Chapter Summaries

Wei Yuting ambushed the Corpse Refining Sect with a hidden killing array and its explosive remnants, nearly annihilating Qiu Kunsheng’s group before fleeing. Just as Qiu Kunsheng caught up to her, Shen Changchuan intervened, and Qiu Kunsheng recognized him as a target wanted by Seven Absolutes Venerable and White Bone Venerable.

• Wei Yuting triggered her hidden killing array, cutting down more than half of the Corpse Refining Sect’s disciples.
• Wei Yuting detonated the damaged formation foundation, killing the remaining disciples and badly injuring the Third Elder while Qiu Kunsheng survived.
• Wei Yuting fled toward the sky above the volcanic crater, and Qiu Kunsheng chased her in a rage.
• Qiu Kunsheng caught up with Wei Yuting on the volcano’s slope, but Shen Changchuan appeared and struck him back, creating distance between them.
• Qiu Kunsheng recognized Shen Changchuan and rejoiced that capturing him could earn favor with Seven Absolutes Venerable and White Bone Venerable.

Qiu Kunsheng pursued Shen Changchuan and Wei Yuting, believing Shen’s temporary increase in strength was his only trump card. Wei Yuting activated a formation that trapped Qiu Kunsheng beneath crushing gravity and sealed him inside.

• Qiu Kunsheng recognized Shen Changchuan and attacked him, hoping to claim the bounty and favors promised by White Bone Old Devil.
• Shen Changchuan used the Golden Wind Jade Dew Gu to resist Qiu Kunsheng’s attack and fled with Wei Yuting.
• Qiu Kunsheng chased them, convinced Shen’s boosted strength came from a temporary trump card and that he could overpower him.
• Qiu Kunsheng struck Shen Changchuan again, forcing him to retreat while carrying Wei Yuting.
• Shen Changchuan stopped after leading Qiu Kunsheng into the formation, and Wei Yuting activated a white jade formation disk.
• The formation slammed Qiu Kunsheng into the ground with immense gravity and raised barriers around him, trapping him.

Shen Changchuan chose to fight the weakened Qiu Kunsheng, believing the battle was his chance to break through his cultivation bottleneck. Wei Yuting worried about the danger but ultimately let him decide, and Shen Changchuan declared that he was guaranteed to win.

• Wei Yuting and Shen Changchuan rebuilt the Nine-Layer Mountain Range Array and trapped Qiu Kunsheng.
• Wei Yuting prepared to escape with Shen Changchuan, but he said he wanted to fight Qiu Kunsheng.
• Shen Changchuan explained that a victory could help him break through to the peak of the sixth level of the Out-of-Body Realm.
• Shen Changchuan reasoned that Qiu Kunsheng was weakened because the Mysterious Female Corpse had killed his lifebound refined corpse and the loss had harmed him.
• Wei Yuting asked whether Shen Changchuan could win, and he assured her that he was guaranteed to win.

Shen Changchuan entered Wei Yuting’s formation to fight Qiu Kunsheng, using the battle to improve his control over his heightened power. Qiu Kunsheng concealed his strength and studied Shen Changchuan’s fighting style as their clash continued.

• Wei Yuting warned Shen Changchuan to protect his life and resolved to help him escape if the fight went badly.
• Qiu Kunsheng was delighted when Shen Changchuan entered the formation, but suspected he had an unknown trump card.
• Shen Changchuan and Qiu Kunsheng exchanged powerful blows, with Shen Changchuan charging back into the fight despite being forced backward.
• Wei Yuting noticed Shen Changchuan gaining control of his magic power and observed that Qiu Kunsheng seemed weaker than before.
• Qiu Kunsheng deliberately held back to probe Shen Changchuan’s techniques and planned to strike once he had learned his fighting rhythm.

Shen Changchuan used his battle with Qiu Kunsheng to understand the late stages of the Out of Body Realm and prepared to break through while protected by two spiritual artifacts. After releasing the Golden Wind Jade Dew Gu and using the Qi-Gathering Origin-Returning Technique, he shattered the bottleneck at the peak of the sixth level.

• Wei Yuting struggled to maintain the Nine-Layer Mountain Array as Shen Changchuan and Qiu Kunsheng’s battle threatened to destroy it.
• Shen Changchuan gained insight into the late stages of the Out of Body Realm by clashing with Qiu Kunsheng’s eighth-level power.
• Shen Changchuan summoned the Bronze Bell and White Jade Heart-Protecting Mirror to defend himself, and Qiu Kunsheng realized he had been used as a whetstone for a breakthrough.
• Qiu Kunsheng unleashed his full power and battered the defenses of Shen Changchuan’s two spiritual artifacts.
• Shen Changchuan released the overloaded Golden Wind Jade Dew Gu and used the Qi-Gathering Origin-Returning Technique to break through his peak sixth-level bottleneck.

Shen Changchuan broke through to the seventh level of the Out-of-Body Realm after surviving his battle with Qiu Kunsheng. As Qiu Kunsheng launched a full-force attack, Shen Changchuan met him with renewed confidence and battle intent.

• Shen Changchuan completed his breakthrough to the seventh level of the Out-of-Body Realm and realized his strength had transformed.
• Shen Changchuan reflected that Qiu Kunsheng’s caution around his master’s life-saving trump card had helped him survive and break through.
• Qiu Kunsheng shattered the defenses of the Bronze Bell and White Jade Heart-Protecting Mirror, and Shen Changchuan recalled both damaged spiritual artifacts.
• Shen Changchuan thanked Qiu Kunsheng for helping him advance, enraging Qiu Kunsheng further.
• Qiu Kunsheng unleashed his full late-stage eighth-level power and charged, while Shen Changchuan answered with Azure Wood Sword Light: Nine Layers.

After breaking through to the seventh level of the Out-of-Body Realm, Shen Changchuan unleashed transformed Azure Wood Sword Light and fought Qiu Kunsheng on equal terms. As Shen Changchuan grew stronger by honing his new power, Qiu Kunsheng realized the battle could end with his death.

• Shen Changchuan used nine layers of Azure Wood Sword Light, each comparable to a second-tier spell, to attack Qiu Kunsheng.
• Wei Yuting struggled to stabilize the Nine-Layer Mountain Range Array and was shocked that Shen Changchuan could unleash nine powerful spells at once.
• Shen Changchuan and Qiu Kunsheng traded devastating attacks in a clash comparable to a battle between late-eighth-level or peak-eighth-level powerhouses.
• Qiu Kunsheng failed to gain the upper hand as Shen Changchuan used the fight to master his seventh-level cultivation and steadily increase his strength.
• Qiu Kunsheng grew furious and terrified as he realized Shen Changchuan's continued growth might leave him dead.

Shen Changchuan used his transformed Divine Ability, Myriad Phenomena Sword, to kill Qiu Kunsheng and realized how powerful it had become through his vast accumulation of perfected spells. He left the battle nearly exhausted but confident that his potential would let him catch up to and surpass the strongest cultivators.

• Qiu Kunsheng realized Shen Changchuan had gained the upper hand and that the Nine-Layer Mountain Range Array had left him no escape.
• Shen Changchuan sensed Qiu Kunsheng's panic and decided to end the battle before the enemy could make a desperate counterattack.
• Shen Changchuan unleashed Divine Ability · Myriad Phenomena Sword, freezing Qiu Kunsheng's thoughts and cutting him in half with a single strike.
• Shen Changchuan, nearly at his limit, assessed the Divine Ability's power and attributed its strength to his accumulation of over a thousand perfected spells.
• Shen Changchuan resolved that his potential would eventually let him catch up to and surpass the cultivators with greater talent and backgrounds.

Shen Changchuan killed Qiu Kunsheng with a single sword strike after breaking through to the seventh level of the Out-of-Body Realm. His strength shocked Wei Yuting, Wu Tianhao, and the Shen Clan's Third Elder, who resolved to stop opposing him.

• Wei Yuting watched Shen Changchuan kill Qiu Kunsheng and was left stunned by his power.
• Wu Tianhao saw Shen Changchuan's victory and reflected on how quickly he had broken through.
• The Shen Clan's Third Elder realized Shen Changchuan could become a Spirit Wandering Realm powerhouse.
• The Shen Clan's Third Elder decided to get off First Madam's boat and avoid making Shen Changchuan an enemy.

Shen Changchuan recovered after killing Qiu Kunsheng and considered strengthening his cultivation foundation before pursuing further breakthroughs. He collected the Corpse Refining Sect’s spoils, while the Shen Clan’s Third Elder resolved to repair his relationship with him.

• The Third Elder saw Shen Changchuan’s rapid advancement and powerful sword strike as proof that he could soon rival Spirit Wandering Realm cultivators, and worried over how to win his favor.
• Shen Changchuan recovered some mana with a pill and decided to spend time refining and stabilizing his cultivation.
• Shen Changchuan took Qiu Kunsheng’s Storage Bag and headed to the volcanic crater to deal with the remaining Corpse Refining Sect members.
• Shen Changchuan killed a wounded seventh-level Corpse Refining Sect elder and collected the Storage Bags the elder had gathered from the battlefield.

After rescuing Wei Yuting, Shen Changchuan recounted the Mysterious Female Corpse’s awakening and left the Secret Realm Ruins with his companions. He discovered a Void-Bright Stone in Qiu Kunsheng’s Storage Bag, bringing his progress toward refining the Void-Escaping Gu to fifty percent.

• Wu Tianhao praised Shen Changchuan for defeating the enemy and rescuing Wei Yuting, while reflecting on how far Shen Changchuan had surpassed him.
• Shen Changchuan described how the Mysterious Female Corpse had awakened and crippled Qiu Kunsheng, and Wei Yuting urged the group to warn their elders.
• Wu Tianhao introduced Shen Yingxia as the senior who had helped him come to the rescue, and Wei Yuting and Shen Changchuan thanked him.
• The group left the Secret Realm Ruins, and Shen Changchuan found the Void-Bright Stone in Qiu Kunsheng’s Storage Bag, advancing his Void-Escaping Gu preparations by fifty percent.

Wan Zunli broke through to the Spirit Wandering Realm, then discovered that more than half of the Corpse Refining Sect’s elders had died and vowed revenge. Shen Changchuan continued toward Soul-Severing Mountain to seek his master’s guidance and consider refining the Void-Escaping Gu, for which he had unexpectedly obtained its rarest main material.

• Wan Zunli broke through to the Spirit Wandering Realm, and the Corpse Refining Sect’s disciples and elders celebrated his achievement.
• Wan Zunli found that more than half of the life tablets belonging to the sect master and the elders he had sent out were shattered, and he swore vengeance.
• A messenger reported that Seven Absolutes Old Ancestor had sent word, and Wan Zunli left the ancestral hall to respond.
• Shen Changchuan set off for Soul-Severing Mountain to ask Roaming Dragon for guidance on his cultivation.
• Shen Changchuan recalled the Void-Escaping Gu’s spatial abilities and realized that he had obtained the rare Void-Bright Stone needed to refine it.

Shen Changchuan acquired a Void-Bright Stone, the rarest material needed to refine the Void-Escaping Gu, and planned to seek its remaining ingredients while pursuing greater cultivation. He arrived at Soul-Severing City hoping its influx of resources would help him complete the Gu.

• Shen Changchuan considered how the Void-Escaping Gu might help him understand spatial power and resolved to seek its other rare materials.
• Shen Changchuan realized Shadow Ghost had likely pursued the Void-Bright Stone and had inadvertently led it into his hands.
• Near Soul-Severing Mountain, Shen Changchuan rescued a Tiannan Region Patrol Guard squad by killing the demonic cultivators pursuing them.
• Shen Changchuan observed that demonic cultivators still threatened the area around Soul-Severing Mountain, though he expected the alliance to eventually secure it.
• Shen Changchuan arrived within sight of bustling Soul-Severing City and hoped to find the remaining Void-Escaping Gu materials there.

After three years in seclusion, Shen Changchuan returned to Soul-Severing City and discovered that his improved Gu Control Secret Technique had made him famous throughout the Tiannan Region. Pei Yongan explained that cultivators had adapted the technique to create Golden Toad Kings that could identify Demonic Cultivators, and Shen entered the city as the crowd celebrated his contributions.

• Gate guards and onlookers recognized Shen Changchuan as a famed cultivator when he arrived at Soul-Severing City.
• Pei Yongan greeted Shen and took responsibility for receiving him, allowing him to pass the city’s inspection.
• Shen noticed a pale-golden toad at the gate and asked Pei Yongan about its role.
• Pei Yongan explained that cultivators had adapted Shen’s Gu Control Secret Technique to raise Golden Toad Kings that detected Demonic Cultivators.
• Pei Yongan told Shen that the widely distributed technique had benefited many Rogue Cultivators and greatly increased Shen’s reputation.

Shen Changchuan returned to the Dragon Firmament Sect's encampment in Soul-Severing City, where he learned his master Roaming Dragon and Senior Brother Hong Yang were away guarding against the White Bone Sect. He reviewed his battle with Qiu Kunsheng, sold his spoils, and posted a task for Void-Escaping Gu materials before entering seclusion to refine his cultivation.

• Shen Changchuan learned that Roaming Dragon, Senior Brother Hong Yang, and the other Out of Body Realm disciples were guarding an important location and would return in a month or two.
• Shen Changchuan settled into a free second-tier cave dwelling and spent two or three days reviewing his battles, especially his fight with Qiu Kunsheng.
• Shen Changchuan sold unneeded treasures and techniques taken from the Corpse Refining Sect, greatly increasing his Spirit Stone reserves.
• Shen Changchuan posted a task at the Alliance Bulletin Hall to collect materials for the Void-Escaping Gu.
• Shen Changchuan returned to his cave dwelling and entered seclusion to polish his cultivation realm.

Shen Changchuan stabilized his Out of Body Realm seventh-layer cultivation, though the Qi-Gathering Origin-Returning Technique had become less effective. News of his victory over Qiu Kunsheng and extraordinary rise in cultivation spread through the Cultivation World, leaving cultivators stunned and the Tiannan Shen Clan widely mocked.

• Shen Changchuan spent a month refining his true qi and stabilizing his seventh-layer cultivation, while finding that the Qi-Gathering Origin-Returning Technique had grown less effective.
• News spread that Shen Changchuan had killed Qiu Kunsheng, the Corpse Refining Sect master, and had reached the Out of Body Realm seventh layer.
• Cultivators across Tiannan and Southern Yue marveled at Shen Changchuan's rapid advancement and his ability to defeat stronger opponents.
• Cultivators mocked the Tiannan Shen Clan for having neglected Shen Changchuan and compared his achievements favorably with those of the Shen Family Ancestor.
• A renowned seventh-level Out of Body Realm Rogue Cultivator said Shen Changchuan proved that a peerless prodigy could advance in realm while gaining combat strength.

Shen Changchuan stabilized his new realm and gathered most of the materials for the Void-Escaping Gu, but Purple Star Sand and the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant remained missing. He turned to practicing Southern Yue spells, only for his master, Roaming Dragon, to return.

• Shen Changchuan’s fame helped him collect seventy to eighty percent of the materials for the Void-Escaping Gu as cultivators sought to meet him.
• Cultivators praised Shen Changchuan’s generosity, inspiring some to consider trading precious items with him.
• Shen Changchuan found no leads on Purple Star Sand or the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant and decided to search Southern Yue himself if they remained missing.
• Shen Changchuan set aside the search, stabilized his cultivation, and bought dozens of Southern Yue spells to practice.
• Before Shen Changchuan had practiced many of the spells, his master, Roaming Dragon, returned.

Shen Changchuan received Roaming Dragon’s praise for his rapid cultivation and ability to kill a stronger Demonic Cultivator, while crediting his master’s guidance and support. Roaming Dragon revealed a dangerous Centennial Grand Competition whose top ten would receive extraordinary help advancing to the Spirit Wandering Realm, and asked whether Shen Changchuan would risk entering.

• Roaming Dragon praised Shen Changchuan for reaching the seventh level of the Out-of-Body Realm and killing an old Demonic Cultivator at the late eighth level.
• Shen Changchuan humbly credited Roaming Dragon’s instruction and the resources he had received for his progress.
• Roaming Dragon explained that the immortal sect’s Centennial Grand Competition was open to eligible disciples and affiliated juniors below the Spirit Wandering Realm.
• Roaming Dragon warned that this competition would involve powers from other great regions and could cost Shen Changchuan his life.
• Roaming Dragon said the top ten would receive three opportunities that raised their chances of reaching the Spirit Wandering Realm above eighty percent.

Shen Changchuan learned that the Centennial Grand Competition was his best chance to obtain an opportunity to advance into the Spirit Wandering Realm, and he resolved to compete despite the danger. After three days of guidance from Roaming Dragon, he returned to cultivation, still worried about the materials needed for the Void-Escaping Gu, until an acquaintance arrived with good news.

• Roaming Dragon told Shen Changchuan that the Tiannan Region held no other opportunities to advance into the Spirit Wandering Realm and explained the dangers and rewards of the competition.
• Shen Changchuan decided to compete, aiming to reach the ninth level of the Out-of-Body Realm within ten years and enter the top ten.
• Roaming Dragon gave Shen Changchuan three days of personal cultivation guidance, strengthening his foundation and clarifying his path forward.
• Shen Changchuan worried that he might not find Purple Star Sand and the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant needed for the Void-Escaping Gu, then returned to his cave dwelling to cultivate.
• An acquaintance visited Shen Changchuan a few days later, saying he had brought good news.

Gu Xuanqing visited Shen Changchuan and discussed Shen’s victory over Qiu Kunsheng before revealing that the Ancient Sword Sect had encountered Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants. After Gu left, Shen considered the vast, largely unexplored territory of Southern Yue and the dangers of his growing fame.

• Gu Xuanqing visited Shen Changchuan, praised his defeat of Qiu Kunsheng, and asked to be treated as a fellow Daoist.
• Shen Changchuan explained that Qiu Kunsheng’s Silver Armored Corpse had already been destroyed and worried that the demonic path might overestimate his strength and target him.
• Gu Xuanqing told Shen Changchuan that the Ancient Sword Sect had encountered Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants while attacking a reclusive demonic-path clan and had suffered heavy losses.
• Gu Xuanqing left Shen Changchuan’s cave abode, and Shen reflected on how little of Southern Yue had been explored or brought under the alliance’s control.