Chapter Summaries

Yang Huai sold his Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings to the Daoist youths for a large haul of rare spirit fruits and medicines, then gave half his earnings to the kitchen’s firework Daoists. Hou Feng Daoist accepted the offering and promised the kitchen’s protection, leaving Yang Huai with a place at the kitchen’s small dining room.

• Yang Huai gave Feng Ying a Composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carving in exchange for spirit fruits, and Feng Ying accepted it despite the price.
• A Trough Hall inner disciple and other Daoist youths bought Yang Huai’s remaining carvings, including custom orders from Water Hall disciples.
• Yang Huai sold out his Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings and gained more than thirty millennium-old spirit fruits and medicines, along with additional preorder requests.
• Yang Huai gave half of his nearly sixty spirit fruits to Hou Feng Daoist as a token of respect for the kitchen’s martial uncles.
• Hou Feng Daoist divided the offering among himself and four other firework Daoists, who promised to protect Yang Huai’s business.
• Hou Feng Daoist invited Yang Huai to eat in the kitchen’s small dining room from then on, and Yang Huai agreed.

Yang Huai joined the kitchen's inner circle and used its nourishing spirit food to strengthen his Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones. Half a month later, he had awakened the first form of Geng Metal Dharma Body and moved closer to completing his foundation.

• Daoist Yun Zheng brought Yang Huai into the main kitchen and served him Green Ram meat, spirit fish, Pig-Dragon jerky, and roasted rabbit.
• Hou Feng Daoist advised Yang Huai to eat Green Ram meat sparingly and favor the mild spirit fish as he replenished his vital essence.
• Yang Huai refined the Green Ram meat's potent wood spirit energy into his Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone while sharing the meal with the fire-worker Daoists.
• Over the following half month, Yang Huai formed thirty-four more Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones, bringing his total to 135.
• Yang Huai's Bronze Mirror recorded the awakening of Geng Metal Dharma Body's first form, and he resolved to complete the remaining bones and advance his cultivation.

Yang Huai visited Glory Hall, where Daoist Yuanlu and the others introduced him to the ancient gods’ cultivation path and its reliance on inherited divine blood and secret arts. Feng Ying later warned him that the path was difficult and had become a dead end, then revealed that the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram was an incomplete ancient-god secret inheritance.

• Daoist Yuanlu invited Yang Huai to learn about the ancient gods’ path, and Daoist Huayang demonstrated its powerful vital essence and innate nature.
• Yang Huai asked whether the path required divine blood, and Qing Xian explained that descendants of ancient gods had inherited methods while others had to forge a path without guidance.
• Daoist Yuanlu said Glory Hall lacked a complete inheritance but could connect Yang Huai with the Lesser Yang Tribe, the Star Tribe, or the Wind Clan.
• After the banquet, Feng Ying told Yang Huai that the ancient gods’ path was extremely difficult and that Glory Hall mainly borrowed its strengths to support other cultivation.
• Feng Ying revealed that the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram he had given Yang Huai was an incomplete ancient-god secret inheritance.

Yang Huai awakened the Geng Metal Dharma Body and continued seeking ways to advance his cultivation. After refusing to join the upcoming Hunt of the Various Tribes, he saw a chance to profit from it by arranging a wood-carving deal with Feng Ying.

• Yang Huai awakened his second innate divine ability, the Geng Metal Dharma Body, and discovered its powerful protection had a weaker layer over his lower body.
• Yang Huai decided to refine the metal, yang, and purity mysteries in his Heavenly Yang Golden Light Talisman rather than advance using only Innate Metal Qi.
• Yang Huai asked Flame Daoist about secret arts for refining harmonious yang qi and pure spirit qi, and Flame Daoist promised to find a kitchen art while suggesting he ask at the Daoist temple for the other inheritance.
• Flame Daoist told Yang Huai that a Hunt of the Various Tribes would take place near Wanqu City in half a month, but Yang Huai refused to participate.
• Yang Huai asked Feng Ying whether Glory Hall would join the hunt and proposed selling Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings to a major buyer through Feng Ying's outside channels, splitting the profits.

Yang Huai arranged sales of his Cloud-Pattern Human King Woodcarvings to tribes preparing for the joint hunt, while Feng Ying persuaded Feng Lin to buy them for the Fangfeng Tribe. As orders poured in, Yang Huai neared his goal of gathering materials for two hundred and six Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones, but the kitchen fire-worker Daoists warned him that his wealth could put him in danger.

• Feng Ying showed Feng Lin a woodcarving made by Qingli, and Feng Lin agreed to buy six for the Fangfeng Tribe’s hunting squad.
• Feng Ying finalized woodcarving deals with Daoist Yuanlu and Daoist Huayang, while explaining his arrangement with Qingli to Feng Lin.
• Yang Huai negotiated with Bai Lingzhen to sell woodcarvings at a higher price, agreeing to give him two thousand-year-or-greater spirit fruits for each one sold.
• As the joint hunt approached, Yang Huai carved woodcarvings and received large orders through Feng Ying and Bai Lingzhen.
• Yang Huai expected his sales to provide nearly all the materials needed for two hundred and six Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones.
• The fire-worker Daoists, concerned that Yang Huai’s earnings could attract danger, advised him to stay in the Slaughter Hall.

Yang Huai refined spirit fruits until his Innate Geng Metal power neared completion, then cleaned the Slaughter Hall and discovered an ancient bronze sword. He asked Flame Daoist who had owned it and whether the hall had a sword technique to go with it.

• An Sheng and Mao Hong discussed how Yang Huai had gone into hiding, while Mao Hong regretted becoming involved in An Sheng’s scheme.
• Yang Huai divided the profits from his wood carvings among himself, the kitchen, and his collaborators, then used his remaining spirit fruits to strengthen his Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone.
• Flame Daoist sensed Yang Huai’s Dao path nearing fruition as metal spiritual energy gathered over the side hall and formed a sword-shaped phantom.
• Flame Daoist ordered Yang Huai to clean the Slaughter Hall before the hunting assembly ended and exotic beasts arrived.
• Yang Huai cleaned the beast pens and stone halls, noticing malicious remnants purified by his Dao resonance and his King Sui spiritual form growing more like himself.
• Yang Huai found an ancient bronze sword in the weapon room, recognized his affinity for it, and asked Flame Daoist about its former owner and any matching sword art.

Yang Huai learned about ink talismans while helping Flame Daoist repair the Slaughter Hall’s rune ground-locks, then watched a tribal convoy deliver exotic beasts, including a juvenile Mountain Giant Bear. The bear broke free as it entered the pens and attacked the people nearby, with Yang Huai caught in the foul wind of its strike.

• Flame Daoist told Yang Huai that the temple had no sword formula but that sword masters sometimes visited to preach the Dao.
• Flame Daoist taught Yang Huai how ink talismans worked and instructed him to learn to repair the Slaughter Hall’s Spirit-Suppressing Talismans.
• Tribal warriors from around Wanqu City brought cages of exotic beasts to Qingping Daoist Temple, including a juvenile Mountain Giant Bear.
• The Mountain Giant Bear burst free of its restraints as it left its cage, striking two tribal warriors and sending them flying.
• The bear’s foul wind swept toward the nearby people, including Yang Huai.

Yang Huai helped subdue a Mountain Giant Bear and learned from Flame Daoist about the dangerous, fragmentary arts of the Rockfolk Tribe. After advancing his cultivation, he asked Yuan Xiuxiu to teach him a way to deliver departed souls using his own power, and she agreed to explain what she knew.

• Yang Huai narrowly escaped the Mountain Giant Bear’s attack before Yan Meng struck the beast into the enclosure, and Flame Daoist praised Yang Huai’s skill.
• Flame Daoist explained the Rockfolk Tribe’s survival-focused cultivation and warned Yang Huai about their destructive arts and curses.
• Two ghostly figures arrived near Qingping Mountain, vowed to infiltrate it to rescue their Young Lord and Lord Bear, then hid in the forest.
• Yang Huai’s Lesser Circulatory Cycle progressed as Yuan Xiuxiu watched and considered how to prepare him for Foundation Establishment.
• Yang Huai asked Yuan Xiuxiu about personally delivering departed souls, and she confirmed such methods existed and asked whether he wanted to learn.

Yang Huai used Daoheart Salvation to soothe the resentful spirits in the Slaughter Hall, discovering that he could save the weakest ones. Meanwhile, Flame Daoist and Hou Feng Daoist realized that two imprisoned beasts might belong to the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s clan, and Yang Huai’s cultivation was interrupted by a beast’s cries.

• Yang Huai tried Daoheart Salvation on the resentful spirits in the beast pens and found that some weak spirits could be saved.
• Flame Daoist rebuked Yang Huai for focusing on a secret art instead of diligent cultivation, while Yang Huai continued saving weaker spirits.
• A silver-white fox offered Yang Huai a scripture for delivering souls, but he ignored it; the fox and a giant bear then discussed their likely fate and the fox’s three lives.
• Flame Daoist and Hou Feng Daoist overheard the beasts mention Her Ladyship and realized they might have imprisoned members of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s clan, leaving them unsure whether to keep or release them.
• Yang Huai resumed cultivating outside the Slaughter Hall and studied the Heavenheart Pure Yang Visualization Method, but a beast’s weeping interrupted his concentration.

Yang Huai processed a shipment of Golden-Armored Giant Spirit Bears at the Slaughter Hall, but their enormous bear king launched a lethal attack as he prepared to kill it. Flame Daoist intervened and destroyed the attack, leaving Yang Huai to wonder about the technique he had used.

• Yang Huai argued with the crying Silver Fox in its cage before Flame Daoist summoned him to receive new guests.
• A yellow-robed Daoist delivered several Golden-Armored Giant Spirit Bears to the Slaughter Hall, and Flame Daoist assigned their processing to Yang Huai.
• Yang Huai slaughtered and butchered the bears, using his Suiren Spirit Aspect to disperse the ferocious souls that emerged.
• As Yang Huai approached the largest bear, it expelled a black attack that pierced his Little Vajra Incantation and struck at his brow.
• Yang Huai blocked the attack with his Geng Metal Dharma Body and retreated, while Flame Daoist beheaded the bear and destroyed the black radiance with a blood-red blade.
• Yang Huai recognized Flame Daoist’s technique as a possible Spirit-Slaying Treasure Wheel.

Yang Huai survived the Bear King’s soul attack and learned that Flame Daoist had built his foundation on the Slaughter Hall inheritance. After meeting the Silver Fox Tu Shan Bai and learning its origins, he considered saving it from being skinned.

• Flame Daoist rebuked Yang Huai for lowering his guard, learned that his defensive ability was a divine talent, and told him to leave high-ranked beasts to him.
• Yang Huai finished processing the beasts and collected several cauldrons of blood to exchange with Martial Uncle Yun Zheng for spirit beast jerky.
• The Silver Fox explained that it had warned Yang Huai because it and its playmate had been trapped by humans, and it described the teachings of its Ladyship.
• Yang Huai learned that the Silver Fox belonged to the Celestial Fox Clan and had never eaten humans.
• The Silver Fox swore that its name was Tu Shan Bai, and Yang Huai considered sparing it from being skinned.

Yang Huai tested the Silver Fox and Mountain Giant Bear, then agreed to rescue the Silver Fox after they each put the other’s safety first. He arranged to buy her from the Rockfolk Tribe warrior with three evil-warding artifacts, and the warrior accepted the trade.

• Yang Huai warned the Silver Fox to act dumb, and the Mountain Giant Bear asked him to save it too.
• The Mountain Giant Bear and Silver Fox each insisted Yang Huai rescue the other, and the bear secretly gave him the location of its cave treasure.
• Yang Huai decided to save the Silver Fox, whose registration as an ordinary spirit fox left an opportunity to secure her.
• Yang Huai asked Flame Daoist to negotiate with the Rockfolk Tribe warrior after learning someone had offered ten pieces of Taiyi Azure Sky for the Silver Fox.
• Yang Huai offered three evil-warding artifacts, and the Rockfolk Tribe warrior accepted the trade after inspecting the Composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carving.

Yang Huai freed Silver Fox, then fought off a Water Hall disciple who tried to abduct him. After spending half a month refining spirit medicines and helping at the Slaughter Hall, he completed the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram.

• Flame Daoist tried to persuade the Mountain Giant Bear to trust him, but the bear refused and praised Yang Huai instead.
• Yang Huai released Silver Fox, who gave him a jade-green pearl as a token of gratitude before leaving.
• A Water Hall disciple ambushed Yang Huai and attempted to take him to the Water Hall, but Yang Huai wounded him and escaped when other auras approached.
• Yang Huai returned to the Slaughter Hall and stayed there for half a month, refining spirit fruits and medicines while helping Flame Daoist slaughter beasts.
• After the final piece of Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone formed, Yang Huai completed the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram.

Yang Huai underwent a profound transformation in Slaughter Hall, combining his innate Geng Metal Sword Body with the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method to form an unparalleled foundation. The Temple Master promoted him to true disciple and ordered him to visit Peaceful Lake after completing the transformation.

• Yang Huai gained a fortuitous insight from the metal spiritual radiance and began Lesser Circulatory Cycle Foundation Establishment.
• Yang Huai’s qi and blood collapsed into his middle dantian, where a crimson essence-fire began tempering his body through a Circulatory Cycle Cicada Molt.
• Yang Huai’s Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones formed further, transforming him toward the body of a pure innate being.
• Flame Daoist and Hou Feng Daoist watched the sword phantom rise, and Hou Feng regretted not taking Yang Huai as his disciple.
• The Temple Master examined Yang Huai’s innate metal spirit body, promoted him to true disciple, and ordered him to visit Peaceful Lake after his transformation.

Yang Huai completed his transformation into an incomplete Innate Geng Metal Dao Body and was promoted to a true disciple, becoming the Temple Master's eighth personal disciple. He prepared to honor Qingli's wishes, while Qingli wondered whether Yang Huai was about to leave.

• Bai Lingzhen and the Daoist boys learned that Qingli had impressed the elders and been granted true disciple status, and Bai warned Junior Brother An to stop causing trouble.
• Daoist Yuanlu and Feng Ying heard the news; Feng Ying wondered what had enabled Qingli's transformation and considered the implications of the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method.
• Yang Huai's porcelain-like skin cracked away after a day and night of burning, revealing an incomplete Innate Geng Metal Dao Body with powerful control over Geng Metal spiritual qi.
• Flame Daoist told Yang Huai that the temple had promoted him to a true disciple, and Yang Huai went to pay his respects to the Temple Master at Peaceful Lake.
• Yang Huai returned as the Temple Master's eighth personal disciple and told Qingli he could now fulfill their agreement; Qingli asked whether Yang Huai was preparing to leave.

Yang Huai completed Qingli’s inheritance and returned to the Daoist temple, where Qingli chose to continue his work of saving wronged souls. After awakening in his own body, Yang Huai gained enough Essence Origin Points to fuse and repair the Innate Sword Bone Fate Template, beginning an eight-day fusion.

• Yang Huai visited Qingli’s family in Wanqu City and saw that A Yu had fallen for someone else; Qingli, overwhelmed with resentment and emptiness, decided how to deal with her.
• Yang Huai returned to the kitchen as Qingli, where the fire-working Daoists welcomed him as a true disciple despite Flame Daoist’s sarcasm.
• Yang Huai worked to save the wronged souls in the Slaughter Hall, and Qingli swore to inherit that task before a blue beast-hide scroll carried him away.
• Yang Huai awoke at the Yang Family Hunting Grounds and received Essence Origin Points for his carpentry legacy, Daoheart Salvation, and completing Qingli’s wishes.
• Yang Huai fused the Innate Sword Bone Fate Template and began an eight-day countdown to its completion.

Yang Huai chose to pursue immortality, and Yuan Xiuxiu laid out a route for him to enter the Azure Peak Sect and improve his aptitude. She then set out to obtain an immortal medicine to transform him, while the old donkey hurried after her to provide support.

• Yang Huai told Yuan Xiuxiu that he would seek the Dao of immortality, though he felt reluctant to leave his aging parents.
• Yuan Xiuxiu said Yang Huai could improve his aptitude through Foundation Establishment and might enter the Azure Peak Sect with a sect token.
• Yuan Xiuxiu explained the importance of aptitude and fate, and Yang Huai began cultivating to fuse his Innate Sword Bone fate with his Innate Geng Metal Dao Body.
• The old donkey warned that Yang Huai would struggle in the Azure Peak Sect, and Yuan Xiuxiu resolved to prepare an immortal medicine to transform him.
• Yuan Xiuxiu created a duplicate and vanished, prompting the old donkey to make a duplicate of itself and follow her.

Yang Huai discovered that Liu Jingjing was being drained of her life and destiny by a scheme involving Huang Liang and a Taoist. After learning the Seven-Star Life-Adding Method would kill Liu Jingjing the next day, Yang Huai gave her a Suiren Wood Carving to protect her.

• Yang Huai noticed that Qingli's body had more bones and unusual structures than his own, so he avoided risking the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram on his body.
• Mother Yang and other village women discussed Liu Jingjing's worsening condition and speculated that Huang Liang had taken her vitality; Yang Huai slipped away when they praised his changed appearance.
• Yang Huai sensed evil aura linking Liu Jingjing to Huang Liang and saw that Huang Liang's health had improved while Liu Jingjing was near death.
• Yang Huai carved a Suiren Wood Carving and secretly followed Huang Liang to hear a Taoist explain that the Seven-Star Life-Adding Method would save Huang Liang by taking Liu Jingjing's destiny, leaving her one day to live.
• Yang Huai went to Liu Jingjing's window, explained the danger, and told her to keep the Suiren Wood Carving close to her body.

Liu Jingjing’s sandalwood carving disrupted Daoist Xuanzhen’s ritual to transfer her fate to Huang Liang, leaving Huang Liang dead and Xuanzhen injured. After Xuanzhen killed Master Huang and went to investigate the carving’s power, Yang Huai killed him, and the Huang Family fell into chaos.

• Liu Jingjing felt the sandalwood carving ease her weakness and the eerie chill in her body as she prepared to sleep.
• Daoist Xuanzhen performed the Seven-Star Life-Adding Method, briefly restoring Huang Liang by transferring Liu Jingjing’s essence, qi, spirit, and fate to him.
• The carving struck down the black-qi toad attacking Liu Jingjing, causing the Golden Toad Coin to explode and the ritual to rebound; Huang Liang collapsed, and Daoist Xuanzhen realized Liu Jingjing’s fate had become flawless.
• Master Huang attacked Daoist Xuanzhen after learning the ritual had failed, but Xuanzhen killed him with a silver sword light.
• Daoist Xuanzhen headed toward Liu Jingjing’s boudoir, but Yang Huai killed him with two beams of white light and took his corpse.
• The servants discovered Master Huang and Huang Liang dead, and the Huang Family descended into chaos.

Yang Huai converted Innate Sword Bone into an auxiliary Fate, awakening the Innate Geng Metal Dao Body and deciding to seek an opportunity at the Profound Mystery Sect. After traveling toward Yama Demon Valley, he arrived at a rainbound inn where unfamiliar Daoists and students were gathered, and several people reacted to him with surprise.

• Yang Huai buried Daoist Xuanzhen, concealed the Seven-Star Copper Coin Sword, and burned the Seven-Star Golden Toad Life-Enhancing Method.
• Yang Huai chose to convert Innate Sword Bone into an auxiliary Fate, awakening Swordheart Clarity and the first layer of the Geng Metal Dharma Body.
• Yang Huai asked Yuan Xiuxiu to test his aptitude and said he wanted to contend for an opportunity at the Profound Mystery Sect; Yuan Xiuxiu agreed to tell him where Yama Demon Valley was if he persuaded his parents to let him go.
• More than half a month later, Yang Huai reached Pingshan Town in Shangwu Commandery during torrential rain and overheard Daoists discussing their mission to escort Dao students to the Profound Mystery Sect.
• A voice upstairs invited Yang Huai to join the gathering, where a richly dressed woman and two Daoists in yellow flying-crane robes looked at him with astonishment.