Chapter Summaries

He Song attended the One Yang Sect’s grand event with Wei Fan and learned more about the sect’s strength and structure. After Meng Guan officially opened the gathering, He Song watched him share cultivation insights, spar with other Golden Core cultivators, and meet sect leaders, gaining valuable knowledge and contacts.

• Wei Fan guided He Song through the One Yang Sect and explained its nine Main Peaks, spirit peaks, and resources.
• Wei Fan introduced He Song to the One Yang Sect’s Sect Leader True Lord and upper echelons, who welcomed him as Meng Guan and Wei Fan’s longtime friend.
• He Song waited with Wei Fan as invited Golden Core True Lords arrived, then stood with the other cultivators to welcome Meng Guan.
• Meng Guan greeted the gathered cultivators, invited the One Yang Sect’s leaders to preside, and officially opened the grand event.
• He Song watched Meng Guan expound the Dao and spar with other Golden Core True Lords, gaining cultivation insights and combat experience.
• He Song used the gathering to meet leaders of surrounding Nascent Soul sects and other cultivators as Meng Guan built ties with them.

He Song attended the One Yang Sect’s private exchange meeting and traded for several useful treasures. Afterward, he gave Wei Fan one of the three Eight Treasures Breaking Wall Pills he had prepared, fulfilling their agreement and leaving Wei Fan delighted.

• He Song accepted an invitation to the One Yang Sect’s small exchange meeting and attended with Wei Fan.
• He Song bought several reasonably priced treasures that could strengthen his cultivation and puppets.
• After the exchange meeting ended, Meng Guan welcomed He Song and Wei Fan to his spirit peak.
• He Song told Wei Fan he had gathered the materials for Eight Treasures Breaking Wall Pills and had a batch of three pills refined.
• He Song gave Wei Fan one pill as agreed, and Wei Fan was surprised and grateful at how quickly He Song had completed the task.

He Song delivered an exceptional Eight Treasures Breaking Wall Pill to Wei Fan, who gratefully accepted it after inspecting its quality. After visiting the One Yang Sect, He Song departed for Cloud Province Capital and reflected on the secret art and spiritual pills he would need to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

• Wei Fan thanked He Song for securing the Eight Treasures Breaking Wall Pill, recognizing that He Song had included him out of friendship and spared him a potentially years-long wait.
• He Song told Wei Fan that their friendship mattered more than the cost and effort, then invited him to inspect the pill.
• Wei Fan confirmed the pill was authentic and exceptionally high quality, and Meng Guan inspected it before Wei Fan stored it away.
• He Song toured the One Yang Sect with Meng Guan and Wei Fan for several days, then bid them farewell as Meng Guan settled his cultivation and Wei Fan prepared to cultivate with the pill.
• As He Song traveled toward Cloud Province Capital, he considered his path to the Nascent Soul Realm and realized he would need a Nascent Soul-forming art and spiritual pills.

He Song considered the secret art and external aid needed to form a Nascent Soul, concluding that powerful sects likely controlled the crucial breakthrough resources. As he traveled toward the Cloud Province Capital, he decided to ask True Monarch Luo Jing about the method for reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.

• He Song reviewed the dangers of shattering a Golden Core and recalled that the Treasure Gathering Pavilion offered a Nascent Soul formation secret art in exchange for Contribution Points.
• He Song found no Nascent Soul-assisting pills or pill formulas in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion or One Yang Sect treasuries, and wondered whether the breakthrough required a rare treasure instead.
• He Song reasoned that Nascent Soul Sects kept crucial breakthrough resources from guest elders and used their control to pressure Golden Core cultivators into joining them.
• He Song decided to ask True Monarch Luo Jing about Nascent Soul breakthroughs after returning to the Cloud Province Capital, believing the Treasure Gathering Pavilion might know more than the One Yang Sect.
• He Song continued toward the Cloud Province Capital while considering that the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's far-reaching influence might mean it possessed power beyond ordinary Nascent Soul Sects.

He Song returned to Cloud Province Capital and asked True Monarch Luo Jing how cultivators could improve their chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. She explained that a Purifying Spirit Pill and a blessed land matching a cultivator’s Golden Core attribute aided the breakthrough, and began describing where to find such lands.

• He Song returned to Cloud Province Capital and visited True Monarch Luo Jing at his estate.
• He Song recounted his trip to One Yang Sect, then steered their conversation toward Meng Guan’s prospects of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
• He Song asked True Monarch Luo Jing what treasures could assist a cultivator attempting to form a Nascent Soul.
• True Monarch Luo Jing explained that a Purifying Spirit Pill could dispel inner demons and that a blessed land matching the Golden Core’s attribute improved the breakthrough’s chances.
• True Monarch Luo Jing said such blessed lands were not especially rare and began explaining that a water-element Golden Core could use a lake or the ocean.

True Monarch Luo Jing explained the Purifying Spirit Pill, attribute-matched treasured lands, and other dangers involved in forming a Nascent Soul, while He Song realized how much her guidance could protect him. Their conversation continued with more details about the low odds faced by cultivators seeking a breakthrough, and He Song kept his own means of surviving failure secret.

• True Monarch Luo Jing explained that a cultivator needed a treasured land matching their Golden Core’s attribute to help a Nascent Soul form, and warned that failure could destroy their cultivation and life.
• True Monarch Luo Jing said she had not found a Purifying Spirit Pill but would tell He Song if she learned of one.
• He Song recognized the risk True Monarch Luo Jing had taken by sharing this knowledge, thanked her solemnly, and promised to repay her kindness.
• True Monarch Luo Jing told He Song that Rogue Cultivators and sect Golden Cores alike faced severe obstacles, including inner demons, scarce guidance, and the difficulty of obtaining a Purifying Spirit Pill and treasured land.
• He Song reflected that, as an Immortal, he could survive a failed breakthrough and cultivate again, but he would not risk attempting one without confidence.

After speaking with True Monarch Luo Jing, He Song decided to seek a Purifying Spirit Pill while strengthening himself before attempting to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. He entered seclusion to improve his Golden Core Late Stage strength, beginning by forging new Spiritual Artifacts.

• He Song rejected deliberately failing a breakthrough because the loss of strength could leave him vulnerable, and he believed he still had ample time to prepare properly.
• True Monarch Luo Jing told He Song that he could obtain a Nascent Soul secret art through the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and find an earth-element treasured land, but the Purifying Spirit Pill remained a mystery.
• He Song concluded that his lifelong caution might become a heart demon during his Nascent Soul breakthrough, so he resolved to search for a Purifying Spirit Pill.
• He Song entered seclusion to strengthen his abilities, replace his Low-grade Spiritual Artifacts, and improve his six talisman treasures.
• He Song began forging three medium-grade Spiritual Artifacts: an offensive cauldron, a defensive artifact based on his Heavy Armor Plan, and a support artifact.

He Song forged three mid-grade spiritual artifacts to strengthen his offense, defense, and ability to escape or evade tracking. He named the first two the Ruyi Zijing Ding and Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor, then began forging a multifunctional leaf-shaped auxiliary artifact.

• He Song gathered enough materials to forge three spiritual artifacts and keep additional materials in reserve.
• He Song forged a superior mid-grade cauldron that could expand, attack enemies, and trap them, and named it the Ruyi Zijing Ding.
• He Song forged a sturdy, instantly deployable battle armor with layered defensive functions and named it the Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor.
• He Song began forging a leaf-shaped auxiliary artifact designed to evade tracking, carry him in flight, and protect him as a shield.

He Song refined the White Jade Leaf, then decided to strengthen his six talisman treasures before spending years refining his three new mid-grade spirit artifacts. After secretly gathering upgrade materials in Hu Province, he returned to Cloud Province and entered death seclusion under True Monarch Luo Jing’s protection.

• He Song completed and named his new mid-grade auxiliary spirit artifact the White Jade Leaf.
• He Song weighed whether to refine his three mid-grade spirit artifacts or first upgrade his six talisman treasures, then chose to prioritize combat strength amid the threat of war.
• He Song left Cloud Province Capital, disguised himself in Hu Province, and purchased materials to upgrade his talisman treasures and strengthen Clear Wind Bright Moon.
• He Song returned to Cloud Province Capital and told True Monarch Luo Jing he would enter death seclusion.
• True Monarch Luo Jing assured He Song that she would protect him even if demonic cultivators attacked the capital.

He Song resolved to repay True Monarch Luo Jing’s kindness in the future, then began upgrading the six White Rainbow Mountain-Splitting Talismans he kept disguised as White Rainbow Soft Jade Beads. He successfully upgraded the first talisman and prepared to continue with the other five.

• He Song thanked True Monarch Luo Jing with a grateful smile and returned to his residence, resolving to repay her kindness later.
• He Song entered his hidden cave abode and removed the White Rainbow Soft Jade Beads that concealed his six talisman treasures.
• He Song separated the six White Jade Pearls containing White Rainbow Mountain-Splitting Talismans from the rest and melted the upgrade materials into golden liquid.
• He Song released the first White Rainbow Mountain-Splitting Talisman and used a secret technique to fuse the golden liquid into it, forming mysterious patterns.
• He Song stored the upgraded talisman and decided to upgrade the remaining five before infusing all six with spiritual power.

He Song upgraded and charged six White Rainbow Mountain-Splitting Talismans, then disguised them as White Rainbow Soft Jade Beads and refined the Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor. After testing the armor’s appearance, he stored it in his dantian, leaving with stronger defenses and a new protective artifact.

• He Song upgraded all six White Rainbow Mountain-Splitting Talismans and infused them with spiritual power, increasing their strength to Golden Core Late Stage attacks.
• He Song enclosed the talisman treasures in their jade shells, disguised them as ordinary White Jade Pearls, and restored the White Rainbow Soft Jade Beads bracelet on his wrist.
• He Song took out the Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor and began refining the mid-grade defensive spiritual artifact.
• He Song completed the refinement, stored the armor in his dantian, and summoned it to cover his body.
• He Song inspected his armored reflection, then withdrew the Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor and returned to his usual appearance.

He Song completed his seclusion by refining the White Jade Leaf and Ruyi Zijing Ding, adding new defenses and a decoy weapon while keeping the Earth Vein Spirit Pearl concealed. He left the meditation chamber to find the cave abode undisturbed, with matured spiritual herbs and stronger but still Golden Core Early Stage puppets.

• He Song refined the White Jade Leaf, tested its ability to emerge from his dantian and expand into a large shield, then stored it for nourishment.
• He Song refined the Ruyi Zijing Ding so he could use it in ordinary encounters without revealing the Earth Vein Spirit Pearl, and tested its size-changing function.
• He Song stored the Ruyi Zijing Ding in his dantian alongside the White Jade Leaf and Nine Nether Ink Scale Armor, where his mana would nourish all three artifacts.
• He Song left the meditation chamber and saw that Clear Wind and Mingyue had grown stronger, though both remained at the Golden Core Early Stage.
• He Song observed that most of the cave abode’s spiritual herbs had matured during his seclusion.

After emerging from a twenty-year seclusion, He Song learned that his puppets had grown stronger and resolved to invest more in Clear Wind. He sought news from True Monarch Luo Jing, who told him that the region had remained mostly peaceful apart from escalating raids between Snow Wind Palace and the Double Sha Sect.

• He Song saw that Clear Wind and Mingyue had grown stronger, decided to focus his resources on Clear Wind, and left his hidden cave abode.
• He Song discovered that upgrading his talisman treasures and refining his spirit artifacts had taken twenty years, then deactivated his residence’s formation and went to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
• He Song met True Monarch Luo Jing and asked about major events during his seclusion, including the state of the war between the righteous and Devil Dao paths and her cultivation progress.
• True Monarch Luo Jing explained that the Double Sha Sect and Snow Wind Palace had exchanged accusations after raids along their borders, and Snow Wind Palace began retaliatory raids after capturing a Double Sha Sect cultivator.
• True Monarch Luo Jing said the dispute had become a conflict between Snow Wind Palace and the Double Sha Sect, while the other two Devil Dao Sects stayed out of it.

He Song listened as True Monarch Luo Jing explained the suspicious, carefully restrained conflict between Snow Wind Palace and Double Sha Sect, along with events from his twenty years in seclusion. She described a newly discovered Golden Core cave dwelling that drew a crowd, and the chapter ended as Foundation Establishment cultivators activated defensive talismans and rushed inside.

• True Monarch Luo Jing explained that Blood Soul Sect and Poison Snake Valley had stayed out of the conflict between Snow Wind Palace and Double Sha Sect, whose clashes remained limited to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• He Song concluded that neither sect seemed intent on starting a full war, and that conflict between the righteous and demonic paths was unlikely in the near future.
• True Monarch Luo Jing told He Song that three Golden Core cave dwellings had appeared near One Yang Sect during his twenty years of secluded cultivation, and two had been quickly plundered.
• A Foundation Establishment cultivator who had been badly injured by puppets in the third cave dwelling told a friend about it, but the news spread as the friend gathered companions.
• Cultivators gathered outside the cave dwelling and hesitated to enter until a warning about Golden Core True Lords prompted Foundation Establishment cultivators to activate defensive Spirit Talismans and rush inside.

After emerging from twenty years of seclusion, He Song learned from Luo Jing True Monarch about Ziluo, who had obtained a Congealed Golden Core and joined the One Yang Sect. He reconnected with the outside world by gathering news in Cloud Province Capital and reviewing messages from his friends, including Xiao Qing’s reports of unrest around Yan Yun Prefecture.

• Luo Jing True Monarch told He Song how Ziluo had secretly taken a Congealed Golden Core from a crowded cave dwelling, advanced to the Golden Core realm, and joined the One Yang Sect.
• Luo Jing True Monarch described her cultivation progress, and He Song compared it with his own gains in cultivation and strength over twenty years.
• He Song gathered news in Cloud Province Capital for a month, gradually reconnecting with the outside world after his seclusion.
• He Song reviewed twenty years of messages, thanked Meng Guan and Wei Fan for their cultivation advice, and informed them he had emerged from seclusion.
• He Song replied to An Ning and reviewed Xiao Qing’s reports, learning that the region around Yan Yun Prefecture had been turbulent.

After learning that the third puppet he had refined from Cloud-Treading True Lord’s Golden Core was nearing completion, He Song left Cloud Province Capital for Luofeng Prefecture to retrieve it. He found the arrays still operating, but descended into a valley before reaching them.

• Xiao Qing told He Song about violent clashes among three Golden Core True Lords near Yan Yun Prefecture and other recent events there.
• He Song realized roughly fifty years had passed since he placed Cloud-Treading True Lord’s puppet in the Yin-Yang Life-Generating Array and decided to retrieve it.
• He Song said farewell to True Monarch Luo Jing, traveled south, and reached Luofeng Prefecture after ten days without entering the prefecture.
• He Song headed toward the puppet’s location and sensed that the protective arrays were still operating on the Spirit Stones he had left behind.
• While still several hundred li from the arrays, He Song put away his flying boat and descended into a valley.

He Song cautiously returned to his puppet refinement site, claimed his newly completed third Golden Core puppet, and named it Idle Cloud. As he left for Cloud Province Capital, Xiao Qing informed him of an upcoming Yan Yun Prefecture auction featuring a cultivator's Golden Core.

• He Song concealed his appearance and cultivation, checked the area around his puppet refinement site from underground and the sky, and found no suspicious cultivators.
• He Song entered the site and took control of the fully formed Golden Core puppet.
• He Song named the puppet Idle Cloud and stored it with Clear Wind and Mingyue.
• He Song dismantled the site's formations and set off toward Cloud Province Capital.
• Xiao Qing sent He Song the upcoming Yan Yun Prefecture auction list, which included a cultivator's Golden Core.

He Song learned that a cultivator’s Golden Core would be auctioned in Yan Yun Prefecture and traveled there to attend the grand auction. He reunited with Xiao Qing under his Mysterious Turtle True Lord disguise and revealed that he was a Treasure Gathering Pavilion Guest Elder, then asked her to arrange his lodging.

• After receiving Xiao Qing’s auction information, He Song decided to attend the auction and sent word that he was coming to Yan Yun Prefecture.
• He Song traveled toward Yan Yun Prefecture, disguised himself as Mysterious Turtle True Lord, concealed his Golden Core Late Stage cultivation, and left a Heavenly Dipper Divine Thunder Array as a contingency.
• Xiao Qing waited for He Song and greeted him when he arrived in Yan Yun Prefecture.
• He Song showed Xiao Qing his Treasure Gathering Pavilion Guest Elder Token, confirming his ties to the Pavilion and easing her earlier doubts.
• He Song asked Xiao Qing to lead him to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and arrange lodging, and she escorted him there.

He Song revealed his Treasure Gathering Pavilion Guest Elder identity to Xiao Qing to secure lodging and fuller intelligence in Yan Yun Prefecture. At the local pavilion, True Monarch Shadow Fox greeted him and explained that the Guest Elder Token had alerted him, after which he arranged quarters for He Song.

• He Song showed Xiao Qing his Guest Elder Token so she would recognize his status and share more information with him.
• He Song and Xiao Qing traveled to the Yan Yun Prefecture Treasure Gathering Pavilion, where True Monarch Shadow Fox was waiting outside.
• He Song became wary when True Monarch Shadow Fox recognized him as a Guest Elder, suspecting Xiao Qing had disclosed his identity.
• True Monarch Shadow Fox said he had sensed the Guest Elder Token nearby and explained that it could also call for aid.
• He Song accepted the explanation, and True Monarch Shadow Fox led him and Xiao Qing inside and arranged Guest Elder quarters for him.

He Song offered Xiao Qing a small cup of Golden Core spirit tea to put their earlier misunderstanding behind them, and she accepted after weighing the risk. Xiao Qing promised to share information from within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and offered to help He Song acquire treasures before the large-scale auction.

• He Song cleared the residence of its cultivators and mortals, then invited Xiao Qing to a quiet pavilion for tea.
• Xiao Qing hesitated to drink the Golden Core spirit tea, but He Song reassured her that a small cup would be safe and offered it as compensation for the earlier misunderstanding.
• Xiao Qing drank the tea, felt her magical power increase, and thanked He Song while promising to keep him informed about the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
• He Song asked Xiao Qing how she could help him prepare for the auction, and she offered to contact the sellers of any treasures he wanted to buy.