Chapter Summaries

Lin Changheng mastered the combination of [Flame-Shaping Demonic Art] and [Fire-Control Divine Ability], then discovered that his earth vein yellow essence had reached a hundred years of age. As war-driven disorder spread through the Song Region, he learned that the Purple Pole Sect was stretched thin and resolved to strengthen himself while hoping Jade Belt Lake stayed out of trouble.

• Lin Changheng tested [Flame-Shaping Demonic Art], shaping dusky-gold flame into creatures and forms before combining it with [Fire-Control Divine Ability] to melt a spirit-ore dummy with nine fire crows.
• Lin Changheng inspected his Spirit Medicine Garden and found that his earth vein yellow essence had passed one hundred years of age, though he chose to let it keep growing.
• Cheng Suling told Lin Changheng that the Song-Jin war had weakened the Purple Pole Sect's defenses and emboldened Tribulation Cultivators, including powerful rogue cultivators, to attack remote lands.
• Lin Changheng recalled giving Mo Zhaoli protective treasures before her deployment to the front and embracing her as she promised to return safely.
• Cheng Suling left Lin Changheng the Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion's Essence Blood, and Yan Mingyi invited him to begin a medicinal bath to speed his body tempering.

Lin Changheng tempered his body, strengthened his Sword Embryo by grafting the essence of the Nine Ghost Soul-Reaping Nail, and joined his neighbors in fortifying their islands against nearby Tribulation Cultivators. As the raiders grew bolder and threatened the islands’ trade, a five-person team arrived and killed a pursuer outside the grand formation.

• Lin Changheng endured the highest-level Evergreen Azurewood body-tempering bath, recovered with an elixir, and reviewed his work refining bone essence, purifying vajra bodhi wood, studying Blood-Shadow Escape, and raising soul-eroding miasma insects.
• Lin Changheng successfully used Spirit Grafting to absorb the Nine Ghost Soul-Reaping Nail’s essence into his Sword Embryo, greatly increasing its power, spirituality, and progress toward becoming a treasure artifact.
• After Xu Maoling and Cheng Suling warned Lin Changheng about Tribulation Cultivators attacking nearby, the three island masters shared the cost of a second-tier grand formation spanning their islands.
• Tribulation Cultivators infiltrated a nearby Market Ward, disrupted trade around Jade Belt Lake, and preyed on cultivators traveling to the islands while the Purple Pole Sect’s Supervisory Law Enforcement Team had yet to arrive.
• Lin Changheng learned that Elder Kong had formed a False Core and resolved to prepare carefully for his own breakthrough.
• When Tribulation Cultivators pursued a Foundation Establishment cultivator outside the grand formation, Xu Maoling hesitated to intervene, but a five-person flying-boat team arrived and one of them killed the pursuer.

Lin Changheng and his neighbors resisted five Purple Pole Sect cultivators who tried to force a search and seize their islands, until Sun Jingshan’s arrival drove the men away. Sun Jingshan then recruited Lin to replace ingredients in an ancient pill formula, trading him a Mystic Turtle Barrier-Breaking Pill and promising three more when the work was complete.

• Lin Changheng, Xu Maoling, and Cheng Suling refused to open their formation when five Purple Pole Sect cultivators threatened to search their islands and confiscate their property.
• One of the five pursued the client who had witnessed their coercion, then returned to the flying boat.
• Sun Jingshan arrived with members of the Beast-Taming Sun Clan, prompting the Purple Pole Sect cultivators to abandon their confrontation and leave.
• Sun Jingshan invited Lin Changheng, Xu Maoling, and Cheng Suling to move to Flowing Cloud Immortal City under the Sun Clan’s protection, and Lin delayed deciding.
• Sun Jingshan asked Lin to replace three missing ingredients in an ancient pill formula, and Lin demonstrated his skill with preliminary deductions.
• Lin agreed to complete the substitutions within a year in exchange for a Mystic Turtle Barrier-Breaking Pill for his Black-Armored Earth Turtle and three more finished pills afterward.

Lin Changheng’s Black-Armored Earth Turtle broke through to the mid-stage second tier, and Lin later used his Dark Cyan Sword Embryo to devastate a band of tribulation cultivators attacking Jade Belt Lake. He drove off their second-in-command and gathered the spoils, but the fourth-in-command appeared to rise again after falling.

• Lin Changheng secretly fed the Black-Armored Earth Turtle a breakthrough elixir once its monster core reached perfection, and it advanced successfully to the mid-stage second tier.
• Two months later, signal talismans warned Lin Changheng that three flying boats carrying tribulation cultivators were attacking the islands’ Joint Defense Formation.
• Lin Changheng directed Yan Mingyi, Xu Maoling, and Cheng Suling as they defended the formation, then killed the scar-faced late-stage Foundation Establishment attacker with his Dark Cyan Sword Embryo.
• Lin Changheng’s Sword Embryo killed several more attackers, forcing the tribulation cultivators’ second-in-command to retreat and slaying the fourth-in-command and others on the eastern boat.
• The fourth-in-command’s body began rising after the eastern boat’s surviving attackers had fallen, while Lin Changheng collected the spoils and kept the rare Spirit Boat.

Lin Changheng defeated the tribulation cultivators, profited from their spoils, and discovered evidence that they might be serving hidden patrons. After a month of keeping the battle quiet and learning of developments among the Xu Family, he received Sun Yiming and handed over his findings on substitutions for an ancient formula.

• Lin Changheng collected the tribulation cultivators’ Storage Bags and corpses, then counted nearly thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones and many other supplies among the spoils.
• Lin Changheng fed unsuitable pills to Xiao Hei and placed the tribulation cultivators’ corpses in the insect-rearing formation to nourish the [Soul-Eroding Miasma Insects].
• Lin Changheng found letters suggesting the tribulation cultivators had been hired to plunder specific targets, but he uncovered no clear proof of who was behind them and kept the battle secret.
• Lin Changheng learned that Xu Hanji was advancing in cultivation, Tantai Feiyue had improved as a talisman master, Xu Xujun had survived repeated dangers on the battlefield, and the former Xu Family Head had died peacefully.
• Sun Yiming arrived on the Sun Clan ancestor’s orders, and Lin Changheng gave him a jade slip containing his conclusions and deduction process for substitutions in the ancient formula.

Lin Changheng learned from Sun Yiming that the Purple Pole Sect was stalled at Ironwall Pass and struggling with its Song-Jin campaign. Later, Cheng Suling gave Lin her insights into Qi Observation, and he reached the peak of second-tier body refinement, discovering that his physique and Mountain-Bearing Divine Ability had grown far stronger.

• Lin Changheng welcomed Sun Yiming, who explained that he did not want to inherit his clan and shared secret information about the Purple Pole Sect's setbacks at Ironwall Pass and its increasingly lawless Supervisory Law Enforcement Team.
• More than half a year later, Lin Changheng met Cheng Suling for snow-season wine, and she offered him her insights into Qi Observation because her oath barred her from sharing the full path of geomancy.
• Lin Changheng returned to Perching Moon Island, prepared a powerful medicinal bath, and advanced the Evergreen Azurewood Body to the peak of second-tier body refinement.
• Lin Changheng tested his new defenses against a spirit-artifact greatsword and his Dark Cyan Sword Embryo, then used healing and demonic arts to compare the results.
• Lin Changheng activated the true intent of his Mountain-Bearing Divine Ability and found that its strength multiplier had risen to three and a half times, leaving him able to contend physically with some False Core Cultivators.

Lin Changheng improved his divine light, prepared to leave Perching Moon Island, and traveled under the alias Li Feiyu. In Falling Maple Market Ward, he witnessed Purple Pole Sect enforcers plunder the Ye Family and then blocked their flying boat, announcing himself as a rogue cultivator.

• Yan Mingyi broke through to the Foundation Establishment third layer and made a fine-quality lower-grade second-tier Humanoid Puppet.
• Lin Changheng advanced [Qi Observation] to mastery and developed a preliminary fusion of it with his other arts, then reached the overflowing limit of Foundation Establishment sixth layer.
• Lin Changheng left Perching Moon Island in disguise as Li Feiyu and traveled toward Extreme Mountain Immortal City, stopping at Falling Maple Market Ward.
• Li Feiyu learned that the Purple Pole Sect's Supervisory Law Enforcement Team planned to inspect the Ye Family, then recognized the team as old acquaintances when they arrived.
• The enforcers injured Patriarch Ye, forced the Ye Family to surrender its stores and valuables, and departed with their loot.
• Li Feiyu stopped the enforcers' flying boat in the mountains and identified himself as a rogue cultivator waiting to welcome them.

Lin Changheng, disguised as Li Feiyu, ambushed and annihilated a Purple Pole Sect Supervisory Law Enforcement Team, then fled into Azure Firmament Sect territory and began searching their spoils. While opening the team’s Storage Bags, he discovered something in the possessions of the cultivator who had claimed a False Core great-uncle.

• Lin Changheng stopped the Purple Pole Sect team and, after its members threatened him, killed them with the Dark Cyan Sword Embryo.
• The last two cultivators tried to seize the sword embryo, but Lin Changheng used his defenses, divine abilities, and puppet beasts to kill them.
• Lin Changheng planted a damaged flood-dragon token to implicate tribulation cultivators, cleared the battlefield, and fled into Azure Firmament Sect territory.
• After recovering during his journey, Lin Changheng hid in a cave and inspected seven Storage Bags, burning anything suspicious or traceable.
• Lin Changheng realized the law enforcement cultivators had spent much of their ill-gotten wealth on bribes and cultivation, then found something unexpected in the young cultivator’s Storage Bag.

Lin Changheng examined the spoils from his fight, discovered the Sword Embryo’s potential to absorb and transform yin baleful energy, and traveled to Extreme Mountain Immortal City. After settling in, he reunited with Zhu Fugui and requested large quantities of demon beast essence blood, including blood from Medicinal Spirit Golden Toads.

• Lin Changheng found an essence-gathering jade marrow, a chilling bronze bottle, a Dark Nether Baleful Art, a Truth-Peering Talisman, and a valuable blood-red flying sword among the cultivators’ spoils.
• Lin Changheng realized that the Primordial Jianmu at the Sword Embryo’s core gave it an innate ability to absorb and transform yin baleful energy, beyond the traits it gained from the Nine Ghost Soul-Reaping Nail.
• Lin Changheng traveled to Extreme Mountain Immortal City, overcame several ambushes along the way, and entered the city to learn its rules, resources, and auction schedule.
• Lin Changheng rented a cave abode in Mountain-Climbing Lodge, cultivated and practiced his crafts, then visited the Flowing Stone Merchant Guild to find Zhu Fugui.
• Lin Changheng asked Zhu Fugui to procure at least a hundred portions of mystic spirit-level essence blood and, if possible, ten or more portions of water-attributed nether void-level blood.
• Zhu Fugui promised to obtain the mystic spirit essence blood and asked which demon beast Lin Changheng needed; Lin Changheng named the Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad.

Lin Changheng stocked up on alchemy ingredients and commissioned enchanted robes while searching for a body-tempering method and gathering materials for a new talent. After assimilating the Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad’s Life Concealment talent, he opened a secret three-foot internal space and successfully stored and retrieved a teacup.

• Lin Changheng sold five secondhand spirit artifacts to Zhu Fugui and arranged to sell more later.
• Lin Changheng bought ingredients from Medicine Sage Pavilion and commissioned upper-grade second-tier enchanted robes from Cloudweave Workshop.
• Over the next month, Lin Changheng completed his medicinal ingredient set and identified a Medium Auction and a winter gathering as possible ways to find a third-tier body-tempering method.
• Lin Changheng collected one hundred portions of Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood and used the Origin Cauldron to begin spirit seizure.
• Lin Changheng chose Life Concealment over Qi Gathering and Purification, assimilated the talent, and opened a three-foot internal space in his Dantian.
• Lin Changheng tested the new space by storing a teacup inside it and retrieving it intact.

Lin Changheng tested [Life-Concealment Otherworldly Art] and found that its inner space could sustain plants and insects, then attended an auction in [Extreme Mountain Immortal City] and bought several valuable treasures and inheritances. He returned to his cave abode and began a six-month retreat to extract the fire poison from the [earthfire red lotus seeds].

• Lin Changheng confirmed that the life-hiding space had a one-foot intake limit but could hold living plants and insects, which continued to grow and live inside it.
• Lin Changheng tested the space with spirit stones, found their released spiritual energy remained inside, and concluded that the space could develop into a larger cultivation resource.
• Lin Changheng attended the [Extreme Mountain Immortal City] auction, where he won an upper-grade second-tier Formation Dao inheritance and [Earthfire Red Lotus] seeds.
• Lin Changheng bid against local cultivators for a low-grade third-tier Pill Dao inheritance and secured it for more than fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones.
• Lin Changheng returned safely to his cave abode with his purchases and decided to enter secluded cultivation for six months to extract the seeds' fire poison.

Lin Changheng broke through to Foundation Establishment Late Stage, collected Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood, and expanded his Life-Hiding Space through Spirit Seizure. After learning of Song Kingdom’s major wartime victory, he went to the Four Great Merchant Guilds’ high-rank cultivator trade fair, where he recognized one of the cultivators arriving to register.

• Lin Changheng purified and absorbed an earthfire red lotus seed, used essence-gathering jade marrow to break through to Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer, and measured his divine sense at eight hundred and thirty zhang.
• After consolidating his cultivation, Lin Changheng collected two hundred portions of Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood from Zhu Fugui and heard that Song Kingdom’s forces had broken through Falling Eagle Ravine and taken Victory Ridge Pass.
• Lin Changheng collected commissioned garments from Gao Jingshu, then used Spirit Seizure on the Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood to acquire its second- and third-tier treasure seeds and strengthen his Life-Concealment Otherworldly Art.
• Lin Changheng’s Life-Hiding Space expanded to nine feet across, allowing him to take in and bring out objects from as far as three feet away; his earth spiritual root also reached twenty-five strands of spirit resonance.
• Lin Changheng registered for the Four Great Merchant Guilds’ high-rank cultivator trade fair under the name Li Feiyu and recognized one of the two cultivators who entered as he was leaving.

Lin Changheng attended the Four Great Merchant Guilds’ trade gathering, transformed his Fire-Poison Demonic Art with century-old fire poison, and accepted a meeting arranged through Zhu Fugui’s recommendation. The High-Rank Cultivator Trade Fair began with numerous False Core cultivators present, then drew two Core Formation True Persons whose arrival changed the hall’s atmosphere.

• Lin Changheng encountered Fairy Qu and Young Master Shi aboard the pleasure barge, then recognized the rogue cultivator Ye Wugui on the side deck.
• Manager Liu refused to reveal Lin Changheng’s identity to Young Master Shi and explained that the Four Great Merchant Guilds protected their guests’ privacy.
• Lin Changheng refined crimson vapor and century-old ink-black venom into his Fire-Poison Demonic Art, giving it potent corrosive properties.
• Gao Huaiyi, representing the Gao Household of Luokun Mountain, invited Lin Changheng to discuss an undertaking recommended by Zhu Fugui, and they arranged to meet five days later.
• Lin Changheng attended the High-Rank Cultivator Trade Fair, where High Person Jichen arrived and explained that he was registered with the Extreme South Palace.
• Redflame True Person and Green Pine True Person arrived at the fair, and the assembled cultivators rose to greet the two Core Formation cultivators.

At a trading gathering, Lin Changheng exchanged third-tier bone essence for Dark Nether Jellyfish essence blood and traded a Premium Foundation Establishment Pill for a Heavenheart Lotus remnant root and a merchant guild VIP Token. He left the stage with valuable materials for his cultivation plans, then grew wary when Young Master Shi offered herb roots in exchange for third-tier spirit materials.

• A Foundation Establishment cultivator opened the gathering by trading redgold silver-spotted iron, and cultivators later exchanged a variety of other goods.
• Ye Wugui offered ten drops of third-tier Dark Nether Jellyfish essence blood, and Lin Changheng traded three taels of bone essence for it after confirming the beast had a nethervoid bloodline.
• Lin Changheng offered Flowing Flame Stone Essence and a Premium Foundation Establishment Pill, then traded the ore to a cultivator from the Xue Family of Golden Valley Ridge for eight bottles of mystic spirit essence blood.
• False Core cultivator Wen traded a Heavenheart Lotus remnant root and a Thousand Spirits Merchant Guild VIP Token for Lin Changheng's Premium Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Young Master Shi offered supplementary Core Formation herb roots for third-tier spirit materials, and Lin Changheng suspected he was probing for Lin's remaining materials and declined to respond.

At the trading gathering, Lin Changheng secretly traded a Youth-Preserving Pill for a fragmentary body-tempering method and later refined a Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion bloodline art, greatly improving his stealth. After meeting with the Gao Household to discuss cooperation, he learned they wanted his help eradicating insects from their spirit plant garden and asked how serious the infestation was.

• Young Master Shi failed to tempt Lin Changheng into trading, while Fairy Qu exchanged information for a promise of the Ice Crescent Fan.
• Lin Changheng secretly traded his Youth-Preserving Pill to a female False Core cultivator surnamed Qi for a fragment of the Red Emperor Three Sovereigns Body method.
• After the gathering, Lin Changheng noticed pursuers but entered his cave residence safely, then sorted his new Core Formation ingredients and other gains.
• Lin Changheng refined the Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion bloodline art Water-Shadow Stealth, gaining stronger concealment and three convincing water-shadow clones capable of attacking.
• Lin Changheng studied the body-tempering method and met Gao Dingtian and Gao Jingshu to discuss cooperation with the Gao Household.
• Gao Dingtian asked Lin Changheng to eradicate ice marrow spirit-devouring insects from the household's golden spirit mulberry garden, and Lin asked about the scale of the infestation.

Lin Changheng accepted the Gao Household’s offer to exterminate pests from its Golden Spirit Mulberry Trees, then switched body-tempering methods and unexpectedly broke through to third tier. After discovering a watcher plotting against him, he killed the spy and waited outside the city for the watcher’s powerful ally to arrive.

• Lin Changheng negotiated a thirty-thousand-spirit-stone bonus with Gao Dingtian and agreed to help exterminate the Gao Household’s ice marrow spirit-devouring insects in two months.
• Zhu Fugui delivered the materials Lin Changheng needed, and Lin converted his vitality and blood to the Crimson Emperor Fire Sovereign Body, breaking through to third-tier body tempering.
• Lin tested his new strength, advanced his Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad Treasure Seed and Life-Concealment Otherworldly Art, and further improved his earth spiritual root.
• Lin Changheng caught the peak Qi Refining cultivator who had been watching him, killed him, and learned from his memories that a powerful cultivator was plotting to ambush him.
• Lin Changheng disguised himself as Li Feiyu and waited on a mountain five hundred li from the Gao Household’s territory; when Teng Changfeng approached, Lin stopped him and invited him to share a drink.

Lin Changheng killed Teng Changfeng in a fierce battle, then traveled to [Luokun Mountain] to join the Gao Household’s planned pest eradication. After refining Teng Changfeng’s [Light-Settling Pearl] and studying the [Mystic Sun Thorn], he prepared to learn the advanced spell before the expedition began.

• Lin Changheng overwhelmed Teng Changfeng’s defenses, destroyed the Black Seal Platform, and punched the [Prison-Suppressing Peak Embryo] into a mountain.
• Lin Changheng burned Teng Changfeng with the [Dark Radiance Mystic Flame] and killed him with the [Dark Cyan Sword Embryo], then collected his treasures.
• An elderly cultivator and his grandson heard the distant battle, mistook its power for a clash of third-tier experts, and diverted their Spell Boat.
• Lin Changheng arrived at [Luokun Mountain], where Gao Jingshu welcomed him and said the pest eradication would begin the next day with three other invited cultivators.
• Lin Changheng examined Teng Changfeng’s Storage Bag, refined the [Light-Settling Pearl], and tested its ability to slow artifacts and spells.
• Lin Changheng studied the [Mystic Sun Thorn] and decided to spend time mastering the advanced offensive spell.

Lin Changheng joined the Gao Household’s effort to eliminate ice marrow spirit-devouring insects from its Golden Spirit Mulberry Grove. After three other cultivators failed, he cleared an infested tree with precise flame control, earning the household’s gratitude and a private discussion with Gao Dingtian.

• Lin Changheng arrived at a meeting of the Gao Household and learned that the cultivator who contributed most to eliminating the infestation would receive a rare female spider demon.
• Gao Dingshan showed the guests the ice marrow spirit-devouring insects and explained that each would test a method on one Golden Spirit Mulberry Tree.
• The Sheng-surnamed fire cultivator killed some insects but nearly burned a tree, the beast-taming woman’s Flame-Beaked Birds struggled against the insects, and the sword cultivator’s attacks proved too slow.
• Lin Changheng released more than a hundred Nethergold Fire Sparrows, which precisely devoured every insect on his assigned tree without damaging its leaves.
• The other cultivators praised Lin Changheng’s fire arts, and he promised to help finish the extermination without demanding a higher reward.
• The Gao Household hosted a banquet, then Gao Dingtian invited Lin Changheng to the rear hall for a private discussion.

Lin Changheng traded his fire-control insights for a rare flame treasure, established White Jade Spider Demons in his expanded life-hiding space, and gathered materials for cultivation. After advancing Life Concealment with Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood, he triggered an unprecedented reaction from the Origin Cauldron, which began to reveal a new beastly vision.

• Gao Dingtian gave Lin Changheng the promised payment, two White Jade Spider Demons, and three golden spirit mulberry trees; Lin later traded fire-control insights with Fellow Daoist Sheng for a third-tier crimson sun radiance stone.
• Lin Changheng returned to Extreme Mountain Immortal City, blended spirit soil, planted the mulberry trees in his life-hiding space, and subdued the Spider Demons with his Shouldering Mountains divine ability.
• Lin Changheng spent over a year collecting cultivation materials through Zhu Fugui and learned that the Purple Pole Sect had negotiated relief from the deadly siege at Ironwall Pass.
• Lin Changheng used Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad essence blood to complete a fifth-level spirit seizure and refine Life Concealment to Transcendent mastery.
• When Lin Changheng absorbed the remaining essence blood, the Origin Cauldron blazed with cyan and yellow light, and a beast's cry rang out.

Lin Changheng gained the fourth Dao fruit, whose Heaven-in-a-Pot true intent promised to expand his inner space, while the Song Region faced attacks from infiltrating Jin Kingdom cultivators. He strengthened his sword embryo through Spirit Grafting and met Ye Wugui to discuss joining forces at the Medium Auction, where Ye revealed two roots of precious medicines for Core Formation.

• Lin Changheng saw a terrifying spatial beast in the Origin Cauldron’s vision, then discovered the Medicinal Spirit Golden Toad treasure seed had become a Dao fruit containing the Heaven-in-a-Pot true intent.
• Lin Changheng considered how the divine ability could improve his cramped inner space and reduce its dependence on his magical power, while his earth-attribute spirit resonance rose to twenty-seven strands.
• Lin Changheng learned that Jin Kingdom cultivators had infiltrated the Song Region and decided to strengthen his defenses before the Medium Auction.
• Lin Changheng used Spirit Grafting to transfer the Prison-Suppressing Peak Embryo’s spiritual essence into his Dark Cyan Sword Embryo, raising its accumulated nourishment to sixty-seven percent and granting it the Thousand-Jin trait.
• Lin Changheng attended the auction venue as Li Feiyu, where Ye Wugui invited him to cooperate in bidding for a precious medicine for Core Formation.
• Ye Wugui offered two Jade Boxes as compensation, and Lin Changheng recognized the contents as roots of precious medicines for Core Formation.