Chapter Summaries

Ling Qing demonstrated the Spirit Sword Golden Cicada Gu and distributed them to his companions after Daoist Yunsheng and Sun Yuwei tested their abilities in a spar. The chapter ended with Wenjun reaching the Human Immortal Realm as her Myriad Transformations Spirit Seed became an azure lotus.

• Daoist Yunsheng and Sun Yuwei sparred with Spirit Sword Golden Cicada Gus, whose invisible attacks proved difficult to detect and defend against.
• Daoist Yunsheng and Sun Yuwei revealed their sword Gus and tested their abilities, with Yunsheng's layered bamboo-like sword qi breaking up Sun Yuwei's developing formation.
• Ling Qing gave Daoist Yunsheng nine Foundation Establishment Realm Gus, Sun Yuwei one hundred and eight Innate Realm Gus, and one each to Ling Hongcai, Ling Hongyou, Miao Chengzhi, and Man Jianjun.
• Wenjun's Myriad Transformations Spirit Seed became an azure lotus, and she broke through to the Human Immortal Realm.

Wenjun broke through to the Human Immortal Realm, transforming into a Nine-Grade Green Lotus that infused Tao Mountain’s fruit trees with spiritual energy. Later, Qiu Feibai and his companions visited Ling Qing to thank him and ask to join the Lunan Religious Alliance, and he agreed.

• Wenjun reached the Human Immortal Realm as a Nine-Grade Green Lotus, turning Tao Mountain’s fruit trees into spirit roots and enriching its other plants with vitality.
• Wenjun told Ling Qing that her green lotus could protect her, contain boundless vitality, and help awaken plant spirits.
• Daoist Yunsheng informed Ling Qing that Qiu Feibai had arrived with four companions to thank him.
• Qiu Feibai and his companions presented Ling Qing with spirit beast essence blood and acknowledged the Special Affairs Department’s role in maintaining order.
• Qiu Feibai and his companions asked to join the Lunan Religious Alliance, and Ling Qing readily agreed.

The Special Affairs Department established the Religious Alliance and National Arts Alliance to prepare rules for the growing number of Gifted Ones. After attending Jiushao Palace’s opening, Ling Qing welcomed Ling Hongye to Qingyun Mountain, where his uncle came to discuss official matters.

• The Special Affairs Department brought Gifted Ones and dungeon secret realms into public view and formed the Religious Alliance and National Arts Alliance to help establish and enforce rules.
• Ling Qing attended the quiet opening ceremony of Jiushao Palace on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
• Ling Qing enjoyed the snowfall at Clear Water Lake with Ling Ji, Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei as the New Year approached.
• Ling Hongye visited Qingyun Mountain, and Ling Hongyou led him through the mountain gate to meet Ling Qing.
• Ling Hongye reunited with Ling Ji and followed Ling Qing to Clear Spirit Pavilion, where Ling Qing asked what had brought him.

Ling Qing learned that the Special Affairs Department had called for villages to relocate to the county seat to improve protection against supernatural dangers. He told Ling Hongye that Daoqing Temple could help protect villagers who chose to stay, and Ling Hongye left to learn who wanted to move.

• Ling Hongye told Ling Qing that the village elders opposed abandoning their ancestral home, though he had considered relocating to spare the younger generation worry.
• Ling Qing explained that the Special Affairs Department was concentrating settlements so its monitoring systems and personnel could better protect people from anomalous threats.
• Ling Qing told Ling Hongye that Daoqing Temple could help the Special Affairs Department protect villagers who chose to remain, but those who wanted to relocate must not be held back.
• Ling Hongye welcomed the option and agreed to count the villagers who wished to stay without spreading the arrangement widely.

Ling Qing agreed to establish a Land God Temple in his grandfather’s old house so Shangling Village residents could study scriptures and cultivation methods without joining Daoqing Temple. He selected texts and balanced techniques for the temple’s collection, leaving its future patrons a way to learn and protect themselves.

• Ling Hongye asked Ling Qing for guidance for several villagers who had become Gifted Ones, explaining that they wanted help finding a path forward.
• Ling Qing said Daoqing Temple would not take people in for now, but offered to establish a Land God Temple in his grandfather’s old house and stock it with scriptures and cultivation methods.
• Ling Hongye accepted the offer and thanked Ling Qing on behalf of the villagers before going with him to visit Great-Grandfather Ling Zhenggu.
• Ling Qing searched the Scripture Repository Tower and selected copies of the Morning and Evening Lesson Scripture, other Taoist and philosophical works, and cultivation methods for the temple.
• Ling Qing chose the modified Five Animal Frolics as the finest method, while noting that Ling Hongcai and the others would study it until they reached the Innate Realm.

Ling Qing established Spirit Officer Temple with the Special Affairs Department’s help, then attended Hunyuan Palace’s opening before returning to Qingyun Mountain for New Year’s Eve. He used the Qi of Renewal to bless nearby villages, leaving Ji Changming and Liu Wenbo impressed by its effects.

• Ling Qing gave Daoist Yunsheng scriptures and a cultivation method, and the Special Affairs Department appointed Ji Changming, Liu Wenbo, and Li Rou to manage the new temple.
• Daoist Yunsheng and Ling Hongcai built Spirit Officer Temple, where Ling Qing consecrated a statue of Spirit Officer Wang and refined it to protect the temple and Shangling Village.
• Gifted people from Shangling Village joined the temple to help guard the village and study its scriptures and cultivation methods.
• Ling Qing, Ling Ji, Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei attended Sun Yuling’s Hunyuan Palace opening ceremony, and Ling Qing later left Ling Yuwei there as he returned with Ling Ji and Wenjun.
• On New Year’s Eve, Ling Qing gathered the Qi of Renewal and returned half of it with the villages’ prayers, cleansing and blessing the villagers.
• Ji Changming, Liu Wenbo, and Li Rou felt their inner afflictions dissipate; Liu Wenbo found that the blessing purified rather than weakened his Tiger Killing Intent.

Ling Qing prepared for Daoqing Temple’s opening by inviting friends and arranging its divine statues. Daoist Lingguan returned from an Instance with new strength and revealed that Xiao Mo had become his disciple and been sent to the Special Affairs Department.

• Ling Qing invited his fellow disciples, allies, and friends from past Instances to Daoqing Temple’s opening, and nearly all replied that they would attend.
• Ling Qing obtained divine statues from Mount Lao for Daoqing Temple’s halls.
• Daoist Lingguan arrived with the statue convoy, and Ling Qing welcomed him to Qingyun Mountain.
• Daoist Lingguan praised the mountain’s blessed land and said he had returned two days earlier after gaining a breakthrough over Wu Tiantong.
• Daoist Lingguan told Ling Qing that Xiao Mo had entered under his tutelage and that he had sent him to the Special Affairs Department.

Daoist Lingguan took control of the Heaven-Piercing Demon Path and began reforming the demon sect, while Xiao Mo cultivated under Daoist Taishang and later faced Lingguan in battle. After Taishang died protecting him, Xiao Mo regained his memories and emotions, vowed to avenge his master, and joined Lingguan, ultimately combining three cultivation arts into a new scripture.

• Daoist Lingguan cleansed Xiao Mo’s foundation, sealed his past memories, and raised him in the Supreme Forgetting Emotions Sect.
• Daoist Lingguan became the Heaven-Piercing Devil Master, seized the Heaven-Piercing Demon Path, and began purging and reforming the demon sect.
• Xiao Mo and the righteous factions confronted Lingguan, who recognized and captured Xiao Mo before the conflict widened into a three-sided war.
• Daoist Taishang died protecting Xiao Mo from the Supreme Heavenly Demon Lord, causing Xiao Mo to regain his emotions and past memories.
• Xiao Mo vowed to avenge Daoist Taishang and asked Lingguan for help; after the battle, he combined three cultivation methods into the Supreme Seven-Nine Demon-Refining Dao-Transforming Heart Scripture.

After returning from the instance, Xiao Mo confessed his crimes and accepted judgment from the Special Affairs Department, while Daoist Lingguan asked that he be allowed to atone through meritorious service. Daoist Lingguan joined a gathering to debate Xiao Mo’s punishment, where the participants confronted a world in which karma and inherited burdens spread the consequences of good and evil—and taking life was now the original sin.

• Daoist Lingguan helped Xiao Mo destroy the Demon Sect’s leaders, transformed the sect into the Heaven-Reaching Dao Sect, and accepted Xiao Mo as his disciple.
• Daoist Lingguan and Xiao Mo returned through a Two Realms Archway and delivered Xiao Mo to the Night-Pacifying Division, where Xiao Mo confessed his crimes and reviewed victim information with the officers.
• Daoist Lingguan told Ling Qing that the Special Affairs Department had not decided Xiao Mo’s punishment and that he would preserve Xiao Mo’s true spirit for reincarnation if he could not atone.
• The Special Affairs Department convened the Religious Alliance and the National Arts Alliance to debate Xiao Mo’s punishment, with Daoist Lingguan and other religious leaders attending.
• The participants discussed how karma and inherited burdens spread the consequences of good and evil among people, and the debate raised the principle that taking life was now the original sin.

The Special Affairs Department and religious groups debated how to punish criminals without spreading karmic burdens to innocents, then established guidelines for execution, suppression, and atonement. Xiao Mo was judged repentant and given a path to redeem his sins through supervised good deeds, leaving Daoist Lingguan relieved that the dispute had been settled.

• The Special Affairs Department and religious lineages concluded that killing someone before their destined tribulation created new sins that could burden others.
• The Religious Alliance proposed sealing and suppressing the unrepentant or letting remorseful offenders redeem themselves through meritorious deeds, while the National Arts Alliance argued for executing criminals to deter evil.
• After extensive discussion, the Special Affairs Department established rules to execute offenders whose crimes had exceptionally vile effects, suppress limited-harm offenders who refused to repent, and supervise atonement for the remorseful.
• The Special Affairs Department assessed Xiao Mo as repentant and found that his past crimes had not caused an exceptionally vile impact.
• Xiao Mo was allowed to redeem his sins, but he had to perform three thousand measures of meritorious kindness and return them to Heaven and Earth before he could shed his guilty status.
• Daoist Lingguan relaxed after the dispute was resolved, believing that a peaceful world would benefit its inhabitants.

Ling Qing opened Daoqing Temple with fellow Daoists, relatives, and representatives of other sects in attendance. After consecrating its sacred statues, he accepted Ling Ji, Wei Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei as disciples, bestowed their Daoist names, and recited the Mount Lao Sect rules.

• Ling Qing welcomed fellow disciples, friends, relatives, and representatives from the Daoist families and Special Affairs Department to Daoqing Temple.
• Ling Qing and the others consecrated the temple’s sacred statues, and the image of Wudang shone with precious light as they bowed to their master.
• Ling Ji, Wei Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei passed the Daoist examination and petitioned Ling Qing to accept them as disciples.
• Ling Qing accepted the three, assigning them the generation character “Xuan” and naming them Ling Xuanji, Wei Xuanjun, and Sun Xuanwei.
• Ling Qing recited the Mount Lao Sect rules to his new disciples, instructing them to do good, abstain from evil, honor the Dao, and save others.

Ling Qing completed the apprenticeship and talisman-conferral ceremony for Ling Ji, Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei, then held a banquet for their friends and family. That evening, he taught Sun Yuwei the Xiantian Primordial Qi Scripture, and she began cleansing her marrow and forging her Innate Dao Body.

• Ling Qing and the witnesses recorded Ling Ji, Wenjun, and Sun Yuwei in the Dao Qing Lineage and completed their apprenticeship ceremony before the sacred image of Wudang.
• Ling Qing, Daoist Lingguan, and Tian Yong petitioned Wudang Dharma Talismans and Heavenly Star Divine General Protection Talismans for the three disciples, while Tian Yong bestowed scriptures, Dharma implements, and Daoist robes.
• Ling Ji received a Myriad Beast Wondrous Form Robe after attaining Human Immortalhood, Wenjun received a Green Lotus Saint-Evolving Robe, and Sun Yuwei received a Primal Chaos Myriad Phenomena Robe.
• Ling Qing held a banquet after the ceremony and that evening taught Sun Yuwei the Xiantian Primordial Qi Scripture.
• Sun Yuwei changed her cultivation art, refined her mana into Xiantian Primordial Qi, and began cleansing her marrow with Ling Qing's support.

Daoqing Temple held a blessing ritual at Qingyun Mountain and invited the people of Shangling Village to enter the mountain and offer incense. The ritual’s spiritual light healed illnesses and granted cultivators and villagers various insights before the gathering moved into the temple.

• The residents of Shangling Village gathered at Qingyun Mountain’s gate, and Ling Hongshui reminded them to behave respectfully among Daoqing Temple’s guests.
• Ling Qing prepared a blessing altar with help from Zhu Guang and the other visiting religious leaders, while Daoist Yunsheng escorted the villagers through the mountain gate.
• The villagers experienced Qingyun Mountain’s lush scenery, peaceful atmosphere, and unusual animals as they followed Daoist Yunsheng to the ritual platform.
• Ling Qing and the others began the blessing ritual, and the Realm Tree released seven-colored radiance that astonished Zhang Hongren, Zhang Yuanbai, Wang Boming, Faming, and the other guests.
• The ritual’s spiritual energy healed illnesses and gave Ling Zhenggu a thorough understanding of the Five Animal Transformations, while other participants gained insights suited to their cultivation.
• After the ritual ended, Ling Qing and his fellow disciples dismantled the altar and led everyone into Daoqing Temple to offer incense.

After the temple’s incense ceremony, Ling Qing hosted the visitors and reflected on his ample time to cultivate. The next day, he and Zhu Guang, Wang Boming, and Faming agreed to revisit the Black Mountain Ghost King’s Instance when it reopened, and Ling Qing gave them Qingfu Insects for communication.

• Ling Qing and the others welcomed worshippers, bestowed blessings, and held a feast for the visitors and villagers from Shangling Village.
• Ling Qing explained his long lifespan and decided to cultivate steadily rather than rush to break through to the Earth Immortal Realm.
• The following day, Ling Qing toured Qingyun Mountain with everyone, then met Zhu Guang, Wang Boming, and Faming at Listening Waves Pavilion.
• Wang Boming reported that the Black Mountain Ghost King’s Instance was close to reopening and invited the group to return once preparations were complete.
• Ling Qing, Zhu Guang, and Faming agreed to go, and Ling Qing gave Wang Boming and Faming Qingfu Insects to help them communicate inside Instances.

Tian Yong explained the Sword Dao to Chang Miaoyu, contrasting his singular sword art with her complex Contending Schools Sword Art. Ling Qing clarified that complexity and simplicity both depended on the heart, leaving Chang Miaoyu with a way to refine her sword art from the myriad into one and eventually derive the myriad anew.

• Ling Qing left to attend to the other cultivators while Tian Yong explained the Sword Dao to Chang Miaoyu beside the lake.
• Chang Miaoyu described her Contending Schools Sword Art, and she and Tian Yong compared its complex principles with his simple Thunderbolt Golden Light Sword Art.
• Tian Yong explained that a practitioner had to take either complexity or simplicity to its utmost and remain certain of their own Dao.
• Chang Miaoyu asked Ling Qing about complexity, and he said that both complexity and simplicity were proven through the heart.
• Ling Qing told Chang Miaoyu to gather her many sword arts into one before pursuing the Dao of simplicity and later deriving the myriad arts anew.

Ling Qing and his companions spent more than ten days discussing cultivation, the Dao, and the Earth Immortal Realm before parting. He then organized Daoqing Temple’s disciples’ cultivation and refined the Realm Tree’s control over Qingyun Mountain Blessed Land as Five Peaks Temple’s opening approached.

• Ling Qing, Tian Yong, Zhang Yuanbai, Zhang Yang, and Chang Miaoyu exchanged insights, and Daoist Lingguan explained how cultivators could progress from complete qi refinement toward the Earth Immortal Realm.
• Faming, Buddhist abbots, Wang Boming, Zhang Yang, Chang Miaoyu, and other cultivators took turns discussing their teachings and insights during the gathering on Qingyun Mountain.
• After more than ten days, Ling Qing saw the guests off and formally accepted Daoist Yunsheng into Daoqing Temple’s lineage as a separate transmission.
• Ling Qing oversaw Ling Ji and Wenjun forging their dantians and nurturing primordial qi, while Sun Yuwei began cleansing her marrow and tempering her Innate Dao Body.
• Ling Qing inspected the Realm Tree and helped it sort the principles and authorities within Qingyun Mountain Blessed Land, deepening its control and expanding the blessed land’s potential.

Ling Qing and his companions attended Li Li’s Five Peaks Temple opening and temple fair before discussing their next expeditions. They decided to split into two teams, one to strengthen the Heaven-Reaching Dao Sect in the Dao-Demon World and the other to develop footholds in the Black Mountain World.

• Tian Yong, Tian Ying, and Zhu Guang arrived at Daoqing Temple before Five Peaks Temple’s opening, and the group agreed to visit Li Li’s temple fair.
• Ling Qing and his companions spent several days browsing the market stalls and Treasure-Hiding Alley at Five Peaks Temple.
• Wang Boming and Faming informed Ling Qing and Zhu Guang that Yi Hanyan and the others were preparing to reenter the Demon-Ghost Great Ming instance.
• Daoist Lingguan proposed splitting the group between the Dao-Demon World and the Black Mountain World.
• Daoist Lingguan would lead one team to consolidate the Heaven-Reaching Dao Sect, while Dao Qing would lead the other to build Two Realms Archways and secure entrances to the Black Mountain World.

The Special Affairs Department planned the Nine Provinces Barrier, Underworld Administration Hell, and a Heavenly Palace to protect the country and manage karmic sin. Nan Zhixian discovered that the promotional film The World of Cultivation showed a newly built heavenly realm and was tasked with finding its Jianmu Tree secret realm.

• The minister and Old Xu discussed establishing laws for cultivators and awaited Bi Tianhe’s attempt to win Emperor Yu’s recognition and bring back the method for forging the Nine Cauldrons and raising the Nine Provinces Barrier.
• The minister assigned Wu Tiantong to become Lord of Mount Tai and establish Underworld Administration Hell once the Research Department developed a way to intercept souls and strip away sin.
• The minister proposed preparing a Heavenly Palace to contain future conflicts between Earth Immortals, while Nan Zhixian reported that she had found a possible lead in The World of Cultivation.
• Nan Zhixian identified a Jianmu Tree in the film and reasoned that its secret realm held a young tree and a way to establish a Heavenly Palace.
• The minister ordered Nan Zhixian to find Chang Miaoyu and the secret realm, then enlist Celestial Master Zhang, Yinan, and others to help build the Heavenly Palace atop the Nine Provinces Barrier.

Ling Qing and his companions traveled to Jinhua to join the Special Affairs Department and other allies in reopening the Yin Mountain Ghost King instance. After entering, Ling Qing chose the swordsman identity and appeared near a small city, equipped with an ordinary sword and a basic sword art.

• Ling Qing divided the group, sending Daoist Lingguan with several companions to the Dao-Demon World while he and the others headed toward Jinhua.
• Ling Qing's group met Yi Hanyan, Faming, Fahui, Wang Boming, and the other assembled participants, then agreed to enter the instance the next day.
• The Special Affairs Department used eighteen ceremonial banners and a formation to open the instance, and Ling Qing saw that Black Mountain was now alive and at its peak.
• Ling Qing assessed the weakened but enormous Yin Mountain Ghost King's threat and decided there was no need to fight him head-on in the Netherworld.
• Ling Qing selected the swordsman identity and appeared on a hill near a small city with an iron sword and the Innate Sword Art.

Ling Qing arrived in Xiangshui Town, suppressed several demons and evil ghosts, and reunited with Sun Yuwei. Ling Ji and Wenjun also reached the town, where the group prepared to stay while Ling Qing gathered his disciples and planned their next steps in the Black Mountain World.

• Ling Qing contacted Sun Yuwei, Ling Ji, and Wenjun, then directed them to gather at Xiangshui Inn while he summoned his other disciples to Huaiyin Mountain.
• Ling Qing entered Xiangshui Town and used his Dharma Eye of True Insight to find demons and evil ghosts, then suppressed those who had harmed people with his Sword Qi.
• Ling Qing met Sun Yuwei at Xiangshui Inn and told her that her two senior brothers should arrive within the next few days.
• Ling Ji and Wenjun arrived that evening after being delayed by injustices they encountered on the road.