Chapter Summaries

Lin Changheng collected his new flying sword, refined preparations for Realm-Breaking Pills, and cultivated his spirit plants while continuing his training. His Redcloud Mystic Flame transformed into an Upper-Grade Second-Tier flame, and the chapter ended with his fully restored giant puppet waiting outside.

• Lin Changheng concealed his role in the disciples' deaths, planned to keep their long saber hidden for years, and welcomed Mo Zhaoli before she entered seclusion.
• Lin Changheng collected an azure-gold flying sword from Artifact Master Guo and tested its speed after returning to his cave abode.
• Lin Changheng bought ingredients to refine Realm-Breaking Pills and reviewed the growth of his spirit plants, including those that might aid future core formation.
• Lin Changheng found that his body-tempering materials had weakened and continued cultivating with the Jade Void Radiant Scripture.
• Lin Changheng's Redcloud Mystic Flame transformed into an Upper-Grade Second-Tier flame, and he tested its power on a meteoric-iron stone.
• Lin Changheng left his cultivation chamber and found that his nine-foot-tall black armored puppet had been fully restored.

Lin Changheng met Xu Xujun, who sought help stabilizing Xu Hanwu’s shattered dantian after a Qiu Family ancestor attacked her. Lin Changheng agreed to prepare pills that could preserve her cultivation for ten years, and Xu Xujun delivered Tantai Feiyue’s gift and the Xu Family’s collected demon beast essence blood before departing.

• Yan Mingyi told Lin Changheng that Xu Xujun had visited, and Lin Changheng invited him to come again.
• Lin Changheng considered seeking a beast-growth method from the Fan Family to help his Black-Armored Earth Turtle advance faster.
• Xu Xujun explained that a traitor had exposed Xu Hanwu’s Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure, leading a Qiu Family ancestor to crack her dantian during an attack.
• Lin Changheng said he could stabilize Xu Hanwu’s dantian and prevent her cultivation from regressing for ten years, and Xu Xujun accepted his help.
• Xu Xujun gave Lin Changheng a wooden box from Tantai Feiyue and over five hundred bottles of Jade-Horned Snake essence blood collected by the Xu Family.
• After Xu Xujun left, Lin Changheng returned to his Seclusion Chamber and examined the essence blood.

Lin Changheng strengthened his fire-poison and concealment abilities, received a powerful defensive Talisman Disc from Tantai Feiyue, and learned that a third-tier treasure herb might help Wu Huayuan attempt Core Formation. After refining medicine for Xu Hanwu, he was visited by his neighbor Lü Tong and an unfamiliar bearded cultivator.

• Lin Changheng absorbed Poisonfire Savage Bull essence blood, advanced his fire poison to the low-grade second tier, and raised his fire spiritual root to forty-three strands.
• Lin Changheng absorbed Jade-Horned Snake essence blood, gained concealment from divine-sense probing, and raised his wood spiritual root to twenty-two strands.
• Lin Changheng tested the eight-talisman defensive Talisman Disc Tantai Feiyue had sent and found it could protect him against middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Lin Changheng bought ingredients for the Mystic Origin Renewal Pill and body-tempering materials, then overheard rumors that Wu Huayuan might use a third-tier treasure herb to attempt Core Formation.
• Lin Changheng delivered the Mystic Origin Renewal Pill to Xu Xujun for Xu Hanwu, then answered the door to Lü Tong and a bearded cultivator.

Lin Changheng accepted Yan Mingyi’s sincere wish to become his concubine, and their relationship deepened over the following year. At seventy, he harvested a ripe nine-leaf violet cinnabar fungus, then received an urgent visit from a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Fan Family.

• Brewer Yue and Lü Tong visited Lin Changheng, and Brewer Yue presented him with two jars of spirit wine.
• After drinking the wine, Yan Mingyi confessed that she wanted to remain by Lin Changheng’s side as his concubine, and he accepted her feelings.
• Over the next year, Yan Mingyi studied the puppet Dao while Lin Changheng continued his cultivation and pill-making.
• At age seventy, Lin Changheng harvested the ripe nine-leaf violet cinnabar fungus and stored its medicinal portions while leaving the roots to regrow.
• A Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator from the Fan Family of Fallen Phoenix Forest arrived with news, and Lin Changheng questioned why the visitor had taken so long to come.

Lin Changheng negotiated with the Fan Family for Foundation Establishment Pill ingredients and a turtle beast-feeding pill formula, then arranged the remaining ingredients for a refining session. He successfully produced one premium and two standard Foundation Establishment Pills, which the participants collected before departing.

• Lin Changheng negotiated with the Fan Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator, securing a promise to provide the Thick Earth Beast-Feeding Pill formula while learning that the lineage had no other Turbid Baleful Intent beasts besides the Flame-Tailed Golden Mouse.
• Lin Changheng offered Deng Changsheng a chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill if he found a celestial crystal spirit lotus root, and Deng Changsheng later delivered one and pledged his loyalty.
• Deng Changsheng entrusted the spirit lotus root to Lin Changheng, then retrieved it on the refining day before joining the other participants.
• Fan Yunqing delivered the Fan Family's Jade Slip containing the promised pill formula, and Lin Changheng inspected the ingredients and assigned the pill-selection order.
• Lin Changheng refined one premium and two standard Foundation Establishment Pills over seven days, and the participants paid for the session, divided the pills, and left.

Lin Changheng spent four years cultivating and advancing his beast-feeding pill business while keeping up with news from Mo Zhaoli, Tantai Feiyue, and Xu Fugui. At seventy-four, he broke through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment and emerged from seclusion to find Yan Mingyi waiting for him.

• Lin Changheng refused to keep Deng Changsheng’s Foundation Establishment Pill and sent him away to protect it himself, leaving Deng convinced that Lin was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
• Mo Zhaoli reported reaching the third layer of Foundation Establishment and offered to negotiate for the elder’s Red-Eyed Fire, which Lin Changheng agreed to pursue.
• Tantai Feiyue told Lin Changheng that Xu Hanwu’s condition had stabilized, while Xu Fugui asked him to help his grandson join the Purple Pole Sect; Lin agreed to pass along the request.
• Four years passed as Yan Mingyi advanced to the seventh layer of Qi Refining and fed premium Thick Earth Beast-Feeding Pills to the growing Black-Armored Earth Turtle.
• Lin Changheng broke through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment after eight years of cultivation, then emerged from seclusion as Yan Mingyi approached him.

Lin Changheng gained a stronger fire-poison art, learned that Cook Zeng had established Foundation Establishment, and agreed to buy an aged Deep Lake Spirit Clam for its Mystic Spirit Essence Blood. Afterward, he refined three premium pills and reached the pinnacle of second-tier low-grade pill dao.

• Lin Changheng incorporated the Poisonfire innate talent and transformed Red-Eyed Fire essence blood, raising his fire-poison energy to mid-grade second-tier.
• Cook Zeng visited after establishing Foundation Establishment and invited Lin Changheng to a celebration for himself and Huang Qingshan, who had succeeded with Lin Changheng's Premium Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Cook Zeng told Lin Changheng that the Sun Clan was selling an aged Deep Lake Spirit Clam with Mystic Spirit Essence Blood, and Lin Changheng agreed to purchase it through the Huang Household.
• Lin Changheng told Yan Mingyi she would accompany him on the journey, then returned to pill refining.
• Lin Changheng refined three premium pills and reached the pinnacle of second-tier low-grade pill dao.

Lin Changheng tended his expanding Spirit Medicine Garden and attended the Immortal City's three-day auction, where he bought rare ingredients and a pill dao inheritance. After leaving the auction's final bidding frenzy, he learned True Disciple Bai had summoned him and went with her messenger to meet her.

• Lin Changheng inspected his Spirit Medicine Garden, noted the progress of its treasure plants, and decided to focus on growing his second-tier spirit medicines to a hundred years.
• Steward Xie delivered Lin Changheng an invitation to the Immortal City's auction and said True Disciple Bai had arranged his seat; Lin Changheng suspected she wanted something related to his pill-refining skills.
• Lin Changheng attended the auction with Yan Mingyi, winning eastwheel willow wood, a mid-grade second-tier pill dao inheritance, and a puppetcraft notebook for Yan Mingyi.
• On the final day, Lin Changheng bought Jiao Blood Fruits and Youth-Preserving Pill ingredients, then watched bids for an azure water lotus seed soar beyond his means and left the auction.
• A yellow-robed cultivator told Lin Changheng that True Disciple Bai had sent for him, and Lin Changheng agreed to follow the messenger.

Lin Changheng accepted Bai Wan’s invitation to help modify an incomplete ancient pill formula that could advance spirit beasts to the second tier. He returned home with the formula and a chance to secure the resulting Spirit-Communing Pill for his Black-Armored Earth Turtle, Xiao Hei.

• Bai Wan apologized to Lin Changheng for how he had been summoned and asked him to help replace missing ingredients in an ancient spirit-beast advancement pill formula.
• Lin Changheng examined the incomplete formula, agreed to work on it, and requested priority purchasing rights for the pill if his spirit beast needed it.
• Bai Wan revealed that she had detected Lin Changheng’s Foundation Establishment cultivation and ordered the Immortal City’s staff to treat him as an honored guest.
• Lin Changheng returned to Cave Abode Number Ninety-Eight with ingredients and a Floating Life Token, then told Yan Mingyi that the Spirit-Communing Pill could help spirit beasts advance.
• Yan Mingyi looked at Xiao Hei and asked whether the pill, combined with his Mystic Spirit Bloodline, made his advancement to the second tier highly likely.

Lin Changheng and Yan Mingyi traveled to Spirit Vault Mountain for the Huang Household's Foundation Establishment Celebration, where Lin arranged to sell Beauty-Preserving Pills and pursued a deal for the Sun Clan's Deep Lake Spirit Clam. The celebration began with the Huang Household announcing two new elders, while Lin's negotiations remained ahead.

• Lin Changheng swallowed a Jiao Blood Fruit and resumed body tempering with diluted eastwheel willow wood.
• Lin Changheng and Yan Mingyi reached Spirit Vault Mountain, where Cook Zeng welcomed them and led them to Guest Reception Peak.
• At the welcome banquet, Huang Linglin asked Lin Changheng to supply Beauty-Preserving Pills for her friends, and Lin agreed.
• Huang Linglin told Lin Changheng that the Beast-Taming Sun Clan had brought its aging Deep Lake Spirit Clam to discuss a sale with the Huang Household.
• Huang Jiuyuan welcomed Lin Changheng, then introduced the two newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators and announced them as new Huang Household elders.

At the Huang Household’s Foundation Establishment celebration, Lin Changheng and Cook Zeng drew attention for their pillcraft and late-life breakthrough, respectively. Lin sold his Beauty-Preserving Pills, raised his pill-refining fees, and waited as Cook Zeng negotiated with the Sun Clan over an aged mystic spirit-level beast.

• Cook Zeng’s breakthrough after age seventy became the banquet’s sensation, while Huang Qingshan credited Lin Changheng’s Premium Foundation Establishment Pill with helping him advance.
• Lin Changheng’s skill at refining Foundation Establishment Pills became known, and Foundation Establishment cultivators crowded around him to offer toasts.
• Huang Linglin brought six female cultivators to Lin Changheng, who sold each one a Beauty-Preserving Pill for two hundred low-grade spirit stones.
• He Jinxing visited Lin Changheng, who asked him to seek information about turbid baleful intent or mystic spirit-level beasts in Azure Firmament Sect territory; Lin also raised his fees for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Lin Changheng stayed with the Huang Household while Cook Zeng negotiated with the Sun Clan for its aged mystic spirit-level spirit beast, and Cook Zeng reported that the two sides were still haggling over its price.

Lin Changheng discovered that withering silence energy was draining the lifespan of the Deep Lake Spirit Clam and used the Glorious Life Divine Ability to halt its decline. He then met secretly with Huang Jiuyuan, who was arranging his affairs before death, and agreed to maintain their cooperation for the next thirty years in exchange for an item.

• The Sun Clan sold Lin Changheng the Deep Lake Spirit Clam and its raising methods for 5,500 Spirit Stones.
• Lin Changheng examined the clam, named it Xiao Bai, and found that the Glorious Life Divine Ability could remove the withering silence energy shortening its life.
• Lin Changheng made a small pool in his courtyard and settled Xiao Bai in it while promising it a larger lake later.
• On his fifth day at the Huang Household, Lin Changheng met privately with Huang Jiuyuan, who gave him an item and asked him to preserve their cooperation for thirty years.
• Lin Changheng agreed to overlook lesser matters unless the Huang Household betrayed him or committed a similarly serious offense.

Lin Changheng learned the origin of the Jade Void Radiant Scripture, received a mysterious crystal from Huang Jiuyuan, and set out for the Xu Family. After killing a cultivator who tried to ambush him and claiming his supplies, Lin reunited with Tantai Feiyue at the Xu Family Base.

• Huang Jiuyuan told Lin Changheng that he had found the Jade Void Radiant Scripture in the Jin Kingdom and gave him a mysterious red crystal connected to the method in exchange for Lin maintaining cooperation with the Huang Household for thirty years.
• Lin Changheng disguised himself and departed, then detected three cultivators lying in wait outside the Huang Household and continued onward without confronting them.
• One of the waiting cultivators pursued Lin Changheng, who killed him with his Fire-Control Divine Ability and took his Storage Bag and damaged defensive Spirit Artifact.
• Lin Changheng examined the Storage Bag, found a rare auxiliary ingredient for the Youth-Preserving Pill, and refined a small emerald-green ruler for his own use.
• After an uneventful journey, Lin Changheng reached the Xu Family Base, where Tantai Feiyue and Xu Xujun welcomed him and Xu Xujun announced his return to the clansmen.

Lin Changheng reunited with Tantai Feiyue and agreed to examine Xu Hanwu before her planned Foundation Establishment attempt. After receiving five drops of Nether Void essence blood from the Xu Family, he refined his Breath Concealment art and transformed the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle treasure seed, leaving its new power unrevealed.

• Lin Changheng arrived at the Xu Family with Tantai Feiyue, learned Xu Hanwu planned to attempt Foundation Establishment in two months despite the danger to her damaged dantian, and agreed to examine her the next day.
• Lin Changheng and Tantai Feiyue reunited privately at her residence, while Xu Xuheng, Xu Xujun, and Xu Qianyan later gave Lin five drops of rare Demon Beast essence blood recovered from a slain Qiu Family Foundation Establishment seed.
• Lin Changheng returned to Tantai Feiyue’s residence and entered seclusion to investigate the Mystic Root in his Origin Cauldron and refine Jade-Horned Snake treasure seeds into the Breath-Concealing Otherworldly Art.
• Lin Changheng used the five drops of Nether Void essence blood to complete the transformation of the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle treasure seed, whose talent was Lifespan Extension.

Lin Changheng gained eighty years of lifespan from the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle’s essence blood and met with Xu Hanwu to examine her damaged Dantian. After she confessed her feelings, he resolved to treat her and began the carefully planned procedure, leaving her recovery unfinished.

• Lin Changheng integrated the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle True Core, increasing his lifespan to three hundred and forty-one years and a half.
• Lin Changheng gave Tantai Feiyue a Jade Slip containing methods for three kinds of Talisman Disc, then visited Xu Hanwu at the Xu Family courtyard.
• Lin Changheng examined Xu Hanwu’s Dantian and estimated an eighty-percent chance of restoring it completely.
• Xu Hanwu confessed her feelings to Lin Changheng, and he comforted her before agreeing to treat her injury.
• Lin Changheng refined Azure Spirit Pills and waited seven days before arranging the treatment to avoid suspicion.
• Lin Changheng gave Xu Hanwu two pills and began guiding the true intent of the Glorious Life Divine Ability into her.

Lin Changheng repaired Xu Hanwu’s dantian and left the Xu Family, then traveled to the Desolate Ruins Market to seek Purple Date Grass for the Youth-Preserving Pill. At the Yang Family Medicine Shop, he recognized the shopkeeper and noticed signs that the man was hiding something about the herb.

• Lin Changheng used his Glorious Life Divine Ability to heal Xu Hanwu’s dantian over several treatments, and she kissed his cheek before they left the chamber.
• Lin Changheng reassured the Xu Family elders that Xu Hanwu’s treatment had succeeded, attended their banquet, and learned about a secret realm opening in ten years and a lead on Purple Date Grass.
• Lin Changheng left the Xu Family, considered the dangers and rewards of the Purple Pole Sect’s secret realm, and decided to visit the Desolate Ruins Market for the herb.
• Lin Changheng arrived at the Yang Family Medicine Shop and asked the young woman about its Purple Date Grass.
• The shopkeeper interrupted the woman, claimed the herb had not been sold, and produced a black jade box while Lin Changheng noticed blood traces and recognized the man from earlier meetings.

Lin Changheng bought a rooted purple date grass from a shopkeeper who secretly preyed on customers, then lured the man into a trap and killed him. After returning to the Immortal City with Yan Mingyi, Lin Changheng visited the Spirit Materials Hall to obtain ingredients for the Spirit-Communing Pill, where the steward hesitated over two rare items.

• Lin Changheng recognized the former Pill Refining Pavilion assistant, bought his thirty-year-old purple date grass for two thousand low-grade spirit stones, and noticed signs that it could mature into a third-tier herb.
• The shopkeeper followed Lin Changheng out of the Market Ward, but Lin Changheng used his Flying Sword to kill him and searched his memories.
• Lin Changheng learned that the shopkeeper had murdered his mentor, the middle-aged shopkeeper, after years of pretending to be loyal, and decided to leave the dead man's daughter to manage the inherited shop.
• Lin Changheng spent about a month developing four substitutes for two ancient herbs, picked up Yan Mingyi, and returned to the Immortal City.
• At the Spirit Materials Hall, Lin Changheng presented True Disciple Bai's token and requested six ingredients; after the steward hesitated over two rare ones, Lin Changheng began to leave, prompting the steward to promise to fetch them.

Lin Changheng examined his recent gains and discovered that the Red Transparent Crystal could rapidly strengthen his cultivation and feed his Redcloud Mystic Flame. He also realized that the Jade Void Radiant Scripture could make its practitioners prey on one another, so he began planning how to hide his technique and avoid danger.

• Lin Changheng collected rare medicinal ingredients from the Immortal City and returned to Cave Abode Number Ninety-Eight, leaving Yan Ming in charge while he entered seclusion.
• Lin Changheng searched the slain clerk's Storage Bag, found nearly five thousand spirit stones and a Purple Date Grass, and confirmed he was close to assembling the ingredients for a batch of Youth-Preserving Pills.
• Lin Changheng compared the Red Transparent Crystal with his crimson true essence and confirmed that they shared the same origin.
• Lin Changheng absorbed energy from the crystal, rapidly refined it into magical power, and fed the resulting crimson true essence to his Redcloud Mystic Flame, causing the flame to swell.
• Lin Changheng realized that the crystal could greatly accelerate his cultivation but that the Jade Void Radiant Scripture might drive its practitioners to hunt one another for such crystals.
• Lin Changheng resolved to conceal his cultivation technique and rely on the Breath-Concealing Otherworldly Art to avoid becoming prey.

Lin Changheng advanced his cultivation, cared for his companions, and revived a rare medicinal plant while continuing his search for substitutes for the Spirit-Communing Pill’s ancient herbs. He told the Spirit Materials Hall steward that one substitution had worked and that he was confident the revised second one would succeed.

• After a month in seclusion, Lin Changheng found that one principal-herb substitute worked with double-pupilled seed, and he devised a revised blend for the other ingredient.
• Lin Changheng checked his spiritual roots and tried Yan Mingyi’s newly refined premium mid-grade puppet dog, praising her craftsmanship and encouraging her to keep improving.
• Lin Changheng treated the Deep Lake Spirit Clam with his Glorious Life Divine Ability and fed them a second-tier pill, improving their condition and earning their genuine affection.
• Lin Changheng revived the withered roots of the second-tier purple date grass and assessed the progress of his nine-leaf violet cinnabar fungus and vermilion beauty fruit grass.
• At the Spirit Materials Hall, Lin Changheng told the elderly steward that one substitute ingredient had worked and that he was eighty percent confident the revised blend for the other would succeed; the steward reacted with delight.

Lin Changheng obtained a second-tier wood-water monster core for his Youth-Preserving Pill and learned that True Disciple Bai might know where to find Azure Rain Mist Toad blood. After curing Xiao Bai and drawing its essence blood, he was invited to meet Bai.

• Lin Changheng requested ingredients from the elderly steward, who could not provide azure flower moon lotus but supplied an Azure Rain Mist Toad monster core.
• Lin Changheng learned the Spirit Materials Hall lacked Azure Rain Mist Toad blood and was advised to ask True Disciple Bai.
• After six months of treatment, Lin Changheng removed the last withering silence energy from Xiao Bai and drew a portion of its essence blood with the Cold Marrow Silver Needle.
• Lin Changheng gave Xiao Bai a Blood-Replenishing Pill and refused to draw blood from the eager Black-Armored Earth Turtle until it reached the second tier.
• Three days later, a messenger told Lin Changheng that True Disciple Bai had emerged from seclusion and invited him to meet her.