Chapter Summaries

Qin Huaian and Xu Yunpeng exchanged gifts and advice before Qin Huaian prepared to leave for Heaven Continent. Qin Huaian gave Xu Yunpeng the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture and then announced that he had a task for him.

• Qin Huaian refused Xu Yunpeng's Earthcore Flame Marrow, but accepted Xu Yunpeng's stack of protective spirit talismans.
• Qin Huaian asked for Pure Yang Palace talisman-crafting books, and Xu Yunpeng gave him a jade slip containing the palace's inherited arts and senior masters' insights.
• Qin Huaian gave Xu Yunpeng a jade slip containing the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture and his cultivation insights.
• Xu Yunpeng vowed to find Qin Huaian in Heaven Continent after overcoming his tribulation and ascending.
• Qin Huaian told Xu Yunpeng that he had a task for him.

Qin Huaian arranged for Xu Yunpeng to deliver the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture to Xiahou Yucheng in a hundred years, then met with Fire Departing Hall’s leaders before leaving for Heaven Continent. He accepted a gift of spirit stones and promised to help protect Chu Zhongtian if he could.

• Qin Huaian asked Xu Yunpeng to pass the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture to Xiahou Yucheng in a hundred years, while keeping Qin Huaian’s insights for himself.
• Qin Huaian wished Xu Yunpeng well and went to Fire Departing Hall’s residence, where Chu Zhongtian escorted him to meet Xiahou Yucheng and Jiao Qiyue.
• Xiahou Yucheng explained that Fire Departing Hall had earned two Clear Heart Calamity-Transcending Pills because six of its people were selected, including Qin Huaian and Chu Zhongtian.
• Xiahou Yucheng explained that the magical treasure selected cultivators by testing their combat performance against opponents of the same cultivation realm in an illusion.
• Xiahou Yucheng gave Qin Huaian one thousand top-grade spirit stones as thanks and asked him to look after Chu Zhongtian in Heaven Continent if danger arose.
• Qin Huaian accepted the request and promised to help Chu Zhongtian if it was within his power.

Xiahou Yucheng explained the vast geography separating Riverbank Continent from Heaven Continent and described why cultivators needed a teleportation token or immortality to reach it. The next morning, Yu Feng announced that the selected cultivators had been assigned to sects, leaving Qin Huaian with no choice of where to join.

• Qin Huaian asked Xiahou Yucheng about Riverbank Continent, Heaven Continent, and the teleportation restrictions between them.
• Xiahou Yucheng explained that Riverbank Continent belonged to a region of sixteen great continents, separated from Heaven Continent by the Violet Thorn Sea, which housed immortal-level sea demons.
• Qin Huaian wondered where his Master, Senior Sister, and Old Shen had been sent and resolved to focus on improving his cultivation.
• The next morning, Qin Huaian and the other selected cultivators gathered as the three factions prepared to depart.
• Yu Feng announced that the factions had assigned the selected cultivators to sects, rather than letting them choose freely.

Qin Huaian and the other selected cultivators joined their assigned sects and traveled from Vast Peace Forest to Green Continent. They arrived at Guangyuan City, where the Heaven Continent sects were preparing to select local talents as well.

• Yu Feng announced the sect assignments, and Qin Huaian joined the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect while Chu Zhongtian joined the Free Wanderer Immortal Sect.
• Kuang Bingyang introduced Elder Chen, Elder Liu, and Deacon Liu to the new disciples aboard the Flying Boat.
• Zhen Wei tried to befriend Chu Xi, but she left him and shut herself in a cabin room.
• After five days, Qin Huaian's Flying Boat reached Green Continent and approached the vast city of Guangyuan.
• Zhuge welcomed the Heaven Continent cultivators and explained that Green Continent's young talents had gathered for the sects' selection.

Qin Huaian and the other selected cultivators stayed in the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect’s portable abode in Guangyuan City for ten days before preparing to leave Green Continent. As Kuang Bingyang introduced newly accepted disciples from Green Continent, the group gathered to board the Flying Boat.

• Kuang Bingyang warned the selected cultivators to carry their identity jade tokens, stay near Guangyuan City, and avoid trouble before Liu Hong assigned them rooms in the portable abode.
• Qin Huaian chose room six and declined He Wenyuan’s invitation to explore the city, then cultivated with defensive and Spirit Gathering arrays.
• After ten days, Qin Huaian received the departure message and joined the others outside the portable abode.
• Kuang Bingyang introduced more than ten young talents from Green Continent as newly accepted Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect disciples, put away the palace, and summoned the Flying Boat.

Qin Huaian and the other cultivators learned that a Lightning Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator named Ye Chen had appeared in Flat Continent. The three Heaven Continent sects agreed to settle their dispute over recruiting him with a draw, and their leaders drew lots.

• Cultivators in the Portable Immortal Cave reported that a young Lightning Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator had appeared in Flat Continent.
• Qin Huaian flew with the other cultivators to the mountain where Flat Continent's selection had concluded and saw Ye Chen surrounded by sect leaders.
• Kuang Bingyang, Zhou Minghao, and Yu Feng argued over which sect should recruit Ye Chen.
• Elder Chen proposed that the sects draw lots for Ye Chen and divide the remaining disciples according to the agreed rules.
• Yu Feng and the other two sect leaders drew identical small balls from the shielded box.

The selection tour across the sixteen continents ended, and Kuang Bingyang’s group prepared to travel from Flat Continent to Violet Thorn Continent. As the newly selected disciples learned about their destination and the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect, they looked forward to leaving the next morning.

• Kuang Bingyang drew Ye Chen’s name, claimed him for the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect, and Yu Feng and Zhou Minghao selected twenty cultivators each from Flat Continent.
• Kuang Bingyang announced that the group would depart for the teleportation formation the next morning, then took Ye Chen into the floating palace’s tallest building.
• Liu Hong explained that the teleportation formation lay beside the Violet Thorn Sea and that crossing the sea was perilous for anyone who had not become an Immortal.
• Liu Hong told the recruits that the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect had eight Immortals and was a major sect in the Southern Region of Violet Thorn Continent.
• Liu Hong described the sect’s talisman arts and reassured the recruits that they could thrive there even without talent for crafting talismans.

Qin Huaian and the selected cultivators traveled from Sea Watch City through an ancient teleportation array to the Heaven Continent. They arrived in a mountain valley and came under attack as rival cultivators tried to seize control of the array.

• Kuang Bingyang introduced Ye Chen, a thunder-attribute Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator, to Elder Wang in Sea Watch City.
• Yu Feng, Kuang Bingyang, and Zhou Minghao activated the concealed teleportation array with eighty-one crystal stones and led the selected cultivators through it.
• Qin Huaian and the others emerged in a mountain valley on the Heaven Continent, where Qin Huaian sensed stronger spiritual Qi than on Riverbank Continent.
• Several attacks struck the valley's Defensive Array, and Yu Feng and Kuang Bingyang realized the group was under ambush.
• Kuang Bingyang identified Patriarch Wei Feng, but Jiang Hong's energy palm shattered the Defensive Array as Jiang Hong challenged Wei Feng to fight.

Qin Huaian and the newly recruited cultivators were caught up in a dispute over the teleportation array after rival factions learned that an ancient ruin linked to War God Xing had been discovered. After Mu Yun and Chu Xi described the ruin, Man Wei tried to recruit Chu Xi, but she chose to remain with the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect.

• A powerful attack shattered the valley's defensive formation, and cultivators explained that the Jiang Family and Heavenly Revelation Pavilion were fighting for access to the teleportation array and the ancient ruin.
• As the three factions tried to escort their newly recruited disciples away, Jiang-led cultivators blocked the flying ships and demanded accounts from those who had entered the ruin.
• Yu Feng summoned Mu Yun, who described the scorched world, the Fire Vein Space, and the Flame Devil Race trees he had encountered.
• The old man surnamed Jiang questioned Chu Xi about the seventh layer, and she said its blood-and-qi power was stronger but that lightning and gang winds had forced her to leave.
• Man Wei offered Chu Xi a core disciple position in the Heavenly Gang Sect, but she said she wanted to stay in the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect because she was interested in drawing spirit talismans.

Qin Huaian, Chu Xi, and Yang Hu joined the Mystic Talisman Immortal Sect as inner disciples and settled on Falling Star Peak. After Zheng Shaoguang challenged and mocked them, Chu Xi proved she could match him, and the gathered disciples welcomed the newcomers; Chu Xi’s extraordinary cultivation left them astonished.

• Qin Huaian, Chu Xi, and Yang Hu completed their entry procedures and were assigned as inner disciples to Falling Star Peak.
• Elder Qian explained the peak’s body-refinement focus and the competition inner disciples could win to become personal disciples.
• Zheng Shaoguang mocked the newcomers, broke Yang Hu’s arm when Yang Hu attacked, and was forced back when Chu Xi struck him.
• Ji Yao welcomed Qin Huaian, Chu Xi, and Yang Hu, while Yang Hu introduced them to the surrounding disciples and vowed to defeat Zheng Shaoguang someday.
• Chu Xi told Ji Yao she had cultivated for nearly a hundred years, leaving the surrounding disciples astonished by her strength and progress.

After perfecting the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture, Qin Huaian encountered the Supreme Purity True Person through a portrait in his mind and revealed his low cultivation level. The True Person became astonished by Qin Huaian’s comprehension and decided that such a talent must not be missed.

• Qin Huaian finished absorbing the perfected Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture and saw the portrait of the Supreme Purity True Person appear in his mind.
• The Supreme Purity True Person spoke to Qin Huaian and asked whether he had reached the Golden Immortal Realm.
• Qin Huaian said he was at the Spirit Transformation stage, had reached the ninth level of the Spirit Body Realm, and asked how to comprehend the complete scripture.
• The Supreme Purity True Person paused time in a city while he considered Qin Huaian’s extraordinary achievement and praised Qingxu for finding such a talented cultivator.
• The Supreme Purity True Person resolved not to miss Qin Huaian, and his voice suddenly returned to Qin Huaian.

Qin Huaian spoke with Master Taiqing, who confirmed that Qin Huaian was the Supreme Purity Sect’s only core disciple and explained that the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture had no complete version. Master Taiqing urged Qin Huaian to spread the scripture and his portrait, leaving Qin Huaian wondering whether the sect’s practices were proper.

• Qin Huaian told Master Taiqing that he had met Qingxu and become the Supreme Purity Sect’s only core disciple.
• Master Taiqing called Qin Huaian his nominal disciple, judged his comprehension barely passing, and explained that the scripture was only a guide whose path beyond Golden Immortal depended on each cultivator.
• Qin Huaian asked where Master Taiqing was and about the realms beyond immortality, but Master Taiqing said he was searching for a way back from a distant place and that Qin Huaian’s realm was too low to understand.
• Qin Huaian estimated that several thousand cultivators practiced the scripture, and Master Taiqing blamed Qingxu for the low number and asked Qin Huaian to spread it to more people.
• Master Taiqing promised to make Qin Huaian a Holy Son for spreading the scripture and instructed him to distribute a portrait, which Qin Huaian questioned.

Qin Huaian accepted Supreme Purity True Person as his master and learned that spreading the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture and its portrait would help his master find a way home. After their contact ended, the white-bearded Daoist impressed Young Master Wang with his knowledge of a water-damaged talisman and gained his respect.

• Supreme Purity True Person asked Qin Huaian to become his personal disciple, and Qin Huaian agreed after weighing the risks and benefits.
• Supreme Purity True Person told Qin Huaian that cultivating the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture would help him find a way home, and that visualizing his portrait could speed comprehension.
• Supreme Purity True Person said he could not reveal the sect's enemies and ended their contact after urging Qin Huaian to spread the scripture.
• The white-bearded Daoist resumed time in the mortal city and told Young Master Wang that water had ruined his treasure talisman.
• Young Master Wang recognized the Daoist's ability, rebuked his attendants for their disrespect, and offered to take him to Riverwatch Tower.

Qin Huaian copied the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture and the Supreme Purity True Person’s portrait onto jade slips, then prepared to cultivate further. Yang Hu arrived to invite him to Falling Star Gorge, where the two planned to temper their bodies and discussed Yang Hu’s goal of defeating Zheng Shaoguang.

• Qin Huaian etched the Supreme Purity True Person’s portrait onto a jade slip and made dozens of copies of the Supreme Purity Ascension Scripture to spread.
• Yang Hu called on Qin Huaian and invited him to Falling Star Gorge for body tempering.
• Qin Huaian left his residence with Yang Hu, while Siqin and Tinglan attended to the courtyard.
• Yang Hu said he was nearing the ninth level of the Spirit Body Realm and vowed to defeat Zheng Shaoguang at the inner sect tournament.
• Qin Huaian joked that he would challenge Zheng Shaoguang too once his cultivation improved, and Yang Hu praised Junior Sister Chu for beating Zheng Shaoguang.

Qin Huaian and Yang Hu discussed Chu Xi’s rapid progress and the possibility that Falling Star Peak Master Wu Lie would take her as a direct disciple, then entered Falling Star Gorge to cultivate. Qin Huaian trained around sixty li from the entrance while his Mirror Bodies continued cultivating, and a month later Yang Hu came to leave with him.

• Qin Huaian recalled that Chu Xi had defeated Zheng Shaoguang in three punches after he provoked her.
• Yang Hu told Qin Huaian that Wu Lie’s second disciple had taken Chu Xi toward the palace atop Falling Star Peak, prompting them to wonder whether Wu Lie would accept her as a direct disciple.
• Qin Huaian and Yang Hu handed their Identity Tokens to Steward Wang and entered Falling Star Gorge for a month of cultivation.
• Yang Hu went farther into the gorge, while Qin Huaian cultivated around sixty li from the entrance and let his Mirror Bodies continue their work.
• A month later, Yang Hu returned to Qin Huaian and said they were leaving.

After hearing how Chu advanced through an ancient body cultivation ruin, Qin Huaian returned to his cave abode and cultivated with his Mirror Bodies. He broke through to mid-stage Spirit Transformation in three months, but the enormous cost in spirit stones left him considering talisman-making as a way to fund future cultivation.

• Qin Huaian and Yang Hu left Falling Star Gorge and heard disciples discussing Chu’s talent and her advancement through an ancient body cultivation ruin.
• Qin Huaian learned that the ruin opened once every hundred years to cultivators below the third layer of the Spirit Body Realm, and that several sects and immortals had failed to pass its gate.
• Qin Huaian returned to his cave abode, declined Siqin and Tinglan’s offer of a bath, and resumed cultivating with four Mirror Bodies and a Spirit Gathering Array.
• After three months, Qin Huaian broke through from early-stage to mid-stage Spirit Transformation, using roughly three million high-grade spirit stones.
• Qin Huaian considered drawing spirit talismans to earn resources and decided to cultivate with his remaining Earthcore Flame Marrow for now.

After three years of cultivating, Qin Huaian reached the seventh level of the Spirit Body Realm while concealing how little he had advanced in body refinement. He and Yang Hu learned that the legendary Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality had opened, but they had not yet learned what it was like or who could enter.

• Qin Huaian found that Earthcore Flame Marrow advanced his cultivation faster than high-grade spirit stones, and continued cultivating with it while occasionally refining his body at Falling Star Gorge with Yang Hu.
• Three years later, Qin Huaian announced his breakthrough to the seventh level of the Spirit Body Realm, drawing attention from Falling Star Peak’s disciples.
• Yang Hu told Qin Huaian he expected to reach the ninth level soon and hoped to compete for a ranking in the inner sect grand competition three years later.
• A cultivator received news that the Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality had opened, and Steward Wang confirmed the announcement through a message from personal disciple Zhao Jingxuan.
• Yang Hu asked a fellow disciple about the path and learned that more than half of the immortals on the Violet Thorn Continent were said to have entered it.

Yang Hu and Qin Huaian learned that the Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality had opened and discussed how dangerous it was and how cultivators obtained entry tokens. They began gathering more information before deciding how to enter, and Ji Yao explained that the secret realm could remain open for decades or even over a century.

• A cultivator told Yang Hu and Qin Huaian that the Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality admitted only qualified non-immortals and that roughly sixty percent of entrants survived.
• Yang Hu decided that he and Qin Huaian should enter, while Qin Huaian said they should learn more and consider buying Immortal Inquiry Tokens if the sect did not give them any.
• Yang Hu and Qin Huaian returned to the residential area and found inner disciples discussing the opening.
• Qin Huaian asked Ji Yao how long the secret realm stayed open, and she said it usually lasted at least thirty or forty years and sometimes more than a hundred.

Ji Yao explained that the Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality was a secret realm where cultivators could rapidly comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, and Qin Huaian decided to seek an entry opportunity. After learning that qualifications would be auctioned in Three Draw City, he traveled there and entered the Treasure Pavilion to shop.

• Ji Yao told Qin Huaian and the other cultivators about the secret realm and how Wei Wuya had risen from the Void Refinement Realm to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm before ascending to immortality.
• Qin Huaian returned to his residence, considered how to obtain a place in the Nine Tribulations Path to Immortality, and resumed cultivating while waiting for news.
• Two months later, Qin Huaian received Yang Hu's message that the Exquisite Chamber of Commerce would auction qualifications to obtain Immortal Inquiry Tokens.
• Qin Huaian left for Three Draw City, where he planned to buy artifact-refining materials and a better flying sword.
• Qin Huaian entered the Treasure Pavilion.

Qin Huaian bought refining materials and joined Yang Hu at the Exquisite Chamber of Commerce’s auction for an Immortal Inquiry Token. They entered with VIP invitations and took seats near the front as the packed auction hall prepared to begin.

• Qin Huaian bought sixth- and seventh-rank refining materials at the Treasure Pavilion for 870,000 high-grade spirit stones.
• Qin Huaian learned that invitations to the Immortal Inquiry Token auctions cost 1,000 high-grade spirit stones and contacted Yang Hu.
• Yang Hu told Qin Huaian he had already obtained an invitation for him, and Qin Huaian rented a room at the inn.
• Yang Hu called Qin Huaian to leave for the auction, and the two entered the Exquisite Chamber of Commerce with golden VIP invitations.
• Qin Huaian and Yang Hu took seats near the front of the crowded auction hall, where a beautiful female cultivator stepped onto the stage.