Chapter Summaries

After reaching the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, Li Yuan equipped the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art and gained Fiend Qi Affinity, which let him use fiend qi with less harm. He improved his talisman output and continued tempering his body as Pure Spirit Power neared permanence.

• Li Yuan concealed his new Qi Refining Seventh Layer aura and equipped the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art and the fiend stone.
• The fiend stone granted Fiend Qi Affinity, allowing Li Yuan to turn bodily impurities into fiend qi and endure Fiend Essence Pills with far less discomfort.
• Li Yuan used fiend qi alongside the Iron Ox Technique to temper his fascia and bones without the former erosion.
• Li Yuan drew talismans with improved success and produced six Fireball Talismans, three Heart-Locking Talismans, four Rejuvenation Talismans, and two Vajra Talismans.
• He Shou collected Li Yuan’s talismans, and Li Yuan spent the evening cultivating as Pure Spirit Power reached 412/500 permanence progress.

Li Yuan increased his talisman output, learned that a nearby alchemist could not extract Fiend Qi from his Upper First-Order herbs, and permanently solidified Pure Spirit Power. The process unlocked a fifth Equipment Slot and revealed the conditions for Entry Fusion.

• Li Yuan's increased spirit power let him produce more talismans, and Captain Wang confirmed that his output had stabilized the Guard Squad's inventory.
• Captain Wang directed Li Yuan to Alchemist He, who refused to extract Fiend Qi from the two Upper First-Order herbs because the process was too dangerous.
• Li Yuan returned to the garrison and completed the five-hundredth cultivation circulation required to permanently solidify Pure Spirit Power.
• Li Yuan used a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone to make Pure Spirit Power a Permanent Affix, allowing his body to filter impurities automatically.
• Li Yuan unlocked a fifth Equipment Slot and learned that Entry Fusion required two permanently solidified Blue-quality-or-higher affixes or Foundation Establishment.

Li Yuan equipped the Energy Recovery Talisman and Green Spirit Talisman Brush, improving his spirit power recovery and talisman-crafting. After discovering that eating monster meat also supplied Fiend Qi, he used it alongside his other resources to advance the Iron Ox Technique to Minor Accomplishment.

• Li Yuan equipped the Energy Recovery Talisman and Green Spirit Talisman Brush, gaining faster spirit power recovery and more accurate talisman strokes.
• Li Yuan crafted talismans more efficiently and raised the Cleaning, Warding, and Warning Talismans to Mastery.
• Li Yuan sensed that Flame Marrow Body Nourishment produced a small amount of Fiend Qi from monster meat, which Fiend Qi Body Tempering absorbed.
• Li Yuan combined monster meat’s Fiend Qi with his pills and techniques to advance the Iron Ox Technique to Minor Accomplishment.
• Li Yuan operated the Spirit Guiding Art as Spirit Qi Backflow restored spirit power he had spent crafting talismans.

Li Yuan learned the Clear Spirit Body-Cleansing Technique as the Wang and Li Families entered a prolonged war of attrition under pressure from the Yuanyang Sect. He returned to the station expecting the Guard Squad’s talisman workload to keep growing.

• Li Yuan reported that his talisman-making materials were nearly depleted, and Captain Wang sent an urgent request to the Talisman Hall.
• Li Yuan bought the Clear Spirit Body-Cleansing Technique from a market stall for five Spirit Stones.
• Wang De warned Li Yuan that the Yuanyang Sect had forbidden major battles and forced the Wang and Li Families into a war of attrition.
• Li Yuan equipped no new trait, practiced the Clear Spirit Body-Cleansing Technique, and reached Entry Level.
• Li Yuan decided not to improve the spell further for now, then cultivated the Spirit Guiding Art as night fell.

Li Yuan defended the garrison when six cultivators attacked, but their leader destroyed much of its walls before they withdrew. After helping stabilize the wounded and restore basic order, Li Yuan returned to making Heart-Locking Talismans.

• Li Yuan noticed the garrison was under attack and rushed outside as six cultivators broke through the western wall.
• Four attackers fought the guards while their Qi Refining Seventh Layer leader and another cultivator moved to destroy the eastern wall; Li Yuan wounded one attacker with a Fire Arrow.
• The leader collapsed much of the eastern and southern walls, then ordered the attackers to withdraw as Li Yuan chose to stay and protect the garrison.
• Reinforcements arrived, and Li Yuan used Heart-Locking Talismans to stabilize two injured guards before reporting how the attack had unfolded.
• Li Yuan helped clear rubble and gather supplies until the garrison was patched up, then returned to his stone house and began replacing the talismans he had used.

Captain Wang returned with materials and a new Qi Gathering Talisman method after an attack damaged the Guard Squad base. Li Yuan learned to craft the talisman but postponed equipping it because its permanent conversion required more cultivation time than he could spare while supplies were low.

• Captain Wang inspected the damaged courtyard, heard the report of the attack, and delivered extra talisman materials and the Qi Gathering Talisman method to Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan studied the Qi Gathering Talisman’s spirit patterns and successfully crafted one on his third attempt.
• Li Yuan discovered that the talisman offered a White Spirit Essence Expansion trait and required one hundred cultivation circulations within thirty-six hours for permanent conversion.
• Li Yuan decided not to equip the Qi Gathering Talisman yet and continued producing talismans for the Guard Squad.
• Li Yuan sorted his finished talismans, roasted Monster Meat, and cultivated while repairs continued outside.

Li Yuan successfully made his first Upper First-Order Spirit-Refining Talisman, whose trait could strengthen his soul but required him to kill a First-Order Mid-Grade Yin Ghost with pure soul power for permanent retention. He saw He Yun and the Guard Squad building a Defense Array for the market, then returned to cultivating as the work continued outside.

• Li Yuan completed the Spirit-Refining Talisman by carefully controlling his Spirit Power through all five rings of its pattern.
• Li Yuan learned the talisman's Soul Tempering and Condensation trait and its retention condition, then stored it because he lacked a suitable soul attack and Yin Ghost target.
• Li Yuan found He Yun directing cultivators as they set up a Defense Array in the market after the recent attack.
• He Yun explained that the stone pillars carried Sensing and Conduction Patterns that would relay Spirit Qi fluctuations to the Array Eye.
• Li Yuan ate Iron-Horned Antelope meat, cultivated with the Iron Ox Technique, and continued strengthening his body as the array workers labored outside.

Li Yuan had Old Sun refine two Upper First-Order herbs into Fiend Qi, then used it to permanently solidify his Fiend Qi Affinity. He ended the chapter with a new Permanent Affix and improved soul refinement after equipping the Spirit-Refining Talisman.

• Li Yuan increased his talisman output for several days, bringing his Rejuvenation and Vajra Talismans to Mastery and building up reserve stock.
• Li Yuan brought two herbs to Old Sun and asked him to extract their Fiend Qi, and Old Sun refined them into one portion of Upper First-Order Fiend Qi.
• Li Yuan absorbed the Fiend Qi, which tempered his body more effectively than lower-grade Fiend Qi and met the conditions to permanently solidify Fiend Qi Affinity.
• Li Yuan permanently solidified Fiend Qi Affinity, increasing his resistance to its negative effects, his conversion of impurities into Fiend Qi, and his storage capacity.
• Li Yuan equipped the Spirit-Refining Talisman, which strengthened and condensed his soul and slightly improved his control of spiritual power.

Li Yuan improved his talisman-making output and advanced the Iron Ox Technique to Major Accomplishment while continuing to temper his body. He permanently transformed Qi-Blood Fullness, expanding his Qi-Blood capacity and increasing the enhancement it gave his body, then resumed cultivation.

• Li Yuan reached Minor Accomplishment in Fireball Talisman drawing and raised his daily output, letting He Shou transfer surplus talismans to the Talisman Hall and the market warehouse.
• Li Yuan continued body-tempering and talisman-related soul cultivation while repaying his contribution-point debt through completed missions.
• Li Yuan's organs absorbed Qi-Blood during Iron Ox Technique cultivation, advancing the technique to Major Accomplishment and making his internal organs more resilient.
• Li Yuan unequipped the Energy Recovery Talisman and permanently transformed Qi-Blood Fullness with his final Blood-Qi Pill.
• Li Yuan's Blood-Qi Sea expanded by thirty percent, Qi-Blood's enhancement to his body increased by ten percent, and he ate Monster Meat before resuming cultivation.

Li Yuan learned that a market auction was bringing rare materials, breakthrough pills, and powerful cultivators to East Street. He bought a Fiend Detection Disk and an Azure Cloud Talisman Brush, then tested the brush’s superior performance as the auction approached.

• Li Yuan noticed the crowded market and several Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators, and learned that an auction would take place the day after tomorrow.
• Captain Wang gave Li Yuan the auction list and offered to obtain most items at twenty percent above their base prices.
• Li Yuan bought a Fiend Detection Disk and an Azure Cloud Talisman Brush for ninety-six Spirit Stones.
• Li Yuan found that the Fiend Detection Disk had no trait, while the brush previewed a Spirit Ink Efficiency Boost trait and a condition requiring five different Upper First-Order talismans.
• Li Yuan used the Azure Cloud Talisman Brush to draw a Fireball Talisman, producing clearer Spirit Patterns with less spiritual power loss.
• Li Yuan ate roasted Monster Meat and cultivated as the market grew lively ahead of the auction.

Li Yuan was transferred from the market to guard the Frontline Herb Garden, where Manager Wang showed him the herb plots and taught him how to inspect Spirit Herbs. While surveying the rare herbs, Li Yuan detected an equippable Green item but could not view its details, and he left Manager Wang unaware of his discovery.

• Captain Wang gave Li Yuan his transfer order, guard duty subsidy, and a method for making Talisman Paper from herbs.
• Li Yuan traveled southwest from the market and arrived at the Frontline Herb Garden.
• Manager Wang explained the garden's defenses, its seven-person guard, and Li Yuan's duty to make combat talismans.
• Manager Wang taught Li Yuan how to inspect ordinary and rare medicinal herbs and warned him not to harvest the rare ones.
• Li Yuan touched a rare Spirit Herb and detected a Green equippable item, then quietly withdrew his hand.

Li Yuan toured the Herb Garden with Manager Wang, arranged to obtain Foundation-Solidifying Grass using Talisman Hall contributions, and settled into a stone house. As he adapted to guarding the garden, he made Talismans, learned the Root Cultivation Art, and cultivated amid the garden’s rich spirit qi.

• Manager Wang showed Li Yuan the Herb Garden’s spirit herbs, including Foundation-Solidifying Grass and herbs nearing Second-Order quality, and warned him not to touch several inconspicuous plots.
• Manager Wang agreed to provide Li Yuan Foundation-Solidifying Grass in exchange for Talisman Hall contributions once the request was approved.
• Li Yuan moved into a stone house, made four Fireball Talismans, and learned from Cultivator Zhou and Cultivator Feng that the guards faced shortages and repeated harassment from the Li Family and Demonic Beasts.
• Manager Wang taught Li Yuan the basics of spirit-herb care and gave him a Bamboo Slip explaining the Root Cultivation Art.
• Li Yuan practiced the Root Cultivation Art until he reached Entry Level, then cultivated with the Spirit Guiding Art in the Herb Garden’s dense spirit qi.

Li Yuan improved his talisman crafting and used a second Spirit-Refining Talisman to strengthen his soul. After the Herb Garden array was harassed by coordinated attackers, he resumed crafting through the disturbances and brought his Contribution Points back into positive territory.

• Li Yuan crafted a second Spirit-Refining Talisman and used it to slightly increase the density of his soul.
• Three cultivators attacked the Herb Garden array with spells, then retreated together before the guards could engage them.
• Manager Wang told Li Yuan that the attacks were recurring harassment, while Cultivator Zhou and Cultivator Feng described how often the attacks had become.
• Li Yuan returned to crafting Fireball Talismans after the attackers fled, achieving a success rate above ninety percent.
• Li Yuan’s batches of talismans steadily repaid his deficit, and his Contribution Points returned to positive by the eighth day.

Li Yuan made Breath-Concealing Talismans and Spirit Liquid to support a planned nighttime operation against suspected intruders near the Herb Garden. After obtaining a Foundation-Solidifying Grass, he discovered it offered the Green Trait Eternal Qi-Blood Stability, but he could not equip it because his slots were full and he did not understand how to fulfill its permanence condition.

• Li Yuan began making Herb Talisman Paper, then Manager Wang brought him approval to collect a Foundation-Solidifying Grass, which Li Yuan carefully uprooted intact.
• Two scout cultivators reported signs of a camp northwest of the Herb Garden, and Manager Wang organized a nighttime investigation while assigning Li Yuan to prepare concealment supplies.
• Li Yuan made Breath-Concealing Talismans and Spirit Liquid for the group, while Manager Wang kept the alchemist and Cultivator Feng behind to guard the garden.
• Li Yuan examined the Foundation-Solidifying Grass and discovered its Eternal Qi-Blood Stability trait, but its permanence required a complete qi-blood circulation through every meridian.
• Unable to equip the grass or meet its permanence condition, Li Yuan put it away and returned to drawing Fireball Talismans.

Li Yuan and the others left the Herb Garden to investigate reports of activity in a valley, taking precautions in case the information was a trap. At the valley, they detected widespread faint spiritual fluctuations and split up to investigate its edges, where Li Yuan found the fluctuations growing denser.

• Manager Wang sent Cultivator Feng and the Alchemist to guard the Herb Garden while he led Li Yuan, Cultivator Zhou, Young Scout, and Old Zhao into the forest under concealed auras.
• During a pause on the trail, Li Yuan asked Old Zhao about the Blood-Qi Heavenly Cycle and realized Foundation-Solidifying Grass required blood-qi to circulate through every meridian, including the Micro-Meridians.
• Young Scout led the group to a broad valley, where Li Yuan and Manager Wang detected faint spiritual fluctuations spread across the area.
• Manager Wang split the group into pairs to search along the valley walls, ordering everyone to avoid the valley floor and regroup before taking action.
• Li Yuan and Old Zhao investigated the right wall, and Li Yuan noticed that the fluctuations were denser farther inside the valley.

Li Yuan discovered and disabled an array eye that had produced false aura fluctuations in the valley. Manager Wang realized the formation was a lure and led everyone back to the Herb Garden, where its protective light curtain had grown noticeably dimmer.

• Li Yuan found an array eye hidden beneath a grayish-white stone and identified the valley’s faint aura fluctuations as the work of a formation.
• Li Yuan repeatedly struck the array eye with low-powered Fire Arrow attacks until the formation on the right side of the valley collapsed.
• Li Yuan detected the intact Manifestation Stone and learned its Aura Amplification trait required Spiritual Pressure to become permanent.
• Manager Wang recognized the formation as a false signal meant to draw them away and rushed back toward the Herb Garden with Li Yuan, Old Zhao, Cultivator Zhou, and the Young Scout.
• The group returned to find the Herb Garden’s blue-green protective light curtain noticeably dimmer.

Six cultivators attacked the Herb Garden, stealing its most valuable medicinal herbs and leaving the formation and plots badly damaged. After Manager Wang left to notify the Wang Family, Li Yuan used the guarded lull to equip a Qi Gathering Talisman and began cultivating to make its trait permanent.

• Manager Wang and the others found the Herb Garden wrecked, its Foundation Establishment Pill ingredients stolen, and Cultivator Feng missing.
• The alchemist returned and reported that six attackers had broken through the formation, looted the plots, and chased him and Cultivator Feng apart.
• Li Yuan, Cultivator Zhou, and the others counted the losses and tried to stabilize the damaged Spirit Herbs.
• Manager Wang left to notify the Wang Family and ordered Old Zhao and the others to guard the damaged garden.
• Li Yuan unequipped his Green Spirit Talisman Brush, equipped a Qi Gathering Talisman, and began the hundred cultivation cycles required to make its Spirit Essence Expansion trait permanent.

Li Yuan advanced the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art after the Herb Garden attack, and Wang Family investigators identified the attackers as a band of cultivator bandits seeking Foundation Establishment herbs. Back at the Talisman Hall, Old Sun told him that the bandit leader might turn to Alchemist He, while Li Yuan continued cultivating to make his Qi Gathering Talisman permanent.

• Li Yuan reached Minor Accomplishment in the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art, increasing his circulation speed by nearly thirty percent.
• Cultivator Feng returned wounded and reported that he had escaped the two pursuing bandits, who went back to steal the medicinal herbs.
• A Wang Family Steward collected the Array Eye and revealed that six cultivator bandits had attacked the garden after being hired by a Wang Family Elder; their leader sought Foundation Establishment Pill ingredients.
• Li Yuan left the Herb Garden and returned to the Talisman Hall, where he cultivated to advance the Qi Gathering Talisman's progress toward becoming permanent.
• Old Sun told Li Yuan that Alchemist He of Yunyang Marketplace could refine Foundation Establishment Pills for any client, and that the bandit leader might seek him out with the stolen herbs.

Li Yuan permanently converted Spirit Essence Expansion and Spirit Qi Backflow, then gained a new Spirit Ink efficiency affix from the Azure Cloud Talisman Brush. After demonstrating that he could craft a Spirit-Refining Talisman, he was assigned to investigate Alchemist He in Yunyang Marketplace alongside Old Sun, and he prepared to leave the day after tomorrow.

• Li Yuan permanently converted Spirit Essence Expansion, increasing his maximum spiritual power and freeing an equipment slot.
• While cultivating and keeping his spiritual power full, Li Yuan permanently converted Spirit Qi Backflow and equipped the Azure Cloud Talisman Brush, gaining improved Spirit Ink efficiency and Spirit Pattern stability.
• Old Sun told Li Yuan that the Alchemy Hall had transferred him to Yunyang Marketplace to investigate Alchemist He and possible requests for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• A Wang Family Steward assigned Li Yuan to Yunyang Marketplace after Li Yuan successfully crafted a Spirit-Refining Talisman on his third attempt.
• The Steward returned the Manifestation Stone to Li Yuan and said he would leave with Old Sun and a Wang Family cultivator the day after tomorrow.
• After Old Sun left to pack, Li Yuan began preparing as many talismans as he could before the trip.

Li Yuan, Wang Lu, and Old Sun arrived in Yunyang Marketplace, where Li Yuan agreed to produce Spirit-Refining Talismans for Alchemist He while he and Old Sun investigated possible Cultivator Bandit connections. After surveying the marketplace, Li Yuan realized that its shop barriers would make it difficult to test goods for Affixes, and he returned toward the inn with Old Sun.

• Wang Lu explained the three-part assignment as the group traveled to Yunyang Marketplace: gather information, make talismans for Alchemist He, and pursue other intelligence.
• The three entered Yunyang Marketplace and rented rooms at an inn after paying the entrance fee.
• Wang Lu brought Li Yuan to meet Alchemist He, who inspected Li Yuan's sample talisman and asked him to make thirty in half a month.
• Wang Lu assigned Li Yuan and Old Sun to investigate whether outside cultivators had approached Alchemist He or other Alchemists to refine pills.
• Li Yuan and Old Sun surveyed the main street, where most goods were sealed behind spiritual-energy barriers, and Li Yuan found no Affixes to test at the few stalls he examined.