Chapter Summaries

Jiang Chen received rare pills from Ge Ziling as Rat Prodigy broke through to the Dao Foundation realm and gained a new inheritance. After Jiang Chen decided to take Rat Prodigy to the Western Region, Daoist Yuangang summoned him to Qi-Severing Island.

• Ge Ziling delivered the pills Jiang Chen had requested and explained that her family had sold them to him.
• Rat Prodigy condensed a mid-grade Metal-Fusing Furnace Dao Foundation after refining Thousand-Gold Marrow.
• Rat Prodigy told Jiang Chen about its new spirit arts and its potential to forge a Wishful Treasure Body.
• Jiang Chen planned to bring Rat Prodigy to the Western Region to search for ore veins and buried ruins.
• Daoist Yuangang summoned Jiang Chen to Qi-Severing Island, and Jiang Chen immediately set out.

Daoist Yuangang gave Jiang Chen a treasure artifact and valuable cultivation inheritances before his trial in the Western Region. He warned Jiang Chen about the region’s dangers and the risks of cultivating the Heavenly Dipper True Form, leaving Jiang Chen resolved to protect his cultivation foundation.

• Daoist Yuangang gave Jiang Chen the Nine-Abyss Return-Flow Cup, which Eyeless Daoist had sent to help with his upcoming trial.
• Daoist Yuangang explained that the Western Region held dangers, including Feather Clan remnants and ghosts, but also offered a greater chance of finding earth treasures.
• Daoist Yuangang gave Jiang Chen the first half of the Ninefold Ascension to Sainthood Method and the Heavenly Dipper True Form inheritance.
• Daoist Yuangang warned Jiang Chen that the Heavenly Dipper True Form demanded a strong physique and could leave hidden dangers if cultivated too forcefully.
• Jiang Chen accepted the inheritance and promised not to sacrifice his cultivation foundation in pursuit of divine abilities.

Daoist Yuangang defended Jiang Chen from Eyeless Daoist and then passed on the Ninefold Ascension to Sainthood Method. As Jiang Chen studied it and connected it to his teacher’s Heavenly Dipper True-Form Art, Xin Yi resolved to have him eliminated discreetly.

• Eyeless Daoist suppressed his anger after losing to Daoist Yuangang and accepted the loss of the Nine-Abyss Return-Flow Cup.
• Impermanence Sect’s upper ranks learned that Daoist Yuangang had acted for Jiang Chen and began reconsidering the young cultivator’s importance.
• Xin Yi suspected Daoist Yuangang might have abandoned his hopes of breaking through and decided Jiang Chen had to be removed without leaving evidence.
• Jiang Chen studied the Ninefold Ascension to Sainthood Method and recognized its connection to the Heavenly Dipper True-Form Art.
• Jiang Chen considered using the Mist Flood Dragon as a primary form and continued comprehending the Heavenly Dipper True Form.

Profound Flood Dragon learned that his trial ground had been changed to the Western Region and, believing Jiang Chen was behind it, accepted his diminished standing. Jiang Chen’s heart demon took hold of Profound Flood Dragon’s mind, letting him plant a Mind-Ravaging Seed as he turned his attention to Xin Yi True Person.

• Wu Jun'an told Profound Flood Dragon that his trial ground would be the Western Region, likely because someone wanted to curry favor with Jiang Chen.
• Profound Flood Dragon realized he had become a tool in others’ efforts to please Jiang Chen and ordered his people to prepare for the Western Region.
• A heart demon resembling Jiang Chen formed in Profound Flood Dragon’s heart, and Jiang Chen sensed that his plan had succeeded.
• Jiang Chen used Heart-Demon Eyes to find a weakness in Profound Flood Dragon’s mind and planted a Mind-Ravaging Seed.
• Jiang Chen considered Profound Flood Dragon an experiment and identified Xin Yi True Person as a more serious opponent.

Jiang Chen used a strand of One-Qi to repair the Mist Flood Dragon’s demon hide, giving it the living qualities and dragonlike signs it had lacked. The Mist Flood Dragon seemed to have gained an opportunity to transform into a dragon, though its success remained uncertain.

• Jiang Chen cultivated three dragon-blooded transformations, strengthening his resonance with the Mist Flood Dragon while increasing the burden on his body.
• Jiang Chen formed one strand of One-Qi from the twelve wisps within his One-Qi Primordial Embryo and decided to use it on the Mist Flood Dragon.
• Jiang Chen fused the strand of One-Qi with the Mist Flood Dragon, and its flaws began to mend as it developed signs of living flesh and blood.
• The Mist Flood Dragon completed its transformation with white scales, claws, a pearl beneath its jaw, and a stronger resemblance to a true dragon.
• Jiang Chen realized the Mist Flood Dragon might have gained an opportunity to transform into a dragon and welcomed the unexpected result.

Jiang Chen tested merging the Mist Flood Dragon with three demon phantoms, finding that One-Origin Qi could reshape it but could not yet fully fuse the four demon hides without gang qi. His spiritual rain helped the spirit embryo in the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm break open, and it manifested as the true form of a third-grade spiritual vein.

• Jiang Chen merged the three demon phantoms with the Mist Flood Dragon and used Calling Clouds and Summoning Rain to cover the secret realm in rain.
• Jiang Chen released his suppression when the four demon hides began to destabilize, concluding that he needed gang qi for their complete fusion.
• Jiang Chen considered how One-Origin Qi and the Mist Flood Dragon might offer a way for cultivators to use demon hides without polluting their foundations.
• Jiang Chen sensed the spirit embryo nearing birth, and Taoyao guided spiritual energy to help it break open.
• The spirit embryo manifested as an ancient-tree-shaped spiritual vein, revealing the birth of a third-grade spiritual vein in the secret realm.

Jiang Chen examined how Taoyao’s third-rank spirit vein had restored the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm and considered how the Spirit Lord could gain greater control over it. He decided to investigate the tomb of a fallen Green Register god, whose power might help the Spirit Lord advance.

• The Spirit Lord explained that Taoyao’s third-rank spirit vein had repaired the secret realm’s foundation and could allow him to wield Purple Mansion-level strength.
• Jiang Chen thanked Taoyao, then soothed it into a restorative stillness after it had weakened itself to plant the spirit vein.
• Jiang Chen assessed the secret realm’s power and concluded that the Spirit Lord needed to advance from a second-rank Red Register to a third-rank Green Register to control it fully.
• Jiang Chen looked in on Wu Jun’an and recalled that Wu Jun’an’s genius had begun after he was chosen by a god as a child.
• Jiang Chen decided to investigate the tomb of a fallen Green Register god, judging that the Spirit Lord could manage the risk.

As Jiang Chen prepared for his true inheritance trial to develop the Western Region, he arranged for Nian Hua to coordinate supplies and assess Fang Ping, who hoped to join the effort. Meanwhile, Wu Jun'an traveled west under Profound Flood Dragon's orders and discovered an Incense-Faith Divine Domain, where a voice beckoned him toward a crystal palace and promised an inheritance.

• Jiang Chen told Nian Hua to begin transporting supplies for the Western Region trial and asked him to assess Fang Ping.
• Nian Hua described Fang Ping as capable and well-regarded, so Jiang Chen asked him to see whether Fang Ping could be useful in developing the region.
• Jiang Chen watched Wu Jun'an depart for the Western Region and learned that Wu Jun'an's real purpose was to find a hidden trove left by a third-rank Azure Register deity.
• A month later, Wu Jun'an entered a valley and found himself inside an Incense-Faith Divine Domain.
• A voice from a crystal palace summoned Wu Jun'an and enticed him to approach and accept its inheritance.

The Bewitching Heart Empress tried to resurrect herself through Wu Jun'an, her prepared vessel, but Jiang Chen intervened from outside the Incense Divine Domain. He trapped her with Heaven-Mirroring Soul Capture, leaving her to seek the domain’s power to escape.

• The Bewitching Heart Empress awakened in her divine domain and entered Wu Jun'an’s mind to use him as her resurrection vessel.
• Jiang Chen saw through the hidden Incense Divine Domain and connected with Wu Jun'an, recognizing that the Bewitching Heart Empress was far weaker than before.
• The Bewitching Heart Empress discovered Wu Jun'an’s mind had been controlled with the Mind-Ravaging Art and tried to undo it, but Jiang Chen disrupted her secret art.
• Jiang Chen used Heaven-Mirroring Soul Capture to bind the Bewitching Heart Empress in a Heart Mirror.
• The Bewitching Heart Empress failed to break free and connected with the Incense Divine Domain to borrow its power.

Jiang Chen used the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm, the Five Mountains Boulder Pestle, and the Heart Mirror to suppress the Incense Divine Domain and defeat Bewitching Heart Empress. After she mentioned Divine Dao Founding, Jiang Chen captured and sealed her, resolving to learn about its origins.

• Jiang Chen bound the Incense Divine Domain with Spirit-Locking Return to Origin and used the Heart-Demon Eyes to weaken its divine fire by stirring doubt among the believers’ remnant souls.
• Jiang Chen shattered the divine fire with the Five Mountains Boulder Pestle, then combined its mountain’s force with the Return-to-Origin chains to seal the Incense Divine Domain.
• Bewitching Heart Empress tried to disrupt Jiang Chen’s mind and asked whether he belonged to Divine Dao Founding, but Jiang Chen erased her power and the Heart Mirror drew her into Mirror Heaven.
• Bewitching Heart Empress revealed that Divine Dao Founding was the origin of the divine path, and Jiang Chen said he would learn about it soon.
• Bewitching Heart Empress attempted to self-destruct, but Jiang Chen immobilized her with Soul Suppression Immortal Light and completely suppressed her.

Jiang Chen finished devouring Bewitching Heart Empress’s remnant soul and recovered her memories, treasures, and insights. By resonating with her bronze fragment, he discovered the God-Usurping Method, which could help the Spirit Lord advance along the Divine Dao.

• Jiang Chen absorbed Bewitching Heart Empress’s remnant soul and learned about her survival, Divine Dao Founding, and the ancient God-Slaying War.
• Jiang Chen set aside Bewitching Heart Empress’s Divine Dao and Heart Bewitchment, Spirit Disruption true intents for later use.
• Jiang Chen examined the Illusory Sea Floating-Life Bell and the mysterious bronze fragment connected to Bewitching Heart Empress’s fall.
• The bronze fragment resonated with Jiang Chen and revealed the God-Usurping Method, an art that let deities usurp one another’s authorities.
• Jiang Chen realized the method could open a path for the Spirit Lord to strengthen his Divine Dao authority.

Jiang Chen used the God-Usurping Method to plunder the Bewitching Heart Authority from the Illusory Sea Floating-Life Bell, then prepared the Spirit Lord to devour the Bewitching Heart Empress's incense-and-faith divine domain. The authority he obtained was incomplete, but he believed it would help the Spirit Lord eventually reach the third rank of the divine path.

• Jiang Chen drew the Bewitching Heart Empress's collapsing incense-and-faith divine domain toward the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm and planned to devour it.
• Jiang Chen used the God-Usurping Method on the Illusory Sea Floating-Life Bell, weakening and shattering the divine artifact.
• Jiang Chen captured the seven-colored Bewitching Heart Authority as it tried to flee, then sealed it within the Spirit Lord.
• Jiang Chen recognized that the authority was incomplete and concluded that it would still help the Spirit Lord devour the divine domain.

After returning from his journey, Jiang Chen examined the divine-path authority hidden in the Golden Toad and found that the God-Usurping Method could affect it but could not yet seize it. When Red Jade delivered the Void Dao Hall’s decree announcing the true disciple trial, Jiang Chen set out with his companions for the Western Region.

• Jiang Chen returned his Yin Spirit to his body and reflected on its limits and his gains from confronting the weakened Bewitching Heart Empress.
• Jiang Chen examined the Golden Toad and used the God-Usurping Method, confirming that it concealed divine-path authority that resisted his attempts to seize it.
• Jiang Chen concluded that the Golden Toad’s hidden secret might be greater than he had expected and decided to keep trying to refine it.
• Red Jade told Jiang Chen that the Void Dao Hall had issued its decree and the true disciple trial had begun.
• Jiang Chen gathered his companions, including the Azure Flower Empress and the Ruthless Nun, and ordered them to depart for the Western Region.

Jiang Chen and the other candidates boarded the Impermanence Sect’s Flying Roc to travel to the Western Region for the true disciple trial. After sensing the Mind-Ravaging Seed’s growth in Profound Flood Dragon and discovering a way to glean his cultivation insights, Jiang Chen departed while Daoist Yuangang chose not to intervene.

• Jiang Chen learned that the Flying Roc might have been forged from the remains of the Thunder Roc Clan as he and Red Jade watched it arrive.
• Profound Flood Dragon met Jiang Chen’s gaze, looked away, and boarded the Flying Roc with his followers while Jiang Chen sensed the Mind-Ravaging Seed developing in his soul.
• Jiang Chen realized his heart-demon techniques let him glimpse Profound Flood Dragon’s thoughts and gain insights into his water arts without soul-devouring.
• Jiang Chen entered his well-equipped quarters aboard the Flying Roc, which tore through the Great Void and departed for the Western Region.
• Daoist Yuangang declined Cang Shui’s offer to accompany Jiang Chen, saying Jiang Chen had to face the journey himself and might even be stronger than Cang Shui.

Nian Hua and Fang Ping prepared for the true inheritance trial at Lark-Grasping Mountain, where baleful energy and harsh conditions made establishing an immortal city difficult. With Jiang Chen and the other candidate true inheritor on their way, they waited for the formation work to begin while keeping watch for ghost calamities.

• Cultivators debated how baleful energy, violent spiritual energy, and disrupted water arts made it difficult to cultivate or establish spirit fields at Lark-Grasping Mountain.
• Nian Hua told the gathered cultivators that the formation array and water vein would have to wait until the true inheritance trial began.
• Nian Hua announced that both candidate true inheritors had set out, renewing the crowd’s spirits as they prepared to welcome Jiang Chen.
• Fang Ping reported that his expedition had found only a few scattered ghosts and no ghost tide near the settlement.
• Nian Hua reminded Fang Ping to remain vigilant, and both men hoped Jiang Chen’s arrival would allow the immortal city’s establishment to proceed smoothly.

Nian Hua worried over strange weather and Fang Ping’s disappearance at Lark-Grasping Mountain until Jiang Chen arrived and reviewed the preparations. Jiang Chen sensed danger from the west and warned that the planned formations would take too long to build.

• Nian Hua noticed a brewing sandstorm and sent Fang Ping into the sea of sand to investigate.
• Three days passed without word from Fang Ping, and the weather returned to normal, deepening Nian Hua’s unease.
• Jiang Chen arrived at Lark-Grasping Mountain on a flying peng and was welcomed by Nian Hua and the other faction representatives.
• Nian Hua gave Jiang Chen the gathered intelligence and the factions’ formation blueprint for review.
• Jiang Chen praised the blueprint but said its construction would be too slow, then looked toward the west as Nian Hua realized danger might be approaching.

Jiang Chen learned that a massive sandstorm carrying dangerous Baleful Ghosts was approaching Lark-Grasping Mountain. He ordered Fang Ping to monitor it and accelerated the formation’s basic construction, leaving the cultivators with only seven days to prepare.

• Nian Hua reported that the grand formation’s construction had begun but still required Jiang Chen to arrange the spiritual currents and draw in spirit veins and water veins.
• Fang Ping returned badly wounded and warned that a large sandstorm was approaching after a late Dao Foundation Baleful Ghost ambushed him.
• Fang Ping told Jiang Chen that many Baleful Ghosts were in the storm, including one with a terrifying aura at least at perfected Dao Foundation stage.
• Fang Ping estimated that the sandstorm would reach Lark-Grasping Mountain in about ten days.
• Jiang Chen gave Fang Ping healing pills and told him to keep watch on the storm, then ordered Nian Hua to complete the formation’s basic construction within seven days.

Jiang Chen prepared Lark-Grasping Mountain to withstand the rapidly approaching sandstorm after Nian Hua completed the foundation for the grand formation. As the storm reached the mountain, Jiang Chen possessed the Spring God statue with his Yin Spirit to wield its power against the danger.

• Nian Hua reported that the grand formation's foundational construction was complete, but Fang Ping warned that the sandstorm had sped up and would soon reach Lark-Grasping Mountain.
• Nian Hua urged Jiang Chen to withdraw, but Jiang Chen ordered everyone to prepare to activate the formation.
• The sandstorm darkened the sky, and Jiang Chen summoned Taoyao to help establish the formations while he assessed the baleful energy around the mountain.
• Jiang Chen took out the Spring God statue, left his body with his Yin Spirit, and possessed the statue to awaken its divine power.
• Jiang Chen realized that the statue let him wield power at the Purple Mansion level, but maintaining it would strain his divine soul and consume incense offerings.

Jiang Chen used the Spring God's power to cleanse Lark-Grasping Mountain of Killing Intent and awaken its vitality, then empowered Taoyao to command the mountain's spiritual workings. As a sand tide approached, Taoyao's roots completed the great formation, which shielded the mountain while Jiang Chen looked for the calamity behind the storm.

• Jiang Chen unleashed Summon Spring Thunder, clearing the Killing Intent from Lark-Grasping Mountain and reviving the seeds buried in its soil.
• Jiang Chen planted Peachwood on the mountain, and Taoyao grew rapidly as he gave it a spiritual seed that raised its strength to perfected Dao Foundation.
• Taoyao drew in the mountain's spiritual workings, while Jiang Chen gained a new understanding of the secret art he had created.
• A terrifying sand tide swept toward Lark-Grasping Mountain, but Jiang Chen watched the sea of sand for the greater danger behind it.
• Taoyao spread its roots through the mountain and linked them to the prepared formation, while Nian Hua ordered the cultivators to pour in their spiritual power.
• The great formation raised a dazzling barrier that stood firm against the incoming sand tide.

Jiang Chen used the Nine-Abyss Return-Flow Cup to counter a devastating sandstorm driven by a horde of Baleful Ghosts threatening Lark-Grasping Mountain. His summoned dragons brought torrential rain that weakened the storm, but its danger remained unresolved.

• Jiang Chen's formation protected Lark-Grasping Mountain from an initial wave of sand, earning the cultivators' admiration.
• A colossal sandstorm approached, shaking the mountain's formation and prompting the cultivators to put their hopes in Jiang Chen.
• Jiang Chen sensed the cultivators' intense desire to survive and realized the sandstorm had formed a powerful formation linked to more than a hundred Baleful Ghosts.
• Jiang Chen brought out the Nine-Abyss Return-Flow Cup and awakened its water-element power.
• Jiang Chen summoned nine phantom dragons, whose torrential rain weakened the sandstorm across thousands of miles.