Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

Chen Zhuo chooses to pay for his Azure Dragon medicine in Spirit Coins rather than spend the Spirit Stones he has reserved for buying stock in the Ancient Immortal Realm. Since his loan has not yet been approved, Dong Xuejiao makes an exception and lets him buy on credit.
Dong sees the gathering as a chance to recruit customers for the One Heart Society’s medicine business. She publicly praises Chen Zhuo and introduces him as someone with useful connections, hoping to build his reputation and draw him into the group’s network. Sijing adds him to the society’s official chat and promises he will receive his medicine after Dong’s speech.
Chen needs the injectable Azure Dragon to improve his cultivation before the Qiwu Sword Sect’s recruitment trial in three months. He prefers rapid progress over the slower oral medicine, even though he is unsure whether he can pass the trial.
Dong’s speech promotes the society with extravagant claims about its influence and wealthy former president. Chen recognizes the event as resembling a direct-selling pitch and suspects the group is part of the informal “dark medicine trade.” Still, because its Azure Dragon costs 100 Spirit Coins less than the official-store version, he decides the lower price is worthwhile.
After the speech, Sijing obtains a vial for him and cautions him not to inject it carelessly. She offers to help arrange discounted treatment if something goes wrong, while urging him to call emergency services if his life is in danger.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo is financially cautious, keeping his Spirit Stones for investment while relying on Spirit Coins for local expenses. His urgent cultivation goal makes him willing to take a calculated risk on discounted medicine. He is skeptical of salesmanship but not automatically opposed to informal sellers.
• Dong Xuejiao acts warm and generous toward Chen in public, but her motives are also commercial: she wants to expand the society’s customer base. Her polished speech and grand claims make Chen question the group’s credibility.
• Sijing serves as Chen’s practical, more caring contact within the society. She helps him get the medicine, adds him to the group chat, and gives safety advice.
• Chen’s exchange with Dong turns a simple purchase into a public endorsement; his exchange with Sijing is more personal and useful, centering on obtaining and safely using the medicine.

Significant themes

• Financial prudence and ambition: Chen balances conserving valuable assets with investing in faster cultivation ahead of a rare opportunity.
• Commercial persuasion and skepticism: The chapter contrasts Dong’s promotional claims with Chen’s critical assessment of the society.
• Informal markets and trust: Lower prices make the “dark medicine trade” attractive, but buyers must judge sellers and risks for themselves.
• Mutual aid versus recruitment: The society presents itself as supportive while also using personal connections and public praise to grow its business.

Plot points

• Chen Zhuo and Senior Sijing end their meeting by agreeing to work together selling medicine. Chen Zhuo plans to sell only her stock, while she handles the purchases—keeping him at a safer distance from possible enforcement. They jokingly call themselves “a partnership of powerhouses.”
• Back in his cave, Chen Zhuo considers injecting the Azure Dragon medicine. He watches online videos and discovers that many Qi Refinement cultivators have died after overdosing on the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin.
• A paid instructional video explains that the medicine can be used safely when taken correctly. The worst cases were desperate cultivators at the peak of Qi Refinement who injected all nine medicines in hopes of forcing Foundation Establishment; their odds of success were under five percent.
• The video places this risky trend in a broader history: Foundation Establishment and Core Formation once required Immortal Estate certificates, but the Estate’s discovery and plunder of a new world brought such abundant resources that the certificates were abandoned.
• After studying the dosage guidance, Chen Zhuo travels to his Cloudford Market City cave, where spiritual energy is richer. He injects the Azure Dragon and begins circulating his cultivation technique to absorb the medicine’s energy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo is cautious enough to research the medicine before using it, but remains opportunistic and eager to gain from both the medicine business and his own cultivation. He trusts Senior Sijing to manage the risky procurement.
• Senior Sijing responds warmly to Chen Zhuo’s proposal and accepts their partnership.
• The two share an upbeat, joking rapport, contrasting with the grim stories of cultivators who died chasing a breakthrough.

Significant themes

• Risk, ambition, and inequality: desperate cultivators gamble their lives for the status of Foundation Establishment, while those with resources can pursue safer methods.
• Commercialization of cultivation: medicine sales, paid instructional videos, and body-buying contracts turn cultivation and even death into business.
• Regulation and resource politics: access to advancement changes with the Immortal Estate’s supply of resources and the rules it imposes.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo breaks through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer after using an Azure Dragon and cultivating for several weeks. He estimates that, with a steady supply of injections, he could reach the Ninth Layer and attempt Foundation Establishment in about five years.
• While stabilizing his new realm, he hears a visitor at his door. Using a surveillance drone, he identifies him as Liu Lou, a neighbor whose cultivation appears to be at least the Sixth Layer.
• Liu Lou invites Chen Zhuo to join a Monster Hunting Team, claiming they can split a valuable haul of Snake-Scale Fruit guarded by a powerful beast. Chen refuses, suspecting a trap.
• Chen sends the drone after Liu Lou and overhears him plotting with other cultivators to rob Chen once he leaves the market. Liu Lou also mentions that another unsuspecting cultivator has already agreed to join the hunt.
• Recognizing that the Sword Gate’s upcoming recruitment has drawn criminals seeking easy victims, Chen decides to remain in Cloudford Market for the next three months and focus on cultivation.

Character developments

• Chen Zhuo grows more confident after his breakthrough but remains cautious and calculating. He uses technology, surveillance, and his knowledge of rogue cultivators’ tricks to protect himself rather than trusting an apparent opportunity.
• Liu Lou presents himself as friendly and sincere, but is revealed to be a predatory schemer who targets newcomers.
• The other members of Liu Lou’s group are likewise shown to be willing accomplices in robbery and murder.

Significant themes

• Caution and survival: In a dangerous cultivation world, apparent generosity may conceal a trap.
• Technology as an advantage: Chen’s drone provides intelligence that spiritual senses cannot detect, giving him a decisive edge.
• Ambition amid danger: Chen’s progress toward Foundation Establishment is promising, but pursuing resources recklessly could cost him his life.
• Predation on newcomers: The Sword Gate’s recruitment draws many inexperienced cultivators—and attracts criminals eager to exploit them.

Character interactions

• Chen keeps Liu Lou at a distance, questioning his offer through the closed door and declining without revealing his suspicions.
• Liu Lou tries to charm Chen with promises of wealth and opportunity, then discusses targeting him with his associates.
• Chen does not confront Liu Lou; instead, he quietly gathers evidence and chooses to avoid danger by staying in the market.

Key plot points

• After two months of buying cultivation medicine on credit, Chen Zhuo owes Senior Sister Sijing more than 2,000 Spirit Coins and Senior Sister Dong nearly 1,000 more. Worried he might flee to another domain, Sijing asks for collateral, but relents and sends him the medicine.
• Chen Zhuo has cultivated diligently, reaching the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, but his training has left him with substantial debts: over 3,000 Spirit Coins to individuals and 5,500 in official loans. He laments how costly advancement is and focuses on preparing for the Qiwu Sword Sect’s recruitment.
• Counselor Yuan announces that Chen Zhuo, Meng Yan, and Xie Yunling have been selected for the Dao Tournament reserve roster. Students suspect Meng Yan secured his place through kickbacks, while Peng Ju was passed over. Chen Zhuo is surprised but decides the controversy is not his concern.
• Taiqing Bank finally disburses Chen Zhuo’s 5,500-coin interest-free loan, but only 3,740 reaches him. Yuan explains that several officials and staff took cuts totaling 1,760 coins. Chen Zhuo swallows his anger for now and resolves to use the remaining money to improve his cultivation and qualify for the Qiwu Sword Sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo remains determined and pragmatic: despite mounting debt and resentment over the loan deductions, he prioritizes cultivation and his sect ambitions. He also privately vows to remember the officials responsible.
• Sijing shifts from willingness to help to anxious suspicion about Chen Zhuo’s growing debt, yet ultimately continues supporting him.
• Yuan Mingde appears to have helped Chen Zhuo obtain the loan but also admits to taking a share, along with other college personnel.
• Meng Yan’s selection raises suspicions of corruption, while Xie Yunling’s place is consistent with her strong cultivation. Peng Ju’s exclusion fuels private speculation.

Significant themes

• Cultivation as an expensive pursuit: progress requires ever-larger sums, pushing Chen Zhuo into escalating debt.
• Corruption and institutional self-interest: a supposedly supportive student loan is reduced by multiple kickbacks, and tournament selection may also be compromised.
• Debt as both burden and leverage: Chen Zhuo’s debts threaten his relationships and reputation, but the joking gossip suggests large debts can deter powerful people from harming him.
• Ambition despite unfairness: Chen Zhuo accepts setbacks temporarily because his immediate goal—advancing and entering the Qiwu Sword Sect—matters more.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In the days before the Qiwu Sword Sect’s recruitment, Cloudford Market City becomes crowded with hopeful cultivators. The city’s enforcer maintains order inside its boundaries, while the nearby Shantytown remains dangerous.
• Chen Zhuo emerges from seclusion disappointed: despite spending heavily on Injection Fluid, he remains at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement and has not broken through. With recruitment only days away, he continues cultivating but recognizes that a breakthrough is unlikely.
• Li Changqing and his younger sister, Li Yao, visit Chen Zhuo. Changqing repays the six Spirit Stones he owed, crediting Chen’s pills with helping him reach the third layer of Qi Refinement.
• Changqing shares what he learned about the recruitment. Candidates first have their Spiritual Root aptitude tested; those with strong aptitude may be accepted directly. The remaining candidates face three trials: the Spirit-Sensing Pillar, the Heart-Questioning Platform, and Sword-Treading Mountain. Passing one, two, or all three earns entry as a Servant, Outer Sect, or Inner Sect Disciple, respectively.
• Changqing hopes to have his own aptitude tested and bring eight-year-old Li Yao, who is old enough to begin cultivating. Ten days later, the sect opens its gates, and candidates gather for testing. A Foundation Establishment elder warns them that disorder will be punished, then calls them forward and tells those with False Spiritual Roots not to participate.

Character developments

• Chen Zhuo remains practical and disciplined despite his stalled cultivation. He is interested in the recruitment process but understands that his own low-grade Spiritual Root may limit his prospects.
• Li Changqing shows gratitude and respect by repaying his debt and sharing useful information. He is cautiously hopeful about joining the sect, while also planning for Li Yao’s future.
• Li Yao appears composed and respectful, accompanying her brother to learn her Spiritual Root aptitude and possibly begin a path into cultivation.

Significant themes

• Cultivation requires patience: Spending resources can increase spiritual energy without overcoming a bottleneck.
• Potential and opportunity: Spiritual Root aptitude may determine access to the sect, while the trials offer another route for those not accepted outright.
• Gratitude and mutual aid: Changqing repays Chen and returns his kindness by sharing information.
• Order and danger: The contrast between the guarded market and the lawless Shantytown highlights the precariousness of life beyond protected institutions.

Character interactions

• Chen welcomes Changqing and Yao, accepts Changqing’s repayment, and tells him he need not use the honorific “Senior.”
• Changqing explains the recruitment process and his plans for himself and Yao; Chen listens with interest and thanks him for the information.
• At the recruitment, the sect elder addresses the assembled candidates, establishing strict discipline before the aptitude testing begins.

• Recruitment rules and Chen Zhuo’s anxiety: The Qiwu Sword Sect’s recruitment excludes False Spiritual Roots, leaving Chen Zhuo unsure whether his technologically created Artificial Spiritual Root will qualify. He worries rejection could expose him to danger, so he considers retreating to his Immortal Estate and eventually relocating to another market city.
• The test begins: Candidates use the Immortal-Fate Stone to reveal their Spiritual Roots. Three Foundation Establishment cultivators oversee the process. Their conversation reveals that recruiting Rogue Cultivators is partly a way to offer them hope and keep them from becoming a threat to the sect’s control.
• The siblings’ results: Li Changqing is rejected for a conflicting Metal, Fire, and Water Triple Spiritual Root. His younger sister, Li Yao, displays an exceptionally compatible Water-and-Wood Dual Spiritual Root. The elder immediately accepts her as a disciple and, seeing her attachment to her brother, offers Changqing a place as a Servant Disciple. Their disappointment and uncertainty turn to excitement and gratitude.
• The sect’s ambitions: Li Yao’s aptitude stirs the crowd and delights the cultivators overseeing recruitment, who see her as a future pillar of the sect and hope her recruitment will earn them recognition or rewards. The elder suppresses the crowd’s envy and speculation with his authority.
• Chen Zhuo’s result and cliffhanger: When Chen Zhuo touches the stone, it shines a single vivid green and reveals a phantom tree. The elder initially identifies it as a Wood Spiritual Root, then realizes that a single-color result may indicate a Heavenly Spiritual Root. The chapter ends before Chen Zhuo’s classification is confirmed.
• Character and thematic developments: Changqing’s rejection highlights his devotion to Yao’er, while Yao’er’s rare talent changes both siblings’ prospects. Chen Zhuo’s nervousness underscores how little control he has over the consequences of his artificial cultivation. The chapter explores fate and aptitude, unequal opportunity, family loyalty, and the sect’s pragmatic management of Rogue Cultivators.

Plot points and events

• During the spiritual-root assessment, Chen Zhuo is mistakenly identified as having a Heavenly Spiritual Root. The discovery shocks the crowd and the Qiwu Sword Sect’s cultivators.
• A furious man attacks Chen Zhuo, but Elder Zhao Shu cuts him in half with a sword gourd. Before dying, the attacker sends a Sound Transmission Talisman; Zhao orders Junior Sister Shen to intercept it.
• Zhao seals the marketplace, orders that no one be allowed to leave, and summons three Golden Core martial uncles. He then welcomes Chen Zhuo as a future sect prodigy.
• Chen realizes the mistake: his “root” is actually an implanted, single-attribute Artificial Spiritual Root, mistaken for a natural treasure-born Heavenly Spiritual Root. He fears exposure but decides to play along, reasoning that escape would only invite pursuit.
• Chen confidently declares his intention to join the Sword Gate and fight demons. Zhao promises that an elder will likely take him as a disciple and make him a True Disciple.
• The market’s attention shifts away from Li Changqing and Li Yao, though Shen later brings the siblings aboard the Immortal Boat.
• On the boat, Zhao examines Chen’s meridians. Their purity and smoothness astonish him, strengthening his belief that Chen is an extraordinary natural prodigy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo shifts from alarm at the mistaken identification to calculated acceptance. He adopts the confidence expected of a genius, while privately preparing to flee with the World-Breaking Pearl if discovered.
• Zhao Shu becomes protective and enthusiastic, treating Chen as a valuable future disciple and interpreting his clean cultivation as further proof of his exceptional talent.
• Junior Sister Shen acts quickly to pursue the attacker’s talisman, then assists Li Yao and Li Changqing by taking them to the boat.
• Steward Xiao obeys Zhao’s orders to lock down the marketplace and continue the assessments.
• Li Yao and Li Changqing go from being celebrated discoveries to overlooked bystanders after Chen’s revelation.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and deception: Chen’s artificial spiritual root is mistaken for a rare natural gift, and he chooses to maintain the illusion.
• Power and opportunity: The supposed Heavenly Spiritual Root instantly earns Chen protection, status, and a path to elite discipleship.
• Confidence as survival: Chen deliberately performs the role of a bold prodigy to make the mistake work in his favor.
• Dangerous attention: The same recognition that benefits Chen also places him under intense scrutiny and makes exposure potentially fatal.

Plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo reflects that his Myriad Woods Bow to Origin Skill is an exceptionally refined cultivation technique in the Ancient Immortal Realm, despite being cheap in the Immortal Estate. He attributes his rapid rise to Qi Refining Fifth Layer to the powerful drugs available in the Immortal Estate.
• When Zhao Shu asks about his origins, Chen Zhuo claims he grew up begging in the mountains, found a cultivator’s corpse and a battered cultivation book, then followed a map to Cloudford Market City. He hides the truth about his real technique by reciting a related but ordinary-sounding version of the Everlasting Spring Art.
• Zhao Shu accepts the explanation and offers to teach him the sect’s secret Qiwu Skycrying Sword Canon, though he postpones this until more senior cultivators arrive so Chen Zhuo receives proper instruction.
• Zhao Shu gives Chen Zhuo an Agarwood Pendant that improves concentration and spiritual sense, along with a bottle of Ten-Thousand Breaths Qi-Stabilizing Pills.
• Warning that the Southern Barbarian Twenty-Eight Tribes are targeting the Nine Sects—and that an earlier attacker belonged to them—Zhao Shu seals Chen Zhuo inside his room for safety. The room’s Spirit-Gathering Formation raises spiritual-energy concentration to 14.32.
• Thrilled by the treatment, Chen Zhuo writes a boastful poem celebrating his apparent Heavenly Spiritual Root. He then dismisses the pills as weak and turns to his electronic cigarette and injection fluid to pursue cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo maintains his cover with a plausible backstory and a carefully chosen substitute technique. His excitement over receiving sect secrets and valuable resources shows both his ambition and his delight at being treated as a prodigy. His modern-world habits and irreverent inner monologue contrast with the solemn cultivation setting.
• Zhao Shu behaves as a generous, protective senior brother, offering gifts, pills, access to a secret sword technique, and a powerful cultivation environment. He takes the threat seriously and prioritizes Chen Zhuo’s safety.
• Their interaction is friendly but unequal: Zhao Shu believes he is supporting a promising newcomer, while Chen Zhuo privately sees the benefits of the arrangement and carefully conceals his true background.

Significant themes

• Talent versus resources: The Immortal Estate’s drugs and training methods can let cultivators advance rapidly, making innate aptitude only one factor in cultivation.
• Deception and opportunity: Chen Zhuo’s fabricated history helps him secure trust, protection, and access to sect resources.
• Cultural contrast and comedy: Ancient cultivation traditions meet Chen Zhuo’s modern products, slang, and practical, profit-minded outlook.
• Protection amid danger: The gifts and confinement are generous, but they also reflect the real political threat facing the Nine Sects.

Key plot points

• Chen Zhuo cultivates in the Ancient Immortal Realm’s unusually rich spiritual energy, using his Electronic Cigarette. His cultivation proceeds at roughly twice its normal speed; half a day here feels more productive than half a year in the Immortal Estate.
• The chapter contrasts the Immortal Estate’s metabolism-boosting medicines, designed to avoid harmful Pill Toxin, with the Ancient Immortal Realm’s stronger but riskier pills.
• Chen considers how his supposed Heavenly Spiritual Root complicates his situation. A genuine high-sensitivity root would cost millions of Spirit Coins, while the Immortal Estate can manufacture powerful multiple roots at great expense.
• He decides to remain hidden aboard the Immortal Boat until he reaches the sect and can plausibly announce a period of seclusion. After that, he expects to find opportunities to return to the Immortal Estate without raising suspicion.
• Since Senior Sijing supplied him with medicine on credit, Chen expects to have enough to cultivate for about a month. He realizes that missing classes is hardly a problem for someone from the Mortal Class—and enthusiastically resumes cultivation.
• Meanwhile, Zhao Shu waits on the Sword Boat above Cloudford Market City. After giving Chen his room, he hopes the favor will earn protection for his clan. He asks Steward Xiao whether an investigation is complete, and Xiao confirms it; the chapter ends before revealing the findings.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo grows more confident as he experiences the Ancient Immortal Realm’s cultivation conditions. He remains cautious about his disguise and timing, but his student identity gives him a humorous excuse to embrace skipping class.
• Zhao Shu shows both selflessness and practical ambition: he accommodates Chen despite his own circumstances, hoping to secure future help for his descendants.
• Steward Xiao reports to Zhao Shu, setting up a likely revelation about the information he has gathered.

Significant themes

• Different cultivation systems: The Immortal Estate favors safer, scientifically informed methods, while the Ancient Immortal Realm relies on potent pills without understanding their long-term dangers.
• Opportunity and inequality: Access to spiritual energy dramatically changes cultivation prospects, while powerful Spiritual Roots carry enormous costs.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen must balance rapid advancement with the risk of exposing his ability to move between worlds.
• Humor and self-reinvention: Chen turns the prospect of failing classes into a joke, embracing the freedom of his former Mortal-Class student identity.

Key plot points and events

• Steward Xiao reports the attempts made on Chen Zhuo’s life in Cloudford Market. After Chen sold medicines at a local Medicine Hall, its proprietor, Han, arranged for Robber Cultivators to kill him. The plot was backed by Li Wuya, a Qiwu Sword Sect enforcement disciple from the Hengling Li Clan.
• Zhao Shu summons Li Wuya and kills him immediately. He orders Han and the Medicine Hall attendant tortured, their souls used as targets for sword training, and the Hengling Li Clan exterminated. The clan head, Li Xu, is permitted to take his own life because of his past service to the sect; one-tenth of the clan’s seized Spirit Stones is assigned to Chen as compensation.
• Xiao Zhuo questions the severity of the punishment, but Zhao argues that Chen’s Heavenly Spiritual Root makes him a potentially transformative talent. A future Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator could elevate the Sword Gate’s standing—and perhaps restore the former Azure Immortal Sect.
• Xiao admits his oversight, then reports that Liu Lou and his gang have repeatedly preyed on Rogue Cultivators and once tried to recruit Chen. Zhao orders their capture so their souls can fuel a Blood Sword, which Chen may use to temper his sword heart.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Shu demonstrates ruthless, uncompromising loyalty to the sect’s interests and Chen’s future. He treats even a meritorious clan as expendable when its members threaten Chen, while insisting that Xiao Zhuo would also be punished for failing to protect the prodigy.
• Xiao Zhuo shifts from criticizing Zhao’s decision to accepting its logic, acknowledging that Chen’s rare talent outweighs the fate of the Hengling Li Clan. He remains anxious about being held responsible for lax market oversight.
• Chen Zhuo, though absent, is established as the central figure: his Heavenly Spiritual Root makes him a potential source of immense power and prestige for the sect. He has also shown caution by refusing Liu Lou’s suspicious invitation.
• Li Wuya, Han, and Liu Lou’s gang represent different threats to Chen: sect corruption, predatory business interests, and routine exploitation of Rogue Cultivators.

Significant themes

• The value and danger of exceptional talent: Chen’s potential inspires extraordinary protection but also triggers extreme violence against anyone who threatens him.
• Institutional loyalty and power: The sect prioritizes its future influence over individual lives and even the claims of a loyal clan.
• Justice versus expediency: Zhao’s punishments are framed as protection and deterrence, yet their brutality reveals how easily justice becomes collective retribution.
• Rogue Cultivators’ vulnerability: The market’s habit of ignoring crimes outside its walls allows predators to operate until a protected prodigy is involved.

Plot points and events

• Five days later, Chen Zhuo is close to advancing from the Qi Refining Fifth to Sixth Layer. He resists using the potent cultivation injections, preferring to save them for when he can cultivate on a Spirit Meridian after reaching the Sword Gate. So far, he has used only two Electronic Cigarettes.
• A Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator delivers his daily allotment of twenty Spirit Stones. Chen now receives six hundred monthly—far more than a Foundation Establishment cultivator—but cannot safely convert his wealth into Spirit Coins without attracting scrutiny from the Immortal Estate and Taiqing Pharmaceutical.
• Over the previous ten days, senior martial sibling Zhao Shu has supplied Chen with information about the Southern Wilderness. Chen learns how the region’s nine sects formed, including the eight offshoots of the former Azure Immortal Sect and the powerful Clear Void Temple.
• The region’s history is marked by migration, sectarian conflict, and the displacement of indigenous Southern Barbarian tribes. Chen is astonished to learn that the supposedly desolate Southern Wilderness has exceptionally dense spiritual energy—apparently still far poorer than the Central Lands.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen shows restraint and strategic patience: although tempted by rapid cultivation, he saves his injections for a more advantageous setting.
• He is treated with exaggerated deference because of his Heavenly Spiritual Root, despite being only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. The young courier sees serving him as a potential source of future prestige; Chen maintains a cool, prodigy-like demeanor.
• Chen’s wealth brings frustration rather than freedom: he has abundant resources but cannot use them openly without risking confiscation or arrest. He accepts that he may have to spend Spirit Stones on cultivation instead.
• Zhao Shu supports Chen by providing background information, helping him understand the world he has entered.

Significant themes

• Power and privilege: Chen’s Heavenly Spiritual Root earns him exceptional treatment and resources beyond what his current cultivation level would normally merit.
• Restraint and resource optimization: Chen weighs immediate gratification against the benefits of saving rare resources for later.
• Wealth versus control: Having valuable assets does not mean Chen can freely use them when authorities can question their origin.
• Historical hypocrisy and conquest: The sects’ account of settling the Wilderness reveals that their rise involved driving out local peoples, despite labeling them “barbarians.”
• Relative scarcity: The Southern Wilderness is presented as a wasteland only in comparison with richer cultivation regions, underscoring the vast inequality of spiritual resources.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Shu visits Chen Zhuo after his cultivation session to present a Blood Sword, a weapon he spent years refining. It combines techniques from a Ten Thousand Souls Banner with Southern Barbarian blood witchcraft.
• The sword contains the vengeful souls of eleven people. Among them are Liu Lou and his associates, executed for robbery and other crimes, as well as Shopkeeper Han and the Medicine Attendant, who conspired against Chen. Their souls are trapped in the blade and tormented by its Sword Qi.
• Zhao reveals that Li Wuya, a sect disciple behind the plot, was killed and sealed in the Sword Training Post. The sect has also sent Foundation Establishment cultivators to destroy his household to prevent retaliation.
• Zhao explains that the sword can strengthen Divine Sense, temper the Sword Heart, and release its ghosts in battle. It lacks a powerful primary soul for now, since Chen is only at Middle Qi Refinement.
• Zhao reports that Xiao Zhuo has been punished for failing to protect Cloudford Market. He must now patrol the area and eliminate Robber Cultivators.
• Xiao Zhuo arrives, apologizes to Chen, slaps himself, and offers compensation: five hundred Spirit Stones, three Essence-Stabilizing Pills, and a Jambudvipa Wood leaf. He also promises to have the other market officials apologize.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo accepts the Blood Sword without hesitation, despite its sinister nature. He feels no sympathy for the souls of people who threatened or harmed him, and recognizes how much influence his supposed “Heavenly Spiritual Root” gives him. His calm response to Xiao Zhuo’s apology and punishment contrasts with the officials’ extreme deference.
• Zhao Shu demonstrates both his ruthless methods and his loyalty to Chen. He presents the sword as a gift, explains the fate of those responsible for the conspiracy, and imposes harsh consequences on Xiao Zhuo for the market’s security failure.
• Xiao Zhuo is anxious and submissive before Chen, acknowledging his failure and trying to make amends with public self-punishment and valuable gifts.
• Chen treats Zhao respectfully and accepts the apology, while Zhao’s cold demeanor toward Xiao Zhuo reinforces the hierarchy surrounding Chen.

Significant themes

• Power and privilege: Chen’s spiritual-root status commands extraordinary deference and can influence punishments reaching entire families.
• Ruthless justice and revenge: The sect’s response is brutal, treating offenders and their descendants as threats to be eliminated.
• Moral compromise and hypocrisy: Chen recognizes that the crackdown is tied less to impartial justice than to the fact that he was personally endangered.
• Darkness beneath respectable cultivation: The Blood Sword’s grisly methods and trapped souls blur the distinction between Immortal and Demonic practices.
• Obligation and fear: The officials’ apologies and offerings show how authority can turn accountability into anxious appeasement.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo accepts Xiao Zhuo’s apology gift after Zhao Shu insists, but refuses to have the Sword Gate disciples apologize as a group. He remains suspicious of Xiao Zhuo’s motives and decides he wants no further involvement with the Xiao Clan.
• After Zhao Shu and Xiao Zhuo leave, Chen Zhuo considers the Blood Sword. Its torture effect would make it a forbidden weapon in the Immortal Estate world, so he resolves to use it only in the Ancient Immortal Realm.
• Chen Zhuo recognizes that, despite his talent and victories, he is still too weak and vulnerable to enemies who might target his Heavenly Spiritual Root. He decides to refine the Blood Sword to strengthen himself and temper his Divine Sense.
• Three days later, a Golden Core True Person arrives at the swordship above Cloudford Market. Zhao Shu greets him as Martial Uncle Xu. Xu immediately asks after the sect’s prodigy, then visits Chen Zhuo.
• Chen Zhuo nervously welcomes the elder. Xu sees through his unease and recites a verse about mastering the mind, acting decisively, and breaking free of worldly attachments.

Character developments

• Chen Zhuo becomes more deliberate about managing relationships: he accepts compensation but draws a firm boundary with Xiao Zhuo and his clan. He also shifts his focus toward building practical strength and finding trustworthy allies.
• Zhao Shu continues to act as Chen Zhuo’s protector and mentor, facilitating his connection with the sect’s senior cultivators.
• Xiao Zhuo leaves Chen Zhuo with a poor impression; whether his behavior was foolish or calculated remains uncertain.
• True Person Xu is introduced as a powerful, severe-looking sword cultivator who takes an immediate interest in Chen Zhuo.

Significant themes

• Companions and mutual support: Chen Zhuo believes friends, teachers, and fellow cultivators are essential to survival and growth.
• Power and vulnerability: Talent attracts danger, so Chen Zhuo must develop the strength to protect himself rather than rely on external advantages alone.
• Different moral and legal systems: The Blood Sword’s torture effect may be acceptable in the Ancient Immortal Realm but is prohibited by the Immortal Estate’s laws.
• Self-mastery: Xu’s verse emphasizes controlling the mind and acting with resolve as part of the path to cultivation.

Character interactions

• Zhao Shu presses Chen Zhuo to accept Xiao Zhuo’s apology, while Chen Zhuo declines a larger, potentially overbearing group apology.
• Chen Zhuo privately weighs Zhao Shu’s goodwill against Xiao Zhuo’s unsettling behavior.
• Zhao Shu respectfully receives True Person Xu, who bypasses formalities to ask about Chen Zhuo.
• Chen Zhuo approaches Xu with respect but inner anxiety; Xu recognizes it and responds with a cryptic lesson.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo is startled to discover that cultivation in the Ancient Immortal Realm involves demanding literary study, but he understands the teaching and accepts Xu Chan’s invitation to join the Qiwu Sword Sect.
• Xu Chan has Chen Zhuo offer incense to his deceased senior brother, Zhongli Sheng, and names him Zhongli’s final disciple and a True Disciple of the Thunder Arts Lineage. Zhao Shu objects, hinting that this appointment could conflict with the sect leadership.
• Xu Chan transmits two secret sword arts directly into Chen Zhuo’s consciousness: the Qiwu Skycrying Sword Canon, which refines sword intent and spiritual energy, and the Azure Sun Thunder-Controlling Sword Scripture, the Thunder Arts Lineage’s core inheritance.
• After explaining the arts, Xu Chan instructs Chen Zhuo to make the Thunder-Controlling Scripture his primary practice, keep both techniques secret, and eventually forge a Life-Bound Spirit Sword after Foundation Establishment.
• Xu Chan plans for the Sword Boat to return to the sect. Chen Zhuo is to spend the two-month voyage in seclusion studying the arts. Xu also orders Zhao Shu to recruit rogue cultivators and assign new disciples to another lineage to avoid accusations of favoritism.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo moves from bewilderment and suspicion to gratitude and excitement at receiving two powerful inheritances. Though he jokes internally about their value, he takes Xu Chan’s teaching seriously and vows not to reveal the secrets.
• Xu Chan acts as a stern, protective mentor. He welcomes Chen Zhuo on behalf of Zhongli Sheng, but privately admits he is testing the youth’s aptitude for sword cultivation. Even if Chen Zhuo lacks sword talent, Xu intends to keep a Heavenly Spiritual Root within the lineage.
• Zhao Shu cautiously challenges Xu Chan’s decision, apparently worried about the sect master’s reaction. Xu silences him, then gives him practical orders for the journey and recruitment.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and loyalty: Chen Zhuo is adopted into a lineage still honoring its fallen leader and seeking to preserve his legacy.
• Talent versus aptitude: A Heavenly Spiritual Root does not guarantee skill with the sword; Xu Chan’s transmission is also a test of Chen Zhuo’s comprehension.
• Sect politics and legacy: The Thunder Arts Lineage is weakened, and Xu Chan’s appointment of Chen Zhuo risks provoking tensions with other leaders.
• Discipline and secrecy: Chen Zhuo must diligently study the arts and guard their transmission.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo rejects the idea of spending two months in seclusion to study the sword. He sees the break as a chance to return to the Immortal Estate and restock his medicine, which he needs to sustain his apparent Heavenly Spiritual Root.
• After thirteen days away, he returns to the Immortal Estate and transfers Senior Sijing the 700 Spirit Coins he owed, adding 13 coins for interest. He apologizes for disappearing and resolves not to treat a friend unfairly.
• He replies to messages from Liang Ningwan, Little Yuan Problem Solver, and Meng Yan, then visits the Spell Repository to submit two sword manuals from the Ancient Immortal Realm.
• The repository awards him 17,000 Spirit Coins for the manuals, bringing his balance to 18,942.52. It also offers to improve both texts for a total fee of 40,000 Spirit Coins, with extrapolation by the lingering Divine Sense of the Vast Dharma Universal Thunder Sword Monarch. The chapter ends as Chen Zhuo considers the offer.

Character developments

• Chen Zhuo remains opportunistic and financially ambitious, but his prompt repayment to Sijing shows that he distinguishes between impersonal lenders and friends.
• His confidence rises sharply after receiving the substantial reward, though he is startled by the even more expensive optimization option.

Significant themes

• Cross-world opportunity: Chen Zhuo turns knowledge from the Ancient Immortal Realm into wealth in the Immortal Estate.
• Money and trust: His dealings with Sijing highlight the moral difference he sees between exploiting institutions and cheating someone who trusted him.
• Knowledge as a commodity: The Spell Repository evaluates, purchases, and offers to refine cultivation manuals, treating spiritual knowledge as both a resource and an investment.

Character interactions

• Chen Zhuo and Sijing: He answers her stream of increasingly desperate messages by repaying her loan with interest; she responds with relief and gratitude.
• Chen Zhuo and his contacts: He catches up with several people through messages, including Meng Yan, who had checked on his well-being.
• Chen Zhuo and the Spell Repository: He submits the manuals and receives both payment and an offer to fund their further improvement.

Chapter Summary

Key events and plot points

• Chen Zhuo has 18,942.52 Spirit Coins and considers buying enough Azure Dragon injections to rapidly advance his Qi Refinement cultivation. Adding Little White Dragon injections could potentially take him to the Ninth Layer.
• He decides instead to spend money optimizing the Azure Sun Thunder-Controlling Sword Scripture, reasoning that improving his long-term prospects—and maintaining his image as a prodigy—may bring greater rewards than temporary gains from injections.
• The deduction service provides a biography of the Vast Dharma Universal Thunder Sword Monarch, whose residual Divine Sense is analyzing the technique. Though the Sword Monarch had exceptional talent and became a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, Chen Zhuo reflects that old certification requirements had delayed cultivators’ breakthroughs for centuries.
• After paying for the deduction, Chen Zhuo has 8,842.52 Spirit Coins left. He quickly arranges to buy more cultivation medicine through Senior Sister Sijing: three Azure Dragon injections, one Little White Dragon injection, and additional medicines, for roughly 4,000 Spirit Coins.
• He then searches for sword instruction. Avoiding in-person lessons to protect his identity, he finds an inexpensive, outdated online course from the Shangqing Spiritual Sword Academy. Its material is six thousand years old by Immortal Estate standards, but Chen Zhuo believes it is still far ahead of what the Ancient Immortal Realm knows. He buys the first lesson to test it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo shows growing strategic discipline: despite being tempted by rapid cultivation gains, he prioritizes improving his technique while still ensuring he can acquire more medicine. He also carefully manages the risk of exposing his unusual abilities, choosing anonymous online study over face-to-face tutoring.
• Senior Sister Sijing is astonished by Chen Zhuo’s apparent wealth and eagerly helps arrange the medicine purchase. She suspects he has an unusual source of income but wisely avoids asking questions. Her overly familiar “Daddy Zhuo” address embarrasses and irritates him, and he repeatedly asks her to stop.
• Chen Zhuo’s comments about the Sword Monarch reveal his dismissive confidence in the present era: he sees modern cultivators as fortunate to be free from the old certification barriers, though he recognizes that the Star Realm War still creates a demand for powerful cultivators.

Significant themes

• Short-term power versus long-term investment: Chen Zhuo weighs immediate cultivation boosts against improving his sword technique and future prospects.
• Historical progress and institutional limits: The Sword Monarch’s slow advancement illustrates how certification systems once held back talented cultivators; Chen Zhuo considers the current era comparatively fortunate.
• Knowledge across eras: Material obsolete in the Immortal Estate may still be advanced in the Ancient Immortal Realm, giving Chen Zhuo a potential advantage.
• Caution and self-preservation: Chen Zhuo seeks knowledge and resources while hiding his circumstances, mindful of the dangers of the Immortal Estate.

Summary

Chen Zhuo studies an old lesson on sword cultivation, learning that ancient sword cultivators pursued unity with their swords through personal insight, while the modern Immortal Estate offers paid courses and advanced weapons that can supply sword intent through technology. The convenience comes at a steep cost: a guaranteed sword-intent course costs over 500,000 Spirit Coins, and a premium flying sword costs 100,000. Chen Zhuo concludes that sword cultivation is an expensive pursuit, though he comforts himself by treating his money as merely “keeping him company” in another form.
He then sees news that property prices have collapsed and that Cloudbuild Immortal Court Properties chairman Bai Yunshan has been arrested over 2.44 trillion Spirit Coins in debt. Bai’s greed left many people burdened and construction projects unfinished; he may be sent to the Star Realm’s front lines. Chen Zhuo is astonished by the scale of the debt but recognizes that Bai’s case is exceptional.
A message from Counselor Yuan reminds Chen Zhuo that, as a member of his college’s Dao Tournament Reserve, he must attend an advancement class. After collecting pills sent by Senior Sijing, he heads to the school’s enormous Dao Hall, where nearly a hundred students have gathered. Though he expected only twenty-one Reserve members, the crowd suggests others are present as well.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo continues to make progress in cultivation but has not yet reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer. His rapid advancement draws attention, though some students gossip about his debt. He also detects a faint deathly aura around Meng Yan and suspects Meng may be undergoing a process similar to the creation of the vengeful ghosts inside Chen Zhuo’s Blood Sword. Chen Zhuo reasons that True Person Luo likely noticed it too, perhaps indicating a trap, so he keeps his distance from Meng.
• Xie Yunling, seated with Chen Zhuo and Meng Yan, asks how his seclusion went. His progress unsettles her: although she has a Spiritual Root, her cautious, debt-averse upbringing has kept her cultivation slower. Seeing Chen Zhuo’s speed makes her reconsider whether taking a loan might be worthwhile.
• Meng Yan greets Chen Zhuo warmly, but his near-advance to Qi Refining Fifth Layer surprises him. Chen Zhuo responds politely while remaining wary of him.
• Nangong Qingyun, a stern peak-Foundation Establishment cultivator and the tournament’s organizer, enters with six other teachers. He is also the person who took a ten-percent commission from Chen Zhuo’s loan. His arrival silences the students, and he opens the advancement class.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts personal cultivation and insight with technological shortcuts, especially in sword cultivation, while emphasizing that modern advancement often depends on money. It also explores debt as both opportunity and danger: Chen Zhuo’s borrowing may have helped him progress, but Bai Yunshan’s colossal, destructive debt shows how greed can ruin many lives. Finally, the chapter builds suspense around Meng Yan’s unexplained deathly aura, suggesting that events behind the scenes may be more dangerous than they appear.

Key plot points and events

• Teacher Nangong announces that 21 students have been selected for the college’s Dao Tournament Reserve. They can still lose their places if they slack off or are beaten by reserve candidates.
• He explains the tournament’s team and individual events, their elimination stages, and the substantial cash prizes. The champion can also earn direct admission to an undergraduate program.
• Chen Zhuo sees that several reserve students are already at Qi Refining Eighth Layer, with others at Seventh Layer. Xie Yunling explains that some are highly capable students who chose vocational colleges specifically to compete in the tournament.
• Each reserve student may choose a mentor for a weekly class and select three combat-related cultivation methods or spells. Chen Zhuo chooses Teacher Xiao, the swordsmanship instructor, despite the other students avoiding him.
• Teacher Xiao warns Chen Zhuo that sword cultivation is difficult without family resources. After checking Chen Zhuo’s record and seeing that he already owes nearly 10,000 Spirit Coins, he agrees to let him try and summons a wooden sword, instructing Chen Zhuo to thrust at him.

Character developments

• Chen Zhuo shifts from cynical disinterest to taking the tournament seriously, motivated by its rewards and the opportunities undergraduate status would bring. He confidently pursues swordsmanship, believing his Immortal Dao Potential can overcome his lack of resources.
• Teacher Xiao initially appears indifferent and discourages Chen Zhuo, but ultimately gives him a chance after examining his circumstances.
• Xie Yunling acts as an informed, practical guide, explaining why unusually strong students have joined the vocational college.

Significant themes

• Competition and status: Reserve members face pressure from challengers, while tournament success offers money and a path to better educational and social opportunities.
• Resources and opportunity: Talent alone may not be enough; sword cultivation is costly, and family support can determine how far a student advances.
• Satire and ambition: Chen Zhuo mocks the layered reserve system and the elite students’ presence, yet remains keenly aware of the benefits success could bring.

Character interactions

• Nangong addresses the reserves with stern authority and lays out the tournament structure.
• Xie Yunling quietly warns Chen Zhuo not to stare at the advanced students and explains their motivations.
• Chen Zhuo approaches Teacher Xiao after noticing nobody else has chosen him. Xiao questions his suitability, then offers him a trial rather than rejecting him outright.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Zhuo takes up Teacher Xiao Yugang’s wooden sword and withstands its intense killing intent almost immediately, impressing Xiao with his composure.
• Chen uses an ancient-style opening stance and attacks. Xiao easily stops his thrust, but recognizes the form as resembling the Upright Heart Sword Form of ancient sword cultivators.
• Chen explains that he studied one modern textbook lesson that morning. He privately knows his basic sword forms came from the Ancient Immortal Realm, and sees Xiao’s enthusiasm as a chance to give that knowledge a plausible source.
• Xiao, a veteran of the Star Realm War who had grown disillusioned with teaching, declares that he will train Chen. They practice for two hours as Xiao offers increasingly invested instruction.
• Xiao praises Chen’s ancient style but identifies several technical errors and begins correcting them. Other teachers and students take notice, speculating about Chen’s background and potential loans.
• Meng Yan, who chose another teacher, watches with a cold glint in his eyes.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhuo demonstrates a resilient Dao heart and promising, though immature, swordsmanship. He remains respectful, while privately amused by Xiao’s mistaken assumption that he is self-taught.
• Xiao Yugang shifts from a skeptical, disengaged instructor to an excited mentor after recognizing what he believes is Chen’s rare talent. He challenges Chen, praises him, and then carefully corrects his technique.
• The other teachers and students react with surprise and envy, turning Chen’s sudden attention from Xiao into rumors about his lineage and rising Immortal Dao Potential.
• Meng Yan stands apart from the excitement, hinting at possible resentment or rivalry.

Significant themes

• Ancient tradition versus modern practice: Xiao reveres the sword heart and discipline he associates with ancient swordsmanship, contrasting them with modern techniques and technology.
• Talent and recognition: Chen’s skill is genuine but misunderstood; Xiao’s recognition revives his own passion for teaching.
• Appearances, rumors, and opportunity: Chen’s ancient forms invite speculation about his origins, while his new visibility may bring practical benefits—and jealousy.

Key plot points and events

• During sword practice, Teacher Xiao Yugang gives Chen Zhuo an intensive lesson, correcting five flaws and explaining modern swordsmanship techniques, including using brief pauses to build momentum.
• Xiao praises Chen’s swordsmanship but says his body is too weak and his spell training too limited. He offers to recommend body-tempering methods and suitable spells, and invites Chen to receive personal guidance at the advanced Sword Cultivator Training Grounds every Sunday.
• After class, Chen reflects gratefully on Xiao’s generosity, while continuing to resent the school staff who deducted his Spirit Coins.
• Meng Yan approaches Chen, praises Xiao’s attention to him, and asks about Chen’s training and finances. Chen refuses to share a “secret” or accept help finding work, then leaves quickly.
• Chen suspects Meng Yan’s rapid cultivation has come at the cost of his lifespan, judging by the deathly aura surrounding him. He wants to avoid getting involved.
• On the way home, Chen decides to keep attending Xiao’s sessions, both to improve his swordsmanship and to establish a plausible basis for his abilities in the Ancient Immortal Realm. He also resolves to strengthen his body, preferably with drugs.

Character development

• Chen Zhuo shows sincere gratitude toward Xiao and a growing commitment to improving his swordsmanship, spellwork, and physique. He remains suspicious of others and preoccupied with the money he believes was unfairly taken from him.
• Xiao Yugang reveals a generous, encouraging side beneath his stern exterior. Chen’s attentiveness makes him feel that teaching has real value.
• Meng Yan appears eager to connect with Chen, but Chen distrusts his motives and fears his cultivation is damaging him.

Significant themes

• Modern knowledge versus ancient practice: Modern swordsmanship theory can improve techniques that might otherwise take decades of trial and error to refine.
• Mentorship and opportunity: Xiao’s personal instruction and access to a prestigious facility stand out as an unusually meaningful act of support.
• The cost of rapid advancement: Chen suspects Meng Yan’s progress is fueled by sacrificing lifespan.
• Technology and body cultivation: Chen favors scientifically developed drugs and treatments over relying only on self-directed training.

Character interactions

• Xiao and Chen: Xiao offers detailed instruction, practical advice, and continued personal mentorship; Chen responds respectfully and gratefully.
• Chen and Meng Yan: Meng Yan tries to flatter Chen and offer assistance, but Chen keeps his distance, declines both personal questions and help, and leaves.
• Chen and himself: Chen weighs his new opportunities against lingering anger over his lost Spirit Coins, then plans how to use modern training to strengthen his position in the ancient world.