Chapter Summaries

Old Man Feng hid that he was near death and told Feng Fei he was leaving to learn Immortal Arts, entrusting her to Su Shi'er. After Old Man Feng departed, Su Shi'er caught up with him and brought him into an alley.

• Su Shi'er realized Old Man Feng was nearing death and had no life-prolonging elixir to save him.
• Old Man Feng pretended to recover, asked Su Shi'er to care for Feng Fei, and told her he was leaving to learn Immortal Arts that could revive her parents.
• Su Shi'er agreed to take Feng Fei with him and planned to teach her cultivation before finding her a safe place to live.
• Old Man Feng said goodbye to Feng Fei and left, while she watched him go and wept.
• Su Shi'er reassured Feng Fei, then caught up with Old Man Feng and pulled him into an empty alley.
• Old Man Feng tearfully apologized, fearing Su Shi'er would refuse to care for Feng Fei.

Su Shi'er preserved Old Man Feng in an underground formation so Feng Fei could one day seek a way to save him, then used the formation’s flames to begin refining Western Extreme Geng Metal for two puppets. As he waited for the metal to soften, a faint golden light appeared between Old Man Feng’s brows and then fell still.

• Su Shi'er told Old Man Feng he could preserve his life in ice, and Old Man Feng accepted so Feng Fei would have hope of saving him.
• Su Shi'er froze Old Man Feng and placed him in a Water Law formation deep underground.
• Su Shi'er took out two puppets and planned to prepare them with Western Extreme Geng Metal and activation formations.
• Su Shi'er tried to refine a headless statue made of Western Extreme Geng Metal with a Fire Element Technique, but it barely affected the metal.
• Su Shi'er altered the Five Elements Formation to produce continuous flames, which began softening the statue’s outer layer.
• A faint golden light appeared between Old Man Feng’s brows as Su Shi'er arranged the formation, then faded when he took out the puppets and metal.

Duanmu Fenlong investigated the river where Song Mingyang’s body had been found and connected his death to the killer of Miss Mu and her companions. He planned to confront the Demon Shadow Palace and investigate Qingfeng City, while suspecting a powerful Magical Treasure had recently been taken from the river.

• Yun Feng reported that Song Mingyang had been killed by the same person who murdered Miss Mu and the others, and that his body bore a message blaming Li Canghai of the Demon Shadow Palace.
• Yun Feng judged the message might be a frame-up or a warning, and Duanmu Fenlong ordered someone to question the Demon Shadow Palace.
• Yun Feng told Duanmu Fenlong that Rogue Cultivators, including a powerful golden core expert, had gathered in Qingfeng City against the Duanmu Family.
• Duanmu Fenlong decided to go to Qingfeng City and punish those who provoked his family.
• Duanmu Fenlong sensed that a high-rank Magical Treasure had recently been beneath the river and asked whether anyone in Muyun Prefecture had been forging one.
• Yun Feng suggested Song Mingyang and Miss Mu might have clashed with the killer over a long-lost Magical Treasure.

Duanmu Fenlong pursued the suspected killer toward Qinghe City, while Su Shi'er forged two Grade 3 Top-tier Puppets from Western Extreme Geng Metal beneath the city. As Su Shi'er prepared to temper them, the mysterious man’s Golden Core burst from Old Man Feng’s ice and raced toward him.

• Duanmu Fenlong ordered his people to investigate north from Muyun Prefecture and flew with the Foundation Establishment cultivators toward Qinghe City.
• Su Shi'er shaped melted Western Extreme Geng Metal into 206 bones inside each of two puppets and inscribed their energy-activating formations.
• Su Shi'er considered tempering the puppets in the Heaven and Earth Furnace before installing their Golden Cores.
• The mysterious man spoke from within the ice around Old Man Feng, and his Grade 7 Golden Core flew toward Su Shi'er.
• Su Shi'er stored the remaining Western Extreme Geng Metal, grabbed both puppets, and fled, but the Golden Core caught up to within a foot of him.

Su Shi'er faced the mysterious man after the man occupied a Grade 3 Top-tier Puppet, and he prepared a second puppet with Xu Chaoyang's Golden Core as a possible defense. The mysterious man revealed he intended to punish Su Shi'er for taking his belongings, and the chapter ended as he raised his Golden Sealing Palm despite Su Shi'er's threat to fight back.

• The mysterious man's Grade 7 Golden Core veered into Su Shi'er's Grade 3 Top-tier Puppet, allowing the man to take it as a temporary body.
• Su Shi'er held onto an Escape Talisman and placed Xu Chaoyang's Golden Core into his other puppet, keeping it hidden in his Storage Pouch.
• The mysterious man praised the puppet's Western Extreme Geng Metal bones, then threatened to kill Su Shi'er with a choice of attacks.
• Su Shi'er reminded the mysterious man of their agreement, but the man claimed Su Shi'er had deceived him and chose the Golden Sealing Palm.
• Su Shi'er revealed his second puppet and warned that he would risk his life, but the mysterious man doubted it could act without divine sense and raised his glowing palm.

Su Shi'er used the threat of a Golden Core self-detonation and the arrival of other experts to escape the mysterious man, who decided he might need Su Shi'er to break the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation. Su Shi'er emerged into Qinghe City to find it engulfed in flames and a siege underway, with Duanmu Fenlong facing a grave-looking female cultivator.

• Su Shi'er warned the mysterious man that he could make the puppet's Golden Core self-destruct, forcing the man to hesitate.
• A tremendous disturbance from above made Su Shi'er fear the little girl was in danger, and he persuaded the mysterious man that fighting could attract other Golden Core Experts.
• Su Shi'er recalled his puppet and rushed away while the mysterious man let him go, deciding to seek another way to free his true body and make use of Su Shi'er.
• The mysterious man concluded that Su Shi'er's formation skills and willingness to help mortals could be useful, then left.
• Su Shi'er emerged in Qinghe City and found flames, fleeing mortals, and more than forty Foundation Establishment cultivators fighting in the sky.
• Su Shi'er recognized Duanmu Fenlong among the Duanmu Family fighters and saw him facing a female cultivator holding a Fly Whisk.

Su Shi'er watched Wen Rushuang confront Duanmu Fenlong, then returned to the courtyard and found the mysterious man with Feng Fei. The mysterious man offered to restore Su Shi'er's damaged Sea of Consciousness and protect him and Feng Fei if he helped break the formation in the Golden Seal Land, and Su Shi'er began renegotiating the deal.

• Duanmu Fenlong and Wen Rushuang clashed over access to Night Demon Cloud City, whose entrance required a Night Demon Token.
• Su Shi'er realized he had a Night Demon Token in Li Mu's Storage Pouch and left while Wen Rushuang held Duanmu Fenlong's attention.
• Su Shi'er found Feng Fei with the mysterious man, who claimed he had been asked to look after her after her grandfather was taken away.
• The mysterious man offered to restore Su Shi'er's Sea of Consciousness and protect him and Feng Fei if Su Shi'er helped him escape the Golden Seal Land by breaking its formation.
• Su Shi'er asked how the mysterious man would guarantee their safety, rejected a heart-demon oath as insufficient, and proposed changing their agreement.

Su Shi'er and Qinghe agreed that Su Shi'er would help free him from the formation within twenty years, then watched Duanmu Fenlong fight Wen Rushuang. Qinghe identified Duanmu Fenlong’s devastating attack as an ancient evil cultivation technique, while Wen Rushuang faced a likely grave defeat.

• Su Shi'er and Qinghe swore heart-demon oaths to a twenty-year agreement for Su Shi'er to help him escape the formation.
• Su Shi'er told Feng Fei that Qinghe had come to help them, and Qinghe chose the name Qinghe.
• Duanmu Fenlong seized Wen Rushuang’s wrist and used a blazing technique that burned her arm to the bone.
• Wen Rushuang severed her own injured arm, escaped Duanmu Fenlong, and launched Water Waves Reaching the Heavens.
• Duanmu Fenlong and Wen Rushuang began a fight to the death, and Qinghe identified his attack as the Crimson Refinement Lock Gold Hand from the ancient Burning Like Requirement Technique.

Su Shi'er tried to escape Qinghe City with little Feng Fei, but the clash between Wen Rushuang and Duanmu Fenlong devastated the city and left them exposed. Duanmu Family cultivators discovered his Level 3 Puppet, and two greedy attackers prepared to seize it despite their Senior Brother Yun's warning.

• Wen Rushuang and Duanmu Fenlong collided with powerful water and fire techniques, unleashing a storm that reduced Qinghe City to ruins and killed or injured countless people.
• Su Shi'er protected himself and little Feng Fei with the Tai Chi Profound Shield, but sword lights disrupted his Escape Talisman before they could leave.
• Three Late Foundation Establishment Duanmu Family cultivators led by Senior Brother Yun flew over and identified the mysterious Qinghe as a Level 3 Puppet.
• Two Duanmu cultivators ignored Senior Brother Yun's warning and prepared to attack Su Shi'er so they could claim the puppet.

Su Shi'er forced the mysterious man Qinghe to protect him, and Qinghe killed two attackers by turning them into silver statues. Before he could finish off the long-faced cultivator, Wen Rushuang crashed into the courtyard, and Duanmu Fenlong arrived and dismissed the danger posed by the Level 3 Puppet.

• Su Shi'er took little Feng Fei to Qinghe and urged him to deal with the attackers while warning that another enemy might notice them.
• Qinghe erased two attackers' strikes and transformed the men into silver statues with a flash of silver light.
• Qinghe prepared to kill the long-faced cultivator, who pleaded with Su Shi'er to spare him.
• Wen Rushuang crashed into the courtyard with half her body withered and burned, interrupting Qinghe's attack.
• Duanmu Fenlong landed in the courtyard, examined Su Shi'er and the Level 3 Puppet, and mocked the long-faced cultivator Yun Feng for being frightened.

Su Shi'er claimed to be Golden-Silver Saint Hand Hou Sihai's disciple to deter Duanmu Fenlong, then used the mysterious puppet to seal Qinghe City in golden light. The puppet revealed that the city's inhabitants were only sealed temporarily, leaving Su Shi'er surprised by the mysterious man's power.

• Duanmu Fenlong recognized the Primordial Gold-Silver Twin Absolute Palms and demanded to know Su Shi'er's connection to Hou Sihai.
• Following the mysterious man's advice, Su Shi'er claimed Hou Sihai was his master and said he had acted in self-defense.
• Duanmu Fenlong doubted Su Shi'er's identity and pressured him to prove it.
• Su Shi'er released the mysterious puppet's Golden Core aura, and the puppet sent golden light over Qinghe City, turning its surviving inhabitants and Wen Rushuang into golden statues.
• Su Shi'er asked whether the display was proof enough, and the mysterious man told him the people had been sealed and would recover after a few days.

Su Shi'er used his supposed connection to Hou Sihai to persuade Duanmu Fenlong to end their confrontation. Duanmu Fenlong ultimately accepted that Su Shi'er was likely Hou Sihai's disciple, though the mysterious man's true age and cultivation remained uncertain.

• Duanmu Fenlong praised the puppet's ruthless methods and offered to let Su Shi'er go for Hou Sihai's sake.
• The mysterious man privately dismissed Duanmu Fenlong's claim of friendship and revealed that he had visited the Duanmu Family four hundred years earlier.
• Su Shi'er used that detail to support his identity as Hou Sihai's disciple while quietly wondering how old the mysterious man was.
• Duanmu Fenlong asked whether Hou Sihai had crossed tribulation and condensed a Nascent Soul, prompting Su Shi'er to recall information about cultivation realms and Heavenly Tribulations.
• Su Shi'er said Hou Sihai could fight sea dragons and would emerge into the world within twenty to a hundred years, leading Duanmu Fenlong to conclude that Su Shi'er was probably telling the truth.

Su Shi'er escaped Qinghe City with little Feng Fei and the mysterious puppet after Duanmu Fenlong’s group left. Yun Feng recognized Feng Fei as the daughter of the Duanmu Family disciple Feng Wuren and connected Su Shi'er to the suspected murder, leaving Duanmu Fenlong torn between pursuing him and fearing his ties to Hou Sihai.

• Duanmu Fenlong and the long-faced cultivator Yun Feng departed Qinghe City with the other Duanmu Family cultivators, and Su Shi'er used Escape Talismans to flee with little Feng Fei and the mysterious puppet.
• Duanmu Fenlong asked Yun Feng what he thought of Hou Sihai’s expected return from seclusion, and Yun Feng warned that Hou Sihai could cause another great upheaval.
• Yun Feng recognized little Feng Fei as Feng Wuren’s daughter and explained that Feng Wuren and his wife had died suspiciously two years earlier.
• Yun Feng linked Feng Wuren’s death, the Song Family’s conflict with Feng Wuren’s father, and the lightning aura at Xiaohe Village to Song Mingyang and the boy who had defeated the Song Family servants.
• Duanmu Fenlong realized Su Shi'er was strongly suspected of being the murderer but hesitated to act because of his connection to Hou Sihai, even as the treasure and revenge remained tempting.

Duanmu Fenlong confronted You Ruo and Tan Fengchen, accusing Demon Shadow Palace of crimes committed under Li Canghai’s identity. You Ruo blamed Su Shi’er, but denied that he was Hou Sihai’s disciple, leaving Duanmu Fenlong to suspect she was hiding something.

• Duanmu Fenlong intercepted You Ruo and Tan Fengchen and demanded an explanation from Demon Shadow Palace for Li Canghai’s attack on the Duanmu Family and theft of the Thousand Year Jade Marrow Liquid.
• You Ruo said Li Canghai had been executed a hundred years earlier, suggesting someone had framed Demon Shadow Palace and the Duanmu Family.
• You Ruo identified Su Shi’er as the likely culprit and a Demon Shadow Palace traitor.
• Duanmu Fenlong formed Su Shi’er’s likeness in flames, and You Ruo confirmed it was him despite briefly reacting with surprise.
• When Duanmu Fenlong said Su Shi’er claimed to be Hou Sihai’s disciple, You Ruo called the claim impossible and warned that Su Shi’er had deceived him.

Duanmu Fenlong and You Ruo traded suspicions about Su Shi'er and Hou Sihai while plotting to use each other to find Su Shi'er. Duanmu Fenlong agreed to sponsor You Ruo at the Yemo Cloud Market, and the two set off toward Night Demon Cliff.

• Duanmu Fenlong challenged You Ruo to explain her claim that Su Shi'er was a traitor with no connection to Hou Sihai, citing the boy's knowledge and his Level 3 Puppet's use of Hou Sihai's technique.
• You Ruo dismissed Hou Sihai's former status and suggested he had offended a powerful enemy, rekindling Duanmu Fenlong's desire to kill Su Shi'er and seize his treasures.
• Duanmu Fenlong falsely told You Ruo that Su Shi'er was heading to the Yemo Cloud Market to seek spiritual medicines for Hou Sihai.
• You Ruo questioned Duanmu Fenlong's account and asked him to sponsor her with a Night Demon Token; he agreed and instructed Yun Feng to report the incident to the family head.
• Duanmu Fenlong flew toward Night Demon Cliff, and You Ruo pursued him with Tan Fengchen.

Su Shi'er took little Feng Fei away from Qinghe City and accepted her as his disciple, then prepared to let Hou Sihai examine his injured Sea of Consciousness. The chapter ended with Su Shi'er enduring severe pain during the examination while Hou Sihai marveled at his willpower.

• The Duanmu cultivators split into groups, with Li Yifeng sent to report and Fan Yuebin ordered to investigate Su Shi'er.
• Su Shi'er brought little Feng Fei to a remote tidal flat and promised to teach her cultivation, telling her to call him Master.
• Su Shi'er praised Hou Sihai's reputation, but Hou Sihai demanded to know his real identity; Su Shi'er claimed he was the Rogue Cultivator Wang Su.
• Su Shi'er set up a formation before allowing Hou Sihai to examine the injury in his Sea of Consciousness.
• Su Shi'er sank his consciousness into his fractured Sea of Consciousness and endured intense pain for a quarter of an hour before Hou Sihai told him to stop.

Su Shi'er learned that a third-grade Spirit Nourishing Pill could repair his injured Sea of Consciousness, but Hou Sihai knew neither its formula nor the location of Night Demon Cloud City. Hou Sihai then revealed Wen Rushuang’s Golden Core as someone Su Shi'er could ask for help.

• Hou Sihai warned Su Shi'er that his Sea of Consciousness was badly damaged and could have shattered without his cultivation method’s protection.
• Su Shi'er blamed his injuries on enemies’ Spiritual Artifact and asked how he could repair them.
• Hou Sihai identified the Spirit Nourishing Pill as the cure, but said he knew nothing about its formula.
• Su Shi'er decided to seek leads in Night Demon Cloud City, but Hou Sihai said he did not know where it was.
• Hou Sihai revealed Wen Rushuang’s Golden Core, startling Su Shi'er.

Su Shi'er and the mysterious puppet questioned Wen Rushuang about Night Demon Cloud City, a marketplace in the Endless Sea that would open in a month. Su Shi'er learned how his Human Rank Grade Three token worked and how it could be upgraded, though he still needed to trade his way to higher ranks to access the city’s inner areas and auction.

• Wen Rushuang emerged from her Golden Core but found herself bound, and the mysterious puppet told her he had saved her and demanded information about Night Demon Cloud City.
• After the mysterious puppet tortured her with True Yuan, Wen Rushuang explained that Night Demon Cloud City opened every ten years at Night Demon Cliff and would open again in one month.
• Wen Rushuang described the city’s rare goods and secret knowledge, along with its Heaven, Earth, and Human token ranks and the areas each rank could access.
• Su Shi'er showed Wen Rushuang his Human Rank Grade Three Night Demon Token and asked how its rank and grade could be raised.
• Wen Rushuang explained that trading valuable goods raised a token’s grade, and reaching Grade Nine allowed it to advance by one rank.

Hou Sihai forced Wen Rushuang to lend him her Golden Core for twenty years, then left to try breaking a formation before arranging to meet Su Shi'er in Night Demon Cloud City a month later. Su Shi'er planned to find a safe place for Feng Fei and began teaching her to cultivate.

• Wen Rushuang demanded her release, but Hou Sihai set a twenty-year term and took her Golden Core to power the puppet.
• Hou Sihai told Su Shi'er to meet him in Night Demon Cloud City in a month and left to attempt breaking the formation.
• Su Shi'er worried that Hou Sihai might no longer need him if the formation was broken and decided not to bring Feng Fei to the city.
• Su Shi'er told Feng Fei he would teach her to cultivate, then carried her away to find a safer place.

Su Shi'er left Feng Fei in the care of teacher Lian Fang at an East Sea town school before setting out for Night Demon Cloud City. He disguised himself to avoid recognition by the Duanmu Family and hurried onward.

• Su Shi'er supported Lian Fang's struggling school and enrolled Feng Fei so she could learn reading, writing, and how to conduct herself.
• As he prepared to leave for Night Demon Cloud City, Su Shi'er entrusted Feng Fei to Lian Fang and promised the girl he would return soon.
• Feng Fei made a pinky promise with Su Shi'er and agreed to study hard while he was away.
• Su Shi'er left the town with the Spirit Devouring Rat and three Ice Soul Spiders guarding the area, then transformed his appearance with the Shapeshifting Qi Art and Thousand Illusions Mask.
• Su Shi'er used an Escape Talisman to hurry toward Night Demon Cloud City, taking precautions against the Duanmu Family.