Chapter Summaries

Lu Qing prepared for his impending tribulation by acquiring the high-grade defensive artifact Five-Colored Cloud Gauze and refining his cultivation to completion. When he finally set out, he sensed his tribulation drawing near and recognized that his bloodline would determine which tribulation came first.

• Song Wen and White Crane discussed the Outer Academy's lack of powerful chief seats and hoped its young disciples would grow stronger.
• Lu Qing sensed upheaval gathering in the world and exchanged spirit plants and contribution points for Five-Colored Cloud Gauze.
• Lu Qing obtained and refined the artifact, which could conceal itself, aid cultivation, and gather Primordial Qi.
• After several more months, Lu Qing reached the complete state of the Nine Realms of the Purple Mansion and felt his tribulation approaching.
• Lu Qing checked the divination signs, set out northwest toward the vicinity of the Grand Heaven Dao Sect, and sensed that his bloodline had revealed which tribulation would come first.

Lu Qing tracked a spiritual prompting to Little Peach Mountain, where he wiped out the bandits who had occupied it and uncovered the remains of one of his parents. After burying the deceased and offering incense, he saw the Cause and Effect tied to him grow fainter and grayish-white Providence regain the upper hand.

• Little Peach Stronghold's chief led his bandits in robbing an escort convoy after deciding they would flee south afterward.
• Lu Qing killed everyone in Little Peach Stronghold and learned they had settled on the mountain and disturbed graves there.
• Lu Qing sensed a connection to the mountain, found one of his parents' skeletons in a pond, and buried the remains beneath a tombstone.
• Lu Qing bought incense and candles in a nearby town, honored the grave, and saw no Ghosts clinging to obsession.
• After the incense smoke vanished, Lu Qing noticed his Cause and Effect had grown more transparent and grayish-white Providence had gained the upper hand.

Lu Qing followed a spiritual resonance to find his remaining relative, Old Liu, and quietly shared a bowl of wontons with him. After attending the infant’s hundred-day celebration, Lu Qing left behind a wooden carving bearing a blessing, while Old Liu’s family remarked that he resembled the younger son who had disappeared.

• Lu Qing followed the resonance to a county town and found Old Liu running a wonton stall after years of famine and hardship.
• Lu Qing told Old Liu he came from Crouching Dragon Township, and Old Liu spoke of his younger son who had disappeared there.
• Old Liu asked whether his younger son would live well in his next life, and Lu Qing assured him that he would.
• Old Liu invited Lu Qing to the infant’s hundred-day celebration, where Lu Qing gave the child a wooden carving inscribed with a blessing.
• After the guests left, Old Liu’s eldest son remarked that Lu Qing resembled his missing younger brother.

Lu Qing settled the Cause and Effect tied to his parents and faced the final mortal tribulation, which stirred conflicting thoughts within his Spirit Platform. He recognized his Restless Mind and prepared to debate the versions of himself before crossing the tribulation.

• Lu Qing drank with Old Liu, whose memories recalled his parents’ farewell words and his own childhood.
• Lu Qing entered the house-guarding stone’s remnant thought and discovered that Old Liu and his son had both died; he settled his parents’ Cause and Effect.
• Lu Qing sensed the remaining deadly Cause and Effect and gathered the final thread of Tribulation Qi as he surveyed the troubled Liang Kingdom.
• Conflicting versions of Lu Qing urged him to pacify the kingdom or trigger the Heavenly Tribulation, while Lu Qing used his Heart Sword to quiet them.
• Lu Qing decided that crossing the Tribulation required a debate, and one refined version of himself stepped forward to accept.

Lu Qing debated a refined version of himself over whether his confidence and path depended on Fortune Source and longevity, and reaffirmed that his original heart of steadiness came first. The refined self accepted Lu Qing’s reasoning and vanished, as another self appeared for the next debate.

• A refined Lu Qing urged Lu Qing to rely on Fortune Source and longevity and stir up trouble in the mortal world.
• Lu Qing challenged the refined self to consider how he would act if those advantages disappeared, then questioned whether they truly belonged to his original heart.
• Lu Qing recalled that his commitment to steadiness had begun during the three days before Fortune Source and longevity came into his life.
• Lu Qing argued that treating Fortune Source as part of himself could lead him to abandon his original heart and Dao.
• The refined Lu Qing conceded, saluted Lu Qing, and vanished; another self appeared.

Lu Qing befriended the freedom-seeking version of himself and cleared away part of the Restless Mind Tribulation. He then faced a battle-hungry self, while a smiling, suspicious self remained to confront him.

• Purple-clad Lu Qing shared wine with Lu Qing and described his pursuit of freedom.
• Lu Qing declined to walk the same Dao but called Purple-clad Lu Qing his Dao companion and friend.
• Purple-clad Lu Qing laughed, dispersed the other versions of Lu Qing, and eased the tribulation aura around Lu Qing.
• Lu Qing faced the brawny self, who attacked him with a crimson battle halberd, and the two fought without holding back.
• The brawny self and Lu Qing jointly obliterated the gentle self's illusory body, but the gentle self re-formed and addressed Lu Qing as the original self.

Lu Qing defeated the Reckless Brute and the Thought of Genius Arrogance, then understood how his choices had shaped his path. He emerged from seclusion and erased the Mortal World Karma surrounding him, leaving him ready to seek Primordial Qi.

• Lu Qing defeated the Reckless Brute and the Gentle Youth, who revealed himself as the Thought of Genius Arrogance and explained the path he represented.
• Lu Qing acknowledged that he had once considered the Heaven's Prodigy Path but had chosen against it, then dismissed both inner selves.
• Lu Qing recognized the purpose of his Golden Core Tribulation and saw that overcoming its trials would bring his Golden Core toward flawless completeness.
• After seven days in seclusion, Lu Qing sensed that a rebel army had reached the walls of the Liang Kingdom and broke the aura shielding its imperial clan.
• Lu Qing's understanding of cause and effect shattered the Mortal World Karma around him, and he set his sights on seeking Primordial Qi.

Lu Qing followed his senses into Northern Province while searching for a strand of qi connected to his Golden Core opportunity. At a market near Azure Ridge Volcano, he learned that Phoenix Gate was recruiting cultivators to enter the mountain and decided to seek more information there.

• Lu Qing left the fallen capital of the Liang Kingdom and traveled northwest toward Northern Province.
• After reaching a border market, Lu Qing found that his old map did not show the terrain inside Azure Ridge Volcano.
• A local cultivator told Lu Qing that Phoenix Gate held the best maps of the volcano and was recruiting people to explore it.
• A Phoenix Gate disciple invited Lu Qing to join their group, but Lu Qing refused and went to listen for local information at a tea stall.

Lu Qing learned why Phoenix Gate was hiring cultivators to capture a formidable White Phoenix and began to suspect that Azure Ridge Volcano’s depths might hold what he needed for his impending tribulation. He sought intelligence from Listening Wind Tower, where an attendant began quoting a price for information about the volcano.

• Lu Qing reviewed the history of Azure Ridge Mountain and learned that Phoenix Gate had spent a month recruiting cultivators to lure in a powerful White Phoenix.
• Lu Qing reflected on the Dao heart and the Primordial Qi he needed to form the foundation of a Golden Core.
• Lu Qing overheard cultivators agree that they would not pursue the White Phoenix into Azure Ridge Volcano’s depths.
• Lu Qing decided that the volcano might be worth investigating because his coming tribulation made the risk necessary.
• Lu Qing entered Listening Wind Tower and asked for all intelligence about Azure Ridge Volcano.
• A man behind the mirror began quoting Lu Qing a price for information, including news from the volcano’s depths.

Lu Qing investigated reports of Azure Ridge Volcano’s mind-bending illusions and learned that every cultivator who entered during an expedition died three months later. Drawn toward the volcano, he resolved to explore its outskirts, while Tang Ying led Phoenix Gate’s expedition to capture the White Phoenix.

• Lu Qing traded information at Listening Wind Tower, and its keeper suspected he was a Golden Core cultivator after he noticed a flaw in the formation.
• Lu Qing read records of past expeditions into Azure Ridge Volcano, where cultivators experienced conflicting illusions and all later died within three months.
• Lu Qing decided to investigate the volcano’s outskirts despite the danger, relying on the Academy Head’s divination and his own abilities.
• Tang Ying led Phoenix Gate’s group toward the mountain range to find and capture the White Phoenix, sending a vanguard ahead to scout.

At Phoenix Gate, Wu Yong joined forces with an evil cultivator to summon the White Phoenix and restore the sect, while the outsiders he had invited learned that a Purple Mansion cultivator had died of old age in Azure Ridge Volcano. Lu Qing entered the volcano and saw a distant fireworks signal, unaware of the danger gathering there.

• Cultivators invited by Wu Yong discussed Phoenix Gate’s decline and recalled a Purple Mansion cultivator who had aged to death inside Azure Ridge Volcano.
• Wu Yong revealed his fanatical allegiance to the Undying God and attacked the invited cultivators after they began to retreat.
• An evil cultivator killed one of the Purple Mansion cultivators and devoured his soul to replenish his lifespan, then claimed the fleeing people as prey.
• Wu Yong agreed to let the evil cultivator hunt the escapees while he continued with the phoenix-summoning plan.
• Lu Qing entered Azure Ridge Volcano, examined its unusual terrain and spirit trees, and spotted a fireworks signal in the distance.

Lu Qing used the Five-Colored Cloud Gauze to search the strange, lifeless land for Primordial Qi while evil cultivators slaughtered those trapped at Azure Ridge Volcano. He finally found a Treasure Herb by a misty lake, and its resonance confirmed it was his target.

• Lu Qing sensed that the mountain lacked earth veins and sent out cloud qi from the Five-Colored Cloud Gauze to locate the source of the strange resonance.
• Evil cultivators hunted the sealed cultivators at Azure Ridge Volcano, while Tang Ying feared Phoenix Gate would be destroyed and Wu Yong declared it would be reborn under his hand.
• Young Master Jiu Yuan learned that the Holy Maiden and Incense Master Tan were waiting for him, then attacked the fleeing cultivators.
• Lu Qing followed the cloud qi into a lush forest and found a Treasure Herb growing beside a mist-shrouded lake.
• Lu Qing felt the resonance in his heart surge as he recognized the Treasure Herb as the Primordial Qi he had been seeking.

Lu Qing obtained the Treasure Herb’s Primordial Qi and began refining it during a massive Golden Core Tribulation near Azure Ridge Volcano. As lightning battered him and strengthened his defenses, cultivators across Northern Province watched, while the chapter left his Core Formation still underway.

• Lu Qing sensed the Treasure Herb’s intertwined Primordial Qi, protected himself with artifacts, and drew it from the water.
• Lu Qing hurried to a mountaintop, established a formation, and absorbed the Primordial Qi into his dantian.
• Lu Qing’s Golden Core Tribulation engulfed the area around Azure Ridge Volcano in a vast sea of lightning.
• Cultivators and Golden Core patriarchs across Northern Province watched the tribulation and speculated about the unknown cultivator crossing it.
• Lu Qing focused on Core Formation as lightning transformed his body and Divine Soul, repeatedly shattering and renewing the golden light around him.
• The heavenly lightning strengthened Lu Qing’s formation as the tribulation continued.

Lu Qing endured the Lightning and Heart Tribulations as ancient genius imprints tested his cultivation, and he overcame their techniques by invoking formations and Water Essence. Outside the tribulation, a White Crane sensed evil nearby as Incense Master Tan's forces moved to kill the person undergoing tribulation.

• Incense Master Tan ordered the red-robed Holy Maiden and Young Master Jiu Yuan to attack the tribulation site, giving the Holy Maiden a Great Demon Unrestrained Talisman.
• Incense Master Tan urged his followers to destroy Phoenix Gate's Earth Vein source and sever the passage between the two regions.
• Lu Qing faced humanoid Lightning Tribulation manifestations that wielded the techniques and phenomena of ancient peerless cultivators.
• Lu Qing countered the manifestations with formations and divine abilities, then called forth Water Essence as their phenomena gave way to Dao aura.
• An old man and a massive White Crane observed Lu Qing's Golden Core phenomena, and the White Crane sensed evil aura nearby.

Lu Qing completed his lightning tribulation and formed a Golden Core as the Red-Robed Saintess and Young Master Jiu Yuan tried to attack him. White Crane intervened against the evil cultivators, while Lu Qing examined the Golden Core shining within his Purple Mansion Realm.

• The Red-Robed Saintess and Young Master Jiu Yuan tried to force their way through the thunder sea to sabotage Lu Qing’s tribulation, but their talisman could not break through.
• Young Master Jiu Yuan hurled a fleeing disciple toward the thunder sea to power the talisman, but another disciple warned that Lu Qing had already finished his tribulation.
• Lu Qing’s divine gaze killed the evil cultivators as they fled, and the Red-Robed Saintess’s escape techniques failed to save her from White Crane, who swallowed her shadow.
• White Crane sensed Incense Master Tan and went to deal with the remaining evil cultivators.
• Lu Qing condensed the thunder sea and spiritual power in his dantian into a Golden Core, which healed his injuries and illuminated his Purple Mansion Realm.

Lu Qing passed his Golden Core tribulation and discovered an Ominous Hexagram warning of a Leftist Path ritual hidden in Azure Ridge Volcano. After he alerted the White Crane elder, Song Wen arrived to investigate the altar.

• Lu Qing formed a Golden Core, sensed that it contained an image of heaven and earth, and quickly adapted to his new power.
• Lu Qing's divine light struck at the evil cultivators who had planned to attack him during his breakthrough.
• An Ominous Hexagram warned Lu Qing that the Leftist Path planned a Demon Sect sacrificial altar ritual in Azure Ridge Volcano and that its success would cause future trouble.
• Lu Qing summoned the White Crane elder and explained that he had sensed a hidden danger in the mountainside while crossing his tribulation.
• The White Crane elder called Song Wen, who shattered the mountain's illusory formations with a glance and revealed the altar within.

Lu Qing discovered that the altar held the shadow of the Dao-Seeking Cauldron and left as White Crane and Song Wen faced the rogue cultivators. After Song Wen destroyed the counterfeit cauldron, Lu Qing freed trapped cultivators and warned the White Phoenix to leave the area.

• Lu Qing recognized the altar's treasure as the shadow of a cauldron and sensed that the Leftist Path sought to overturn the heavens.
• White Crane urged Lu Qing to leave before a fight began, and Lu Qing quickly withdrew from the altar.
• The First Incense Mistress challenged Song Wen, who killed her and the elderly rogue cultivator beside her with a single strike.
• Song Wen identified the cauldron shadow as a counterfeit, said the Leftist Path meant to overturn the Human Path, and shattered it.
• Lu Qing freed trapped cultivators along his route, then advised the White Phoenix to find a quieter place before moving on.

After surviving his tribulation and entering the Golden Core realm, Lu Qing rested in a Northern Province Cultivation Market while the aftermath of Phoenix Gate’s collapse unfolded. He left the market and headed toward the desert wilderness.

• Lu Qing learned that Elder Song had handled the aftermath of the tribulation and that Phoenix Gate had been devastated after colluding with Evil Cultivators.
• Lu Qing discovered that Phoenix Gate's disciples and Clan Master Wu Yong had fallen, and that the Northern Province garrison had arrived.
• Lu Qing heard that secret strongholds of the Evil Cultivator General Headquarters were being destroyed and examined the wanted notices posted in the market.
• Lu Qing quietly cultivated in the bustling market and reflected on his new Golden Core realm and state of mind.
• Lu Qing learned that Phoenix Gate's Spirit Vein had been too weak to sustain a medium-sized sect, paid for his tea, and prepared to leave the market.

After Phoenix Gate collapsed, Lu Qing noticed signs that the Heavenly Secrets were slowly disappearing and that a great tide was approaching. He left the Northern Lands Cultivation Market after spotting a mortal bearer of Providence, concluding that Northern Province would soon face a crisis that could also bring opportunity.

• Lu Qing saw merchants selling cheap, possibly counterfeit Phoenix Gate visualization diagrams in the Cultivation Market and declined to buy one.
• Lu Qing spotted a young man from the mortal district surrounded by a conspicuous thread of crimson Providence.
• Lu Qing observed that the Heavenly Secrets were gradually vanishing, an omen that the great tide was near, and reflected that he had crossed his Golden Core Tribulation at a fortunate time.
• Lu Qing left the market, used a Heavenly Eye to inspect the gathered Red Dust Qi, and foresaw a crisis from which opportunity would emerge for the bearer of Providence.
• Lu Qing realized Northern Province's Providence was deeply connected to the wider Profound Heaven Domain and the Grand Heaven Domain.

Lu Qing prepared to return to the sect and enter the Inner Academy, while considering his unused Grotto-Heaven slot and the divine ability hidden within the Great Concealment Art. Elsewhere, a mysterious city hidden from even Heavenly Mandate cultivators lit up at night and began to come alive.

• Lu Qing dispersed the cloud qi obscuring his vision and rode his Greenleaf Flying Boat back toward the sect.
• Lu Qing remembered his unused Grotto-Heaven selection and planned to visit it after returning to strengthen his foundation and learn about the Golden Core realm.
• Lu Qing entered the Longfeather Pocket Space, checked on its flourishing Southern Sea Spirit Plants, and reflected on the divine ability concealed within the Great Concealment Art.
• Lu Qing examined his Providence and noted that its pale green center had become more stable after his breakthrough to Golden Core.
• In a city hidden beyond the calculations of Heavenly Mandate cultivators, flowing lights crossed the night sky and lanterns lit the streets, bringing the city to life.