Chapter Summaries

Li Yuan received an assignment to craft talismans at the Lingxu Secret Realm Perimeter while Old Sun refined pills, and traveled there with Uncle Qu. After arriving, Li Yuan heard rumors of a Spirit Origin Fruit in the northern mountains, the same area where the missing Cultivator Bandit leader might be searching.

• Li Yuan made the Jade Elephant Bearing affix permanent, increasing his body's carrying capacity by thirty percent.
• The Steward assigned Li Yuan and Old Sun to work at a shop near the Lingxu Secret Realm, where supplies for Rogue Cultivators were in high demand.
• The Steward warned Li Yuan that the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement Cultivator Bandit leader might be near the Secret Realm and told him to watch for suspicious people without confronting them.
• Li Yuan packed his crafting and pill-refining supplies and traveled north with Old Sun and Uncle Qu to the settlement outside the Secret Realm.
• Uncle Qu gave Li Yuan and Old Sun five portraits of the disguised bandit leader before leaving to handle other business.
• On the way to the shop, Li Yuan overheard Rogue Cultivators discussing a rumored Spirit Origin Fruit in the northern mountains.

Li Yuan and Old Sun settled into the Wang Family shop on the outskirts, where Li Yuan sold Talismans and learned to refine Qi Replenishment Pills. By nightfall, Li Yuan had produced a usable pill and planned to keep practicing.

• Li Yuan and Old Sun arrived at the Wang Shop, where Wang Zheng explained the local demand, sales records, and rules for the outskirts.
• Li Yuan crafted and sold Fireball, Vajra, and Rejuvenation Talismans during the afternoon.
• Old Sun offered to teach Li Yuan alchemy in exchange for a favor and demonstrated how to refine a Qi Replenishment Pill.
• Li Yuan made an imperfect medicinal paste on his first attempt, then improved through two more batches until he produced a usable pill.
• Li Yuan stored the results and resolved to keep practicing as darkness and beast roars settled over the outskirts.

Li Yuan permanently activated Blood-Qi Nourishment and Aura Imprinting while advancing his spiritual-control and meridian techniques. After recognizing a suspected bandit leader in the settlement and alerting Uncle Qu, he continued refining his skills and reached Major Accomplishment in the Micro-Origin Meridian Guiding Art.

• Li Yuan permanently activated Blood-Qi Nourishment by equipping a refined Qi Replenishment Pill.
• Li Yuan reached Mastery in the Micro-Spirit Control Art and used Spirit Silk and Breath-Concealing Pills to suppress his aura until he seemed like an ordinary mortal.
• Li Yuan permanently activated Aura Imprinting with a Qi-Sensing Disk and sensed a Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement cultivator whose face matched a portrait of the bandit leader.
• Li Yuan told Uncle Qu where the suspected bandit had gone, and Uncle Qu left to investigate while Li Yuan returned to making Talismans.
• Li Yuan improved his pill refining and Talisman-making, strengthened his soul, and continued opening his micro-meridians.
• Li Yuan opened the final stretch of a micro-meridian and advanced the Micro-Origin Meridian Guiding Art to Major Accomplishment.

Li Yuan and Uncle Qu used a formation and a Spirit Origin Fruit to lure the cultivator bandit into the open. Uncle Qu pursued the man, but Li Yuan sensed that he was not the same person whose aura he had recorded.

• Li Yuan followed Uncle Qu to a hillside where Uncle Qu had set up a formation to spread the Spirit Origin Fruit's aura.
• Uncle Qu placed the Spirit Origin Fruit and Manifestation Stone in the formation, then had Li Yuan supply spirit power while he waited nearby.
• A cultivator approached the hillside and recognized the Spirit Origin Fruit's aura, and Li Yuan identified him as the man in Uncle Qu's fifth portrait.
• Uncle Qu attacked the approaching man, who dodged and fled, so Uncle Qu chased him into the woods.
• Li Yuan used Aura Imprinting to check the man's aura and realized he was not the cultivator whose aura he had recorded outside the shop.

Li Yuan faced the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement cultivator who had approached the hillside after luring Uncle Qu away. He defeated and killed the attacker, then found that his own wound was already healing and that he had spent little spirit qi.

• Li Yuan sensed the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement aura approaching and stopped feeding spirit qi into the formation.
• The unfamiliar cultivator found Li Yuan alone and attacked, but Li Yuan’s Fireball Technique forced him back.
• Li Yuan used Fireballs and a Fire Arrow to control the fight as the cultivator charged into close combat.
• The cultivator’s Gold Blade cut Li Yuan’s forearm, but his defenses stopped it from causing a serious wound, and Li Yuan struck the man with a spirit-qi-infused punch.
• Li Yuan dodged the cultivator’s full-strength sword strike and hit him in the chest with a Fireball.
• Li Yuan finished the wounded cultivator with a Fire Arrow through the throat and saw his own forearm healing.

Li Yuan collected the Spirit Origin Fruit and the Cultivator Bandit's belongings, then fled as Li Family cultivators approached. After sensing Uncle Qu's faint aura vanish, Li Yuan returned to Wang Shop and replenished his spiritual energy.

• Li Yuan recovered the Spirit Origin Fruit and searched the Cultivator Bandit's corpse, taking his pills, Spirit Stones, Flying Dagger, and spell Bamboo Slips.
• Li Yuan sensed four Li Family cultivators approaching and escaped south, detouring southwest before heading back toward the Secret Realm Perimeter.
• Li Yuan sensed Uncle Qu's weakened aura in the northwest, but it abruptly disappeared, so he continued south instead of investigating.
• Li Yuan returned to Wang Shop, where Old Sun was refining pills, and examined the items he had taken from the bandit.
• Li Yuan sat on his bed and circulated the Spirit Guiding Art to restore the spiritual energy he had spent in battle.

Li Yuan learned about the Blood Coagulation Pill and began practicing the Earth Escape Technique before Wang Lu told him that Uncle Qu had died. As Li Family cultivators watched the settlement, Li Yuan stayed cautious and continued cultivating.

• Li Yuan examined a Blood Coagulation Pill, learned from Old Sun that it could support cultivators during breakthroughs, and put it away because all his Equipment Slots were full.
• Li Yuan studied the Earth Escape Technique and reached Entry Level after using his fire-aligned spiritual power to form earth-attributed spiritual power.
• Wang Lu told Li Yuan and Old Sun that Uncle Qu's Soul Tablet had shattered, and Li Yuan recounted how Uncle Qu chased a target before four Li Family cultivators arrived.
• Wang Lu warned Li Yuan and Old Sun to stay inside and avoid going north while he returned to report Uncle Qu's death.
• Li Yuan spotted Li Family cultivators watching the settlement, then continued practicing the Earth Escape Technique late into the night.

Li Yuan and Old Sun continued running their shop as the Wang Family struggled after Wang Qu’s death. Li Tong of the Li Family tried to recruit them, while Wang Lu warned them to stay near the Secret Realm Perimeter; Li Yuan later reached Entry Level in alchemy.

• Li Yuan heard reports of cultivators dying or finding treasure in the Secret Realm while he continued his daily work.
• Li Tong visited Li Yuan’s shop, introduced himself as a Li Family representative, and invited Li Yuan and Old Sun to join the Li Family.
• Wang Lu told Li Yuan and Old Sun they could keep the shop’s earnings, warned them to remain near the Secret Realm Perimeter, and said he would return to Qinghe Market with intelligence.
• Li Yuan refined four Qi Replenishment Pills from six batches of ingredients and reached Entry Level in First-Order Alchemy Art.
• Li Yuan returned to his room and continued cultivating.

Li Yuan bought a Hidden-Scale Beast Hide and equipped a Blood Coagulation Pill, gaining affixes that improved his perception and linked spiritual power with blood-qi. Wang Lu reported that the Li Family was sending cultivators into the Secret Realm in growing numbers, while Li Yuan continued cultivating as he awaited reinforcements.

• Li Yuan heard rogue cultivators report that demonic beasts were growing more restless in the Secret Realm and that fewer cultivators were returning.
• Li Yuan bought a complete Hidden-Scale Beast Hide and equipped it, gaining Breath Concealment and Keen Perception with the ability to reduce his presence.
• Li Yuan replaced the Soul Nourishing Pill with a Blood Coagulation Pill and gained the Spirit-Blood Dual Cultivation affix.
• Li Yuan cultivated with spiritual power and blood-qi circulating together, strengthening the coordination between his cultivation arts.
• Wang Lu told Li Yuan that the Li Family was entering the Secret Realm in batches and had increased its presence nearby, then advised him to stay put until reinforcements arrived.

Li Yuan permanently converted the beast hide’s Breath Concealment and Keen Perception affix, then agreed to craft Spirit-Refining Talismans for Alchemist He. Alchemist He gave him a Jade Breakthrough Pill as an advance, leaving Li Yuan with four batches of talismans to complete to repay its cost.

• Li Yuan bought three kinds of demonic beast eyes and used nine kinds in total to permanently convert Breath Concealment and Keen Perception.
• Wang Lu told Li Yuan that Alchemist He had arrived near the Secret Realm and wanted Li Yuan to supply him with Spirit-Refining Talismans directly.
• Li Yuan visited Alchemist He, who gave him a Jade Breakthrough Pill as an advance payment and assigned him thirty-five talismans in ten days.
• Alchemist He told Li Yuan to complete four batches of talismans to settle the pill’s debt, and Li Yuan took the supplied materials back to his shop.

Li Yuan equipped the Jade Breakthrough Pill, improved his cultivation and talisman-making, and advanced the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art to Major Accomplishment. After Wang Lu raised the question of his contract with the Wang Family, Li Yuan leaned toward leaving but decided to wait until reinforcements arrived.

• Li Yuan equipped the Jade Breakthrough Pill and cultivated with faster spirit power circulation, recovery, and growth.
• Over several days, Li Yuan crafted Spirit-Refining Talismans for Alchemist He and kept the surplus materials.
• Li Yuan advanced the Hundred Meridians Origin Return Art to Major Accomplishment, improving his meridian capacity and his ability to switch spirit power attributes.
• Wang Lu sensed Li Yuan's Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation and told him the Wang Family would discuss his contract after reinforcements arrived.
• Li Yuan weighed the benefits of staying with the Wang Family against the freedom of leaving, leaned toward leaving, and continued crafting Talismans.

Wang Lu brought Captain Wang and reinforcements to Qinghe Marketplace, where Captain Wang briefed Li Yuan and Old Sun on Uncle Qu’s death and ordered them to investigate Alchemist He. Captain Wang then assigned Li Yuan to enter the Secret Realm and learn what the Li Family was doing there, offering him a chance to dissolve his Wang Family contract or join its core ranks; Li Yuan decided the freedom was worth the risk and prepared to finish his talismans before the mission.

• Captain Wang arrived with five guards and met Li Yuan and Old Sun in Wang Shop to review Uncle Qu’s death and the loss of the Spirit Origin Fruit.
• Captain Wang told Li Yuan and Wang Lu to monitor Alchemist He, with Wang Lu tasked to discuss Qi-Gathering Essence Pills and Li Yuan told to continue delivering Spirit-Refining Talismans.
• Captain Wang ordered Li Yuan to investigate the Li Family’s activity in the Secret Realm and offered contract release or core-rank membership for important intelligence.
• Li Yuan weighed the dangers of the mission against the chance to become free of his contract and decided to prepare for the journey.
• Li Yuan completed one Spirit-Refining Talisman and continued working on the seven remaining in his batch.

Li Yuan entered the Secret Realm, where random teleportation separated him from Captain Wang’s team, and explored the forest alone. After defeating three Rogue Cultivators guarding a blood-gathering array, he found a Blood-Devouring Stone and left it unequipped.

• Captain Wang gave Li Yuan a Teleportation Stone and explained that the team would be scattered upon entering the Secret Realm.
• Li Yuan arrived alone in a dense forest, permanently acquired Spatial Perception, and headed north while concealing his presence.
• Li Yuan killed an Iron-Spined Wolf with a Fireball Technique and collected its fangs, spines, and several medicinal herbs.
• Li Yuan discovered a concealed array and killed the three Rogue Cultivators who attacked him, finding a Li Family Token and Foundation Establishment Pill materials among their belongings.
• Li Yuan destroyed the blood-stained array, found an intact Blood-Devouring Stone with a Green Affix, and stored it without equipping it.

Li Yuan reported the concealed formation and the Blood-Devouring Stone to Captain Wang, who recognized its significance and gave him permission to terminate his Wang Family contract. After gathering more herbs and waiting for his Teleportation Stone to recharge, Li Yuan left the secret realm and headed back toward the settlement.

• Li Yuan told Captain Wang about the concealed formation where he had killed three cultivators and handed over the Li Family token and Blood-Devouring Stone.
• Captain Wang kept the token, returned the Blood-Devouring Stone to Li Yuan, and gave him a document authorizing him to terminate his Wang Family contract.
• Captain Wang told Li Yuan to finish his separate talisman contract with Alchemist He before leaving with a Guard Squad cultivator.
• Li Yuan explored the northeastern secret realm, hunted two low-grade demonic beasts, gathered herbs, and avoided two groups of rogue cultivators.
• After his Teleportation Stone finished charging, Li Yuan used it to leave the secret realm and walked toward the settlement.

Li Yuan returned to Qinghe Market to end his contract with the Wang Family Lineage and erase the essence blood tracking imprint. He retained a limited freelance relationship with the Talisman Hall and left the Steward’s Office free of contractual restraints.

• Li Yuan inventoried the items he had collected and reviewed the contract termination document Captain Wang had prepared.
• Li Yuan traveled alone toward Qinghe Market, keeping his distance from a Li Family cultivator and three Rogue Cultivators he encountered on the road.
• Li Yuan presented Captain Wang’s document at the Steward’s Office, where the Steward verified and dissolved his essence blood imprint.
• The Steward confirmed that Li Yuan’s Talisman Hall relationship would continue under freelance terms, with reduced rewards and fewer privileges.
• Li Yuan left the Steward’s Office with his contract ended and his freedom restored.

Li Yuan moved out of Wang Shop, continued fulfilling Alchemist He's Spirit-Refining Talisman order, and advanced his Talisman Crafting Art to Major Accomplishment. After delivering a better-quality batch, he received materials for a final, faster order and began work on it.

• Li Yuan dissolved his Wang Family contract, rented a courtyard, and moved his belongings and talisman-making supplies there.
• Li Yuan noticed more Yuanyang Sect disciples patrolling the settlement but focused on continuing to make Talismans.
• Li Yuan reached Major Accomplishment in the Tier 1 Talisman Crafting Art, raising his Spirit-Refining Talisman success rate to seventy to eighty percent and improving their quality.
• Li Yuan delivered thirty-five Spirit-Refining Talismans to Alchemist He, who confirmed their improved quality and said one more batch would repay the Breakthrough Pill.
• Alchemist He gave Li Yuan a Qi Gathering Pill and materials for a final batch of thirty Talismans due in one week, saying he needed to leave.
• Li Yuan returned to his courtyard, checked the materials, and began making the final batch.

After completing his contract with Alchemist He, Li Yuan moved from the Secret Realm Perimeter to Yunyang Marketplace to find better resources and cultivation conditions. He settled into a spirit-rich courtyard, stocked up on talisman materials, and began planning for Foundation Establishment as his cultivation neared the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

• Li Yuan delivered the final batch of thirty Spirit-Refining Talismans to Alchemist He, ending their contract.
• Li Yuan chose to leave the Secret Realm Perimeter for Yunyang Marketplace and told Old Sun to watch the shop.
• Li Yuan traveled to Yunyang Marketplace, rented a courtyard near a spiritual vein, and bought two months' worth of talisman-making materials.
• Li Yuan settled into a routine of refining pills, drawing talismans, and cultivating with the aid of his affixes.
• Half a month later, Li Yuan sensed that his spiritual power was nearing the Qi Refining Eighth Layer's limit and considered how to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Li Yuan settled into a steady routine in Yunyang Marketplace, making and selling talismans while saving for the costly ingredients needed for the Origin Breaking Pill. After cultivating with Iron Wall Pills, he advanced the Iron Wall Body Refining Art to Mastery and continued circulating the Spirit Guiding Art.

• Li Yuan compared local prices, made talismans, and sold them through several shops while building relationships with shopkeepers and stallholders.
• Li Yuan learned that the three missing main ingredients for the Origin Breaking Pill would cost at least three thousand spirit stones, and calculated that saving enough could take one or two years.
• Li Yuan bought two bottles of Iron Wall Pills and took one each day while training with the Iron Wall Body Refining Art.
• After nine days, Li Yuan advanced the Iron Wall Body Refining Art to Mastery, improving the coordination of spiritual power and blood qi and increasing his Blood-Qi Sea.
• Li Yuan saved the remaining Iron Wall Pills, returned to the bed, and cultivated with the Spirit Guiding Art as his blood qi and spiritual power circulated in sync.

Li Yuan improved his Fireball Talismans and secured a public, higher-paying supply partnership with Ziyuan Trading Firm, creating a faster route to earn Spirit Stones. He returned to his courtyard and continued cultivating as Yunyang Marketplace quieted for the night.

• Li Yuan heard rogue cultivators discuss the Li Family's old ancestor visiting the Yuanyang Sect and noticed extra Patrol Inspectors, then bought supplies and returned home to make Talismans.
• Li Yuan reached Major Accomplishment in Fireball Talisman-making, producing Talismans with greater spirit power density while using up his remaining Spirit-Refining Talisman materials.
• Li Yuan sold part of his day's Talismans and brought the rest to Ziyuan Trading Firm, where Shopkeeper Han offered him higher prices for a steady supply.
• Li Yuan agreed to a public partnership, signed the contract, and arranged for Ziyuan Trading Firm to display his name and Talisman specialties.
• Li Yuan returned to his courtyard and cultivated, advancing his spirit power through repeated circulation cycles.

Li Yuan learned two metal-element spells and permanently converted Gold Edge Enhancement, increasing the power of his metal spells. He also learned that conflict between the Wang and Li Families was escalating, while his blood and qi continued adapting toward circulation through every meridian.

• Yuanyang Sect Patrol Inspectors warned Li Yuan that Demon Sect remnants might be active nearby.
• Li Yuan met Fang He, who had left the Wang Family Guard Squad and described the Wang Family’s accusation that the Li Family had dealings with Demon Sect remnants.
• Li Yuan bought the Gold Edge Art and Armor Piercing Technique spells and reached Entry Level in both.
• Li Yuan equipped a Gold Blade Talisman and permanently converted Gold Edge Enhancement, boosting his metal-element spells by twenty percent.
• While cultivating, Li Yuan noticed his blood and qi had synchronized more closely with his spirit power, though circulation through fine branch meridians and Micro-Meridians remained incomplete.