Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Smelting Town is in chaos due to a Beast Calamity, with bizarre beasts attacking and cultivators fighting back.
• Li Mo sees an opportunity to earn spirit stones but decides to maintain a low profile instead.
• Steward Hu questions Li Mo about his choice of beast blood for the tattoo, revealing his interest in a specific bizarre beast in the Inner City.
• Li Mo receives a jade bottle of Elk Blood and a Bone Scroll containing advanced Paint Green Clothes techniques from Steward Hu.
• The Pawnshop processes the Elk Bizarre Beast's corpse, and Li Mo earns five Mid-grade Spirit Stones for his help.
• Smelting Town continues to face bizarre beast threats, and the Pawnshop rebuilds amidst chaos.
• Li Mo returns to the Inner Room to cultivate, exchanging two Mid-grade Spirit Stones for Misty Spiritual Energy and using the rest for meditation.

Character Developments

• Li Mo decides to maintain a low profile to avoid unwanted attention.
• Steward Hu shows interest in a specific bizarre beast and provides Li Mo with advanced cultivation techniques.
• Li Mo's financial situation improves, allowing him to focus on cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The dangers and opportunities presented by the Beast Calamity.
• The importance of maintaining a low profile to avoid unwanted attention.
• The value of advanced cultivation techniques and resources.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Steward Hu, who provides him with advanced cultivation techniques and shows interest in a specific bizarre beast.
• Li Mo works with other cultivators to process the Elk Bizarre Beast's corpse, earning spirit stones for his efforts.
• Li Mo asks Jin Li to keep an eye on the Warehouse's beast blood and fur, and Jin Li agrees to help.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo has been in seclusion for three years, cultivating diligently to break through to Childhood Stage Layer 2.
• He has absorbed seven mid-grade spirit stones and has 175 low-grade spirit stones left.
• Li Mo learns about the increasing aberrant beast attacks and deaths in Smelting Town through his spirit tablet.
• He plans to draw the Mountain Lord tattoo after his cultivation breakthrough and then engrave the heart.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation has improved, and he is close to breaking through to Childhood Stage Layer 2.
• Jin Li believes Li Mo's Dao heart is firm and pure, but Li Mo has his own plans and secrets.
• Li Qingfang and her brother have returned to the Calligraphy and Painting Hall and are learning painting techniques.
• Zhu Zi has been training under Xu Hu and has shown promise in the Miscellaneous Hall.

Significant Themes

• The relentless pursuit of cultivation and the dangers it poses, especially with the Death Sickness.
• The importance of perseverance and dedication, as seen in Li Mo's cultivation journey.
• The consequences of the Elk Bizarre Beast's appearance on Smelting Town and its surroundings.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Jin Li through the spirit tablet, learning about the developments in Smelting Town.
• Li Mo's plans for Li Qingfang and her brother remain uncertain, as he has no intention of helping them cultivate.
• Li Mo's past interactions with Zhu Zi are mentioned, showing their shared history and Zhu Zi's progress.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo learns about "Simulation" and "Bloody" techniques to enhance his Beast Head Tattoo.
• He exchanges Beast Blood for over half a month of "Bloody" practice.
• Li Mo visits the Medical Hall, where he observes patients with Polymelia and Metal Poisoning symptoms.
• He obtains a Medical Book on Universal Skill from Doctor Han.
• Li Mo awakens the divine ability [Azure Blood, Loyal Heart] and practices painting the Tiger Head Tattoo.
• He successfully summons both the Crimson Fox and Ghost Tiger beasts simultaneously.
• Li Mo attempts a Simulation, planting Tiger Hair on his Beast Head Tattoo, which significantly enhances its absorption of external Spiritual Energy.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation of Paint Green Clothes reaches a bottleneck, but he finds ways to enhance his Beast Head Tattoo.
• He demonstrates his status as a cultivator by being recognized and respected at the Medical Hall.
• Li Mo's determination and dedication to his cultivation are shown through his continuous practice and experiments.

Significant Themes

• The struggle and dedication required for cultivation and self-improvement.
• The dangers and mutations of strange beasts in the world.
• The value of knowledge and skills, as seen through Li Mo's acquisition of the Medical Book.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with the clerk at the Medical Hall, who shows deference to him due to his cultivator status.
• Li Mo obtains the Medical Book from Doctor Han, though the latter doesn't value the skills of Universal Skill.
• Li Mo's Beast Head Tattoo interacts with the Tiger Hair, showing autonomy and guidance in the Simulation process.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo arrives at West City, the slums of Smelting Town, marked by poverty, decay, and the Death Sickness.
• An outbreak of Polymelia (a condition causing excessive limb growth) occurs, affecting mainly mortals, not cultivators.
• Li Mo focuses on breaking through to the next cultivation stage while the city deals with the Polymelia crisis.
• Li Mo successfully breaks through to Childhood Stage Layer 2, his Multi-layered Dantian expanding to ten layers.
• He discovers that the Polymelia crisis has suddenly subsided, with no clear explanation.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation advances, and he gains a better understanding of his spiritual root and its evolution.
• Li Mo's concern for the Polymelia crisis shows his growing awareness of the world beyond his cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The disparity between cultivators and mortals is highlighted through the Polymelia crisis.
• The importance of foundation-building in cultivation is emphasized as Li Mo struggles to break through.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo communicates with Jin Li via the Spirit Tablet, showing their growing camaraderie and mutual reliance.
• Li Mo's interaction with the Yamen is limited to observing their efforts to control the Polymelia crisis.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo visits a teahouse in Smelting Town after four years of seclusion.
• He meets Jin Li, who updates him on the recent Polymelia incident.
• Jin Li shares a map of the Black Market, and Li Mo decides to leave Smelting Town soon.
• Jin Li mentions strange occurrences in the West District and recites a spell, which the Book of Fortune identifies as an ancient Armor Spell from the Ziqi Sect.

Character Developments

• Li Mo: Shows interest in the Black Market and plans to leave Smelting Town. He also notices Jin Li's strange symptoms and connects them to Metal Poisoning.
• Jin Li: Advances to Childhood Stage Layer 4 due to the Polymelia incident. He shares the Black Market map with Li Mo and mentions strange happenings in the West District.

Significant Themes

• The impact of the Death Sickness on cultivators' senses and taste buds.
• The existence of ancient Immortal Sects and their influence on current events.
• The potential danger of variant Spiritual Energy and its cleansing.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo and Jin Li: They catch up on recent events, with Li Mo learning about Polymelia and Jin Li sharing the Black Market map. They also discuss the strange occurrences in the West District.
• Li Mo and the Teahouse Owner/Assistant: Li Mo notices the owner's faint cultivation base and is served tea based on his perceived age. He finds the tea too spicy due to his undeveloped taste buds.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Smelting Town has returned to stability after the Sinister Beasts purge, attracting merchant caravans.
• A mysterious carriage arrives, pushed by men with bloody footprints, carrying "Ceramic Embryos."
• The carriage is revealed to contain a Long Worm Bizarre Beast, which attacks the soldiers and cultivators.
• Li Mo, using Paint Green Clothes, defeats the Bizarre Beast, saving the cultivators.

Character Developments

• Li Mo: Shows his power and cunning, using Paint Green Clothes to defeat the Bizarre Beast. He's also interested in obtaining a Flying Magic Tool.
• Liu Danan: The squad leader who initially inspects the carriage. He's later terrified and captured by the Bizarre Beast.
• Cultivators: They prioritize their own safety over the soldiers', showing their callous nature.

Significant Themes

• Power and Survival: Li Mo's power and cunning allow him to survive and thrive in the dangerous world of Smelting Town.
• Callousness of Cultivators: The cultivators prioritize their own safety over the lives of mortals, highlighting the stark contrast between their values and those of ordinary people.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo and the Bizarre Beast: Li Mo uses Paint Green Clothes to defeat the Bizarre Beast, showcasing his power and cunning.
• Liu Danan and Li Mo: Liu Danan is saved by Li Mo, but his fate is not explicitly stated.
• Cultivators and Soldiers: The cultivators show disregard for the soldiers' lives, highlighting the power dynamics between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo leaves Smelting Town, transforming his appearance using the Human Skin.
• He heads to River God Village to investigate the Tiger Bizarre Beast, taking a detour through the forest.
• Li Mo discovers a porcupine corpse with a human old man fused beneath its hide, revealing the truth about the "beasts" in the area.
• He learns about the Heart Beast Sect's Outer Sect Grand Competition and the possible connection to the Beast Calamity.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation progress: he can now cultivate while distracted and has transformed his heart through Spiritual Root Transformation.
• Li Mo's caution and strategic thinking are evident as he avoids revealing information about the Sub-Vessel and plans his next moves carefully.

Significant Themes

• The truth behind the Heart Beast Sect and the Beast Calamity.
• The dual nature of the "beasts" in the area—human and beast.
• The potential connection between Smelting Town and the Heart Beast Sect.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with the Tattooed Beast and uses the Leakless Body to seal the aura of the Paint Green Clothes spell.
• He doesn't encounter any Wild Beasts or cultivators during his journey but follows the guidance of the Crimson Fox Tattoo to find the porcupine corpse.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo returns to River God Village but finds it abandoned and filled with human and animal bones.
• He discovers that the village is actually submerged in a river, and the villagers are bound spirits, killed by a Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast.
• Li Mo learns that a Pseudo Bizarre Beast will be delivered by Zi Shi (a specific time).

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his ability to perceive and break through illusions, showcasing his growth as a character.
• Village Chief Wang Baoshan is revealed to be a bound spirit, paralyzed and awaiting death, highlighting the villagers' desperate situation.

Significant Themes

• Illusion vs Reality: The villagers' deception and the Bizarre Beast's illusion challenge Li Mo's perception of reality.
• Death and Despair: The bound spirits' plight emphasizes the grim consequences of Bizarre Beast attacks and the villagers' helplessness.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Village Chief Wang Baoshan, learning about the village's situation and the impending Bizarre Beast delivery.
• Li Mo's communication with the Ghost Tiger Tattoo hints at the presence of other Bizarre Beasts but fails to pinpoint their location.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo arrives at River God Village, finding it eerily calm and lacking in Spiritual Energy.
• He meditates in the Ancestral Hall, absorbing minimal Spiritual Qi due to the village's scarcity.
• The villagers, under the influence of an illusion, celebrate the arrival of the River God, performing a lion dance.
• The lion dance is revealed to be a Zombie Ghost-controlled event, with the villagers unaware of their true state.
• Li Mo discovers that the villagers have been trapped and controlled by a demon for nearly a decade.
• He reveals to Wang Baoshan, the village elder, that they are all Zombie Ghosts.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his ability to sense and track Spiritual Qi, as well as his understanding of the village's situation.
• Wang Baoshan, the village elder, is revealed to be a Zombie Ghost in denial of his true state. He breaks down upon learning the truth.

Significant Themes

• The theme of denial and acceptance of one's true state is explored through Wang Baoshan's character.
• The struggle against external control and manipulation is evident in the villagers' plight.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Wang Baoshan, revealing the truth about the villagers and expressing his understanding of their situation.
• Wang Baoshan interacts with Li Mo, initially trying to deceive him but eventually breaking down upon learning the truth.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo discovers that the Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast's corpse is scattered around River God Village, causing the villagers to become Zombie Ghosts.
• Li Mo decides to capture the Bizarre Beast to sell at the Black Market or use to nourish his Ghost Tiger Tattoo.
• Wang Baoshan, the village elder, helps Li Mo by beating the Lion Drum and performing the Lion Dance, which provokes the Waking Lion and aids Li Mo's plan.
• Li Mo uses his Miasma Silk Thread to decapitate the Waking Lion and expose the Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast's head, causing the remaining body parts to reassemble.
• Li Mo's Ghost Tiger and Crimson Fox help him defeat the Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast, and the village disappears after its death.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his strategic thinking and powerful abilities, using his Ghost Tiger and Crimson Fox to defeat the Bizarre Beast.
• Wang Baoshan shows loyalty and determination, helping Li Mo despite knowing the risks and the village's fate.

Significant Themes

• Greed: Li Mo's desire for the Bizarre Beast's corpse drives the plot, and he is willing to risk the villagers' lives to obtain it.
• Sacrifice: Wang Baoshan and the villagers sacrifice themselves to help Li Mo, highlighting the theme of selflessness.
• Experimentation: The Bizarre Beast was likely sealed in the village for experimentation, raising questions about the ethics of such practices.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo and Wang Baoshan: They form a temporary alliance, with Wang Baoshan helping Li Mo defeat the Bizarre Beast, and Li Mo ultimately respecting Wang Baoshan's sacrifice.
• Li Mo and the Bizarre Beast: Li Mo's interaction with the Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast showcases his power and strategic thinking.
• Li Mo and his Spiritual Creatures: The Ghost Tiger and Crimson Fox aid Li Mo in defeating the Bizarre Beast, demonstrating their loyalty and power.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo leaves River God Village and deals with the Bizarre Beast Corpse.
• He heads to Niu Family Village, where he meets his family and uses his medical skills to help the villagers.
• Li Mo then sets off for the Black Market, passing through an area filled with Heart Beasts.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his growing medical skills and confidence in using them.
• The villagers in Niu Family Village see Li Mo as an immortal figure due to his abilities.

Significant Themes

• The gap between mortals and immortals.
• The importance of medical skills and the Medical Hall's influence.
• The dangers and opportunities present in the Black Market.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo reconnects with his family in Niu Family Village, feeling the distance between them due to his immortal path.
• The villagers in Niu Family Village look up to Li Mo and seek his help, highlighting their trust in him.
• Li Mo's interactions with the villagers emphasize his role as a helper and healer, contrasting with his usual solitary and mysterious demeanor.

• Li Mo arrives at the Heart Beast Black Market, observing its chaotic order and cultivators' extreme deformities.
• He enters the black market, which is a street filled with shops and stalls, with cultivators conducting underground transactions.
• The market is maintained by an Establishment Stage (Golden Core Stage) cultivator, and its rogue cultivators prioritize short-term gains over their foundations.
• Li Mo encounters a female cultivator who warns him about the Ghost Heads at the entrance and the dangers of the black market.
• He notices shops offering various services, including purchasing and regenerating limbs, and hiring medical hall doctors, highlighting the market's focus on extreme body modifications and the exploitation of cultivators' desperation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo enters the Heart Beast Black Market, where cultivators openly sell organs due to the prevalence of Eternal Life among immortals and mortals.
• He finds the Yi Bao Pavilion, the largest pawnshop, but decides not to sell his Bizarre Beast corpses immediately due to the risk involved.
• Li Mo stays at the Tushan Inn, one of three inns in the black market, to take advantage of the Spirit Gathering Array for cultivation.
• He dissects two Bizarre Beast corpses and prepares to sell them within fifteen days before they rot.
• Li Mo plans to refine the Bizarre Beast Blood into ink to nourish his Tiger Head Tattoo.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his calm demeanor and adaptability in the face of the black market's practices.
• He shows resourcefulness and strategic thinking in deciding when and where to sell his Bizarre Beast corpses.
• Li Mo's Eidetic Memory aids him in observing and understanding his surroundings.
• The Crimson Fox and the Ghost Tiger exhibit increasing Spiritual Intelligence, requiring less control from Li Mo.

Significant Themes

• The prevalence of Eternal Life leads to the commodification of organs and bodies in the cultivation world.
• The risk-reward dynamic is evident in Li Mo's decision to sell his Bizarre Beast corpses at the Yi Bao Pavilion.
• The importance of cultivation resources, such as Spirit Gathering Arrays and Misty Spiritual Energy, is highlighted.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with the Shop Assistant at the Tushan Inn, who is revealed to be a puppet controlled by a Spell.
• Li Mo's internal Beast Head Tattoo interacts with the Bizarre Beast Blood, causing the Ghost Tiger to enter hibernation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo's Ghost Tiger absorbs Bizarre Beast Blood, causing stray thoughts and affecting his mind.
• Li Mo spends ten days in seclusion to control the Ghost Tiger and improve its strength.
• Upon leaving the Black Market, Li Mo is followed but decides not to engage his trackers.
• Li Mo visits the Yi Bao Pavilion and learns about the Polymelia outbreak and the Iron Cauldron Sect's secret realm.
• He discovers that the Ziqi Sect poses threats to the Heart Beasts.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his ability to control the Ghost Tiger and his determination to focus on cultivation.
• The shop assistant at the Yi Bao Pavilion shows respect for Li Mo and provides valuable information.

Significant Themes

• The dangers and benefits of using Bizarre Beast Blood.
• The threat of the Ziqi Sect and the Polymelia outbreak to the Heart Beasts.
• The importance of gathering information and resources for cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with the Rabbit Head Stall Owner and the Shop Assistant at the Yi Bao Pavilion, gathering information about the Iron Cauldron Sect and Polymelia.
• Li Mo's trackers follow him but decide not to engage, indicating his growing reputation and caution.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo visits Yi Bao Pavilion to pawn Bizarre Beast corpses.
• He meets Jiang Xin'an, the Master Craftsman, who appraises the corpses.
• Li Mo also purchases resources like beast blood and artifact refining methods.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his skill in dissecting Bizarre Beast corpses, impressing Jiang Xin'an.
• Li Mo shows interest in learning artifact refining.

Significant Themes

• The value of Bizarre Beast corpses and their parts.
• The variety of beast blood and their uses.
• The unconventional methods of artifact refining.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Jiang Xin'an, the Master Craftsman, who is surprised by Li Mo's skill.
• Li Mo meets Wang Sheng, the accountant, who assists him in purchasing resources.
• Li Mo's past experience with Han Cai influences his current actions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo visits Yi Bao Pavilion and purchases resources for cultivation.
• He learns about an upcoming auction but decides to focus on his current cultivation.
• Li Mo visits Spell Hall and buys the 'Primordial Acquired Dao Body' spell, despite its incomplete content.
• He returns to Tushan Inn to begin seclusion and cultivation.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his business acumen and resourcefulness in managing his finances.
• Wang Sheng, the shop assistant at Yi Bao Pavilion, shows expertise in the shop's offerings and deals with Li Mo professionally.
• Jiang Xin'an, the shopkeeper of Yi Bao Pavilion, is portrayed as helpful and respectful towards Li Mo.

Significant Themes

• The importance of resources and wealth in cultivation.
• The value of incomplete spells and the risks associated with them.
• The potential of hidden opportunities in unusual circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with Wang Sheng and Jiang Xin'an at Yi Bao Pavilion, showcasing his negotiation skills and interest in cultivation resources.
• Li Mo's interactions with the shop assistant at Spell Hall highlight his keen eye for unique spells, even if they are incomplete.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo memorizes the Basic Artifact Refining Method and performs a blood dousing using Bizarre Beast Blood.
• He consumes the Corpse Brain Pill and the Spirit Guiding Pill to aid his cultivation.
• Li Mo practices painting a Kun Whale for his Beast Head Tattoo using Paint Green Clothes technique.
• He successfully creates a Kun Whale Beast Head Tattoo, and the Kun Whale spirit emerges, demonstrating flight and water travel abilities.
• Li Mo decides to look for a Salamander's blood for his next tattoo to enhance his defense.
• His heart's Spiritual Root Transformation reaches seventy percent, and his Middle Dantian nears fullness, approaching a breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation progresses, and he gains a better understanding of pill refining and its industrial chain.
• His multitasking ability allows him to cultivate and paint simultaneously, improving his skills in both areas.
• Li Mo's Azure Blood, Loyal Heart ability evolves due to the petrification of his heart and the influence of the Corpse Spirit Root.

Significant Themes

• The importance of resources and their cost in cultivation.
• The benefits and drawbacks of pill consumption.
• The evolution of abilities and techniques through cultivation and external influences.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with his Tattooed Beast spirits: the Crimson Fox, Ghost Tiger, and the newly emerged Kun Whale.
• He considers the possibility of obtaining a Salamander's blood for his next tattoo, hinting at potential future interactions with Rogue Cultivators or other sources.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo breaks through to Childhood Stage Layer 3.
• He begins refining materials for a Low-grade Magic Tool.
• Li Mo discovers signs of metal toxins in his Brain due to the Death Sickness and Ziqi Sect's influence.

Character Developments

• Li Mo's cultivation base and physical strength improve significantly.
• He gains a new divine ability, "Contain Toxin and Digest Poison," which helps him detect and dispel toxins in his body.
• Li Mo's Brain shows signs of metal toxin poisoning, which he suspects might cause hallucinations.

Significant Themes

• The importance of cultivation breakthroughs and their benefits.
• The dangers of toxins and poisons in cultivation, and the need to detect and dispel them.
• The influence of the Death Sickness on Li Mo's body.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo interacts with no other characters in this chapter, focusing solely on his cultivation and self-examination.

• Li Mo suspects that Metal Toxin is causing the Polymelia outbreak and affecting everyone in the Heart Beast Sect's territory, except for him due to his Leakless Body.
• Jin Li, in Fu'an Town, reports that the situation is severe, with Flesh Pillars growing to mountain-like sizes. A group led by Han Cai is attempting to resolve the issue.
• Li Mo decides to wait and see how the situation develops, as the Metal Toxin can be suppressed using Contain Toxin and Digest Poison.
• Li Mo refines the Golden Sand Diagram into a Low-grade Magic Tool and uses it to protect himself, filtering the air and concealing his appearance.
• In the Black Market, Li Mo sets up a stall to sell his Golden Sand Diagrams. He attracts the attention of Song Liang from the Hong Xing Escort Agency and Yin Xue from the Viper Society.
• Song Liang warns Li Mo about the Viper Society and mentions the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm, where Li Mo should be careful. Li Mo decides to enter the secret realm, despite the danger.
• Yin Xue gives chase to Li Mo, while his accomplices keep Song Liang in check.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mo enters the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm through the Metal Toxin.
• He finds himself on a mountain range with scattered rogue cultivators, surrounded by bizarre beast corpses.
• The secret realm's features are similar to seven thousand years ago, but the entry and exit method is unusual.
• Li Mo encounters Yin Xue, a cultivator from the Viper Society, who tries to attack him but is killed by Ghost Tiger.

Character Developments

• Li Mo demonstrates his ability to adapt to new environments and his ruthlessness in dealing with threats.
• Yin Xue shows his greed and underestimates Li Mo's strength.

Significant Themes

• The ruthless survival of the fittest in the secret realm and the black market.
• The strange connection between the Metal Toxin and the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm.

Character Interactions

• Li Mo and Yin Xue: Li Mo outsmarts Yin Xue, leading to his death at the hands of Ghost Tiger.
• Li Mo and the Rogue Cultivators: They fear Li Mo after witnessing Yin Xue's death.
• Li Mo and Song Liang: Li Mo leaves without interacting with Song Liang, who is still engaged in a standoff.