Chapter Summaries

Su Yue'e discovered that Little White Fox’s bloodline had been cleansed of demonic qi, but the young fox’s weak foundation left her vulnerable to the Demon Realm. She brought her daughter back to North Spring Mountain and asked Gu Yuanqing to take her in, where Gu Yuanqing agreed before realizing his son had grown fond of a fox spirit.

• Su Yue'e confirmed that Little White Fox had become a spirit fox after her bloodline was cleansed, and Little White Fox happily reunited with her clan on Sky Fox Mountain.
• After Little White Fox became weak and feverish, Su Yue'e concluded that demonic qi in the Demon Realm threatened her daughter’s new form.
• Leaders of seven subordinate tribes asked Su Yue'e to persuade Gu Yuanqing to release missing clansmen, but she dismissed them and hurried to her daughter.
• Su Yue'e overcame Xiong Mo’s attempt to stop her and carried Little Fox to North Spring Mountain.
• Su Yue'e explained Little Fox’s condition and asked Gu Yuanqing to take her daughter in; Gu Yuanqing agreed, then realized his son was fond of a fox spirit.

After defeating Ao Guang, Gu Yuanqing enjoyed a period of peace while the Human and Demon Races reconsidered their stance toward him. Meanwhile, a divine-soul figure found a hand pinned by an Ancient Sword in the Underground Cave, and Gu Yuanqing decided to enter the Ancient Realm.

• Su Yue'e entrusted the Little White Fox to Gu Yuanqing, and the Tiger Lord later returned the little tiger cub; both left lavish gifts and suspected Gu Yuanqing of schemes.
• News of Gu Yuanqing's victory over Ao Guang spread, prompting regret among Ji Xian and Gongsun Sui and keeping both races from disturbing North Spring Mountain.
• Ao Guang returned to Demonic Dragon Mountain and entered seclusion after burning his essence and suffering a humiliating defeat.
• A divine-soul figure explored the Underground Cave, absorbed mysterious aura, and found a fair hand pinned to an Array Platform by a pitch-black Ancient Sword.
• Gu Yuanqing spent two more years cultivating at a slower pace, then opened his eyes above the Sea Islands and decided to enter the Ancient Realm.

Gu Yuanqing prepared to enter the Ancient Realm after helping the Floating World’s cultivators and settling his affairs. He reached the Ancient Realm through the Void Realm and found himself inside a vast formation, where Chu Ran appeared and immediately flew away.

• Gu Yuanqing visited Li Shi'an and the others, shared his cultivation insights, and gave them revised techniques and resources for Divine Platform cultivation.
• Gu Yuanqing increased North Spring Mountain’s admission quota to five hundred and warned the group that fewer than seventy years remained before the world conflict.
• Gu Yuanqing spoke with Li Chengyi, Chen Zhengfeng, Tong Yuefei, Bai Xianghui, and Aunt Feng, then separated the summit of North Spring Mountain and began secluded cultivation.
• Gu Yuanqing used his Void Heaven World and Spatial Dao Charm to sense the Void Realm and enter the Ancient Realm.
• Gu Yuanqing found himself inside an enormous formation, saw Chu Ran arrive and fly away on Sword Light, and discovered that the Ancient Realm had formed a body for his divine soul.

Gu Yuanqing entered the Ancient Realm, learned that its dangers made flying unsafe for newcomers, and met Mei Lisan, the Jade River Hermit. Mei led him away from the formation to explain the realm, while Gu observed demon beasts and human hunters in the mountains.

• Gu Yuanqing tested entering and leaving the Ancient Realm, then restored his weary divine soul with Mountain Observation before entering again.
• Mei Lisan warned Gu not to fly because his divine soul lacked innate pure yang qi and could be struck by lightning in the astral wind.
• Gu introduced himself as the North Spring Mountain Master, while Mei identified himself as the Jade River Hermit and offered to explain the Ancient Realm.
• Shi Ziqian, a True Disciple of the Wuchen Sect, emerged from the formation, and Mei said she had returned after being severely injured in a battle with Cen Pingshan.
• Mei led Gu through the mountains, testing his movement speed, while Gu kept pace and spotted demon beasts and human hunters near the mountain outskirts.

Gu Yuanqing entered the Ancient Realm with Mei Lisan, learned about the Great Wei Divine Dynasty and its ancient coins, and waited to see the mysterious show Mei had promised. When the full moon rose, the peaceful Ancient City abruptly transformed.

• Mei Lisan warned Gu Yuanqing not to kill the Ancient Realm's natives or the Great Wei Divine Dynasty's soldiers, then brought him to a city where they paid ancient coins for entry.
• Mei Lisan explained that ancient coins were used for transactions, gave Gu Yuanqing a jade slip containing their condensation method, and hinted at a grand show that night.
• Gu Yuanqing noticed the veiled young lady of the City Lord's Mansion, then settled into an inn room protected by a formation and studied the coin-condensing technique.
• Gu Yuanqing and Mei Lisan went up to the inn roof after nightfall to watch the promised show.
• A full moon rose, and the Ancient City abruptly transformed before Gu Yuanqing's eyes.

On a full moon night, Gu Yuanqing explored a city in the Ancient Realm whose residents revealed themselves as gruesome dead, while outside cultivators searched for unusual objects. Yu Yunan spoke carelessly about the residents being dead, triggering the city’s attention toward Gu Yuanqing as the man and woman vanished from everyone else’s sight.

• Mei Lisan warned Gu Yuanqing to treat the city’s residents as normal people and keep his waist token, but Gu Yuanqing stayed on a rooftop to observe.
• Gu Yuanqing spotted outside cultivators searching the city, including Yu Yunan, who bought an unusual earthenware jar and warned Gu Yuanqing not to spy on him.
• Gu Yuanqing saw an old man collect an unusual red fruit, then went down to explore and sensed the aura of the Underworld in a pastry.
• Yu Yunan approached with a veiled woman and asked Gu Yuanqing whether he thought the residents were dead.
• The street fell silent, and an Underworld aura enveloped Yu Yunan and the woman until the residents seemed to see only Gu Yuanqing; Yu Yunan warned him not to look at things he should not.

Gu Yuanqing confronted Yu Yunan of the Sanyang Sect after Yu Yunan unleashed vengeful ghosts on him in the Ancient Realm. Gu Yuanqing answered Yu Yunan’s threats by striking with the Formless Calamity Finger, whose power appeared before Yu Yunan with irresistible force.

• Yu Yunan’s words caused the dead around Gu Yuanqing to transform into vengeful ghosts, and Gu Yuanqing’s Waist Token shield began rapidly losing energy.
• Yu Yunan introduced himself as a True Disciple of the Sanyang Sect and threatened Gu Yuanqing, who warned that he might kill him.
• Cultivators in the city recognized Yu Yunan and feared for Gu Yuanqing, while Mei Lisan approached the scene and then tried to avoid being implicated.
• Gu Yuanqing declared that he would return Yu Yunan’s ambush and unleashed the Formless Calamity Finger.
• Yu Yunan sensed the finger’s immense force appearing before him and changed his expression.

Gu Yuanqing escaped the chaos after Wuyi City's commander awakened the city’s dead, then met Xiang Feng'er, the City Lord’s daughter. She presented him with a Wuyi City Pass Token and an inner-city courtyard, leaving him baffled by the City Lord’s unexpected favor.

• Yu Yunan’s clash with Gu Yuanqing ended when the city commander awakened and revealed that Wuyi City had become a ghost realm.
• Gu Yuanqing evaded the commander without killing him, using his mastery of movement and spatial concealment to avoid the pursuing yin spirits.
• Gu Yuanqing spotted Yu Yunan entering a courtyard and then saw Xiang Feng'er arrive in a carriage surrounded by yin energy.
• Xiang Feng'er introduced herself and told Gu Yuanqing she had come on her father’s behalf to give him a Wuyi City Pass Token and a courtyard.
• Gu Yuanqing accepted the token but remained confused about why the City Lord treated him as an honored guest.

Gu Yuanqing received a Consecration Token from Xiang Feng'er and learned from Mei Lisan that it was a prized privilege associated with heavenly humans. As Wuyi City's inhabitants endured another Full Moon night of torment, Gu Yuanqing asked Mei Lisan about the Ancient Realm Platform and the Boundless River, seeking dao souls to strengthen his void heaven.

• Xiang Feng'er warned Gu Yuanqing to avoid the city’s people on Full Moon nights and gave him a token before wishing that he would one day kill her.
• Gu Yuanqing returned to the inn, where Mei Lisan explained why he feared the Sanyang Sect and urged Gu Yuanqing not to mention it.
• Mei Lisan identified Xiang Feng'er's token as Wuyi City's Consecration Token, which granted entry and discounts, and said outsiders called it the Heavenly Human Token.
• Xiang Feng'er spoke with her father about granting Gu Yuanqing the token and the Full Moon chaos, while her headless maid Hanzhu suffered through another night of torment.
• Gu Yuanqing offered to help Mei Lisan shop with the token and asked about the Ancient Realm Platform and the Boundless River.
• Mei Lisan guessed that Gu Yuanqing wanted to fish up dao souls, and Gu Yuanqing confirmed that this was his main reason for coming to the Ancient Realm.

Gu Yuanqing learned that fishing for Dao Souls in the Boundless River was difficult and controlled by powerful sects, but remained determined to try it. After rejecting Yu Yunan’s demand for an apology, he traveled to Dongyuan City with Zheng Kun, intent on reaching the river.

• Mei Lisan warned Gu Yuanqing that catching Dao Souls was difficult, described the Illusionary Spirit Sect’s control of the riverbank and bait trade, and gave him a map before leaving the Ancient Realm.
• Gu Yuanqing witnessed a White-Clad yin spirit’s nighttime rampage in Wuyi City, then saw the city and its inhabitants return to peaceful normality at dawn, apparently forgetting the night’s events.
• Yu Yunan confronted Gu Yuanqing and asked him to apologize at a banquet, but Gu Yuanqing refused and left Wuyi City despite Yu Yunan’s threats.
• Gu Yuanqing traveled for four days, met Zheng Kun on the road, and arrived with him at Dongyuan City, where Zheng Kun planned to fish for graded Dao Souls.

Gu Yuanqing entered Dongyuan City with Zheng Kun and used his Consecration Token to help him buy Fishing Gear at a discount. As Zheng Kun explained why Void Heaven Rogue Cultivators struggled in the Ancient Realm, Gu Yuanqing began to understand why their clans knew so little about it.

• Gu Yuanqing entered Dongyuan City with Zheng Kun, and the gate officer admitted him respectfully after seeing his Consecration Token.
• Zheng Kun bought Profound-Tier Green Scale Bamboo Fishing Gear at a discount, while Gu Yuanqing chose inexpensive Black Iron Fishing Gear and asked about void Stone prices.
• Zheng Kun repaid Gu Yuanqing with Ancient Coins, then explained that native inhabitants revived after death and could become yin spirits if exposed to too much killing intent.
• Zheng Kun explained that Rogue Cultivators had to spend Ancient Coins on city entry, teleportation, equipment, and transporting artifacts out of the realm.
• Gu Yuanqing realized that the hardship Void Heaven cultivators faced in the Ancient Realm explained why their descendants knew so little about it.

Gu Yuanqing learned about the Ancient Realm’s strange rules and its incomplete Heavenly Dao, then prepared to travel with Zheng Kun to the Boundless River. At the Great Teleportation Array, Zheng Kun recognized three Sanyang Sect cultivators and warned Gu Yuanqing about the sect’s ruthless reputation.

• Zheng Kun explained that ordinary objects vanished on Full Moon nights, while ancient artifacts endured, and described the Ancient Realm’s costly treasures and difficult path to cultivation.
• Gu Yuanqing tested whether he could bring an object from the Ancient Realm into the Floating World, then considered the differences between their dao resonances and the Cultivation World.
• Gu Yuanqing collected rewards from the first twenty-seven levels of the Heavenly Ladder and restored his divine soul before leaving for the Boundless River with Zheng Kun.
• Gu Yuanqing and Zheng Kun reached the Great Teleportation Array, where cultivators paid to enter and soldiers guarded the barrier.
• Zheng Kun recognized a white-haired elder and two men from the Sanyang Sect, then told Gu Yuanqing that the sect was ruthless and despised by many cultivators.

Gu Yuanqing and Zheng Kun confronted Zhuang Tianlai of the Sanyang Sect before entering the Boundless River through the Great Teleportation Array. They arrived at the river, where Gu Yuanqing examined its immense, energy-filled waters.

• Zheng Kun told Gu Yuanqing that Zhuang Tianlai had tried to take his Dao Soul and later attacked him, but Gu Yuanqing refused to distance himself from Zheng Kun.
• Zhuang Tianlai approached Zheng Kun and warned Gu Yuanqing to avoid bringing trouble upon himself, while Zheng Kun urged Gu Yuanqing to split up after entering the Boundless River.
• The general of the Great Wei Divine Dynasty opened the Great Teleportation Array, and Gu Yuanqing and Zheng Kun waited for the three Sanyang Sect members to enter before following them.
• Gu Yuanqing resisted the array's spatial forces with his void heaven domain and arrived with Zheng Kun on a barren mountaintop.
• Gu Yuanqing followed Zheng Kun to the riverbank and discovered that the vast silver torrent was made of vital energy rather than water.

Gu Yuanqing learned how to fish for Dao Souls in the Boundless River from Zheng Kun, then showed how quickly he could condense and maintain Dao Bait. He began fishing at a secluded spot, where the river's turbulent vital energy tested his bait.

• Zheng Kun explained that the Illusionary Spirit Sect's upper river fishing platforms attracted Dao Souls but were dangerous and crowded, so Gu Yuanqing chose to fish away from them.
• Zheng Kun led Gu Yuanqing downstream to a suitable fishing spot and taught him how to condense Dao Bait, choose its depth, and endure the river's currents.
• Zheng Kun prepared wind-aspected bait with his Profound Grade Fishing Rod while Gu Yuanqing set up his shorter Black Iron Fishing Rod.
• Gu Yuanqing swiftly condensed a fist-sized mass of earthen water Dao resonance, surprising Zheng Kun with its purity.
• Gu Yuanqing lowered his Dao Bait into the river and felt the torrents of vital energy battering its Dao resonance.

Gu Yuanqing learned about the Ancient Realm while fishing the Boundless River with Zheng Kun, then caught a Dao Soul whose Spirituality deepened his understanding of the Dao of water essence. After recognizing Dao Souls as valuable records of their own histories, he left to fish elsewhere.

• Gu Yuanqing adjusted his cultivation and Dao Resonance to fish in the Boundless River, impressing Zheng Kun with how steadily he handled his first attempt.
• While fishing, Gu Yuanqing asked Zheng Kun about the Ancient Realm and learned about its sects and notable locations as they waited for a catch.
• Gu Yuanqing watched another Cultivator capture a Profound Tier Fire Dao Soul, and Zheng Kun caught and refined a Yellow Tier Wind Dao Soul that suited his cultivation.
• Gu Yuanqing caught a Yellow Tier Dao Soul made of Kui Water Qi and gained insights into the Dao of water essence by merging with its Spirituality.
• Gu Yuanqing concluded that Dao Souls preserved traces of their lives and could greatly accelerate cultivation, then left to fish in another spot.

Gu Yuanqing found a turbulent stretch of the Boundless River where he could fish without attracting attention, and used Heavenly Fishing methods to catch Dao Souls while condensing Ancient Coins. His rapid catches convinced him that the river suited his Heavenly Fishing Empowerment, and he continued fishing as more Dao Souls gathered around his bait.

• Gu Yuanqing chose a secluded, turbulent fishing spot downstream and lowered his Dao Bait into the Boundless River.
• While waiting, Gu Yuanqing condensed a Two-Pattern Ancient Coin and considered how his deep foundation let him make coins faster than ordinary Void Heaven Cultivators.
• Gu Yuanqing caught a small Blue Fish Dao Soul and gained Wind Dao insight from refining it.
• Gu Yuanqing caught a Black Tortoise Dao Soul and then another Blue Fish, realizing Heavenly Fishing could attract Dao Souls and accelerate his cultivation.
• Gu Yuanqing compared his three catches in four hours with the single Dao Soul he had caught over several days and continued fishing as the catches grew more frequent.

Gu Yuanqing spent more than half a year fishing the Boundless River and strengthening his Void Heaven World before hooking a powerful Profound Tier Dao Soul. As he struggled to capture the Water Ape, nearby Cultivators were drawn by the commotion.

• Gu Yuanqing followed a routine of fishing and cultivating for more than half a year, catching many Dao Souls but no profound-tier ones.
• Zheng Kun visited Gu Yuanqing, told him about the Boundless River Market Ward, and sensed that Gu Yuanqing had changed.
• Gu Yuanqing hooked a hundred-foot Water Ape, a Top-Grade Profound Tier Dao Soul, and fought to restrain it as it drew strength from the Boundless River.
• Gu Yuanqing formed a net of true essence to suppress the Water Ape without damaging its spirituality, then noticed Cultivators approaching.

Gu Yuanqing captured a Top-Grade Profound Tier Waterway Dao Soul from the Boundless River, drawing the attention of nearby cultivators. As buyers converged, an elder from the Four Symbols Sect rushed to the scene, with Zhuang Tianlai following him.

• An old cultivator spotted Gu Yuanqing’s Dao Soul and secretly alerted Elder Qin of the Four Symbols Sect, who set out to claim it.
• Zhuang Tianlai noticed Qin Yongqing’s haste and followed him downstream despite Qin’s objections.
• Gu Yuanqing used the Myriad Manifestations Seal and layered suppression techniques to capture the Water Ape Dao Soul without destroying its foundation.
• After Gu Yuanqing reduced the Dao Soul to fist size, several cultivators approached to offer trades, and the old cultivator announced that Elder Qin was on his way.

Gu Yuanqing refused to sell the Water Ape Dao Soul to Feng Xiao and left to refine it somewhere safer. When Shi Kairong and two others followed despite his warnings, Gu Yuanqing struck them with the Formless Calamity Finger and continued on without checking whether they survived.

• Feng Xiao threatened Shi Kairong, then offered Gu Yuanqing eighty thousand Ancient Coins and a Storage Bag for the Water Ape Dao Soul.
• Gu Yuanqing refused to sell the Dao Soul and set off for the mountains to find a safe place to refine it.
• Shi Kairong and two others followed Gu Yuanqing, claiming Shi Kairong needed to wait for Elder Qin of the Four Symbols Sect.
• Gu Yuanqing warned the three men to stop following him, but Shi Kairong continued to track him with his divine sense.
• Gu Yuanqing tapped the Void three times and unleashed the Formless Calamity Finger on Shi Kairong and the two others before leaving.

Gu Yuanqing escaped his pursuers and hid inside a mountain to refine the Top-Grade Profound Tier dao soul. As he experienced the Water Ape’s long life through its spirituality, his eyes became bewildered and indifferent.

• Gu Yuanqing took the belongings left behind by the cultivators who fled, then concealed himself in the mountains.
• Zheng Kun and the others learned that Gu Yuanqing had caught a Top-Grade Profound Tier dao soul, and Zhuang Tianlai and Qin Yongqing hurried after him.
• Chang Ze told Zhuang Tianlai that Gu Yuanqing had defeated three pursuers with a single finger strike each, prompting Zhuang Tianlai to send him away to recover.
• Gu Yuanqing entered a mountain through the rock, made a stone chamber in a fissure, and drew the sealed dao soul into his divine court.
• The Green Mountain Phantom suppressed the giant ape, and Gu Yuanqing experienced the Water Ape’s life until his gaze became bewildered and indifferent.