Chapter Summaries

Wenren Shangzhi attacked the magic ship, but its defensive formations repelled his strike as the Mysterious Court Immortal Lords confronted the Dust-Dyed Realm cultivators. A golden figure suddenly sent Wenren Shangzhi flying, and Immortal Lord Liujing pursued it while the others prepared to fight.

• Wenren Shangzhi struck the magic ship with a dragon claw, but its Ascension Realm defensive formations shattered and knocked his attack back.
• Deng Qiuzhi punched Immortal Lord Lingxiang, who countered with [Mystic Heaven Sword Qi Fist] and injured Deng Qiuzhi's hand.
• Deng Qiuzhi recognized the technique as a legacy of [Immortal Lord Cangyan Lianjie] and challenged Immortal Lord Lingxiang to continue fighting.
• Immortal Lord Xingfeng agreed to fight Wenren Fuhai while Immortal Lord Lingxiang held off Deng Qiuzhi and Immortal Lord Liujing prepared to withdraw the Southern Heaven Realm cultivators.
• A streak of golden light struck Wenren Shangzhi and sent him flying, prompting Lu Danyan and Immortal Lord Liujing to pursue it while Immortal Lord Xingfeng stayed to face Wenren Fuhai.

Zhang Yuan discovered that Wenren Shangzhi was weakened from his return journey and exploited the opening, injuring him in their fight. Wenren Shangzhi then revealed his perfected dao domain, restoring some of his strength and putting Zhang Yuan under pressure.

• Zhang Yuan knocked Wenren Shangzhi far from the battlefield and realized the impact had injured him.
• Zhang Yuan calculated that Wenren Shangzhi's vitality had been depleted by using Dragon-Shift Great Marsh Mountain to return from Heaven-Reaching City.
• Zhang Yuan attacked with his divine abilities, and his mystic wonders let the Primordial Form-Converging Sword cut Wenren Shangzhi's claw and tear out part of a dragon tendon.
• Wenren Shangzhi summoned his perfected dao domain, bringing down heavenly flames and restoring thirty percent of his strength.
• Zhang Yuan recognized the power of Wenren Shangzhi's dao domain and chose not to summon his incomplete Great Grotto Yin-Scenery Immortal Domain.

Zhang Yuan and Immortal Lord Liujing joined forces to badly wound Wenren Shangzhi inside his Dao Domain. Wenren Shangzhi threatened to stake his life and Dao, then abruptly fled.

• Zhang Yuan decided to drive Wenren Shangzhi back rather than risk trying to kill him, then struck him with a Three-Colored Qi Light empowered by [Malice Growth].
• Immortal Lord Liujing arrived intending to help, recognized Zhang Yuan, and chose to assist him against Wenren Shangzhi.
• Immortal Lord Liujing used the Ten Thousand Scenery Flowing Forms Diagram to suppress Wenren Shangzhi and prevent him from dodging Zhang Yuan's attack.
• Wenren Shangzhi destroyed the scenes from the diagram but was struck by Zhang Yuan's qi light, which severely corroded his body and wounded his soul.
• Wenren Shangzhi vowed to slaughter Zhang Yuan and Immortal Lord Liujing even if it cost him his life and Dao, then vanished into the Great Void and fled.

Zhang Yuan traveled to the coast and concealed himself while Immortal Lord Lingxiang fought Deng Qiuzhi. He ambushed Deng Qiuzhi with his sword and a thunderbolt, sending the body cultivator flying.

• Zhang Yuan left Immortal Lord Liujing and flew toward the coast to ambush Deng Qiuzhi.
• Immortal Lord Liujing repaired the damaged Ten Thousand Scenery Flowing Forms Diagram, then headed to support Immortal Lord Lingxiang and Immortal Lord Xingfeng.
• Immortal Lord Xingfeng and Wenren Fuhai battled with wind and water arts as Zhang Yuan hid in the spray and watched Deng Qiuzhi fight Immortal Lord Lingxiang.
• Immortal Lord Lingxiang noticed Zhang Yuan approaching and warned Deng Qiuzhi to look behind him.
• Zhang Yuan ran Deng Qiuzhi through with the Primordial Form-Converging Sword, then blasted him away with a thunderbolt from the Eastern Mystic-Yang Fusang Banner.

Zhang Yuan drove Deng Qiuzhi away after revealing Deng’s [Mountain-Shift Body], then confronted Immortal Lord Lingxiang and Immortal Lord Liujing. He extorted the three publicly available volumes of the [Mystic Heaven Sword Qi Fist] and learned that its remaining volumes were restricted to the Azure Nether Immortal Sect.

• Zhang Yuan’s sneak attack forced Deng Qiuzhi to reveal [Mountain-Shift Body], and Deng fled when Immortal Lord Liujing and Immortal Lord Lingxiang arrived.
• Immortal Lord Lingxiang and Immortal Lord Liujing recognized Zhang Yuan and recalled how he had plundered the Mysterious Court’s sect treasury.
• Zhang Yuan demanded the [Mystic Heaven Sword Qi Fist] in exchange for the Boundless Southern Heaven Realm’s magic ship.
• Immortal Lord Lingxiang gave Zhang Yuan the fist technique’s three publicly available volumes after deciding the exchange would help save the Southern Heaven Realm’s cultivators.
• Zhang Yuan discovered the technique had six volumes, and Immortal Lord Lingxiang explained that only Azure Nether Immortal Sect true disciples could learn the final three.

After the South Sea Dragon Clan’s ambush ended, the Mysterious Court’s Immortal Lords considered attacking Zhang Yuan, but Cui Yuanxi’s arrival changed their plans. Zhang Yuan accepted the Mysterious Court’s invitation to meet its two Great Immortal Lords, and the group prepared to travel there.

• Wenren Fuhai left the coast after Wenren Shangzhi and Deng Qiuzhi were defeated and Lu Danyan disappeared.
• Immortal Lord Xingfeng learned Zhang Yuan’s identity and urged Immortal Lord Lingxiang and Immortal Lord Liujing to join him in killing Zhang Yuan.
• Zhang Yuan warned the three Immortal Lords against attacking, and Cui Yuanxi flew from the Magic Ship to stand beside him.
• Immortal Lord Lingxiang said the Mysterious Court’s two Great Immortal Lords wanted to invite Zhang Yuan and Cui Yuanxi for a visit.
• Cui Yuanxi accepted the explanation, and Zhang Yuan agreed to follow the Immortal Lords to the Mysterious Court.

Deng Qiuzhi learned that the Great Beginning Heaven-Governing Primordial Lady’s protection made Zhang Yuan too dangerous to kill for now, but True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns planned to scheme his death while he sought truth and proved the Dao. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan and Cui Yuanxi arrived at the Mysterious Court with three Immortal Lords aboard their Magic Ship.

• Deng Qiuzhi told True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns that Zhang Yuan had reached the late Celestial Person stage and asked how the clan could deal with him.
• True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns warned that killing Zhang Yuan would provoke his True Lord Master, then proposed arranging his death during his attempt to prove the Dao and claiming Sky Mountain’s golden position for Deng Qiuzhi.
• Deng Qiuzhi asked about Sky Mountain’s golden position, and True Lord Imperial Balance Myriad Turns said he knew only that it was a lower golden position hidden in the Mysterious Court’s Ancestral Grounds.
• Zhang Yuan and Cui Yuanxi used the Golden Carriage Luan Chariot to tow the Magic Ship swiftly to the Mysterious Court in the Ao Kingdom.
• Zhang Yuan halted outside the Mysterious Court, dismissed the Golden Carriage, and asked Immortal Lords Lingxiang, Liujing, and Xingfeng to open the gate.

Immortal Lord Lingxiang went to report Zhang Yuan’s arrival to the Mysterious Court’s ancestor while Immortal Lord Liujing escorted Zhang Yuan, Cui Yuanxi, and Tong Ke through the sect. Zhang Yuan entered the Mysterious Court and became curious about the Immortal Lords’ Dao Fruits as they set off into the mountains.

• Immortal Lord Lingxiang entered the Mysterious Court to report to the ancestor, while Immortal Lord Liujing agreed to keep Zhang Yuan occupied and Immortal Lord Xingfeng stayed to handle the Magic Ship.
• Tong Ke left the ship and joined Zhang Yuan, Cui Yuanxi, and Immortal Lord Liujing after introducing herself as Shangxian True Person’s True Disciple.
• Zhang Yuan and the others disembarked, and Zhang Yuan watched Immortal Lord Xingfeng use his power to lift and lower the Magic Ship.
• Zhang Yuan wondered about the Dao Fruit Embryos of the Immortal Lords and studied Immortal Lord Liujing, making her and the others uncomfortable.
• Immortal Lord Liujing urged the group to enter the sect, and Zhang Yuan followed her toward the mountains.

Zhang Yuan visited the Mysterious Court and learned from Chi Guanguan about its ancient history and the powerful Profound Ancestor. As he pondered the Court’s decline, someone approached from behind and covered his eyes, asking him to guess who they were.

• Immortal Lord Lingxiang reported Zhang Yuan’s arrival, and Immortal Lord Xuancong Chuirui instructed him to welcome Zhang as a friend rather than treat him as an enemy.
• As Immortal Lord Liujing guided Zhang Yuan, Chi Guanguan told him the Mysterious Court had once been the Ancestral Grounds of the Mystic Gate under the Profound Ancestor.
• Chi Guanguan explained that several Great Luo had killed the Profound Ancestor after a prolonged battle, despite his apparent possession of two Dao Fruits.
• Immortal Lord Liujing paused the party at a pavilion, where Cui Yuanxi and Tong Ke went to fish while Zhang Yuan reflected on the Mysterious Court’s past decline.
• An unidentified person came up behind Zhang Yuan, covered his eyes with both hands, and asked him to guess who they were.

Zhang Yuan was ambushed by Ye Xiangning in the Mysterious Court, where she overpowered him and began exacting revenge for his past scheme. When Xu Lingyin and other Mysterious Court disciples arrived, Zhang Yuan silently signaled Xu Lingyin for help.

• Ye Xiangning revealed herself to Zhang Yuan, who attacked her with his banners and sword, but she nullified his techniques with a single finger.
• Ye Xiangning warned Zhang Yuan to stop resisting, then shattered his internal organs by crashing into him.
• Chi Guanguan called on Ao Xiu to bite Ye Xiangning, but Ye Xiangning knocked Ao Xiu unconscious.
• Ye Xiangning explained that she had been waiting for Zhang Yuan in the Mysterious Court to settle the score for his past scheme.
• Xu Lingyin and several Mysterious Court True Disciples arrived, and Zhang Yuan signaled Xu Lingyin with his eyes.

Zhang Yuan recognized Ye Xiangning as the dangerous True Lord Ceased Light Punishes Thoughts and tried to escape her grasp by threatening to expose her identity. Ye Xiangning instead invited him to explore a secret realm with Xu Lingyin and forced the other disciples to accept him.

• Xu Lingyin recognized Zhang Yuan and, at his urging, scolded Ye Xiangning to make her release him.
• Zhang Yuan realized the Mysterious Court's Great Immortal Lords did not know Ye Xiangning's identity, then hugged her and warned that revealing it would expose her.
• Ye Xiangning freed Zhang Yuan, who tried to leave with Xu Lingyin before she could make trouble.
• Ye Xiangning invited Zhang Yuan to join her and Xu Lingyin in exploring a secret realm, while threatening to kill anyone who objected.
• A Mysterious Court disciple protested and left after Ye Xiangning threatened him; Xu Lingyin then left the choice to Zhang Yuan.

Ye Xiangning took Zhang Yuan and the others to a hidden chamber beneath a lake in the Mysterious Court, where she and Chi Guanguan competed to teach him formation arts. The group entered the chamber, while Zhang Yuan avoided committing to either teacher.

• Zhang Yuan agreed to leave with Ye Xiangning, leaving Cui Yuanxi and Tong Ke behind, and set out with Xu Lingyin and five Mysterious Court disciples.
• Ye Xiangning led the group to a secluded lake and used a water-receding spell to reveal a stone door beneath it.
• Ye Xiangning broke the formation on the East Gate Mountain Fengshui Stone door and opened the hidden chamber.
• Chi Guanguan and Ye Xiangning each offered to teach Zhang Yuan formation arts, while Chi Guanguan warned him against Ye Xiangning.
• Zhang Yuan professed loyalty to Chi Guanguan without clearly agreeing to learn from her.

Zhang Yuan and the Mysterious Court disciples entered a strange secret chamber and found a Purple-Gold Gourd. When Ning Feng triggered its pill flame, Zhang Yuan put out the fire, leaving Ning Feng’s fate unresolved.

• Zhang Yuan, Ye Xiangning, Xu Lingyin, and the others entered the secret chamber, while Yu Lian and Qin Tianyi arrived at the lake and followed them inside.
• Fei Ting identified the chamber as a likely microcosm, and Xu Lingyin confirmed that its space was unusual.
• The disciples spotted a Purple-Gold Gourd, and Ning Feng approached it to retrieve it.
• The gourd released a crimson pill into Ning Feng’s mouth, and its savage flames began burning his body and soul.
• Zhang Yuan splashed water over Ning Feng and extinguished the flames.

The Purple-Gold Gourd’s three pills killed Ning Feng, first dissolving his body and then blasting apart his soul. Fei Ting and the others suspected the gourd was the legendary Profound Ancestor’s Three Calamities Gourd, suggesting the chamber had a connection to the Profound Ancestor.

• Zhang Yuan doused Ning Feng with water, but the Purple-Gold Gourd fed him a second pill that made his flesh melt away without pain.
• Ning Feng’s body dissolved completely, leaving behind his apparently intact but vacant soul.
• The gourd sent a pale green pill into Ning Feng’s soul, causing it to explode and injure several Mysterious Court Disciples.
• Fei Ting and the others identified the pills’ fire, water, and wind as the Profound Ancestor’s Three Calamities and suspected the chamber held a Great Immortal Lord’s legacy.

Zhang Yuan ignored the danger of the Profound Ancestor's Three Calamities Gourd, endured its three pills with his late Celestial Person dharma body, and claimed the treasure. After the Mysterious Court disciples demanded he hand it over, he coldly asked them to repeat themselves.

• Ye Xiangning stopped Zhang Yuan from fleeing after he suspected Ji Guang had drawn him into the Profound Ancestor's karma.
• Zhang Yuan approached the Purple-Gold Gourd and caught its fire pill, then swallowed it without being harmed.
• Zhang Yuan caught and ate the water pill, then reached the gourd and took it as it released the wind pill.
• After swallowing all three pills, Zhang Yuan advanced to the middle Foundation Establishment Realm and threatened the shaking gourd until it became still.
• Fei Ting and the other Mysterious Court disciples claimed the gourd and its pills belonged to the dead Ning Feng, demanding that Zhang Yuan hand it over.
• Zhang Yuan's smile vanished, and he asked the disciples to say their demand again.

Zhang Yuan and the Mysterious Court disciples argued over Ning’s Purple-Gold Gourd, but Xu Lingyin intervened and prevented a fight. The group continued through the Secret Chamber, where Ye Xiangning broke a formation on another stone door, revealing a conceptual image of the five skandhas and six qi.

• Xu Lingyin rebuked Fei Ting, Meng Xuan, and the others for demanding Ning’s Purple-Gold Gourd, and Zhang Yuan spared them after she intervened.
• Fei Ting told Meng Xuan to wait for a chance to kill Zhang Yuan inside the Secret Chamber, while Zhang Yuan kept the gourd and followed the others onward.
• Xu Lingyin triggered a formation on the next stone door and was thrown toward Zhang Yuan, then asked Ye Xiangning to break the formation.
• Ye Xiangning quickly dismantled the door’s formation, dismissed Fei Ting’s request to study formations, and Zhang Yuan saw a conceptual image of the five skandhas and six qi beyond the door.

Zhang Yuan and the others opened the Profound Ancestor’s secret chamber and discovered a beating skeleton inside. Meng Xuan volunteered to enter first, while the others waited at the gate.

• Zhang Yuan suspected the strand of five skandhas and six qi might be bait left by a True Lord, but Ye Xiangning said she had never visited the chamber before.
• Zhang Yuan opened the stone gate and heard a thunderous heartbeat coming from within.
• Zhang Yuan found a skeleton in Daoist robes at the chamber’s center, and the group debated whether it could be the Profound Ancestor’s remains.
• Meng Xuan volunteered to enter the chamber first, believing its dangers were unlikely to be lethal.

After confirming the chamber was safe, Zhang Yuan discovered that Meng Xuan had taken the ancient book he sought and confronted him over access to the Mysterious Court’s scriptures. Xu Lingyin intervened to defend Zhang Yuan, leaving Meng Xuan’s response unresolved.

• Xu Lingyin checked Meng Xuan’s identity before leading the others through the stone gate into the chamber.
• The group found preserved elixirs and a shelf of ancient Mysterious Court scriptures, and Zhang Yuan noticed one book was missing.
• Zhang Yuan realized Meng Xuan had taken the book containing the five skandhas and six qi.
• Meng Xuan ordered Zhang Yuan away from the scriptures and threatened him when Zhang Yuan refused to back down.
• Xu Lingyin rebuked Meng Xuan and warned him not to trouble Zhang Yuan, an honored guest of the Mysterious Court.

Xu Lingyin defied the Mysterious Court disciples who wanted to arrest Zhang Yuan and protect him from their accusations. Zhang Yuan ordered her to kill Meng Xuan, and she obeyed, leaving the other disciples staring at his severed head.

• Meng Xuan accused Xu Lingyin of favoring Zhang Yuan and proposed arresting him as a suspected Hidden Operative.
• Fei Ting and the other disciples agreed with Meng Xuan and closed in on Zhang Yuan, but Xu Lingyin invoked her authority as the Mysterious Court Dao Maiden to stop them.
• Zhang Yuan placed a hand on Xu Lingyin’s shoulder and ordered her to kill Meng Xuan.
• Xu Lingyin attacked Meng Xuan, overwhelmed him, and severed his head with her Ritual Sword.
• Xu Lingyin reported to Zhang Yuan that Meng Xuan was dead.

Zhang Yuan killed Meng Xuan, recovered the stolen manuals, and ordered Xu Lingyin to spare the witnesses despite her willingness to kill them. Fei Ting and the others realized Zhang Yuan was no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, but Ye Xiangning erased their suspicions and left them unable to speak.

• Zhang Yuan praised Xu Lingyin for killing Meng Xuan, took Meng Xuan's storage pouch, and recovered the manuals and yi wood.
• Chi Guanguan confirmed the yi wood had no hidden dangers, and Zhang Yuan stored it and the manuals in his dao domain.
• Xu Lingyin offered to kill Fei Ting and the others to conceal what had happened, but Zhang Yuan ordered her to spare them because he had been invited as a guest.
• Fei Ting and the others protested Xu Lingyin's loyalty to Zhang Yuan, so Zhang Yuan silenced them with a word.
• Fei Ting suspected Zhang Yuan was the Demon Realm Earth Immortal [Return to True Celestial Person] Zhang Yuan and wondered whether Ye Xiangning was also an Earth Immortal.
• Ye Xiangning erased Fei Ting's suspicions, and he silently vowed to report Zhang Yuan to his Master once he returned.