Chapter Summaries

Li Dingguo, Little Bean Sprout, and Red Plum entered seclusion near the rapidly growing Five-Colored Divine Tree, and Li Dingguo broke through to the late Fourth Layer of Martial Dao. His Cheat System showed that he had become a top second-rate martial general, gained Fortune, and unlocked attributes for his Alchemist and Artifact Forger professions.

• Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum were astonished by the Five-Colored Divine Tree’s growth, and Little Bean Sprout sensed a possible Spirit Vein forming beneath it.
• Li Dingguo worried that the island’s changes could attract Demons and Monsters, then proposed that all three cultivate for breakthroughs using the tree’s special life spiritual energy.
• Li Dingguo, Little Bean Sprout, and Red Plum meditated around the tree, and Li Dingguo shattered his bottleneck after two hours.
• Li Dingguo completed his breakthrough to the late Fourth Layer of Martial Dao, greatly increasing his power and strengthening his Mysterious Yellow Chaos Bell avatar.
• Li Dingguo checked his Cheat System and found that his Fortune had risen to 36, his combat power was now that of a top second-rate martial general, and his secondary profession panel attributes had unlocked.

Li Dingguo, Little Bean Sprout, and Red Plum completed breakthroughs to the late Fourth Layer of Martial Dao using the life energy from the five-colored spiritual root. After realizing the stored energy had nearly run out, they planned to space out future breakthroughs and let the root replenish before returning home to celebrate.

• Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum broke through after Li Dingguo, and the three celebrated reaching the late Fourth Layer of Martial Dao.
• Li Dingguo warned the two girls that Fifth Layer experts among the Tartars and Ten Great Jin Merchants remained far stronger than they were.
• Little Bean Sprout realized their breakthroughs had consumed nearly all the spiritual root’s accumulated life energy and warned that a failed breakthrough could cause severe harm.
• Red Plum proposed that they attempt future breakthroughs one at a time so they could check whether enough life energy had accumulated, and Li Dingguo and Little Bean Sprout agreed.
• Li Dingguo nourished the five-colored spiritual root, then left the formation with the two girls and promised the three Dragon Scale Horses they could absorb life energy again in two months.
• Li Dingguo, Little Bean Sprout, and Red Plum returned home and prepared a lavish dinner to celebrate.

Li Dingguo’s Revival Army began its seven-day harvest and replanting campaign around Great Spirit Lake while he refined a third-grade peak magic-tool alchemy furnace for Little Bean Sprout to practice with. The successful experiment left Li Dingguo confident that he could reforge his Ten-Thousand Year Cold Iron Bright Silver Spear as his final Natal Magic Weapon.

• Hundreds of thousands of Revival Army soldiers and civilians gathered for the agricultural double rush, harvesting rice and preparing to transplant seedlings across the fields around Great Spirit Lake.
• The logistics department planned to follow the harvest with the reclamation of three million mu of wheat fields and the expansion of farms around new bases.
• Li Dingguo reflected that the Human Emperor Cauldron’s inherited knowledge of alchemy, artifact forging, and formations surpassed the craft systems of the Eastern and Western worlds.
• Li Dingguo completed a third-grade peak magic-tool alchemy furnace after Little Bean Sprout showed talent in alchemy and learned basic crafting knowledge from him.
• Li Dingguo examined the furnace and concluded that he could reforge his Ten-Thousand Year Cold Iron Bright Silver Spear as a Natal Magic Weapon.

Li Dingguo completed Little Bean Sprout’s Natal Magic Weapon cauldron and planned to reforge weapons for her and Red Plum. Meanwhile, Fan Yongdou resolved to enlist Mongol tribes against Li Dingguo, while Hong Chengchou faced a spreading rebellion and a shortage of funds, ending the chapter alone as he considered his next move.

• Li Dingguo told Little Bean Sprout to refine her new cauldron and bring him her hammers, and asked her to find Red Plum’s preferred weapon so he could reforge it too.
• Little Bean Sprout refined the third-grade peak-grade Magic Tool Cauldron into her Natal Magic Weapon and hurried off to see Red Plum.
• Fan Yongdou learned that two Jin merchant fleets had vanished, blamed the Southern Merchant Alliance, and decided to expand trade with the Later Jin and Mongol tribes.
• Fan Yongdou planned to travel Beyond the Pass and persuade Mongol tribes to help destroy Li Dingguo’s force.
• Hong Chengchou learned that the Southern Merchant Alliance had withdrawn from the Northwest Three Provinces and cut off Jin merchants’ overseas routes, leaving him without the funds he needed to suppress the spreading rebellions.
• Hong Chengchou dismissed everyone from his study and sat alone, considering an unknown scheme.

Li Dingguo activated the Minor Five Elements Heaven Concealing Array to hide Lake Heart Island after the Five-Colored Divine Tree created a vast spirit vein and transformed the island. As he inspected the tree, he noticed an unfamiliar golden-yellow figure beneath it and hurried over to investigate.

• Li Dingguo activated the Minor Five Elements Heaven Concealing Array, concealing Lake Heart Island’s expanded size and spiritual energy from outsiders.
• He recalled evacuating the island, moving the Revival Army’s headquarters and logistics headquarters, and keeping the transformation secret with Red Plum and Little Bean Sprout’s help.
• Li Dingguo checked his Cheat System and found his Fortune Value had risen from thirty-six to fifty-eight after the Five-Colored Divine Tree formed a large spirit vein.
• He observed that the Five-Colored Divine Tree had grown to a hundred zhang tall and relied on the array to conceal it from cultivators.
• Li Dingguo spotted an unknown golden-yellow figure beneath the Five-Colored Divine Tree and rushed toward it.

Li Dingguo befriended and healed a pregnant Great Golden Eagle named Da Jin after she escaped through space into his hidden Spirit Island. The chapter left Da Jin ready to join Li Dingguo as Wan'er and Red Plum arrived and were startled by the enormous bird.

• Li Dingguo discovered that the severely wounded Great Golden Eagle was a pregnant Peak Spirit Beast that had entered his array using a spatial ability.
• The Great Golden Eagle trusted Li Dingguo, who named her Da Jin and offered her refuge beneath the Five-Colored Divine Tree.
• Li Dingguo gave Da Jin a Level 3 Peak Grade Rejuvenation Pill, and she recovered enough to fly and play beside him.
• Li Dingguo stopped Da Jin from attacking the newcomers, Little Bean Sprout—now named Wan'er—and Red Plum, who were frightened by her presence.

Li Dingguo learned that two elite Tatar armies were advancing south to destroy the Revival Army, likely at the instigation of Jin merchant Fan Yongdou. He ordered a full mobilization, including the newly formed field Artillery Battalion, for an expedition to intercept them.

• Li Dingguo introduced Wan'er and Red Plum to Great Gold and warned the eagle not to harm innocents within Revival Army territory.
• Wan'er and Red Plum marveled at Lake Heart Island's transformation after a large Spirit Vein emerged, then delivered urgent reports of two Tatar armies approaching the border.
• Li Dingguo and Wan'er suspected Fan Yongdou had persuaded the Ongniud Tribe and Fourth Prince's Tribe to invade, and Li ordered his soldiers to capture him if found.
• Red Plum reported the enemy's strength and proposed an ambush along their route, while noting that the armies might still have to fight head-on.
• Li Dingguo ordered Wan'er and Red Plum to mobilize all combat forces, leave the navy to guard their territory, and bring the field Artillery Battalion on the expedition.

Li Dingguo prepared to join the expedition against forty thousand elite Tartar cavalrymen, while Big Gold settled on the Five-Colored Divine Tree to recover and raise its future young. Li Dingguo left Great Spirit Island aboard his magical artifact boat, hoping that Big Gold would eventually help him challenge the Later Jin Tartars’ Sea Eastern Green.

• Big Black and the two snow-white Dragon Scale Horses confronted Big Gold until Li Dingguo introduced them, and the spirit beasts ended their standoff.
• Red Plum and Wan'er saddled White Snow and Little Snow with magical artifact saddles and rode off toward the battlefield.
• Li Dingguo told pregnant Big Gold to stay on the island, and the eagle settled on the Five-Colored Divine Tree while Big Black waited to depart with him.
• Li Dingguo gathered his weapons and pills, saddled Big Black, and headed for the bluestone pier to join the expedition against the Tartar cavalry.
• Li Dingguo considered the Later Jin Tartars’ Sea Eastern Green and hoped Big Gold and its future offspring would eventually help him contend with them.
• Li Dingguo boarded his magical artifact boat with Big Black and sailed beyond the Island Protection Array into the mist-shrouded spirit lake.

Li Dingguo led the Revival Army’s main land legions north to intercept the advancing Tartar army, while Wan’er commanded the field artillery on its first campaign. The army began a nonstop long-range raid, and Li planned to replenish its scarce spiritual ammunition after the battle by attacking a Malevolent Spirit clan at an Ancient Battlefield ruin.

• Wan’er prepared to lead four field artillery battalions equipped with Spirit Energy Cannons and Spirit Crossbow Carts, while Red Plum calculated that the army’s spiritual supplies would last only one battle.
• After receiving urgent reports from Wei Jinfan that the Tartars were advancing rapidly, Li Dingguo ordered the army to travel light and march north without Logistics Camp soldiers.
• Li Dingguo announced plans to strengthen the Revival Army’s elite-soldier model and move lower-cultivation soldiers into reserve units after the battle.
• Li Dingguo ordered the Revival Army to move out, and four land legions rode north with Wan’er’s artillery battalions in the center and Li Dingguo and Red Plum guarding the rear.
• The army continued marching through the night, relying on Spirit Beast Warhorses and scheduled rest stops as scouts cleared the route ahead.

He Guang and Wei Jinfan uncovered signs that the Tartars were trading for thousands of Spirit Beast Warhorses through Liu Zeqing and the Fan Family, while warning that Fan Yongdou’s Big Black Eagle could expose the Revival Army’s planned ambush. Li Dingguo changed the plan to a direct battle and ordered the army to prepare for its first head-on clash with an evenly matched enemy.

• He Guang and Wei Jinfan used Divine Sense Transmission to observe the Tartar forces and concluded that the Fan Family’s deal with Liu Zeqing involved more than eight thousand Spirit Beast Warhorses.
• Wei Jinfan reported that a powerful force likely backed Liu Zeqing and ordered the Shandong intelligence team to investigate.
• Tang Huai reported that the Kirin Legion had reached the designated ambush site and was preparing it under Liang Hetang’s command.
• Li Dingguo and Red Plum judged that Fan Yongdou’s Big Black Eagle could discover the Revival Army, making the ambush unlikely to succeed.
• Li Dingguo abandoned the ambush and ordered the army to prepare for a head-on battle, while Red Plum rode ahead to direct preparations.

Fan Yongdou used his Divine Eagle to warn Mozart and the Tartar commanders that Li Dingguo’s Revival Army was waiting ahead with forty thousand elite cavalry. The Tartars dismissed the newly formed army as easy prey and grew eager to seize its horses and spirit weapons.

• Mozart offered Fan Yongdou horses for a Divine Eagle chick, and Fan agreed to bring him one at their next major trade.
• Fan Yongdou reported that the Divine Eagle had spotted forty thousand Revival Army cavalrymen, each with two horses and a Spirit Weapon Set, waiting a hundred li ahead.
• Mozart and the Tartar commanders questioned the report, then accepted the Divine Eagle’s sighting and praised the Revival Army’s unexpectedly strong equipment.
• The commanders recalled that their combined tribes had only a fraction of that many spirit weapons and learned that Li Dingguo’s Human Emperor Cauldron had enabled mass production of the Revival Army’s gear.
• The Tartar commanders eagerly urged Mozart to order a charge, already planning how to divide the enemy’s horses and weapons.

Fan Yongdou watched as Mozart and Habby’s forty thousand Tatar cavalry charged the Revival Army, unaware of its artillery and repeating crossbows. The Revival Army’s concentrated fire shattered the Tatar formations and triggered a rout, and Li Dingguo ordered his cavalry to pursue.

• Fan Yongdou regretted failing to warn Huang Taiji and watched Mozart and Habby agree to divide the spoils after defeating the Revival Army.
• Mozart and Habby formed their forces into two large Heavenly Wolf Howling Moon formations and led their cavalry south toward the Revival Army.
• The Tatar cavalry charged toward the Revival Army, which waited in formation instead of advancing to meet them.
• The Revival Army revealed thirty Spirit Energy Cannons and fired repeated salvos that tore through the front of the Tatar formations.
• The Revival Army’s Spirit Crossbow Carts unleashed focused volleys, killing many more soldiers and breaking the Tatar formations into a panicked rout.
• Li Dingguo ordered the Revival Army to charge, and its battle legions pursued the fleeing Tartars.

Li Dingguo pursued Fan Yongdou and killed him after Big Black awakened a powerful Innate Divine Ability, then turned to aid Wan'er, whose troops were locked in battle with two hidden Tartar commanders. The chapter ended with Li Dingguo riding Big Black toward the threatened soldiers.

• Li Dingguo spotted Fan Yongdou by tracking the Big Black Eagle and shot the spirit bird dead with a single arrow.
• Big Black unleashed its newly awakened Innate Divine Ability, drained Fan Yongdou and nearby Fan Family experts of their vitality and souls, and absorbed the energy they left behind.
• Li Dingguo killed the remaining Fan Family guards while the Tartar forces fled across the battlefield.
• Li Dingguo saw Wan'er and nearly a hundred elite Tartar soldiers fighting two commanders at the initial Fifth Layer of Martial Dao.
• Li Dingguo mounted Big Black and raced to reinforce Wan'er, while Big Black prepared to use its Innate Divine Ability again.

Li Dingguo joined Wan'er’s formation and used the Human Emperor Cauldron and Mysterious Yellow Chaos Bell to turn the battle against the trapped Tatar commanders. After the enemies were killed, he warned Wan'er to make sure powerful foes were truly dead, and she promised to follow his advice.

• Wan'er used the Seven Star Eight Trigram Formation to hold more than a hundred Tatar commanders in place until Li Dingguo arrived.
• Li Dingguo took the formation’s central position, summoned the Mysterious Yellow Chaos Bell, and used the Human Emperor Cauldron to suppress the formation core.
• Li Dingguo activated the formation’s divine ability, and the bell’s attacks shattered the souls of most of the Tatar commanders.
• Big Black Horse weakened the two remaining Tatar great masters with its innate ability, and Li Dingguo’s bell chimes killed them.
• Li Dingguo stabbed the two leaders’ bodies to confirm they were dead, then told Wan'er to eliminate any chance of powerful enemies surviving.
• Wan'er said she would remember his warning and promised to smash future enemy geniuses’ heads before stopping.

After defeating the Chahar Tatars, Li Dingguo’s army gathered about sixty thousand Spirit Beast Warhorses and prepared to travel to a ghostly domain for Soul Beads. Li Dingguo learned that Big Black had killed Fan Yongdou and vowed to strike the Fan Family’s Jiexiu City lair once he and his companions grew stronger.

• Wan'er led a thousand Personal Guard Camp soldiers to pursue fleeing Tatars and recover scattered Spirit Beast Warhorses.
• Li Dingguo stayed on the battlefield to help gather the horses, including numerous Dragon Scale Horses, while the army collected spoils and recorded military merits.
• The Revival Army finished the battle with around sixty thousand Spirit Beast Warhorses and planned to move to a distant ghostly domain after lunch to obtain Soul Beads.
• Wan'er asked Big Black how it had awakened its Innate Divine Ability early, and Big Black agreed to share its experience with White Snow and Little Snow.
• Red Plum warned Li Dingguo that the Fan Family might send its fourth-tier Big Black Eagle spirit birds to investigate the army after Fan Yongdou disappeared.
• Li Dingguo vowed to attack and destroy the Fan Family’s Jiexiu City lair after the Great Golden Eagle recovered and he, Red Plum, and Wan'er reached the Fifth-Tier Early Stage.

Li Dingguo led the Revival Army to attack an ancient battlefield Ghost Domain filled with foreign Malevolent Spirits, relying on the soldiers’ Military Killing Formations and Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke to counter them. After the first volleys killed thousands of weaker spirits, the Ghost King directed several dozen Level Four Aberrations into a sudden charge against the formations.

• Li Dingguo sent Cao Yongxiang and the Azure Dragon Legion back to headquarters with the Spirit Beast Warhorses and captured supplies while he led the other legions toward the ancient battlefield.
• Wei Jinfan reported that the Ghost Domain held tens of thousands of Malevolent Spirits, including more than several dozen Level Four Aberrations and a Ghost King wielding a ten-thousand-year Yin Iron club.
• Wan'er wanted the Yin Iron club to reforge her Drumming Urn Golden Hammers, and Li Dingguo resolved to upgrade his own Innate Divine Strength talent before confronting the Fan Family.
• Li Dingguo ordered the Revival Army to attack from four directions in Military Killing Formations, and their Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke evaporated much of the Ghost Domain’s mist.
• The Malevolent Spirits emerged and charged; the archers’ three volleys killed several thousand low-level spirits, while the Ghost King sent the Level Four Aberrations rushing at the human formations.

Li Dingguo and Big Black Horse confronted a Fourth-Tier Peak Ghost King whose blood-red banner blocked Big Black Horse’s attack. They defeated the Ghost King and four other fourth-tier aberrations, leaving Li Dingguo with the purified banner to investigate after the battle.

• Li Dingguo sent Big Black Horse to attack the Ghost King, but the Ghost King’s blood-red Natal Magic Weapon blocked its Innate Divine Ability.
• Li Dingguo trapped the banner inside the Human Emperor Cauldron and used Innate Spirit Fire to burn away its corruption.
• The Ghost King summoned four fourth-tier aberrations to attack Li Dingguo and Big Black Horse as the banner’s connection to its soul weakened.
• Big Black Horse’s vortex trapped the Ghost King and the aberrations, while their Mental Energy attacks triggered the Mysterious Yellow Chaos Bell’s devastating counterattack.
• The bell chimes killed all five Malevolent Spirits, and Li Dingguo finished purifying the banner before setting aside its investigation until after the battle.

Li Dingguo’s army defeated the ghost creatures on the ancient battlefield, and he claimed the Asura Battle Banner as his Natal Divine Artifact. As the New Year approached, he confirmed that the Revival Army would march north to conquer the Great Salt Lake and strike the Huoluo and Yijin tribes before they could attack.

• Li Dingguo sent Big Black Horse to help Wan'er destroy the remaining fourth-tier eerie creatures, and Wan'er's soldiers wiped out their Malevolent Spirits.
• Li Dingguo learned that the Asura Battle Banner was a High-Grade Postnatal Divine Artifact and replaced his Bright Silver Spear as his Natal Divine Artifact.
• The Revival Army finished clearing the battlefield, collected Soul Beads, and departed for home after a meal and rest.
• Wan'er told Li Dingguo that Red Plum had suggested expanding west toward the Wuding River, but Li Dingguo confirmed the army would campaign north after the New Year.
• Li Dingguo explained that the Huoluo tribe planned to march south for revenge, so he intended to attack first and defeat the Huoluo and Yijin tribes around the Great Salt Lake.

Li Dingguo broke through to the early Fifth Layer of Martial Dao, becoming a first-rate intermediate martial general and gaining much greater strength and survival ability. He shared his breakthrough experience with Wan'er and Red Plum as they prepared to follow him.

• Li Dingguo entered secluded cultivation beneath the Five-Colored Divine Tree while Wan'er and Red Plum guarded him.
• Li Dingguo completed a powerful breakthrough to the early Fifth Layer of Martial Dao after absorbing spiritual qi and natal star power.
• Li Dingguo examined his Cheat System panel and found his Fortune Value had risen to 52, his combat power had reached first-rate intermediate martial general, and his Martial Dao Avatar had materialized.
• Li Dingguo welcomed Wan'er and Red Plum and explained the key points of his breakthrough to them.
• Li Dingguo reflected that reaching the Fifth Layer made him a true expert with the ability to protect himself and establish himself in the world.

After Wan'er and Red Plum reached Fifth-Tier Early Stage, Li Dingguo prepared a raid on the Fan Family’s stronghold in Jiexiu before the Revival Army’s northern expedition. He outfitted Great Golden Eagle for the journey and left Big Fierce and Little Gold safely on Lake Heart Island.

• Wan'er entered seclusion first and broke through to Fifth-Tier Early Stage, followed by Red Plum.
• Li Dingguo, Wan'er, and Red Plum agreed to strike the Fan Family’s Jiexiu lair before the Revival Army marched north, hoping to keep the merchants from threatening their base.
• Wan'er and Red Plum went to pack for the trip and planned to visit Taiyuan City after the raid.
• Li Dingguo told Big Fierce and Little Gold to stay on Lake Heart Island while he and Great Golden Eagle departed.
• Li Dingguo fitted Great Golden Eagle with a custom artifact saddle that could carry several people and shield them from strong winds.