Chapter Summaries

Ning Fa learned that Liu Qinghui wanted Crimson Rainbow Grass from Nan Hua Island and agreed to help clear its Blood Poison Bees. Elsewhere, a powerful young woman from Huayu Sect traveled to Thousand Wave Lake to seek Cloud Crystal Essence and investigate a cave residence linked to Dugu Huan.

• Liu Qinghui told Ning Fa she needed Crimson Rainbow Grass from Nan Hua Island and asked him to help eliminate the Blood Poison Bees.
• Ning Fa agreed to help and prepared to set out for the island.
• A peerless young woman and her subordinate Uncle Feng arrived at Thousand Wave Lake in a carriage drawn by two Hao Yun Horses.
• The young woman explained that she had recently advanced in cultivation and no longer needed to enter Heart Refining Valley.
• She told Uncle Feng that her family sought an important item connected to Dugu Huan and that she had come to find his cave residence at Thousand Wave Lake.

Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui destroyed the Blood Poison Bees and collected the Golden Silk Silkworms and Crimson Rainbow Grass in the valley. As they prepared to leave, Ning Fa sensed that the scroll had reacted and searched the valley again.

• Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui reached Nan Hua Island and prepared a Minor Blazing Flame Array near the valley.
• Ning Fa lured the Blood Poison Bees into the array while Liu Qinghui hesitated to activate it with him trapped inside, then followed his order and ignited the array.
• Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui fought the Blood Poison Bees for an hour and defeated the swarm, after which Ning Fa questioned Liu Qinghui about her hesitation.
• Ning Fa subdued more than thirty Golden Silk Silkworms, and Liu Qinghui collected the Crimson Rainbow Grass, splitting the herbs with Ning Fa.
• As the two prepared to leave, Ning Fa felt the scroll react and began searching the valley again.

Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui were confronted in the valley by Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue, powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators searching for a hidden cave estate. After Feng Jue tested Ning Fa’s strength, Duanmu Ling ordered them to wait while she found the estate’s location, and Liu Qinghui’s reaction aroused Ning Fa’s suspicion.

• Ning Fa searched the valley for an unknown treasure while Liu Qinghui tried to conceal her unease, and he asked her to return to the clan without him.
• Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue arrived at the valley entrance, and Feng Jue recognized Ning Fa’s unusual spiritual sense and physical cultivation.
• Duanmu Ling examined Ning Fa and Meng Ruoqi with her strange eyes, then asked Feng Jue to test Ning Fa’s strength.
• Ning Fa resisted Feng Jue’s golden fist with his Cloud-Breaking Spear, impressing Duanmu Ling, who introduced herself and said she needed their assistance.
• Duanmu Ling found the cave estate hidden in the mountain wall, and Liu Qinghui turned deathly pale as Ning Fa noticed her reaction.

Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui waited while Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue explored the cave dwelling and claimed its treasures. Duanmu Ling marked Ning Fa and summoned him to Cloud Crystal Island in ten days, then offered Liu Qinghui a place in the Huayu Sect after discovering her Yin Physique.

• Feng Jue broke through the stone wall, defeated the Second-tier Puppet guards, and entered the cave dwelling with Duanmu Ling.
• Duanmu Ling planted a Flower Soul Mark on Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui, then found a puppet, a Jade Slip, and the Earth Tier High-grade Primordial Soul Split Spirit Art in the cave.
• Duanmu Ling explained that she wanted Ning Fa's pure Thunder Spiritual Power to help Little Thunder break through to the second tier.
• Duanmu Ling ordered Ning Fa to meet her on Cloud Crystal Island in ten days and warned that her Flower Soul Mark would let her track him.
• Duanmu Ling recognized Liu Qinghui's Yin Physique and offered to make her an Inner Disciple of the Huayu Sect.

Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui left the breached cave abode after Duanmu Ling offered Liu Qinghui a place in the Huayu Sect and promised Ning Fa a similar opportunity if he helped her. Later, Ning Daozhen met the puppet containing an old cultivator’s divided soul, which revealed that its true cave abode was on the Ning Clan’s Spirit Deer Island.

• Duanmu Ling offered Liu Qinghui a chance to join the Huayu Sect and promised Ning Fa the same opportunity if he helped her, then left with Feng Jue.
• Liu Qinghui admitted she had known about the cave abode and had used Ning Fa to clear out the Blood Poison Bees.
• Ning Fa and Liu Qinghui flew back toward their clan, while Ning Fa worried about the task Duanmu Ling wanted him to help with.
• Ning Daozhen found the breached cave abode and summoned a humanoid puppet containing an old cultivator’s divided soul.
• The puppet recovered memories from the broken guardian puppets and revealed that its true cave abode was on the Ning Clan’s Spirit Deer Island.

Ning Fa told Ning Zhongyuan about Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue, then refused the possibility of joining the Huayu Sect for now because he feared losing his freedom and wanted to strengthen himself first. Ten days later, he arrived at Cloud Crystal Island, where Xue Danping waited, puzzled by Duanmu Ling’s interest in him.

• Ning Fa reported his meeting with Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue to Ning Zhongyuan, who urged him to obey Duanmu Ling’s request and consider joining the Huayu Sect.
• Ning Fa said he would refuse an invitation to join the sect, citing his limited prospects there, while privately fearing exposure of his secrets and a binding contract with the Duanmu Family.
• Ning Zhongyuan promised the Ning Clan would support Ning Fa’s future Foundation Establishment and explained that the Duanmu Family was a powerful Huayu Sect faction with two Golden Core Ancestors.
• Ning Zhongyuan noted that Liu Qinghui would be going to the Huayu Sect and said the clan needed to train more alchemists, while Ning Fa prepared to keep working for the family.
• Ten days later, Ning Fa traveled alone to Cloud Crystal Island, where a Xue Family patrol escorted him to the dock and Xue Danping greeted him, puzzled by Duanmu Ling’s interest in him.

Ning Fa met Duanmu Ling at the Xue Family’s island to help her spirit beast, Little Thunder, advance using his Thunder Spiritual Power. Little Thunder unexpectedly took to Ning Fa, and after Duanmu Ling prepared the Cloud Crystal Pond array, the advancement was about to begin.

• Xue Danping escorted Ning Fa into a mountain hall where Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue waited beside the Cloud Crystal Pond.
• Duanmu Ling explained that she needed Ning Fa’s Thunder Spiritual Power to help Little Thunder advance and introduced the lightning-attribute spirit beast.
• Little Thunder eagerly circled Ning Fa and welcomed his touch, astonishing Duanmu Ling and Feng Jue.
• Duanmu Ling recalled Little Thunder and instructed Ning Fa to gather his mana for the advancement.
• Duanmu Ling built a powerful array over the Cloud Crystal Pond, filled it with Spirit Stones and lightning-attribute materials, and Little Thunder leaped inside as the array activated.

Ning Fa helped Duanmu Ling’s Thunder Beast advance to the second grade, then declined her offer to join the Huayu Sect for now and received a Thunder Carp Beast inner core as a reward. Back on Small Bamboo Island, Liu Qinghui revealed that her half of the Jade Pendant contained a high-grade Pill Master Inheritance.

• Ning Fa stabilized the Thunder Beast’s advancement with his spiritual power, and it broke through to the second grade.
• Duanmu Ling offered Ning Fa a place as an Inner Disciple of the Huayu Sect, but Ning Fa declined because his family was in trouble.
• Duanmu Ling gave Ning Fa a second-grade Thunder Carp Beast inner core, and Xue Danping escorted him from Cloud Crystal Island.
• Ning Fa returned to Small Bamboo Island and told Liu Qinghui he might join the Huayu Sect in the future.
• Liu Qinghui asked about her half of the Jade Pendant and revealed that it held a high-grade Pill Master Inheritance.

After Liu Qinghui left, Ning Fa discovered that Xiao Yu’s awakened bloodline gave her a remarkable talent for finding buried treasures. He then received news about the crescent-moon-shaped stone and went to Tianshui Market, where he encountered Meng Ruoqi and Shi Shaoyang.

• Ning Fa misled Liu Qinghui about destroying his half of the Jade Pendant, and she promised to share her portion of the Pill Master Inheritance before they slept together.
• Two days later, Liu Qinghui left with Duanmu Ling, leaving Ning Fa with more pill-refining responsibilities.
• Ning Fa visited Xiao Yu and learned that she had advanced to the fourth layer of Qi Refining and become a first-grade low-rank Pill Master.
• Xiao Yu showed Ning Fa an Earth Bamboo Stone she had dug up more than ten zhang underground, revealing her instinctive talent for finding treasures.
• Ning Fa received Wei Shiqin’s message about a cultivator with a crescent-moon-shaped stone and hurried to Tianshui Market.
• Ning Fa met Meng Ruoqi and Shi Shaoyang, who reminded him of their unfinished sparring match.

Ning Fa arrived at Tongbao Pavilion and recognized a veiled cultivator arguing with Huayu Sect disciples over Azure Lotus Pills. Wei Shiqin introduced him as a skilled Pill Master and revealed that Ling possessed the rare Moonstone he had been seeking, leaving Ning Fa with a chance to pursue it.

• Meng Ruoqi explained to Shi Shaoyang that she was maintaining ties with Ning Fa and the Ning Clan for the sake of the Meng Family, while Shi Shaoyang promised his support.
• Ning Fa recognized Ling and three other Huayu Sect disciples arguing with a veiled woman who insisted on buying all five bottles of Azure Lotus Pills.
• Ning Fa realized the veiled woman was the mysterious auction buyer who had competed with him for the Moon Gazing Art and bought a flawed Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Wei Shiqin settled the dispute by letting the veiled woman buy the pills and told the Huayu Sect disciples that Ning Fa could refine Azure Lotus Pills and Water Radiance Pills.
• Wei Shiqin revealed that Ling possessed Moonstone, the rare mineral Ning Fa had asked about, and introduced him as an exceptionally skilled Pill Master.

Ning Fa traded pills and a search for Dark Flame Grass in exchange for Ling Yue’s Moonstones, then led the Huayu Sect group to Black Rock Island to harvest the herb. After defeating a swarm of Dark Mist Spiders, the group began checking their nests for Dark Flame Grass.

• Ning Fa met Ling Yue and the Huayu Sect members, then exchanged pills and a promise to search for Dark Flame Grass for five of Ling Yue’s Moonstones.
• Wei Shiqin told Ning Fa where mature Dark Flame Grass might grow and gave him a Jade Slip with the information.
• Seven days later, Ning Fa led Blazing Wind Hall members and the Huayu Sect group toward Black Rock Island, leaving Ning Yuwen to oversee the clan.
• Ning Fa warned the group about the island’s Dark Mist Spiders and led them through the dangerous terrain.
• Ning Fa and the group defeated dozens of Dark Mist Spiders in a canyon, and Ling Yue thanked him before they began searching the nests for Dark Flame Grass.

After parting from Ling Yue's group, Ning Fa followed Xiao Yu's sense of a powerful spiritual item and encountered the wounded veiled woman from Tongbao Pavilion. The Wood Element Lightning Mark reacted to her, and as Ning Fa prepared to pursue her, he stopped a passing group from the Chongyuan Society.

• Ling Yue thanked Ning Fa with two extra Moonstones and left with Zuo Guanglin and Kou Zhun for the Huayu Sect, while Ning Fa resolved to visit her after reaching Foundation Establishment.
• Xiao Yu sensed an extraordinary spiritual item somewhere to the south, so Ning Fa took the group south aboard their flying boat.
• Ning Fa recognized the veiled woman from Tongbao Pavilion on a passing boat and saw that she and her poisoned companion were gravely wounded.
• The Wood Element Lightning Mark stirred when the veiled woman activated her Green Longbow, leading Ning Fa to suspect she had a wood-attributed spiritual body or item.
• As the veiled woman hurried toward Black Rock Island, Ning Fa prepared to pursue her, but a boat bearing the Chongyuan Society's Black Flag arrived.
• Ning Fa asked the five Chongyuan Society cultivators aboard the boat to stop.

Ning Fa followed the Chongyuan Society to Black Rock Island, intending to intervene and gain the veiled woman’s favor after suspecting she could activate his Supreme Wood Divine Thunder. As the Chongyuan Society broke through her forest formation and threatened her poisoned brother, a mysterious green-robed figure appeared between the two sides.

• Ning Fa let the Chongyuan Society cultivators leave, then secretly followed them to Black Rock Island while planning to use their attack to help the veiled woman.
• The veiled woman and her companion hid in a forest formation, but the Chongyuan Society cleared the surrounding trees until the barrier collapsed.
• The veiled woman killed the short, fat cultivator’s Bamboo Green Snake with her Green Longbow, and he threatened her with the Clear Gloom Pill that could cure her poisoned brother.
• The veiled woman’s brother burned his blood and qi to prepare to hold off the Chongyuan Society and urged her to escape.
• A Silver Lightning Ball exploded between the two groups, and a green-robed figure appeared among them with an uncanny movement technique.

Ning Fa rescued a veiled woman and her poisoned brother from Chongyuan Society cultivators, then revealed that he wanted to dual cultivate with her because of her wood-attributed spirit body. He offered to help cure her brother and protect them, but she had not yet agreed.

• Ning Fa gave the veiled woman's brother a Blood Qi Pill and warned the pair that his life-risking secret technique was consuming his essence blood.
• Ning Fa revealed his identity as the master of the Ning Clan's Blazing Wind Hall and defeated the short, fat Chongyuan Society cultivator before driving the group away.
• Ning Fa sent Ning Yunhui and the others away, then asked the veiled woman whether she had a wood-attributed spirit body.
• Ning Fa admitted that he wanted her to dual cultivate with him and offered to obtain pills for her brother and shelter them at the Ning Clan.

Ning Fa made Yun Ying sign a spirit contract by promising to save her poisoned brother, Yun Jian, and gave her Water Radiance Pills to ease his condition. When Liao Wuyin of the Chongyuan Society appeared and tried to leave, Ning Fa blocked him and prepared to attack with powerful lightning spears, leaving Liao pleading for him to stop.

• Yun Ying agreed to a Second-grade Spirit Contract with Ning Fa after he promised to treat Yun Jian.
• Ning Fa gave Yun Ying Water Radiance Pills, and she fed one to Yun Jian, whose green aura faded.
• Yun Ying introduced herself and her brother as Yun Ying and Yun Jian.
• Ning Fa detected Liao Wuyin, a Chongyuan Society cultivator, hiding nearby with his Breath Concealment Technique.
• Ning Fa blocked Liao Wuyin from leaving and summoned Thunder Yuan Overlord Spears into his weapons.
• Liao Wuyin realized the danger and admitted his mistake, pleading with Ning Fa to stop.

Ning Fa defeated Liao Wuyin, then learned that Yun Ying possessed a Netherwood Spirit Body and had a lead on a rare wood-attributed spirit item. He agreed to help her destroy the Chongyuan Society and kill Old Ghost He if he achieved Foundation Establishment, and revealed that he and his companions were also seeking the item.

• Liao Wuyin’s blade attack failed against Ning Fa’s Cloud-Breaking Spear, and he escaped with a second-grade Swiftness Talisman.
• Yun Ying explained that the Chongyuan Society hunted her and her brother after they killed cultivators who tried to violate them, and that Old Ghost He had recognized her Netherwood Spirit Body.
• Yun Ying revealed that she had poisoned Old Ghost He with a Poison Origin Pearl while escaping, but her brother had suffered severe damage to his foundation protecting her.
• Yun Ying offered to lead Ning Fa to a mature, high-grade wood-attributed spirit item in exchange for his future help against the Chongyuan Society and Old Ghost He.
• Ning Fa accepted Yun Ying’s condition if he achieved Foundation Establishment, then disclosed that he and his companions were also seeking the spirit item.

Ning Fa and his group reached a barren island where Meng Ruoqi's group, Xue Danping's group, and two demonic beasts were gathered around a Wood Origin Fruit tree. The three factions agreed to join forces against the beasts, and the battle began.

• Xiao Yu sensed a treasure ahead, and Yun Ying confirmed its direction after the group reached the island.
• Ning Fa led his fighters to an open area, where they found Meng Ruoqi, Shi Shaoyang, Xue Danping, and two demonic beasts facing off.
• Ning Fa recognized the fruits as immature Wood Origin Fruits, valuable ingredients for Crystallization Pills, guarded by the Wood Dragon Beast and a Golden Retriever-like beast.
• Meng Ruoqi proposed that the three factions defeat the beasts together before competing for the fruits, and Xue Danping and Ning Fa agreed.
• The cultivators attacked the two demonic beasts with magic artifacts, talismans, and spells.

The three factions unleashed six talisman treasures against the Wood Dragon Beast, while Ning Fa secretly ordered the Ning Clan to retreat. After the Golden-Haired Strange Beast betrayed the Wood Dragon Beast and stole its emerald pearl, the cultivators raced toward the Wood Origin Fruits, and Ning Fa surged ahead with blood and qi power.

• The Wood Dragon Beast suppressed the cultivators with green blades and deadly vines, prompting Meng Ruoqi, Ning Fa, and Xue Danping to agree to use two talisman treasures each.
• The Wood Dragon Beast formed a shield from its armor, and all six talisman treasures struck it until it shattered.
• Ning Fa secretly told Ning Yunhui and the others to retreat toward Black Rock Island with Xiao Yu while the attack unfolded.
• The Golden-Haired Strange Beast attacked the Wood Dragon Beast, tore out and swallowed its emerald pearl, then charged toward the Wood Origin Fruits.
• Meng Ruoqi, Shi Shaoyang, Xue Danping, and the others rushed after the Golden-Haired Strange Beast as Ning Fa surged forward, radiating power from his blood and qi.

Ning Fa snatched the Wood Origin Fruits from the Golden-Haired Strange Beast and escaped after fighting off its attacks and those of the rival cultivators. The others blamed one another for the loss, while Xue Danping tried to persuade Shi Shaoyang to abandon Meng Ruoqi.

• Ning Fa used the Illusory Demon Escape to reach the Wood Origin Fruits ahead of the Golden-Haired Strange Beast and took them while Ning Yunhui and the other Ning Clan cultivators fled.
• The Golden-Haired Strange Beast and the cultivators from the Meng, Shi, and Xue families attacked Ning Fa, but he used his azure robe and Illusory Demon Steps to evade them.
• Ning Fa struck the Golden-Haired Strange Beast away, unleashed the Cloud-Breaking Spear, and escaped beyond the cultivators' reach.
• The Golden-Haired Strange Beast fled when the remaining cultivators turned on it, and Xue Danping blamed Meng Ruoqi and Shi Shaoyang for failing to cooperate.
• Xue Danping urged Shi Shaoyang to reconsider his alliance with Meng Ruoqi, but he promised to remain by her side as she watched the direction Ning Fa had gone.

Zhao Yanhua traced the Wood Origin Fruit and discovered Xiao Yu’s exceptionally strong Zhao Family bloodline. After Xiao Yu rejected his invitation to return with him, he said he would visit the Ning Clan as a guest.

• Zhao Yanhua used the Treasure-Seeking Art after hearing Xue Danping’s message about the Wood Origin Fruit and sensed a powerful Zhao Family bloodline nearby.
• Ning Fa and the others traveled toward the Ning Clan, but Ning Fa spotted Zhao Yanhua approaching and landed on a deserted island to prepare for a possible fight.
• Zhao Yanhua identified Xiao Yu as a scattered Zhao Family member, and their matching spirit rat phantoms revealed the extraordinary strength of her Sacred Beast bloodline.
• Zhao Yanhua invited Xiao Yu to return to the Zhao Family, but Xiao Yu refused and insisted she belonged to the Ning family.
• Zhao Yanhua accepted Xiao Yu’s refusal for the moment and said he would visit the Ning Clan as a guest.