Chapter Summaries

Fang Qianyuan learned that Ten Thousand Poisons Valley was connected to Qunyao and decided to join Feng Tianyun and Zou Yong’s investigation, concealing his personal vendetta against Dongfang Zhi. The group began discussing a plan to infiltrate the valley through a contact among its branch elders.

• Fang Qianyuan questioned Fang Lian about Ten Thousand Poisons Valley and learned that its leader, Dongfang Zhi, had ties to Qunyao and other secretive factions.
• Fang Qianyuan told Fang Lian to inform Feng Tianyun and Zou Yong that he would help investigate Ten Thousand Poisons Valley, using Chi Gongming’s past actions as his stated reason.
• Feng Tianyun and Zou Yong wondered why Fang Qianyuan had changed his position, then agreed to hear him out.
• Fang Qianyuan met with Feng Tianyun and Zou Yong and said he would join their effort to trace the warriors connected to Ten Thousand Poisons Valley.
• Feng Tianyun proposed infiltrating the valley through an elder from one of its branches with whom they had contact.

Feng Tianyun arranged a two-pronged infiltration of Ten Thousand Poisons Valley, using recruits and hired supporters to investigate the faction. After Bo Shiyong used a mimic jellyfish to disguise his face, Fang Qianyuan decided to infiltrate the valley himself as well.

• Feng Tianyun explained that his people would enter Ten Thousand Poisons Valley as recruits and as guest elders, attendants, and hired supporters.
• Feng Tianyun and the island’s aristocratic clans selected five untrained children and three experienced warriors for the operation, with Bo Shiyong placed in charge.
• Feng Tianyun showed Fang Qianyuan a mimic jellyfish that could alter a person’s appearance.
• Bo Shiyong pressed the mimic jellyfish onto his face and transformed his appearance, though his build and bearing remained unchanged.
• Fang Qianyuan asked whether more mimic jellyfish were available and announced that he would use one to infiltrate the island himself.

Fang Qianyuan used a mimic jellyfish to disguise his face and planned to infiltrate Ten Thousand Poisons Valley as the Eastern Sea rogue cultivator Guang Hao. He based the cover story on a real captive’s history and intended to pose as someone searching for his missing brother.

• Feng Tianyun provided Fang Qianyuan with a mimic jellyfish and warned him that it feared fire and heat.
• Feng Tianyun questioned how Fang Qianyuan could infiltrate the island while retaining his Earth Rank cultivation.
• Fang Qianyuan explained that he would claim to be a rogue cultivator who had risen to late-stage Earth Rank after an extraordinary opportunity.
• Fang Qianyuan and Feng Tianyun worked out a backup story in which Guang Hao had followed his abducted brother’s trail to Ten Thousand Poisons Valley.
• Fang Qianyuan revealed that Guang Hao had been a real captive who died during the Warrior refinement experiments, while his brother Guang Lingtian had died in transit.

Fang Qianyuan and Bo Shiyong arrived at Ten Thousand Poisons Valley aboard a Four Seas Trade Association convoy, keeping their cover identities and agreeing to act separately. Chief Steward Wang tried to connect Fang with a valley steward, and Lin Ruxia hurried aboard after realizing Fang was an Earth Rank Expert seeking to join the valley.

• Fang Qianyuan recognized that Fang Qianyuan had carefully planned his infiltration, while Feng Tianyun chose to pretend he knew nothing.
• Fang Qianyuan and Bo Shiyong traveled under aliases aboard a Four Seas Trade Association convoy bound for Ten Thousand Poisons Valley and agreed to pursue separate entry plans.
• The convoy reached the valley’s harbor, where Chief Steward Wang offered to introduce Fang Qianyuan to elders, but Fang refused.
• Lin Ruxia arrived to meet Chief Steward Wang, learned that an Earth Rank Expert seeking to join the valley was aboard, and hurried onto the ship.

Fang Qianyuan posed as Guang Hao and arranged to meet Elder Lin Shan after Lin Ruxia and Chief Steward Wang persuaded him that joining the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley required influential support. Lin Shan prepared to welcome him at her manor on Ten Thousand Poisons Island.

• Lin Ruxia recognized Guang Hao as an Earth Rank Spirit Tamer and introduced himself as Lin Shan's elder male cousin.
• Lin Ruxia explained the valley's selection process and suggested Lin Shan could help Guang Hao gain the elders' support.
• Chief Steward Wang urged Guang Hao to visit Lin Shan, and Guang Hao agreed to go with them.
• Lin Ruxia and Wang escorted Guang Hao across the island while sending a Sea Falcon ahead to notify Lin Shan.
• Lin Shan opened her manor to prepare a welcoming reception and waited in the front courtyard for Guang Hao.

Fang Qianyuan, posing as Guang Hao, arrived at Ten Thousand Poisons Valley and sought a position in its service. Lin Shan welcomed him, arranged to show him around the island, and had the Lin Family investigate his background; they found no evidence of trouble and considered recruiting him.

• Fang Qianyuan arrived at the Lin Family’s separate courtyard, where Lin Shan and her grandaunt assessed his impressive, unreadable cultivation.
• Lin Shan welcomed Fang Qianyuan and questioned him about his origins and the position he wanted in Ten Thousand Poisons Valley.
• Lin Shan offered to show Fang Qianyuan around the island the next day so he could learn about potential posts, then had the steward arrange his lodging.
• After Fang Qianyuan left, Lin Shan praised Lin Ruxia for bringing him in but stressed the need to verify his background and keep other elders from recruiting him first.
• The Lin Family investigated Fang Qianyuan’s story and found nothing suspicious, concluding they could consider admitting him to the valley.

Lin Shan tested Fang Qianyuan with an extravagant breakfast and questions about his abilities as she tried to recruit him for the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley. Fang Qianyuan maintained his rogue-cultivator act, claimed overwhelming strength, and offered to prove it after Lin Shan was stunned.

• Fang Qianyuan joined Lin Shan for a lavish breakfast and deliberately acted delighted by the rare delicacies.
• Lin Shan suggested that joining the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley as an elder would bring him access to such luxuries.
• Lin Shan asked Fang Qianyuan about his spirit creature, specialty, cultivation, and strength while describing the valley's ranks and recruitment rewards.
• Fang Qianyuan claimed he had seven-turn cultivation and could match a Ninth Transformation Expert, startling Lin Shan.
• Fang Qianyuan took Lin Shan's surprise as disbelief and angrily offered to prove his strength.

Fang Qianyuan sought to prove his strength to the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley so Lin Shan could recommend him to meet Dongfang Zhi. Elder Huang Youdui arrived, grew jealous of Fang Qianyuan’s closeness with Lin Shan, and challenged him to exchange moves as a test for joining the valley.

• Fang Qianyuan urged Lin Shan to test his strength in a fight, but she hesitated and sought a safer approach.
• A maid announced Elder Huang’s arrival, and Lin Shan explained that Huang Youdui was one of the valley’s foremost experts, known as the Black Squid True Lord.
• Huang Youdui entered to give Lin Shan a magical bracelet, then became displeased when he found her with Fang Qianyuan.
• Lin Shan introduced Fang Qianyuan as her new friend, and Huang Youdui learned that he was a rogue cultivator seeking to join the valley.
• Huang Youdui invoked the need for the elders’ support and challenged Fang Qianyuan to exchange moves as a test before recommending him to the Valley Master.

Fang Qianyuan accepted Huang Youdui’s challenge and easily repelled the elder’s attacks before summoning a powerful Dragon Shark. The Dragon Shark bit Huang Youdui’s black squid manifestation clean in two, leaving the match’s outcome apparent.

• Huang Youdui challenged Fang Qianyuan to a match, while Lin Shan worriedly asked them to avoid injuries.
• Huang Youdui summoned his Deep-Sea Black Squid and attacked Fang Qianyuan with its tentacles.
• Fang Qianyuan formed a dense protective shell of spirit essence that blocked the tentacles and sent them recoiling.
• Fang Qianyuan summoned his earth rank mid-grade Dragon Shark, which bit the black squid clean in two.

Fang Qianyuan overwhelmed Huang Youdui with his Dragon Shark’s power, despite Lin Shan’s attempts to stop the fight. After his final attack destroyed Huang Youdui’s spirit creature manifestation, Fang claimed he had failed to hold back, and Lin Shan went to examine Huang’s injuries.

• Lin Shan used her Skycloud Jellyfish to absorb the wave from Fang Qianyuan’s attack, exhausting much of her spirit essence and realizing the attack’s strength rivaled that of a Ninth Transformation expert.
• Fang Qianyuan’s Dragon Shark tore apart Huang Youdui’s black squid manifestation, and Huang used its ink to cover his retreat and begin restoring it.
• Fang dispelled the ink and gathered spirit essence for another attack as Lin Shan shouted for him to stop.
• Fang’s Water Dragon Wave pierced the black squid’s skull and destroyed its manifestation, causing Huang Youdui to spit blood and fall.
• Fang told Lin Shan he had failed to hold back, and she approached Huang Youdui to examine his injuries.

After Fang Qianyuan severely injured Huang Youdui, Old Madam Lin devised a plan to protect the Lin Family and manage the consequences. She arranged to control Fang Qianyuan, spread a story that the fight was over Lin Shan, and considered making him her Dao companion.

• Lin Shan sent the unconscious Huang Youdui to the Market District for treatment.
• Old Madam Lin warned Fang Qianyuan that injuring a valley elder could draw the Valley Master's attention, then proposed a story in which Huang Youdui had provoked him and threatened his safety.
• Fang Qianyuan agreed to Old Madam Lin's plan, and she sent maidservants to take him away for treatment and recuperation.
• Old Madam Lin told Lin Shan she intended to keep Fang Qianyuan under the Lin Family's control and spread a rumor that Huang Youdui and Fang Qianyuan had fought over her.
• Old Madam Lin considered Fang Qianyuan's strength and lack of ties useful to the Lin Family, and Lin Shan felt her own heart stirred by his glance.

Fang Qianyuan stayed in the Lin Family courtyard while rumors on Ten Thousand Poisons Island turned his fight with Huang Youdui into a story that favored the Lin Family. When Lin Shan visited him, she saw his imposing cultivation and questioned why he was practicing the foundational Mystical Origin Water Art, leaving her baffled by his claim that such arts could be used to control spirit essence at will.

• Fang Qianyuan kept to the Lin Family's separate courtyard as stories spread about his fight with Huang Youdui and his connection to Lin Shan.
• Lin Family allies portrayed Huang Youdui as the aggressor and spread rumors that he had pursued Lin Shan, while others offered him little practical support.
• Bo Shiyong worried that Fang Qianyuan's attack on an elder might draw the Poison King's attention, but he decided he could not intervene.
• Lin Shan worried about the consequences for herself and the Lin Family, so she arranged to visit Fang Qianyuan during his recovery.
• Lin Shan found Fang Qianyuan cultivating an earth rank mid-grade Dragon Shark and sensed an intimidating aura around him.
• Fang Qianyuan said he was reviewing the Mystical Origin Water Art and argued that foundational cultivation arts could let cultivators control spirit essence at will, leaving Lin Shan unconvinced.

Fang Qianyuan discovered that the Lin Family Clan School taught children about dharma lineages, suggesting Ten Thousand Poisons Valley had obtained a warrior inheritance. Meanwhile, the Valley Master learned of Huang Youdui’s injury and ordered the Lin Family to bring the rogue cultivator to him.

• Lin Shan took Fang Qianyuan to observe the Lin Family Clan School, where an instructor taught youngsters about spirit taming and dharma lineages.
• Fang Qianyuan recognized the lessons as evidence that Ten Thousand Poisons Valley might be connected to Qunyao’s research and possess a substantial inheritance.
• Fang Qianyuan reflected on how the warrior path and spirit taming methods could develop through transformation and manifestation.
• News of Huang Youdui’s injury reached Valley Master Dongfang Zhi, who ordered the Lin Family to bring the rogue cultivator into the valley to meet him.

Fang Qianyuan followed Lin Shan to meet Dongfang Zhi, who ordered his guards to seize him. Fang Qianyuan resisted Dongfang Zhi’s spiritual pressure and disarmed one of the guards, leaving the confrontation underway.

• Lin Shan told Fang Qianyuan that Dongfang Zhi had returned and summoned him, then took him to the Valley Master’s lodge.
• Dongfang Zhi recognized Fang Qianyuan as Guang Hao and ordered his guards to seize him.
• Fang Qianyuan repelled the guards with a force barrier and resisted Dongfang Zhi’s overwhelming spiritual pressure.
• The guards attacked Fang Qianyuan with Spell-Breaking Blades while Dongfang Zhi restricted his movements.
• Fang Qianyuan used his speed to evade the guards and wrested a blade from one of them.

Fang Qianyuan’s cover as Guang Hao came under scrutiny after Dongfang Zhi tested his strength and revealed that he knew of Qunyao. Dongfang Zhi believed Qunyao had been killed and offered Fang Qianyuan an Attendant Elder position in Ten Thousand Poisons Valley, leaving Fang to accept while keeping his true identity hidden.

• Lin Shan stopped Fang Qianyuan and the Guards from escalating their confrontation, and Dongfang Zhi ordered the Guards to stand down.
• Dongfang Zhi praised Fang Qianyuan’s skills and revealed that he suspected Fang had escaped from Qunyao.
• Fang Qianyuan denied knowing Qunyao and prepared to leave, but Dongfang Zhi assured him that Qunyao and his subordinates had been killed by the Righteous Path.
• Dongfang Zhi offered Fang Qianyuan the position of Attendant Elder, with a Magic Treasure and a Spirit Creature to follow.
• Lin Shan urged Fang Qianyuan to accept, and Fang thanked Dongfang Zhi for recognizing his worth.

Dongfang Zhi arranged to test Fang Qianyuan’s identity before confirming him as a guest elder, while Fang settled into the Salt Market and met several demonized warriors who claimed to share his past. The meeting left Fang acting as though he trusted them, though they may have been sent to test him.

• Dongfang Zhi told his adviser he would first win Fang Qianyuan’s trust, then have warriors from the same island test his identity before confirming his status.
• Dongfang Zhi ordered his adviser to give Huang Youdui a Clear Void Soul-Concentrating Pill to aid his recovery.
• Lin Shan showed Fang Qianyuan around Ten Thousand Poisons Valley and helped him choose a secluded residence in the Salt Market.
• Fang Qianyuan learned that the valley’s defenses were sparse outside inhabited areas and considered how that might help his undercover operations.
• Several Human Rank spirit tamers visited Fang Qianyuan, and Kuang Yan claimed they had all been abducted by Qunyao and subjected to warrior transformation experiments.

Fang Qianyuan gained the Warriors’ trust while posing as Guang Hao, then investigated whether Dongfang Zhi had killed his father and stolen his Star Map and techniques. He continued to lie low and build connections until Dongfang Zhi summoned him to a gathering of the island’s elders and Guest Elders.

• The Warriors pledged to seek Fang Qianyuan’s protection and help him establish himself in the valley, believing he was one of their own.
• After the Warriors left, Fang Qianyuan decided to use their trust to investigate Dongfang Zhi’s circumstances.
• Fang Qianyuan learned that Dongfang Zhi had returned from a journey twenty-four years earlier and soon ascended to Heaven Tier, a timeline that matched Fang Qianyuan’s birth.
• Fang Qianyuan concluded that Dongfang Zhi’s Star Map and authentic Reverse Time Transformation transmission could help determine whether he had killed Fang Hai.
• Fang Qianyuan made social calls around the island while waiting for an opportunity to investigate Dongfang Zhi.
• At the end of the month, Dongfang Zhi summoned Fang Qianyuan along with most of the Guest Elders and the island’s elders.

Fang Qianyuan, posing as Guang Hao, was welcomed as a new Attendant Elder of Ten Thousand Poisons Valley and received lavish gifts from Dongfang Zhi. The Valley Master then assigned him to investigate a newly excavated treasure-ore deposit in the Otherworld Grotto-Heaven, where ferocious demons dwelled.

• Dongfang Zhi introduced Guang Hao to the gathered elders and announced his appointment as an Attendant Elder.
• Dongfang Zhi presented Guang Hao with the High-Rank Magic Treasure Water-Splitting Sword and a high-grade Earth Rank Mausoleum Fish.
• Guang Hao thanked Dongfang Zhi for the gifts and eagerly offered to carry out his instructions.
• Dongfang Zhi assigned Guang Hao to investigate the treasure-ore deposit in the Otherworld Grotto-Heaven.

Fang Qianyuan learned that Dongfang Zhi planned to send him to the Otherworld Grotto-Heaven with Qing Zhe and Song Zhengyi, disrupting his effort to investigate Dongfang Zhi. He decided to risk searching Dongfang Zhi’s lair directly and asked Bo Shiyong to help draw Dongfang Zhi out of the valley.

• Dongfang Zhi assigned Qing Zhe and Song Zhengyi to accompany Fang Qianyuan to the Otherworld Grotto-Heaven, where the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley’s Treasure Ore site had recently faced trouble.
• Song Zhengyi explained that guarding the site offered valuable opportunities, while Fang Qianyuan realized Dongfang Zhi was testing him and drawing him into the valley’s affairs.
• Fang Qianyuan met Bo Shiyong in the woods and said he would risk exposing his identity to search Dongfang Zhi’s lair rather than let the assignment delay his plans.
• Fang Qianyuan asked Bo Shiyong to prepare Talisman Way Talisman Treasures for travel between worlds and arrange an attack on the merchant fleet to lure Dongfang Zhi out of the valley.
• Bo Shiyong hesitated over the plan but agreed to report it, and Fang Qianyuan urged him to act quickly.

Fang Qianyuan entered the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley’s Demon Domain outpost and spent weeks hunting demons while secretly searching for a way to cross between worlds. After finding a usable rift, he used a Secret Talisman Treasure to return to the Eastern Sea, where Dongfang Zhi had been lured away.

• Pan Bai escorted Fang Qianyuan through the Teleportation Array into the Nine Hells, where Tang Shoubao welcomed him at the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley camp.
• Tang Shoubao explained that the camp guarded the ore deposits and array against demon incursions, and that the array was only fully activated periodically because of its energy cost.
• Fang Qianyuan eagerly hunted demons over the following weeks while Qin Ze and Song Zhengyi assumed he was trying to prove himself.
• After Bo Shiyong informed him that Dongfang Zhi had been lured away, Fang Qianyuan announced a longer expedition and secretly searched for a passage between worlds.
• Fang Qianyuan found a usable rift, tore open the void with a Secret Talisman Treasure, and crossed back to the Eastern Sea.