Chapter Summaries

Shen Changchuan demonstrated his strength to the Heart Inquiry Trial candidates, silencing the plaza before entering the trial. Wu Tianhao and the hidden Roaming Dragon watched, anticipating what Shen Changchuan would do next.

• Shen Changchuan unleashed a sword strike that carved a long ravine through the plaza and stunned the assembled cultivators.
• Shen Changchuan told the crowd that being a genius was only the threshold to meeting him and invited anyone who doubted him to challenge him.
• Shen Changchuan entered the vortex of the Heart Inquiry Trial without anyone daring to stop him.
• Wu Tianhao watched the crowd react to Shen Changchuan's display and admired his bearing and bold words.
• Roaming Dragon observed Shen Changchuan and remarked that his perfected Azure Wood Sword Light backed up his confidence before vanishing into the void.

Shen Changchuan passed the Dragon Firmament Sect’s Heart Inquiry Trial and officially joined the sect as an Outer Sect disciple. After the new sect held its founding ceremonies and spent half a month organizing its affairs, Shen Changchuan settled into his new life.

• After Shen Changchuan left, Chen Mingdao and other trial participants vowed to surpass him, but their resolve faltered when they learned his name and feats.
• Shen Changchuan answered the Heart Inquiry Trial’s questions honestly and passed without exposing any reason to be rejected.
• Roaming Dragon welcomed the successful candidates to the Dragon Firmament Sect, announced its rules, and appointed his other personal disciples as elders.
• Shen Changchuan and the other recruits burned incense in the Ancestral Hall and swore oaths, officially becoming Outer Sect disciples.
• After half a month of adjustment, the Dragon Firmament Sect settled into order, and Shen Changchuan began adapting to sect life.

After settling into the Dragon Firmament Sect, Shen Changchuan learned about its training, contribution system, and extensive spell collection. The sect’s founding leader, Roaming Dragon, summoned him and estimated that he ranked among the top hundred Qi Induction Realm disciples of the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect, leaving Shen astonished by the number of talented cultivators.

• Shen Changchuan adjusted to life in the Dragon Firmament Sect and learned that its elders gave new disciples monthly lectures and training.
• Shen Changchuan learned how disciples earned contribution points through sect missions and could exchange them for resources, including rare Soul-Exit Pills.
• Shen Changchuan considered studying powerful spells in the Scripture Pavilion but planned to focus his efforts rather than master every spell.
• Roaming Dragon summoned Shen Changchuan and assessed his cultivation, spiritual sense, and perfected spells.
• Roaming Dragon told Shen Changchuan that his current strength placed him among the top hundred Qi Induction Realm disciples in the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect, and Shen expressed surprise at the abundance of talent.

Roaming Dragon praised Shen Changchuan’s resilience, took him as a disciple, and taught him about Foundation Establishment and the Out-of-Body Realm. After three days of correcting flaws in his cultivation, Shen Changchuan felt his strength improve and turned his attention to a worn jade slip containing the Divine Ability Seed.

• Roaming Dragon explained how innate gifts, comprehension, and powerful family backgrounds could let Qi Induction Realm talents surpass Shen Changchuan, and reassured him about his potential.
• Roaming Dragon offered to take Shen Changchuan as his disciple, first making him an outer disciple until he broke through, and Shen Changchuan accepted.
• Roaming Dragon taught Shen Changchuan about Foundation Establishment, the Out-of-Body Realm, and condensing a Spirit Body.
• After applying Roaming Dragon’s corrections over three days, Shen Changchuan found his spiritual energy flowed better and his strength had increased by at least ten percent.
• Shen Changchuan took out a worn jade slip and considered the Divine Ability Seed.

After Roaming Dragon improved Shen Changchuan’s cultivation, he taught him how to form a Spirit Body and a Divine Ability Seed during Foundation Establishment. Shen Changchuan resolved to pursue the seed, then spent a year cultivating at the Dragon Firmament Sect.

• Roaming Dragon’s guidance strengthened Shen Changchuan’s magical power and corrected flaws in his cultivation.
• Shen Changchuan compared Roaming Dragon’s Spirit Body method with Shen Chong’s jade slip and wondered why the latter omitted Divine Ability Seeds.
• Roaming Dragon’s jade slip explained how a perfected spell could be inscribed into a Spirit Body during Foundation Establishment to form a Divine Ability Seed.
• Shen Changchuan set aside his suspicions about Shen Chong’s benefactor and resolved to do everything he could to form a Divine Ability Seed.
• Shen Changchuan began arduous cultivation at the Dragon Firmament Sect, and a year passed.

Over the year, Shen Changchuan cultivated diligently at the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect, strengthening his foundation and greatly increasing his power despite remaining at the Ninth Level Peak. He realized how far the strongest Qi Induction Realm cultivators could surpass him, but felt he had begun to close the gap with the Peerless Prodigies Roaming Dragon had described.

• Wu Tianhao told Shen Changchuan that his former boasts had inspired their batch of disciples to train hard so they could defeat him at the grand competition three years later.
• Shen Changchuan felt pressured by the other disciples’ determination and increased his efforts in cultivation.
• Shen Changchuan spent the year drawing on the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect’s inheritance to strengthen his magical power and physique without advancing his realm.
• Shen Changchuan reflected that cultivators from more powerful regions could achieve feats beyond anything he had imagined, including defeating Out of Body Realm cultivators while at the Qi Induction Realm.
• Shen Changchuan judged that he could defeat his year-younger self in twenty or thirty moves and withstand at least fifty moves against the version who had killed Xu Ziming.

After completing the elementary Array Master inheritance, Shen Changchuan opened a sealed cave dwelling and found a powerful sword-array Divine Ability among its records. Roaming Dragon assured him he could cultivate it, but warned that forming a Divine Ability Seed during Foundation Establishment was extraordinarily unlikely.

• Shen Changchuan completed his Basic Alchemy and elementary Array Master inheritances, though alchemy brought him little benefit beyond practice, income, and helping Little Wind reach the ninth level of the Qi Induction Realm.
• Using his array knowledge and the token engraved with "Xiang," Shen Changchuan opened the cave dwelling beneath Monster Beast Forest, finding little of value apart from jade slips filled with records and inheritances.
• Shen Changchuan discovered the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array, an advanced method for Azure Wood Sword Light, and decided to consult Roaming Dragon before cultivating a Divine Ability connected to the Elephant Mountain Sect.
• Roaming Dragon explained that the Immortal Sect permitted disciples to cultivate Elephant Mountain Sect inheritances and told Shen Changchuan he could practice the Divine Ability.
• Roaming Dragon warned that forming a Divine Ability Seed during Foundation Establishment was extremely rare, and Shen Changchuan asked what would happen if he succeeded.

Roaming Dragon warned Shen Changchuan that pursuing a Divine Ability Seed could consume decades and ruin a cultivator’s future, so Shen set a strict three-year limit on mastering the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array. With permission to study wood-type and sword-type spells in the Scripture Pavilion, Shen built up his experience until the array finally reached the entry level.

• Roaming Dragon told Shen Changchuan about a gifted fellow disciple who spent a lifetime pursuing a Divine Ability, only to grow too old to advance.
• Shen Changchuan decided to give himself three years to perfect the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array and abandon the attempt if he failed.
• Roaming Dragon supported Shen’s decision and approved access to wood-type and sword-type spells in the Dragon Firmament Sect’s Scripture Pavilion.
• Shen studied related spells, quickly mastering them and adding more to his Progress Bar Panel.
• Shen Changchuan broke through the bottleneck and cultivated the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array to the entry level.

Shen Changchuan advanced the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array with help from the Progress Bar Panel, then left the sect to meet Shen Tingchu. Shen Tingchu honored their agreement by offering him a chance to enter a small Spirit Realm, though he worried Shen Changchuan’s ties to the Dragon Firmament Sect could put him in danger.

• Shen Changchuan raised the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array’s progress to 10% by perfecting more than a hundred related spells.
• Shen Changchuan left the sect and flew to Dawan Village after Shen Tingchu summoned him to fulfill their year-old agreement.
• Shen Tingchu explained that he had promised Shen Changchuan a slot in a small Spirit Realm with an opportunity to help Qi Induction Realm cultivators break through to the Out-of-Body Realm.
• Shen Tingchu regretted that Shen Changchuan’s role as a double agent for the Dragon Firmament Sect might leave him caught in a future conflict with the Shen Clan.

Shen Tingchu explained how the Dream-Roaming Immortal let cultivators simulate an Out-of-Body Realm breakthrough in a dream, along with the risks of distorted memories. After half a month of travel, he and Shen Changchuan neared their destination at the southeastern edge of the Tiannan Region.

• Shen Changchuan told Shen Tingchu that he planned to spend the next two years consolidating his foundation before attempting a breakthrough.
• Shen Tingchu revealed that the opportunity was the Dream-Roaming Immortal, a flower that created a dream where cultivators could simulate forbidden techniques and breakthroughs.
• Shen Tingchu explained that the dream's laws differed from reality and that the experience brought back could be incomplete or distorted.
• Shen Tingchu and Shen Changchuan traveled tens of thousands of miles on Little Wind and reached the southeastern edge of the Tiannan Region near the Southern Yue Kingdom.

Shen Changchuan traveled with Shen Tingchu to the Song Clan, reflecting on how he could use the Dream-Roaming Immortal’s Dream Realm to prepare for forming a Wood Element Spirit Body. After they arrived, the Song Clan Ancestor revealed that another party wanted to intervene in the matter they had come to discuss.

• Shen Changchuan reasoned that the Dream-Roaming Immortal’s Dream Realm might let him experience the spirit plant’s life and gain insights useful for forming a Wood Element Spirit Body.
• Shen Tingchu told Shen Changchuan that they had arrived at the Song Clan.
• The Song Clan Ancestor came out to welcome Shen Tingchu and Shen Changchuan despite his injuries.
• Shen Tingchu explained their reason for visiting, and the Song Clan Ancestor said someone else had taken an interest in the matter and wanted to intervene.

The Song Clan Ancestor explained that the other four factions had forced the Song Clan to give its Dream-Roaming Immortal quota to a Nanyang Sect prodigy instead of Shen Tingchu. Shen Tingchu rejected the apology, and Shen Changchuan proposed settling the dispute with a fight.

• The Song Clan Ancestor recounted how the other four factions overruled him and reassigned the quota to the Nanyang Sect prodigy.
• The Song Clan Ancestor apologized to Shen Tingchu and offered compensation for breaking their agreement.
• Shen Tingchu accused the Song Clan of treating the Tiannan Shen Clan as an easy target.
• Shen Changchuan suggested that the Nanyang Sect prodigy fight him, with the winner claiming the quota.

Shen Changchuan insisted on confronting Mo Lingfeng after the Nanyang Sect prodigy took the Spirit Realm slot, despite Song Clan Ancestor and Shen Tingchu warning him of the danger. He explained that the Dream-Roaming Immortal was crucial to condensing a Spirit Body and that fighting Mo Lingfeng would let him learn the methods of a future rival.

• Shen Changchuan asked Song Clan Ancestor to take him to Mo Lingfeng, but Song Clan Ancestor warned that Mo Lingfeng had once fought an Out of Body Realm cultivator to a draw.
• Shen Tingchu revealed that Shen Changchuan was a Dragon Firmament Sect disciple under Roaming Dragon, and Song Clan Ancestor recognized him as the prodigy who had killed an Out of Body Realm cultivator.
• At Shen Changchuan's residence that night, Shen Tingchu urged him to abandon the risky fight and offered to find another Out of Body opportunity for him.
• Shen Changchuan told Shen Tingchu that the Dream-Roaming Immortal was essential to condensing a Spirit Body and that he had improved greatly over the past year.
• Shen Changchuan said he would treat the fight as a chance to study a future opponent, leaving Shen Tingchu unable to dissuade him.

Mo Lingfeng laughed off Shen Changchuan’s challenge, confident after effortlessly defeating the Bai Clan’s top young genius. After hearing the account of Shen Changchuan’s victory over an Out of Body Realm Demonic Cultivator, Mo Lingfeng accepted the challenge, and news of their coming fight spread through the region.

• Mo Lingfeng and the Bai Clan members mocked the idea that he might fear a Qi Induction Realm cultivator.
• The Bai Clan recalled how Mo Lingfeng defeated their top young genius without leaving his seat or disturbing anything on the table.
• The Bai Clan’s Old Ancestor told Mo Lingfeng that Shen Changchuan had killed an Out of Body Realm Demonic Cultivator, but the victory had depended heavily on luck.
• Mo Lingfeng expressed disappointment in Shen Changchuan’s record but accepted his challenge as a bit of fun.
• News of the coming fight between Mo Lingfeng and Shen Changchuan spread among the five factions and stirred widespread anticipation.

Cultivators gathered to watch Mo Lingfeng and Shen Changchuan’s long-awaited battle, with most believing Mo Lingfeng had the advantage. The two prodigies faced off, and Mo Lingfeng began the fight by unleashing the Three Suns True Art.

• Cultivators from the five factions and nearby regions gathered at the square, discussing the battle and favoring Mo Lingfeng over Shen Changchuan.
• Mo Lingfeng and Shen Changchuan arrived and took their positions on opposite sides of the square.
• Mo Lingfeng praised Shen Changchuan’s bold words, then declared that he would make Shen Changchuan fail.
• Shen Changchuan replied that even a lifetime of failure would not stop him from moving forward.
• Mo Lingfeng unleashed a tremendous aura and activated the Three Suns True Art, shocking the spectators because the technique was said to be intended for Out-of-Body Realm cultivators.

Shen Changchuan used his perfected True Insight Pupil to analyze Mo Lingfeng’s fiery magical power as the two fought in the plaza. Their evenly matched clash left the spectators stunned and forced them to retreat from the battle’s destructive aftershocks.

• Shen Changchuan recognized that Mo Lingfeng’s divine soul and magical power had fused through a special cultivation method, but concluded he could not easily reproduce the effect.
• Mo Lingfeng unleashed a scorching attack, and Shen Changchuan used Cloud Dragon Claw to meet it, striking a weak point and matching its force.
• Mo Lingfeng rushed Shen Changchuan and attacked at close range, while Shen Changchuan read the spiritual-power fluctuations and countered with his fists.
• Shen Changchuan and Mo Lingfeng exchanged countless blows at tremendous speed, shaking the ground and driving spectators farther away.
• The gathered cultivators marveled at the two fighters’ strength and realized Qi Induction Realm cultivators could contend with Out of Body Realm power.

Shen Changchuan matched Mo Lingfeng through his mastery of magic power, spiritual sense, and perfected spells, forcing Mo Lingfeng to unleash Three Suns Piercing the Sun. Shen Changchuan’s first Azure Wood Sword Light was overwhelmed, but he linked two more with his spiritual sense and sent Mo Lingfeng flying with their combined strike.

• Mo Lingfeng recognized Shen Changchuan’s refined fundamentals and complementary techniques as the reason he could hold his own against the Three Suns True Art.
• Mo Lingfeng created distance and unleashed Three Suns Piercing the Sun, drawing alarm from the spectators as the heat engulfed the arena.
• Shen Changchuan’s Azure Wood Sword Light collided with Mo Lingfeng’s attack but shattered beneath its scorching force.
• Shen Changchuan linked two successive Azure Wood Sword Lights with his spiritual sense and sent them crashing into Mo Lingfeng.
• The combined attack blasted Mo Lingfeng backward like a rag doll.

Shen Changchuan defeated Mo Lingfeng with a newly coordinated sword attack, impressing the spectators and making Song Clan Ancestor regret giving Mo Lingfeng the slot. Two days later, Mo Lingfeng left after challenging Shen Changchuan to fight again in five years at the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect entrance tournament, which caught Shen Changchuan’s interest.

• Shen Changchuan defeated Mo Lingfeng, stunning the spectators and Out-of-Body Realm cultivators with the power of his combined sword lights.
• Song Clan Ancestor regretted giving Mo Lingfeng the slot and offending the Tiannan Shen Clan and Shen Changchuan.
• Shen Changchuan contemplated how he had developed his coordinated sword attack using the Three Forest Senluo Sword Array, and its progress increased by seven percentage points.
• Mo Lingfeng woke up and sent Shen Changchuan a challenge to fight again in five years at the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect entrance tournament, then left.
• Shen Changchuan considered the tournament and the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect’s methods of recruiting talented youths from across the Southern Great Region.

After defeating Mo Lingfeng, Shen Changchuan set his sights on entering the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect through its entrance competition five years later. He focused on improving his strength, then entered the Spirit Realm when it opened.

• Shen Changchuan learned that the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect's entrance competition was open to cultivators under fifty and resolved to prepare for the competition in five years.
• Shen Changchuan reflected on his ambitions and the dangers of cultivating without a powerful faction's guidance.
• The five factions decided to open the Spirit Realm two days after Mo Lingfeng left, while visitors came to congratulate Shen Changchuan and build ties with him.
• Shen Changchuan left Shen Tingchu to receive the visitors and devoted himself to absorbing the lessons of his fight with Mo Lingfeng.
• The Spirit Realm opened, and Shen Changchuan entered it.

Shen Changchuan and the other young cultivators entered Dream-Roaming Immortal’s Dream Realm, where Shen gained an undisclosed benefit while the others had unusually brief experiences. After the factions began investigating the anomaly, Shen Changchuan and Shen Tingchu left for home to let him digest what he had gained.

• Shen Changchuan entered Dream-Roaming Immortal’s Dream Realm and emerged three days later with newfound confidence, though he kept his gains secret.
• The juniors from the other four factions woke with brief, underwhelming experiences and wondered whether Dream-Roaming Immortal had developed improperly.
• Shen Changchuan privately questioned whether his own dream had caused the anomaly, but the factions suspected an environmental disturbance instead.
• The five factions began inspecting the Spirit Realm while Shen Changchuan and Shen Tingchu declined invitations to stay and departed on Little Wind.
• The Song Clan Ancestor praised Shen Changchuan for refusing the clan’s generous apology gift and accepting only a few cultivation arts and secret techniques.