Chapter Summaries

After a year of cultivation, Jiang Chen learned that Rootless Wood had been found in a newly emerged secret realm on Three Paths Mountain and agreed to help the Nian Clan seek the Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance. He prepared to travel with Nian Hua, sensing that the inheritance held a special importance for him.

• Jiang Chen advanced his true body to the middle stage of the Dao Foundation Realm, while his Mist Flood Dragon body reached the late stage and Spirit Lord entered the second rank.
• Red Jade told Jiang Chen that the Nian Clan had found traces of Rootless Wood inside a dangerous secret realm on Three Paths Mountain.
• Nian Hua explained that the Nian Clan suspected the secret realm contained the Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance and offered Jiang Chen the Rootless Wood and thirty percent of future profits in exchange for his help.
• Jiang Chen agreed to accompany Nian Hua, and Nian Hua set their departure for three days later.
• After Nian Hua left, Jiang Chen reflected that the Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance seemed unusually important to him.

Jiang Chen traveled toward Three Paths Mountain to seek Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance while Yun Wuya and Shang Li revealed that the trip was also a trap for the Dark Feather Cult. The chapter ended with Daoist Yuangang watching Jiang Chen depart and urging him to grow stronger amid the hidden threats.

• Jiang Chen left on a cloud boat for Three Paths Mountain, wondering about Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance and Daoist Yuangang’s cautious approval.
• Shang Li confronted Yun Wuya about using a Dao Artifact to force the secret realm out of the Grand Void, and Yun Wuya said Jiang Chen was suited to the inheritance.
• Yun Wuya and Shang Li revealed that Jiang Chen’s journey was secretly arranged to draw out the Dark Feather Cult, and Shang Li vowed to deal with any enemies who appeared.
• Yun Wuya explained that he hoped the inheritance would strengthen Jiang Chen’s divine soul and prepare him to cultivate the Grand Void Formless Reversal Scripture, revealing that he had planted Rootless Wood in the realm.
• Daoist Yuangang watched Jiang Chen leave the Impermanence Sect’s territory and thought that Jiang Chen needed to grow stronger quickly.

Profound Flood Dragon secretly spread news that Jiang Chen was heading to the Three Paths Mountain secret realm, hoping hostile forces would kill him without exposing Profound Flood Dragon’s involvement. The Dark Feather Cult’s golden eagle dispatched a disguised demon and a duplicate to target Jiang Chen, while preparing to flee if a Purple Mansion cultivator intervened.

• Profound Flood Dragon learned that Jiang Chen had left with Nian Hua and arranged for a Nian Clan agent to leak his destination to the Three Paths Mountain secret realm.
• Profound Flood Dragon killed his servant to eliminate the only link to his scheme, then returned to cultivation.
• The golden eagle learned that the news had come from the Nian Clan and decided to use the opportunity to attack Jiang Chen.
• The golden eagle sent a half-demon in human form toward the secret realm with a cloth bag and created a duplicate from its life feather to follow.
• The golden eagle planned to flee if a Purple Mansion cultivator appeared, believing its measures could otherwise kill Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen joined Nian Hua and the Wang Family cultivators at Three Paths Mountain, where the Nian, Yan, and Xia Families were competing to develop a dangerous secret realm. After learning about Xia Wuyan and the Ashen Earth Sect’s inheritance, Jiang Chen considered whether Du Zhong might benefit from its techniques, while the three families’ rivalry grew more apparent.

• Nian Hua explained to Jiang Chen how the Nian, Yan, and Xia Families had opened separate entrances to the secret realm and were expanding their outposts under the Impermanence Sect’s rules.
• Xia Wuyan arrived, and Nian Hua identified him as a Xia Family Purple Mansion seed with a transformed Fierce Fire Spirit Body who had trained at the Ashen Earth Sect.
• Jiang Chen recognized Xia Wuyan’s Earth-Lung True Flame Formula and wondered how the An Family had acquired a remnant of the Ashen Earth Sect’s technique.
• Jiang Chen considered introducing Du Zhong to the Ashen Earth Sect because his Stony Body might suit its inheritance.
• Xia Wuyan challenged Nian Hua over the secret realm, while Yan Family cultivators watched and hoped the rivalry would weaken their competitors.

Jiang Chen found the Rootless Wood in a hidden cavern, then followed a mysterious underground current after sensing it held another secret. Meanwhile, Myriad Beasts True Blood drove the secret realm’s monsters into a frenzy, bringing a devastating beast calamity upon the three clans.

• A shadowy figure used Myriad Beasts True Blood to stir the monsters into a frenzy and fled as the blood qi spread through the secret realm.
• Jiang Chen entered an illusory underground river alone and found the Rootless Wood growing in a cavern.
• After collecting the Rootless Wood, Jiang Chen saw through an illusion concealing the underground current’s true source and followed it beyond a stone wall.
• The monsters across the secret realm went mad and overwhelmed the three clans’ cultivators, inflicting heavy casualties.
• Nian Hua suspected that the sudden beast calamity was a plot targeting Jiang Chen.

The Illusory Truth Wanderer’s inheritance appeared above Mirror Lake, drawing cultivators toward it as the secret realm’s illusory light sealed its perimeter. Yan Zhongshu and Nian Hua decided to head for the lake, while Xia Wuyan sent demonic beasts converging on it.

• The Illusory Truth Wanderer awakened in Mirror Lake, announced that his inheritance awaited those who passed three trials, and vanished as a palace emerged above the lake.
• Cultivators across the secret realm learned of the inheritance and began rushing toward Mirror Lake, while others grew wary of the realm’s strange changes.
• Yan Zhongshu concluded that the inheritance could be real and led the Yan Family cultivators toward Mirror Lake to break the perimeter’s illusory-light seal.
• Xia Wuyan decided to adjust his plan and drew frenzied demonic beasts toward Mirror Lake.
• Nian Hua ordered the Nian Clan disciples to split up to reduce beast attacks, then set off for Mirror Lake with several Dao Foundation cultivators.

Jiang Chen discovered Illusory Truth Wanderer's legacy and learned that Mo Yuan was a fellow transmigrator whose devouring soul had fueled his rise and eventual ruin. Jiang Chen began refining the legacy's devouring soul essence while Mo Yuan's demonic thoughts gathered outside the Soul-Suppressing Palace, seeking a way to stop him.

• Jiang Chen entered the palace at Mirror Lake and activated a divine thought revealing Mo Yuan's past as a transmigrator.
• Jiang Chen learned that Mo Yuan's unusual soul could devour other souls, and that the Soul-Devouring True Demon Art brought both power and the danger of splitting into demonic personalities.
• Jiang Chen considered the risks of inheriting Mo Yuan's devouring soul essence and decided his own divine soul could withstand the refinement.
• Jiang Chen used the twin qi of water and fire to refine the sphere of light containing the devouring soul essence.
• Mo Yuan's demonic thoughts tried to overturn the Soul-Suppressing Palace, then looked for a way to attack through creatures of flesh and blood.

Nian Hua entered the third trial of the Illusory Truth Inheritance, unaware that the Soul-Suppressing Palace’s demonic thoughts were turning the contestants into puppets. Outside Mirror Lake, the Golden Eagle Demon King revealed his plan to claim the soul treasure and draw the demons to the lake, leaving Xia Wuyan exposed as a disposable pawn.

• Nian Hua realized the inheritance trials had pushed cultivators to attack their own kin, but he pressed on because he wanted to repair the Nian Clan’s flawed inheritance.
• Nian Hua entered the third trial as black qi began to emerge from his soul, while demonic thoughts had already contaminated many contestants and were shaping them into puppets.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King watched from outside Mirror Lake and recognized the Illusory Truth palace as a rare treasure of the soul.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King decided to kill Jiang Chen and take the soul treasure, then used a secret art to summon demons affected by the Myriad Beasts True Blood to Mirror Lake.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King dismissed Xia Wuyan as a pawn whose half-demon transformation had reached its limit and left him with little time to live.

Jiang Chen completed his refinement of the Soul-Eating essence, gaining the ability to devour souls and recognizing that the cultivators outside had fallen under demonic thoughts. As Nian Hua and Xia Wuyan fought over the inheritance, Jiang Chen emerged from the Soul-Calming Hall, leaving the others stunned.

• Jiang Chen formed a dark star within his soul and gained the Soul-Eating ability, while realizing that Mo Yuan’s scripture could further develop it.
• Jiang Chen tried to perceive his own true intent but stopped when it proved elusive.
• Jiang Chen saw that demonic thoughts had beguiled the cultivators outside and decided to clear them away.
• Xia Wuyan transformed using his demon blood and defeated the injured Nian Hua on the heavenly steps.
• The Soul-Calming Hall opened, and Jiang Chen emerged with a precious banner as the cultivators wondered whether the inheritance already had an owner.

Jiang Chen killed Xia Wuyan and used the Primordial Unity Banner and Abyss of Demonic Thoughts to subdue the other cultivators and draw out their demonic thoughts. As a beast tide approached, he realized the secret-realm journey was a scheme and suspected a greater target stood behind it.

• Xia Wuyan transformed into a Void-Burning Venomous Kite and attacked Jiang Chen, who crushed him with his divine sense and killed him.
• The demonic thoughts drove the cultivators to attack Jiang Chen, but the Primordial Unity Banner dissolved their spells and forced them to kneel.
• Jiang Chen collected Xia Wuyan's soul and concluded that the secret-realm journey had been arranged to use him as bait for a larger target.
• Jiang Chen used the Abyss of Demonic Thoughts to draw the demonic thoughts out of the subdued cultivators and swallow them.
• A beast tide swept toward Jiang Chen and the cultivators.

Jiang Chen used the Bird-Tuning Art and Beast-Gathering Art to disrupt the demon beasts so Nian Hua and the other cultivators could attack. When the Golden Eagle Demon King ambushed him with Sky-Splitting Profound Edge, Jiang Chen survived but was wounded, and the demon king resolved to kill him and claim his soul treasure.

• Jiang Chen told Nian Hua to lead the cultivators while he restrained the demon beasts, and he suspected someone was controlling the gathered creatures.
• Jiang Chen merged his soul with his flying sword and used the Bird-Tuning Art and Beast-Gathering Art to stir the demon beasts' reason and throw the beast tide into chaos.
• Nian Hua led the cultivators in killing the disoriented demon beasts while Jiang Chen maintained the technique and deliberately held back.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King attacked Jiang Chen with Sky-Splitting Profound Edge, and Jiang Chen sacrificed his flying sword to deflect the strike before it wounded him.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King recognized Jiang Chen's potential and soul treasure, then extinguished his remaining consciousness after vowing that Jiang Chen must die.

The Golden Eagle Demon King attacked the Three Paths Mountain Secret Realm to kill Jiang Chen, but Jiang Chen’s human-and-sword-as-one strike wounded him and forced him to withdraw. Injured by the clash, Jiang Chen began rapidly recovering with the One-Qi Primordial Embryo as he awaited the sect’s response without relying on it entirely.

• After learning about Jiang Chen and the divine-soul treasure, the Golden Eagle Demon King decided the secret realm was unlikely to be a trap and went there to kill Jiang Chen.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King reached through the secret realm’s barrier with his claw, darkening the sky and trapping Jiang Chen beneath his overwhelming pressure.
• Jiang Chen fused his mind with his flying sword and unleashed a human-and-sword-as-one strike, cutting a massive wound into the Golden Eagle Demon King’s claw.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King broke free of Jiang Chen’s Bird-Tuning and Beast-Gathering Arts, then used his power over the Great Void to immobilize and shatter Jiang Chen’s flying sword.
• A burst of divine-soul power carried away a fragment of the sword, and the Golden Eagle Demon King withdrew his claw rather than contend with the secret realm.
• Jiang Chen endured severe injuries and activated the One-Qi Primordial Embryo, which rapidly healed him and overcame the lingering power of Sky-Splitting Profound Edge.

Jiang Chen began refining the Soul-Calming Hall as the Golden Eagle Demon King attacked and tore open the Three Paths Mountain secret realm. Just as the demon king prepared to kill him, Shang Li arrived and trapped it with a scarlet net.

• Jiang Chen recovered before the Soul-Calming Hall and began awakening its power, while the Golden Eagle Demon King realized he might use it to escape.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King revealed its true body and slashed open the Three Paths Mountain secret realm, terrifying the trapped cultivators.
• As Jiang Chen prepared for the demon king’s assault, the Golden Eagle Demon King seized the rift and tried to tear the secret realm fully open.
• Shang Li appeared outside the secret realm and countered the demon king’s Sky-Splitting Profound Edge with fiery meteors, overpowering its attack.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King tried to flee, but Shang Li spread flames through the void and enclosed the area in a scarlet great net.

Shang Li trapped the Golden Eagle Demon King in the Great Void with the Jade Pivot Vermilion Bird Transformation while Jiang Chen watched and assessed his own strength. The Golden Eagle Demon King destroyed his treasure body and artifact to escape, and fled into the Great Void as Shang Li stabilized the Three Paths Mountain secret realm.

• Shang Li used the Jade Pivot Star Chart to trap the Golden Eagle Demon King and struck him with falling meteors as he tried to escape.
• Jiang Chen observed the Purple Mansion battle and considered how his soul power and Spring God Statue compared with Purple Mansion cultivators.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King destroyed his treasure body and treasure artifact, unleashing a blast that shattered the Great Void and threatened the Three Paths Mountain secret realm.
• Shang Li manifested twenty-eight stars and stabilized the secret realm, but the Golden Eagle Demon King used the Form-Entrusting Art to escape on his demon core.
• The Golden Eagle Demon King fled into the Great Void believing he had escaped, while Shang Li showed no urgency or anger.

The Impermanence Sect captured the Golden Eagle Demon King alive with the Nine-Twist Returning Cage so they could extract secrets of the Dark Feather Cult. Shang Li then revealed that Jiang Chen was a true seed personally selected for the sect, leaving Illusory Dream newly interested in him.

• The exhausted Golden Eagle Demon King realized too late that he was trapped in Illusory Dream’s Nine-Twist Returning Cage and fell asleep inside it.
• Illusory Dream emerged from the void with the cage, and Shang Li arrived and warned her to stay vigilant when using illusion arts.
• Shang Li confirmed the Golden Eagle Demon King was captured alive and assigned Illusory Dream to recover the Dark Feather Cult’s secrets from his remnant soul.
• Illusory Dream looked toward Jiang Chen and asked whether he was the sect’s chosen bait.
• Shang Li explained that Jiang Chen was a true seed personally brought back by Yuan Gang and supported by the Sect Master, prompting Illusory Dream to study him in silence.

After the secret realm’s turmoil ended, Jiang Chen absorbed the Soul-Calming Hall and learned that its Soul Suppression Immortal Light could suppress and temper souls. The Impermanence Sect destroyed the Xia Family over its alleged ties to the Dark Feather Cult, while the Ashen Earth Sect prepared to distance itself from the Xia Family and avoid suspicion.

• Jiang Chen refined the Soul-Calming Hall, absorbed it into his body, and discovered its Soul Suppression Immortal Light and soul-tempering abilities.
• Nian Hua and the other surviving cultivators thanked Jiang Chen for saving them, while Xia Family cultivators mourned Xia Wuyan’s death.
• Jiang Chen decided to leave the secret realm after achieving his goal.
• The Impermanence Sect accused the Xia Family of colluding with the Dark Feather Cult and destroyed the nearly two-thousand-year-old family.
• Huo Luo ordered Qingyu to deliver a gift and affirm the Ashen Earth Sect’s opposition to the Dark Feather Cult, then ordered the Ashen Earth Sect to eliminate everyone connected to the Xia Family.

Jiang Chen completed a living high-grade spirit artifact called the Money Tree and learned from Xia Wuyan’s soul about the Dark Feather Cult’s human traitors. He uncovered signs that someone inside the Impermanence Sect had leaked news of him to the cult, and began considering who was responsible.

• Jiang Chen refined the Rootless Wood into the high-grade spirit artifact Money Tree, which could strengthen spirit veins and evolve as it grew.
• Jiang Chen sent Rat Prodigy to place the Money Tree in the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm, hoping to cultivate Rat Prodigy toward establishing its Dao Foundation.
• Jiang Chen used Soul Devour to consume Xia Wuyan’s mutated soul and uncover memories about the Dark Feather Cult.
• Jiang Chen learned that the Dark Feather Cult was a remnant demon force led by the Thunder Roc Clan that cultivated half-demon human traitors to infiltrate human factions.
• Jiang Chen discovered that someone within the Impermanence Sect had helped news of him reach the Dark Feather Cult and wondered who had leaked it.

After emerging from seclusion at the eleventh level of the Jade Tower, Profound Flood Dragon learned that Jiang Chen had survived and suspected the sect had exposed his role in the Three Paths Mountain Secret Realm. Meanwhile, Jiang Chen refined Xia Wuyan’s soul power into soul liquid, absorbed its incomplete true intent, and gained insights into the Earth-Lung True Flame Scripture through his Primordial Unity Dao Foundation.

• Profound Flood Dragon emerged from seclusion and learned that the Dark Feather Cult had failed, Jiang Chen was alive, and the Xia Family had been destroyed for colluding with the cult.
• Profound Flood Dragon suspected the sect had planned the Three Paths Mountain Secret Realm affair and decided to ask True Disciple Gu about whether his actions had been exposed.
• Jiang Chen used the Soul-Calming Hall to refine Xia Wuyan’s soul power into soul liquid and absorbed the resulting mass, while warning himself not to overindulge in devouring souls.
• Jiang Chen recognized Xia Wuyan’s incomplete true intent as insight into the Earth-Lung True Flame Scripture and considered how his Primordial Unity Dao Foundation could contain other cultivation arts.
• Jiang Chen’s Primordial Unity Dao Foundation swallowed the true intent, flooding his mind with insights as he began circulating the Illusory Truth Soul-Congealing Method.

Jiang Chen used the Illusory Truth Soul-Congealing Method to absorb the Earth-Lung True Flame Scripture’s true intent, transform his Dao Foundation, and uncover a possible path for cultivating the Primordial Unity True Scripture. After Nian Hua reported that a Nian Clan disciple had leaked Jiang Chen’s whereabouts, Jiang Chen became convinced that Profound Flood Dragon was behind the attacks against him.

• Jiang Chen broke free of the illusion and absorbed the Earth-Lung True Flame Scripture’s true intent, transforming his Primordial Unity Dao Foundation into an Earth-Lung Dao Foundation.
• Jiang Chen realized that forging many methods into Primordial Unity might be the key to cultivating the Primordial Unity True Scripture, and he considered seeking records within the sect.
• Jiang Chen found that the Illusory Truth Soul-Congealing Method had strengthened his Dao-nature and considered loosening his suppression of the Heart Ape.
• Nian Hua told Jiang Chen that a Nian Clan disciple had leaked his whereabouts and suspected the leak was connected to Profound Flood Dragon, who coveted Sea-Covering True Lord’s inheritance.
• Jiang Chen connected Profound Flood Dragon to Wu Jun'an and the Three Paths Mountain Secret Realm, concluding that Profound Flood Dragon had targeted him.

Ge Ziling considered how to stop Profound Flood Dragon from claiming a true disciple seat and thought Jiang Chen might be able to defeat him. Meanwhile, Jiang Chen received a rare spiritual treasure from Nian Hua and continued strengthening his ties with the Nian Clan.

• News spread that Profound Flood Dragon had forged an eleven-story jade tower and planned to challenge the Path-Seeking Tower as a step toward becoming a true disciple.
• Ge Ziling worried that Profound Flood Dragon's promotion would strengthen the Dragon-Snake Society and harm the Hidden Moon Pavilion.
• Ge Ziling concluded that Jiang Chen might be able to defeat Profound Flood Dragon and sent a message to Han Yue.
• As Profound Flood Dragon attracted followers, Jiang Chen met Nian Hua beneath a pine and received the Thousand-Gold Marrow he had requested.
• Jiang Chen recognized that the Nian Clan hoped to use the Illusory Truth Wanderer's inheritance to repair deficiencies in its own inheritance.