Chapter Summaries

Su Bai rejected an invitation from an Immortal Alliance elder, refusing to let the Heavenly Dao Sect pay a share of its income for the Alliance’s protection and benefits. The elder and Yan'er departed with the sect’s future still uncertain, while Su Bai left the Heavenly Dao Sect’s gates open to Yan'er.

• Yan'er failed to climb beyond the tenth step of the Heavenly Dao Sect’s entrance examination, and Su Bai explained that the test measured affinity rather than talent.
• Su Bai told Yan'er and her grandfather that the sect welcomed people of upright character and affinity regardless of Spirit Root, age, or wealth.
• The old man invited the Heavenly Dao Sect to join the Immortal Alliance and described its trading channels, protection, and annual fees.
• Su Bai questioned the fees, including the forty percent of annual income required from Nascent Soul-level factions, and asked what would happen if he refused.
• The old man warned that powerful factions might eventually use the sect’s independence as an excuse to attack it, but Su Bai firmly refused to join the Immortal Alliance.
• Yan'er praised Su Bai and admitted she disliked the Alliance’s atmosphere, and Su Bai told her she would always be welcome at the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Su Bai welcomed Li Shiyan into the Heavenly Dao Sect after the Immortal Alliance elder warned that others might come to recruit the sect. The next morning, Su Bai discovered his disciples had advanced in cultivation and approved Zhuge Feng’s leave, learning that Zhuge Feng planned to avenge his parents.

• Su Bai invited the Immortal Alliance elder and Li Shiyan to join the Heavenly Dao Sect, and the elder warned him that the alliance might soon send other representatives.
• The elder told Li Shiyan about humanity’s early cultivation history and the founding of his long-dissolved sect.
• Su Bai saw that Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, and Mu Lingxian had all advanced in cultivation overnight.
• Zhuge Feng presented Su Bai with an eight-page, ten-thousand-word leave request and explained that Xiao Yan and Xiao Lingxi would cover his duties.
• Su Bai approved Zhuge Feng’s leave and told him to add simple leave rules to the sect regulations.
• Zhuge Feng left the mountain, determined to avenge his parents.

Xiao Yan reported his progress to Su Bai and resolved to defeat Liu Yanran, while Zhuge Feng prepared to avenge his parents by confronting the Ouyang Household. At Old Master Ouyang’s birthday banquet, Zhuge Feng burst into the estate bearing a mysterious gift.

• Xiao Yan told Su Bai that he had grown stronger and vowed to defeat Liu Yanran, then returned to training.
• Su Bai watched his disciples practice and was pleased with their diligence.
• Zhuge Feng mourned his parents at their graves and swore to punish the Ouyang Household for their deaths.
• At Old Master Ouyang’s sixtieth-birthday banquet, Ouyang ordered a servant killed for breaking a cup.
• Zhuge Feng sent two guards flying through the gates and announced that he had come bearing gifts.

Zhuge Feng attacked the Ouyang Estate during Ouyang Shuai’s birthday celebration to avenge his parents, whom Ouyang Shuai had ordered killed a year earlier. After revealing an iron coffin and giving the guests a chance to leave, Zhuge Feng faced a crowd that Ouyang Shuai had persuaded to join forces against him.

• Zhuge Feng struck down Ouyang Shuai’s four guards and flung Ouyang Shuai aside, revealing that he was a Fifth-Level Qi Refinement cultivator.
• Zhuge Feng told Ouyang Shuai that his parents had been killed on Ouyang Shuai’s orders after his mother broke a teacup at the previous year’s birthday banquet.
• Zhuge Feng unveiled an iron coffin, threatened to bury anyone who remained, and stopped a merchant who had mocked his parents from leaving.
• Ouyang Shuai urged the guests to kill Zhuge Feng and divide the cultivation opportunity and Immortal Arts they believed he possessed.
• The guests agreed to unite against Zhuge Feng, who warned that they were seeking death.

Zhuge Feng attacked the Ouyang Estate to avenge his parents, while Ouyang Shuai stayed out of the fight and hoped to profit from the slaughter. At Heavenly Dao Sect, Su Bai noticed Zhuge Feng had exchanged for an Explosive Qi Pill and prepared an Instant Teleportation Talisman as Zhuge Feng overwhelmed nearly a hundred attackers.

• Zhuge Feng fought through the crowd at the Ouyang Estate, declaring that he would avenge his parents himself.
• Ouyang Shuai hid at the back and planned to seize the survivors’ assets regardless of who won.
• At Heavenly Dao Sect, crowds gathered for the assessment, and Xiao Yan announced that it had begun.
• Su Bai saw that Zhuge Feng had exchanged for an Explosive Qi Pill and considered using an Instant Teleportation Talisman to reach him.
• Zhuge Feng wielded his iron staff to defeat nearly a hundred attackers and leave the Ouyang Estate in ruins.

Zhuge Feng confronted Ouyang Shuai over his parents’ murder, but Ouyang Shuai’s ally Elder Huang, a Ninth-Level Qi Refining elder of the Yellow Sand Sect, overwhelmed him. After Elder Huang tried to seize Zhuge Feng’s spiritual artifact, Zhuge Feng used an Explosive Qi Pill to raise his strength to Seventh-Level Qi Refining, and Elder Huang demanded a higher payment from Ouyang Shuai.

• Zhuge Feng attacked Ouyang Shuai, but a flying sword from Ouyang Estate blocked his strike and forced him back.
• Ouyang Shuai revealed Elder Huang and his son, while Elder Huang agreed to help in exchange for the immortal art and one thousand taels of gold.
• Elder Huang revealed his Ninth-Level Qi Refining strength and struck Zhuge Feng through a courtyard wall, leaving him badly injured.
• Elder Huang noticed Zhuge Feng’s spiritual artifact and tried to seize it, but Zhuge Feng struck him back after taking an Explosive Qi Pill.
• Elder Huang recognized Zhuge Feng’s boosted Seventh-Level Qi Refining aura and demanded five thousand taels of gold from Ouyang Shuai.

Zhuge Feng defeated Elder Huang by burning his Spirit Root, a sacrifice that set his own life to expire, and turned to take revenge on Ouyang Shuai. The chapter ended as Zhuge Feng brought his iron staff down on Ouyang Shuai.

• Ouyang Shuai promised Elder Huang five thousand taels of gold to kill Zhuge Feng, and Elder Huang attacked with his Fire Dragon Palm.
• Zhuge Feng shattered the fire dragon, but Elder Huang used his flying sword and close-range attacks to overpower him.
• Zhuge Feng recalled how Ouyang Shuai had ordered his parents beaten to death and resolved to survive until he could destroy the Ouyang Household.
• Zhuge Feng burned his Spirit Root, shattered Elder Huang's flying sword, and killed him, though Elder Huang sent a signal summoning Yellow Sand Sect experts.
• Ouyang Shuai shoved his son in front of Zhuge Feng's attack, killing him, then tried to flee before Zhuge Feng pinned his ankle with a sword fragment.
• Zhuge Feng told Ouyang Shuai that only his death mattered and swung his iron staff down at him.

Zhuge Feng avenged his parents by killing Ouyang Shuai, but the Yellow Sand Sect arrived to seize his Immortal Arts as his life neared its end. Su Bai saved him from self-destruction and killed the Yellow Sand Sect members who threatened him.

• Zhuge Feng beat Ouyang Shuai to death, avenging his parents and the people of Yellow Earth Town.
• The Yellow Sand Sect deputy sect master and his disciples arrived at Ouyang Estate and demanded that Zhuge Feng hand over his Immortal Arts.
• Zhuge Feng refused, prepared to self-destruct, and said he had no regrets except that he would not return to the Heavenly Dao Sect.
• Su Bai teleported to Zhuge Feng, stopped his spiritual power from erupting, and declared that the Heavenly Dao Sect would protect its disciple.
• Su Bai unleashed a Golden Core magical treasure and killed the deputy sect master and the Yellow Sand Sect disciples.

Su Bai rescued Zhuge Feng from sacrificing his life for revenge and used a miraculous pill to begin restoring him. As Zhuge Feng underwent rebirth, Xiao Lingxi’s family arrived at the Heavenly Dao Sect, alarming her.

• Su Bai stopped Zhuge Feng’s life-burning and teleported him back to the Heavenly Dao Sect, spending points to bring him along.
• Xiao Lingxi gave Zhuge Feng pills, but he refused them and apologized to Su Bai, believing he was near death.
• Zhuge Feng’s loyalty reached 100, earning him a Nine-Turn Creation Immortal Pill and Su Bai a Future Pill.
• Su Bai gave Zhuge Feng the immortal pill, and a multicolored Creation Lotus enveloped him as it began remaking his body.
• The head of the Xiao Household arrived at the sect, and Xiao Lingxi realized her family had found her.

Xiao Tianlong came to the Heavenly Dao Sect to take Xiao Lingxi back and marry her off to Zhao Baoxiao, but she refused and exposed how he had controlled her life. Su Bai defended her against her father, and Xiao Tianlong threatened to disown her, leaving Xiao Lingxi feeling that all hope of his affection had vanished.

• Xiao Tianlong asked Su Bai whether Xiao Lingxi was cultivating at the Heavenly Dao Sect, and Xiao Lingxi affirmed that she had joined it.
• Xiao Tianlong tried to seize Xiao Lingxi with spiritual power, but Su Bai shattered his attack and warned him not to act arrogantly in the sect.
• Xiao Lingxi confronted Xiao Tianlong about her harsh upbringing and his plan to make her Zhao Baoxiao’s concubine for the Xiao Household’s benefit.
• Xiao Tianlong insisted that the arrangement was for Xiao Lingxi’s own good and questioned what the Heavenly Dao Sect could offer her.
• Su Bai challenged Xiao Tianlong’s implication that the Heavenly Dao Sect was inferior to the Lingxiao Sect, and Xiao Tianlong apologized rather than provoke him.
• Xiao Tianlong threatened to sever their father-daughter bond if Xiao Lingxi refused to return, and she felt her remaining hope for his affection disappear.

Xiao Lingxi severed ties with Xiao Tianlong and chose to live for herself under Su Bai’s protection. Meanwhile, Zhuge Feng’s breakthrough revealed that his Creation had given him the Battle Saint Physique.

• Xiao Lingxi rejected Xiao Tianlong, returned the Xiao Household’s Storage Ring, and declared that their father-daughter relationship was over.
• Su Bai drove Xiao Tianlong and the Xiao Household members from the Heavenly Dao Sect, then comforted Xiao Lingxi as she questioned her decision.
• Su Bai reminded Xiao Lingxi that Xiao Tianlong had treated her as a bargaining chip, and she resolved to live for herself and the Heavenly Dao Sect.
• Xiao Lingxi’s Sect Loyalty reached 99, while the system announced that Su Bai had entered the Foundation Establishment Realm after a disciple’s breakthrough.
• Su Bai found Zhuge Feng emerging from the shattered Creation Lotus in golden spiritual armor and recognized his new physique as the Battle Saint Physique.

After Zhuge Feng recovered, Su Bai welcomed new recruits into the Heavenly Dao Sect and laid out its rules and free cultivation resources. Over the following week, the sect grew to more than one hundred disciples, some of whom had already reached Qi Refining, while the sect still needed someone to reach Foundation Establishment to upgrade.

• Zhuge Feng awoke with greatly enhanced strength, thanked Su Bai for saving him, and promised to heed his warning not to burn his life away again.
• Seven candidates passed the Heavenly Ladder assessment, accepted Su Bai's sect rules, and joined the Heavenly Dao Sect as Fifth-Generation Disciples.
• Xiao Yan led the new disciples to the Immortal Arts Pavilion, where they received the Qi Refining cultivation method for free.
• The sect recruited twenty-six disciples in its first three days, bringing its upgrade mission halfway to completion and leaving Foundation Establishment as the remaining requirement.
• By the seventh day, the Heavenly Dao Sect had more than one hundred disciples, and some recruits from the first two days had already achieved Qi Refining.

Su Bai gathered the Heavenly Dao Sect’s 107 disciples to distribute the first monthly salaries after reviewing their cultivation gains and his own progress. The disciples eagerly handed him their silver first, leaving Su Bai surprised as he prepared to give out their pay.

• Su Bai reviewed the sect’s disciple roster and saw that Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, Mu Lingxian, Ye Qingyao, and Xiao Yan had advanced in cultivation.
• Su Bai checked his own status and found that he had reached Second-Level Foundation Establishment through cultivation feedback.
• Su Bai decided to distribute monthly salaries and summoned the disciples to the main hall.
• The disciples gathered, praised Su Bai, and eagerly answered that they had come for silver.
• The disciples began handing Su Bai thirty taels each, including Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, and the other senior disciples, surprising him before he could distribute their salaries.

Su Bai learned that the silver his disciples had brought was their monthly payment to Heavenly Dao Sect, not a stipend from it. He announced that the sect would pay its disciples instead and began distributing silver, leaving the hall stunned and overjoyed.

• Zhuge Feng explained that disciples at other sects paid monthly dues, and the disciples praised Heavenly Dao Sect for its free entry and Immortal Arts.
• Su Bai realized that the disciples had brought him more than three thousand taels in dues, but decided their money should go toward helping them grow stronger.
• When Su Bai told everyone to put away their silver, the disciples panicked and feared expulsion until he clarified that the sect was paying them.
• Su Bai produced a huge pile of silver and began giving each of the one hundred and seven disciples thirty taels.
• The disciples checked that the silver was real and erupted with excitement.

Su Bai rewarded the Heavenly Dao Sect disciples with silver, Spirit Stones, and bonuses, inspiring their gratitude and drive to cultivate. He expected news of the sect’s generous treatment to spread from Cloudwater City and draw impoverished youths from across the empire.

• The disciples thanked Su Bai and pledged loyalty as their shared gratitude gathered Fortune and a faint trace of Heavenly Mandate in the hall.
• Su Bai gave extra silver to the seven disciples who had reached Qi Refining and announced further rewards for cultivation and good performance.
• Su Bai distributed awards and monthly Low-Grade Spirit Stones to Qi Refining disciples, then promised year-end bonuses.
• Su Bai warned that disciples who fell behind on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder would lose rewards, and those below the sixtieth level would have their cultivation abolished and be expelled.
• The disciples left excited to bring silver and news home, while Su Bai anticipated that word would spread and expand the Heavenly Dao Sect.

The Heavenly Dao Sect’s promise of free entry, Immortal Arts, and monthly silver spread across the empire, drawing far more people to its examination. Meanwhile, a mysterious beggar headed toward the sect, while Lingxiao Sect’s master sought the Immortal Alliance’s help against Su Bai.

• News of the Heavenly Dao Sect’s benefits spread through Cloudwater City and nearby regions, multiplying the number of people seeking to join.
• A beggar in a distant city heard that the sect offered free entry and silver, then rose and headed into the road.
• A young master ordered his lackeys to beat the beggar, but their clubs broke against him and the beggar killed them with a glance before vanishing through torn space.
• On Lingxiao Mountain, Ling Xiao urged his master to attack the Heavenly Dao Sect, but the old man warned him not to underestimate Su Bai.
• The old man revealed that he had appealed to the Immortal Alliance, which would soon send experts against the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Su Bai oversaw the Heavenly Dao Sect’s rapid growth, approved Xiao Lingxi’s disciple uniform designs, and reached the Fourth-Level Foundation Establishment Realm. A beggar who emerged in Cloudwater City saw a Fortune Golden Dragon above the sect and wondered how long it could endure.

• Su Bai noted that the Heavenly Dao Sect needed to expand as its disciple population approached a thousand, though sect advancement required someone to reach Foundation Establishment.
• Xiao Lingxi showed Su Bai her designs for distinct uniforms for each disciple generation, and he approved them, gave her one million taels of silver, and promised a reward.
• The Heavenly Dao Sect’s membership grew to 998, while many disciples advanced in cultivation and Mu Lingxian reached Fifth-Level Qi Refinement.
• Su Bai’s strength rose to Fourth-Level Foundation Establishment as the combined cultivation of his disciples increased.
• A beggar appeared in Cloudwater City and saw a faint Golden Giant Dragon of fortune above the Heavenly Dao Sect, then questioned how long the sect could survive.

A Heavenly Palace Core Disciple arrived at Lingxiao Sect and demonstrated overwhelming strength, prompting its elder to turn his hopes against Heavenly Dao Sect. Meanwhile, a mysterious beggar reached Heavenly Dao Sect’s recruitment grounds and resolved to help the sect survive as long as he could.

• A fat man emerged from Lingxiao Sect’s Teleportation Array, and the sect elder welcomed him as an Upper Immortal of the Immortal Alliance.
• Ling Xiao challenged the fat man, who struck him down with a single word and warned that he could destroy Lingxiao Sect effortlessly.
• The fat man revealed that he was a Core Disciple of the Heavenly Palace, and the Lingxiao Sect elder rejoiced at the prospect of defeating Heavenly Dao Sect.
• Su Bai watched the growing crowd of recruits reach the sixtieth level of the Heaven-Ascending Ladder and decided he would need to prepare more clothes.
• A beggar from Cloudwater City admired Heavenly Dao Sect’s open recruitment, resolved to help it endure, and walked toward the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

At the Heavenly Dao Sect’s recruitment assessment, a beggar climbed the Heaven-Ascending Ladder all the way to the ninetieth level, astonishing Ye Qingyao and the other onlookers. Su Bai recognized him as a powerful cultivator disguised as a mortal and considered what position to offer him.

• Ye Qingyao welcomed new disciples who reached the sixtieth level and assured a beggar that the Heavenly Dao Sect treated all disciples equally.
• The beggar continued climbing past the sixtieth level, reaching the seventieth and then the eightieth level as other candidates hurried upward to keep pace.
• Ye Qingyao went to tell Su Bai that someone had reached the eightieth level, but discovered the beggar had already climbed to the ninetieth.
• Su Bai sensed the beggar’s hidden cultivation and lingering Dao Resonance, and concluded that his ninety-point favorability meant he posed no threat to the sect.
• Su Bai considered what position to give the beggar, deciding that making him a disciple no longer seemed suitable.

Su Bai welcomed the ancient beggar Nameless into the Heavenly Dao Sect, but learned the system would not count him as a disciple because he was stronger than Su Bai. The Lingxiao Sect stewards then arrived with Gao Kepan of the Heavenly Palace, who threatened to strike the sect from the Immortal Alliance’s rolls unless it cooperated.

• Ye Qingyao introduced the beggar who had reached the ninetieth floor, and Su Bai named him Nameless.
• Nameless joined the Heavenly Dao Sect as a menial disciple after declining Su Bai’s offer of an elder position.
• Su Bai learned that Nameless was not counted as a sect disciple, so his strength did not boost Su Bai’s cultivation.
• Zhuge Feng and Su Bai confronted Lingxiao Sect stewards Wang, Xu, and Han, who mocked Zhuge Feng and accused him of betraying their sect.
• The stewards knelt to welcome Gao Kepan, a Heavenly Palace core disciple riding a Fire Qilin.
• Gao Kepan ordered the Heavenly Dao Sect to cooperate with his investigation or face expulsion from the Immortal Alliance.