Chapter Summaries

After two and a half years of diligent cultivation, Jiang Yang reached Qi Refining just before his sixteenth birthday, qualifying for promotion to a formal disciple. He investigated the mysterious branch in his Sea of Consciousness and learned it was a ruined Dao Fruit, though its powers remained unknown.

• Jiang Yang used the Dew Essence Consumption Method to reach Qi Refining and celebrated his breakthrough.
• He recalled his lower-middle-grade Spirit Root, his rebirth, and the years of training that brought him to the threshold of becoming a formal disciple.
• Jiang Yang used his newly developed Spirit Sense to touch the branch hidden in his Sea of Consciousness.
• The contact filled his mind with swirling golden and silver runes, overwhelmed his awareness, and left him with a painful blank in his memory.
• Jiang Yang learned that the branch was an incomplete Dao Fruit associated with marriage bonds, fortune, lifespans, and cause and effect, but that it had lost nearly all its power.

Jiang Yang discovered how to awaken the Peach Blossom Dao Fruit and received the Lush Peach and Plum talent, which improved his appearance and promised to raise his cultivation aptitude. He saw its first effects in a water mirror and remained cautious about his mysterious new gift.

• Jiang Yang learned that he needed to fill and bloom every twig on the Peach Branch to fully command the Dao Fruit.
• Jiang Yang touched a closed Flower Bud with his Spirit Sense, and it sent him an enigmatic line of verse without opening.
• Jiang Yang connected his Spirit Sense to the Peach Branch again, and it granted him the Lush Peach and Plum talent, which could improve his appearance, body, aptitude, and Dao companion.
• Jiang Yang examined his reflection in a water mirror and noticed that his bearing and features had subtly improved.

Jiang Yang adjusted to life as a mute beggar in an unfamiliar cultivation world, earning his first money and beginning to learn the language. After he taught a little beggar how to beg more effectively, immortals suddenly descended, interrupting his plans.

• Jiang Yang realized he had transmigrated into the body of a starving beggar and decided to pose as a mute while begging for food.
• Jiang Yang cleaned himself up, studied the town, and chose a prosperous group of women as his first targets.
• A dignified woman gave Jiang Yang seven large coins, and one of the girls secretly slipped him a pastry.
• Jiang Yang used half a flatbread to recruit a little beggar and learned common words from him while teaching him how to beg.
• Before three days had passed, immortals descended and disrupted Jiang Yang's budding begging career.

Jiang Yang reflected on how he had gone from a beggar to a Qi Refining cultivator and prepared to leave the Lower Court for life as an inner sect disciple. After collecting his stipend and new gear, he faced the need to move from the dwelling he had called home for several years.

• Jiang Yang recalled how he had first encountered cultivation, gained a Spirit Root, and entered Rain Xiang Mountain, while worrying about the little fool he had left behind.
• Jiang Yang considered the rules and obligations awaiting him as a newly promoted inner sect disciple, including moving to Morning Rain Peak and completing an annual assignment.
• Jiang Yang traveled to the summit and used his Spirit Sense to inscribe his identity token before collecting his stipend and a Storage Bag without difficulty.
• Jiang Yang inspected his Storage Bag, changed into his deep-blue disciple robe, and counted the twelve Essence-Nourishing Pills in his stipend.
• Jiang Yang resolved to seek new income and manage his expenses, then felt reluctant to leave the tiled-roof dwelling where he had lived for several years.

Jiang Yang left the other Courtyard after advancing to Qi Refining and spoke with his old friends Liang Jing and Jin Shiqu. After learning about the duties available on Dawn Rain Peak, he shared cultivation advice with them and continued toward his new life as a full disciple.

• Jiang Yang packed his meditation cushion and bedding and left his room in the other Courtyard.
• Jiang Yang reunited with Liang Jing and Jin Shiqu, who congratulated him on entering the inner sect.
• Liang Jing told Jiang Yang that planting spirit bamboo on Dawn Rain Peak was an easy duty with possible extra rewards.
• Jiang Yang explained his cultivation experiences to Liang Jing and Jin Shiqu before bidding them farewell.
• Jiang Yang used the Lightness Technique to travel up the mountain and reflected on beginning his cultivation path as a full disciple.

Jiang Yang reported to Morning Rain Peak after becoming an initiated disciple and received his own courtyard. He went to the General Affairs Office to collect a required duty assignment and began looking through the available tasks.

• Jiang Yang traveled from Falling Rain Peak to Morning Rain Peak and reported to Registrar Xie Zhiyan.
• Xie Zhiyan assigned Jiang Yang a courtyard and warned him to collect his general duties within three months or have his stipend docked.
• Jiang Yang checked the location of his new courtyard through his waist token and admired the privacy of full disciples' residences.
• Jiang Yang visited the General Affairs Office, where Senior Brother Zhou was filling in for the affairs officer, Martial Uncle Lin.
• Senior Brother Zhou gave Jiang Yang a booklet of duties to browse while he waited for other disciples to report their completed assignments.

Jiang Yang consulted the Dao Register and, with Zhou Yanwei's guidance, chose a spirit bamboo planting duty on Dawn Rain Peak. After Zhou Yanwei assigned the work and told him to report to Rain Listening Pavilion the next day, Jiang Yang left the General Affairs Office and headed toward his new cave abode.

• Jiang Yang browsed the Dao Register and asked Zhou Yanwei to explain the duties and Dao Merit.
• Zhou Yanwei explained that Jiang Yang could choose any available vermilion-marked duty, except for restricted Market Ward and Pill Spring Island posts.
• Jiang Yang chose the spirit bamboo planting duty on Dawn Rain Peak, and Zhou Yanwei recorded the assignment in Jiang Yang's waist token.
• Zhou Yanwei warned Jiang Yang to report to Rain Listening Pavilion on Dawn Rain Peak the next day or risk losing part of his stipend and being questioned.
• Jiang Yang and Zhou Yanwei exchanged names and talked until sunset, then Jiang Yang left the General Affairs Office and headed for his new cave abode.

Jiang Yang enjoyed the rich Spirit Vigor in his new Cave Abode, then traveled across Cold Creek Valley to Dawn Rain Peak to report for his assigned duties. Steward Li Zhouying warned him about tending fragile spirit bamboo and asked whether he could meet the three-month deadline.

• Jiang Yang cultivated at dawn in his new Cave Abode and marveled at the dense Spirit Vigor around Rain Xiang Mountain.
• Jiang Yang ate breakfast at the Dining Office, then hurried across Cold Creek and its spirit fields toward Dawn Rain Peak.
• Jiang Yang accidentally triggered the formation barrier at the Rain Listening Pavilion before opening it with his identity token.
• Li Zhouying introduced herself as a steward of Dawn Rain Peak and led Jiang Yang to his duties.
• Li Zhouying explained that the spirit bamboo had to take root and anchor the soil within three months, then asked whether Jiang Yang was confident he could do it.

Jiang Yang accepted the assignment to tend three Clear-Sound Jade Bamboo seedlings and learned the spells and rules for caring for them. After planting and nourishing all three, he realized he could cultivate in the Bamboo Grove’s abundant Spirit Vigor while he worked.

• Li Zhouying gave Jiang Yang three bamboo seedlings, two spell booklets, and a Ruan Spirit-Jade Shovel, then explained how to care for the bamboo and how the assignment would be graded.
• Li Zhouying warned Jiang Yang that the bamboo would become Mottled Jade Spirit Bamboo if it heard bitter sobbing or witnessed tears of grief and parting.
• Jiang Yang studied Nurture Spirit, Fortify the Meridians and Finger-Sword Awakening of Insects before deciding to plant the seedlings.
• Jiang Yang dug three holes, planted one seedling in each, and cast Nurture Spirit, Fortify the Meridians on them until they straightened and began to flourish.
• Jiang Yang noticed that the Bamboo Grove had richer Spirit Vigor than his new home and decided to cultivate there while tending the bamboo.

Jiang Yang cared for the spirit bamboo and spent a pleasant morning petting a kitten in the grove. Shang Qingzheng found her missing cat, Little Sixteen, with him, and he asked whether it belonged to her.

• Jiang Yang cultivated in the rain and cast three Meridian-Stabilizing Spells on the spirit bamboo.
• A small Wildcat approached Jiang Yang, who coaxed it over and petted it.
• Jiang Yang let the kitten rest in his lap after it struggled when he tried to lift it.
• Shang Qingzheng followed her spirit pact through the Bamboo Grove to find Little Sixteen.
• Shang Qingzheng found Little Sixteen lounging on Jiang Yang's lap, and Jiang Yang asked whether it was her cat.

Jiang Yang met Shang Qingzheng while she was retrieving Little Sixteen, a spirit-beast cub that had taken an unusual liking to him. After discussing the freedom and status of direct disciples, Shang Qingzheng explained the civet’s noble bloodlines and wondered why it had chosen Jiang Yang.

• Jiang Yang returned Little Sixteen to Shang Qingzheng and learned that she was a direct disciple of Dawn Rain Peak named Shang Qingzheng.
• Shang Qingzheng questioned why Jiang Yang was not afraid of her, and he replied that her rank did not make her frightening.
• Shang Qingzheng explained that direct disciples remained bound by their status until they became Purple Mansion True Persons.
• Jiang Yang asked whether Little Sixteen was a spirit beast, and Shang Qingzheng described its Snowridge Pine-Listening Civet and Black Jade Profound Cat ancestry.
• Shang Qingzheng recalled that Little Sixteen rarely approached anyone and wondered whether its choice to visit Jiang Yang was more than coincidence.

Jiang Yang told Shang Qingzheng about life and lessons in the Lower Court while she explained the path to becoming a direct disciple. Their conversation left Shang Qingzheng curious to hear more about Jiang Yang’s experiences.

• Shang Qingzheng explained that bloodline gifts could also impose shackles, and Jiang Yang compared them to differences in cultivators’ aptitude and status.
• Shang Qingzheng told Jiang Yang that joining a peak lineage under a master could make him a direct disciple, but said her master would not accept him.
• Jiang Yang said he did not mind having average aptitude and explained that his Dao Fruit gave him confidence he could improve.
• Jiang Yang sat on the ground and described the Lower Court as a crowded school where children learned cultivation basics and competed to absorb spiritual energy.
• Shang Qingzheng listened with interest and urged Jiang Yang to tell her more about the Lower Court.

Shang Qingzheng visited Li Zhouying at the Rain Listening Pavilion, then went to find Jiang Yang in the bamboo grove. She joined him for tea as he practiced a pest-control spell and tended his Jade Bamboo seedlings.

• Shang Qingzheng reflected on how much her recent conversations with Jiang Yang had eased her agitation.
• Li Zhouying mistook Shang Qingzheng's visit for concern about the Jade Bamboo Essence and assured her that disciples were watching it.
• After the rain cleared, Shang Qingzheng decided to take Little Sixteen to find Jiang Yang.
• Jiang Yang practiced Finger-Sword Awakening of Insects while caring for his three Jade Bamboo seedlings.
• Shang Qingzheng met Jiang Yang in the bamboo grove, and he explained that he was practicing a spell to protect the plants from pests.
• Shang Qingzheng set out her tea utensils and began brewing tea with Jiang Yang.

Jiang Yang shared Heqiu Snow Bud with Shang Qingzheng, told her about his orphaned past, and learned about raising spirit beasts. Shang Qingzheng showed him the Spirit Pact she used to control Little Sixteen.

• Shang Qingzheng served Jiang Yang Heqiu Snow Bud, and he praised its fragrance and cultivation benefits.
• Shang Qingzheng asked about Jiang Yang’s family, and he said he had grown up an orphan in Weiyang Prefecture.
• Shang Qingzheng gave Little Sixteen some tea and explained that the young spirit beast needed daily pills and hundreds of pounds of fresh fish each month.
• Jiang Yang asked how ordinary disciples could raise spirit beasts, and Shang Qingzheng described buying one, capturing one, or obtaining offspring from the Sect’s beasts.
• Jiang Yang asked how spirit beasts could be kept loyal, and Shang Qingzheng revealed the Spirit Pact tied around her wrist.

Shang Qingzheng explained the formalities of spirit cat contracts and taught Jiang Yang about immortals, the Celestial River lineage, and the cultivation method he had learned. After practicing spells and cleaning his courtyard, Jiang Yang heard someone call for him.

• Shang Qingzheng explained that spirit cats could only be bonded through a betrothal contract, while ordinary spirit beasts could be bound with a blood contract.
• Shang Qingzheng told Jiang Yang that the Celestial River Jellyfish was an immortal and the source of their Sect’s Dao Lineage.
• Shang Qingzheng explained that the Dew Essence Consumption Method cultivated pure qi and described how immortals had withdrawn from the mortal world after an ancient upheaval.
• Jiang Yang practiced Finger Sword: Awakening of Insects to clear the vegetation around his home, then used a magical breeze to tidy the courtyard.
• As Jiang Yang prepared to rest at sunset, someone called out, “Are you there, Junior Brother Jiang?”

Fang Xu visited Jiang Yang and invited him to explore a well-preserved Ancient Cultivators Legacy he had discovered. Jiang Yang remained wary of the invitation, and the chapter ended before he answered.

• Fang Xu introduced himself as Jiang Yang’s neighbor and said Senior Brother Zhou had praised Jiang Yang to him.
• Jiang Yang and Fang Xu exchanged polite conversation and learned where each other’s Cave Abode was located.
• Fang Xu told Jiang Yang that he had sensed unusual Spirit Vigor during an assignment and discovered an Ancient Cultivators Legacy.
• Fang Xu invited Jiang Yang to explore the legacy with him and offered to share any treasures they found.
• Jiang Yang considered the dangers and poor odds of exploring ancient ruins while hiding his suspicions of Fang Xu’s offer.

Jiang Yang cautiously declined Fang Xu’s invitation to explore a cave abode by citing his sect duty, then learned that Rain Xiang Mountain’s Court Examination would be held at the Dewlit Ancestral Court. He returned to his Cave Abode after Fang Xu departed, satisfied that he had avoided the invitation without offending him.

• Jiang Yang feigned interest in Fang Xu’s invitation but explained that his Spirit Plant duty kept him from leaving for two or three months.
• Fang Xu accepted Jiang Yang’s refusal and advised him to focus on cultivation for the sect’s end-of-year Court Examination.
• Fang Xu explained that the Court Examination took place once every ten years at the Dewlit Ancestral Court and that Purple Mansion True Persons chose disciples using varying criteria.
• Jiang Yang thanked Fang Xu for the advice and saw him off as Fang Xu flew away.
• Jiang Yang returned to his Cave Abode and reflected that he had avoided the risks of Fang Xu’s invitation without offending him.

Jiang Yang tended his Clear-Sound Jade Bamboo and chatted with Shang Qingzheng during a rain shower. Shang Qingzheng began explaining the deeper reason the rain fell so often in the region.

• Jiang Yang checked the Clear-Sound Jade Bamboo for pests, cast a Meridian-Stabilizing Spell on the seedlings, and played with Little Sixteen.
• Shang Qingzheng arrived and asked Jiang Yang what the word “hakimi” meant after overhearing him talking to the cat.
• Jiang Yang explained that talking to himself helped ease his emotions, and Shang Qingzheng considered trying it when she felt troubled.
• A drizzle began, and Jiang Yang used the Water-Repelling Art while Shang Qingzheng relied on her enchanted robes.
• Shang Qingzheng told Jiang Yang that abundant Water Veins were not the main reason for the region’s constant rain, then began describing its cause.

Jiang Yang learned that Dawn Rain Peak’s nourishing drizzle came from True Person Dawn Rain’s Divine Powers, and realized the verse in his Dao Fruit might point to her. He asked about becoming her disciple, but Shang Qingzheng explained that her master never accepted male disciples and suggested he seek an opportunity to meet her at the year-end Court Examination.

• Shang Qingzheng explained that Dawn Rain Peak inherited the Nine-Gate Gui Water Dharma and that its Divine Power, Moistening Drizzle, nourished new disciples.
• Jiang Yang realized the rain had helped him cultivate, but Shang Qingzheng clarified that its benefits barely affected cultivators who had entered Qi Refining.
• Shang Qingzheng revealed that her master, True Person Dawn Rain, produced the drizzle with her Divine Powers.
• Jiang Yang asked whether True Person Dawn Rain might accept him as a male disciple, and Shang Qingzheng said her master had never accepted one.
• Shang Qingzheng told Jiang Yang that True Person Dawn Rain would attend the year-end Court Examination, giving him a chance to meet her.

Jiang Yang finished his work tending the spirit bamboo and visited Chuanwu Market for the first time, where he browsed the crowded stalls and shops. With only fifty Spirit Stones, he turned into a quiet alley of informal vendors, and a middle-aged disciple called him over to inspect a stall of unusual goods.

• Shang Qingzheng told Jiang Yang that Li Zhouying was her master's personal maid and managed the affairs of the peak.
• After Shang Qingzheng left, Jiang Yang finished tending the spirit bamboo and decided to visit the nearby Chuanwu Market.
• Jiang Yang entered Chuanwu Market and explored its busy streets, considering what he could afford with his fifty Spirit Stones.
• Jiang Yang skipped the expensive storefronts and entered a quiet alley lined with disciples' stalls.
• A middle-aged disciple called Jiang Yang over to look at his stall of strange odds and ends.