Chapter Summaries

After learning that Seven Absolutes Old Devil and Roaming Dragon’s clash devastated the area around Wu Family Market, Shen Changchuan avoided the conflict and focused on strengthening himself. He refined the Bronze Bell, just as Roaming Dragon announced the founding of the Dragon Firmament Sect.

• Shen Changchuan learned that the clash between Seven Absolutes Old Devil and Roaming Dragon had wiped out most cultivators near Wu Family Market and was relieved he had stayed away.
• Shen Changchuan concluded that the Spirit Wandering Realm powerhouses were beyond his reach and decided to focus on improving his strength while asking Han Qinhu to gather news.
• Shen Changchuan chose to refine the Bronze Bell, which he believed could greatly increase his strength.
• Shen Changchuan successfully refined the Bronze Bell after three days.
• Roaming Dragon announced that he had established the Dragon Firmament Sect.

Roaming Dragon dismissed the threat posed by Seven Absolutes Old Man and promised Wu Tianhao’s clan a place in the newly founded Dragon Firmament Sect. He established the sect’s plans and ordered Wu Tianhao to recruit disciples, while Wu Tianhao thought of Shen Yu and Xiao Yu.

• Roaming Dragon told Wu Tianhao that the Wu Clan’s Ancient Grotto-Heaven would become the Dragon Firmament Sect’s headquarters and promised the clan a place in the new sect.
• Wu Tianhao asked whether the sect could help, and Roaming Dragon explained that he was avoiding internal threats while pursuing a chance to reach the Mystic Core Realm.
• Wu Tianhao worried that Roaming Dragon had been expelled, but Roaming Dragon clarified that he remained a Jade Clarity Immortal Sect disciple and that the new sect would operate under its banner.
• Roaming Dragon ordered Wu Tianhao to prepare the Ancient Grotto-Heaven, announce recruitment, and find talented candidates for him to test.
• Wu Tianhao thought Shen Yu might qualify as a promising candidate and decided he could pick up Xiao Yu while visiting Dawan Village.

Shen Tingchu wounded Black Shadow in a mountain forest but abandoned the pursuit after receiving an emergency message from the Shen Family Ancestor. The Ancestor asked Shen Tingchu to report what he knew about the situation around Roaming Dragon’s new sect.

• Shen Tingchu fought Black Shadow, who escaped after threatening revenge against Shen Tingchu’s friends and family.
• Shen Tingchu sensed an emergency message from the Shen Clan and stopped pursuing Black Shadow.
• Shen Tingchu met the Shen Family Ancestor, the Tiannan Shen Clan’s only Spirit Wandering Realm cultivator.
• Shen Tingchu realized that Spirit Wandering Realm experts from nearby powers were gathering because Roaming Dragon had established a sect nearby.
• The Shen Family Ancestor praised Shen Tingchu’s potential and asked him to share what he had learned.

Black Shadow escaped to the mountains and chose Dawan Village as a place to feed on Qi Induction Realm cultivators while recovering. Shen Changchuan tested the Bronze Bell, then learned that representatives of the Shen Clan from Qing City had arrived and went to meet them.

• Black Shadow, injured and vowing revenge on Shen Tingchu, decided to hunt cultivators in Dawan Village to heal himself.
• Shen Changchuan discovered that the Bronze Bell could unleash an attack as powerful as an Out-of-Body Realm expert’s, but he could use its full strength only three to five times before exhausting his spiritual energy.
• Shen Changchuan resolved to treat the Bronze Bell as a defensive trump card and focus on improving his cultivation.
• Han Qinhu warned Shen Changchuan that members of the Shen Clan stationed in Qing City were coming on behalf of the City Lord Mansion.
• Shen Changchuan accepted that he could not handle the visitors as he had Shen Zeyu’s group and descended from the mountain to meet them.

Shen Shengliang and his Shen Clan companions seized Dawan Village’s administrative hall and demanded that Shen Changchuan surrender the village and most of its earnings. Shen Changchuan arrived to face their ultimatum, leaving his response unresolved.

• Shen Clan members from Qing City occupied Dawan Village’s administrative hall and sealed it off.
• Shen Shengliang examined the village’s accounts and celebrated its lucrative income with his companions.
• Shen Shengliang’s group dismissed Shen Changchuan as weak and planned to claim the village’s wealth.
• Shen Changchuan entered the hall, and Shen Shengliang ordered him to hand over the village within three days and surrender eighty percent of its earnings.
• Shen Changchuan questioned whether he was expected to give up both the village he had built and most of its past-year income.

Shen Shengliang tried to seize most of Shen Changchuan’s Spirit Stones, but a Demonic Cultivator at the Out of Body Realm suddenly attacked Dawan Village. The chapter ended with the black mist trapping the village and the cultivators facing a swarm of ghostly monsters.

• Shen Shengliang demanded eight tenths of Shen Changchuan’s Spirit Stones and warned him not to resist.
• A deafening boom shook Dawan Village as Shen Shengliang wondered whether Shen Changchuan had summoned reinforcements.
• A guard reported that an Out of Body Realm Demonic Cultivator had broken into the village.
• Shen Shengliang and the other cultivators saw black mist seal Dawan Village while a fleeing cultivator was killed by the ghosts.
• The Black Shadow sent the smoke skulls and ghostly monsters surging toward the gathered cultivators.

As black-smoke creatures ravaged Dawan Village, Shen Changchuan rejected Shen Shengliang’s plan to use the village guards as bait and revealed his hidden power. He began confronting the Black Shadow above the village, leaving the gathered cultivators stunned by the strength of his sword strike.

• Black-smoke skeletons, ghosts, and Demonic Beasts drained the life from cultivators as Dawan Village erupted into chaos.
• Han Qinhu brought the village guards to the Government Hall, where Shen Shengliang ordered them to hold the line while he and the Shen Clan escaped through the Black Fog Wall.
• Shen Shengliang offered to take Shen Changchuan along in exchange for the guards’ sacrifice, and Shen Changchuan kicked him through two houses and into a boulder.
• Han Qinhu asked whether Shen Changchuan was done concealing his strength, and Shen Changchuan said he was tired of hiding.
• Shen Changchuan stepped into the square and sent out a flash of sword light that destroyed three powerful black-smoke skulls as he faced the Black Shadow above.

Shen Changchuan grew tired of the endless challengers drawn by Dawan Village’s wealth and revealed overwhelming sword power against Black Shadow’s Black Smoke Skulls. Black Shadow recognized him as the young cultivator from Wu Family Market and attacked him with an Out-of-Body Realm technique.

• Shen Changchuan reflected that hiding his true strength left Dawan Village vulnerable to a recurring stream of greedy challengers.
• Shen Changchuan stood his ground as Black Smoke Skulls swarmed toward him, while nearby cultivators assumed he was doomed and considered fleeing.
• Shen Changchuan unleashed dozens of sword lights and destroyed the Black Smoke Skulls around him, shocking the watching cultivators.
• Black Shadow recognized Shen Changchuan from their encounter at Wu Family Market and identified him as a genius of the Tiannan Shen Clan.
• Black Shadow appeared above Shen Changchuan and struck at him with a gigantic black hand carrying the pressure of the Out-of-Body Realm.

Shen Changchuan withstood Black Shadow’s full-force attack despite the gap between their cultivation realms, alarming the Out-of-Body Demonic Cultivator. As Black Shadow tried to absorb the cultivators’ life force and recover, Shen Changchuan’s Bronze Bell struck from above.

• Shen Changchuan met Black Shadow’s pitch-black giant hand with Azure Wood Sword Light, and the collision injured him but did not defeat him.
• The nearby cultivators and Shen Clan members were shocked that Shen Changchuan had survived an Out-of-Body attack.
• Black Shadow recognized Shen Changchuan’s improvement since their previous encounter and feared what he might become.
• Black Shadow formed hand seals to gather the blood and life force of the Black Smoke Skulls and Ghost Monsters to heal himself.
• Shen Changchuan summoned the Bronze Bell, which suppressed Black Shadow briefly before crashing down on him.

Shen Changchuan used the Bronze Bell to break through the Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator’s defense and badly wound him. After striking twice, Shen Changchuan stood panting with roughly a third of his magic power remaining, while his opponent’s aura had weakened.

• The Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator raised an Out-of-Body-level defense and began recalling his blood-fed monsters to recover.
• Shen Changchuan struck with the Bronze Bell, shattering the defense and sending the Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator crashing into the ground.
• Shen Changchuan recognized that his opponent was already injured and followed him into the crater for another attack.
• The second impact blasted away the dust, revealing the Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator mangled and bleeding at the end of a ravine.
• Shen Changchuan panted beside the crater after using about two-thirds of his magic power to drive the Bronze Bell twice.

Shen Changchuan defeated the gravely injured Xu Ziming by gambling on the Bronze Bell’s power after recognizing his weakened state. As the fog lifted around Dawan Village, the witnesses watched Shen Changchuan approach the helpless Out-of-Body Realm cultivator.

• Shen Changchuan explained that Xu Ziming’s injuries and divided strength had left him vulnerable, prompting Shen Changchuan to risk using the Bronze Bell.
• Shen Changchuan replenished some of his magical energy with a mid-grade Spirit Stone while cautiously closing in on Xu Ziming.
• Xu Ziming admitted he had underestimated Shen Changchuan and reflected on how his success in the Out-of-Body Realm had made him look down on Qi Induction cultivators.
• Xu Ziming recognized that his carelessness had brought him to the brink of death and imagined becoming a stepping stone to Shen Changchuan’s fame.
• The dark clouds and fog surrounding Dawan Village dissipated, but the onlookers stayed still, silently watching Shen Changchuan and Xu Ziming.

Shen Changchuan killed the Out-of-Body Realm demonic cultivator Xu Ziming after seeing through his feigned weakness and surviving his self-detonation with the Bronze Bell. With Dawan Village reduced to ruins, the stunned survivors witnessed Shen Changchuan’s legendary victory while Shen Shengliang was left terrified and regretful.

• Shen Changchuan stopped well short of Xu Ziming and attacked him with Azure Wood Sword Light.
• Xu Ziming revealed that he had been feigning defeat and tried to take Shen Changchuan down with a self-detonation.
• The Bronze Bell shielded Shen Changchuan from the explosion, which devastated Dawan Village and left Xu Ziming without a trace.
• Shen Changchuan recalled the Bronze Bell and realized the battle was over.
• The gathered cultivators stared in disbelief at Shen Changchuan’s victory, while Shen Shengliang froze in fear and regret.

After Shen Changchuan killed Xu Ziming, news of his strength spread throughout the Tiannan Region, drawing attention to the previously obscure young cultivator. The Shen Family Ancestor praised his achievement but rejected Shen Tingchu’s suggestion to make him a Seed member, saying he had other plans for him.

• Shen Shengliang regretted offending Shen Changchuan and feared for his life after the battle.
• Reports that Shen Changchuan had killed the Out-of-Body Realm Xu Ziming spread across the Tiannan Region, sparking widespread debate about his origins and abilities.
• Shen Tingchu brought news of Shen Changchuan’s victory to the Shen Family Ancestor and reflected on how far Changchuan had advanced in a year.
• Shen Tingchu urged the Shen Family Ancestor to make Shen Changchuan a Seed member to protect him from the clan head’s wife.
• The Shen Family Ancestor refused and said he had other plans for Shen Changchuan.

After learning that Shen Fuxing had used his family as pawns, Shen Chong rejected a tempting offer of power and vowed to surpass Shen Changchuan. Meanwhile, Wu Tianhao reported Shen Changchuan’s achievement to Roaming Dragon, who decided to make contact and consider taking him as a direct disciple.

• Shen Chong learned from a man’s mind that Shen Fuxing had manipulated him, his eldest brother, and their mother, and he swore to return and take revenge.
• The old voice urged Shen Chong to accept its help and warned that Shen Changchuan might surpass him, but Shen Chong refused and declared he would not rely on another man’s bones.
• Wu Tianhao was astonished to hear that Shen Changchuan had slain an Out-of-Body Realm cultivator while in the Qi Induction Realm.
• Wu Tianhao reported Shen Changchuan’s talent to his master, Roaming Dragon, and suggested that the newly founded Dragon Firmament Sect could use him.
• Roaming Dragon decided to contact Shen Changchuan and offer to take him as a direct disciple if he agreed and passed the Heart Inquiry Trial.

Shen Fuxing learned of Shen Changchuan’s accomplishments and decided to use him as a shield to divert the First Madam from his favored son, Yiyun. Meanwhile, Shen Changchuan recovered from his battle with Xu Ziming and prepared to leave with his family, while Han Qinhu reassured him that he welcomed the journey.

• Shen Fuxing realized that the celebrated Shen Changchuan was his own son, whom he had never remembered.
• Shen Fuxing ordered Uncle Shao to draw the First Madam’s attention to Shen Changchuan and the Bright Tripod Bell so she would stop investigating his son Yiyun.
• Uncle Shao left after reluctantly accepting Shen Fuxing’s plan, but worried that his master might regret treating Shen Changchuan as a shield.
• Shen Changchuan recovered from his injuries and sensed that refining enough spiritual resources could help him reach the Ninth Level Peak.
• Shen Changchuan apologized to Han Qinhu for making him and Han Dayong leave Dawan Village, but Han Qinhu cheerfully accepted the need to wander.

Shen Changchuan discussed the Han Clan’s rise and his birth mother’s danger with Han Qinhu, who helped him recognize how confronting his enemies had transformed his outlook. Shen Changchuan resolved to go to Tiannan City and bring his mother out safely.

• Han Qinhu reassured Shen Changchuan that the Han Clan’s prosperity and cultivation progress were thanks to him, and that the risks they had taken for him were insignificant in comparison.
• Han Qinhu warned Shen Changchuan that the First Madam might take her anger out on Yun Niang if she could not find him.
• Shen Changchuan regretted acting before arranging a way out for his mother and planned to go to Tiannan City after the others withdrew.
• Han Qinhu argued that Shen Changchuan had been right to strike back against his enemies and that the confrontation had helped him overcome the pressure weighing on his heart.
• Shen Changchuan recognized his newfound confidence and vowed to bring his mother out safely.

The Shen Family Ancestor confronted Shen Changchuan in Dawan Village and offered to protect his birth mother and grant his family the village if he joined the Dragon Firmament Sect. He left with Shen Tingchu, intending to use Shen Changchuan to learn about Roaming Dragon and the sect’s plans, while worrying about the threat they might pose to the Tiannan Shen Clan.

• The Shen Family Ancestor appeared behind Shen Changchuan, who recognized him and paid his respects.
• The Ancestor assessed Shen Changchuan’s potential and offered to protect his birth mother and secure Dawan Village for his family if he joined the Dragon Firmament Sect.
• Shen Changchuan asked what the Ancestor wanted, and the Ancestor told him to join the sect.
• The Shen Family Ancestor left Dawan Village with Shen Tingchu, then explained that Shen Changchuan’s talents and likely future cultivation rank mattered less than gathering information about Roaming Dragon.
• The Ancestor worried that Roaming Dragon’s arrival and the Dragon Firmament Sect’s founding could threaten the Tiannan Shen Clan.

Shen Changchuan arrived at the site of Wu Family Market and saw that Roaming Dragon had transformed it into the Dragon Firmament Sect’s magnificent mountain gate. Impressed by the sect’s foundations, Shen Changchuan abandoned his reluctance to join and met Wu Tianhao at the mountain’s entrance.

• The founding of the Dragon Firmament Sect drew growing attention as nearby powers speculated about Roaming Dragon’s motives and cultivators flocked to seek discipleship.
• Shen Changchuan saw the towering mountain gate built where Wu Family Market had once stood and marveled at Roaming Dragon’s methods.
• Shen Changchuan reasoned that the mountain’s creation depended on special methods rather than Spirit Wandering Realm strength alone.
• Shen Changchuan decided that joining the Dragon Firmament Sect could benefit him and reached the mist-covered entrance.
• Wu Tianhao emerged from the mountain path and greeted Shen Changchuan, who apologized for arriving two days late.

After a family emergency delayed him, Shen Changchuan arrived at the Dragon Firmament Sect two days after its recruitment assessment began. Wu Tianhao escorted him to the final Heart Inquiry Trial, where a candidate challenged the special treatment Shen Changchuan received.

• Shen Changchuan reached the Ninth Level Peak after refining his gains and Spirit Stones, but postponed seeking an Out-of-Body breakthrough to protect his future chances of reaching the Mystic Core Realm.
• After receiving word that his mother had been in danger, Shen Changchuan returned briefly to Tiannan City and arrived at the Dragon Firmament Sect two days late.
• Wu Tianhao explained that only a few hundred candidates had survived the strenuous recruitment trials and said Shen Changchuan only needed to pass the Heart Inquiry Trial.
• The candidates made way for Shen Changchuan to enter the trial ahead of them, and one of them accused the sect of rigging its recruitment assessment.

Shen Changchuan faced the candidates’ anger after Wu Tianhao brought him directly to the final trial, and stopped Wu from punishing the outspoken challenger. He demonstrated his power with a single sword strike, leaving the challenger frozen beside a trench across the square.

• The candidates objected to Shen Changchuan skipping the earlier trials, and one young man challenged Wu Tianhao’s handling of the recruitment.
• Wu Tianhao’s pressure and threat unsettled the crowd, and he realized his decision had put Shen Changchuan and the recruitment effort at risk.
• Wu Tianhao prepared to strike the challenger, but Shen Changchuan stepped in and asked whether the young man opposed him for taking a backdoor.
• The young man confirmed his objection, and Shen Changchuan flicked his finger, sending an azure sword strike that carved a trench more than thirty zhang across the square and left the challenger unable to move.