Chapter Summaries

Li Yuan agreed to a Spirit Contract with Ji Huaiyuan: the Ji Family would cover the Origin Breaking Pill’s refinement costs and provide Foundation Establishment manuals in exchange for the second pill. After leaving Alchemist He’s courtyard, Li Yuan inspected the Azure Wood Longevity Technique and continued preparing for Foundation Establishment.

• Li Yuan met Ji Huaiyuan and negotiated a deal in which the Ji Family would pay Alchemist He’s refining costs and give Li Yuan two Foundation Establishment insights and a choice of cultivation art for the second Origin Breaking Pill.
• Li Yuan chose the wood-element Azure Wood Longevity Technique, and he, Ji Huaiyuan, and Alchemist He sealed the terms with a Spirit Contract.
• Ji Huaiyuan gave Alchemist He the pill-refining fee, and Alchemist He arranged for Li Yuan to deliver the ingredients the following day.
• Li Yuan examined the Azure Wood Longevity Technique’s green Wood Spirit Nourishment Affix and learned that using ten qualifying spirit herbs would make it permanent.
• Li Yuan practiced the Soul Condensation Art and Spirit Guiding Art, tempering his soul, meridians, and dantian in preparation for Foundation Establishment.

Li Yuan permanentized the Wood Spirit Nourishment affix and then watched Alchemist He refine two Origin Breaking Pills. Both pills carried the same powerful Blue affix, and Li Yuan had the right to choose one first.

• Li Yuan bought ten medicinal herbs and used them to permanentize Wood Spirit Nourishment, improving his recovery and his ability to sense spiritually endowed plants.
• Two days later, a duty cultivator told Li Yuan that Alchemist He was ready to open the furnace, so Li Yuan ended Han Qing’s talisman lesson and went to watch.
• Alchemist He used a spirit-patterned furnace to refine the seven ingredients into two good-quality Origin Breaking Pills while Li Yuan and Ji Huaiyuan observed.
• Alchemist He let Li Yuan choose first, and Li Yuan’s Panel showed that both pills carried the same Blue affix, which boosted Foundation Establishment and refined and sped up spirit qi circulation.

Li Yuan traded the Ji Family the right to choose an Origin Breaking Pill first in exchange for a premium Foundation Establishment chamber and custom Dharma Artifacts. After witnessing the consequences of a failed breakthrough, he used the pill’s affix and his accumulated advantages to successfully establish his foundation.

• Ji Huaiyuan asked Li Yuan to let the Ji Family choose an Origin Breaking Pill first, offering a Foundation Establishment chamber and custom Dharma Artifacts as compensation, and Li Yuan agreed.
• Zhou Tie told Li Yuan that an artifact refiner had suffered catastrophic injuries after failing Foundation Establishment without a pill.
• The Ji Family arranged a secluded cultivation chamber for Li Yuan, who studied Foundation Establishment accounts before going there to prepare.
• Li Yuan equipped the Origin Breaking Pill’s blue affix and compressed his spirit power until it condensed into a liquid core.
• Li Yuan stabilized liquid spirit power throughout his meridians and successfully reached Foundation Establishment.

After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Li Yuan awakened divine sense, gained a longer lifespan, and unlocked Entry Fusion, which let him combine permanent affixes. He strengthened his abilities, began cultivating the Azure Wood Longevity Technique, and was left training in his sealed stone chamber.

• Li Yuan examined the changes from Foundation Establishment, including denser liquid spiritual power, awakened divine sense, stronger physical strength, and a lifespan of at least two hundred and fifty more years.
• Li Yuan unlocked Entry Fusion and combined three fiend qi affixes into Fiend Origin Symbiosis, three qi-blood recovery affixes into Qi-Blood Long River, and two concealment affixes into Breath Concealment and Trace Elimination.
• Li Yuan made Origin Breaking Foundation Establishment, Spirit Sense Expansion, Spiritual Power Advancement, and Aura Amplification permanent, while the panel showed that he still needed one more qualifying Blue affix to unlock Expanded Entry Perception.
• Li Yuan began cultivating the Azure Wood Longevity Technique, whose Wood-Attribute Spirit Qi nourished his meridians and vitality as his affixes improved his cultivation efficiency.

Li Yuan used his new Foundation Establishment cultivation to perfect his Tier 1 talisman crafting and improve several talisman skills while continuing to cultivate in the chamber. After the Yuanyang Sect detected his breakthrough, he met Elder Chen Yi and accepted the title of Dharma Protector, then returned to finish using the chamber.

• Li Yuan crafted several high-quality talismans, raising Tier 1 Talisman Crafting Art to Perfection and advancing the proficiency of multiple talismans.
• Li Yuan continued cultivating his Azure Wood Longevity Art, Soul Condensation Art, and Iron Wall Body Refining Art in the closed-door cultivation chamber.
• A Yuanyang Sect disciple brought Li Yuan to the Council Hall after the marketplace formation detected his Foundation Establishment breakthrough.
• Elder Chen Yi explained the Yuanyang Sect’s offer and invited Li Yuan to become a Dharma Protector under lenient conditions.
• Li Yuan accepted, received a Dharma Protector Token with five hundred Contribution Points, and returned to the cultivation chamber.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Li Yuan learned from Alchemist He about the resources and connections needed for the next stage of cultivation. As he trained, he perfected the Iron Wall Body Refining Art and fused three defensive affixes into Three Elements Body Protection.

• Alchemist He visited Li Yuan, congratulated him on reaching Foundation Establishment, and explained the difficulties of obtaining higher-grade cultivation resources.
• Alchemist He gave Li Yuan a communication token for the Foundation Establishment cultivators’ exchange circle.
• Li Yuan practiced the Azure Wood Longevity Art and Iron Wall Body Refining Art, bringing the latter to Perfection.
• Li Yuan permanently transformed the Bone Marrow Tempering and Spirit Membrane Protection affixes, then fused them with Scale Armor Protection into Three Elements Body Protection.
• Li Yuan continued cycling his cultivation and Soul Condensation arts as Yunyang Marketplace grew quiet.

Li Yuan accepted two transferable artifact-refining Tokens from Ji Huaiyuan after Ji Mingyuan successfully established his Foundation, then cultivated in Ghost Mist Forest to strengthen his body with Fiend Qi. He returned to Yunyang Marketplace as the Yuanyang Sect’s Immortal Sect Assembly began, though the recruitment assessment had no bearing on him.

• Ji Huaiyuan told Li Yuan that Ji Mingyuan had successfully established his Foundation and presented him with the Ji Family’s additional thanks.
• Ji Huaiyuan explained the Ji Family’s artifact-refining terms and gave Li Yuan two Tokens, each redeemable for one free Dharma Artifact refinement.
• Li Yuan left for Ghost Mist Forest and used Fiend Origin Symbiosis to gather Fiend Qi while cultivating the Iron Wall Body Refining Art.
• After spending most of the day tempering his body, Li Yuan returned toward Yunyang Marketplace and saw crowds gathering for the Yuanyang Sect’s recruitment assessment.
• Li Yuan returned to his courtyard, stored the materials he had collected, and continued cultivating.

Li Yuan attended a Foundation Establishment trading fair and exchanged a Ji Family crafting quota and spirit stones for the Fiend Spirit Conversion Method. After returning home, he learned its green trait could turn Fiend Qi into cultivation growth and saw that he needed one hundred Fiend Stones to make the trait permanent.

• Li Yuan arrived at the underground trading fair, where the Short-Bearded Cultivator sold ten years of Spirit Iron Ore Vein mining rights to the Li Family cultivator for an Azure Cloud Clam Jade Pearl.
• A female cultivator traded five hundred mu of Spirit Fields and thirty-two Spirit Farmers to Chen Yi for an Upper First-Order Composite Defense Array and three hundred spirit stones.
• Li Ze'an offered a Second-Order soul-type Demonic Beast core in exchange for a fire- or water-attributed Second-Order core and five hundred spirit stones, but no one accepted.
• The Short-Bearded Cultivator offered the Fiend Spirit Conversion Method, and Li Yuan traded a Ji Family crafting quota plus several hundred spirit stones for it.
• Li Yuan returned to his courtyard and learned the method's green Fiend Soul Spirit Tempering trait could absorb Fiend Qi to promote cultivation growth, with one hundred Fiend Stones required to make it permanent.

Li Yuan learned the Fiend Spirit Conversion Method and received a Second-Order Spirit Water Talisman manual from Wang De on behalf of the Wang Family. After studying the manual and cultivating the Azure Wood Longevity Art, he reached entry level in the technique.

• Li Yuan circulated Fiend Qi through the route in the Fiend Spirit Conversion Method and entered the gate without suffering its usual harmful effects.
• Wang De visited Li Yuan, offered him the Wang Family’s Spirit Water Talisman crafting manual, and invited him to make a formal visit when convenient.
• Li Yuan studied the Spirit Water Talisman’s patterns, uses, and crafting requirements, then put the manual away to cultivate before buying materials.
• Li Yuan practiced the Azure Wood Longevity Art until its spirit qi conversion became semi-automatic and the Panel recorded the technique at Entry Level.

Li Yuan reached Entry Level in Second-Order Talisman Crafting and began producing Spirit Water Talismans while continuing his cultivation. Qin Ruoshuang, President of Ziyuan Trading Firm, arranged to buy his talismans and gave him two new crafting methods, leaving him with a long-term supply opportunity.

• Li Yuan practiced drawing Second-Order Spirit Water Talismans until he reached Entry Level in Second-Order Talisman Crafting.
• Li Yuan’s Spirit Water Talisman success rate rose to about thirty percent, and he discovered that the talisman offered a Green Water Spirit Essence Affix that required a water-attribute cultivation method to make permanent.
• Qin Ruoshuang introduced herself as President of Ziyuan Trading Firm and asked Li Yuan to supply Upper First-Order Talismans.
• Qin Ruoshuang gave Li Yuan the Gathering Origin Talisman and Demon Breaking Talisman crafting methods in exchange for his future supply.
• Li Yuan sold Qin Ruoshuang two Spirit Water Talismans for 120 Spirit Stones each and agreed to discuss a long-term supply rate later.

Li Yuan visited the Wang Family, agreed to supply Spirit Water Talismans once his success rate improved, and secretly converted a Spirit Rhyme Golden Fruit into a permanent cultivation-accelerating affix. Chen Yi warned him to stay out of the Wang-Li conflict and offered him access to a deeper Fiend Stone vein in Ghost Mist Forest, where the ruins of an ancient Nascent Soul sect might remain.

• Li Yuan learned that Shopkeeper Han had kept Han Qing from class because Li Yuan had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but Li Yuan told him to let Han Qing continue studying as before.
• Li Yuan visited the Wang Family, where Wang Ting'an asked him to supply Spirit Water Talismans for the family's spirit fields, and Li Yuan agreed once his success rate became stable.
• After leaving the Wang Family, Li Yuan converted the Spirit Rhyme Golden Fruit into the permanent Cultivation Acceleration affix.
• Chen Yi warned Li Yuan not to enter the Wang Family and Li Family conflict as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and said Yuanyang Sect would assist him if needed.
• Chen Yi told Li Yuan he could mine a deeper, richer Fiend Stone vein in Ghost Mist Forest in exchange for giving thirty percent of the output to Yuanyang Sect.
• Chen Yi revealed that Ghost Mist Forest had once housed a sect with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and that Yuanyang Sect's Secret Realm originated there.

Li Yuan crafted and permanently affixed the Gathering Origin and Demon Breaking Talismans, then ventured deep into Ghost Mist Forest to gather Fiend Stones and cultivate. After absorbing one hundred stones, he made the Fiend Spirit Conversion Method permanent and fused it with Fiend Origin Symbiosis into Fiend Origin Unification.

• Li Yuan crafted his first Gathering Origin Talisman and Demon Breaking Talisman, then made their Spirit Convergence and Demon Breaking traits permanent.
• Li Yuan entered Ghost Mist Forest and followed a deep mine branch to a rich Fiend Stone vein.
• Li Yuan mined 113 Fiend Stones and cultivated in the dense Fiend Qi inside the cave.
• Li Yuan absorbed the Fiend Qi from one hundred stones and permanently affixed Fiend Soul Spirit Tempering.
• Li Yuan fused Fiend Soul Spirit Tempering with Fiend Origin Symbiosis, gaining Fiend Origin Unification, which automatically gathered and processed Fiend Qi while tempering his body and divine soul.

Li Yuan stayed in Ghost Mist Forest to cultivate, where he killed several First-Order Demonic Beasts and then defeated a Second-Order Flood Dragon Scale Lizard with spells alone. He found an inner core without an Affix and left the forest carrying it and the beast’s valuable materials.

• Li Yuan cultivated in the depths of Ghost Mist Forest, using its dense Fiend Qi and spiritual energy to accelerate his progress.
• Over the next two days, Li Yuan killed several First-Order Demonic Beasts that approached him and stored their Monster Materials.
• On the third evening, Li Yuan tracked a Second-Order Flood Dragon Scale Lizard and struck it repeatedly with Fireball Technique spells.
• Li Yuan killed the wounded Flood Dragon Scale Lizard with Gold Blade Technique, piercing a gap in its scales.
• Li Yuan collected the lizard’s valuable materials and inner core, confirmed the core had no Affix, and headed out of the forest.

Li Yuan traded the Flood Dragon Scale Lizard’s materials for Li Ze’an’s Second-Order Soul-Type Beast Core and consumed it to permanently solidify Soul Light Tempering. This unlocked Entry Perception Enhancement, letting him sense Affixes on nearby items without touching them.

• Li Yuan traveled to Li Family Market and met Li Ze’an to trade for the Second-Order Soul-Type Beast Core.
• Li Yuan exchanged the Flood Dragon Scale Lizard’s meat and core, First-Order Beast bones and fangs, and three scales for Li Ze’an’s Soul-Type Beast Core.
• Li Yuan consumed the core, strengthening his soul until the Panel offered to permanently solidify Soul Light Tempering.
• Li Yuan permanently solidified Soul Light Tempering, completing the condition to unlock Entry Perception Enhancement.
• Li Yuan tested the new function and sensed Affixes on items in his storage pouch from a distance.

Li Yuan used Entry Perception Enhancement to search Yunyang Marketplace for trait-bearing items and found a jade slip containing the Demonic Origin Technique. After examining the items with the Panel, he considered equipping the demonic cultivation method to understand its contents.

• Li Yuan reviewed the requirements for unlocking a Special Trait Equipment Slot and decided to wait for more Blue Traits.
• Li Yuan bought a Spirit Ink Bottle and a Spirit Essence Stone after sensing their White and Green Traits in marketplace shops.
• Li Yuan found a Blue Trait on an unrecognizable jade slip in a jade slip shop and bought it for forty Spirit Stones.
• Li Yuan returned to his courtyard and learned that the bottle granted Soul Strike Sensing and the stone granted Technique Advancement, each with a condition for permanent retention.
• Li Yuan discovered that the jade slip contained the Demonic Origin Technique, whose Blue Trait reduced demonic qi erosion and enabled him to sense and convert qi, but required mastering the method and absorbing twenty strands of high-grade Second-Order demonic qi to retain permanently.

Li Yuan began cultivating the Demonic Origin Technique, alternating it with the Azure Wood Longevity Art to control its corrosive side effects. He spent the next day cultivating until Soul Strike Sensing became a Permanent Affix, while his shortage of Contribution Points kept him from buying a Second-Order spell.

• Li Yuan learned that the Demonic Origin Technique transformed his body through demonic qi, and he used the Azure Wood Longevity Art to clear the corrosion it caused.
• Li Yuan checked the Dharma Protector Token and found that his five hundred Contribution Points were ten short of the cheapest Second-Order spell.
• Li Yuan made Spirit Water Talismans for sale and taught Han Qing how to connect the final Spirit Patterns of the Fireball Talisman.
• Li Yuan alternated the Demonic Origin Technique with the Azure Wood Longevity Art and interwove the Soul Condensation Art during twelve hours of cultivation.
• Li Yuan permanently converted Soul Strike Sensing into an Affix that could help him detect the location of someone attacking his soul.

Li Yuan sold his Spirit Water Talismans, accepted a mission to lead miners into the Deep Layer of the Ghost Mist Forest vein, and learned that Demon Sect remnants still operated in the region. While awaiting the expedition, he acquired and practiced two Second-Order spells and improved his Fiend Spirit Conversion Method through extended cultivation in the forest.

• Li Yuan sold ten Spirit Water Talismans to Shopkeeper Han for one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.
• Li Yuan accepted Chen Yi's task to lead an excavation team into the Deep Layer of the Ghost Mist Forest mineral vein and advanced six hundred Contribution Points.
• Chen Yi told Li Yuan that Foundation Establishment Demon Sect remnants were searching for hidden treasuries and sometimes killed people for resources, and warned him to report suspicious figures to the sect.
• Li Yuan exchanged Contribution Points for the Fire Python Technique and Wind Escape Technique, then practiced both to Entry Level in Ghost Mist Forest.
• After cultivating in the forest for two days, Li Yuan advanced his Fiend Spirit Conversion Method to Proficiency and continued training while waiting for the mission to begin.

Li Yuan led an excavation team into the Mine Cave, where he discovered a Fiend Armored Giant Dung Beetle absorbing Fiend Qi in a side tunnel. He lured the Second-Order Middle Grade beast outside to fight, but his Fire Python Technique barely harmed its shell.

• Chen Yi told Li Yuan that the excavation crew was ready and assigned him to suppress Fiend Qi and handle Demonic Beasts.
• Li Yuan led the fourteen cultivators into the Mine Cave and lowered the Fiend Qi concentration so they could work.
• Li Yuan detected an unnaturally Fiend-Qi-sparse area in the middle side tunnel and realized something inside was absorbing the Fiend Qi.
• A Fiend Armored Giant Dung Beetle emerged from the tunnel, and Li Yuan ordered the excavation team to retreat.
• Li Yuan released Fiend Qi to lure the beast out of the Mine Cave and faced it in Ghost Mist Forest.
• Li Yuan struck the Fiend Armored Giant Dung Beetle with Fire Python Technique, but the attack left only a charred mark on its shell.

Li Yuan killed a fiend armored giant dung beetle by breaking through its carapace with concentrated Fireball Technique attacks and striking its exposed weakness. After Chen Yi offered him a long-term territory in the Ghost Mist Forest, Li Yuan inspected the beetle’s materials and began cultivating in the area.

• Li Yuan dodged the fiend armored giant dung beetle’s charge and repeatedly struck the same spot on its carapace with Fireball Technique until the shell cracked.
• Li Yuan used his fiend qi to lure the beetle out of its shell, then perfected Fireball Technique and killed it with Gold Blade Technique.
• Li Yuan dismantled the beetle and collected its carapace, bones, antennae, mouthpart chitinous valves, and inner core, finding no affixes among them.
• Chen Yi arrived with two Yuanyang Sect disciples, confirmed the mine cave was safe, and offered Li Yuan a long-term territory in the Ghost Mist Forest.
• Li Yuan chose a nearby clearing, inspected the beetle’s materials, and cultivated with the Azure Wood Longevity Art as Fiend Origin Unification gathered the surrounding fiend qi.

Li Yuan completed the mineral vein mission after discovering Demonic Qi ore, then traveled to the Ji Family to have a Dharma Artifact refined from monster materials. He left his materials and the Fiend Armored Giant Dung Beetle's core with Ji Huaiyuan, chose a Fiend Qi-gathering artifact design, and bought two First-Order Dharma Artifacts while he waited.

• Li Yuan perfected his Fireball Talisman and permanently activated the Skillful Stroke affix.
• Li Yuan examined dark-purple ore containing Demonic Qi, and Chen Yi halted excavation and sealed the mine's Deep Layer.
• Chen Yi settled the mission reward, and Li Yuan left for the Ji Family with materials from two Second-Order Monster Beasts.
• Ji Huaiyuan recommended using the Fiend Armored Giant Dung Beetle's core to refine a Dharma Artifact that could gather and release Fiend Qi, and Li Yuan agreed.
• Li Yuan bought a Spirit Fire Sword and a Black Iron Shield from the Ji Family's artifact hall.