Recaps

Li Chen established a fortified Wildstead at Crouching Tiger Hill, built the Ink Gate and its teaching network, and drew Che Rong into a confrontation that revealed Luo Changshan had survived. After killing Luo Changshan, Li Chen used poison and fire to destroy his hidden lair and uncovered records of his brain-parasitism experiments.

• The Council awarded Li Chen three resource sites at Crouching Tiger Hill, and he began building a settlement there while Che Rong attacked Yunshan Market and later killed people near the worksite.
• Li Chen built the Ironstone Tower and Hive Network, expanded his defenses, recruited apprentices, and named his new lineage and sect the Ink Gate.
• Li Chen tracked Che Rong after an attempt to abduct his promising apprentices, but Che Rong revealed that Luo Changshan was his patron and described how Luo had transformed him into a puppet.
• Li Chen tried to kill Che Rong, but Che Rong revived with greater vitality, and Luo Changshan emerged from his remains and attacked Li Chen.
• Li Chen weakened Luo Changshan with Qi Yuetian’s Blood Essence Secret Potion, then destroyed his head with the Thunder Dragon Cannon and found a Divine Traversal Beacon among his remains.
• Li Chen worked with Qi Yuetian to obtain poison, then sent fire and poison gas through the Beacon Spirit Ring to incapacitate the monsters guarding Luo Changshan’s hidden chamber.
• Li Chen sent Puppets into the chamber and broke the crystal holding Luo Changshan’s brain, killing the octopus and uncovering records of Luo’s brain-parasitism transfers.

Li Chen uncovered Luo Changshan’s Brain Insect schemes, then traded knowledge with the Feng Household and helped it defeat the Xiao Household. He returned to Crouching Tiger Hill, modified He Ran into a Foundation Establishment-level combatant, and accepted an invitation to bid on a captured mecha.

• Li Chen discovered Luo Changshan’s Brain Insect trap and learned that parasitized hosts threatened Yunshan Valley, then secretly killed two matured Brain Insects and studied the threat.
• Li Chen developed his puppet craft in seclusion while Feng Zhengliang mysteriously reached Foundation Establishment and Feng Mingzhu died amid an assassination attempt.
• Feng Zhengliang’s violence against the Xiao Household escalated into war, and Li Chen traded secrets of Luo Changshan’s technique for the Feng Household’s Array Dao knowledge and promised to intervene once.
• Feng Zhengliang led the Feng Household’s forces against the Xiao Household, broke its defenses, and killed Xiao Yicheng as Li Chen and the allied cultivators fought the household’s forces.
• The Feng Household defeated the Xiao Household, and Suyang’s aristocratic clans swore allegiance to Feng Zhengliang.
• Li Chen returned to Crouching Tiger Hill and converted He Ran into a powerful puppet-bodied combatant after He Ran chose the modification.
• Li Chen accepted spoils at Suyang’s alliance gathering and agreed to attend an auction for a captured Red Owl mecha.

Li Chen left Crouching Tiger Hill to seek greater cultivation, hunted demons, and built a profitable mining and refining operation while researching spiritglow origin crystals. The arc left him considering work for Taiqiu Immortal City after Master Artisan Yang challenged local craftsmen to prove their skill.

• Li Chen declared that Crouching Tiger Hill would remain Suyang’s vassal under a permanent Neutrality Policy, then left to pursue greater cultivation.
• Li Chen evolved Heavenly Pivot to four-star grade, integrated Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, and prepared to depart as a disguised puppet.
• Li Chen confronted Earthly Sha Sect disciples, earned Yang Hu’s assistance, and set out to hunt demons and gather information about the demon calamity.
• Li Chen hunted demon beasts, killed a Scarlet Fool Lizard with Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, and accepted Mo Qingyang’s invitation to meet the Mu Household.
• Li Chen traded Hundred Ingenious Weapons schematics to the Mu Household for Blood-Transforming techniques, crystal records, materials, and a finished furnace core.
• Li Chen processed ores and established an automated crimson fire copper mine, earning more than three hundred thousand Talisman Coins before trading copper for blacksteel and spirit stones.
• Li Chen spent three years researching spiritglow origin crystals but could not solve their low conversion efficiency, then traveled to meet Master Artisan Yang.
• Mu Qing arranged for wilderness cultivators to try completing Grand Artisan Qi’s commissions, and Master Artisan Yang challenged interested craftsmen to make a blacksteel puppet component within a day.

Li Chen built HeavenlyXuan and expanded his spiritglow crystal production while securing partner artisan status and pursuing restricted Creation-Promotion arts. After killing Master Artisan Yang and using his identity to obtain Awaken Spirituality, Li Chen settled at a copper mine as Grand Artisan Qi began the campaign against Mo Huang.

• Li Chen passed Master Artisan Yang’s alloy test, but Yang diverted the rogue cultivators into subcontracted work and withheld their Collaborating Artisan status.
• Li Chen confronted Master Artisan Yang, and Chief Steward Pang punished Yang and secured partner artisan status for Li Chen and the other two cultivators.
• Li Chen created HeavenlyXuan, expanded his artificial intelligences, and tested spiritglow origin crystals that produced primordial energy.
• Grand Artisan Qi announced an assault on Mo Huang and offered true transmissions for military merit, so Li Chen joined the campaign to earn access to Awaken Spirituality.
• Li Chen killed Nie Fengting’s attacker, used Nie Fengting’s identity to lure Master Artisan Yang into a trap, and killed Yang despite his escape attempt.
• Li Chen made avatars from Yang’s identity and used Yang’s contribution balance to obtain Awaken Spirituality and two other inheritances, then infused Heavenly Pivot with spiritual power.
• Li Chen concealed his identity while serving the Qi Family Army near Xiling City and mining Copper Mountain as Grand Artisan Qi launched his battle against Mo Huang.
• Mo Huang emerged and damaged Grand Artisan Qi’s Giant Spirit God, while Dongfang Mao’s Sky-Patrolling Eye observed the battle and Li Chen’s mine.