Recaps

Liu Yu decided to intervene when Yan Qun'er was cornered by the Black-and-White Fiends, hoping to gain favor with her prominent lineage. He blocked a lethal arrow and told Yan Qun'er to handle White Fiend while he faced Black Fiend.

• Yan Qun'er struggled against the Black-and-White Fiends after killing two of their companions, but the attackers pressed her as she ran out of trump cards.
• Liu Yu watched from concealment, judged Yan Qun'er inexperienced but influential, and decided that rescuing her could benefit his standing in the sect.
• Liu Yu discarded his disguise and prepared to use his Giant Wood Sword and Black Tortoise Shield rather than his more conspicuous Golden Dragon Sword.
• White Fiend formed a fiery arrow while Black Fiend strengthened himself, and their attacks overwhelmed Yan Qun'er's defenses.
• Liu Yu stepped in and blocked the arrow with his shield, then instructed Yan Qun'er to fend off White Fiend while he fought Black Fiend.

Liu Yu intervened when the Black-and-White Fiends attacked Yan Qun'er, declaring that he would stand with his senior sister. He fought Black Fiend to stall for time while Yan Qun'er gained the upper hand against White Fiend, who raised an umbrella and a Vajra Talisman to defend himself.

• Liu Yu rebuked Black Fiend and vowed to protect Yan Qun'er as a fellow Primordial Yang Sect disciple.
• Black Fiend and White Fiend attacked together, and Liu Yu used the Giant Wood Sword to clash with Black Fiend's saber.
• Liu Yu used the Giant Wood Sword and Black Tortoise Shield to keep Black Fiend occupied while waiting for Yan Qun'er's reinforcements.
• Yan Qun'er fought White Fiend with the Jade-Green Bracelet and Blue Orb, forcing him into a defensive position.
• White Fiend opened a small umbrella magical artifact and used a Vajra Talisman to form a golden barrier against Yan Qun'er's Blue Orb.

Liu Yu and Yan Qun'er drove off the Black-and-White Fiends, then waited in the wilderness for Yan Qun'er's aunt to arrive. As Yan Qun'er recovered and Liu Yu kept watch, the two became closer after he saved her.

• White Fiend used his blood essence to strengthen his umbrella artifact and repel Yan Qun'er's blue orb, then signaled Black Fiend to retreat.
• Liu Yu stopped Yan Qun'er from pursuing the fleeing fiends, and she blushed after realizing he had held her arm.
• Liu Yu and Yan Qun'er introduced themselves, and she explained that she had gone to Jiatai Market to buy a Beauty-Nourishing Pill for her aunt's hundredth birthday.
• Yan Qun'er said her aunt would arrive after receiving her Voice-Transmitting Talisman, then took a pill to recover her magical power.
• Liu Yu lit a fire, rested nearby, and kept watch over the darkness in case the fiends returned.

After Liu Yu saved Yan Qun'er, her aunt Yan Hongyu arrived and learned how he had protected her niece. Yan Hongyu praised Liu Yu and offered him a reward, leaving him to answer her offer.

• After recovering her spiritual power, Yan Qun'er sat by the campfire while Liu Yu replenished his energy with spirit stones.
• Yan Hongyu arrived on a flying red carpet, and Yan Qun'er ran to her aunt and tearfully recounted the attack and Liu Yu's intervention.
• Yan Hongyu vowed to mobilize the sect and her lineage to capture the two attackers who had escaped.
• Liu Yu saluted Yan Hongyu, who praised him for saving Qun'er and offered him a magical artifact, talismans, pills, or another reasonable reward.
• Yan Qun'er grew embarrassed and protested as Yan Hongyu asked Liu Yu what he wanted.

Liu Yu accepted gifts from Yan Hongyu after saving Yan Qun'er, then recounted his fight with the Black-and-White Fiends. Yan Hongyu took Yan Qun'er and Liu Yu back to the Primordial Yang Sect, where Yan Qun'er called out to Liu Yu as he prepared to leave.

• Liu Yu declined to demand a specific reward, and Yan Hongyu gave him a Black Jade Pendant and a Yan Household token.
• Yan Hongyu asked Liu Yu to recount the fight, and he described the Black-and-White Fiends and their distinguishing features.
• Yan Hongyu found a strip of Black Fiend's clothing and said the pair would not escape for long.
• Yan Hongyu flew Liu Yu and Yan Qun'er back to the Primordial Yang Sect on her Red Carpet Artifact.
• Liu Yu prepared to leave, and Yan Qun'er thanked him and called out, "Until we meet again."

Liu Yu returned to his cave abode after buying a Bottleneck-Breaking Elixir and recovering from injuries sustained in two magical battles. He examined the spoils from the cultivators he had killed and resolved to continue pursuing a breakthrough into late Qi Refining.

• Liu Yu left Yan Qun'er unanswered as he rode his Giant Wood Sword back to Greenwood Peak, and Yan Hongyu comforted her niece.
• Liu Yu healed his internal injuries with a pill, then slept for twelve hours to recover from his exhaustion.
• Liu Yu surveyed the night sky before opening the Storage Bags taken from the scholar-robed cultivator and his wife.
• Liu Yu set aside damaged magical artifacts, ordinary pills, and an oval mirror he planned to refine, while noting that he needed a middle-grade Storage Bag.
• Liu Yu counted a little over five hundred spirit stones and recalled the female cultivator's behavior after her husband's death, then suppressed his rising desire with water.

Liu Yu refined the small oval mirror into a support artifact he named the Golden Silk Mirror, then used the Immortal Mansion to mature the Clear Lotus Tea Tree and prepare its leaves. He finished processing the tea and planned to brew it with dawn dew.

• Liu Yu sorted his spirit stones, artifacts, talismans, and pills among his Storage Bags to conceal his wealth and keep his supplies organized.
• Liu Yu refined the small oval mirror, tested its ability to disrupt magical power in artifacts, and named it the Golden Silk Mirror.
• Liu Yu planted the Clear Lotus Tea Tree seed in the Immortal Mansion, where it rapidly matured and consumed most of the spirit stones he brought.
• Liu Yu harvested the tea leaves and prepared them according to Zhang Chunming's instructions.
• Liu Yu finished processing the tea and decided to collect dawn dew to brew it.

Liu Yu tested Clear Lotus Tea and found that it slightly strengthened his divine sense, then recovered from his injuries and broke through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. He began circulating his newly increased magical power through the Wood Spirit Art’s seventh-layer pathways.

• Liu Yu collected dew and brewed Clear Lotus Tea, confirming that it nourished his divine sense and increased its range by about two inches.
• Over the next half month, Liu Yu drank a pot of Clear Lotus Tea each day, meditated, refined his qi, and recovered fully from his injuries.
• Liu Yu prepared to break through to late Qi Refining and swallowed a Yellow Dragon Pill to help assault the bottleneck.
• Liu Yu combined the pill’s energy with his magical power until he shattered the bottleneck into late Qi Refining.
• Liu Yu guided his magical power through the Wood Spirit Art’s seventh-layer meridians.

After consolidating his breakthrough to the seventh layer of Qi Refining, Liu Yu traveled to Clear Spring Peak to become an Inner Disciple. He presented his identity token to Uncle-Master Geng, beginning the promotion process as unusual activity on the peak hinted that something had happened.

• Liu Yu consolidated his cultivation, increasing his magical power and divine sense after reaching late Qi Refining.
• Liu Yu decided to enter the inner sect so he could avoid outer-sect chores and receive a larger stipend.
• Liu Yu flew to Clear Spring Peak and noticed that its cultivators were unusually hurried and grave.
• Two Outer Disciples admitted Liu Yu to the Rectified Origin Hall after sensing his cultivation.
• Uncle-Master Geng examined Liu Yu, approved of his steady cultivation, and asked for his wooden identity token.

Liu Yu completed his promotion to Inner Disciple of the Primordial Yang Sect and received a token from Geng Yuanzhang to secure a cultivation abode. He went to the General Affairs Hall and asked Senior Brother Qian to assign him one, discreetly offering him ten spirit stones.

• Liu Yu told Geng Yuanzhang that he had reached the seventh layer of qi refining and explained his progress by claiming he could refine several kinds of pills.
• Geng Yuanzhang verified Liu Yu's qualifications, engraved a new jade identity token, and officially made him an Inner Disciple.
• Liu Yu changed into Inner Disciple robes and completed the ceremony of paying respects to the sect's patriarchs.
• Geng Yuanzhang gave Liu Yu a silver-leaf token and told him to use it to obtain a cave abode on Green Spirit Peak.
• Liu Yu left for the General Affairs Hall, where he asked Senior Brother Qian to arrange an inner sect cultivation abode and discreetly handed him ten spirit stones.

Liu Yu used Uncle-Master Geng’s token to secure a cave abode on Green Spirit Peak and returned to Greenwood Peak for one last night before moving. He reflected on his progress and resumed cultivation with Purple Spirit Pills.

• Senior Brother Qian recognized Uncle-Master Geng’s Silver Leaf and secured approval for Liu Yu to choose a cave abode on Green Spirit Peak.
• Liu Yu selected a vacant abode near a spirit vein node, received its Restriction Token, and gave Senior Brother Qian two more spirit stones.
• Liu Yu returned to his cave abode on Greenwood Peak and planned to move to Green Spirit Peak the next day.
• Liu Yu reflected on his journey from beggar boy to inner sect disciple and resolved to plan carefully for Foundation Establishment.
• Liu Yu inspected Purple Spirit Pills taken from the Pockmarked Cultivator and the Confucian-Robed Man, then swallowed one and cultivated through the night.

After entering late Qi Refining and joining the inner sect, Liu Yu visited Jiang Qiushui to learn why the sect was bustling. He left the visit having asked her to manage the sale of pills he refined, hoping to build his influence while focusing on cultivation.

• Liu Yu gathered his belongings and rode his Giant Wood Sword to Jiang Qiushui's cave abode for news.
• Jiang Qiushui was surprised to see Liu Yu in inner-disciple robes and congratulated him on reaching late Qi Refining.
• Jiang Qiushui lamented that she remained stuck in middle Qi Refining, and Liu Yu reassured her that she could break through with time and opportunity.
• Liu Yu asked Jiang Qiushui to handle the sale of some of his pills so he could devote more time to cultivation.

Liu Yu recruited Jiang Qiushui to sell his pills, but she told him that a dispute over a spirit stone mine had sparked deadly fighting between the Primordial Yang Sect and the Hehuan Sect. Fearing a wider war and the danger to low-ranking disciples, Liu Yu hurried to acquire resources for refining Jade Spirit Pills.

• Jiang Qiushui agreed to work for Liu Yu after weighing the chance to earn spirit stones against her need to advance her cultivation.
• Liu Yu asked Jiang Qiushui about the tense activity at Clear Spring Peak, and she explained that the Primordial Yang Sect and the Hehuan Sect were fighting over a medium-sized spirit stone mine.
• Jiang Qiushui reported that disciples and Foundation Establishment Realm martial uncles had already died, while the other great sects might join the conflict and ignite a wider war.
• Liu Yu realized that his late Qi Refining cultivation offered little safety in a war and worried that Outer Courtyard disciples without connections would be sent to the battlefield.
• Liu Yu gave Jiang Qiushui seven bottles of Pure Spirit Pills to sell and instructed her to buy the Jade Spirit Pill formula and five sets of spirit herbs as quickly as possible.
• Liu Yu urged Jiang Qiushui to keep a low profile, patted her shoulder, and left while she watched him with a complicated gaze.

Liu Yu learned from Shang Chuanjiang that the Spirit Stone Mine War had caused heavy casualties and that the Primordial Yang Sect would send more disciples to the front. Hoping to secure a safer assignment, Liu Yu hurried toward Green Elegance Peak to use the token he had received from Yan Qun'er.

• Liu Yu told Jiang Qiushui where to find his new cave abode and flew to meet Shang Chuanjiang for information about the war.
• Shang Chuanjiang reported that all five great sects had joined the conflict, with many Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators already dead, and urged Liu Yu to seek a rear-area assignment.
• Liu Yu told Shang Chuanjiang he had no connections but decided to try using the yellow token in his Storage Bag to secure safer duty.
• Liu Yu considered the sects' power and the danger of desertion, then set off urgently for Green Elegance Peak without inspecting his new cave abode.

Liu Yu visited Yan Hongyu on Green Elegance Peak and asked her to arrange a safer rear assignment during the Spirit Stone Mine War. After he offered her two rare spirit herbs, Yan Hongyu accepted his request and asked him to return her yellow token.

• Liu Yu presented his identity jade token and Yan Hongyu's yellow token to the mountain guards, who verified his identity and sought her permission for his visit.
• Yan Hongyu agreed to see Liu Yu, and he climbed Green Elegance Peak to her cave abode.
• Liu Yu explained that he lacked the cultivation and magical artifacts to survive the Spirit Stone Mine War and asked for an assignment guarding a location in the rear.
• Liu Yu gave Yan Hongyu two rare, two-hundred-year-old spirit herbs, which she recognized and placed in her Storage Bag.
• Yan Hongyu accepted Liu Yu's choice and asked him to return the yellow token.

Liu Yu secured a five-year border garrison assignment through Yan Hongyu, giving him a chance to cultivate away from the main fighting while leaving him wary of enemy incursions near Mirror Province. Yan Hongyu also warned him to stop associating with Yan Qun'er, and Liu Yu watched her depart with his smile fading.

• Yan Hongyu took Liu Yu to the General Affairs Hall and arranged for him to receive a garrison mission.
• Senior Brother Qian tried to probe Liu Yu about his connections, but Liu Yu gave him little information.
• Yan Hongyu gave Liu Yu a mission token and jade tube, assigning him to guard a resource site near Mirror Province for five years with four outer disciples.
• Yan Hongyu ordered Liu Yu to meet the four disciples at Clear Spring Peak in seven days and depart without delay.
• Yan Hongyu warned Liu Yu not to associate with Yan Qun'er, and Liu Yu promised he would not disturb her cultivation.

Liu Yu settled into his new cave abode on Green Spirit Peak and prepared for his coming departure to the Qing Province border by seeking stronger defensive equipment and talismans. At Flowing Cloud Market Ward, he met Du Jingshan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who managed the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

• Liu Yu recalled the lessons of the Essentials of Demonic Cultivation and flew to Green Spirit Peak to find his new cave abode.
• Liu Yu tidied the cave, matured spirit herbs with the Immortal Mansion, and disguised himself before leaving to prepare for the border mission.
• Liu Yu went to Flowing Cloud Market Ward and found that the ordinary magical artifacts and talismans at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion did not meet his needs.
• A shop assistant led Liu Yu upstairs, where Du Jingshan arrived and welcomed him as an honored guest.

Liu Yu visited Du Jingshan at Flowing Cloud Market Ward to buy stronger magical artifacts before heading to the Qing Province border. He bought a Black Iron Shield and traded a rare two-hundred-year-old spirit herb plus five hundred spirit stones for the Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades, while Du Jingshan concealed a flash of greed.

• Liu Yu, using the false name Hong Hao, asked Du Jingshan to show him superior-grade defensive magical artifacts.
• Du Jingshan presented a Black Iron Shield, a Violet Light Bowl, and the top-grade Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades.
• Liu Yu paid five hundred and fifty spirit stones for the Black Iron Shield.
• Liu Yu offered a two-hundred-year-old spirit herb for the blades, and Du Jingshan asked him to add five hundred spirit stones.
• Liu Yu paid the additional spirit stones and took the Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades, while Du Jingshan praised him and secretly grew greedy.

After leaving Flowing Cloud Market Ward, Liu Yu returned to Green Spirit Peak with supplies and two new magical artifacts, convinced Du Jingshan had secretly marked him for pursuit. He began refining his artifacts and finished imprinting the Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades, preparing to conceal his full strength before the coming Spirit Stone Mine War.

• Liu Yu left the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, bought talismans and Spirit-Replenishing Pills from several shops, and used his remaining spirit stones to purchase a Middle-grade Storage Bag.
• Liu Yu noticed Du Jingshan had tried to leave a trace on his clothes, burned them on a barren mountain, and vowed to settle the grudge someday.
• Liu Yu returned to his cave abode on Green Spirit Peak, transferred his belongings into the Middle-grade Storage Bag, and buried his two Lesser Storage Bags beneath a cabinet.
• Liu Yu assessed the power of his new magical artifacts and decided to hide his full strength, using the Golden Dragon Sword and Black Tortoise Shield for ordinary encounters.
• Liu Yu quickly refined the Black Iron Shield, then spent more than half an hour and over half his magical power imprinting the Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades.

Liu Yu prepared to leave for Cold Moon City to guard a cold iron ore vein during the Spirit Stone Mine War, collecting his yearly stipend and meeting his assigned teammates at Clear Spring Peak. He reunited with Wu Chang, who pledged to follow his lead.

• Liu Yu tested the Mother-and-Son Soul-Chasing Blades and found he could control them with ease.
• Jiang Qiushui delivered the Jade Spirit Pill formula, five sets of spirit herbs, and ten spirit stones to Liu Yu, who rewarded her for her work.
• Liu Yu flew to Clear Spring Peak, where more than a hundred disciples gathered to depart for the front lines.
• Liu Yu reported to the General Affairs Hall, collected a year's stipend, and waited for his teammates.
• Wu Chang recognized Liu Yu, congratulated him on entering the inner sect, and promised to follow his lead during the assignment.

Liu Yu gathered four fellow disciples for their assignment at Cold Moon City and watched a Golden Core elder lead reinforcements toward the Spirit Stone Mine aboard a treasure. He then led his group out of the Primordial Yang Sect, with the others wary of his superior strength.

• Liu Yu met Zhou Guibo, Xie Huaxiong, and Sun Ju, and the five collected their stipends before leaving for Cold Moon City.
• Elder Li Changfeng arrived on a massive gourd treasure and departed with more than a hundred disciples assigned to reinforce the Spirit Stone Mine.
• Liu Yu considered the significance of a Golden Core elder's intervention and decided to leave with his group.
• Liu Yu displayed his superior-grade Golden Dragon Sword and led Wu Chang, Zhou Guibo, Xie Huaxiong, and Sun Ju out of the sect.

Liu Yu and four fellow Primordial Yang Sect disciples arrived in Cold Moon City to take over the Cold Iron Mine assignment. They met the city lord and Su Ding, who arranged for the handover to take place the next morning.

• Liu Yu warned Wu Chang, Zhou Guibo, Xie Huaxiong, and Sun Ju to follow his orders and remain vigilant during their five-year posting.
• Liu Yu led the group into Cold Moon City, where the city guards recognized them as immortal masters and escorted them to the city lord's residence.
• Chai Wenzheng welcomed Liu Yu and the others and said he had sent for Su Ding, the disciple currently stationed there.
• Su Ding arrived, explained that the four disciples assigned with him were still at the Cold Iron Ore Vein, and proposed that they complete the handover the next morning.

After arriving at the city lord's residence, Liu Yu joined Su Ding and the others for dinner, rejected an attendant Chai Wenzheng had placed in his room, and secured his quarters before resting. The next morning, he cultivated and headed to the hall to complete the Cold Iron Ore Vein handover, where Sun Ju was already waiting.

• Liu Yu agreed to discuss the mission handover with Su Ding over dinner, while Chai Wenzheng arranged food, wine, and dancers for the group.
• Liu Yu ate and drank sparingly, then went to his prepared room and ordered the woman Chai Wenzheng had arranged for him to leave.
• Liu Yu set up a Three Talents Formation in his room and slept through the night without cultivating.
• Liu Yu swallowed a Purple Spirit Pill and completed his morning cultivation before leaving to handle the Cold Iron Ore Vein handover.
• Liu Yu found Sun Ju waiting in the main hall, and she stood to greet him.

Liu Yu reprimanded the disciples who arrived late for the mine handover, then accompanied Su Ding and the others to the Cold Iron Ore Vein. The handover began after they arrived, while Liu Yu observed the harsh conditions endured by the mortal miners.

• Liu Yu sent Sun Ju to fetch the late disciples and warned Wu Chang, Zhou Guibo, and Xie Huaxiong not to let private affairs interfere with their duties.
• Su Ding arrived and led Liu Yu, Sun Ju, Wu Chang, Zhou Guibo, and Xie Huaxiong from Cold Moon City toward the Cold Iron Ore Vein.
• Liu Yu and the others saw the miners being whipped and given food according to how much ore they had produced, but Liu Yu decided not to intervene.
• Su Ding told the mine steward Lin Dayong that Liu Yu and the others were taking over his posting, and Lin Dayong went to summon the four Outer Disciples stationed at the mine.

Liu Yu completed the handover of the Cold Iron Ore Vein from Su Ding and confirmed that the records and mine formation were in order. After Su Ding and his group departed, Liu Yu assigned patrol and mining duties to his disciples and warned the steward to meet the ore quota.

• Liu Yu reviewed Su Ding's ore ledger and checked the stored ore against the records, finding no significant discrepancies.
• Liu Yu sent Wu Chang and the other disciples to test the mine formation, and they found no problems.
• Liu Yu completed the handover and bid farewell to Su Ding, who left with his four Outer Disciples.
• Liu Yu ordered Wu Chang, Zhou Guibo, Xie Huaxiong, and Sun Ju to patrol in rotating teams and defend the mine if enemy cultivators attacked.
• Liu Yu instructed Lin Dayong to record daily ore production and threatened to replace him if he failed to meet the quota.