Chapter Summaries

Yu Ci questioned Wan Quan about Yinkui City’s factions and asked him to find a place to rest, while Wan Quan struggled to steer him away from Great Vertebra Hall’s trap. Bao Yun took over as Yu Ci’s guide, and Wan Quan returned to Red Fang Workshop, where a maid-like woman concluded that Yu Ci was not Ling Xi Wanderer and awaited Bao Yun’s report.

• Su Tong appeared at a teahouse but left after receiving a jade slip, and Wan Quan realized he had been involved in the conflict with Ghost Hand Zhou.
• Wan Quan considered luring Yu Ci into Great Vertebra Hall’s ambush, then instead warned him to seek mediation and explained the city’s factional balance.
• Yu Ci asked Wan Quan to secure him a place in Hundred Revolving Wind Cave and recommend somewhere quiet to stay for several days.
• Bao Yun arrived, claimed Red Fang Workshop urgently needed Wan Quan, and offered to entertain Yu Ci in his place; Yu Ci agreed to let Wan Quan go.
• Wan Quan returned to Red Fang Workshop and recounted his meeting with Yu Ci to a maid-like woman, who said Yu Ci was not Ling Xi Wanderer and awaited Bao Yun’s account.

Bao Yun and Wan Quan learned that Yu Ci's unusual behavior came from turbulent vital blood, while Sister Lu suspected the Great Vertebra Hall was preparing to seize him and ordered Wan Quan to investigate. Yu Ci sent a transformed strand of light through the rock above his inn, and a returning group near Yinkui City spotted something that made their lookout cry out in terror.

• Bao Yun returned to Wan Quan and complained that Yu Ci had sent her away, but Sister Lu explained that his flushed face signaled vigorous vital blood rather than a demonic art.
• Bao Yun identified Yu Ci as being at the initial Return to Elixir stage, and Sister Lu concluded that a delayed Return to Elixir was causing his vital blood to boil.
• Sister Lu ordered Wan Quan to investigate Sun Wu and warned that the Great Vertebra Hall might gather fighters to attack Yu Ci, possibly after Chu He returned from Qianzhang City.
• Yu Ci rested at the Hundred Revolutions Inn and discussed with the Ghost in the Wall the materials needed to build a Seven Stars Altar of Footwork.
• Yu Ci sent a strand of pure light through the rock overhead and transformed it as it rose into the sky above the Northern Wilderness's black tempest.
• A five-person shuttle nearing Yinkui City planned to conceal its return after spotting a local hunting band, but its lookout suddenly cried, "Monster!"

Chu He spotted Yu Ci’s dragon-serpent absorbing moonlight through an Essence Blood Dan Pearl and led his men to seize it. After the creature defeated two attackers, Yu Ci remained in cultivation and waited to see what the approaching groups would do.

• Chu He noticed the dragon-serpent near the Floating Cloud Ship and decided to abandon his mission to capture it and take its treasure.
• Chu He saw the dragon-serpent summon a golden Essence Blood Dan Pearl and absorb the moonlight, while a silver disc and two Core Formation cultivators attacked.
• The dragon-serpent knocked the silver disc aside with its claws and blasted the two cultivators into the black tempest with a ring of mist.
• Chu He and another approaching group halted after witnessing the dragon-serpent’s power.
• Yu Ci, still cultivating the Taiyin Refinement Method, scolded Shadow Ghost for failing to keep watch and chose to wait rather than flee or fight.

Yu Ci fought off the Floating Cloud Ship’s hunters by projecting his mind-image as a fish-dragon, then damaged the ship and departed. Aboard the vessel, a bone-thin man prepared to act after Shopkeeper Lu won their wager.

• Chu He watched the Floating Cloud Ship advance and attack Yu Ci with Azure Wave Yin Thunder and a binding net.
• Yu Ci evaded the attacks, revealed the fish-dragon as a projection of his mind-image, and used the Heavenly Dragon True Intent to daze the cultivators.
• Yu Ci escaped the net, killed three men with God Slaying Thorns, and cracked the Floating Cloud Ship’s bow before leaving.
• A bone-thin man told Shopkeeper Lu she had won their wager and dismissed the ship’s fighters as useless.
• The bone-thin man picked up his sheathed longsword as screams erupted through the cabin and stopped abruptly.

Shen Wan explained why she had bet against Hun Liao’s men, and he returned her detained cargo while asking for advice on capturing the monster. Yu Ci then clashed with Hun Liao’s sword intent, escaped into the storm, and resolved to hurry up and form his core.

• Shen Wan told Hun Liao that the monster’s unusual claws and abilities made it unlike any recorded fish-dragon, and Hun Liao returned her cargo.
• Hun Liao attacked Yu Ci’s fish-dragon manifestation with his sword intent, locating its spiritual imprint across the boundary between reality and illusion.
• Yu Ci withdrew into the storm surge and used a Seed True Talisman to unsettle Hun Liao’s sword stance before escaping.
• Hun Liao appeared at Chu He’s flying shuttle and startled Chu and his subordinates.
• Yu Ci reflected that Hun Liao matched his sword intent but surpassed him in cultivation, and he resolved to form his core quickly.

Yu Ci assessed his talisman bottleneck and decided to build a Seven Stars Altar of Footwork to temper his killing intent. While exploring Yinkui City’s chaotic market with Wan Quan, he recognized a woman and used the Zhaoshen Map to survey the city and listen in on conversations.

• Yu Ci found that his heavy killing intent hindered his progress with soul-restoring talismans, so he resolved to complete the Seven Stars Altar of Footwork as soon as possible.
• Yu Ci visited Yinkui City’s crowded market, where a cultivator fell to his death and a later fight collapsed two caves.
• Yu Ci glimpsed a familiar woman moving through the market with a group, but Wan Quan’s greeting interrupted his recognition.
• Wan Quan reported that he had posted Yu Ci’s requests for materials with various shops and began explaining how businesses dealt with Great Vertebra Hall.
• Yu Ci used the Zhaoshen Map to survey the city within its range and clearly hear conversations around Great Vertebra Hall.

Yu Ci accompanied Wan Quan to Yinkui City’s Three Families Market, where he secretly tracked Shen Wan using the restored Zhaoshen Map. The chapter ended with Yu Ci observing her from a distance as she moved through Baichuan Market.

• Yu Ci learned that Great Vertebra Hall’s plan had collapsed and that Chu He’s party had disappeared, leaving the hall badly weakened.
• Wan Quan led Yu Ci through the black market and explained the different ranks and schedules of Three Families Market.
• Yu Ci noticed a veiled woman in blue and learned from Wan Quan that she was heading to Three Families Market.
• Yu Ci recognized the woman as Shen Wan, a Suixin Pavilion manager he had previously met, but chose not to approach her.
• Yu Ci used the restored Zhaoshen Map to track Shen Wan’s movements from afar.

Yu Ci used the Zhaoshen Map to watch Shen Wan at Baichuan Market and noticed a concealed Core Formation cultivator secretly placing something against her skirt. After failing to plant a deeper mark on the man, Yu Ci withdrew the map and entered the "Lone Star" sensing state.

• Yu Ci adjusted the Zhaoshen Map to monitor Shen Wan while Wan Quan explained that she was likely sounding out market prices for Suixin Pavilion.
• Yu Ci inferred that Shen Wan's visit might signal new developments for Suixin Pavilion in Yinkui City, and Wan Quan sent a message to his companions at Red Fang Workshop to approach her.
• Yu Ci and Wan Quan visited Wuchen Market, where Yu Ci used the map to view its exhibition halls but found none of the materials he needed.
• Yu Ci noticed a disguised Core Formation cultivator brush past Shen Wan and leave something against her skirt before fleeing Three Families Market and Yinkui City.
• Yu Ci failed to embed a lasting mark on the fleeing cultivator and switched from the Zhaoshen Map to the "Lone Star" sensing state.

Yu Ci registered four rare materials with Three Families Market and learned that Lu of the Red Fang Workshop could help refine artifacts. As he left with Wan Quan, Yu Ci noticed Shen Wan, the new Suixin Pavilion steward, and reacted to her scent.

• Yu Ci tracked a Core Formation cultivator through the underground passages using Lone Star induction while avoiding the Great Vertebra Hall's sentry posts.
• Yu Ci and Wan Quan met Steward Wen at Three Families Market and registered to acquire Five Thunder Spirit Wood, Mysterious Water Obsidian, Spiritually Connecting Jade, and Wonderful Cave True Incense.
• Steward Wen explained that Three Families Market had stopped accepting Ruyi Money because Suixin Pavilion faced troubles in Yinkui City and might retreat to the four northern cities.
• Steward Wen recommended Lu of the Red Fang Workshop as a skilled artifact refiner, and Wan Quan offered to connect Yu Ci with her.
• Yu Ci spotted Shen Wan in the exhibition hall and sniffed appreciatively as he watched her.

Yu Ci watched Fifth Master He and a mysterious elderly spirit shaman investigate a hidden enemy, then withdrew when the old man detected his surveillance. Later, Shen Wan discovered that the seals on her warehouse had been loosened.

• Yu Ci used the Zhaoshen Map to follow Steward Wen and discovered that Fifth Master He, a Void-Stepping expert, had arrived with an elderly cultivator and several Core Formation attendants.
• The Shadow Ghost warned Yu Ci that the frail-looking old man followed an unusual path and urged him to be careful.
• The old man used a spirit-shaman method to point to Baichuan Market and explain how the fugitive weakened the spirits' senses in crowded places before escaping.
• The old man sensed interference in Wuchen Market and expelled Yu Ci's divine intent from his mind palace, so Yu Ci severed his connection to the Zhaoshen Map.
• Shen Wan reflected on her troubled shop handover and the goods she had recovered from Hun Liao, then found that the seals and restrictions around her warehouse had been loosened.

Shen Wan assessed the damage after her storehouse was robbed, while Yu Ci tracked Ling Xi Wanderer and discovered that the theft was part of a plan to recover a mysterious copper object. Ling Xi handed the object to Seventh Brother at a hidden rendezvous, then used incense to incapacitate him.

• Shen Wan returned to the storehouse with Shen Liang and hired wardens, but the thief had already escaped and the wardens chose to leave.
• Shen Wan calculated the losses and reassured Shen Liang that the most precious goods were safe, though she worried about her future in the Northern Wastes.
• Yu Ci used Shadow Ghost and Zhaoshen Map to follow Ling Xi Wanderer, who had stolen a mysterious copper object from Shen Wan's storehouse.
• Ling Xi met Seventh Brother by a bonfire and gave him the copper object, explaining how Harmony Sinking Incense and Harmony Floating Incense had helped him locate it.
• Ling Xi revealed how to activate the incense's toxicity, and Seventh Brother collapsed after breathing it in.

Ling Xi Wanderer killed Seventh Brother and another pursuer with numbing scents, then fought Yu Ci when he discovered him in the cavern. Yu Ci overcame Ling Xi Wanderer’s scent-based techniques with a hidden strike and killed him, leaving his true attacker concealed in the shadows.

• Ling Xi Wanderer subdued Seventh Brother and the man who attacked from underground, then killed both former allies.
• Yu Ci emerged after Ling Xi Wanderer left and examined the scarce traces of numbing scent and the bodies.
• Ling Xi Wanderer detected Yu Ci following him and used Marrow-Piercing Cold Incense to disrupt Yu Ci during their close-quarters fight.
• Yu Ci fled into a branching tunnel, but Ling Xi Wanderer sent numbing scents after him and believed he had won.
• Yu Ci appeared inches from Ling Xi Wanderer and pierced his defenses with a powerful attack, then killed him with Sword Qi.

Yu Ci survived his battle with Ling Xi Wanderer and took the Xuan Ling Yin, then went to Red Fang Workshop to have Lu Qing process black gold silk for his Seven Stars Altar of Footwork. The chapter left him studying the banner’s complicated rune patterns with Lu Qing as a commotion arose next door.

• Yu Ci fought off exhaustion from the poison, recovered, and searched Ling Xi Wanderer's corpse, finding the Xuan Ling Yin.
• Yu Ci considered the risks of pursuing the Yellow Springs Secret Mansion and concealed Ling Xi Wanderer's body with cloud vapor.
• At Red Fang Workshop, Bao Yun complained to Wan Quan about Yu Ci occupying the prime venue, and Wan Quan hurried off to assist him.
• Yu Ci met Lu Qing in the workshop beneath Red Fang Workshop, where she had finished processing the black gold silk.
• Lu Qing questioned the banner's rune patterns, and Yu Ci sat down to study the crafting problem with her as a commotion sounded next door.

Yu Ci helped Lu Qing investigate and repair an Earth-Sealing Fire Furnace accident at Red Fang Workshop, then encountered Shen Wan. More than half a month later, a letter from Three Families Market announced that Wonderful Cave True Incense had arrived with an asking price of forty thousand Dragon Palace Shells.

• Yu Ci discussed talisman patterns with Lu Qing, but Wan Quan interrupted to warn that a furnace installation had caused Earth Lung Poison Fire to leak at Red Fang Workshop.
• Yu Ci and Wan Quan joined Lu Qing at the accident site, where Yu Ci helped identify damage to the sealing array and revived the badly injured installer with talismans.
• Yu Ci noticed Shen Liang's shock at the talismans' effects and saw Shen Wan arrive, then left after greeting her.
• Yu Ci spent more than half a month keeping a low profile as commissions dwindled following rumors about his conflict with Great Vertebra Hall and his identity as the Ling Xi Wanderer.
• Yu Ci received a letter from Three Families Market stating that Wonderful Cave True Incense had arrived and its owner wanted forty thousand Dragon Palace Shells.

Yu Ci challenged Jin Changhua’s exorbitant price for Wonderful Cave True Incense by testing the incense and exposing its flaws. Their negotiation was interrupted by the old spirit shaman, who confirmed Yu Ci’s assessment and asked for a stick of incense.

• Yu Ci and Wan Quan met Steward Wen at Three Families Market and arranged to negotiate directly with Jin Changhua over the incense.
• Jin Changhua demanded forty thousand Dragon Palace Shells or a high-grade defensive artifact for two bundles of incense.
• Yu Ci tested a stick of incense and concluded it was improperly made and stored, making it risky to use for honoring the gods.
• Jin Changhua was stunned by Yu Ci’s findings, and Yu Ci explained the incense’s impurities and weakened spiritual efficacy.
• The old spirit shaman arrived, confirmed Yu Ci was right, and asked Jin Changhua to give him one stick of incense.

Yu Ci and Jin Changhua settled their deal for the Wonderful Cave True Incense after a spirit shaman intervened, and Yu Ci reconsidered his attitude toward life in Yinkui City. He secretly followed the shaman’s divination and learned that it had identified the abandoned mine where he disposed of Ling Xi Wanderer’s corpse.

• Master Zhang took a stick of Wonderful Cave True Incense from Jin Changhua and warned Yu Ci and Jin Changhua about sinful spirits before leaving.
• Yu Ci and Jin Changhua agreed on a price of twelve thousand Dragon Palace Shells for the incense, then left without staying for a meal.
• Wan Quan told Yu Ci that the Taiyin Banner was finished and that a place in the Hundred Revolving Wind Cave had opened, prompting Yu Ci to curse before laughing at his own change in outlook.
• Yu Ci parted from Wan Quan, used the Ethereal Flight Talisman to go underground, and watched Master Zhang’s divination through the Zhaoshen Map.
• Master Zhang directed Fifth Master He and his companions toward the northwest, identifying the area where Yu Ci had burned Ling Xi Wanderer’s body in a fire vent.

Yu Ci secretly watched Fifth Master He investigate the fire eye, where a luminous bug traced traces linked to the Ling Xi Wanderer and exposed a suspicious path. As Fifth Master He approached a fissure, the magma erupted and Yu Ci’s view through the bug abruptly vanished.

• Yu Ci hid outside the mining area and used the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror to parasitize his divine will into a luminous bug accompanying Fifth Master He.
• Fifth Master He released the bug to search the fire eye, and Yu Ci saw its dark-green trail mark places where he had handled the Ling Xi Wanderer’s corpse.
• Yu Ci noticed the trail followed a route he had never taken, while Fifth Master He’s men found a robe fragment identified as the Ling Xi Wanderer’s Truth-Breaking Yuan-Corroding Incense.
• Fifth Master He suspected the Ling Xi Wanderer had been killed, and Yu Ci feared someone was framing him or had discovered his secret.
• The luminous bug returned to its bottle, and Fifth Master He rushed toward a fissure at the fire eye.
• A bubbling crater burst open, magma surged, Yu Ci’s view through the Zhaoshen Map went dark, and the Shadow Ghost warned him to dodge.

Yu Ci survived a tribulation cultivator’s attack by hiding inside the Cloud Tower Tree, then connected the threat to the Primordial Demon Sect and Ling Xi Wanderer’s plans for the Xuan Ling Yin. Back in Yinkui City, he learned that Spirit Shaman Master Zhang Ye had been killed and received an urgent commission from Steward Wen.

• Yu Ci hid inside the Cloud Tower Tree to evade a tribulation cultivator, who devastated the mining area with fire before leaving.
• Yu Ci recovered the badly damaged Cloud Tower Tree and reasoned that Ling Xi Wanderer might still be alive and seeking the Xuan Ling Yin.
• The Shadow Ghost identified the attacker’s Molten Core Prison Technique as an art associated with the Primordial Demon Sect, and Yu Ci decided to leave the dangerous area.
• After Yu Ci returned to Yinkui City, Wan Quan told him that Spirit Shaman Master Zhang Ye had died in Three Families Market and that the market was searching for the murderer.
• Steward Wen visited Yu Ci and asked him to accept a commission to summon souls and drive away ghosts at Three Families Market.

Yu Ci investigated Zhang Ye’s death at Baichuan Market and prepared to summon his soul as the market’s managers struggled to respond to the crisis. The news that Fifth Master He had also died deepened their suspicion of a powerful murderer, while Yu Ci’s spell produced an unexpected black pearl.

• Yu Ci examined Zhang Ye’s body and found no remnant soul, then encountered Su Tong and heard the managers argue over who should handle the soul summoning.
• A message revealed that Fifth Master He’s life lamp had gone out, and Steward Wen realized that both men investigating the Ling Xi Wanderer had died.
• Su Tong left rather than get involved, while Yu Ci and Shadow Ghost concluded that Zhang Ye’s precise, delicate killing did not match the Molten Core Prison Technique.
• Steward Wen insisted that Yu Ci proceed, and Yu Ci cast the Soul Recovery Star-Fixing Spell, whose light pearl turned into a flawless black pearl.

Yu Ci investigated the old spirit shaman’s death and discovered that his specially refined incense could contact the Primordial Demon Lord. The Demon Lord’s reply revealed that the killer had concealed himself from both the shaman and some of the Demon Lord’s powers, just as Shen Wan of Suixin Pavilion requested an audience.

• Yu Ci failed to summon the old spirit shaman’s soul and secretly took the refined incense stub from the incense burner.
• Yu Ci identified the stub as spirit-shaman incense used to honor gods and tested it in his quiet room.
• The incense connected Yu Ci to a consciousness that responded with killing intent, and the Shadow Ghost recognized it as a strand of the Primordial Demon Lord.
• The Shadow Ghost realized the shaman had been killed by someone who could evade both the shaman and part of the Demon Lord’s powers.
• A flying talisman arrived with Shen Wan of Suixin Pavilion’s request to meet Yu Ci.