Recaps

Song Wen used ten thousand high-grade spirit stones to fuel his breakthrough while the Zhu Family’s three Spirit Transformation cultivators attacked Corpse Soul Ravine. His formation held them off, but Zhu Yi urged the others to risk everything before Song Wen reached the Void Refinement stage.

• Song Wen recognized Zhu Tianlei, Zhu Yi, and Zhu Zhizhen and began breaking through with ten thousand high-grade spirit stones.
• Wu Yue saw Song Wen emerge from the cave and offered to help, but Song Wen focused on controlling the ravine’s formation.
• Zhu Tianlei, Zhu Yi, and Zhu Zhizhen breached the outer formation, then found their flying swords blocked by a second barrier’s corpse-qi chains.
• The three repeatedly attacked the barrier, but it held, prompting Zhu Tianlei to wonder whether another Spirit Transformation cultivator was protecting the person inside.
• Zhu Yi argued that the Zhu Family had to stake everything on stopping the breakthrough, or risk destruction once the cultivator reached the Void Refinement stage.

Zhu Yi helped Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Zhizhen set up a formation to break the barrier protecting Song Wen’s breakthrough, while Song Wen continued gathering spiritual energy. When the barrier fell, a peak Spirit Transformation cultivator with a spirit treasure blocked their way, and the Zhu cultivators fled as he pursued them.

• Zhu Yi proposed using the Limitless Spirit-Breaking Formation, and Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Zhizhen helped him set it up.
• Song Wen took advantage of the delay to absorb spiritual energy and push against his breakthrough bottleneck.
• Zhu Yi’s formation dissolved the corpse qi on the barrier, and the barrier suddenly shattered.
• Zhu Tianlei, Zhu Yi, and Zhu Zhizhen entered the valley and found a peak Spirit Transformation cultivator guarding Song Wen’s breakthrough.
• Zhu Tianlei and the others fled from the cultivator’s spirit treasure, but Zhu Tianlei sent a surge of spiritual power toward Zhu Zhizhen as the pursuer closed in.

Song Wen advanced to Void Refinement and set out for West Wind City to settle his grudge with the Zhu Family. When he arrived, he found the city destroyed, its spiritual veins severed, and the Zhu Family’s residence filled with blood-drained corpses.

• Zhu Tianlei used spiritual power to drive Zhu Zhizhen into the Heaven-and-Earth Avatar’s spear, killing her, then escaped with Zhu Yi.
• The Heaven-and-Earth Avatar sealed Zhu Zhizhen’s soul in her corpse and restored the Nine Heavens Origin-Returning Formation while Song Wen continued his breakthrough.
• Song Wen broke through to Void Refinement, absorbed the surrounding spiritual qi, and emerged from seclusion a month later.
• Song Wen absorbed the Heaven-and-Earth Avatar and Zhu Zhizhen’s corpse into his Blood Tide, then invited Wu Yue to accompany him to West Wind City.
• After thirteen days of travel, Song Wen and Wu Yue reached West Wind City and found it reduced to ruins, with the Zhu Family’s residence littered with blood-drained corpses.

Song Wen investigated the destruction of West Wind City and learned that Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi had slaughtered the Zhu Family before disappearing. He showed Zhu Zhizhen the ruined city and offered to capture the two men’s souls for her, asking her for their personal belongings.

• Song Wen and Wu Yue suspected Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi had killed the Zhu Family to prevent Song Wen from tracking them through their blood relatives.
• Song Wen and Wu Yue questioned Rogue Cultivators in West Wind City, and a young woman reported that Zhu Tianlei had drained the Zhu Family’s blood essence and souls after defeating Zhu Yi.
• Song Wen showed Zhu Zhizhen the devastated Zhu Family residence, and she grieved over the clan that had taken her in.
• Song Wen offered to capture Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi’s souls for Zhu Zhizhen and asked her to provide their personal belongings.

Song Wen tracked Zhu Yi to Lotus Square City using the aura on a magical treasure Zhu Yi had given Zhu Zhizhen. As Wu Yue confronted the wounded Zhu Yi, Chen Heguang intervened and offered to mediate with Song Wen.

• Zhu Zhizhen told Song Wen that Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi had given him magical treasures, and Song Wen used them to track both men north toward the Source-Qi Death Domain.
• Song Wen and Wu Yue traveled to Lotus Square City, where Wu Yue called Zhu Yi out from Cave Residence Thirteen.
• Zhu Yi emerged injured and wary, recognizing that Song Wen posed a serious threat despite being unable to discern his cultivation.
• Chen Family cultivators arrived to stop trouble in the city, and their ancestor Chen Heguang appeared to confront Wu Yue.
• Chen Heguang invited Zhu Yi to visit the Chen Family, then asked Song Wen who he was and what grievance he had with Zhu Yi.

Song Wen used his new Void Refinement cultivation to defeat Zhu Yi and demand compensation from Chen Heguang. He then claimed Lotus Square City as his own and set its purchase price at one hundred thousand superior spirit stones.

• Song Wen revealed his Void Refinement aura, terrifying Chen Heguang and leaving Zhu Yi with no hope of escape.
• Zhu Yi confessed his role in the attack and asked Song Wen to kill Zhu Tianlei before his death; Song Wen killed him with Bone-Eroding Sha Qi and stored his body in a corpse coffin.
• Song Wen demanded compensation from Chen Heguang, who offered him five thousand superior spirit stones to spare the Chen Family.
• Song Wen declared Lotus Square City his cultivation residence and told Chen Heguang that the Chen Family would have to buy it if they wished to stay.
• Song Wen named the price of Lotus Square City as one hundred thousand superior spirit stones.

Song Wen forced the Chen Family to hand over spirit stones for Chen Heguang's interference, then spared the clan and departed Lotus Square City. After more than a month of travel, he found Zhu Tianlei hiding in a cave and attacked him with bone-eroding sha qi.

• Song Wen demanded a hundred thousand superior spirit stones from Chen Heguang and threatened to slaughter the Chen Family if he failed to pay.
• Wu Yue urged Song Wen to plunder and massacre the Chen Family, but Song Wen warned him not to use him again.
• Chen Heguang returned with Chen Jing and offered spirit stones worth roughly eighty thousand superior spirit stones; Song Wen accepted them and spared the family for Chen Jing's sake.
• Song Wen left Lotus Square City with Wu Yue and traveled north for more than a month.
• Song Wen destroyed the mountain hiding Zhu Tianlei's cave and sent a pillar of bone-eroding sha qi crashing down on him.

Song Wen killed Zhu Tianlei after crushing his defenses, then devoured the souls of Zhu Tianlei, Zhu Zhizhen, and Zhu Yi. He gave Wu Yue the Profound Spirit Creation Pill formula and several key ingredients before flying away.

• Song Wen intensified the Killing Intent crushing Zhu Tianlei until Zhu Tianlei collapsed and was gravely wounded.
• Song Wen crushed Zhu Tianlei's skull and absorbed his body into the Blood Tide, bringing Zhu Tianlei's soul before Zhu Zhizhen and Zhu Yi in his sea of consciousness.
• Song Wen told Zhu Zhizhen that Zhu Tianlei alone had slaughtered the Zhu Family, and Zhu Zhizhen apologized to Zhu Yi for doubting him.
• Song Wen tortured all three souls with golden liquid, then devoured them with the black hole in his sea of consciousness.
• Song Wen gave Wu Yue the Profound Spirit Creation Pill formula and several main spiritual herbs, then flew away.

After twelve years in seclusion, Song Wen returned to the Source-Qi Death Domain, persuaded Nether Fox to leave, and went back to Cloud-Hidden City. At Wu Yuan Island, he found two messages from Ye Bing and headed into the city disguised as a peak Nascent Soul corpse cultivator.

• Song Wen found Nether Fox at the peak of the fourth tier and learned that it had hunted corporeal-and-incorporeal monsters deep in the Source-Qi Death Domain, but had not reached the sea.
• Nether Fox initially refused to leave before advancing to the fifth tier, then agreed to accompany Song Wen after he warned that powerful monsters might seek revenge.
• Song Wen returned to Cloud-Hidden City and, unable to find a safe route to the Eastern Profound Continent, chose to settle temporarily in the Withered Marsh.
• At Wu Yuan Island, Song Wen found two messages carved by Ye Bing asking Gou Jun to find her in Cloud-Hidden City if he was alive.
• Song Wen disguised himself as a peak Nascent Soul corpse cultivator and set off for Cloud-Hidden City.

Song Wen reunited with Ye Bing after she found him on Wu Yuan Island, where he had been cultivating and refining treasures. As they entered his cave dwelling, Ye Bing suddenly moved toward him and her robes began to fall.

• Song Wen contacted Ye Bing’s communication Jade Slip and learned from Wu Qian that Ye Bing had left it with her to watch for messages.
• Song Wen returned to his underwater cave, fed his gu worms, refined Blood Demon Pills, and swallowed them to cultivate.
• Song Wen refined the Soul-Splitting Blade and considered strengthening the Blood Sea Seal with his blood essence.
• Ye Bing arrived at Wu Yuan Island, and Song Wen told her he had been recovering from injuries caused by Du'e.
• Song Wen welcomed Ye Bing into his cave dwelling, where she suddenly threw herself toward him as her robes slipped away.

After spending ten days with Ye Bing, Song Wen learned she planned to return to the Ganchang Wasteland to avenge herself on Jiang Yushan. Ye Bing froze him while questioning his past actions, but Song Wen shattered the ice and revealed he had reached the Void Refinement stage.

• Ye Bing told Song Wen she was leaving to return to the Ganchang Wasteland and take revenge on Jiang Yushan, explaining that she had stayed in Cloud-Hidden City waiting to learn whether he had survived.
• Ye Bing said she had spent the past few days repaying Song Wen for saving her, then asked him to answer questions about following Jiang Yushan and exchanging Jiang Chao's soul for information.
• Ye Bing sealed Song Wen and the stone bed in ice and increased the frost when he flirted instead of showing pain.
• Song Wen shattered the ice with his powerful aura, shocking Ye Bing by revealing that he had advanced to the Void Refinement stage.

Song Wen and Ye Bing ended their intimate relationship and discussed joining forces against Jiang Yushan and Jiang Lanruo. They agreed to work together, while Song Wen began preparing for the dangerous plan by asking Ye Bing to make Earth-Escape Talismans.

• Ye Bing told Song Wen that she was not ready to become Dao companions, and he accepted her request to interact as fellow cultivators.
• Song Wen admitted that he had used information about Jiang Yushan to gain his trust and revealed that Jiang Lanruo was also his enemy.
• Song Wen decided he needed to capture Jiang Yushan alive so he could use him to draw out Jiang Lanruo and learn how to reach the Eastern Profound Continent.
• Ye Bing agreed to help Song Wen deal with Jiang Lanruo after he argued that they could exploit her secret use of Jiang Yushan to incubate the Shadow Void.
• Song Wen asked Ye Bing to draw more fifth-tier Earth-Escape Talismans and asked whether she could refine sixth-tier ones, but she had never seen their method.

Song Wen arranged for Ye Bing to study the Minor Teleportation Talisman and learned that she would stay in his cave abode. While gathering materials for Earth-Escape Talismans, he contacted Qiluo and discovered that Hong Zhe was still in the Qicang Region and had become her possessive lover; the chapter ended as Song Wen asked Qiluo for help.

• Song Wen gave Ye Bing the method and materials for making Minor Teleportation Talismans, and she agreed to study the talisman.
• Ye Bing chose to stay in Song Wen's cave abode until they departed for the Ganchang Wasteland, and Song Wen left her the formation disks before going out.
• Song Wen disguised himself and gathered most of the ingredients for Earth-Escape Talismans, then rented a courtyard and contacted Qiluo.
• Song Wen professed his longing for Qiluo and asked whether she was avoiding him because Hong Zhe and the other Divine Blood Sect cultivators remained in the region.
• Qiluo told Song Wen that Hong Zhe had stopped investigating Chi Pei's death but had made her his exclusive lover.
• Song Wen flattered Qiluo and asked for her help, and she agreed as long as his request was not too difficult.

Song Wen persuaded Qiluo to obtain Silverhorn Flowers and Jade Yin Stones for him, then arranged to meet her outside Cloud-Hidden City. After she brought the materials to his hidden underwater cave, Qiluo removed her robe and rushed toward him.

• Song Wen asked Qiluo to procure more than ten Silverhorn Flowers and Jade Yin Stones, promising her an Earth-Escape Talisman in return.
• Qiluo obtained thirteen Silverhorn Flowers from Moon-Covering Hall but initially could not find any Jade Yin Stones.
• Song Wen urged Qiluo to ask Hong Zhe for Jade Yin Stones from Bitter Zen Temple, and she later secured five pieces.
• Song Wen chose a lake southwest of Cloud-Hidden City as their meeting place and secretly monitored the area with his Shadow Gus.
• Qiluo met Song Wen and followed him into his underwater cave residence, where she removed her black robe and pounced toward him.

Song Wen returned from secretly meeting Qiluo with the requested treasures, then gave Ye Bing enough materials to make twenty sets of Earth-Escape Talismans. After Ye Bing grew closer to him, Song Wen went to the ruins of Ice-Crystal Island to secretly refine the Blood Sea Seal.

• Qiluo gave Song Wen five Jade Yin Stones and thirteen Silverhorn Flowers before leaving, and he gathered his belongings and returned to Wu Yuan Island.
• Song Wen gave Ye Bing enough spiritual materials to refine twenty sets of Earth-Escape Talismans, and she praised his reliability before kissing him.
• Several days later, Ye Bing planned to open a secluded chamber for drawing talismans, while Song Wen said he would seek materials for magical treasures.
• Song Wen flew to the site of Ice-Crystal Island, found it destroyed by Du'e, and opened a hidden cave beneath the muddy water.
• Song Wen set up concealment and defensive formations and began weaving his essence blood into the Blood Sea Seal, replenishing himself with blood from a jade bottle.

Song Wen completed the year-long refinement of the Blood Sea Seal, then received talismans from Ye Bing and arranged to travel with her to the Ganchang Wasteland. He contacted Qiluo to offer her an Earth-Escape Talisman and learned that Hong Zhe had not entered seclusion, leaving Song Wen unable to meet her safely.

• Song Wen used his prepared essence blood and a sacrificial refinement formation to strengthen the Blood Sea Seal until its power rivaled a mid-grade spirit treasure, then meditated to recover.
• Song Wen returned to Wu Yuan Island and refined pills while Ye Bing drew talismans in her secret chamber.
• Ye Bing gave Song Wen forty-four Minor Teleportation Talismans and nine Earth-Escape Talismans, and they agreed to depart for the Ganchang Wasteland in one month.
• Song Wen contacted Qiluo, claimed he had made three Earth-Escape Talismans, and offered to give her one.
• Qiluo declined to meet because Hong Zhe was not in seclusion, and Song Wen realized that he had learned useful news about Hong Zhe.

Song Wen learned that Hong Zhe had taken a secret disciple in the Ganchang Wasteland, then successfully unleashed the Jade Dawn Divine Thunder. After Ye Bing emerged from seclusion, they crossed Rotting Miasma Ridge toward the wasteland, where Song Wen noticed movement nearby.

• Song Wen contacted Qiluo, learned Hong Zhe had taken a disciple in the Ganchang Wasteland, and arranged to contact her again in three months.
• Song Wen traveled to a remote desert and successfully unleashed the Jade Dawn Divine Thunder for the first time.
• After Ye Bing left seclusion, she and Song Wen set out for the Ganchang Wasteland and prepared to cross Rotting Miasma Ridge.
• Song Wen used an old map alongside the Two Extremes Sect's route map to guide them safely through the ridge over two months.
• After reaching the far edge of the ridge, Song Wen noticed movement ahead to the left as he and Ye Bing searched for a place to rest.

Ye Bing rescued Ye Guqiu and two Ye Family cultivators from poisonous moths, then revealed herself privately to her old friend. She asked Ye Guqiu to keep her return secret and was left with an offer of help as she pursued her own important matter.

• Ye Bing recognized the cultivators under attack as Ye Family members, and Song Wen persuaded her that saving them could also provide intelligence about the Jiang Clan.
• Ye Bing flew to the valley and used her azure sword to kill the poisonous moths, rescuing Ye Guqiu and the two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.
• Disguised behind a conical hat and veil, Ye Bing asked Ye Guqiu to speak with her privately and led her away from the others.
• Ye Bing revealed her identity and Void Refinement cultivation to Ye Guqiu, who was astonished to learn she had survived the Ye Family's kill order.
• Ye Bing said she had no intention of taking revenge and asked Ye Guqiu to keep her return secret; Ye Guqiu promised and offered to help.

Ye Bing questioned Ye Guqiu about Shangchu City and the Jiang Clan, then met Song Wen and discussed whether to trust the Ye Family. They settled in the valley, where Song Wen secretly consumed the collected demonic beasts’ blood essence and souls.

• Ye Bing asked Ye Guqiu about Shangchu City, the Jiang Clan, and the recent circumstances of Jiang Lanruo and Jiang Yushan.
• Ye Guqiu urged Ye Bing to put aside her grudge and return to the Ye Family, but Ye Bing left without answering.
• Ye Bing worried that Ye Guqiu would reveal her appearance, and Song Wen reasoned that the Ye Family would likely keep her secret or help her oppose the Jiang Clan.
• Ye Bing insisted she would not return to the Ye Family without a satisfactory reckoning, and she and Song Wen chose the valley as their temporary home.
• Song Wen collected the slain poisonous moths, carved out a cave abode, and devoured the demonic beasts’ blood essence and souls while Ye Bing watched with quiet resentment.

Song Wen searched for Jiang Yushan in Demon-Suppressing Town after suspecting he was secretly advancing to Spirit Transformation, while Ye Bing waited for information from Ye Guqiu. Song Wen’s inquiry at a spiritual medicine shop alerted the manager, who reported him to a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

• Song Wen and Ye Bing found no trace of Jiang Yushan in Shangchu City, and Song Wen suspected he was cultivating in seclusion before his Shadow Void hatched.
• Ye Bing contacted Ye Guqiu to investigate Jiang Yushan’s whereabouts, while Song Wen went ahead to Demon-Suppressing Town.
• Song Wen entered Demon-Suppressing Town disguised as a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator and found no signs that anyone had recently advanced to Spirit Transformation.
• A spiritual medicine shop manager recognized Jiang Yushan’s image but denied knowing him when Song Wen questioned her.
• After Song Wen left, the manager reported him as a threat to Jiang Yushan, and a middle-aged Spirit Transformation cultivator arrived.

Song Wen lured two pursuers into a cave and killed them after learning they knew nothing about Jiang Yushan. He and Ye Bing concluded that Jiang Yushan’s whereabouts remained unknown, though Song Wen believed someone besides Jiang Lanruo might know them.

• Song Wen recognized Ye Bing while flying away from Demon-Suppressing Town and told her he had lured two pursuers into the forest.
• The shop steward and Chang Heng followed Song Wen into a cave, where he revealed his overwhelming power and trapped them with baleful qi.
• Song Wen asked the pair where Jiang Yushan was, but neither knew; he killed them when they could offer no useful information.
• Ye Bing told Song Wen that Ye Guqiu had found no clues about Jiang Yushan beyond his last public appearance in Demon-Suppressing Town around ten years earlier.
• Ye Bing wondered whether they would have to confront Jiang Lanruo, but Song Wen said someone else should also know Jiang Yushan’s whereabouts.

Song Wen and Ye Bing arranged to lure Chi Qi out so Song Wen could kill him and learn where Jiang Yushan was cultivating. Ye Yangshu revealed that Chi Qi had learned of a Jade Marrow Stone in Burning Heaven Abyss and was expected to set out soon.

• Song Wen argued that Chi Qi might know where Jiang Yushan was secluded and proposed killing him with help from the Ye Family’s Void Refinement cultivators.
• Ye Bing reported that Ye Yangshu had agreed to lure Chi Qi out within three days.
• After Ye Yangshu summoned Ye Bing to Hundred Lush City, Song Wen told her to meet him while he followed secretly.
• Ye Bing met Ye Yangshu near Hundred Lush City, and he explained that he had used a Jade Marrow Stone in Burning Heaven Abyss to draw Chi Qi’s attention.
• Ye Yangshu said Chi Qi had already heard about the stone and would presumably set out soon.

Ye Yangshu recruited Song Wen and Ye Bing to help eliminate Chi Qi, but sought Ye Bing’s return to the Ye Family in exchange. Song Wen rejected the pressure and exposed Ye Gaozhuo, who emerged and tried to persuade Ye Bing to come home.

• Ye Yangshu questioned Song Wen’s ability to kill Chi Qi and proposed that he, Ye Gaozhuo, Song Wen, and Ye Bing attack together.
• Ye Bing accepted the proposed alliance, but Ye Yangshu asked her to return to the Ye Family as its third ancestor after Chi Qi was eliminated.
• Song Wen insisted he could handle Chi Qi alone and told Ye Bing that her decision about returning should be her own.
• Song Wen sensed someone eavesdropping southwest and called them out, revealing Ye Gaozhuo.
• Ye Gaozhuo praised Ye Bing’s talent, apologized for the family’s past treatment of her, and hoped she would not hold it against them; Ye Bing remained unmoved.

Song Wen concealed himself in the Burning Heaven Abyss and waited for Chi Qi to arrive, then ambushed him as Chi Qi attacked the Yellow-Earth Giant Rhinoceros for its Jade Marrow Stone. Chi Qi obtained the stone but found himself trapped in a crimson environment.

• Song Wen flew to the Burning Heaven Abyss with Ye Bing, while Ye Gaozhuo and Ye Yangshu followed to observe.
• Song Wen hid near the lava Lake and watched the Yellow-Earth Giant Rhinoceros surface with the Jade Marrow Stone in its mouth.
• Chi Qi arrived, lured a giant crocodile out of the lava, and killed it to bait the Yellow-Earth Giant Rhinoceros.
• Chi Qi shot the Yellow-Earth Giant Rhinoceros with a black arrow and claimed the Jade Marrow Stone as Song Wen's short blade struck from behind.
• Chi Qi blocked Song Wen's attack with a shield and talisman barrier, then tried to flee with the stone but discovered the surroundings had turned crimson.

Song Wen trapped Chi Qi within the sea of blood and used the Annihilation Divine Eye to break his defenses. Chi Qi was left grievously wounded after a blood-red tentacle pierced his heart.

• Chi Qi blasted openings in the sea of blood and tried to escape, but a spear, a short blade, and blood-red tentacles drove him back.
• Song Wen revealed himself and reminded Chi Qi that they had fought over Shadow Void's secret 130 years earlier.
• Chi Qi recognized Song Wen and attacked with a powerful physical arrow, hoping to seize the secrets behind his rapid rise in cultivation.
• Song Wen unleashed the Annihilation Divine Eye, which subdued the arrow, disabled Chi Qi's shields, and shattered his barrier.
• The Soul-Splitting Blade wounded Chi Qi and sent metallic qi into his sea of consciousness, then a blood-red tentacle pierced his back and heart.