Chapter Summaries

Chen Daoxuan escorted the injured Female Cultivator of Cloud Country away from Guang'an Prefecture to obtain her Alchemy inheritance, then killed her when she tried to ambush him. After securing the Jade Slip, he encountered Zhou Mubai at sea.

• Chen Daoxuan tested the Jade Slip by pretending its Alchemy methods were wrong, then left with the Female Cultivator of Cloud Country to escort her away from Guang'an Prefecture.
• Aboard the Azure Dragon Cargo Ship, the Female Cultivator of Cloud Country attacked Chen Daoxuan at close range, but he restrained her and struck her with his body-refining strength.
• The Female Cultivator of Cloud Country fled into the air, but Chen Daoxuan pursued her and wore down her True Yuan Shield with his sword techniques.
• Chen Daoxuan broke through the Female Cultivator of Cloud Country's shield and beheaded her, then burned her corpse and kept the Alchemy inheritance Jade Slip.
• Chen Daoxuan spotted Zhou Mubai standing on the sea and flew over to greet him respectfully.

Chen Daoxuan explained how the Guang'an Immortal Alliance could weaken the Zhou Family economically and proposed a way to exploit its shortage of Spirit Stones. Zhou Mubai rejected the plan to avoid harming fellow Cangzhou cultivators, warned Chen Daoxuan against colluding with enemies, and left him a Jade Slip about comprehending Sword Intent.

• Zhou Mubai praised Chen Daoxuan's swordsmanship and asked what he thought of the Guang'an Immortal Alliance.
• Chen Daoxuan argued that the alliance could draw families and Rogue Cultivators away from Guang'an Prefecture by building Spirit Veins and supporting cultivation.
• Chen Daoxuan identified the alliance's likely shortage of Spirit Stones and explained how the Zhou Family could use it to undermine Lingzhou City's economy.
• Zhou Mubai asked Chen Daoxuan about marriage and his opinion of the Zhou Family, then said he would not adopt the proposed economic strategy because cultivators of Cangzhou were comrades against outside enemies.
• Zhou Mubai warned Chen Daoxuan that colluding with the enemy was a capital offense, then vanished and left him a Jade Slip containing his experiences with Sword Intent.

After returning from Guang'an Prefecture with a wealth of inheritances, Chen Daoxuan reached Twin Lakes Island and began studying Zhou Mubai's notes on comprehending Sword Intent. The chapter left him seeking a breakthrough in his Sword Dao while the Zhou Family's apparent lack of hostility toward the Guang'an Immortal Alliance offered reassurance about the region's future.

• Chen Daoxuan found the Azure Dragon too damaged to sail and flew back to Guang'an Prefecture, arriving nearly depleted of true qi.
• Chen Xianhe welcomed Chen Daoxuan back and sent him to rest, trusting his strength and guarding the secret of his extraordinary progress in the Sword Dao.
• After recovering, Chen Daoxuan sailed the Azure Cloud to Twin Lakes Island with numerous inheritances, including a second-tier Alchemy Inheritance.
• A month later, Chen Daoxuan returned home and considered the value of Zhou Mubai's apparent opposition to conflict between the Zhou Family and the Guang'an Immortal Alliance.
• Chen Daoxuan sat by his Spirit Pool and immersed himself in the Sword Intent insights Zhou Mubai had given him.

Chen Daoxuan studied Zhou Mubai’s Jade Slip and learned how Sword Intent strengthened Sword Cultivators, explained Zhou Mubai’s formidable battle record, and revealed the dangers and rewards of comprehending Sword Intent during Qi Refining. Chen Daoxuan recognized that he stood near that threshold, but the greatest challenge would be surviving Foundation Establishment with tempered power.

• Chen Daoxuan discovered that Zhou Mubai’s Jade Slip contained a detailed Sword Dao inheritance and explained how the Qianyuan Sword Sect’s dominance made Flying Swords widespread.
• Zhou Mubai’s teachings defined Sword Cultivators by their comprehension of Sword Intent, which tempered their power and helped explain how Zhou Mubai had wounded the late-stage Purple Mansion Merfolk Clan Leader.
• Chen Daoxuan read that comprehending Sword Intent during Qi Refining could strengthen a cultivator’s foundation, but violent tempered True Qi could destroy the Qi Sea during Foundation Establishment.
• Chen Daoxuan realized he was close to comprehending Sword Intent and considered pursuing the exceptional Sword Cultivator path despite its dangerous Foundation Establishment hurdle.
• Zhou Mubai’s Jade Slip explained that powerful Sword Cultivators had better prospects of surviving the Golden Core Tribulation.

After studying Zhou Mubai's insights, Chen Daoxuan found a path toward comprehending Sword Intent and considered delaying Foundation Establishment to pursue it. He then devised the idea of a Lifebound Artifact that could store excess True Qi during Foundation Establishment, but realized it could not help Chen Xianhe overcome the limits of his age.

• Chen Daoxuan finished reading Zhou Mubai's Jade Slip and learned that comprehending Sword Intent required understanding the Dao of wind, water, and earth and integrating those insights into swordsmanship.
• Chen Daoxuan resolved to study the corresponding spells and pursue becoming a Sword Cultivator, even if doing so delayed his Foundation Establishment by several years.
• Chen Daoxuan concluded that his main obstacle to Foundation Establishment was Qi Sea expansion, since his Dragon Python Swallowing Heaven Technique had sufficiently tempered his body.
• Chen Daoxuan conceived of a Lifebound Artifact that could store excess True Qi in his Qi Sea and control the pressure of Foundation Establishment.
• Chen Daoxuan recognized that the proposed artifact could not help Chen Xianhe, whose advanced age made it difficult for his True Qi to transform into True Yuan.

Chen Daoxuan forged Chen Daochu a powerful Lifebound Spirit Armor using Second-Grade Guishui Fine Gold. He took the Dao generation cultivators outside to test it and raised his sword against the frightened Chen Daochu.

• Chen Daoxuan fused Guishui Fine Gold with First-tier Spirit Ore and completed a second-tier-level forging process for Chen Daochu's armor.
• Chen Daochu fed five mouthfuls of Lifeblood Essence into the armor, successfully forming their blood bond and completing the Lifebound Spirit Armor.
• Chen Daochu summoned the armor and wore it as the Dao generation cultivators watched.
• Chen Daoxuan led everyone outside the Industrial Zone to test the armor and told Chen Daochu, "Daochu, take my sword!"
• Chen Daochu panicked and cried out as Chen Daoxuan prepared to strike.

Chen Daoxuan tested Chen Daochu’s Lifebound Spirit Armor against increasingly powerful sword strikes, discovering that it could withstand attacks beyond the limit of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. The test left Chen Daochu with only a slight injury and Chen Daoxuan considering how much such armor could strengthen the Chen Family.

• Chen Daochu’s Lifebound Spirit Armor blocked Chen Daoxuan’s strikes equivalent to attacks from third- and fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivators.
• Chen Daoxuan’s strike equivalent to a ninth-layer cultivator created a crater, but Chen Daochu remained unharmed and had used less than ten percent of his True Qi.
• Chen Daoxuan unleashed the Chasing Wind Sword Art at full power, sending Chen Daochu flying and causing a slight chest injury.
• Chen Daoxuan checked Chen Daochu’s condition and realized the armor could withstand attacks beyond the usual limits of Qi Refining cultivators.
• Chen Daoxuan considered how equipping every Chen Family cultivator with such armor could dramatically increase the clan’s strength.

After seeing the Dao generation cultivators envy Chen Daochu’s Lifebound Spirit Armor, Chen Daoxuan weighed its enormous cost against its defensive power and the Chen Family’s future finances. He decided to propose a new cultivation system at the next Clan Meeting, leaving the other cultivators’ hopes for armor unanswered.

• Chen Daoxuan calculated that full-strength Lifebound Spirit Armor cost about two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones to make and gave its wearer a major advantage in battle.
• Chen Daoxuan considered using cheaper materials for the armor but worried that weaker protection would undermine its value and that equipping future generations would burden the Chen Family.
• Chen Daoxuan compared the Dao generation cultivators’ slow progress with the extensive resources the Chen Family had provided them.
• Chen Daoxuan concluded that equal resource allocation had weakened motivation and decided to propose a new cultivation system at the next Clan Meeting.
• Chen Daoxuan ignored the other Dao generation cultivators’ expectant looks, believing the Chen Family needed firm rules before it grew larger.

Chen Daoxuan reunited with Chen Xianhe and explained why the Chen Family needed to reform its clan system as it grew. At the clan meeting, he reviewed the family’s flying-sword business before announcing that its cultivator training system had to change.

• Chen Xianhe returned to Twin Lakes Island and praised the thriving harbor market town before meeting Chen Daoxuan.
• Chen Daoxuan outlined his plans for reform, and Chen Xianhe agreed the old family system would soon cause problems but warned that some Dao generation clansmen would resent the changes.
• Chen Daoxuan insisted he would push through any reform that benefited the family, and Chen Xianhe praised him for becoming more like a Clan Leader.
• At the clan meeting, Chen Xianhe reported that the family’s Rainbow Sound Flying Sword Shop had monopolized the Rogue Cultivator Market’s magic artifact trade and earned over one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones in annual net profit.
• Chen Daoxuan thanked the Dao generation cultivators for their work, then declared that reform of the family’s Cultivator Training System could no longer be delayed.

Chen Daoxuan announced a competitive, three-tier cultivator training system and a nine-year Clan School program, explaining how resources and opportunities would be allocated. After Chen Daochu voiced the Dao generation’s support and Chen Daoxuan promised them training resources and stipends, he began to discuss the family’s organizational structure.

• Chen Daoxuan criticized the Dao generation cultivators for slacking in cultivation and the Hundred Arts, then announced that training resources would depend on effort and performance.
• Chen Daoxuan established Basic, Elite, and Core training levels, with annual assessments that could raise or lower each cultivator’s level.
• Chen Daoxuan set nine years of compulsory Clan School training, after which cultivators could take clan positions or pursue advanced study at the family’s discretion.
• Chen Daochu expressed the Dao generation’s willingness to contribute, and Chen Daoxuan promised them their full training resources and annual stipends in Contribution Points.
• Chen Daoxuan concluded his explanation of the training system and began discussing the family’s organizational structure.

At a clan meeting, Chen Daoxuan proposed replacing the Chen Family’s Elder Council with a Department Management System that divided clan responsibilities among ten departments. He explained that the Legal Affairs and Police Departments would separate the powers to judge and apprehend offenders, and the meeting considered the need to prevent abuses of authority.

• Chen Daoxuan introduced the Department Management System, and Chen Xianhe relaxed after hearing it would take the place of clan Elders.
• Chen Daoxuan assigned clan affairs to ten departments, covering livelihoods, education, commerce, foreign trade, industry, agriculture, spirit veins, legal affairs, policing, and foreign affairs.
• Chen Xianhe asked whether the Legal Affairs and Police Departments had overlapping authority.
• Chen Daoxuan explained that separating the powers to judge and apprehend cultivators would prevent an enforcement body from abusing its authority.
• Chen Xianhe fell silent as he recognized how an unchecked Enforcement Team could breed resentment and destabilize a clan.

Chen Daoxuan outlined the Chen Family’s future Education Department and planned the Clan School’s curriculum and staffing. Chen Daolian volunteered to study Alchemy, while Chen Daochu offered to teach Artifact Refining, leaving Chen Daoxuan to take on Talisman Crafting as the first teachers were chosen.

• Chen Daoxuan explained that the Education Department would oversee future Chen Family schools, though Changping First Cultivation Primary School was its only institution for now.
• Chen Daoxuan warned that the family lacked staff and divided the Clan School into Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Talisman Crafting, and Sword Dao specializations.
• Chen Daolian volunteered to study Alchemy after finding little interest or aptitude in Artifact Refining, and Chen Daoxuan postponed discussing her request until after the Clan Meeting.
• Chen Daochu offered to teach Artifact Refining so Chen Daoxuan would not have to shoulder so much work.
• Chen Daoxuan accepted Chen Daochu as a teacher and took responsibility for the Talisman Crafting class, completing the school’s first batch of teachers.

Chen Daoxuan promised Chen Xianhe that he would never commit the Chen Family’s full strength to the Cloud Country Battlefield, then arranged for Chen Daolian to study Alchemy while continuing to work at the Flying Sword Factory. He was left encouraged by the dedication of his clansmen and the family’s plans for growth.

• Chen Xianhe warned Chen Daoxuan not to risk the entire family on the Cloud Country Battlefield, and Chen Daoxuan promised to keep strength in reserve.
• Chen Xianhe explained that the great families were bound to the war against Cloud Country and the Xuan Qing Dao Alliance through both its benefits and the threat of defeat.
• Chen Daoxuan asked Chen Daolian whether she had decided to learn Alchemy, and proposed that she study with him full-time for two years.
• Chen Daolian insisted on spending three hours each day at the Flying Sword Factory, and Chen Daoxuan agreed to her arrangement.
• Chen Daoxuan reflected on how every generation of Chen cultivators had sacrificed for the family’s growth and felt happy to lead them.

Chen Daoxuan reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining and discovered that studying the Wind Blade Art helped his Sword Dao advance. He planned his preparations for Foundation Establishment, but still had no idea how to find a material for a True Qi storage device.

• Chen Daoxuan broke through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining after three years of rapid cultivation.
• Chen Daoxuan taught Chen Daochu and the Dao generation cultivators Artifact Refining and taught Chen Daolian Alchemy while mastering much of a second-tier Alchemy Inheritance.
• Chen Daoxuan perfected the Wind Blade Art and found that understanding its wind Dao patterns advanced his Sword Dao.
• Chen Daoxuan resolved to keep comprehending Sword Intent, temper his True Qi, and forge a natal Dantian pressure reducer before Foundation Establishment.
• Chen Daoxuan searched texts and tested Spirit Mine materials but failed to find one capable of storing True Qi.

Chen Daoxuan accepted Luo Li’s invitation to visit the Merfolk Tribe after learning her father wanted to meet him. Luo Li brought him beneath the sea, and they approached the Dark Curtain Layer of the Myriad Star Sea.

• Chen Daoxuan taught Chen Daolian to refine a Qi Replenishing Pill and instructed Chen Daochu and the other young cultivators in Formation Pattern stacking techniques.
• Chen Daoxuan received a message from Luo Li inviting him to the Merfolk Tribe’s territory and agreed to meet her father.
• Luo Li explained that her tribe’s Innate Divine Ability would let Chen Daoxuan travel underwater without the Water Evasion Technique.
• Luo Li took Chen Daoxuan into the sea, where a transparent film protected him from the water and darkness.
• Luo Li told Chen Daoxuan they were about to enter the Dark Curtain Layer, and he asked what it was.

Chen Daoxuan and Luo Li crossed the Dark Curtain Layer and the Sea of Stars Layer, revealing the vast, dangerous underwater world of the Myriad Star Sea. They reached Demon Ape Mountain, where Luo Li pointed out her father's cave mansion.

• Chen Daoxuan clasped Luo Li's hand as they descended through the dark and unsettling Dark Curtain Layer.
• Luo Li told Chen Daoxuan that the stars below marked the Sea of Stars Layer, and the two marveled at its beauty and danger.
• Chen Daoxuan learned that the Myriad Star Sea Underworld had dense spiritual energy, but powerful foreign races controlled its high-level Spirit Veins.
• Chen Daoxuan and Luo Li passed through the Sea of Stars Layer and entered the Myriad Star Sea Underworld.
• Luo Li guided Chen Daoxuan around foreign-race Spirit Veins to Demon Ape Mountain, where they saw Merfolk mining for the Chen Family.
• Luo Li pointed out her father's cave mansion on Demon Ape Mountain's main ridge.

Chen Daoxuan visited the wounded Merfolk Clan Leader, Luo Xiuyuan, who revealed the Merfolk Tribe’s human origins and why they had avoided becoming another clan’s vassals. After Luo Xiuyuan explained that Luo Li trusted Chen Daoxuan, Chen accepted the tribe’s loyalty through a Race Subjugation Contract, leaving Luo Xiuyuan to wonder if he had chosen rightly.

• Chen Daoxuan accompanied Luo Li to her father Luo Xiuyuan’s cave mansion, where the badly injured clan leader met with him privately.
• Luo Xiuyuan revealed that the great families of Guang'an Prefecture kept other races as vassals and said the Merfolk Tribe had chosen the Chen Family to avoid becoming anyone’s subordinate.
• Luo Xiuyuan told Chen Daoxuan that the Merfolk descended from humans who fled into the deep sea, and argued that they were still human despite being treated as monsters.
• Luo Xiuyuan said he was willing to make the Merfolk Tribe a vassal because Luo Li believed Chen Daoxuan did not look at her like a monster.
• Chen Daoxuan accepted the tribe’s loyalty, and he and Luo Xiuyuan swore a Race Subjugation Contract.
• After Chen Daoxuan left, Luo Xiuyuan hoped privately that his choice had not been wrong.

Chen Daoxuan comforted Luo Li as she grieved for her mother and her people, then followed her to a field of Lotuses of Creation. He discovered that the plants stored True Yuan instead of merely consuming it, leaving him excited by their potential.

• Luo Li told Chen Daoxuan about her mother's answer to why their people struggled to survive, and mourned her loss.
• Chen Daoxuan comforted Luo Li, who fell asleep in his arms before waking and declaring him her master as a member of the Merfolk Tribe.
• Luo Li took Chen Daoxuan to a basin of Lotuses of Creation and showed him how her True Yuan made them glow.
• Chen Daoxuan realized the lotuses absorbed True Yuan, resisted being torn by hand, and remained radiant after he cut one free.
• Luo Li explained that the lotus stored True Yuan, and Chen Daoxuan kissed her cheek in excitement over the discovery.

Chen Daoxuan began forging a Lifebound Dantian pressure reducer from the Lotus of Creation, hoping it would let him safely establish his foundation and help Chen Family disciples do the same. After half a year of failures and experiments, he provisionally settled the artifact’s Formation Patterns, but still needed to test its capacity.

• Chen Daoxuan returned to Twin Lakes Island with the Lotus of Creation, while Luo Li left without acknowledging him after he offended her.
• Chen Daoxuan studied the Lotus of Creation and realized he would need a Foundation Establishment cultivator to test whether the artifact could hold True Yuan.
• Chen Daoxuan used ten motes of Star Dust to gain Enlightenment, then began inscribing Formation Patterns on a Lotus of Creation.
• Chen Daoxuan ruined Lotus of Creation after Lotus of Creation while trying to design patterns that controlled the plant’s absorption and return of true qi.
• After half a year and three large Storage Bags of wasted material, Chen Daoxuan provisionally settled the Formation Patterns for the Dantian pressure reducer.

Chen Daoxuan tested a Lotus-shaped Magic Artifact designed to store True Yuan, using Luo Li to measure its capacity. After it absorbed the equivalent of three Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators’ True Yuan and erupted in a pillar of light, Chen Daoxuan prepared to continue experimenting.

• Chen Daoxuan brought Luo Li to his Spirit Mansion and had her inject True Yuan into his experimental Lotus-shaped Artifact.
• After seeing the artifact absorb nearly all of Luo Li’s True Yuan, Chen Daoxuan asked her to stay while he made her a Lifebound Spirit Armor.
• Luo Li wore the armor and repeatedly replenished her True Yuan in the Spirit Pool while continuing the test over several hours.
• The artifact stored an amount of True Yuan equal to three times Luo Li’s capacity before a colorless flame and pillar of light blasted it into the sky.
• Chen Daoxuan and Luo Li survived the blast, and Chen Daoxuan took out another Lotus-shaped Artifact to continue the experiment.