Chapter Summaries

After finding more than thirty Li Family cultivators drained of their vitality, the pursuers debated whether to press deeper into Juetian Valley. Shen Changchuan insisted on continuing to search for the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant, and the group found Li Changzun performing a ritual that released the ant from the Li Family Old Ancestor.

• Gu Xuanqing examined the dried corpses and concluded that a demonic secret art had drained more than thirty Out of Body Realm cultivators, while Li Changzun was missing.
• Ouyang Family Head urged the group to seal off Juetian Valley and wait for Li Changzun's power to fade, and Jian Wuhen and Gu Xuanqing considered his proposal.
• Shen Changchuan persuaded the others to continue, hoping to find the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant and relying on the trump card his Master had given him.
• After advancing cautiously for half a day, the group found the Li Family Old Ancestor bound to a bloodstained cross and Li Changzun standing beside him.
• Li Changzun declared that the pursuers were now the ones who might need to surrender, then unleashed a black, gold-patterned ant that burst from the Li Family Old Ancestor's head.

Li Changzun used the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King to crush his opponents and seize Shen Changchuan’s scripture, but Shen unleashed a soul attack from Roaming Dragon’s jade talisman and killed him. Shen then turned his attention to the Ant King and the possibility of completing the Void-Escaping Gu.

• Li Changzun revealed that he had created the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King by making the Li Family’s ants devour one another and sacrificing his Out of Body Realm clansmen.
• The Ant King used spatial power to pin down Jian Wuhen, the Ouyang Family Head, Shen Changchuan, and the others while Li Changzun tried to seize Shen and his scripture.
• Shen Changchuan activated Roaming Dragon’s jade talisman, unleashing a Spirit Wandering Realm soul attack that shattered Li Changzun’s soul and left the Ant King motionless.
• Shen Changchuan explained that he had relied on the talisman and focused on the Ant King, hoping to complete the Void-Escaping Gu.

Shen Changchuan killed Li Changzun and captured the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King, hoping to use it to refine a more powerful Void-Escaping Gu. After Juetian Valley was secured, he discovered the recovered Li Family records lacked the ant-control techniques he needed, and every Li Family cultivator who knew them had been killed.

• Shen Changchuan severed Li Changzun's head and found the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King's awareness destroyed by the soul attack.
• Shen Changchuan calmed the ant king with the Gu Control Secret Technique and stored it in his Gu Insect Bag.
• Shen Changchuan studied the Li Family's Gu Dao Secret Techniques while the expedition's remaining work in Juetian Valley was completed.
• Gu Xuanqing decided to establish a garrison outpost in Juetian Valley, and Ancient Sword Sect disciples delivered recovered Li Family gu techniques, ant eggs, and records to Shen Changchuan.
• Shen Changchuan realized the recovered jade slips contained no core techniques for controlling Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants, and learned that the Li Family's Out of Body Realm cultivators who knew them had all been wiped out.

After failing to find the Li Family’s lost Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant inheritance, Shen Changchuan created a crude control method but worried that developing a true secret art would consume time needed to cultivate for the Immortal Sect’s Centennial Grand Competition. He collected his share of the spoils and set out to investigate the Treasure Map’s destination, hoping to find a useful inheritance.

• Shen Changchuan learned that the Ancient Sword Sect’s search of Juetian Valley had uncovered no deep methods for controlling the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants.
• Shen Changchuan spent seven days creating a crude control method, which he could offer as compensation to those who had helped attack Juetian Valley.
• Shen Changchuan worried that a proper secret art and the Void-Escaping Gu would take time away from raising his cultivation for the Immortal Sect’s Centennial Grand Competition.
• Shen Changchuan decided to investigate the Treasure Map’s destination, which might be connected to a Li Family descendant who had fled after an internal power struggle.
• Gu Xuanqing gave Shen Changchuan his share of the Juetian Valley spoils, and Shen Changchuan accepted it before setting out.

After the battle at Juetian Valley, Shen Changchuan received the largest share of the spoils and gave Gu Xuanqing a crude method for controlling Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants. He then followed the Treasure Map to an unremarkable mountain forest and uncovered a bundle hidden beneath the earth.

• Shen Changchuan received a large share of the spoils, including enough resources to support his cultivation toward the ninth level of the Out-of-Body Realm.
• Shen Changchuan gave Gu Xuanqing a secret art for simply controlling Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants in place of the Li Family's core inheritance.
• Shen Changchuan left Juetian Valley and followed the Treasure Map to a mountain forest three hundred li away.
• Shen Changchuan searched the ordinary-looking forest with his divine sense but initially found no trace of a treasure or formation.
• Shen Changchuan discovered something underground, cut open a mound with his sword, and retrieved a bundle wrapped in golden-threaded cloth.

Jian Wuhen looked forward to fighting Shen Changchuan at the Immortal Sect's Centennial Grand Competition, after Gu Xuanqing showed him Shen's newly created Gu-control technique. Meanwhile, Shen Changchuan discovered the Li Family's core inheritance on controlling Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants, leaving Purple Star Sand as the last ingredient he needed for the Void-Escaping Gu.

• Jian Wuhen told Gu Xuanqing he intended to challenge Shen Changchuan at the Centennial Grand Competition, believing they would meet in ten years.
• Gu Xuanqing gave Jian Wuhen the jade slip containing Shen Changchuan's method for controlling Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants, and Jian praised Shen's talent.
• Jian Wuhen regarded Shen Changchuan as a future whetstone for his sword and looked forward to fighting him once he had grown stronger.
• Shen Changchuan examined the jade slips he had found underground and discovered the Li Family's core Gu Dao inheritance and detailed records about Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants.
• Shen Changchuan concluded that Purple Star Sand was the only ingredient still needed for refining the Void-Escaping Gu.

Shen Changchuan uncovered the Treasure Map’s connection to the Li Family’s rebellion and Pan Yunfei, then was ambushed by the Spirit Wandering Realm cultivator Wan Zunli. Roaming Dragon saved him and confronted Wan Zunli, declaring that he had chosen the path to his death.

• Shen Changchuan concluded that the Treasure Map had been left by Li Family rebels and that Pan Yunfei had likely gained the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ants during the rebellion.
• Shen Changchuan released Little Wind and headed toward Soul-Severing City with the recovered items.
• Wan Zunli of the Corpse Refining Sect suddenly attacked Shen Changchuan with a devastating palm strike.
• Roaming Dragon appeared, shielded Shen Changchuan, and destroyed Wan Zunli’s attack.
• Roaming Dragon rebuked Wan Zunli for ambushing his disciple and vowed that he had taken the proper road to death.

Roaming Dragon saved Shen Changchuan from Wan Zunli’s full-force ambush and destroyed the fleeing Corpse Refining Sect cultivator with a single punch. He warned Shen Changchuan that the bounty on his head made traveling alone dangerously reckless.

• Wan Zunli attacked Shen Changchuan while he searched alone for treasure, hoping to kill him and avenge the Corpse Refining Sect’s fallen elites.
• Roaming Dragon appeared beside Shen Changchuan, forcing Wan Zunli to flee as soon as he recognized his master.
• Roaming Dragon punched toward Wan Zunli and struck him down from more than ten li away, leaving a vast ravine in the landscape.
• Shen Changchuan thanked Roaming Dragon for saving his life.
• Roaming Dragon warned Shen Changchuan that he ranked first among Out of Body Realm cultivators on the Demonic Path Alliance’s bounty list and must not travel alone or reveal his whereabouts.

Shen Changchuan reflected on how his confidence and reliance on protective talismans had nearly gotten him killed, then considered how to pursue the Juetian Valley opportunity more cautiously. Roaming Dragon reassured him and left Wan Zunli alive, expecting Shen Changchuan to eventually avenge himself.

• Shen Changchuan admitted he had become overconfident and nearly died because Wan Zunli's aura had prevented him from using his jade talisman.
• Shen Changchuan resolved to remain cautious while still fighting for cultivation resources, and thought through quieter ways he could have pursued the Void-Escaping Gu in Juetian Valley.
• Shen Changchuan considered asking Roaming Dragon for help, recalling that his master had previously helped him obtain the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly's main material.
• Roaming Dragon accepted that Shen Changchuan had reasons for his choices and believed his rapid progress could lead him to the ninth level of the Out-of-Body Realm and a place among the top fifty at the Immortal Sect grand competition.
• Roaming Dragon told Shen Changchuan that he had destroyed Wan Zunli's life-bound refined corpse but left Wan Zunli himself alive so Shen Changchuan could take revenge.

Roaming Dragon canceled his planned trade for an opportunity to advance to the Spirit Wandering Realm after seeing Shen Changchuan’s talent in battle. Two months later, Shen Changchuan reached the middle stage of the Seventh Level of the Out-of-Body Realm by cultivating with his spoils from Juetian Valley.

• Roaming Dragon told a friend through a white jade mirror that he no longer needed the opportunity to advance to the Spirit Wandering Realm.
• Roaming Dragon recalled arranging the costly trade as a safety net for Shen Changchuan, then decided Shen could earn an advancement opportunity through the Immortal Sect’s Centennial Grand Competition.
• Shen Changchuan reached the middle stage of the Seventh Level of the Out-of-Body Realm after two months of cultivation.
• Shen Changchuan used Superior Spirit Stones gained from defeating Demonic Cultivators at Juetian Valley and receiving a share of the Li Family’s confiscated assets.

After returning to Soul-Severing City, Shen Changchuan stabilized his cultivation and studied the Li Family’s Gu inheritance to learn how to control the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King. As his Gu Dao knowledge grew, Shen Yingxia came to visit.

• Shen Changchuan reflected on how Roaming Dragon’s guidance and the danger of facing Wan Zunli had helped him reach the middle stage of the Seventh Level of Out-of-Body Realm.
• Shen Changchuan tempered his cultivation for several days, then turned to the Li Family’s inherited secret technique and the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King.
• Shen Changchuan discovered that controlling the Ant King required exceptionally advanced Gu Dao knowledge, and he studied collected Gu arts to build his understanding.
• Shen Changchuan’s Gu Dao Secret Technique knowledge advanced toward the third tier as Shen Yingxia came calling.

Shen Yingxia visited Shen Changchuan to repair relations with his line, which had sided with the First Madam, and offered him a gift. Shen Changchuan found the Purple Star Sand he needed inside and accepted it, assuring Shen Yingxia he held no grudge against his branch.

• Shen Changchuan recalled his hatred for the First Madam and remained wary of Shen Yingxia despite their past cooperation in rescuing Senior Sister Wei.
• Shen Yingxia visited Shen Changchuan’s cave residence late at night and offered a gift, explaining that his line had never participated in the First Madam’s schemes against him.
• Shen Changchuan opened the jade box and recognized the Purple Star Sand he needed.
• Shen Changchuan told Shen Yingxia that he would not seek revenge against his branch and offered to pay for the valuable item.
• Shen Yingxia refused payment and asked Shen Changchuan to accept the Purple Star Sand as a belated congratulatory gift for advancing to the Out of Body Realm.

Shen Changchuan received the Purple Star Sand needed for the Void-Escaping Gu and planned to develop its spatial power for the Immortal Sect Grand Competition. Worried about Demonic Cultivators in Southern Yue and the growing influence of the First Madam and Zhou Clan in Tiannan, he quietly left Soul-Severing City to return to the Tiannan Region.

• The Third Elder secretly left Shen Changchuan's cave residence after giving him the Purple Star Sand.
• Shen Changchuan resolved to refine the Void-Escaping Gu and hoped to use it to create an attack like Space Slash.
• Shen Changchuan judged that the Gu could help him contend for the top ten in the joint Immortal Sect Grand Competition.
• Shen Changchuan decided to leave Southern Yue because of the danger from the Demonic Path Alliance and Wan Zunli's recent attack.
• After learning that Zhou Clan experts had arrived in Tiannan City and strengthened the First Madam's influence, Shen Changchuan worried for his family in Dawan Village.
• One month later, Shen Changchuan informed Roaming Dragon and quietly departed Soul-Severing City for the Tiannan Region.

Lu Haoxuan, an inner-sect disciple of the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect, traveled with Du Fucheng to Dawan Village to recover an item tied to the sect’s Dao Child from Han Qinhu. Du Fucheng warned him that Han Qinhu was Shen Changchuan’s grandfather, but Lu Haoxuan dismissed Shen’s reputation and promised he could kill him if necessary.

• Lu Haoxuan arrived in Qing City aboard a powerful Flying Boat, and Du Fucheng greeted him and agreed to guide him to Han Qinhu.
• As they flew toward Dawan Village, Du Fucheng learned that Lu Haoxuan sought an item belonging to the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect’s Dao Child and would use lethal force to retrieve it.
• Du Fucheng urged Lu Haoxuan to spare Han Qinhu because he was Shen Changchuan’s grandfather and described Shen’s remarkable cultivation and battle achievements.
• Lu Haoxuan mocked Du Fucheng’s concern and promised to kill Shen Changchuan if he objected.

Lu Haoxuan and Du Fucheng confronted Han Qinhu in Dawan Village over a token once held by the Lime River Fu Family. Han Qinhu admitted that he had taken revenge on the family, but was stunned to learn it had been exterminated three days after his visit.

• Lu Haoxuan and Du Fucheng arrived in Dawan Village and demanded to know who Han Qinhu was.
• Du Fucheng asked Han Qinhu about his visit to the Fu Family eight years earlier.
• Han Qinhu admitted that he had gone to Lime River to avenge his sworn brother, whom Fu Weitong had killed decades before.
• Du Fucheng said Lu Haoxuan had come to retrieve an important token that the Fu Family had possessed.
• Du Fucheng accused Han Qinhu of being connected to the Fu Family's extermination, which occurred three days after his visit.
• Han Qinhu expressed confusion and said he had not known the Fu Family was wiped out.

Lu Haoxuan tried to force Han Qinhu into a soul search over a token linked to the Immortal Sect’s Dao Child, despite Han Qinhu’s insistence that he knew nothing about it. Just as Lu Haoxuan began, an unseen force struck and Han Qinhu was suddenly carried several hundred zhang away.

• Du Fucheng warned Han Qinhu that the token belonged to the Immortal Sect’s Dao Child and explained the danger of opposing Lu Haoxuan.
• Han Qinhu denied knowing about the token or the Fu Clan’s destruction, while Du Fucheng cautioned Lu Haoxuan that Han Qinhu was Shen Changchuan’s grandfather.
• Lu Haoxuan dismissed Du Fucheng’s warning about Shen Changchuan and Roaming Dragon, restrained Han Qinhu, and prepared to search his soul.
• An invisible impact disrupted Du Fucheng and froze Lu Haoxuan for an instant, and a flash of thunder and lightning freed Han Qinhu and moved him several hundred zhang away.

Shen Changchuan returned to Dawan Village in time to rescue Han Qinhu from Lu Haoxuan and faced the furious cultivator in battle. After Lu Haoxuan attacked with overwhelming force, Shen Changchuan prepared to answer with a single sword.

• Shen Changchuan received Han Yue'er's emergency message and rushed back to Dawan Village, where he interrupted Lu Haoxuan's attempt to use the Soul-Seizing Technique on Han Qinhu.
• Shen Changchuan rescued Han Qinhu and reassured him that he believed his claim that he had not taken the token.
• Lu Haoxuan recognized Shen Changchuan, mocked him, and unleashed the power of his late eighth-level Out-of-Body Realm cultivation in a punch.
• Shen Changchuan declared that one sword would defeat Lu Haoxuan, then cast the second-tier top-grade Green Wood Cloud-Piercing Sword as Lu Haoxuan's fist-shadow descended.

Shen Changchuan defeated Lu Haoxuan with a perfected second-rank top-tier spell and took him prisoner, while Du Fucheng followed them into Dawan Village to await judgment. Though Han Qinhu handled the aftermath, covert messengers slipped away to send messages, hinting that trouble was only beginning.

• Shen Changchuan's sword-light broke Lu Haoxuan's fist shadow, shattered his bronze mirror, and gravely wounded him.
• Shen Changchuan mocked Lu Haoxuan, struck him from the sky, and carried his unconscious body into the back mountain of Dawan Village.
• Du Fucheng chose not to flee and followed Shen Changchuan into Dawan Village, while Han Qinhu began handling the aftermath.
• Several people secretly left Dawan Village and sent Message Talismans in different directions.

First Madam Zhou Yi urged Zhou Tianhai to kill Shen Changchuan, but he refused until the Zhou Clan’s plans were complete. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon Sect’s Saintess learned of Shen Changchuan’s rise and suspected Shen Chong had a stronger link to Elephant Mountain Sect’s legacy, while ordering Shen Changchuan’s secrets watched.

• Zhou Yi read reports of Shen Changchuan’s accomplishments and asked Zhou Tianhai to kill him for the Zhou Clan’s sake.
• Zhou Tianhai refused to act while the clan’s plans were underway, promising to kill Shen Changchuan afterward; Zhou Yi considered using other enemies against him.
• The Heavenly Demon Sect’s Saintess and an old woman read reports about Shen Changchuan during a nighttime journey.
• The old woman wondered whether Shen Changchuan had obtained Elephant Mountain Sect’s legacy, but the Saintess argued that Shen Chong was more likely connected to it.
• The Saintess concluded Shen Changchuan must still hold a great secret and ordered his circumstances watched closely.

After defeating Lu Haoxuan, Shen Changchuan struggled with whether to kill or release the Jade Clarity Immortal Sect disciple and decided to imprison him while seeking his master Roaming Dragon’s advice. As rumors spread and the Dao Child’s threat loomed, Shen Changchuan entered seclusion to strengthen his Gu techniques and succeeded in controlling the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King.

• News spread that Shen Changchuan had defeated and captured Lu Haoxuan with a single sword strike, prompting speculation that the immortal sect’s Dao Child would retaliate.
• The Demonic Cultivator Alliance learned that Shen Changchuan had left Southern Yue, and its leaders secretly gathered to discuss their response.
• Shen Changchuan weighed the risks of killing or releasing Lu Haoxuan, chose to keep him imprisoned, and sent a Message Talisman to Roaming Dragon for advice.
• Shen Changchuan resolved to improve his strength before facing the Dao Child and entered seclusion to study the Void-Escaping Gu and the Li Family’s inherited Gu technique.
• After a month of cultivation, Shen Changchuan mastered the Flying Spirit-Splitting Ant King, whose spiritual intelligence had been destroyed by a soul attack.