Chapter Summaries

He Song studied the Small Spirit Gathering Array while guarding Wei Fan through his first Foundation Establishment attempt. Wei Fan emerged alive but badly shaken after failing, leaving He Song with a clearer sense of the danger and difficulty of Foundation Establishment.

• He Song continued studying the Small Spirit Gathering Array, which required refining array flags and an array plate before he could set it up.
• Wei Fan staggered out of his quiet room and collapsed, and He Song recognized that his Foundation Establishment attempt had failed.
• After recovering enough to sit and drink tea, Wei Fan told He Song that his spiritual energy had collapsed and ravaged his body when he failed to compress it into dharma power.
• Wei Fan said the Foundation Establishment Pill had saved his life by repairing his hidden injuries, and He Song thought of Meng Guan succeeding without one.

Meng Guan arrived after Wei Fan’s failed Foundation Establishment attempt and reassured him that his injuries would heal. Meng Guan realized Wei Fan might not be able to afford another Foundation Establishment Pill before his next attempt.

• He Song and Wei Fan discussed how Meng Guan’s successful Foundation Establishment had relied heavily on luck.
• Meng Guan arrived at the courtyard, examined Wei Fan, and said he could try Foundation Establishment again after two years of recovery.
• Wei Fan apologized for wasting the Foundation Establishment Pill Meng Guan had given him, but Meng Guan told him not to dwell on it.
• Meng Guan calculated that Foundation Establishment elders could obtain pills more easily than Qi Refining disciples, but Wei Fan was already fifty-seven and had little time.
• Meng Guan admitted that he had spent his annual stipends on cultivation and high-grade Magic Artifacts, so he feared he could not save enough to buy Wei Fan another pill within two years.

Wei Fan asked Meng Guan and He Song to help him obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill after his failed attempt. The two agreed to pool their resources, and He Song later considered opening more Spirit Fields to earn pills more quickly.

• Wei Fan pleaded with Meng Guan and He Song for help securing a Foundation Establishment Pill within two years.
• Meng Guan explained that he would be short twenty contribution points, equivalent to three thousand Spirit Stones, after taking on assignments for two years.
• Wei Fan offered his remaining funds and future stipends, totaling about thirteen hundred Spirit Stones.
• He Song said he could contribute enough to cover the remaining cost, though he concealed that he possessed over ten thousand Spirit Stones.
• Meng Guan left to take on external assignments, while He Song returned to his courtyard and considered opening more Spirit Fields to afford multiple Foundation Establishment Pills.

He Song decided to open new Spirit Fields and grow more Spirit Rice so he could gather enough Spirit Stones to attempt Foundation Establishment before turning sixty. As he left the Thick Earth Sect, he recalled that its Main Peak, the Lianshan Seal, also served as the sect treasury and could be used to exchange contribution points for resources.

• He Song calculated that he had fifteen years to obtain enough Foundation Establishment Pills and avoid attracting attention by breaking through after sixty.
• He Song resolved to open new Spirit Fields and leave himself a second chance at Foundation Establishment if his first attempt failed.
• He Song left the Thick Earth Sect and flew away, thinking about his cultivation timeline and Wei Fan's failed attempt.
• He Song recalled that the Thick Earth Sect's Main Peak was the high-grade Spirit Artifact Lianshan Seal, which served as the sect treasury.
• He Song realized that the Lianshan Seal's limited intelligence meant he could exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills without drawing its attention.

He Song spent two years searching for suitable locations and established enough Spirit Fields to bring his total to around one hundred mu, giving him a plan to accumulate nearly enough Spirit Stones for Foundation Establishment Pills. After reconsidering the risks of returning to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, he headed back to the Thick Earth Sect to see Wei Fan, whose next Foundation Establishment attempt seemed due.

• He Song recalled Meng Guan’s warning about Foundation Establishment Real Persons with “Mountain” in their Daoist titles and wondered whether the Azure Mountain Seal and Lianshan Seal were connected.
• He Song searched for two years and found several suitable plots, bringing his Spirit Fields to around one hundred mu.
• He Song calculated that his future income could provide roughly one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones and ten Foundation Establishment Pills, in addition to the pill he already had.
• He Song dismissed the idea of reopening his abandoned Spirit Fields at Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market because doing so could expose his other fields.
• He Song decided Wei Fan’s injuries should have healed and traveled to the Thick Earth Sect, where he saw Meng Guan opening Wei Fan’s courtyard gate.

He Song reunited with Meng Guan and Wei Fan, handed over the Spirit Stones needed to obtain a second Foundation Establishment Pill, and watched Wei Fan enter seclusion to attempt his breakthrough. The chapter ended with He Song and Meng Guan waiting outside the quiet room, uncertain whether Wei Fan would succeed.

• He Song told Meng Guan and Wei Fan that he had spent two years seeking opportunities, giving himself an excuse to refuse future invitations to leave the sect.
• Meng Guan recounted returning to the Red Spirit Gold Mine as its Foundation Establishment guard and asked He Song for the remaining seventeen hundred Spirit Stones.
• He Song produced the Spirit Stones, and Meng Guan used them to obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect treasury.
• Wei Fan accepted the pill, thanked his friends, and entered the quiet room to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
• Outside the quiet room, Meng Guan asked He Song whether Wei Fan would succeed, but He Song recalled Meng Guan asking the same question before his own breakthrough instead of answering.

He Song studied the Small Spirit Gathering Array while he and Meng Guan guarded Wei Fan during his seclusion. After several days, Wei Fan successfully established his Foundation, and Meng Guan hoped the Headmaster True Lord might reward him with Foundation Establishment Pills too.

• He Song continued studying the Small Spirit Gathering Array and the methods for refining array flags and array disks.
• Several days later, spiritual pressure erupted from Wei Fan’s meditation chamber, signaling his successful breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
• Meng Guan celebrated Wei Fan’s breakthrough and began pacing outside the meditation chamber.
• Meng Guan told He Song that the Headmaster True Lord had given him two Foundation Establishment Pills after his own breakthrough seven years earlier, and he hoped Wei Fan might receive a similar reward.

After Wei Fan successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, Meng Guan and He Song guarded him as he absorbed spiritual energy and consolidated his cultivation. Once Wei Fan emerged, Meng Guan prepared to reveal the secrets he had learned about the Thick Earth Sect and its Mountain-titled True Persons.

• Wei Fan’s breakthrough created a spiritual energy vortex that drew the attention of Thick Earth Sect disciples and elders.
• He Song and Meng Guan watched over Wei Fan while he consolidated his cultivation, and distant onlookers speculated about his breakthrough.
• Wei Fan emerged from seclusion, thanked He Song and Meng Guan for guarding him, and reaffirmed his promise to them.
• Meng Guan told He Song and Wei Fan that he would explain the secrets he had learned seven years earlier from Clear Moon True Person, including why they should avoid True Persons whose Daoist titles contained “Mountain.”

Meng Guan explained why He Song and Wei Fan had been warned to avoid Foundation Establishment Real Persons with “Mountain” in their Daoist titles: the Thick Earth Sect was divided between Yan Shan True Monarch’s faction and sect leader Fayan Zhenjun’s faction. He Song and Wei Fan learned they had been assigned to Fayan Zhenjun’s side, leaving them aware of the factional tension as Wei Fan prepared to meet him.

• Meng Guan explained that the Thick Earth Sect’s Main Peak was the Lianshan Seal, a high-grade spiritual artifact that served as the sect’s foundation and treasury.
• Meng Guan said that the sect leader’s position had passed through the descendants of Lianshan Ancestor, whose descendants often used “Mountain” in their Daoist titles.
• Meng Guan recounted how Fayan Zhenjun became a Golden Core True Lord and took the sect leader’s position while Yan Shan True Monarch was in seclusion.
• Meng Guan revealed that Yan Shan True Monarch led the Lianshan descendants while Fayan Zhenjun led many newer Foundation Establishment cultivators, splitting the sect into two factions.
• Meng Guan told He Song and Wei Fan that they had been assigned to Fayan Zhenjun’s faction and warned them that the “Mountain” cultivators would likely treat them coldly.

Meng Guan explained that Wei Fan and He Song had been drawn into Fayan Zhenjun’s faction amid the Thick Earth Sect’s power struggle. He Song decided to keep a low profile until he could establish his foundation and leave if necessary, while Meng Guan prepared to take Wei Fan to meet Fayan Zhenjun.

• Meng Guan explained that Wei Fan’s Foundation Establishment Pill had come from Fayan Zhenjun and that the sect’s two factions were competing for followers.
• He Song feared being caught in the conflict and considered fleeing, but decided to remain quietly until he had established his foundation and learned what he needed.
• He Song felt relieved that he had not joined the Thick Earth Sect as a formation prodigy, which would have attracted attention from both factions.
• Wei Fan realized that he and his friends belonged to Fayan Zhenjun’s faction and hoped Fayan Zhenjun might provide He Song with a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Meng Guan cautioned Wei Fan not to assume anything and set out with him to meet Fayan Zhenjun at the Thick Earth Sect’s Main Peak.

After Wei Fan achieved Foundation Establishment, Meng Guan took him to meet Fayan Zhenjun, who rewarded all three friends with Foundation Establishment Pills and other benefits. He Song now had two pills and enough resources for future attempts, while Wei Fan’s breakthrough prompted He Song to consider establishing his own cave abode.

• He Song stayed in his courtyard while Meng Guan took Wei Fan to meet Fayan Zhenjun.
• Wei Fan returned and gave He Song a Foundation Establishment Pill bestowed by Fayan Zhenjun.
• He Song calculated that his Spirit Field income and savings would let him obtain enough pills for repeated Foundation Establishment attempts.
• Meng Guan advised Wei Fan on Foundation Establishment matters and recommended methods for him to study before leaving.
• He Song returned to his courtyard, reflected that Wei Fan could establish a cave abode, and considered setting up one of his own.

He Song went to Lianshan Immortal City in disguise to buy materials for a Small Spirit Gathering Array, avoiding premade array equipment because it could have been tampered with. Two years later, he had refined an array plate and five flags and had gathered everything needed for the array.

• He Song left the Thick Earth Sect and entered Lianshan Immortal City in disguise to buy array-making materials.
• He Song refused Sun Yong's offer of premade array plates and flags, suspecting that equipment refined by others could contain hidden spells.
• He Song bought ten sets of materials from another shop and purchased twenty Superior Thick Earth Talismans.
• He Song changed his appearance, returned safely to the Thick Earth Sect, and began refining array equipment.
• Two years passed, and He Song had refined one array plate and five array flags for the Small Spirit Gathering Array.

After two years of cultivation, He Song neared the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and continued studying a concealment array so he could safely establish a cave abode outside the Thick Earth Sect. He harvested 220,000 jin of spirit rice from his fields and set out for the nearby Flameglow Immortal Market to sell it.

• He Song spent months inscribing the Small Spirit Gathering Array, tested it in a remote place, and then began studying the Nether Smoke Array.
• Over two years, He Song advanced at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and explored the areas of the Thick Earth Sect open to outer sect disciples.
• Wei Fan moved to a cave abode beside Meng Guan after reaching Foundation Establishment, and both friends spent most of their time in seclusion studying their new realm.
• He Song harvested spirit rice from his Spirit Fields and replenished the Spirit Stones in the arrays covering them.
• He Song filled his two Storage Pouches with 220,000 jin of spirit rice and flew northwest toward the Flameglow Immortal Market.

He Song traveled to Flameglow Immortal Market to sell spirit rice and prepared a concealed valley as a fallback if anyone targeted him. After offering 110,000 jin of spirit rice at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, he heard Mi Cang quote a price that surprised him.

• He Song set up a Mysterious Trace Array and a Five Elements Array in a secluded valley several dozen li from Flameglow Immortal Market.
• He Song disguised himself as Lin Fan, concealed his aura, and entered Flameglow Immortal Market with 220,000 jin of spirit rice in two Storage Pouches.
• Mi Cang welcomed Lin Fan into the Spirit Medicine Pavilion's VIP Hall after sensing his Qi Refining Late Stage spiritual pressure.
• He Song placed a Storage Pouch containing 110,000 jin of spirit rice on the table and said he wanted to sell it.
• Mi Cang offered Lin Fan 9,900 Spirit Stones after deducting the Spirit Medicine Pavilion's ten-percent share, and He Song was surprised.

He Song sold his spirit rice to Mi Cang at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion in Flameglow Immortal Market, while carefully guarding against being cheated or attacked. He left with the Spirit Stones, unaware that Mi Cang had secretly marked his Storage Pouch and planned to track him after he left the market.

• He Song agreed to Mi Cang's price for the spirit rice and reflected on the arrays he had prepared in a secluded valley.
• Mi Cang tried to take He Song's Storage Pouch before paying, but He Song stopped him and insisted on exchanging payment and goods hand to hand.
• Mi Cang fetched the Spirit Stones, and He Song exchanged the rice for nine thousand nine hundred Spirit Stones outside the cramped VIP Hall.
• He Song left the Spirit Medicine Pavilion to change his appearance and leave Flameglow Immortal Market.
• Mi Cang revealed that he had secretly used a Tracking Technique on He Song's Storage Pouch and left to prepare to follow him.

He Song suspected Mi Cang was tracking him, so he escaped to a prepared valley and waited for his pursuer. Mi Cang followed him there, but He Song’s array ambush and Mountain-Suppressing Sword Technique overwhelmed him, leaving Mi Cang shaken and vulnerable.

• He Song rented a room, washed away ordinary tracking marks, changed his appearance, and traveled underground to a valley where he had set up arrays.
• Mi Cang used his Seven Fragrance Tracking Technique to follow He Song out of Flameglow Immortal Market and toward the valley.
• He Song arrived at the valley and began waiting while studying the Nether Smoke Array, but Mi Cang soon triggered the Five Elements Array.
• He Song concealed the valley with the Mysterious Trace Array, recognized Mi Cang, and attacked with the Mountain-Suppressing Sword Technique.
• He Song’s Scarlet Gold Sword knocked Mi Cang’s Wood Spirit Shield away and caused Mi Cang’s spiritual power to tremble, leaving him badly shaken.

He Song killed Mi Cang after foiling his feigned death and desperate counterattack, then discovered Jade Slips among his possessions. One contained the Qi Sinking Dantian Technique, a secret art that could improve the chance of Foundation Establishment, leaving He Song wondering how Mi Cang had obtained it.

• Mi Cang begged He Song for mercy and offered an opportunity, but He Song continued attacking with the Scarlet Gold Sword and Five Elements Array.
• Mi Cang feigned death and sprang up to attack He Song, who blocked him with the Thick Earth Shield and cut off his head.
• He Song burned Mi Cang's body and head, then collected his Storage Pouch, which held over fifteen hundred Spirit Stones, two Magic Artifacts, and several Jade Slips.
• He Song read a Jade Slip and learned the Qi Sinking Dantian Technique, which gathered spiritual power into the dantian to increase the chance of Foundation Establishment.
• He Song wondered how Mi Cang had obtained a technique that even He Song had never heard of within the Thick Earth Sect.

After killing Mi Cang, He Song examined the six jade slips he had seized, learning several secret techniques and finding two that resisted his attempts to read them. He kept the valuable Qi Sinking Dantian Technique secret, then traveled to another Immortal Market to sell his spirit rice with greater precautions.

• He Song collected Mi Cang's ashes and read the Seven Fragrance Tracking Technique, recognizing it as a powerful secret art he planned to learn.
• He Song found two jade slips that resisted his attempts to access their contents and speculated that he might need Foundation Establishment to read them.
• He Song learned that the other slips contained the Seven Fragrance Wind-Controlling Technique and the Qionghua Sect's Hundred Flowers Formula, then stored them with the rest.
• He Song concluded that the Qi Sinking Dantian Technique was too valuable to reveal and resolved to keep it secret even after reaching Foundation Establishment.
• After waiting two days without being pursued, He Song withdrew his formation and traveled to another Immortal Market to sell his 110,000 jin of spirit rice.
• He Song sold the spirit rice to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion steward for 10,000 Spirit Stones and accepted the usual 50-Stone kickback.

After receiving Zhao Lin’s warning that Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market faced an imminent attack, He Song sent messages urging Zhao Lin and Su Yan to seek safety, then returned to cultivation. Two years later, Zhao Lin reported that evil cultivators had overrun the market, leaving its outer areas devastated.

• He Song returned to the Thick Earth Sect and received Zhao Lin’s warning that evil cultivators threatened Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song thanked Zhao Lin and sent Su Yan a Sound Transmission Paper Crane advising her to flee to Qingyuan Immortal City.
• He Song entered seclusion, determined to cultivate until he reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
• Over the next two years, He Song kept up with outside news and grew more approving of the Thick Earth Sect’s care for its disciples.
• Zhao Lin later told He Song that Su Yan had prepared to leave and described the attack that destroyed the market’s outer Spirit Fields, killed Rogue Cultivators, and drove survivors inward.

After evil cultivators devastated Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, the Thick Earth Sect began responding to the threat. Two years later, He Song broke through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, emerged from seclusion, and asked Meng Guan and Wei Fan about the attack’s aftermath.

• The evil cultivators withdrew after plundering Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, leaving it in ruins, and Clear Moon Real Person reported the attack to the Thick Earth Sect.
• The Thick Earth Sect added assignments targeting evil cultivators, while He Song remained in secluded cultivation and heard about the response from others.
• He Song reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and decided to wait two years before exchanging sect contributions for four Foundation Establishment Pills.
• After consolidating his cultivation and ending his extended seclusion, He Song visited Meng Guan and Wei Fan and asked what had happened after the attack.