Chapter Summaries

Twelve-year-old Yue Shuo prepared to leave Lesser Desolate Island for the Qin Clan’s Ascension Assembly, hoping to protect his family while seeking a path into cultivation. Before he departed, his disabled older brother Yue Gu gave him their father’s notes on basic talisman-making, revealing that their father may have been a cultivator.

• Yue Shuo finished practicing Tai Chi Fist, checked his character panel, and reviewed how his training had raised his attributes and granted him faint spiritual roots.
• Yue Shuo explained that his parents and younger brother had gone missing after a pirate attack, while Yue Gu had been left unable to walk after a fall.
• Yue Shuo mortgaged thirty mu of family farmland to buy medicine for Yue Gu and registered for the Qin Clan’s Ascension Assembly to protect the family from local threats.
• Yue Gu handed Yue Shuo a cloth-wrapped book left by their father, and Yue Shuo discovered that it contained Basic Talisman-Making Notes in his father’s handwriting.

Yue Shuo studied talisman-making and discovered that recalling advanced spirit-talisman runes consumed Divine Sense, then questioned whether his father had been a cultivator. He told Yue Gu that he had mortgaged thirty mu of the family’s land, just as someone arrived at their barred gate.

• Yue Shuo memorized the talisman formulas and foundational talismans, but found the First-Tier Spirit Talismans hazy and saw that his Divine Sense had fallen to 2/15.
• Yue Shuo asked Yue Gu whether their father had cultivated, and they considered whether the family’s books or lineage might hold clues.
• Yue Shuo recalled his frail childhood, his family’s neglect, and how Yue Gu had learned martial arts before stopping after a dispute involving He Yu.
• Yue Shuo told Yue Gu that he had mortgaged thirty mu of fertile family land to Uncle Huang, shocking him.
• Someone knocked and called from beyond the barred courtyard gate, interrupting Yue Gu before he could question Yue Shuo further.

Yue Shuo discovered that Uncle Zhu had not come to break off Yue Gu’s engagement, but to discuss their marriage and honor the betrothal. As visitors approached to take Yue Shuo to the Ascension Assembly, the Zhu Family girl claimed Yue Gu as her husband and barred them from the courtyard.

• Yue Shuo searched his father’s study for talisman materials, then overheard Uncle Zhu and his daughter discussing an engagement at the gate.
• Yue Shuo found Yue Gu bewildered while the Zhu Family girl insisted she would not break off the engagement.
• Uncle Zhu explained that he had brought the jade butterfly hairpin betrothal token and intended to honor the arrangement despite the Yue Family’s difficulties.
• As people approached the courtyard, the Zhu Family girl took the token, swept the yard, and declared herself Yue Da’s wife to the visitors.
• Yue Shuo saw a hopeful light in Yue Gu’s eyes.

Yue Shuo left his recovering brother in Uncle Zhu’s care and traveled with other youths to Little Hemmu Island for the Qin Clan’s Spiritual Root test. He discovered that his Divine Sense recovered twice as fast there and resolved to stay on the island.

• Yue Shuo entrusted Yue Gu and the household to Uncle Zhu before leaving for the Ascension Assembly.
• Yue Shuo traveled by carriage and ship with more than a hundred youths to Little Hemmu Island, sleeping through much of the journey.
• Yue Shuo sensed that Little Hemmu Island’s air was different and suspected it contained spiritual energy.
• Yue Shuo secured a quiet place to sleep by the guards, then practiced Tai Chi Fist alone in a woodshed.
• Yue Shuo confirmed that his Divine Sense recovered twice as fast on the island and decided he had to stay.

Yue Shuo passed the Spiritual Root test and was accepted into the Qin Clan, then settled into a quiet courtyard while waiting to travel to Hemu Island. He left with Gu Jiu, who would serve as his attendant.

• Yue Shuo let his Divine Sense recover and kept a low profile while the children were observed.
• Yue Shuo concentrated on a crystal during the test, activated his five-element Spiritual Root, and received a wooden plaque after giving his name and island of birth.
• Gu Jiu told Yue Shuo that he had passed and would join the Qin Clan once his identification was verified.
• Yue Shuo requested books and writing supplies, read a cultivator's travelogue, and practiced calligraphy in his courtyard.
• Gu Jiu told Yue Shuo it was time to leave for Hemu Island and explained that he would attend to Yue Shuo's daily needs.

Yue Shuo arrived on Hemu Island with the other new Qin Clan disciples and began choosing a cultivation method. After discovering that the Origin Return Art slowed cultivation despite its other benefits, he asked an elder for guidance and was asked what he hoped to gain from cultivation.

• Yue Shuo learned that only fourteen people from Little Hemmu Island had passed the Spiritual Root test and heard that the new disciples had to meet cultivation deadlines to remain on the main island.
• A middle-aged Qin Clan cultivator led the newcomers aboard an artifact ship and brought them from Little Hemmu Island to Hemu Island.
• The cultivator explained that the newcomers could spend their first year without duties while receiving food and lodging, then sent them to register and choose cultivation methods.
• Yue Shuo entered the pavilion first, selected the Origin Return Art, and used his character panel to inspect its effects and other available methods.
• The elderly registrar warned Yue Shuo that his Five-Element Spirit Root limited his choices, then asked whether he cultivated for wealth, longevity, or adventure and combat.

Yue Shuo chose to cultivate Spirit Fields to earn a family fortune, received his manuals and planting supplies, and settled into his assigned residence on Hemu Island. He prepared to study the cultivation and farming materials while awaiting the setup of his field.

• Yue Shuo chose to earn a family fortune, and the Qin Clan elder gave him the Wood Essence Art and advised him to cultivate another mu of Spirit Field.
• Yue Shuo received the Treatise on Spirit Plants and learned that reaching Qi Refining Level One would let him remain on Hemu Island.
• A slovenly cultivator gave Yue Shuo his field plaque, seeds, and planting booklet, explained rent and profit-sharing rules, and told him where to sell his harvest.
• Yue Shuo left the External Affairs Pavilion with Gu Jiu and went to a courtyard in Little Brook Valley, where his Spirit Field would be established.
• Yue Shuo assigned Gu Jiu to clean and wait for the field measurer, then entered his room and examined his cultivation and planting materials.

Yue Shuo chose the Wood Essence Art to support his upcoming farming and tried to begin cultivating, but could not calm his mind. While preparing to practice talisman-making, he entered Spirit-Drawing Entry and discovered that his Cultivator Character Panel tracked cultivation-art proficiency.

• Yue Shuo compared five cultivation manuals and chose the Wood Essence Art for its planting benefits, planning to learn an offensive art later.
• A female Qin Clan cultivator linked Yue Shuo’s formation plaque to the Spirit Field’s formation and explained how to use it.
• Yue Shuo inspected the Spirit Field with Gu Jiu, learned that Gu Jiu’s ancestors had been Spirit Plant Masters, and helped prepare Gathering Spirit Grass seeds and planting plots.
• Yue Shuo practiced calligraphy, unexpectedly achieved Spirit-Drawing Entry, and saw the Wood Essence Art appear on his Cultivator Character Panel at Beginner level with recorded proficiency.
• Yue Shuo checked his character panel for other changes and wondered whether cultivation had consumed Divine Sense.

Yue Shuo improved his cultivation by learning several First-Tier methods, tracked how his Divine Sense recovered, and planted Gathering Spirit Grass. He ended by asking Gu Jiu to learn about the other two people on the island as he looked for ways to obtain more cultivation knowledge.

• Yue Shuo cultivated the Evergreen Method and Thousand Waves Formula to Beginner, raising his cultivation speed and exhausting his Divine Sense before sleeping.
• After waking, Yue Shuo cultivated the Water Spirit Formula, studied spirit-planting instructions, and had Gu Jiu bring him a timer to measure Divine Sense recovery.
• Yue Shuo planted one hundred Gathering Spirit Grass seeds in the Spirit Field and calculated that full-effort cultivation could let him attempt Qi Refining Level One in under two months.
• Yue Shuo asked Gu Jiu where he could learn cultivation knowledge and heard about the Scripture Pavilion, spirit plant master inheritances, and buying manuals in the marketplace or black market.
• Yue Shuo cultivated again, memorized a First-Tier rune, and went to sleep rather than risk exhausting his Divine Sense completely.
• The next morning, Yue Shuo woke with full Divine Sense, adjusted his schedule, and asked Gu Jiu to inquire about the other two people on the island.

Yue Shuo focused on cultivating the Wood Essence Art while managing his Divine Sense and hiding how quickly he advanced. He arranged for Gu Jiu to move out of the courtyard and invited Zou Chongying and Tian Wan to exchange cultivation experiences the next afternoon.

• Yue Shuo burned his First-Tier Rune practice sheets and planned to learn the Water Condensation and Qi-Concealing Talismans before the other runes.
• Yue Shuo asked Gu Jiu to build a house in Creek Valley so he could be alone in the courtyard, and Gu Jiu agreed to keep watch over the Spirit Field.
• Gu Jiu reported that Zou Chongying, Tian Wan, and the other new disciples had not achieved Spirit-Drawing Entry, while Yue Shuo had succeeded on his first day of cultivation.
• Yue Shuo asked Gu Jiu to arrange a visit with Zou Chongying and Tian Wan, explaining that they could benefit from sharing cultivation experiences.
• Yue Shuo used his remaining Divine Sense to memorize all five runes, then invited Zou Chongying and Tian Wan to meet the next afternoon and learned they practiced the Sharp Metal Art and Blazing Sun Art.

Yue Shuo reviewed his cultivation progress and discovered that beginner-level methods could unlock spells, then invited Zou Chongying and Tian Wan to discuss their cultivation paths. The three compared their goals and methods, and Yue Shuo asked whether he could learn from one method while cultivating another.

• Yue Shuo examined his panel and found that his Spell Power had reached 100 and that Wood Essence Art and Evergreen Method hinted at spells, while other methods showed different secrets or no prompt.
• Yue Shuo learned from Gu Jiu that Zou Chongying and Tian Wan had accepted his invitation, then welcomed them to his courtyard that afternoon.
• Zou Chongying and Tian Wan described their neighboring courtyards and gossiped about Cheng Fan and Senior Brother Cao.
• Yue Shuo said he had chosen Wood Essence Art to prepare to become a spirit plant master, while Tian Wan wanted to refine pills and Zou Chongying wanted to become an immortal sword-rider.
• Tian Wan cautioned Yue Shuo that cultivating multiple methods could waste time, and Yue Shuo asked whether they could draw inferences from one method to another.

Yue Shuo borrowed Tian Wan and Zou Chongying’s cultivation manuals, then discussed how they sensed spiritual energy and attempted Spirit-Drawing Entry. He used calligraphy to enter meditation and successfully drew in spiritual energy before the others, leaving them to regard him as a cultivator.

• Yue Shuo obtained the Blazing Sun Art and Sharp Metal Art from Tian Wan and Zou Chongying and had his panel record both techniques.
• Yue Shuo, Tian Wan, and Zou Chongying discussed sensing spiritual energy, the challenge of entering tranquility, and the month-long window for Spirit-Drawing Entry.
• Zou Chongying and Tian Wan warned Yue Shuo not to force himself to cultivate twice daily if he struggled to enter tranquility.
• Yue Shuo practiced calligraphy and, in less than two hours, entered meditation and successfully drew spiritual energy into his body.
• Zou Chongying hesitated and began addressing Yue Shuo as Senior Brother Yue after recognizing that he had achieved Spirit-Drawing Entry.

Yue Shuo inspected his Gathering Spirit Grass seeds, noticed that his Divine Sense recovered faster in places with denser spiritual energy, and wondered how to earn Spirit Stones to sustain the Spirit Field’s formation. Gu Jiu suggested selling cultivated Gathering Spirit Grass or using the Three Planting Arts for income.

• Yue Shuo joked with Zou Chongying and Tian Wan, then shared what he had learned about Spirit-Drawing Entry before they left to cultivate.
• Yue Shuo visited the Spirit Field and found signs of vitality in about sixty-four of his one hundred Gathering Spirit Grass plots.
• Yue Shuo soaked around forty more seeds and realized his Divine Sense recovered faster on Hemu Island, possibly because of its denser spiritual energy.
• Yue Shuo considered using the Spirit-Gathering Array to improve his recovery but worried about its Spirit Stone cost.
• Yue Shuo asked Gu Jiu how to earn Spirit Stones, and Gu Jiu suggested selling Gathering Spirit Grass or using the Three Planting Arts.

Yue Shuo practiced the Sharp Metal Art and discovered that the Spirit Field accelerated his Divine Sense recovery. After a later cultivation session failed to add another method’s benefit, he suspected a limit on how many Qi Refining methods he could use and decided to improve their quality instead, ending the chapter by taking his bedding into the Spirit Field to test whether sleeping there restored Divine Sense faster.

• Yue Shuo copied several cultivation methods, chose the Sharp Metal Art, and raised his cultivation to 27/500 after practicing it.
• Yue Shuo recovered Divine Sense more quickly inside the Spirit Field and watched several Spirit Grass seeds sprout.
• Yue Shuo practiced another Qi Refining session, but his cultivation stayed at 29/500 and Blazing Sun Art appeared among his unpracticed methods.
• Yue Shuo suspected that he could practice only a limited number of Qi Refining methods and resolved to improve the methods he had already learned.
• Yue Shuo carried his bedding into the Spirit Field at midnight to test whether sleeping there would speed Divine Sense recovery, leaving Gu Jiu bewildered.

Yue Shuo used the Spirit Field to recover Divine Sense more quickly, intensifying his cultivation and advancing toward Qi Refining Level One. After meeting with Zou Chongying and Tian Wan, who had both begun cultivating, he joined them on a trip to the market.

• Yue Shuo slept in the Spirit Field and discovered that it greatly accelerated his Divine Sense recovery, then used the time to practice Tai Chi Fist and the Wood Essence Art.
• Yue Shuo spent the following days cultivating and tending the Gathering Spirit Grass, raising his cultivation to 133/500 and his Wood Essence Art proficiency to 64/100.
• Yue Shuo learned about resources and methods that could improve cultivation, including spirit fish, pills, Spirit Pearls, and Spirit-Gathering Arrays.
• Zou Chongying and Tian Wan visited Yue Shuo and said they had completed Spirit-Drawing Entry after practicing calligraphy to settle their minds.
• Zou Chongying said he hoped to reach Qi Refining Level One within half a year and invited Yue Shuo and Tian Wan to visit the market; the three set out together.

Yue Shuo, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan traveled to a marketplace on a nearby island, where they learned about its rules and entered under the watch of a gatekeeper. They began searching for a Qin Clan shop and recognized its sign, but a familiar person emerged before they could go inside.

• Zou Chongying summoned a boat, and he, Tian Wan, and Yue Shuo crossed to the marketplace island while discussing travel and magical artifacts.
• Zou Chongying and Tian Wan warned Yue Shuo that their families had urged them to be cautious, and Yue Shuo wondered why his elder brother had not replied to his letter.
• The three followed the straight road to the marketplace and showed their identity tokens to the yellow-robed gatekeeper, who warned them to avoid trouble and call for help if needed.
• Yue Shuo led his companions through the marketplace to find a Qin Clan shop, and they approached one marked with a rice-stalk symbol.
• A familiar person came out of the shop just as Yue Shuo and his companions were about to enter.

Yue Shuo, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan visited the market’s External Affairs Pavilion, where Uncle Tong and Qin Yan welcomed them and introduced them to the shop. They left with gifts suited to their interests, while Yue Shuo gained his first tools for learning Talisman Crafting.

• Uncle Tong recognized Yue Shuo, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan as newcomers from Yellow Town and explained how the External Affairs Pavilion operated.
• Qin Yan introduced the shop and its wares, advised Yue Shuo to reserve Spirit Carp ahead of time, and gave him an old talisman brush after learning he wanted to study Talisman Crafting.
• Zou Chongying and Tian Wan praised Yue Shuo’s calligraphy and suggested he might suit Talisman Crafting better than farming.
• Uncle Tong took the three around the market and gave Yue Shuo blank talisman papers and Talisman Ink, while Zou Chongying and Tian Wan each received a bottle of Grain-Repelling Pills.

Yue Shuo learned about cultivation paths and Market Island from Uncle Tong, then returned to Hemu Island and replaced the Water Spirit Formula with the Blazing Sun Art. Meanwhile, Tong Qian prepared to investigate pirate attacks despite Qin Yan’s concern, and Yue Shuo ended the chapter cultivating the Wood Essence Art and restoring his spirit field.

• Uncle Tong showed Yue Shuo, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan around Market Island, warned them away from the black market and auction, and advised them on cultivation and career paths.
• Tong Qian told Qin Yan he had accepted an assignment to investigate pirate attacks and the possible involvement of a Rogue Cultivator on Fire Gourd Island.
• On the boat home, Yue Shuo considered whether he could replace the Water Spirit Formula with the Blazing Sun Art, while Tian Wan discussed the requirements for learning Alchemy.
• After returning to Hemu Island, Zou Chongying and Tian Wan gave Yue Shuo Grain-Repelling Pills, and he asked Gu Jiu to check prices and sources for talisman supplies.
• Yue Shuo erased the Water Spirit Formula, successfully began cultivating the Blazing Sun Art, and completed four Wood Essence Art sessions while restoring his spirit field.

Yue Shuo learned the Qi-Replenishing Technique and successfully cast the Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique on a Gathering Spirit Grass seedling, accelerating its growth. He realized that cultivating a mature plant this way would consume enormous resources, despite its three-Spirit-Stone sale price.

• Yue Shuo circulated Spell Power through the Wood Essence Art’s meridian route and learned the Qi-Replenishing Technique, which restored Spell Power while refining it.
• Yue Shuo practiced the Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique’s hand seals and discovered that he needed to draw out Spell Power to form the spell.
• Yue Shuo cast the Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique on a Gathering Spirit Grass seedling, causing it to grow from two leaves to three and reach the three-month stage.
• Yue Shuo recalled that the Qin Clan shop paid three Spirit Stones for mature Gathering Spirit Grass, then calculated that growing one with the spell would require 120 Divine Sense and 6,000 Spell Power.

Yue Shuo advanced his spellcraft and accelerated the growth of his Gathering Spirit Grass while cultivating steadily. A letter from his elder brother about people abducted by pirates left him wondering whether his family had ties to the pirates and whether his brother was warning him to be careful.

• Yue Shuo practiced the Qi-Replenishing Technique and Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique through the night, improving their proficiency as he tended his Gathering Spirit Grass.
• Yue Shuo spent seven days cultivating and casting spells in the Spirit Field, and the Qi-Replenishing Technique reached Mastery.
• Yue Shuo found that the fifty-seven Gathering Spirit Grass plants he had treated with the Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique had grown much faster than the untreated plants.
• Gu Jiu brought Yue Shuo a letter from his elder brother saying that the people abducted by pirates might still be alive.
• Yue Shuo reread the letter and suspected that his elder brother might be warning him that their family had ties to the pirates.