Chapter Summaries

Zhou An learned that Green Robe had arranged for her own burial in the Spirit Connection Space to prevent herself from becoming a devastating Weirdness, then faced an apparent threat from the Array Celestial. He saw through the encounter as an illusion and greeted the mysterious old man who appeared afterward.

• Green Robe arrived at the stone slabs, explained her battle with a giant Weirdness, and watched Sui Lao die after answering his question about the purpose of the inscriptions.
• Green Robe later revealed that the slabs were meant to suppress her, carved her own memorial, and left behind her talent for comprehension before vanishing.
• Zhou An escaped the illusion and realized the place was Green Robe's grave, then prepared to reinforce its protection.
• A coffin bearing Zhou An's name appeared, and the Array Celestial claimed she had brought it to assimilate him into the graveyard.
• Zhou An called the Array Celestial's story a lie, causing the illusion to vanish and revealing an aged man who praised his insight.

Zhou An discovered that the old man was Old Yang, the former emperor of the Great Domain Dynasty, who had survived as a half-human, half-eerie being imprisoned in the cemetery. After learning what lay beyond the rifts and restoring the cemetery’s formation, Zhou An left with Black Jade, carrying a gift from Old Yang that could help her fuse her abilities.

• Zhou An deduced that the old man was not Sui Lao but the skeleton that had drawn him into the illusion, and identified him as a former emperor from his clothing and power.
• Old Yang revealed how his resentment and approaching death turned him half-eerie, and how the Sages’ power suppressed him while extending his life and trapping him in the cemetery.
• Old Yang told Zhou An that the eerie likely came from pollution and that the Rift Within the Rift led to a dead, polluted world, then urged him to use the Spirit Connection Space to weaken the rifts.
• Zhou An restored the cemetery’s formation with the Blue Stone Slabs and prepared to leave after Old Yang explained that the cemetery moved to avoid exposure and Resentful Energy.
• Black Jade showed Zhou An a mass of black qi with golden light that Old Yang had given her to help fuse her abilities once she met the requirements, and Zhou An left the Black Palace with her.

Zhou An traced the Spirit Connection Space’s turmoil to a Barbarian Kingdom force and killed more than a hundred of its experts, helping stabilize the realm. After returning to Huaixi Capital, he advanced Stirring Wind and Waves and found that Black Jade’s attacks could train Flying Dragon Movement, leaving her with a new job.

• Zhou An used divination to follow a golden thread to the source of the chaos and told Wu Xi to notify Zong Shan Yin while the Demon Suppression Division held the situation steady.
• A Barbarian Kingdom commander killed a subordinate who urged retreat and ordered his people to spread more disorder, but Zhou An arrived and swiftly killed the force of more than a hundred Spirit Connection Realm experts.
• Zhou An left the remaining Spirit Connection Space matters to Zong Shan Yin and returned to the Demon Suppression Division to grind proficiency, while the exposed Barbarian Kingdom plot provoked retaliation from other nations.
• Zhou An advanced Stirring Wind and Waves to level seven, then found that practicing Flying Dragon Movement with the Earth Mound Formation no longer improved it.
• Zhou An flew into the sky with Black Jade and asked her to attack; he evaded her Eight Trigrams assault using Flying Dragon Movement and gained proficiency, then gave her a new training role.

Zhou An reached level seven in Flying Dragon Movement and began grinding Thousand Mile Eye while He Sheng investigated a strange fishhook found in Clear River. In the capital, Shi Xiyuan learned that catching a fish was tied to completing his talent and reaching the All-Sage Realm, so he set out for Huaixi Capital with Martial Armor for Zhou An.

• Zhou An and Black Jade trained in the sky, and Zhou An advanced Flying Dragon Movement to level seven before turning to Thousand Mile Eye.
• He Sheng heard that Zhou An’s flights had frightened martial artists into turning themselves in, then sent Zong Shan Yin to investigate a strange fishhook found in Clear River.
• Shi Xiyuan returned to the National Preceptor’s Mansion after failing to catch a fish, where Ye Shuang revealed that she had reached the Spirit Connection Realm.
• The National Teacher explained that Shi Xiyuan’s incomplete fishing talent was blocking his path to the All-Sage Realm and sent him to Huaixi Capital.
• Yuan Qingyi gave Shi Xiyuan Martial Armor to deliver to Zhou An, then told the National Teacher that his medicine had only prolonged the Great Yue Emperor’s life; the Emperor had returned to the throne and was searching for physicians.

The Cloud Arising Emperor announced that Great Yue would invite physicians to treat his failing health, while Zhou An hit a bottleneck in his training and discovered a strange fishing problem in Clear River. After learning that Shi Xiyuan’s flawed talent was tied to the crisis, Zhou An agreed to help him fish and developed a new skill when he caught a fish.

• The National Teacher reinforced the talismans binding Yuan Qingyi and explained that Great Yue was preparing for chaos in case its emperor could not be cured.
• The Cloud Arising Emperor ordered Yuchi Mei to inspect the Border Pass and announced that Great Yue would open its gates to physicians in three months.
• Zhou An found himself unable to improve Medical Gu Seed, then learned that fishermen near Clear River could no longer catch fish.
• Zhou An examined a fishhook, used Eight Trigrams Arithmetic, and learned that the Clear River problem was connected to Shi Xiyuan.
• Shi Xiyuan explained that the problem involved his flawed talent and asked Zhou An to protect him while he tried to catch the fish causing it.
• Zhou An agreed to accompany Shi Xiyuan, then went fishing with Black Jade and gained the Fishing skill when he hooked a fish.

Zhou An developed Ghost Fishing and used it to catch an ancient door from Clear River, revealing a buried Nine-Story Pagoda connected to incomplete talents. At the pagoda’s entrance, something devoured Zhou An’s blade light, and a face identical to Shi Xiyuan appeared.

• Zhou An raised Fishing to level two while fishing through the night, then joined Shi Xiyuan at Clear River, where neither man caught any fish.
• After days of fishing, Zhou An chose Ghost Fishing, gaining greater harvest and the ability to hook things from unknown places.
• Zhou An used Ghost Fishing to pull an ancient wooden door from the river and realized its failing concealment array might have caused the fish to avoid the river’s hooks.
• Zhou An split the river and Shi Xiyuan cleared the silt, uncovering a Nine-Story Pagoda that Shi Xiyuan sensed contained missing parts of many talents.
• Zhou An and Shi Xiyuan approached the pagoda, where Zhou An’s blade light was swallowed by the darkness and a face identical to Shi Xiyuan appeared.

Zhou An and Shi Xiyuan explored the Nine-Story Pagoda, where Shi recovered his missing talent and advanced to the All-Sage Realm. On the ninth floor, they encountered an avatar of the Indulgent Leader, who vanished after Zhou An attacked him; Zhou An left wondering why his divination had promised a benefit he had not received.

• Shi Xiyuan used his Heart Piercing Talisman against his doppelgänger, but the doppelgänger countered with the same technique before Zhou An destroyed it with his saber.
• A white orb identified as Shi Xiyuan's missing talent merged with him, restoring his talent and helping him enter the All-Sage Realm.
• Zhou An and Shi Xiyuan entered the Nine-Story Pagoda and found rows of sealed urns filled with ashes that returned to their boxes after being scattered.
• The pair climbed past floors of chained skeletons and found a living old man on the ninth floor, who revealed himself as the current Indulgent Leader.
• Zhou An attacked the Indulgent Leader's avatar, which dissolved after declaring that he would personally take Zhou An's head someday.
• Zhou An and Shi Xiyuan left the pagoda, and Zhou An questioned why his divination had indicated a benefit when he had gained nothing.

Zhou An used Ghost Fishing in the Nine-Story Pagoda to catch a disease-covered wooden box that raised his Medical Gu Seed to level seven, letting him enter the Spirit Connection Realm. He then entered the Spirit Connection Space to test his new realm, discovered that absorbing its violent power did not temper his soul, and began to suspect that he needed another way to advance.

• Zhou An realized fishing might reveal the promised benefit, and he cast a line inside the Nine-Story Pagoda despite the lack of water.
• Zhou An reeled in an ancient wooden box covered in diseases, gained Medical Gu Seed proficiency from it, and stored it in his Pink Money Bag.
• Zhou An and Shi Xiyuan left the pagoda, reported the Clear River matter to He Sheng, and parted ways after Shi Xiyuan declined to go fishing with him.
• Cloud Arising Emperor discovered that his wooden box had been emptied, blamed the Empty Sky Gate, and ordered a search that drove Great Yue into turmoil.
• Zhou An raised Medical Gu Seed to level seven, completed his goal of bringing every skill to level seven, and broke through into the Spirit Connection Realm.
• Zhou An entered the Spirit Connection Space and found that absorbing its violent power did not strengthen his soul, so he reconsidered how he could progress.

Zhou An discovered that absorbing the Spirit Connection Space’s power while grinding doubled his proficiency gains, then spent several peaceful days improving. When Eunuch Wei arrived in Huaixi Capital over the Nine-Story Pagoda, he explained the ancient rebels’ attempts to cheat death and vowed to kill them.

• Zhou An absorbed the Spirit Connection Space’s violent power while grinding Medical Gu Seed and found his proficiency gains had doubled.
• Zhou An continued grinding at home, while Black Jade grew stronger and rumors spread that he was preparing for a major breakthrough.
• Zhou An went to the Demon Suppression Division, where Eunuch Wei had arrived to discuss the Nine-Story Pagoda.
• Eunuch Wei explained that ancient cowards had split talents and planned to use them to seize the bodies of those who found their remaining parts.
• Eunuch Wei told Zhou An that ancient heroes had been captured and experimented on inside the Nine-Story Pagoda, then declared he would kill the rebels.

Eunuch Wei took Zhou An to Clear River, destroyed the Nine-Story Pagoda, and released the talents trapped within it, restoring power to practitioners across the nations. Back in Huaixi Capital, Zhou An raised Ghost Fishing to level five and caught an Inner Core, while the Barbarian Kingdom Emperor blamed the Empty Sky Gate for a treasury theft and pressed ahead with plans against Cloud Arising Emperor.

• Eunuch Wei told Zhou An that destroying the Nine-Story Pagoda would return incomplete talents to their owners, and Zhou An agreed to accompany him to Clear River.
• Eunuch Wei froze Clear River, destroyed the Nine-Story Pagoda, and killed the imprisoned heroes after they emerged as ghosts.
• Eunuch Wei and Zhou An returned to Huaixi Capital, where Eunuch Wei offered Zhou An a chance to serve as a physician for Cloud Arising Emperor, but Zhou An refused.
• Zhou An advanced Medical Gu Seed to level eight, used Sacred Spirit Demonic Body on Black Jade to earn proficiency, and spent his stored proficiency raising Ghost Fishing to level five.
• Zhou An tested Ghost Fishing and caught an Inner Core that could help restore the Bizarre Assembly's clarity, then continued grinding Eight Trigrams Arithmetic.
• The Barbarian Kingdom Emperor learned that an Inner Core had been stolen from his treasury, ordered a crackdown on the Empty Sky Gate, and vowed to make Cloud Arising Emperor die horribly.

Zhou An uncovered a hidden, hair-thin rift beneath the Spirit Connection Space and discovered that Ghost Fishing could catch something inside it. The chapter ended as he struggled to reel in a powerful catch.

• Guo Feng challenged Zhou An, lost, and eagerly left his jade pendant in the courtyard’s overflowing Heroes' Corner.
• Zhou An entered the Spirit Connection Space, spotted Du Fei searching for a rift on the Cloud Arising Emperor’s orders, and used Eight Trigrams Arithmetic to trace the jade’s aura.
• Zhou An followed the golden threads underground, where Black Jade sensed something familiar and Zhou An recognized the passages from a map he had seen before.
• Zhou An broke a complex linked array and revealed a tiny rift, reasoning that it might explain the Spirit Connection Space’s power and the Cloud Arising Emperor’s illness.
• Zhou An cast a fishing hook into the rift, and after half an hour, something seized it and began resisting as he pulled.

Zhou An fished a pale aberration out of a crack in the Spirit Connection Space, then caught the Cloud Arising Emperor and agreed to travel to Great Yue for treatment in exchange for five Inner Cores or Sharira. After handing over his post and setting out with Black Jade, he crossed the Great Chu border and was nearing Great Yue when a thunderous blast stopped his carriage.

• Zhou An killed the pale aberration that emerged from the crack, then used his wok to suppress and destroy its remaining blood.
• Zhou An accidentally fished the Cloud Arising Emperor into the Spirit Connection Space, where the emperor invited him to Great Yue to help with his treatment and offered five Inner Cores or Sharira.
• Zhou An accepted the invitation, restored and concealed the crack, and returned home before continuing to grind Eight Trigrams Arithmetic for three days.
• Zhou An handed over his Huaixi Capital duties, said farewell to He Sheng, and departed for Great Yue with Black Jade.
• At the Border Pass, the First Prince greeted Zhou An with strong liquor, then let him continue after noting that Zhou An disliked grand farewells.
• As Zhou An's carriage traveled through the buffer zone toward Great Yue's checkpoint, a thunderous roar erupted ahead and brought it to a stop.

Zhou An uncovered and killed Array Celestial, who had ambushed him at the Border Pass, then traveled into Great Yue and stopped in Azure Blue Prefecture. As he set out the next morning, Ye Shuang appeared and asked to travel with him.

• Zhou An used Eight Trigrams Arithmetic to discover that the carriage collision was a trap aimed at him, then identified Array Celestial among the conspirators.
• Array Celestial used Indulgence's Life-Extinguishing Grand Array to boost her power, but Zhou An secretly disrupted the formation and prevented her from advancing beyond the All-Sage Realm.
• Zhou An overwhelmed Array Celestial with saber strikes and his iron pot, destroyed her remaining formations, and killed her before she could annihilate the Border Pass.
• Zhou An crossed into Great Yue, rested in Azure Blue Prefecture, and explored the city with Black Jade, observing that its people lived somewhat worse than those of Great Chu.
• The next morning, Ye Shuang approached Zhou An's carriage and asked to travel with him, and Zhou An welcomed her aboard.

Zhou An traveled through Great Yue with Ye Shuang, learning that she planned to confront Qingfeng Temple on behalf of the National Teacher and obtain a Daoist secret art. After reaching the capital, Zhou An arrived as the important figure awaited by the Evil Extermination Bureau, drawing the attention of physicians gathered there.

• Ye Shuang told Zhou An that the National Teacher had left Qingfeng Temple after opposing its isolationist doctrine, and that he wanted her to retrieve the secret art Great Dream of Three Thousand Autumns.
• Zhou An agreed to accompany Ye Shuang to Qingfeng Temple and promised to take her around Great Yue to sample its food.
• During the journey, Zhou An raised Eight Trigrams Arithmetic to level eight and decided to grind Thousand Mile Eye next.
• Zhou An and Ye Shuang continued toward the capital, where Ye Shuang planned to visit Qingfeng Temple and Zhou An assured her she could seek his help if needed.
• Physician Yi Tian mistakenly thought the Evil Extermination Bureau had come to welcome him, then learned its officials were waiting for someone else.
• Zhou An's carriage entered the capital, and Chen Feng recognized that the long-awaited Lord Zhou had arrived.

Zhou An arrived in Great Yue, met Yi Tian and the Chief Administrator, and agreed to cooperate with the Evil Extermination Bureau over the Imperial Mausoleum after divining that the danger could not be avoided by leaving. Meanwhile, Ye Shuang reached Qingfeng Temple to confront its Daoists, ending by declaring that she had come to discuss the Dao.

• Yi Tian recognized Zhou An and asked to exchange medical knowledge, while Sun Ming questioned Zhou An's medical abilities and said he would judge them during the emperor's treatment.
• Chen Feng escorted Zhou An to the Evil Extermination Bureau, where the Chief Administrator explained the Imperial Mausoleum and asked him to help counter the Wild Taoist Sect and Wild Buddhist Sect.
• Zhou An used Eight Trigrams Arithmetic and found that leaving Great Yue would not avert the danger, while cooperating with the Evil Extermination Bureau offered a favorable outcome.
• The Chief Administrator arranged for Zhou An to stay at the bureau until his audience with the emperor, and Zhou An practiced Thousand Mile Eye with Black Jade.
• Ye Shuang traveled to Qingfeng Temple and recalled the National Teacher's account of the temple abandoning villagers to an aberration.
• Ye Shuang introduced herself as the Great Chu National Teacher's disciple and announced that she had come to discuss the Dao.

Ye Shuang visited Qingfeng Temple on behalf of the National Teacher, won Qingfeng Temple Master's acknowledgment of the National Teacher's Dao, and received the secret art Great Dream of Three Thousand Autumns. Meanwhile, Zhou An accepted a lone meeting at Azure Blue Mountain and confronted a dying All-Sage Realm swordsman serving Indulgence.

• Ye Shuang met Qingfeng Temple Master, who read the National Teacher's Daoist Texts and admitted that the National Teacher's doctrine was superior.
• Ye Shuang persuaded Qingfeng Temple Master to hand over Great Dream of Three Thousand Autumns and give the National Teacher a chance to guide Qingfeng Temple into the world.
• Zhou An learned that poisonings in the capital were part of a plan to distract the Evil Extermination Bureau, then received an unsigned threat demanding that he come alone to Azure Blue Mountain.
• Zhou An refused the chief administrator's offer of an escort and traveled to Azure Blue Mountain with Black Jade hidden in his shadow.
• Zhou An found an old swordsman whose overwhelming sword intent covered the landscape and challenged him for serving Indulgence.

Zhou An defeated Jian Wuxin with help from Bizarre Assembly, then learned that Cloud Arising Emperor’s illness came from the dangerous Plague Wraith. After returning to the capital, Zhou An decided to meet the emperor ahead of schedule.

• Jian Wuxin fought Zhou An to repay Indulgence’s favor, but Zhou An summoned Bizarre Assembly, who destroyed Jian Wuxin’s half-step Absolute Comprehension attack and watched him turn to ashes.
• Bizarre Assembly explained that Cloud Arising Emperor carried Plague Wraith, a bizarre being that could emerge with devastating power if the emperor died, and warned Zhou An not to get involved.
• Zhou An returned to the capital and told the chief administrator that he had killed Jian Wuxin, while concealing Bizarre Assembly’s involvement.
• After the chief administrator said the poisoning was under control, Zhou An declined to stay at the Evil Extermination Bureau and said he would go meet His Majesty early.

Ye Shuang discovered that the Qingfeng Temple Master was a Wild Taoist Sect member who had tried to plant a Heart Demon in her, but his dream method led her to meet Qing Shuangzi. Qing Shuangzi unlocked the final shackle on Ye Shuang’s talent and, after hearing what the Temple Master had done, asked Ye Shuang whether she wanted to kill someone.

• Zhou An asked the General Office Director to arrange an early audience with Cloud Arising Emperor, then returned to practicing Thousand Mile Eye.
• Ye Shuang failed to learn Great Dream of Three Thousand Autumns and suspected the Qingfeng Temple Master was deceiving her, while he secretly worked with three Wild Taoist Sect Elders to corrupt the method and delay her.
• Ye Shuang told the Qingfeng Temple Master she would leave Qingfeng Temple, and the Elders ordered him to let her go rather than risk exposing their Imperial Mausoleum plan.
• The Qingfeng Temple Master used the Daytime Dream Induction Method on Ye Shuang, but Qing Shuangzi drew the dream onto herself and met Ye Shuang within it.
• Qing Shuangzi revealed that seeing her had opened the final shackle on Ye Shuang’s talent, condemned the Qingfeng Temple Master’s betrayal, and asked Ye Shuang if she wanted to kill someone.

Qing Shuangzi took control of Ye Shuang’s body, killed the Qingfeng Temple Master and the three Wild Taoist Sect Elders, then left to visit an old friend. Meanwhile, Zhou An examined Cloud Arising Emperor and found a way to temporarily clear his illnesses, leaving him to continue treating the emperor in the palace.

• Qing Shuangzi merged with Ye Shuang’s talent and took control of her body, accepting that she would disappear afterward.
• Qing Shuangzi exposed the Qingfeng Temple Master’s crimes in a dream and killed him, then collected his Daoist Inner Core.
• Qing Shuangzi killed the three Wild Taoist Sect Elders after suppressing their attacks, while the Evil Extermination Bureau members watched her leave.
• Zhou An entered the imperial palace to examine Cloud Arising Emperor, whose many illnesses were being held in check by the weakening Spirit Communication Divine Medicine.
• Zhou An used Medical Gu Seed to clear illnesses from a small part of Cloud Arising Emperor’s body and proposed periodic treatment, then arranged to remain in the palace and continue analyzing him.

Zhou An discovered that the Cloud Arising Emperor’s worsening illness came from contaminated diagnostic tools planted by agents of the Barbarian Kingdom, not from the healers. After the emperor prepared to retaliate and accepted that he would die, Zhou An revealed that he could cure him.

• Zhou An joined the Cloud Arising Emperor as healers examined and discussed the emperor’s illness, while Sun Ming insulted Zhou An and was struck down by him.
• On the final day, every healer’s treatment failed, and Zhou An noticed that the illness in the emperor’s healthy palm was worsening unusually fast.
• The Cloud Arising Emperor ordered the guards to seize the healers, but Zhou An said they were not responsible and demonstrated that he could temporarily remove the illness.
• Zhou An found that the diagnostic tools had been infected with disease and traced the sabotage to palace eunuchs serving the Barbarian Kingdom.
• The Cloud Arising Emperor executed the conspirators and promised Zhou An five Inner Cores before declaring his intent to fight the Barbarian Kingdom.
• Zhou An told the emperor that he could be cured and asked why he intended to die.