Chapter Summaries

Fang Qing’s forces seized the Profound Earth Sect, and he left the campaign to explore the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm. He reached Ice Heaven Island to visit Zhong Lingxiu, who was struggling to support the Zhong Alliance.

• Fang Qing and the Dumus attacked Hanging Mountain, and Tu Yuanzi surrendered the Profound Earth Sect’s seal and records.
• Le Mingxue recognized the sect as the one that had taken her husband and father-in-law, while Monk Fa Yuan explained that the army would continue toward Wu Mountain and the Acacia Territory.
• Fang Qing returned to Supreme White Island and learned that Shi Tiexin had attempted Core Formation; he concluded that Shi had failed and sent condolences.
• Fang Qing crossed the Ten-Thousand-Li Sea Route and arrived at Ice Heaven Island, where he located Zhong Lingxiu’s Zhong Alliance.
• Zhong Lingxiu asked Xuan Qi for more time to pay for the alliance’s spirit vein, but the market steward refused to lower the rent.

Fang Qing reunited with Zhong Lingxiu in the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm and assessed its powers, resources, and cultivation opportunities. After choosing the Devouring Sea Method and weighing its Life-Bound Artifacts, he divined that Zhan Hongxiu and the All-Heaven Star Palace might be connected to an opportunity involving the Devouring Sea Flask.

• Fang Qing appeared as a newly advanced Core Formation cultivator and met with Zhong Lingxiu after Xuan Qi departed.
• Zhong Lingxiu described the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm’s major powers, the costly spirit-vein rentals, and the scarcity of pills for Core Formation cultivators.
• Fang Qing settled into a cave abode and considered his cultivation, deciding that he had no immediate need to refine a Life-Bound Artifact.
• Fang Qing examined the Devouring Sea Method’s Life-Bound Artifacts and favored the Dark Nether Mirror and Abyssal Eye Pearl for their help with a future Nascent Soul breakthrough.
• Fang Qing divined that the Devouring Sea Flask opportunity was tied to Zhan Hongxiu and possibly the All-Heaven Star Palace.

Fang Qing visited Ice Heaven Market in disguise to find third-order materials for his Life-Bound Artifact, buying Ink Heaven Jade and learning about a private Core Formation exchange. At the Merchant Alliance branch, he met Shang Yuanxin and began considering the Shang Clan’s potential source of materials for Nascent Soul formation.

• Fang Qing reviewed the materials needed for several artifacts and decided to gather what he could for the Devouring Sea Flask.
• Fang Qing entered Ice Heaven Market in disguise, received an honored-guest token, and had the greeter Chixin guide him to the market’s merchant houses.
• Bing Ling sold Fang Qing a piece of Ink Heaven Jade and told him about a private exchange gathering for Core Formation cultivators.
• Fang Qing visited the Merchant Alliance, where Shang Yuanxin explained the Shang Clan’s branch service test and gave him an honored-guest token.
• Fang Qing considered the Shang Clan’s resources and its possible supply of materials that could aid Nascent Soul formation.

Fang Qing attended a private exchange at Pao Gathering Tower, where he traded Third-Order pills for Voidstone and secured materials for his Life-Bound Artifact. The gathering ended with Ice Heaven True Person revealing a plan to destroy Angry Shark Adept and demanding secrecy from the assembled cultivators.

• Fang Qing arranged for the Merchant Alliance to obtain Third-Order spiritual materials and received an introduction to the Voidstone seller Wayward Hermit.
• Fang Qing attended Heavenly Feast True Person’s exchange at Pao Gathering Tower and sampled its Third-Order spiritual dishes.
• Fang Qing traded Prime Quality Third-Order Congealed Jade Pills with several Core Formation cultivators, including Wayward Hermit, for Voidstone.
• Ice Heaven True Person arrived and revealed that he had discovered Angry Shark Adept’s whereabouts and wanted the cultivators’ help to wipe out his band of Cultivator Bandits.
• Heavenly Bamboo True Person warned that Angry Shark Adept was a Core Formation Middle Stage cultivator with a powerful Bloodsea Shark and was rumored to come from Bloodfiend Island.

Ice Heaven True Person forced the Core Formation cultivators at Pao Yuan Tower to sign contracts before attacking Angry Shark Adept’s supposed allies, but Fang Qing escaped his pursuit. Fang Qing used a Forbidden-Breaking Talisman to exploit the market formation’s brief spatial weakness and vanished, leaving Ice Heaven True Person baffled by his escape.

• Ice Heaven True Person revealed his Core Formation perfection and demanded that the gathered cultivators sign Spirit Contracts or be treated as accomplices.
• Fang Qing refused to sign after divination warned of misfortune, then used the Devouring Sea Method and Tide-Birth Pearl to raise his cultivation to the middle stage of Core Formation.
• Heavenly Yin Child unleashed Secret Demon Yin Lightning and tried to flee, but Ice Heaven True Person killed him and trapped Pao Gathering Tower within the Three-Yin Profound Ice Shield.
• Fang Qing shattered the ice barrier with his sword and escaped the tower, prompting Ice Heaven True Person to seal Ice Heaven Market and pursue him.
• Fang Qing reached the market’s great formation and used a Third-Order Forbidden-Breaking Talisman to create a momentary spatial connection, then vanished into space before Ice Heaven True Person could strike.

Fang Qing recovered from his clash with Ice Heaven True Person, collected the spiritual materials Shang Yuanxin had prepared, and uncovered Ice Heaven True Person’s ties to Bloodfiend Island. The chapter ended as Ice Heaven True Person attacked Angry Shark Adept’s fleet, with both sides poised for battle.

• Fang Qing spent two months recovering, then returned to Ice Heaven Market disguised as Fang Shui and found himself listed as Angry Shark Adept’s accomplice.
• Shang Yuanxin defied his servant’s advice and completed his trade with Fang Qing, hoping to invest in a promising Core Formation cultivator.
• Fang Qing began practicing how to refine the Devouring Sea Flask and used his strengthened karmic connection to investigate Ice Heaven True Person.
• Zhong Lingxiu reported that Ice Heaven True Person had made his move, and Fang Qing divined that the man was a discarded disciple of Bloodfiend Island.
• Ice Heaven True Person led Core Formation cultivators to surround Angry Shark Adept’s fleet, and Angry Shark Adept prepared to fight using the Bloodsea Ten-Thousand Sharks Formation.

Ice Heaven True Person defeated Angry Shark Adept, while Fang Qing ambushed the battlefield, killed Zhang Xueyue, and took the Bloodsea Shark’s Demon Pill. Back in his cave, Fang Qing absorbed the pill with the Devouring Sea Method and sensed something swimming within its black seawater.

• Ice Heaven True Person overwhelmed Angry Shark Adept and sealed the Bloodsea Shark beneath the Ice-Snow Palace.
• Redheart True Person and the other Core Formation cultivators found Fang Qing at the Blood Shark, where he killed Zhang Xueyue and vanished into the Great Void.
• Fang Qing returned to the battlefield, killed the bound Bloodsea Shark, and took its Demon Pill before escaping Ice Heaven True Person.
• Ice Heaven True Person captured Angry Shark Adept and ordered the other cultivators to eliminate his Core Formation subordinates.
• Fang Qing absorbed the Bloodsea Shark’s Demon Pill with the Devouring Sea Method and sensed something shark-like moving in the black seawater around him.

Fang Qing realized that the Devouring Sea Method could absorb essence-spirit power and build resistance to the beings and techniques it devoured. Meanwhile, Shang Yuanxin learned Ice Heaven True Person was Xue Tianhong, who was using imprisoned Core Formation cultivators to ripen a Grudge Infant Fruit, and moved to profit from the coming purge as Ice Heaven prepared to form his Nascent Soul.

• Fang Qing concluded that the Devouring Sea Method let him strengthen his attacks against devoured foes and accumulate resistance to their powers, then began refining the Devouring Sea Flask.
• A year later, Shang Yuanxin received a secret clan message identifying Ice Heaven True Person as Xue Tianhong, an expelled Bloodfiend Island disciple who had stolen the Ghost Infant Root.
• Shang Yuanxin learned that Xue Tianhong was using the Ghost Infant Root to make a Grudge Infant Fruit and that Heaven Talisman Superior was coming to purge him.
• Shang Yuanxin ordered Uncle Fu to sell the Shang Clan's Ice Heaven Market shops before prices collapsed, intending to buy up assets after the market fell.
• Ice Heaven True Person imprisoned Redheart True Person and other Core Formation cultivators, draining their blood essence and True Cores to ripen the Grudge Infant Fruit.
• Ice Heaven True Person reinforced the restrictions around his underground lair and declared that he would form his Nascent Soul once the fruit ripened.

Fang Qing forged the Devouring Sea Flask and used the chaos at Ice Heaven Market to steal the Grudge Infant Fruit before escaping to Ancient Shu World. Heaven Talisman Superior exposed and defeated Ice Heaven True Person, but the thief’s escape left him furious as Four Seas Gate’s representative arrived.

• Fang Qing completed the Devouring Sea Flask, sensed trouble at Ice Heaven Market, and disguised himself as Fang Shui before traveling there.
• Heaven Talisman Superior revealed Ice Heaven True Person as the Blood Worm Demon and turned the market’s cultivators against him.
• Heaven Talisman Superior smashed open the underground palace, exposing the blood pool and the nearly ripe Grudge Infant Fruit.
• Ice Heaven True Person fought Heaven Talisman Superior, escaped with a substitution technique, and was captured inside a golden palace.
• Fang Qing seized the Grudge Infant Fruit and escaped into the void, then stored it in a jade box in Ancient Shu World rather than consuming it.
• Heaven Talisman Superior failed to pursue Fang Qing and spoke with a blue-robed old man from Four Seas Gate.

Fang Qing gave Sangji the Grudge Infant Fruit and learned that Wushan Commandery might contain the lost Bai Li Grotto-Heaven, while the White Bone Way’s campaign drew the attention of Great True Person Lian Chen. In the Eastern Sea, Fang Qing hid his identity from the Heaven Talisman Superior as Zhong Lingxiu bought distressed Ice Heaven Market properties, anticipating its recovery.

• Fang Qing showed Sangji the Grudge Infant Fruit, and Sangji explained that its power had diminished since human blood offerings were banned but that it might still trade for a Purple Mansion breakthrough aid.
• Fang Qing asked Sangji to seek a spiritual object suited to his Winnowing Basket Water Dao Foundation and learned that Great True Person Lian Chen wanted Wushan Commandery’s Bai Li Grotto-Heaven.
• Fang Qing left the command tent and concealed his True Core with the Dao-Born Pearl so the Heaven Talisman Superior would not identify him as the cultivator who had taken the breakthrough treasures.
• Zhong Lingxiu visited the ruined Ice Heaven Market and offered to buy True Person Xuan Qi’s shops and residence at a low price.
• True Person Xuan Qi, frightened by the market’s collapse and eager to leave, accepted Zhong Lingxiu’s offer for his properties.

Shang Yuanxin took control of Ice Heaven Market and renamed it Yuanxin Market, while Fang Qing traveled to Ancient Shu and discovered that the White Bone Way’s advance had driven local cultivators into desperate resistance. He uncovered a Profound Witch Sect cultivator’s plan to use Corpse Accumulation Qi to open White Radiance Heaven, but realized the sect’s role in the scheme served Cloud-Touching Cliff’s purposes.

• Shang Yuanxin raised the Octagonal Trade Tower into a pagoda, renamed the market Yuanxin Market, and promised to honor existing contracts while offering future Golden Core Pills to long-term residents.
• Fang Qing calculated that several Destiny Children had appeared, many of them tied to the Brahma Soldiers and their feuds with the White Bone Way.
• Fang Wujiu, Le Mingxue, and Monk Fa Yuan fought local cultivators who had stayed behind after the Profound Witch Sect withdrew.
• A Profound Witch Sect Dao Foundation cultivator used Corpse Accumulation Qi to kill the wounded, but Fang Qing appeared and compelled him to explain his plan to open White Radiance Heaven.
• Fang Qing realized that Cloud-Touching Cliff had established the Profound Witch Sect to cultivate shamanic arts and provide a way to open White Radiance Heaven, and that the promised blow against the White Bone Way was a mere lure.

Fang Qing arranged to investigate the White-Yao Grotto-Heaven by transferring a Dudzi rank to a converted Profound Witch Sect cultivator and entering the realm through a brief opening. Inside White Radiance Heaven, he found an inhabited village and a temple to its Land God.

• Fang Qing posed as Steel Strength Dudzi, dismissed the surviving cultivators, and returned to the White Bone Way camp with three Profound Witch Sect Dao Foundation cultivators.
• Fang Qing and Sangji identified White-Yao Mountain as the likely entrance to White Radiance Heaven, and Sangji assigned Steel Strength Dudzi to investigate it.
• Fang Qing used the Dao-Born Pearl to pass his Dudzi rank to a converted Profound Witch Sect cultivator, then controlled that cultivator as his vessel.
• Fang Qing directed two other Dao Foundation cultivators to perform a witchcraft ritual at White-Yao Mountain, opening a brief connection to the Grotto-Heaven.
• Fang Qing entered White Radiance Heaven and discovered ordinary villagers working in the fields and a Clear Creek Village Land God Temple.

Fang Qing investigated White-Yao Grotto-Heaven’s Divine Path by questioning Sun Zimu, a village Land God, and discovered that divine seals, merit, and incense offerings governed the gods and their artifact crafting. Hoping to learn more and find a way to forge his Bronze Halberd into a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure, he went with Sun Zimu to meet the City God’s civil judge.

• Fang Qing entered the Land God Temple and questioned Sun Zimu, who explained that he had become a Land God after passing the imperial examination and earning an appointment after death.
• Sun Zimu showed Fang Qing his Ninth Rank divine seal and explained how gods advanced through merit and received Incense Reward Money.
• Fang Qing examined Sun Zimu’s Peachwood Staff and bowl, realizing that the Divine Path gave gods a powerful method of crafting artifacts using incense offerings.
• Fang Qing asked Sun Zimu to introduce him to the City God’s civil judge, then left and spent several days learning about the Divine Path’s ranks and control over the region.
• Fang Qing returned to Clear Creek Village, and Sun Zimu carried him to Three-Mountains County to meet his former teacher, the City God’s civil judge.

Fang Qing seized control of the county gods in Nine-Rivers Prefecture and used their Divine Power to refine a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure. After sending the completed treasure out of the Grotto-Heaven, he confronted the Metropolitan City God to test the realm’s strength.

• Sun Zimu brought Fang Qing to the Civil Judge, whom Fang Qing forced to hand over his Incense Money and the Divine Radiance Mystical Artifact Rite.
• Fang Qing took control of the City God of Three-Mountains County, discovered that the Divine Seal granted him a Dao Foundation, and concluded that powerful Divine Path cultivators might threaten the Grotto-Heaven.
• Over the following months, Fang Qing controlled county gods, stripped them of their Incense Money, and had them refine a Bronze Halberd into a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure.
• Fang Qing sent the completed treasure out of the Grotto-Heaven and continued raiding county seats while avoiding the Metropolitan City God in the prefectural capital.
• The Metropolitan City God came to Three-Mountains County to investigate, and the county City God revealed that he had been refining an artifact for Fang Qing.
• Fang Qing appeared before the Metropolitan City God, ready to test how dangerous the Grotto-Heaven was.

Fang Qing’s raid on the Divine Path brought him face-to-face with the Yin Celestial Emperor, whose overwhelming power killed his manifested body and sent back scattered cultivation insight. Back in the Qi Refinement Way, he completed a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure and headed to Heavenly Spring Island to learn more about Water-Method Alchemy.

• Fang Qing burned through the Metropolitan City God’s divine body, learned that a fifth-rank deity could report directly to the Divine Court, and recognized the danger of his attack.
• The Yin Celestial Emperor appeared above White Radiance Heaven and killed Fang Qing’s body with a single glance.
• Fang Qing returned to his cave dwelling, suppressed the Dao transformation with the Dao-Born Pearl, and recalled that White Radiance Heaven’s ruler was a Ghost Metal spirit called the Yin Celestial Emperor.
• Fang Qing finished refining the Bronze Halberd into a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure with the divine wonder [divine might].
• Fang Qing checked on Shi Tiexin, the Azure Sea Sect, and Zhong Lingxiu’s Zhong Alliance, then left his cave dwelling on Heavenly Spring Island to seek out Water-Method Alchemy masters.

After dissolving his True Core, Fang Qing sought resources on Heavenly Spring Island and learned about the Pill Origin Grand Assembly, whose rewards could help him prepare for Core Formation breakthroughs. Zhan Hongxiu also headed to the island, where Turtle Elder revealed that fellow traveler Wan An carried a diminished treasure left by the Nascent Soul cultivator Venerable Jingfeng, and she considered how to obtain it.

• Fang Qing visited an Azure Pill Commerce shop to seek Third-Order water-attribute pills and a recipe for breaking through from Core Formation Early Stage.
• The shopkeeper told Fang Qing that the upcoming Pill Origin Grand Assembly offered a Star Origin Pill recipe and other prizes, and Fang Qing considered entering.
• Fang Qing sensed possible danger and an old acquaintance through divination after leaving the shop.
• Zhan Hongxiu traveled toward Heavenly Spring Island and learned from Turtle Elder that the tournament was an Alchemical Ritual meant to gather power for a high-level pill.
• Turtle Elder identified a diminished Nascent Soul magic treasure, the Jingfeng Pearl, hidden in Wan An's dantian and urged Zhan Hongxiu to seek Venerable Jingfeng's legacy.
• Zhan Hongxiu wondered what to do about Wan An and the treasure he carried.

Fang Qing disguised himself as a fire-method alchemist and joined Zhan Hongxiu at a teahouse, where he overheard her search for the Jingfeng Pearl and learned Xuanzhong Gate was secretly preparing to refine a Nascent Infant Pill. He decided to stay near Zhan Hongxiu and see whether her growing fortune might give him a chance to benefit.

• Fang Qing pondered the power of his Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix Dao Foundation while waiting for Zhan Hongxiu to arrive.
• Zhan Hongxiu entered the teahouse with Wan An and privately asked Turtle Elder how to take the Jingfeng Pearl from its owner.
• Fang Qing overheard their discussion and learned that the Jingfeng Pearl had belonged to Venerable Jingfeng, who had been killed by a Spirit Monarch.
• Fang Qing introduced himself as Du Huo, a Second-Order High Grade fire-method alchemist, and sat at Zhan Hongxiu's table.
• Fang Qing deduced that Xuanzhong Gate's Pill Origin Grand Assembly was meant to gather alchemical fortune for refining a Nascent Infant Pill.
• Fang Qing suspected Zhan Hongxiu might be seeking an opportunity to form a Nascent Soul and resolved to stay close to her fortune.

Fang Qing taught Zhan Hongxiu alchemy and gave her eight predicted formulas to practice for the Pill Origin Tournament. Meanwhile, Zhan Hongxiu prepared to steal the Jingfeng Pearl, and Wan An unknowingly caught the interest of a beggar with a strange Nascent Soul.

• Fang Qing explained the Threefold Mystery Pill and demonstrated his skill by refining ten Prime Quality pills in one furnace for Zhan Hongxiu.
• Fang Qing told Zhan Hongxiu to practice eight formulas he had predicted for the tournament's preliminary round.
• Zhan Hongxiu declined Wan An's offer to buy Profound Wood Pills and asked Turtle Elder about his plan to take the Jingfeng Pearl.
• Wan An bought pills cheaply from Alchemist Luo and tossed spirit-stone fragments to an elderly beggar.
• The beggar's strange Nascent Soul watched Wan An leave and noticed an extraordinary embryonic magical treasure on him.

Poison Beggar Old Freak tracked a marked target while the Pill Origin Tournament proceeded on Heavenly Spring Island, where Xuanzhong Gate secretly used an Alchemical Ritual to help refine Nascent Infant Pills. Bloodfiend Island suddenly attacked, and Zhan Hongxiu fled the venue before spotting the wounded Wan An as Xuan Gui confronted the invaders.

• Poison Beggar Old Freak left the market after receiving a warning, intending to pursue the man he had marked with Spiritual Sense without alerting the crazy hag.
• Zhan Hongxiu entered the Foundation Establishment round and secretly absorbed Hundred-Fold Pill Aura before conceding after her pill refinement failed.
• Yue Cang announced the Profound Jade Separation and Reunion Pill for the Core Formation round as Fang Qing watched the master alchemists.
• Xuan Gui and the slovenly Nascent Soul cultivator oversaw Xuanzhong Gate's Alchemical Ritual at the Offering-Heaven Spring to refine Nascent Infant Pills.
• Bloodfiend Island smashed through Heavenly Spring Island's protective formation, prompting Zhan Hongxiu to flee and then spot Wan An wounded by Rogue Cultivators turned Cultivator Bandits.
• Xuan Gui protected the Offering-Heaven Spring with Formation Flags and confronted Heavenfiend Old Monster, who declared his intention to take Heavenly Spring Island.

Fang Qing escaped the chaos on Heavenly Spring Island after killing a demonic cultivator and finding two Demon Pills and a pill formula. Zhan Hongxiu stole the Jingfeng Pearl from Wan An, but a Nascent Soul cultivator discovered her and pursued her as she fled with Turtle Elder’s help.

• Bloodfiend Island’s demonic cultivators attacked the Core Formation gathering, and Fang Qing slipped away toward the market district while Yue Cang and Green Pill True Person were intercepted.
• Fang Qing killed the black-robed cultivator who chased him, then found two Third-Order Demon Pills and Green Pill True Person’s Mystic Star Flying-Waterfall Pill formula in the recovered storage bags.
• Zhan Hongxiu secretly took the Jingfeng Pearl from the wounded Wan An, but Turtle Elder warned her that a Nascent Soul cultivator had marked Wan An and spotted her.
• Poison Beggar Old Freak attacked Zhan Hongxiu with a ghost-filled nail sheath, but Turtle Elder used a turtle shell to repel it and flee Heavenly Spring Island.
• Poison Beggar Old Freak sent his Nascent Soul into the Great Void to pursue Zhan Hongxiu, while the scruffy old man withdrew.