Chapter Summaries

After reincarnating as a refugee youth, Fang Qing learned that his family’s old calendar concealed a method for gathering Moonlit Flow and resolved to pursue cultivation. As he and Old Uncle fled an approaching group, their immediate survival remained uncertain.

• Fang Qing realized he had reincarnated into the body of a young orphan fleeing a plague with Old Uncle.
• Old Uncle revealed the Fang Family’s ancestral Immortal Calendar and used its instructions to gather Moonlit Flow in a saber.
• Old Uncle explained that the family could sell the gathered implements but could not cultivate without an immortal’s help to synthesize True Qi.
• Fang Qing resolved to pursue cultivation and uncover the secrets of the Year Guardians.
• A group led by Ma Laosan caught up with Fang Qing and Old Uncle, who drew his saber and told Fang Qing to scatter and run.

Fang Qing discovered the Dao-Born Pearl’s powers after it transported him from danger to the sea, then used it to survive between the ancient Shu world and the ocean. After building a raft and spotting an island, he was rescued by Old Man Cha and found he could understand the old man’s speech.

• Fang Qing fled armed pursuers, fell into a ditch, and vanished when the Dao-Born Pearl transported him to the sea.
• Fang Qing learned that the Dao-Born Pearl could refine energy, transport him between anchored locations, and conceal him from divinations.
• Fang Qing escaped approaching sea beasts by returning to the mountain ditch, then chose to avoid the refugee party and survive in the wilderness.
• Fang Qing made a raft, caught fish, and spotted an island after several days at sea.
• Old Man Cha and Zhu'er found Fang Qing near Jade Island, and Fang Qing realized he could understand their speech.

After three months on Jade Island, Fang Qing sought a chance to attend Azure Sea Sect’s Immortal Destiny Assembly and learned that Old Man Cha wanted him to join a dangerous Sea Dragon King Festival to catch a Treasure Fish. He returned to Ancient Shu and discovered that Revert to Root, Return to Origin could convert his martial arts cultivation into Origin Qi, leaving him to consider how best to use it.

• Fang Qing worked for Old Man Cha’s family, learned the local ways, and decided to pursue a place in Azure Sea Sect’s Immortal Destiny Assembly.
• Old Man Cha asked Fang Qing to join the Sea Dragon King Festival at Sea Dragon Reef, promising to register his household in Dahua Fishing Village if he agreed.
• Fang Qing questioned Old Man Cha about the festival’s dangers and said he would consider the offer, while privately planning to avoid danger on the reef at night.
• Fang Qing traveled to Ancient Shu using the Dao-Born Pearl and tested how Revert to Root, Return to Origin converted his Red Sand Hand cultivation into a small amount of Origin Qi.
• Fang Qing realized he could combine cultivation from multiple low-level martial arts and considered using the method to rapidly strengthen a single technique.

Fang Qing trained his martial arts, searched Heavenly Prefectural City for his uncle, and discovered that the plague in his hometown had been deliberately caused by the Black Blight Sect. After killing Ma Laosan, he learned that the Luo Family had been watching the Fang Family for reasons tied to its fate and literary fortune.

• Fang Qing trained Red Sand Hand and Thousand-Kilogram Drop, using his ability to convert cultivation experience between martial arts.
• Fang Qing visited Heavenly Prefectural City to look for his uncle, found no trace of him, and enjoyed a meal and music before leaving.
• Ma Laosan ambushed Fang Qing outside the city with two men, but Fang Qing killed the underlings and subdued Ma Laosan.
• Fang Qing learned from Ma Laosan that the Black Blight Sect had caused the plague by practicing Blight Arts in their hometown.
• Ma Laosan revealed that the Luo Family had ordered him to watch the Fang Family and had mentioned its good fate and the cultivation of literary fortune; Fang Qing killed him after questioning him.

Fang Qing uncovered the Luo Family’s century-long scheme against his family, then joined Dahua Fishing Village’s Dragon King Festival sacrifice at Sea Dragon Reef. As night fell, he left the altar while a giant serpent devoured the sacrificial guards on another island, and cultivators revealed they were raising demon beasts through blood sacrifices.

• Fang Qing inferred that the Luo Family had used his family for generations to gather fate or literary qi, and resolved to grow strong enough to uncover the truth and repay its debts.
• Fang Qing returned to Dahua Fishing Village, brushed off Ruan Qi’s threat, and agreed to Old Man Cha’s plan to register him under the old man’s household for the Dragon King Festival sacrifice.
• Fang Qing joined a vast fleet of boats carrying offerings to Coiled Dragon Mooring, where fishermen built an altar and most people fled after the ceremony began.
• Fang Qing walked away from the altar as night deepened, while the remaining strongmen watched a huge creature approach through the darkness.
• On another island, a giant serpent swallowed the sacrificial strongmen and drank the offerings; a blue-robed cultivator celebrated its transformation into a demon beast, while his junior questioned the blood sacrifices.

Fang Qing discovered the aftermath of a horned serpent’s attack at Coiled Dragon Mooring, then caught Treasure Fish during Ten Thousand Fish Paying Homage. After drinking Azure Dragon Soup and secretly bringing more fish to the Land of Ancient Shu, he began testing their unusual effects.

• Senior Brother Ye used a Demon-Controlling Talisman to subdue a Horned Serpent and explained the sect’s blood-sacrifice breeding scheme to Junior Brother Zhang.
• Fang Qing emerged from hiding, found Coiled Dragon Mooring wrecked by a demon snake, and joined the mass of fish to catch a Little Azure Dragon.
• Old Man Cha arrived with Ruan Qi and found Fang Qing alive; later, he brought Fang Qing Azure Dragon Soup and travel money while warning him that Ruan Qi might seek trouble.
• Fang Qing drank the soup, trained his Red Sand Hand through the night, and discovered his Origin Qi had grown as he practiced Thousand-Kilogram Drop.
• Fang Qing carried three Treasure Fish to the Land of Ancient Shu, ate Three-Eyed Porgy, and began stewing the Golden-Tailed Grouper’s head and tail.

After strengthening his body with Treasure Fish, Fang Qing attended the Immortal Destiny Assembly in Mount Chu Town and qualified for the Azure Sea Sect with medium, water-aligned spiritual roots. Zha Zhu also qualified, revealing high-grade aptitude and drawing the attention of the sect disciples.

• Fang Qing converted the Treasure Fish’s medicinal power into Origin Qi and brought his Red Sand Hand to great mastery.
• Fang Qing joined the children from Dahua Fishing Village at the Immortal Destiny Assembly in Mount Chu Town.
• The spirit test rejected many children before Li Yudan qualified with medium, wood-aligned aptitude.
• Fang Qing qualified with medium, water-aligned aptitude, and Wei Gutong welcomed him as a fellow Azure Sea Sect disciple.
• Zha Zhu revealed high-grade aptitude, prompting Kan Zimeng and Gong Susu to warmly approach her.

Fang Qing and Zhu'er arrived at the Azure Sea Sect, where Gong Susu offered Zhu'er a route into Pill Island while privately trying to separate her from Fang Qing. After completing the entrance ceremony and settling into a lakeside residence, Fang Qing accepted an invitation to a gathering hosted by Senior Brother Hua.

• Gong Susu explained the cultivation stages and offered Fang Qing and Zhu'er a chance to enter Pill Island as inner sect disciples through alchemy.
• Gong Susu told Zhu'er she had arranged for her grandfather to join her and encouraged her to rely on her master and senior sisters instead of Fang Qing.
• Fang Qing and the other new disciples attended the Azure Sea Sect's entrance ceremony, met Sect Leader Linghu and Elders Myriad Treasures and Heavenly Punishment, and learned the sect's rules and benefits.
• Fang Qing received his identity token, uniforms, pills, a Green Leaf dharma artifact, and a steel dagger at his lakeside residence.
• Yu Taohua invited Fang Qing to a gathering hosted by Senior Brother Hua, and he accepted.

Fang Qing was promoted to an inner-sect disciple on Pill Island, where Hua Lingsu introduced him to Water-Method Alchemy and assigned him a cave abode. The next day, he visited the Heavenly Books Pavilion and chose the Water Classic Commentary as his cultivation technique.

• At Senior Brother Hua's banquet, Hua Lingsu arrived and took Fang Qing to Pill Island as an inner-sect disciple, surprising the other new disciples.
• Hua Lingsu explained Pill Island's Water-Method Alchemy and brought Fang Qing to his cave abode, advising him to study medicinal texts before attempting alchemy.
• Fang Xing arrived at the Heavenly Books Pavilion, where Zeng Shu explained the floors and recommended cultivation techniques suited to Fang Qing's Middle-Grade Water Spirit Root.
• After comparing the Water Classic Commentary with the White Water Formula and Gazing at the Vast Sea, Fang Qing chose the Water Classic Commentary for its path to later cultivation techniques.

Fang Qing mastered the first layer of the Water Classic Commentary, entered Qi Refining, and used the Dao-Born Pearl to turn his martial arts inner force into dharma power. After learning to fly the Green Leaf Boat, he accepted a Jade Spirit Silk mission on Myriad Treasures Island and struggled to carry its raw materials home.

• Fang Qing studied the Water Classic Commentary for over a month before mastering the Qi Refining First Layer chant.
• Fang Qing sensed spiritual qi, opened his dantian, and became a Qi Refining First Layer cultivator.
• Fang Qing used the Dao-Born Pearl to convert his dharma power into Red Sand Hand inner force, reached Martial Dao Innate, and then converted his inner force back into dharma power.
• Fang Qing refined the Green Leaf Boat and practiced flying it before landing on Myriad Treasures Island.
• Fang Qing accepted a mission to refine three hundred bundles of Jade Spirit Silk and collected Azure Sky Hemp as raw material.
• Fang Qing overloaded the Green Leaf Boat while carrying the hemp back and nearly fell into the lake when his dharma power ran low.

Fang Qing spent three years working and cultivating on Pill Island, then broke through to Qi Refining Third Layer and decided to try Water-Method Alchemy to earn resources. He began refining Jadeflower Spirit Water and was separating the first ingredient when the chapter ended.

• Fang Qing washed Azure Sky Hemp in a cold Spirit Spring, refined it into Jade Spirit Silk, and received a storage pouch and spirit stones from Zhu'er.
• Zhu'er explained that her grandfather had felt guilty about Fang Qing being used to ward off disaster during the Dragon King Festival, and she considered her gift repayment.
• Three years later, Fang Qing broke through to Qi Refining Third Layer and worried about whether he could advance enough to achieve Foundation Establishment before age sixty.
• Fang Qing decided to attempt Water-Method Alchemy rather than take dangerous sect tasks, having studied medicinal properties and mastered the Profound Origin Triple Cycle water-control art.
• Fang Qing began refining Jadeflower Spirit Water at a Spirit Spring, extracted the Qi-Replenishing Herb's medicinal liquid, and added the Spirit-Unifying Flower.

Fang Qing left the Azure Sea Sect to explore the Land of Ancient Shu, hoping to find opportunities after his alchemy attempt drained his savings. Disguised as a martial arts grandmaster, he encountered a convoy under attack and discovered spiritual energy traces among its passengers before rescuing them.

• Fang Qing abandoned his failed spirit-water refinement and accepted a purchasing task as cover to leave the sect.
• Fang Qing entered the Land of Ancient Shu and took stock of his limited supplies, then disguised his mana as Divine Martial Force and posed as an Innate Grandmaster.
• Fang Qing learned that Ba Commandery had suffered three years of plague and military disorder as he traveled through the region.
• Fang Qing spotted faint spiritual energy traces in a convoy surrounded by routed soldiers and watched a young swordsman challenge their leader.
• Fang Qing saved the swordsman by disarming and killing the bandit leader, causing the surviving riders to flee.

Fang Qing escorted the survivors of the Seven Swords of Shu Mountain and the Pu family caravan to Cloudflower City, where Pu Feiling pointed them toward Floating Boat Market. At the market entrance, a gatekeeper demanded spirit items from the mortals, leaving their hoped-for search for immortality in doubt.

• Fang Qing introduced himself as Fang Shui and joined Li Rulong's group after helping them survive a battle that killed three of the Seven Swords of Shu Mountain.
• Fang Qing overheard Pu Feiling tell her daughter that she suspected he was a lucky mortal and planned to guide him and the Four Swords to Floating Boat Market without giving them spirit items.
• At Cloudflower City, Pu Feiling gave Fang Qing a Pu Family token and told him about Floating Boat Market, so he and the Four Swords set out for it.
• A ragged old Daoist warned Fang Qing and the Four Swords that Ba Commandery's cultivators spread pestilence and slaughtered people for blood qi before disappearing into the mist.
• At Floating Boat Market's entrance, the hemp-clothed gatekeeper accepted the Pu token but said the mortals needed spirit items to trade and would otherwise be better off leaving.

Fang Qing returned to Jade Island, bought an Autumn-Killing Bladefish, and used it to enter Floating Boat Market, where the Old Blind Man tested his fate and aptitude. He learned that he could cultivate Water Virtue techniques, but the chapter left him puzzled by the market’s unfamiliar cosmology and the Golden Fire Orthodoxy.

• After the immortals sent them away, Li Rulong urged Zhu Zhenheng and the others to seek spirit items while Fang Qing departed.
• Fang Qing returned to Jade Island, traveled to Three-Mountain Fishing Village, and bought an Autumn-Killing Bladefish for one hundred and twenty silver shells.
• Fang Qing presented the fish at Floating Boat Market and was admitted as its rare [Chariot Water] spirit item.
• Fang Qing traded the fish to the Old Blind Man for a reading, and the bone bowl revealed his [Winnowing Basket Water] fate and leopard-shaped qi.
• The Old Blind Man said Fang Qing could cultivate Water Virtue techniques if he obtained water-aspect True Qi, and explained that the Golden Fire Orthodoxy was the age’s manifest Dao.

Fang Qing learned that Great Sun Violet Qi was no longer obtainable, acquired a method for gathering Earthspring Tempered Essence, and discovered he could gather it unusually quickly. Back on Pill Island, he began gathering qi but yielded his Spirit Spring to Li Yusu after Li tried to claim it and invoked Zha Zhu.

• Old Blind Man explained Qi Ingestion ranks, described Great Sun Violet Qi as ninth-rank top-grade Eastern Extreme Jade Clarity, and gave Fang Qing a method for gathering Winnowing Basket Water.
• Fang Qing returned to the Azure Sea Sect, turned in his assignment, and planned to gather Earthspring Tempered Essence before learning a disguise art and trading in Ba Commandery.
• At Cold Spring Peak, Fang Qing found that he could gather Earthspring Tempered Essence much faster than expected and wondered whether he could also obtain Great Sun Violet Qi.
• Li Yusu arrived with disciples and demanded Fang Qing's Spirit Spring, claiming that Zha Zhu had no further connection with him.
• Fang Qing accepted the end of his connection with Zha Zhu, gave up the spring, and moved to another secluded springhead to gather qi.

Four years after joining the Azure Sea Sect, Fang Qing remained just short of Qi Refining Third Layer Completion and faced the prospect of being sent on a dangerous deep-sea hunt. He finished learning the Disguise Technique and planned to leave the sect on a mission to seek resources and advance his alchemy skills.

• Fang Qing reflected on four years of mandatory missions and injuries that had delayed his cultivation and his plans to reach the best age for Foundation Establishment.
• At the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs, Fang Qing heard that rising demand for Foundation Establishment Pills could lead the sect to launch a dangerous Deep-Sea Grand Fishing operation.
• Fang Qing bought a Blazing Sun Flower but declined a costly Blackwater Pill, then argued with Li Yusu, who predicted Fang Qing would be assigned to the ocean-going fleet.
• Hua Lian and Yu Taohua discussed Fang Qing’s unimpressive progress and Li Yusu’s conduct as Fang Qing left the market.
• Fang Qing practiced the Disguise Technique in seclusion, then decided to accept a mission out of the sect and take a risk near the opening of Jade Heaven Market.

Fang Qing visited Jade Heaven Market to buy a Winnowing Basket Water cultivation method and gathered several useful books and Qi-Gathering Formulas. After leaving with plans to break through into the Breath-Nourishing Dao, he was ambushed by a powerful pursuer.

• Fang Qing disguised himself as a Breath-Nourishing cultivator and entered Jade Heaven Market, where he found scarce spiritual resources and learned about the market’s cultivation books.
• Fang Qing browsed incomplete cultivation methods and discovered Qi-Gathering Formulas, including Moonlit Flow and Great Sun Violet Qi.
• Fang Qing traded a Blazing Sun Flower for the Black Ridge Observation Book, several Qi-Gathering Formulas, and miscellaneous books, including Plum Blossom Divination.
• Fang Qing left Jade Heaven Market on his Green Leaf Boat, intending to find a place to break through using Earthspring Tempered Essence.
• A burly man in black caught up with Fang Qing, blinded him with a flash, and attacked his Green Leaf Boat with earth and rocks; Fang Qing’s Earth Wall Talisman blocked the first strike before shattering.

Fang Qing killed a cultivator bandit with a Golden Blade Talisman, then hid in Ba Commandery to cultivate Winnowing Basket Water. After breaking through to Qi Ingestion Third Layer, he converted his stored Origin Qi back into Black Water Dharma Power and advanced to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.

• Fang Qing used a Golden Blade Talisman to kill the black-clothed bandit and took his corpse and flying shuttle back to Jade Island.
• Fang Qing found Blood Pills among the bandit's meager possessions and decided to wait before returning to Ancient Shu to break through.
• Fang Qing studied the Black Ridge Observation Book and learned that the quality of a Breath-Nourishing Dao cultivator's first True Qi shaped their future prospects.
• Fang Qing absorbed Earthspring Tempered Essence in a sealed cave, formed Winnowing Basket Water Dharma power, and reached Qi Ingestion First Layer.
• Fang Qing discovered that Winnowing Basket Water strengthened his wind and water spells, then converted stored Black Water Dharma Power into it and rapidly reached Qi Ingestion Third Layer.
• Fang Qing changed his Dharma power back to Black Water, broke through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, and reflected that Winnowing Basket Water seemed more powerful despite its lower cultivation level.

Fang Qing used his Winnowing Basket Water Dharma power to refine Jadeflower Spirit Water, earning recognition as a graded alchemist of the Azure Sea Sect. The chapter left him at Elder Tianding’s lecture, where he learned that he would soon assist with a Foundation Establishment Pill refinement mission.

• Fang Qing refined a pool of Jadeflower Spirit Water at Cold Spring Peak and filled twelve small gourds, then shared most of them with the observing disciples.
• Fang Qing heard that Li Yusu had failed to break through his cultivation bottleneck and damaged his vital energy.
• Xu Wusu congratulated Fang Qing and urged him to certify as an alchemist and learn from Elder Tianding.
• Fang Qing reported his successful refinement to Gong Susu and registered as a graded alchemist of the sect.
• Seven days later, Elder Tianding announced that graded alchemists would assist with a Foundation Establishment Pill refinement mission at Cold Spring Peak.

Fang Qing learned the Foundation Establishment Pill formula and helped refine Profound Frost Water as part of the sect’s pill-making effort. While discussing the limited supply of pills and the True Disciple selection system, he considered pursuing combat or alchemy to earn a chance at Foundation Establishment.

• Fang Qing listened to Elder Tianding explain the Foundation Establishment Pill formula and resolved to seek methods to strengthen his essence and spirit.
• Elder Tianding announced that Cold Spring Peak would open its furnace in half a month, and Fang Qing joined Xu Wusu’s team to refine Profound Frost Water.
• Fang Qing and the other disciples spent days processing the spiritual water, which Second-Order alchemists would use to extract Azure Dragon Ginseng’s medicinal potency.
• Xu Wusu explained that eight Second-Order Demon Cores might yield sixteen to twenty-four Prime Quality pills and at most eight Inferior Quality pills.
• Xu Wusu described the sect’s twenty-five True Disciple seats, and Fang Qing judged that combat or alchemy might offer him a path to one.
• The disciples concluded that the sect would likely launch a Great Hunt because the available Prime Quality pills might not cover all True Disciples’ needs.