Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• An old monk tells Shen Luo that he appears outwardly healthy but faces a tribulation tied to his lifespan. Shen Luo doubts him, but pays for a divination.
• Using six coins, the monk identifies the Jie Hexagram and says Shen Luo is searching for something in the western part of town, near a place with “willow” in its name.
• Though unsettled by the monk’s accuracy, Shen Luo initially returns to a mansion he had searched before. He then decides to follow the clue and goes to Silver Willow Alley.
• The Shadow Gu urgently leads him to a moss-covered bluestone beside a well, rather than the imposing gate Shen Luo expected. He realizes the town may have changed over the centuries since the jade slip’s description was made.
• Shen Luo raises and cleans the stone with water magic, revealing a large piece of translucent green jade with a faint fragrance matching the description of Millennium Spiritual Milk. He stores it, leaves silver as compensation, and returns to the inn.
• After sealing his room with a water barrier, he places the jade on the table and prepares to examine it.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo moves from skepticism to serious doubt about the monk’s abilities after the divination proves accurate. He remains cautious, however, and investigates the clue himself.
• The old monk presents himself as a playful, fee-charging fortune-teller, but his reading appears genuinely precise. His novice supports him, collects the payment, and helps him leave when the crowd asks for readings.
• Shen Luo relies on the Shadow Gu’s excited response to locate the hidden object, then uses water magic to retrieve and clean it. He also leaves payment for the household whose courtyard he disturbed.

Significant themes

• Fate and uncertainty: The monk warns that Shen Luo faces future hardship, especially concerning his lifespan, raising questions about whether his future can be changed.
• Appearance versus reality: The “swindler” may be a true diviner, while an ordinary-looking stone conceals a rare treasure.
• Trust, skepticism, and evidence: Shen Luo is reluctant to believe the monk until the clue leads directly to his goal.
• Preparation and adaptation: Shen Luo succeeds by combining old information, careful exploration, magical skill, and the Shadow Gu’s instincts.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luo locates a weak point in a green jade formation and drills through it with a Child Sword, uncovering Millennium Spiritual Milk, also called Stone-Milk Essence.
• He collects some of the liquid but notes its yellowish tint suggests it is immature. Because it contains harmful stone qi and requires expert refinement, he decides not to drink it and plans to seek an alchemist in Chang’an.
• Hoping to thank and reconnect with the powerful old fortune-teller who led him to the treasure, Shen Luo waits for him at Hundred Flowers Mountain. The old man never appears.
• Shen Luo uses Xiao Zi, his Shadow Gu, to follow the old man’s scent to an abandoned temple outside town, but the trail ends there. After searching for two more days without success, he gives up and travels toward Chang’an.
• Three days later, Shen Luo reaches Chang’an and is awed by its immense walls, busy waterways, grand architecture, and powerful Imperial Guards. He also senses that its spiritual energy is unusually dense.

Character developments

• Shen Luo shows careful judgment: despite the tempting fragrance and the spirit milk’s legendary healing power, he avoids consuming it because he understands the danger and knows it needs skilled refinement.
• His curiosity and ambition are evident in his determination to find the old man, whose abilities might prove useful in the future.
• On arriving in Chang’an, he compares its scale and spiritual resources with other cities, recognizing the capital’s extraordinary significance.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and restraint: A rare, powerful treasure can be dangerous without the expertise to use it safely.
• Mystery and supernatural power: The old man’s ability to predict Shen Luo’s needs—and then vanish without a trace—deepens the chapter’s air of uncertainty.
• Scale and spiritual significance: Chang’an’s grandeur reflects its political dominance and its status as a convergence of spiritual energy.

Character interactions

• Shen Luo works with the Child Sword to break into the jade and uses Water Manipulation Art to extract the spirit milk.
• He briefly speaks to Xiao Zi, thanking the Shadow Gu for tracking the scent before returning it to its bag.
• The old fortune-teller does not appear directly, but his earlier guidance shapes Shen Luo’s actions and leaves him eager to meet the man again.

Chapter Summary: “First Arrival in Chang'an”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo admires Chang’an’s extraordinary city formation, which suppresses the spiritual energy of its underground spirit veins and enriches the city with dense spiritual power. Both cultivators and ordinary citizens benefit from this arrangement.
• He reaches Xuande Gate, one of Chang’an’s eastern gates, and joins the queue reserved for cultivators.
• At the gate, cultivators must pay an Immortal Jade fee and undergo identification using a special token issued by the Great Tang Government Office.
• The token records the bearer’s appearance and must be carried at all times while inside the city. Losing or abandoning it may result in expulsion or imprisonment.
• Shen Luo realizes the token likely contains a monitoring restriction, making him uncomfortable, but accepts it because he lacks the authority to challenge the government’s rules.
• After entering Chang’an, he encounters Guan Feng, a local coachman who offers guiding services to unfamiliar cultivators.
• Shen Luo hires Guan Feng and instructs him to take him to Changping Ward in western Chang’an, where he is scheduled to meet Xie Yuxin.
• During the journey, Shen Luo observes Chang’an’s highly organized layout: straight roads intersect in a grid, dividing the city into regularly arranged wards.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates caution, perceptiveness, and practical judgment. He quickly understands the likely surveillance function of the identity token and remains wary of government control, but chooses cooperation over pointless resistance. He also establishes authority over Guan Feng by displaying his strength and warning him against deceit.
• Guan Feng: Introduced as an energetic and opportunistic local guide. Although initially eager to profit from Shen Luo’s arrival, he becomes visibly intimidated after witnessing Shen Luo split a stone with spiritual power and promises to serve him honestly.
• Blue-robed government cultivators: Shown as disciplined officials who enforce Chang’an’s regulations politely but firmly. Their explanations reveal the government’s concern with controlling the potentially dangerous power of cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Order and control: Chang’an’s physical grid, ward system, and gate procedures reflect a society built around strict organization and regulation.
• Government surveillance versus personal freedom: The identity token protects the city from rogue cultivators but also subjects every cultivator to constant monitoring.
• Human power over nature: The city’s grand formation represents the Great Tang’s ability to harness and suppress natural spiritual forces.
• Adaptation to unfamiliar environments: Shen Luo must navigate both Chang’an’s physical scale and its bureaucratic rules while remaining alert to possible dangers.
• Hierarchy and authority: The interactions at the gate and with Guan Feng emphasize the unequal status between cultivators, government officials, and ordinary citizens.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo questions the blue-robed officials about the purpose and power of the identity token. They explain its official function while deliberately withholding details about how it monitors cultivators.
• He negotiates with Guan Feng, testing the coachman’s reliability by threatening him with a demonstration of spiritual strength.
• Shen Luo’s encounter with Guan Feng highlights the difference between his restrained but intimidating authority and the coachman’s eager, submissive attitude.
• The chapter ends with Shen Luo traveling through Chang’an toward Changping Ward, focused on whether Xie Yuxin has already arrived.

Chapter Summary: “Abandoned Ward”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo travels by carriage with Guan Feng to Changping Ward in southwestern Chang’an, searching for Xie Yuxin.
• Guan Feng explains that cultivators and ordinary citizens are largely kept separate. Cultivation-related goods are mainly traded in West Market, while the rest of the city caters to mortals.
• Changping Ward proves unusually deserted and poorly maintained, with most houses closed and few people in the streets.
• Shen Luo discreetly asks several residents about a young woman surnamed Xie, avoiding mention of Xie Yuxin’s name because she may still be wanted for stealing the Bai Family’s secret technique. No one admits knowing her.
• At a remote blacksmith shop, Shen Luo questions a short, burly blacksmith. The man initially denies knowing Xie Yuxin, but reacts subtly and later confirms Shen Luo’s identity by asking his name.
• The blacksmith, later identified as Zhou Tie, leads Shen Luo through a hidden passage concealed behind movable bricks. Shen Luo remains cautious, secretly circulating the Nameless Art to detect danger.
• Zhou Tie brings Shen Luo to a secluded courtyard and asks him to wait before admitting him.
• Shen Luo finally reunites with Xie Yuxin, who explains that she has been cultivating in seclusion and had Zhou Tie guard the location carefully.
• Xie reveals that the upcoming Festive Gathering may feature Spirit Fire, though its grade is unknown and it will likely be expensive.
• Shen Luo then asks Xie for recommendations regarding reputable talisman shops in Chang’an.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates caution and discretion by concealing Xie Yuxin’s name, remaining alert in an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous district, and assessing Zhou Tie before following him.
• He also shows growing trust and goodwill toward Guan Feng, reassuring him rather than dismissing his warning about hidden crime.
• Guan Feng proves useful as a guide to Chang’an’s social and geographic divisions, though he admits his limited familiarity with the remote ward.
• Zhou Tie is introduced as a cautious and secretive protector. His initial deception and use of a hidden passage suggest that Xie Yuxin’s refuge is deliberately concealed.
• Xie Yuxin is shown to be settled in a secure hideaway and actively gathering information about Spirit Fire. Her relationship with Shen Luo remains cooperative and familiar.

Significant Themes

• Separation between mortals and cultivators: Chang’an’s authorities regulate interaction between the two groups, creating distinct spaces and markets.
• Secrecy and concealment: Xie Yuxin’s hidden residence, Zhou Tie’s guarded behavior, and Shen Luo’s careful questioning reflect the dangers surrounding her identity and past.
• Trust and vigilance: Shen Luo balances openness with suspicion, relying on his cultivation techniques while judging the intentions of those he meets.
• Pursuit of rare power: The potential appearance of Spirit Fire establishes an important goal and hints at future competition, expense, and conflict.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: Chang’an appears prosperous, but its quiet, abandoned ward hides secret activity and possible dangers.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo questions Guan Feng about the lack of cultivators and later accepts his warning about the dangers of Chang’an.
• He carefully interrogates local residents and Zhou Tie while avoiding revealing sensitive information.
• Zhou Tie tests Shen Luo’s identity before guiding him through the hidden entrance.
• Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin reunite amicably, with Xie apologizing for the difficulty of reaching her and Shen acknowledging Zhou Tie’s caution.
• Their conversation quickly turns to Spirit Fire and the practical need to locate a trustworthy talisman shop.

Plot points and events

• Shen Luo worries that his limited funds—fewer than two hundred Immortal Jade—won’t cover the Spirit Fire he needs. He refuses to sell his combat artifacts or life-saving Millennium Spiritual Milk.
• Xie Yuxin suggests he earn money by drawing talismans and warns that established shops may undervalue work from an unknown seller. After hearing Shen Luo can make valuable high-level talismans, she offers to sell them through her network of independent cultivators.
• Shen Luo agrees, but Xie refuses a commission, saying the connections she gains are reward enough and insisting that friends should not be so formal.
• Shen Luo also asks about finding an alchemist to refine pills. Xie explains that Chang’an’s skilled alchemists are tied to the government or major sects, but promises to keep asking around.
• Shen Luo settles in quiet Changping Ward, hires Guan Feng as agreed, and entrusts Xie with buying talisman materials. Over more than half a month, she sells his talismans at fair prices, earning him nearly a hundred Immortal Jade after expenses. The alchemist search, however, produces no lead.
• As Shen Luo prepares to continue drawing, Ma Xiuxiu unexpectedly visits. He is surprised by how poised and self-assured she seems compared with their earlier meeting in Jianye, then welcomes her inside.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo is resourceful but cautious about spending his remaining assets. His success with high-level talismans encourages him to practice them more, hoping to improve his earnings.
• Xie Yuxin proves both capable and generous: she uses her connections to help Shen Luo sell his work and rejects payment, valuing friendship and the relationships she can build.
• Ma Xiuxiu appears markedly transformed—elegant and confident rather than timid. Her unexpected arrival reopens her connection with Shen Luo.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and self-reliance: Shen Luo turns his talisman skill into a way to fund his needs.
• Trust and friendship: He entrusts Xie with both selling and purchasing, while she helps without seeking direct payment.
• Unequal access to power and expertise: Independent cultivators struggle to reach the elite alchemists associated with major institutions.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking a Talisman”

Key plot points and events

Ma Xiuxiu reveals that she is a member of Treasure Gathering Hall and had previously been exiled to Jianye City as punishment for a mistake. Recently pardoned, she returned to Chang’an. She tracked down Shen Luo after recognizing his unique talismanic script on an Immobilization Talisman he had drawn.
Ma asks Shen Luo to draw a Dream Recall Talisman, a powerful and highly complex talisman capable of entering another person’s dreams. She needs it to rescue her father, whose Divine Soul has been trapped in a dream by the evil technique of a demonic cultivator after an ambush. Despite Treasure Gathering Hall employing many talisman masters, none have succeeded in creating it, and Ma lacks the authority to obtain help from the hall’s greatest experts.
Shen Luo studies the talisman deeply but ultimately admits that he is unsure he can draw it, since his apparent talent came largely from an expert who has now departed.

Character developments

• Shen Luo is shown to be highly dedicated to the Talisman Way, becoming completely absorbed in studying the Dream Recall Talisman. Though modest and willing to help an old acquaintance, he remains honest about his limitations and conceals the deeper reasons for his uncertainty.
• Ma Xiuxiu shifts from a seemingly ordinary former shopkeeper into a representative of a powerful and far-reaching organization. Her desperation to save her father reveals a vulnerable and filial side, contrasting with Treasure Gathering Hall’s immense influence.

Significant themes

• Trust and hidden identities: Ma admits that she concealed her true background, while Shen recognizes the power and reach of Treasure Gathering Hall.
• Devotion and talent: Shen’s progress as a talisman maker reflects both natural ability and painstaking effort, but the chapter questions how much of his skill he can truly rely on without his former teacher’s guidance.
• Filial duty and desperation: Ma’s search for the Dream Recall Talisman is driven by her determination to save her unconscious father.
• The limits of power and expertise: Even a major organization cannot easily produce the rare talisman, forcing Ma to seek Shen’s help.

Character interactions

Ma respectfully apologizes for deceiving Shen and explains how she found him. Shen responds cautiously, probing her motives and the origins of the talisman. After learning of her father’s condition, he treats her sympathetically and promises to help if possible, but ultimately warns that he lacks confidence in successfully creating the Dream Recall Talisman.

Chapter Summary: West Market Festive Gathering

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo considers Ma Xiuxiu’s request to study and eventually draw the complicated Dream Recall Talisman. Although he cannot successfully draw it in reality, he agrees to attempt it within a year because Ma Xiuxiu clearly hopes to recover her lost memories.
• Ma Xiuxiu reveals that the upcoming Festive Gathering will feature the Golden Sun Profound Fire, one of the 108 Human Fires. Shen Luo is thrilled because its pure-yang power is highly effective against ghosts and spirits and is ideal for refining his Pure Yang Sword Embryo.
• Shen Luo also asks Ma Xiuxiu to recommend a skilled alchemist who can refine pills using his Millennium Spiritual Milk. She agrees to contact an eccentric but highly accomplished alchemist on his behalf.
• After Ma Xiuxiu leaves, Shen Luo memorizes the Dream Recall Talisman’s runes and attempts to draw it ten times, but every attempt fails. He concludes that he must rely on the experience and talent gained in his dreams before he can master it in reality.
• He instead spends the following month drawing simpler talismans, including Immobilization Talismans and Armor-Shattering Talismans, to earn money.
• The annual Zhongyuan Festival arrives. Chang’an celebrates with imperial ceremonies, temple rituals, ancestor worship, incense, paper offerings, and floating lanterns.
• That night, Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin travel to Chang’an’s famous West Market to attend the Festive Gathering. They pass through the Dragon-Tiger Archway and discover a concealed restriction that hides the market’s supernatural activity from ordinary citizens.
• After crossing the restriction, Shen Luo finds himself in a magnificent immortal marketplace filled with grand shops far more impressive than ordinary mortal establishments.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates growing ambition and urgency. He is determined to acquire the Golden Sun Profound Fire, find an alchemist for his Millennium Spiritual Milk, and continue earning resources through talisman-making.
• His limitations in reality become clear: despite his knowledge of advanced talisman techniques, he still lacks the innate talent and practical ability to draw the Dream Recall Talisman successfully without relying on his dream experiences.
• Shen Luo also shows compassion and willingness to help Ma Xiuxiu, agreeing to study the talisman because he recognizes her desire to recover her memories.
• Ma Xiuxiu acts as a valuable source of information and connections. Her relief after Shen Luo agrees suggests that the Dream Recall Talisman is personally important to her.
• Xie Yuxin serves as Shen Luo’s guide to Chang’an’s hidden cultivation world. Her excitement about the West Market reflects her familiarity with and interest in the supernatural side of the city.

Significant Themes

• The divide between dream-gained power and real-world ability: Shen Luo’s accomplishments stem largely from experience acquired in dreams, while his natural talent remains insufficient for the most advanced techniques.
• Memory and identity: The Dream Recall Talisman represents Ma Xiuxiu’s hope of recovering her past, making memory a major emotional and narrative concern.
• Preparation and resource gathering: Shen Luo methodically builds his strength by earning money, seeking rare materials, locating an alchemist, and pursuing the Spirit Fire needed for his weapon.
• The hidden supernatural world: The West Market symbolizes a concealed realm existing alongside ordinary society, protected from mortals by magical restrictions.
• Human and immortal worlds: The Zhongyuan Festival blends mortal traditions of honoring the dead with the cultivators’ more mysterious and powerful practices.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Ma Xiuxiu: They negotiate the Dream Recall Talisman arrangement. Ma Xiuxiu promises information and assistance regarding the Festive Gathering and an alchemist, while Shen Luo agrees to attempt the talisman.
• Shen Luo and the unknown alchemist: They have not yet met, but Ma Xiuxiu’s recommendation establishes a potential future connection based partly on Shen Luo’s promise to help with the talisman.
• Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin: They travel together to the West Market. Xie explains the market’s concealment restriction, while Shen Luo observes and questions the unusual features of the location.
• Their arrival at the supernatural West Market marks the transition from preparation and investigation to the larger events of the Festive Gathering.

Xuanyuan Pavilion — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin enter West Market, a vast and prosperous cultivation marketplace in Great Tang. The market is illuminated by powerful Restrictions and filled with cultivators and shops selling spiritual materials, talismans, pills, and Magical Artifacts.
• Shen Luo reflects that the imperial court’s support of West Market suggests Great Tang actively cultivates and relies on immortal practitioners, whose abilities exceed those of ordinary armies.
• Although impressed by the quality of the goods, Shen Luo does not shop because his funds are limited. After earning money by drawing talismans, he has only about five hundred Immortal Jade—barely enough to bid for the Golden Sun Spirit Flame.
• The pair arrive at Xuanyuan Pavilion, one of the three great merchant associations. Its imposing architecture, qilin statues, and powerful plaque establish its prestige.
• Nearby cultivators discuss the upcoming auction, claiming that eminent figures from Huasheng Temple, Mount Putuo, and the Great Tang Government Office will attend. Shen Luo realizes that competition for the most valuable treasures will be intense.
• Ma Xiuxiu arrives and greets Shen Luo. He introduces her to Xie Yuxin, concealing Xie’s past theft from the Bai Family.
• At the entrance, guards initially demand invitations, but Ma Xiuxiu produces three golden invitation cards. Deacon Zixin then rushes over, reprimands the guards for failing to recognize Ma, and personally welcomes all three inside.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Displays greater insight into the relationship between the imperial court and cultivators, shaped by his experiences in the future dream. He also reveals his financial limitations and determination to obtain the Golden Sun Spirit Flame.
• Xie Yuxin: Appears observant and cautious. She notices the significance of Ma Xiuxiu’s treatment by Xuanyuan Pavilion and remains composed while concealing her own dangerous past.
• Ma Xiuxiu: Her elegant clothing and privileged access suggest considerable status. Although she presents herself as merely a cultivator under Treasure Gathering Hall, Deacon Zixin’s deferential behavior implies that her true position is much higher.
• Deacon Zixin: Establishes herself as an important Xuanyuan Pavilion official who is eager to accommodate Ma Xiuxiu.
• The auction’s participants: Conversations among visiting cultivators foreshadow the presence of powerful factions and fierce competition.

Significant Themes

• The power and prosperity of cultivation society: West Market demonstrates how deeply cultivation is integrated into Great Tang’s political and economic structure.
• Hidden identities and status: Ma Xiuxiu’s modest self-description conflicts with the respect she receives, suggesting concealed influence or lineage.
• Wealth and competition: Shen Luo’s limited funds contrast with the enormous resources of major organizations and powerful cultivators.
• Foreshadowing: The gathering of elite figures and rumors of extraordinary treasures indicate that the auction will become a major contest.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin discuss West Market and Xuanyuan Pavilion, with Shen Luo providing unusually perceptive observations.
• Shen Luo introduces Xie to Ma Xiuxiu, while carefully protecting Xie’s identity and history.
• Ma Xiuxiu and Xie exchange courteous greetings despite their possible lack of prior acquaintance.
• Xuanyuan Pavilion’s guards challenge the group, but Deacon Zixin intervenes immediately, demonstrating Ma Xiuxiu’s importance and ensuring their entry.

Key plot points

• Shen Luo, Xie Yuxin, and Ma Xiuxiu arrive at the Xuanyuan Pavilion auction. Thanks to Ma’s family connections, they receive seats in the honored guests’ section.
• Shen and Xie plan to buy supplies, while Shen is especially concerned about bidding on a cluster of mortal-grade spirit fire with his limited funds.
• Ma points out several powerful attendees: Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist of Huasheng Temple and Golden Kui General of the Great Tang Government Office. Both appear to be at least the out-of-body stage. Qinghua Immortal Aunt of Mount Putuo is also expected.
• Ma reassures Shen that these prominent figures are unlikely to want the spirit fire, though their presence still makes him uneasy.
• Ma asks about Shen’s progress studying the Dream Recall Talisman. He has made none, disappointing her briefly, but promises to keep trying.
• Qinghua Immortal Aunt enters with two disciples Shen recognizes from an earlier encounter in Wanqiu City. To avoid being identified, Shen uses Xie’s Bone-Pinching Disguise Technique and changes his face and build.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo remains cautious and guarded, concealing his identity from the auction staff and avoiding the attention of powerful cultivators. His disguise reveals an existing grudge with the Mount Putuo disciples.
• Ma Xiuxiu uses her family’s status to secure the group’s privileged seating. She is friendly with Xie and attentive to Shen’s progress with the talisman, though her disappointment suggests the matter matters to her.
• Xie Yuxin understands the significance of their seats and shares an easy rapport with Ma. She previously taught Shen the disguise technique in exchange for his talisman-making method.
• The Mount Putuo disciples’ arrival creates immediate tension for Shen, while Ma is surprised by his sudden transformation.

Significant themes

• Status and influence: Access to the auction’s best seats depends on Ma’s connections.
• Caution and concealment: Shen hides his background and changes his appearance to avoid old enemies.
• Competition and uncertainty: The presence of powerful guests could complicate Shen’s attempt to obtain the spirit fire.
• Reciprocity and obligation: Shen and Xie exchange specialized knowledge, while Ma’s request about the talisman hints at an unresolved commitment.

Plot and events

• Shen Luo, Xie Yuxin, and Ma Xiuxiu attend an auction at Xuanyuan Pavilion. Shen hopes to buy spirit fire but wants to avoid trouble with a young man he recognizes.
• Qinghua Immortal Aunt joins Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist and Golden Kui General, who exchange brief remarks about cultivation and their reasons for attending.
• The auction is hosted by the Red-Handed Perfected Person, a renowned artifact-refining master newly associated with Xuanyuan Pavilion. He promises every successful buyer a chance to have him refine an artifact, driving up prices across the auction.
• Early lots sell for well above their usual value. Shen watches, learns the market prices of magical artifacts, and calculates that his recent talisman-making earned enough Immortal Jade to afford even a top-grade artifact.
• Xie Yuxin buys a pill that heals damage to the divine soul. Shen’s desired spirit fire has not yet appeared.
• The auction then presents an exceptionally rare, authenticated piece of black tortoise carapace, prized for its Wu-Earth energy and potential to enhance an artifact. Bidding opens at three hundred Immortal Jade, but the chapter ends before anyone bids.

Character developments

• Shen is cautious about attracting trouble, but the auction’s prices and treasures sharpen his ambition. He recognizes how profitable talisman-making can be and resolves to study it further.
• Xie Yuxin shows interest in practical healing supplies and is confident enough to bid.
• Golden Kui General admits that relentless cultivation alone may not bring a breakthrough, suggesting he is open to seeking opportunity elsewhere.

Themes

• Wealth, value, and ambition: The refining bonus inflates prices, while Shen measures the auction’s riches against his own earning potential.
• Opportunity and advancement: Both cultivation breakthroughs and improved artifacts may depend on more than steady effort—sometimes a rare opportunity is needed.
• Rarity and power: The black tortoise carapace’s legendary qualities make it desirable to powerful cultivators, while remaining far beyond Shen’s apparent means.

Character interactions

• Shen discusses the risk of recognition with Ma Xiuxiu; Xie Yuxin also recognizes the young man but feels protected by her veil.
• Qinghua Immortal Aunt and Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist greet one another, while she questions Golden Kui General about abandoning seclusion.
• Shen consults Xie Yuxin and Ma Xiuxiu about artifact prices and the value of top-grade items.
• The three prominent cultivators nearby—Qinghua, Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist, and Golden Kui—show strong interest in the rare carapace, foreshadowing fierce competition.

Key plot points and events

• The auction for the Black Tortoise Carapace escalates from 300 to 1,000 Immortal Jade as Golden Kui General and Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist compete. Qinghua Immortal Aunt abruptly bids 1,500, driving both men out.
• A mysterious black-robed bidder then offers 2,000 Immortal Jade and wins the carapace. The unexpected bid astonishes the hall and delights auctioneer Red-Handed Perfected Person.
• The next lot is the Golden Sun Profound Fire, a Mortal-Grade Spirit Fire ranked thirty-seventh on the Human Fire Ranking. Its pure yang nature makes it useful against ghosts and for alchemy and artifact refinement.
• Shen Luo, who has been seeking this treasure, joins the bidding. After others drive the price to 270 Immortal Jade, he raises it decisively to 300, then outbids the remaining gray-haired man and red-clad woman. His 400 Immortal Jade offer leaves him in the lead as the chapter ends.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo is focused and strategic: he waits until the fire’s price rises, then uses substantial increases to discourage competitors. He quietly thanks Ma Xiuxiu for confirming the item would be auctioned; she reminds him that securing it depends on his resources.
• Golden Kui General and Moon-Sleeping Lay Buddhist engage in a tense, status-conscious bidding contest over the carapace. Golden Kui warns Mian Yue not to bankrupt himself, but withdraws after Qinghua’s overwhelming bid.
• Qinghua Immortal Aunt reveals her strong interest in the carapace with a sudden, commanding offer, then stops bidding when the anonymous bidder surpasses her.
• The black-robed bidder remains an enigma, attracting speculation but showing no reaction to the crowd.
• Red-Handed Perfected Person is pleased by the carapace’s unusually high sale price, though he is less satisfied when the Spirit Fire receives only 400 so far.

Significant themes

• Wealth and competition: Prestige and determination shape the auction as much as an item’s practical worth.
• Strategy and restraint: Bidders use sudden, large increases to force rivals out, while others conceal their intentions until the right moment.
• Mystery and anticipation: The anonymous bidder’s identity is unknown, and Shen Luo’s contest for the Spirit Fire remains unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Alchemy Clues”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The auction for the Golden Sun Profound Fire begins without bids from General Jin Kui, Mian Yue, or Immortal Qinghua, briefly giving Shen Luo hope that he can obtain it.
• The young woman surnamed Li unexpectedly enters the bidding and repeatedly outbids Shen Luo:
  • Shen Luo raises his bid to 500 Immortal Jade, the most he can afford.
  • Li ultimately offers 600 Immortal Jade, forcing him to withdraw.
• Shen Luo is deeply disappointed, while Ma Xiuxiu comforts him by noting that Spirit Fires occasionally appear in Chang’an City. He asks her to continue searching for one.
• The auction continues with numerous treasures, pills, and Magical Artifacts. Its final highlight is the Hundred-Sound Chime Bell, a powerful Top-Grade Magical Artifact with sixteen layers of Restrictions. General Jin Kui purchases it for 2,600 Immortal Jade.
• After the auction, Shen Luo leaves West Market. Ma Xiuxiu promises to investigate both alternative sources of Spirit Fire and an alchemist capable of refining Milk Spirit Pills.
• Xie Yuxin returns with Shen Luo to Changping Ward but announces that she must leave Chang’an City for several days, temporarily suspending their talisman business. She recommends her trustworthy longtime friend, Zhou Tie, to help Shen Luo with errands.
• Several days later, Ma Xiuxiu visits Shen Luo early in the morning with news: the merchant association has an alchemist capable of refining Milk Spirit Pills.
• However, the alchemist demands 800 Immortal Jade and one-third of all finished pills, regardless of the final quantity. Shen Luo finds the price excessive and asks whether it can be negotiated, but Ma Xiuxiu explains that the alchemist is eccentric and rarely makes concessions.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: His confidence and anticipation collapse after losing the Golden Sun Profound Fire. Despite his frustration, he remains practical, asking Ma Xiuxiu to continue searching and focusing on the possibility of obtaining Milk Spirit Pills. His financial limitations become clear when he reaches his maximum bid.
• Ma Xiuxiu: She continues to act as Shen Luo’s reliable intermediary. She searches her merchant association’s connections, secures a reluctant alchemist’s cooperation, and tries to help Shen Luo despite the difficult terms.
• Xie Yuxin: She remains efficient and independent, leaving Chang’an City to handle a personal matter. Her recommendation of Zhou Tie shows her concern for Shen Luo’s practical needs and her trust in her longtime friend.
• The young woman surnamed Li: She again obstructs Shen Luo, casually spending large amounts of Immortal Jade to obtain the Spirit Fire. Her dismissive attitude toward the value of money makes her a particularly frustrating rival.
• General Jin Kui: He demonstrates immense wealth by purchasing the Hundred-Sound Chime Bell for an enormous price.

Significant Themes

• Competition and frustration: Shen Luo’s attempt to obtain the Spirit Fire is thwarted by an unexpected rival, emphasizing how quickly opportunities can disappear in a world governed by wealth and power.
• The high cost of cultivation: Rare treasures and alchemical services demand extraordinary resources. Even possessing a genuine need does not guarantee access.
• Persistence amid setbacks: Although Shen Luo loses the auction, he continues pursuing alternative methods to acquire Spirit Fire and Milk Spirit Pills.
• Trust and personal connections: Ma Xiuxiu’s friendship with the alchemist and Xie Yuxin’s trust in Zhou Tie show how relationships can provide access to opportunities unavailable through ordinary means.
• Negotiation versus rigid personalities: Shen Luo hopes to bargain over the alchemist’s demands, but Ma Xiuxiu warns that the alchemist’s eccentric and uncompromising nature may make negotiation difficult.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and the young woman surnamed Li engage in an increasingly expensive bidding duel, with Li ultimately defeating him.
• Ma Xiuxiu comforts Shen Luo after his loss and later provides crucial information about the Milk Spirit Pill alchemist.
• Shen Luo and Xie Yuxin discuss her departure and the temporary suspension of their business arrangement. Xie offers Zhou Tie’s services to support him.
• Shen Luo and Ma Xiuxiu discuss the alchemist’s harsh terms, with Shen Luo questioning the price and Ma Xiuxiu defending the difficulty of securing the commission.

Summary: “Netherworld Mission”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo seeks Ma Xiuxiu’s help in finding an alchemist willing to refine pills for him. When Ma cannot directly persuade the alchemist, she offers an alternative.
• The alchemist is searching for Yellow Springs Crystal, a rare Underworld material needed to refine a Netherworld Spirit Pill. Obtaining it would make him more willing to help Shen Luo.
• Ma explains that her merchant association is preparing for a Netherworld Mission, whose reward includes Yellow Springs Crystal. Although such missions generally require Soul Condensation Stage cultivation, this group mission only requires the leader to meet that standard, allowing Shen Luo to participate at the Fasting Stage.
• Shen Luo agrees to join despite Ma’s warning that the mission may involve an unusually powerful ghostly creature because of its generous reward.
• Ma assures him that the mission leader, Hu Yong, is a highly experienced Late Soul Condensation Stage cultivator with an excellent record and low casualty rate.
• During the following half-month, Shen Luo purchases talisman paper and spiritual materials, preparing a large supply of talismans and strengthening his magical resources.
• On the day of departure, Ma sends a carriage to take him to the gathering place in Yongxing Ward. Shen Luo is surprised to discover that the mission assembles at a City God Temple, rather than outside the city.
• At the temple, Shen Luo meets Lü He, a tall cultivator carrying a massive bronze axe. Lü He confirms that he is also participating and advises Shen Luo to stay close to Hu Yong and follow his instructions carefully.
• The chapter ends as Shen Luo and Lü He enter the City God Temple to join the mission group.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates decisiveness and willingness to accept danger for his goals. Rather than hesitate over the mission’s risks, he immediately commits after considering the opportunity to obtain Yellow Springs Crystal.
• He also shows initiative and preparedness by spending the intervening half-month producing talismans and gathering materials.
• Ma Xiuxiu proves resourceful and considerate. She not only identifies a practical solution to Shen Luo’s alchemy problem but also arranges his participation and promises to ask Hu Yong to protect him.
• Lü He is introduced as straightforward, honest-looking, and somewhat inexperienced himself, having participated in only two previous missions. Despite this, he strongly trusts Hu Yong’s abilities.
• Hu Yong, though not yet present, is established as a formidable and reliable leader with extensive mission experience.

Significant Themes

• Risk and reward: Shen Luo accepts a dangerous mission because the rare Yellow Springs Crystal may help him obtain essential pills.
• Preparation and prudence: The mission’s dangers emphasize the importance of preparing adequate talismans, magical artifacts, and materials.
• Trust in experienced leaders: Both Ma Xiuxiu and Lü He stress that survival depends on following Hu Yong’s commands rather than acting independently.
• Connections between the living world and the Underworld: The mission, Yellow Springs Crystal, City God Temple, and ghost-hunting objectives expand the story’s focus into the supernatural realm.

Character Interactions

• Ma Xiuxiu initially disappoints Shen Luo by being unable to directly help, but their conversation becomes cooperative when she proposes the Netherworld Mission.
• Shen Luo and Ma establish mutual trust: she arranges an opportunity for him, while he accepts the danger without prolonged hesitation.
• Shen Luo meets Lü He at the assembly point. Their exchange establishes Lü He as a potential companion and source of basic mission information.
• Lü He repeatedly emphasizes obedience to Hu Yong, reinforcing the mission’s hierarchy and the dangers of acting independently.

Chapter Summary: “Hall of King Yama”

Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo and Lü He pass through the crowded front and middle halls of the temple and arrive at the secluded rear courtyard, where the Hall of King Yama stands.
• Three other cultivators are waiting there: Lin Qing, Jin Dun, and Yun Niang. Lü He introduces them to Shen Luo and briefly explains their mission experience.
• Senior Hu Yong, an elderly, disheveled, wine-drinking cultivator, emerges from a side gate. Though he appears unreliable, the others clearly respect and trust him as the mission leader.
• Hu Yong reveals that the mission will begin inside the Hall of King Yama itself, surprising Shen Luo and the others.
• The group enters the hall, which is filled with statues of King Yama, the judges of the underworld, Black and White Impermanence, Ox Head, and Horse Face, along with horrifying murals depicting the punishments of the eighteen levels of hell.
• Hu Yong lights three sticks of dark-red incense, performs a solemn ritual before the underworld deities, and waits for a response or supernatural change.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo is introduced as a new recruit to the merchant guild. He is observant and cautious, particularly skeptical of Hu Yong because of the elder’s drunken, careless appearance.
• Lü He acts as Shen Luo’s guide and intermediary, introducing him to the other cultivators and helping him integrate into the group.
• Lin Qing appears aloof and reserved, barely acknowledging the newcomers. His six completed missions suggest experience despite his distant manner.
• Jin Dun is respectful and straightforward, wearing partial armor and carrying a golden saber. He seems practical and disciplined.
• Yun Niang is flirtatious and bold, immediately teasing Shen Luo about his appearance. Her behavior contrasts with the more restrained attitudes of the others.
• Hu Yong initially seems like an absent-minded old drunk who cannot remember Shen Luo’s name, but his confident leadership and formal ritual indicate that he may possess considerable ability and authority.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus capability: Hu Yong’s sloppy, drunken exterior conflicts with the respect he receives and the seriousness of the ritual he performs, suggesting that outward appearances are misleading.
• The boundary between the mortal and supernatural worlds: The ordinary temple leads into a mysterious hall that may serve as a gateway to the Underworld.
• Judgment and punishment: The statues and hell murals emphasize themes of morality, justice, karmic consequences, and the terrifying power of the afterlife.
• Trust among strangers: Although the cultivators have worked together before, they remain only loosely acquainted, creating an atmosphere of cautious cooperation.
• Foreboding and suspense: The chill inside the hall, gruesome imagery, and Hu Yong’s unexplained incense ritual establish that the mission is dangerous and supernatural.

Character Interactions

• Yun Niang openly flirts with Shen Luo, praising his attractiveness and making him the center of attention.
• Jin Dun politely questions Lü He about Shen Luo, showing interest in understanding the new member’s role.
• Lü He provides the necessary introductions but emphasizes that the existing members are acquaintances rather than close companions.
• The group collectively treats Hu Yong with respect, though they humor his insistence on being called “Brother Hu” rather than “Elder Hu.”
• Shen Luo respectfully introduces himself to Hu Yong and questions him about the mission, revealing both his courtesy and his unease.
• The chapter ends with the group silently awaiting the result of Hu Yong’s ritual, heightening the sense that the Hall of King Yama is a portal or trigger for the mission.

Chapter Summary: “Zhong Kui’s Commission”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo and the others activate three incense sticks in a ritual led by Elder Hu Yong. The incense burns unnaturally quickly, producing a strange mark on the censer and summoning a vortex of ash.
• The vortex transports the group into the Underworld Office’s territory. Shen Luo experiences the journey as an endless fall through darkness before arriving in a barren, mist-covered land.
• Hu Yong leads the group to a wayside pavilion, where they meet Zhong Kui, the legendary ghost-capturing celestial master.
• Zhong Kui assigns them a dangerous mission: enter an enclave connected to the mortal world and kill a powerful Ghost General.
• The enclave is saturated with resentment, causing its yin souls to become violent ghosts that devour one another. The Ghost General is already comparable to a cultivator in the Late Soul Condensation Stage and may eventually become a Ghost King.
• Zhong Kui warns that an Underworld Office team sent earlier was corrupted and transformed into the Ghost General’s ghost soldiers. Two human teams have also entered the area and disappeared.
• The group is told to assist any surviving human cultivators they find. Successfully rescuing them will earn an additional reward.
• The mission offers substantial compensation: Immortal Jade, Yellow Springs Crystal, Yin Spirit Pills, Jade Marrow Bone, and other spiritual materials.
• Zhong Kui ends with a warning that survival is more important than completing the mission. Those who die there cannot have their souls recovered and may eventually become resentment-tainted evil spirits.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo remains cautious and observant. He recognizes the Underworld Office from his previous dreamlike experience of the Netherworld and is especially interested in the promised Yellow Springs Crystal.
• Hu Yong demonstrates confidence and familiarity with the Underworld. He acts as the group’s leader and appears unconcerned by the Ghost General’s strength, even joking about earning drinking money.
• Zhong Kui is introduced as powerful but unexpectedly casual and humorous. Despite his intimidating appearance and legendary reputation, he behaves informally, complains about the group’s excessive formality, and casually fans himself.
• Lü He reacts seriously to the Ghost General’s cultivation and asks about the mission’s reward, showing practical concern and interest in the group’s compensation.
• The rest of the group becomes visibly alarmed upon learning the enemy’s strength, though the generous reward renews their enthusiasm.

Significant Themes

• Danger versus reward: The mission’s immense compensation reflects the extreme danger involved, forcing the group to weigh material gain against the risk of death and spiritual corruption.
• Corruption and resentment: The chapter emphasizes how prolonged exposure to resentment can destroy both ghosts and living cultivators, turning them into mindless servants or monsters.
• Survival and responsibility: Zhong Kui stresses that completing the mission is secondary to staying alive, while the potential rescue of other cultivators introduces a moral responsibility beyond personal gain.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhong Kui’s frightening appearance contrasts with his relaxed, almost theatrical personality, reinforcing that outward impressions can be misleading.
• The boundary between life and death: The group’s passage into the Underworld and the warning about becoming wandering ghosts highlight the perilous consequences of dying in a realm beyond ordinary mortal control.

Character Interactions

• Lü He reassures Shen Luo during the teleportation ritual, telling him to trust Hu Yong.
• Hu Yong formally greets Zhong Kui and serves as the group’s representative during the mission briefing.
• Zhong Kui responds to the group’s excessive bowing with impatience and humor, establishing his informal relationship with Hu Yong and the others.
• Zhong Kui explains the mission and its dangers, while Hu Yong accepts the assignment confidently.
• Lü He directly questions Zhong Kui about the reward, prompting the detailed explanation of the mission’s compensation.
• Zhong Kui’s warnings create a more serious tone, reminding the group that the mission involves not only combat but also spiritual corruption and the possible rescue of previous victims.

Chapter Summary: Ghosts of the Underworld

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhong Kui opens a hidden gateway through a dark-red rock using a spell, allowing Shen Luo and the group to enter a sinister otherworldly forest.
• Hu Yong, Jin Dun, Lin Qing, Lü He, Yun Niang, and Shen Luo pass through the gateway. Yun Niang teasingly clings to Shen Luo, though he pulls away and remains focused on the mission.
• They emerge from the trunk of a massive, unusually normal-looking Gu tree into a forest filled with black-green vegetation, diseased growths, and white-fuzz-covered galls. The environment is saturated with evil energy.
• The group realizes that enemies are approaching through the brush. Hu Yong attacks first, using a massive golden palm to destroy several Gu trees and clear the area.
• A horde of ghostly spirits emerges from the forest. The creatures are semi-corporeal, with phantom lower bodies; many are skeletal or decayed.
• The group draws their weapons and begins fighting:
  • Yun Niang uses threads from her red gauze dress to pierce, bind, burn, and destroy several ghosts.
  • Lin Qing controls a slender green flying sword, killing numerous spirits.
  • Jin Dun charges into the horde and cuts the ghosts apart with his saber.
• Shen Luo observes that the ghosts appear weaker than expected and becomes somewhat less tense, though he remains alert. The battle continues beyond the excerpt.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo displays caution and awareness, concealing the Exquisite Ring while preparing his golden saber. He remains skeptical of the dangerous mission but becomes more confident after seeing the enemies’ apparent weakness.
• Hu Yong establishes himself as the group’s experienced leader. He recognizes the danger quickly, warns the others, and launches the first powerful attack.
• Yun Niang combines flirtatious behavior with impressive combat ability. Her playful teasing of Shen Luo contrasts sharply with the ruthless efficiency of her thread-and-fire technique.
• Lü He projects confidence despite briefly questioning the forest’s evil atmosphere. His exchange with Yun Niang reveals a teasing rivalry between them.
• Lin Qing fights with precision and control through his unusual, needle-like flying sword.
• Jin Dun proves to be a direct and powerful melee fighter, relying on aggressive saber attacks.

Significant Themes

• Danger concealed beneath appearances: The gateway and forest initially seem mysterious rather than overtly threatening, but the diseased Gu trees and evil energy reveal the realm’s corruption.
• Professional confidence versus genuine peril: The group appears accustomed to dangerous supernatural missions, yet Zhong Kui’s repeated warnings suggest that the threat may be greater than they expect.
• Teamwork and contrasting combat styles: Each member contributes a distinct ability—spells, weapons, flying swords, threads, and brute force—creating a coordinated fighting unit.
• Surface behavior versus inner capability: Yun Niang’s seductive, playful manner masks her deadly skill, while Hu Yong’s hunched appearance conceals formidable strength.
• The supernatural boundary between life and death: The ghostly enemies exist between physical and spiritual forms, emphasizing the chapter’s underworld setting.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Yun Niang: Yun Niang deliberately acts frightened and hooks her arm around Shen Luo’s, but he rejects the physical closeness. She continues to tease him, while he ignores her flirtation and concentrates on the threat.
• Lü He and Yun Niang: Yun Niang mocks Lü He by asking whether he is afraid. He responds indignantly, creating a light, competitive dynamic amid the danger.
• Hu Yong and the group: Hu Yong functions as the practical leader, initiating the attack and setting the group’s response to the approaching ghosts.
• The whole party: Their rapid weapon-drawing and synchronized response demonstrate familiarity with one another and readiness for combat.

Plot and key events

• The ghosts that Shen Luo and his companions had struck down regenerate from black mist. The group discovers that destroying a ghost’s head makes it crumble into ash, while the remaining ghosts can absorb its remnants and grow stronger.
• Lü He uses precise earth magic to hurl stone spikes at the spirits, killing some and pinning others down. Hu Yong explains that because the ghosts straddle the boundary between yin and yang, thunder and fire are especially effective against them.
• Shen Luo uses Minor Thunder Talismans to strike several ghosts with lightning, destroying them. His skill earns Hu Yong’s approval and draws attention from the others.
• Yun Niang flirts with Shen Luo, praising his abilities and suggesting their powers make them a natural pair. He awkwardly backs away.
• A force of more than a hundred bronze-armored skeletal horsemen charges out of the forest. Yun Niang identifies them as “Yin Soldiers borrowing the road.” The group forms up to face the stronger, more coordinated threat.
• Shen Luo meets the lead soldier’s spear thrust with his golden blade, demonstrating strength enough to halt its charge briefly. When he hears another force approaching from behind, he realizes the party risks being trapped between two cavalry charges.
• Hu Yong finally intervenes. He produces an Apricot-Yellow Banner embroidered with the mythical Wind Hou and unleashes a violent gale filled with black wind blades against the incoming soldiers. The battle’s outcome is left unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo proves resourceful and capable, adapting his tactics after Hu Yong’s advice and holding his ground against a charging Yin Soldier. He remains reserved in response to Yun Niang’s advances.
• Lü He reveals impressive precision and control in earth-based magic, contrasting with his plain, lumbering appearance.
• Hu Yong acts as an experienced observer and guide, explaining the ghosts’ nature and evaluating Shen Luo before revealing his formidable banner technique.
• Yun Niang shifts from playful flirtation to alert seriousness when the Yin Soldiers appear; her teasing briefly creates an awkward moment with Shen Luo.
• The group responds collectively to the new threat, setting aside the ghost fight to form a defensive line.

Significant themes

• Adapting to an enemy’s nature: The group learns that ordinary attacks are inefficient against supernatural foes, while targeted strikes and elemental counters can be decisive.
• Strength through cooperation and observation: Individual skills matter, but recognizing danger and responding together is essential.
• Escalating danger: The encounter moves from regenerating ghosts to disciplined cavalry, ending on the brink of a larger battle.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Corpse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hu Yong demonstrates the power of his Apricot-Yellow Banner, unleashing enormous black wind blades that shred bronze-armored Yin Soldiers and destroy their skeletal bodies.
• Impressed by Hu Yong’s strength, the group prepares to push through the enemy forces and attack the Ghost General directly.
• Several Blood Corpses suddenly emerge from the forest. Their bodies are flayed, blood-covered, and grotesquely deformed, while their flesh continues moving as if alive.
• One Blood Corpse attacks Shen Luo. He blocks it with a water barrier, then transforms the barrier into a binding water rope.
• Even after Shen Luo crushes the Blood Corpse into pieces, the fragments continue writhing and begin reassembling, revealing the creatures’ remarkable regenerative ability.
• Yun Niang burns the Blood Corpse with fire, successfully destroying it and warning the group of its dangerous corpse poison.
• Hu Yong orders everyone to stop wasting time on lesser enemies. He summons numerous Talisman-Paper Puppets, which become black humanoid figures and hold back the Blood Corpses and Yin Soldiers.
• The group advances into the forest in search of the Ghost General. Hu Yong explains that his Baleful-Seeking Compass can locate the area’s strongest Yin Baleful Qi, which should lead them to their target.
• Lin Qing suggests using Divine Sense to avoid enemy forces. Hu Yong admits this is possible but complains that constantly monitoring the surroundings would be tedious.

Character Developments

• Hu Yong establishes himself as the group’s strongest and most experienced fighter. His banner easily destroys large numbers of Yin Soldiers, and he remains calm and confident throughout the battle.
• Shen Luo displays quick reflexes and effective control over water-based techniques when confronting the Blood Corpse. His interest in Hu Yong’s Puppet Talismans also reveals his eagerness to learn advanced techniques.
• Yun Niang proves herself capable and helpful by using fire to finish off the Blood Corpse. Her flirtatious, teasing attitude remains evident in her interaction with Shen Luo.
• Lü He, Yun Niang, and Jin Dun reinforce the group’s admiration for Hu Yong, though Jin Dun also shows enthusiasm and a willingness to fight rather than merely rely on Hu Yong.
• Lin Qing, usually quiet, contributes a practical suggestion about using Divine Sense to avoid unnecessary battles.
• Shen Luo’s respect for Hu Yong grows after seeing both his combat power and his relaxed, approachable personality.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength versus efficiency: Hu Yong’s power allows him to destroy enemies effortlessly, but he insists that the group focus on the Ghost General rather than expend time on minor opponents.
• The horror and danger of corruption: The Blood Corpses’ flayed bodies, corpse poison, regenerative flesh, and loss of humanity emphasize the terrifying consequences of supernatural contamination.
• Teamwork and complementary abilities: Shen Luo restrains the Blood Corpse, Yun Niang burns it, and Hu Yong provides large-scale support and protection, showing how the group’s different techniques work together.
• Knowledge and mentorship: Shen Luo’s fascination with the Puppet Talismans and Hu Yong’s offer to teach him suggest a developing mentor-student relationship.
• Practicality versus personal temperament: Although Hu Yong knows the safest way to proceed, he dislikes the mental effort required to maintain constant vigilance, adding humor to the tense situation.

Character Interactions

• Lü He and Yun Niang praise Hu Yong’s strength and reputation, while Jin Dun urges the group to contribute instead of relying entirely on him.
• Shen Luo battles a Blood Corpse directly and receives Hu Yong’s warning about corpse poison.
• Yun Niang saves Shen Luo from the reassembling Blood Corpse and playfully indicates that he need not thank her.
• Hu Yong notices Shen Luo’s interest in the Puppet Talismans and jokingly offers to teach him, strengthening their rapport.
• Lü He repeatedly adjusts how he addresses Hu Yong, while Hu Yong humorously objects to being called “Elder Hu.”
• Lin Qing’s suggestion about using Divine Sense prompts Hu Yong to reveal his reluctance to use an otherwise practical method because he finds it tedious.

Chapter Summary: “Two Clues”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Since none of the cultivators had reached the Soul Condensation Stage, only Hu Yong could use Divine Sense to detect threats. To help the group evade Yin Soldiers and ghosts, he reluctantly lent everyone Breath-Concealing Talismans made from valuable Azure Frost Paper.
• The talismans were placed over either the Dantian or Danzhong Acupoint to suppress the cultivators’ auras. Hu Yong and most of the group placed theirs over the Dantian, while Yun Niang and Shen Luo chose the chest area instead.
• Hu Yong produced a Fiend-Seeking Disc, an elaborate compass-like artifact engraved with celestial cycles, solar terms, and the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Its pointer fluctuated between the southeast Xun position and the southern Li position, suggesting that the target’s location was uncertain or possibly divided between two areas.
• The group decided to travel south toward the Li position first, planning to search eastward toward Xun if necessary.
• Along the way, they hid from two stronger squads of armored Yin Soldiers and later avoided several decayed Zombies chasing a strange bluish-black rabbit.
• Shen Luo noticed and recovered a token dropped by one of the Zombies. Engraved with “Imperially Issued by Great Tang,” it revealed that the Great Tang Government Office had previously sent people into the area.
• The group inferred that the Government Office team had failed, increasing the danger and suggesting that stronger forces might be sent later. Hu Yong urged everyone to move quickly so they would not lose the opportunity to obtain the target.
• They continued cautiously through the forest, alternating between movement and concealment, and eventually reached an open clearing.

Character Developments

• Hu Yong remains practical and reluctant to take unnecessary risks or spend valuable resources, but he assumes responsibility for protecting and guiding the group. His serious reaction to the Fiend-Seeking Disc’s uncertain reading shows that the mission has begun to concern him.
• Shen Luo demonstrates caution and independence by refusing to place the talisman directly over his Dantian. He also shows alertness by noticing and retrieving the Government Office token, deepening his suspicion that the mission is more dangerous than expected.
• Yun Niang likewise avoids placing the talisman on her Dantian, suggesting personal modesty or discomfort with the procedure.
• Lü He, Jin Dun, and Lin Qing cooperate readily with Hu Yong. Lin Qing contributes a rational explanation for the compass’s conflicting readings, while Lü He supports his interpretation.
• The group as a whole becomes more anxious and motivated after learning that the Government Office has already attempted the mission and apparently failed.

Significant Themes

• Caution and survival: The group must conceal their auras, avoid patrols, and proceed slowly through hostile territory.
• Uncertainty and hidden danger: The Fiend-Seeking Disc cannot identify a single clear direction, implying that the enemy or target may be elusive, divided, or unusually powerful.
• Competition and urgency: The discovery of the Government Office token reveals that other powerful forces are pursuing the same objective, creating pressure to act before reinforcements arrive.
• Resources and trust: Hu Yong’s valuable talismans show both his willingness to help and his reluctance to sacrifice personal resources, while the others depend heavily on his abilities and judgment.
• Clues from the environment: The compass readings and the discarded token provide two important clues about the target and the mission’s history.

Character Interactions

• Hu Yong distributes the talismans while jokingly correcting the others when they call the items gifts, creating a brief moment of humor and familiarity.
• He explains the talismans’ use and demonstrates how to apply one, prompting the others to imitate him.
• Shen Luo questions the compass’s behavior, but Hu Yong is too focused on interpreting the artifact to answer directly.
• Jin Dun and Lü He speculate about the possibility of multiple ghost generals or a failed previous expedition, while Lin Qing offers an alternative explanation involving the dispersion of Yin Baleful Qi.
• After Shen Luo finds the token, the group discusses its meaning and collectively recognizes the increased stakes of the mission.

Key events

• The group finds an unnaturally barren patch of red earth surrounding a small pond with a pink Nine-petaled Lotus. Hu Yong tests the area with a talisman, then leads everyone across.
• Shen Luo experiences a fleeting red haze and a sudden jolt, though the others see nothing. Hu Yong confirms that concealed resentment and baleful energy permeate the site and concludes it is the Ghost General’s lair.
• Hu Yong proposes luring the Ghost General back with his blood essence and trapping it in a Five-Element Demon-Exterminating Formation. He explains the formation: the five companions will hold positions around the pond with Ghost-Subduing Talismans and sustain it with Magic Power, while he controls its core.
• As Shen Luo takes his position, he sees strange talisman-like markings at the pond’s bottom. A red haze returns, and he glimpses the lotus blazing with scarlet flames and a twisting figure wrapped in dense baleful energy. Warmth rising through his body clears his vision before he can call out.
• Jin Dun notices Shen Luo’s hesitation and asks whether he is seeing things again.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo shows unusual sensitivity to the site’s hidden forces: unlike the others, he repeatedly sees the red haze and glimpses what may be the Ghost General. A mysterious warmth within him restores his vision each time, though its source remains unexplained.
• Hu Yong takes charge, recognizes Shen Luo’s perception as significant, and helps steady him with a flow of energy. He also organizes the group’s plan and assigns their roles in the formation.
• The others trust Hu Yong’s judgment and agree to cooperate. Jin Dun volunteers to learn the formation and later checks on Shen Luo; the group’s inability to perceive what Shen Luo sees highlights his unusual awareness.

Significant themes

• Perception and hidden danger: The lair conceals forces invisible to most, while Shen Luo alone repeatedly catches glimpses of them.
• Trust and coordinated action: The group relies on Hu Yong’s expertise and must work together precisely to make the formation effective.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The lotus, the markings beneath the pond, Shen Luo’s visions, and the unexplained warmth suggest dangers and abilities not yet understood.