him as a wealthy Golden Core True Lord.
• The other Golden Core True Lords fell silent, and no further bids followed for a long while.

He Song won the cultivator’s Golden Core at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion auction, then paid with Golden Core pills and talismans. Pavilion master True Monarch Shadow Fox recognized their value and sought to learn He Song’s identity and propose a partnership, leaving He Song to consider the offer.

• He Song bid 160,000 mid-grade Spirit Stones for the cultivator’s Golden Core, and no other Golden Core True Lord raised the price before the auction ended.
• True Monarch Shadow Fox personally delivered the Golden Core to He Song’s private room to complete the exchange.
• He Song offered Golden Core spiritual pills and talismans from his Storage Pouch in place of Spirit Stones.
• After inspecting the items, True Monarch Shadow Fox returned the pouch with several thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones’ worth of pills and talismans as a gesture of sincerity.
• True Monarch Shadow Fox asked He Song’s Daoist title and the items’ origins, then indicated that he wanted to discuss a possible long-term partnership.

He Song accepted True Monarch Shadow Fox's cooperation proposal only indirectly, concealing his pill and talisman skills behind the alias Mysterious Turtle True Lord and claiming he had obtained his goods through exchanges. After the auction, he checked into a Treasure Gathering Pavilion inn to study his new Golden Core Puppet Refinement Art and guard against scrutiny from the other Golden Core cultivators.

• He Song weighed the benefits of cooperating with True Monarch Shadow Fox, then introduced himself as Mysterious Turtle True Lord and said he had exchanged for the Golden Core pills and talismans.
• He Song explained that he had chosen a new Daoist name to protect his identity as Feiyu True Person and avoid revealing his abilities in pill refinement and talisman crafting.
• True Monarch Shadow Fox gave He Song the auctioned cultivator's Golden Core, accepted that He Song could not connect him with the supposed suppliers, and departed.
• He Song remained at the auction until it ended, then checked into a nearby Treasure Gathering Pavilion inn rather than leaving Yan Yun Prefecture.
• He Song planned to study the Golden Core Puppet Refinement Art and set up protective formations in the inn, wary that the Golden Core True Lords might investigate or follow him.

He Song evaded the Golden Core cultivators watching him in Yan Yun Prefecture and examined the Lunar Yin Puppet Art he had bought at auction. He decided to seek an array that could gather lunar yin to speed up refining a Golden Core puppet, while keeping the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array as a backup.

• He Song changed his appearance and cultivation aura, escaped the watchers, and continued wandering Yan Yun Prefecture under a new identity.
• He Song settled into another inn, set up a Heavenly Dipper Divine Thunder Array, and examined his auction gains, including the Lunar Yin Puppet Art and a Golden Core.
• He Song learned that Lunar Yin Puppets required years of absorbing moonlight essence and that the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array could not replace that process.
• He Song considered abandoning the method, using the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array alongside it, or finding an array to gather lunar yin.
• He Song chose to make a lunar-yin-gathering array his main approach and use the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array as a supplement, abandoning the search for another Golden Core Puppet Refinement Method.

He Song searched Yan Yun Prefecture for an array that could gather Lunar Yin power before refining a Golden Core puppet. At the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, True Person Feng Yue found two suitable formations and presented their Jade Slips to him.

• He Song postponed studying the Lunar Yin Puppet Art and decided to seek an array for gathering Lunar Yin power.
• He Song searched Yan Yun Prefecture’s black market and entered the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion.
• He Song met True Person Feng Yue under the assumed Daoist title Ningyin and described the array he needed.
• True Person Feng Yue searched the pavilion’s storerooms and returned with two formations that could gather Lunar Yin power.
• He Song prepared for a possible attack before picking up the two Jade Slips.