Chapter Summaries

Liu Yu searched Qing Province for the Liu Family bloodline and found two young descendants, Liu Yong and Liu Si, in Ping'an County Town. After deciding to secure seven generations of prosperity for the family and honoring his deceased parents, he settled across from the children’s home.

• Liu Yu left Rosycloud Mountain to search for his lost relatives, using the Bloodline Spirit-Seeking secret art at locations across Qing Province.
• After more than a hundred unsuccessful searches, Liu Yu sensed two Liu Family descendants in Ping'an County Town.
• Liu Yu befriended the children, Liu Yong and Liu Si, with candied hawthorn, learned their dreams, and discovered that Liu Si had a four-element false spiritual root.
• Liu Yu visited his parents’ graves, remembered his childhood, made offerings, and promised to ensure the Liu Family enjoyed seven generations of wealth and honor.
• The next day, Liu Yu moved into the alley across from Liu Yong and Liu Si’s home and practiced swordsmanship there.

Liu Yu spent three months teaching and providing for Liu Si and Liu Yong before leaving Ping'an County Town to return to his sect and sever his worldly ties. Back at Rosycloud Mountain, he reunited with Wu Chang, learned that Sun Ju had died, and agreed to look after Wu Chang’s son, Wu Cheng'en, whom he then asked to undertake a ten-year assignment in the mortal world.

• Liu Yu taught Liu Yong the Sun-Covering Sword art and helped Liu Si and Liu Yong study, while secretly improving their health and arranging for the Liu Family to prosper.
• Liu Si and Liu Yong found Liu Yu’s letter after he left Ping'an County Town, and they cried over his departure as he returned to the sect.
• Liu Yu arrived at Rosycloud Mountain, reunited with Jiang Qiushui and Little Green, and received Wu Chang, who told him that Sun Ju had passed away in meditation.
• Wu Chang asked Liu Yu to look after his son, Wu Cheng'en, and Liu Yu promised to help him.
• Liu Yu offered Wu Cheng'en an important ten-year task in the mortal world, and Wu Cheng'en agreed despite his concerns about delaying Foundation Establishment.

Wu Cheng'en accepted a Primordial Spirit Restriction and Liu Yu’s assignment to secretly protect the Liu Family in Ping'an County Town, receiving resources to improve his chance at foundation establishment. Over the following decade, Liu Yu refined Golden Core Condensation Pills, perfected the Bright Moon stage of the Astral True Form, and went to the Sect Main Hall to claim the resources for challenging the golden core bottleneck.

• Liu Yu offered Wu Cheng'en foundation-establishment resources in exchange for accepting a Primordial Spirit Restriction and spending at least ten years protecting the Liu Family from the shadows.
• Wu Cheng'en accepted the restriction and assignment, received cultivation resources and Foundation Establishment Insights, and departed for Ping'an County Town.
• Liu Yu refined Foundation Establishment Pills and then used twenty-eight sets of rare spirit herbs to produce seven Fire-Type Golden Core Condensation Pills.
• Over ten years of cultivation, Liu Yu perfected the Bright Moon stage, reached the foundation establishment peak, and decided to challenge the golden core bottleneck.
• Liu Yu went to the Sect Main Hall to collect the resources for true disciples preparing to form a golden core, and Zhuang Ziling escorted him toward Elder Yan at the treasury.

Liu Yu collected core-formation resources, rejected Elder Yan’s proposed marriage alliance, and learned that unusual demon-beast attacks might herald a beast tide. After five years of preparation, he began forming his Golden Core, but the nascent core demanded more blood essence than he expected.

• Zhuang Ziling escorted Liu Yu to the Sect Treasury, where Elder Yan approved his claim and let him choose a Bodhi Fruit among the Golden Core Condensation Treasures.
• Elder Yan proposed a marriage alliance involving Yan Hongyu, but Liu Yu refused and reaffirmed his friendly ties with the Yan Household.
• Liu Yu met Yan Kai, who reported unusually active demon beasts attacking outposts and returned to alert the sect about a possible beast tide.
• Liu Yu secluded himself on Greenstar Peak, refined the Tribulation-Transcending Jade Register, and spent five years preparing for core formation.
• At age one hundred, Liu Yu seized a favorable opportunity, took the Golden Core Condensation Pill, and began solidifying his magic power into a nascent Golden Core.
• Liu Yu replenished his magic power as the nascent core grew, then followed his intuition and prepared to give it more blood essence when one drop failed to satisfy it.

Liu Yu advanced toward the Golden Core Realm, feeding his embryonic core seven drops of blood essence before using the Three-Origin Fruit to balance essence, qi, and spirit. He formed a ninth-grade golden core and began the heart-demon tribulation, where the illusions reached the painful memory of a woman from his past life.

• Liu Yu’s embryonic golden core absorbed seven drops of blood essence, became round, and steadily grew as he refined spiritual energy for ten days and nights.
• The spiritual-energy phenomenon over Greenstar Peak drew sect cultivators, while Li Changkong, Elder Yan, Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, and Qian Zhijin watched Liu Yu’s advancement.
• Liu Yu ate the Three-Origin Fruit and used its power to balance his essence, qi, and spirit as his golden core completed its formation.
• Liu Yu used the mystic origin ice crystal to stabilize his new core, which revealed nine dao marks and became a ninth-grade golden core.
• Liu Yu ate the Bodhi Fruit and entered the heart-demon tribulation, where he rejected accusations from his slain enemies and faced memories from his past life.

Liu Yu overcame his heart-demon tribulation by accepting both his past and present selves, though his Golden Core lost one Dao Mark and its perfection. He endured all nine lightning strikes, became True Person Qing Yang and a Primordial Yang Sect elder, and remained on Greenstar Peak absorbing the tribulation aura while Li Changkong and Elder Yan guarded him.

• Liu Yu rejected the heart-demon illusion’s demand that he sever his past, reunited with his former self in the vision, and used the Emerald Light Dot to break free.
• Liu Yu discovered that his Golden Core had lost one of its nine Dao Marks, but he accepted the flaw and replenished his Magic Power while concealing his high-grade Golden Core.
• Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, Li Changkong, Elder Yan, and the watching cultivators saw Liu Yu’s Golden Core formation conclude as dark tribulation clouds gathered over Greenstar Peak.
• Liu Yu endured the nine lightning bolts using his spirit artifacts, Tribulation-Transcending Jade Register, Purple Crystal Shield, and spells, though several of his artifacts were destroyed.
• Liu Yu passed the lightning tribulation and absorbed its aura to refine his Golden Core, while Li Changkong declared him a sect elder and ordered the disciples off Greenstar Peak.

After surviving the golden core lightning tribulation, Liu Yu absorbed its lingering aura, stabilized his new Golden Core Realm, and told Li Changkong and Elder Yan that he had formed a sixth-grade golden core. He accepted that his core had only eight dao marks after refusing to sever his past self, then prepared to test the Ruined Sword and inspect the Immortal Mansion’s changes.

• Liu Yu absorbed the remaining tribulation lightning aura, which cleansed his golden core and stabilized its eight dao marks.
• Liu Yu thanked Li Changkong and Elder Yan for standing guard, and Elder Yan began addressing him as a fellow martial brother now that he had reached the Golden Core Realm.
• Liu Yu claimed to have formed a sixth-grade golden core, and Elder Yan believed him after sensing his unusually strong spirit pressure.
• Li Changkong instructed Liu Yu to remain in seclusion and consolidate his cultivation, while deciding to conceal any suspicion that Liu Yu’s core might be a higher grade.
• Liu Yu stabilized his realm in twenty-seven days and reflected that refusing to sever his past self had left his golden core imperfect, with eight dao marks instead of nine.
• Liu Yu took up the Ruined Sword and prepared to test whether he could bring it into the Immortal Mansion and examine the changes there.

After advancing to the Golden Core Stage, Liu Yu discovered he could control the Immortal Mansion’s suction, forcibly draw in the Ruined Sword, and refine it with world power. The Immortal Mansion transformed, expanding its spirit field and allowing herbs to mature to a thousand years; Liu Yu left with plans to earn spirit stones and safely power the sword.

• Liu Yu prevented the Immortal Mansion from drawing in his primordial spirit, then used its suction to pull the Ruined Sword into his niwan palace.
• Liu Yu entered the Immortal Mansion and witnessed its island expand to ten li as the Black Spirit Field transformed into a larger Red Spirit Field.
• Liu Yu tested the Red Spirit Field and confirmed that it accelerated herb growth more quickly and could mature jade spirit mushrooms to a thousand years.
• Liu Yu used world power to cleanse and refine the Ruined Sword, branding its blade and sword spirit with his divine sense.
• Liu Yu rejected taking world power or Immortal Mansion spiritual energy outside, deciding instead to power the Ruined Sword with seals made from spirit stones.
• Liu Yu calculated the cost of his plans, resolved to earn spirit stones by cultivating herbs and refining pills, and began planting spirit herbs.

Liu Yu's Life-bound Divine Ability formed after the Immortal Mansion branded his golden core with a mysterious Golden Seal Script mark, restoring some of his lost foundation. He discovered that the ability, Wither, could weaken opponents across all aspects of their strength.

• Liu Yu chose to earn spirit stones by refining second-tier pills and finished planting spirit herb seeds across the Red Spirit Field.
• Liu Yu examined the changes to his golden core as his Life-bound Divine Ability began to form.
• The Emerald Light Dot illuminated Liu Yu's golden core, where a flawless golden mark appeared and restored the foundation lost during his Heart-Demon Tribulation.
• Liu Yu recognized the mark as Golden Seal Script and watched it connect with the eight silver crescent-shaped Dao Marks.
• Liu Yu learned that his Life-bound Divine Ability was Wither, which weakened an enemy's Primordial Spirit, Magic Power, and physical body after he locked onto them with his Divine Sense.

After stabilizing his Golden Core cultivation, Liu Yu tested his Life-bound Divine Ability, preliminarily refined the damaged Ten-Thousand Souls Banner, and left seclusion. He moved with Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan to a new third-tier spirit mountain renamed Qingyang Peak, where he prepared for his upcoming golden core ceremony.

• Liu Yu tested Wither on spirit plants and learned that the wood-attributed ability could kill targets with sufficiently weaker life forces.
• Liu Yu preliminarily refined True Person Black Bone’s damaged Ten-Thousand Souls Banner and found that only a few evil ghosts remained inside it.
• Liu Yu left seclusion, flew to Cloudreach Mountain, and reunited with Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan.
• Zhuang Ziling offered Liu Yu a choice of third-tier spirit mountains, and Liu Yu selected Dreamveil Peak and renamed it Qingyang Peak.
• Liu Yu spent the night with Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan, then moved with them to Qingyang Peak three days later.
• Liu Yu settled into the newly prepared cave abode as his golden core ceremony was scheduled for seven days later.

Liu Yu’s golden core celebration brought him valuable gifts, including a defensive treasure from Elder Yan that hinted at a marriage alliance with the Yan Household. As the elders gathered, they warned that demon beast uprisings across several regions likely heralded a great beast tide.

• Yan Kai welcomed guests to Liu Yu’s celebration, including Chen Ziwei with a five-hundred-year-old spirit herb and Leng Yuexin with three hundred spirit stones.
• Elder Yan presented Liu Yu with the Golden Jade Ring, a defensive treasure, and Liu Yu accepted it despite suspecting the gift was meant to encourage a marriage alliance.
• Li Changkong told Liu Yu that newly promoted golden core elders could select a treasure or forging material from the Sect Treasury, and Elder Yan offered to help him obtain one.
• Ma Xiangyun and several other golden core elders arrived with generous gifts, while Liu Yu greeted them and joined their discussion.
• Xu Lengyan raised concerns about frequent demon beast uprisings, and Li Changkong said the signs pointed to a great beast tide spreading across several sects’ territories.

Liu Yu held his Golden Core Ceremony, delivering a rousing speech, hosting a banquet, and sharing selected insights into core formation and fire-attribute spells. After the ceremony, he returned to his cave abode to refine the Golden Jade Ring and considered the profit from the event.

• Liu Yu joined the Golden Core elders in welcoming the gathered cultivators to his ceremony.
• Liu Yu thanked the sect and his master in an impassioned speech that inspired many young disciples to serve the sect diligently.
• Liu Yu hosted a banquet for the attendees, serving spirit dishes, melons, and fruits.
• Liu Yu lectured at the Dharma Lecture Platform, sharing selected insights into core formation and fire-attribute spells.
• Elder Yan urged Liu Yu to refine the Golden Jade Ring quickly before departing, and Liu Yu sent Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, and Yan Kai to handle the remaining matters.
• Liu Yu returned to his cave abode and calculated that the ceremony had earned him around twenty to thirty thousand spirit stones after expenses.

Liu Yu accepted Yan Hongyu as his concubine and began refining the Golden Jade Ring while planning how to strengthen himself after reaching the Golden Core realm. After Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan apologized for letting Yan Hongyu into his Cave Abode, he settled the matter and heard that many sect cultivators had applied to serve as maidservants on Qingyang Peak.

• Liu Yu found Yan Hongyu waiting in his Cave Abode and accepted her as his concubine after she approached him on behalf of the Yan Household.
• The next day, Liu Yu told Yan Hongyu to settle on Qingyang Peak and began the preliminary refinement of the Golden Jade Ring.
• Liu Yu assessed the slow pace of Golden Core cultivation, considered his needs for pills, alchemy, spirit stones, and a life-bound treasure, and trained his body with lunar yin power from the Moon-Inviting Pot.
• Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan apologized for letting Yan Hongyu into Liu Yu's Cave Abode, and Jiang explained how Elder Yan and the Golden Jade Ring had influenced their decision.
• Liu Yu reprimanded Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan but settled the incident, after which Ji Ruyan reported that she had narrowed the maidservant applicants to two hundred.

Liu Yu arranged for Qingyang Peak to be staffed, entrusted Jiang Qiushui with selling resources from the Holy Fire Secret Realm, and studied the Divine Preservation Art’s third level. He selected thirty maidservants from two hundred applicants, appointed Wen Caiyi as head maid, and left their orientation to Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan.

• Liu Yu told Ji Ruyan to schedule interviews for Qingyang Peak’s maidservants and asked Jiang Qiushui to sell seven storage bags of resources discreetly.
• Jiang Qiushui discovered the bags held valuable resources, while Liu Yu studied the Glazed Heart-Confusion Technique and considered using it to build a force of loyal subordinates.
• Ji Ruyan brought two hundred female disciples to be interviewed, and Liu Yu chose thirty, including Wen Caiyi, whose knowledge of spiritual herbs impressed him.
• Ji Ruyan announced Wen Caiyi as head maid and reprimanded the rejected applicants who pleaded or behaved insolently.
• Liu Yu left the thirty selected maids in Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan’s care so they could explain Qingyang Peak’s rules.

Liu Yu collected his Golden Core advancement reward from the Sect Treasury and chose Golden Crow powder to help forge his life-bound treasure, the Setting Sun Golden Rainbow Spear. On his way out, he intervened when Leng Yuexin was being cheated over a mission reward and left the hall with her.

• Liu Yu visited the Golden Core Treasury, where Elder Yan opened the vault and explained the sect's procedures.
• Liu Yu inspected the treasures and spiritual materials, then selected half a bottle of Golden Crow powder and accepted Elder Yan's offer of help gathering more materials.
• Liu Yu decided the Setting Sun Golden Rainbow Spear was the life-bound treasure he was most likely to forge, since he had already obtained Falling Sun Crystal and Golden Crow powder.
• Liu Yu overheard a steward trying to reduce Leng Yuexin's mission reward and stopped him from taking her spirit stones.
• Leng Yuexin explained the dispute, and the steward admitted his mistake and offered double compensation; Liu Yu settled the matter without pursuing an investigation.
• Liu Yu and Leng Yuexin left the Sect Main Hall together.

Liu Yu offered Leng Yuexin protection and a chance to form a Golden Core in exchange for her freedom, then spent a year repairing his treasures and creating a spirit power imprint that let him use the Ruined Sword once without injury. After reaching a bottleneck in the Divine Preservation Art, he decided to conduct experiments on other cultivators' primordial spirits, but an incoming message interrupted him.

• Liu Yu offered Leng Yuexin pills and three Golden Core condensation treasures if she pledged loyalty and accepted a safeguard, but she struggled to decide after he left.
• Liu Yu inspected the repaired Ten-Thousand Souls Banner and reviewed how he had earned nearly two hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones over the past year.
• Liu Yu spent a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in the Immortal Mansion to condense a spirit power imprint and embed it in the Ruined Sword, giving him one safe use of the weapon.
• Liu Yu studied the third level of the Divine Preservation Art but, unable to make progress, resolved to recruit cultivators for primordial spirit experiments using resources as payment.
• Liu Yu reached for his Sect Token to message Jiang Qiushui, but his elder's token vibrated with an incoming message.

The Primordial Yang Sect elders decided to establish a branch courtyard in the Yuan Kingdom, and Liu Yu sought the post of its garrison elder and head. When Bai Yuxuan became his rival for the position, the elders agreed that a sparring match would decide the outcome, leaving the two facing each other above Azure Cloud Peak.

• Li Changkong explained that the Primordial Yang Sect had convened to discuss establishing a branch courtyard in the Yuan Kingdom to screen and recruit children with spiritual roots.
• The elders debated the proposal, and True Person Changfeng decided that the branch courtyard would be established one year later.
• Liu Yu chose to seek the post of garrison elder and branch courtyard head, and the Family Line agreed to support his nomination.
• Sun Zekun nominated Bai Yuxuan, gaining support from the Outer Courtyard and Master-Disciple Lines.
• Li Changkong argued that the head should be chosen for strength, and the elders agreed that Liu Yu and Bai Yuxuan would spar for the post.
• True Person Changfeng ruled that the sparring match would decide the appointment, and Liu Yu and Bai Yuxuan faced each other in midair above Azure Cloud Peak.

Liu Yu defeated Bai Yuxuan in a duel to decide the branch courtyard’s head, revealing the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner, his Wither Divine Ability, and the Azure Yang Demonic Flame. Bai Yuxuan conceded, leaving Liu Yu with the victory and the elders debating the implications of his demonic-path treasure.

• True Person Changfeng arranged the spar between Liu Yu and Bai Yuxuan and reminded them to stop once the outcome was clear.
• Liu Yu sent a Golden Core Evil Ghost from the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner to attack Bai Yuxuan, whose Deep Blue Flying Sword and Frost Blossoms Fill the Sky slowed and pierced it.
• The evil ghost healed its wound, while Liu Yu’s Golden Jade Ring kept Bai Yuxuan from attacking him directly.
• Liu Yu used Wither to weaken Bai Yuxuan’s Magic Power, then sent the Azure Yang Demonic Flame to break her Frost Blossoms Fill the Sky.
• Bai Yuxuan conceded before the Golden Core Evil Ghost could reach her, and Liu Yu stopped it and descended to the mountaintop.

After defeating Bai Yuxuan and securing the Origin Sun Villa branch directorship, Liu Yu decided to leave for the Yuan Kingdom with Jiang Qiushui and Ji Ruyan while Yan Hongyu stayed to manage Qingyang Peak. He departed with five Foundation Establishment disciples and reached Azure Terrace Peak’s teleportation hall.

• Liu Yu defeated Bai Yuxuan, won the elders’ respect, and received the Yin-Yang Life-Breath Formation and the token confirming his appointment as branch director.
• Liu Yu returned to Qingyang Peak, weighed his plans for the Yuan Kingdom, and told Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, and Yan Hongyu to prepare for departure within a month.
• Liu Yu received a roster of five Foundation Establishment disciples assigned to the branch and continued studying the Divine Preservation Art.
• Liu Yu left Yan Hongyu in charge of Qingyang Peak and departed with Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, and five maids aboard the Wind-Evasion Boat.
• Liu Yu arrived at Azure Terrace Peak, where the five assigned Foundation Establishment disciples greeted him outside the teleportation hall.

Liu Yu arrived in Yuan Kingdom to take charge of Primordial Yang Sect’s branch academy at Eternal Spring Mountain, where he organized its staff and established a protective formation. After settling into his new cave abode, he was approached by Wen Caiyi, who hoped to gain his favor.

• Liu Yu dismissed the five Foundation Establishment stewards’ attempts to impress him and traveled from Qing Province to Ancient Gate City with Jiang Qiushui, Ji Ruyan, and the maidservants.
• Liu Yu visited Qi Yuntian at Cloudreach Mountain before heading to Eternal Spring Mountain, the site of the new branch academy.
• Liu Yu delegated academy administration to Ji Ruyan and the stewards, while Jiang Qiushui handled external affairs and student recruitment.
• Liu Yu surveyed Eternal Spring Mountain and installed the Yin-Yang Life-Breath Formation as its mountain-guarding formation.
• Liu Yu inspected the spirit mountain’s natural resources, then entered his prepared cave abode, where Wen Caiyi offered to help him bathe and change.