Chapter Summaries

Chu Mo tracked down Daoist Bichen at Heartbreak Cliff to learn about the Taboos in the Netherworld Soil. Bichen revealed that he had received methods from Lord Nine Sorrows and named two other lords, but knew little more.

• Xu Ji told Chu Mo about the Taboo associated with Decline and directed him to Daoist Bichen at Heartbreak Cliff.
• Lu Ming guided Chu Mo to Heartbreak Cliff, where he located Bichen gathering the sorrowful cries for cultivation.
• Chu Mo immobilized Bichen and questioned him about his connection to the Taboos.
• Bichen said Lord Nine Sorrows had taught him rudimentary methods for cultivating sorrow and suffering.
• Bichen named Lord Declining Fate and Lord Sick Body as other Taboos he had heard of.

Chu Mo took Daoist Bichen’s identity and learned the Sorrow for Myself Scripture, then followed its path to the Eternal Sorrow Palace for Nine Sorrows’ audience. He discovered that Nine Sorrows was a level 48 World Boss, and the chapter ended as Nine Sorrows announced plans to spread its Dao and establish a lineage.

• Daoist Bichen told Chu Mo how Nine Sorrows granted him the Sorrow for Myself Scripture in exchange for offerings of sorrowful thoughts every three years.
• Chu Mo used the All Beings Aspect to become identical to Bichen, then made Bichen vanish and acquired the scripture.
• A month later, Chu Mo followed the scripture’s gray-white path from Heartbreak Cliff to the Eternal Sorrow Palace.
• Chu Mo saw that Nine Sorrows was identified as a level 48 World Boss while a crowd of cultivators offered their sorrowful thoughts.
• Nine Sorrows announced that it had three volumes of the Womb-Nurtured Nine Sorrows Fate Chapters and intended to establish a lineage beyond the netherworld soil.

Chu Mo received Nine Sorrows’ Fate Chapters and Nether Road Seal, recognizing that the cultivation method was a trap for refining people into materials. After leaving the Eternal Sorrow Palace, he concluded that the Taboos could not see through his disguise and prepared to investigate netherworld soil.

• Nine Sorrows bestowed the Womb-Nurtured Nine Sorrows Fate Chapters on the cultivators and promised that those who reached sorrow spirit could become his emissaries.
• Chu Mo recognized that the Fate Chapters refined cultivators into materials, but pretended to be grateful and asked for a way to travel through netherworld soil.
• Nine Sorrows gave the cultivators Nether Road Seals, which allowed passage through most of the Eternal Night Sea and entry to and exit from netherworld soil.
• After the cultivators left, Declining Fate challenged Nine Sorrows’ effort to spread his Dao and reflected on the Taboos’ failures to reach the Pool.
• Declining Fate recalled sparing and concealing Di Yang, hoping the unusual cultivator might surprise him.
• At Heartbreak Cliff, Chu Mo confirmed that Nine Sorrows could not see through All Beings Aspect and took out the Nether Radiance Lamp to test whether netherworld soil changed with souls.

Chu Mo began secretly planting a formation across the vast Netherworld Soil to use the Netherbloom Lantern to deliver its souls and collapse the land. He confronted Li Cang to seize the ghost’s treasure connected to Taboo Declining Fate, and attacked as Li Cang recognized the danger.

• Chu Mo used the Netherbloom Lantern to deliver the souls in a fifty-li area, causing the Netherworld Soil there to vanish.
• Chu Mo prepared an unnamed formation with seventy-two flags and began hiding them throughout the Netherworld Soil.
• In the Rotting Soil Woodlands, Chu Mo caused three Ghostfolk to vanish by making their leader believe Chu Mo was his reflection, then concealed a formation flag.
• After placing most of the flags, Chu Mo went to Li Cang’s gloomy pool, where Li Cang used a black seal to kill a purple-robed cultivator.
• Chu Mo approached Li Cang disguised as Zhang Yun, then unleashed an attack that filled Li Cang’s vision with scarlet and roared like water.

Chu Mo killed Li Cang, took the One Harmony Command Seal, and activated his Grand Array to purify the Netherworld Soil. After most of the realm vanished, seventeen Taboos appeared, and Nine Sorrows attacked him.

• Chu Mo killed Li Cang and took the One Harmony Command Seal, discovering its Filthlight could rapidly decay living beings and objects.
• Chu Mo finished placing the array flags and prepared to activate the Grand Array’s central pivot.
• Chu Mo raised the palace lantern and summoned the array, whose light purified departed souls and obsessions across the Netherworld Soil.
• The array erased most of the Netherworld Soil, prompting seventeen Taboos to appear and confront Chu Mo.
• Nine Sorrows filled the realm with sorrow-laden pale vapor and attacked Chu Mo and the palace lantern.

Chu Mo escaped the collapsing Netherworld Soil with a treasure talisman, seized the Soil’s true form, and fled through a golden vortex while Declining Fate’s Filthlight struck him. He died upon arriving at his Cave Abode, but his resurrection began.

• Chu Mo used one of True Person Youzhen’s talismans to turn the Taboos’ pale-white Qi unreal as the Netherworld Soil collapsed and hurled them into the living world.
• The Taboos descended across the Eternal Night Sea, darkening the sky and killing living beings as they searched for the person who destroyed their sanctuary.
• Chu Mo collected the tiny true form of the Netherworld Soil in his Small Cauldron and fled through a golden vortex.
• Declining Fate stained the vortex with Filthlight, which reached Chu Mo, but he refused to follow him into the passage after sensing an unknown danger.
• Declining Fate met Nine Sorrows and the other Taboos, who discussed the living world and the danger of cultivators discovering their existence.
• Chu Mo emerged in his Cave Abode, died from the Filthlight, and began to revive after thirty seconds.

After taking the netherworld soil, Chu Mo considered combining it with the Nether Road to forge a stronger Divine Ability and hid his identity before returning to the Eternal Night Sea. There, he encountered Xi Sang, who revealed that the Ghost Markets had been repurposed as foundations for ghost kingdoms, leaving Chu Mo aghast at the waste.

• Chu Mo examined the netherworld soil in the Small Cauldron and wondered whether he could combine it with the Nether Road to strengthen his Second Divine Ability.
• Chu Mo erased the Ghostfolk figure associated with the theft and used All Beings Aspect to hide his identity as Youxuan.
• Several days after the Taboos descended, Chu Mo entered the Eternal Night Sea under Daoist Bichen's Fate and found that the Ghost Markets no longer answered his call.
• Chu Mo activated the Nether Road Seal and was transported into Xi Sang's palace, where Xi Sang mistook him for one of Nine Sorrows' subordinates.
• Xi Sang told Chu Mo that he had brought down the Ghost Markets to serve as foundations for his domain, and Chu Mo inwardly lamented the waste of heavenly treasures.

Chu Mo gained access to the First Ghost Market from Xi Sang and discovered that it was the Nether Road itself. After watching the barren place for nine days, he prepared to test whether he could take its yellow soil.

• Chu Mo posed as Nine Sorrows' subordinate, and Xi Sang marked his talisman seal so he could enter the First Ghost Market.
• Chu Mo sent a Banner Spirit along the Yellow-Mud Path to scout the destination, then followed it into the market.
• Chu Mo realized the First Ghost Market was the Nether Road and found that its yellow soil covered a layer of bedrock.
• Chu Mo spent nine days establishing a Ritual Altar and observing the Nether Road, confirming that no Taboos appeared.
• Chu Mo swept the altar aside, prepared the Wondrous True Being talisman and escape route, then sent a Small Cauldron flying toward the yellow soil.

Chu Mo collected the Nether Road and fused it with the Netherworld Soil, producing a Plain Grave that he suppressed after testing its Ghost Domain. Before he could refine the grave into his Profound Banner, Zhao Qing delivered True Lord Xuan Cheng’s order for Chu Mo to watch True Person Jiqing, leaving him wondering why Guan Xu had involved him.

• Chu Mo collected the soil around the Nether Road with the Small Cauldron and returned to Fuli Heaven.
• Chu Mo lifted the suppression on the Nether Road and Netherworld Soil, and after three days the grave devoured the road and became whole.
• The Plain Grave trapped Chu Mo in a dark domain, but he broke free with Profound Nether Magic Power and sealed the grave.
• As Chu Mo prepared to refine the grave into his Profound Banner, the Banner Spirit announced a visitor sent by True Person Guan Xu.
• Zhao Qing delivered True Lord Xuan Cheng’s order for Chu Mo to watch True Person Jiqing and report unusual activity.
• Chu Mo accepted the Command Token and asked Zhao Qing whether something had happened to Guan Xu.

Chu Mo refined the plain grave into his Profound Banner, awakening a new life-bound divine ability as the artifact reached level 31. Meanwhile, Jiqing arranged for the Tribulation Deliverance Sect to claim territory in the Turbid Abyss Sea and reflected on the turmoil within the Immortal Garden.

• Zhao Qing told Chu Mo that True Lord Xuan Cheng might soon leave to serve in a minor realm, and Chu Mo decided to ask about it later.
• Qinghe left Chu Mo a talisman carrying Sushang's invitation to explore a Netherworld Minor Realm, but Chu Mo refused the request and began refining his artifacts.
• Sushang reported that Qinghe still had not met Youxuan, then learned that Jiqing wanted her to act on the Tribulation Deliverance Sect's plans to establish footholds in newly expanded waters of the Turbid Abyss Sea.
• Jiqing worried over the Immortal Garden's covert maneuvers and the troubles following Bai Du's death as he contemplated the lord of a dao mansion.
• Chu Mo tempered the plain grave with Bright Furnace Pure Fire until it merged with the Profound Banner, transforming the Nether Capital's Golden Vault and raising the banner's level from 30 to 31.
• Chu Mo completed the refinement and discovered that his new life-bound divine ability was called Realm Yin-Yang.

Chu Mo explored the Profound Banner’s new Yin-Yang abilities, then received orders to join three other Golden Core disciples in establishing a sect branch abode in the newly expanded Turbid Abyss Sea. The group prepared to depart in three days, though Chu Mo remained unsure why he had been chosen.

• Chu Mo tested [Realm Yin-Yang], learning that [Yin-Yang Divide] let him evade attacks from the Yang Realm and [Treading Yin to Turn Yang] enabled spatial travel, currently up to four thousand li.
• After three days of studying the ability, Chu Mo received a talisman decree summoning him to the General Affairs Hall.
• True Lord Yuanyi assigned Chu Mo, True Person Si Yun, True Person Li Xing, and True Person Xi Hong to establish a branch abode in the Turbid Abyss Sea and suppress its sea eye.
• Yuanyi gave the four Jade Slips containing maps, plans, resource information, and storage tokens, then ordered them to depart by cloud boat in three days.
• Si Yun and Li Xing joked about dragon maidens, Xi Hong urged the group to prepare personnel, and Chu Mo agreed before leaving with his Jade Slip.

Chu Mo prepared to travel to the Turbid Abyss Sea with a group of disciples and joined Xi Hong, Si Yun, and Li Xing aboard a Cloudship. Xi Hong used his [Interest-Bearing Loan] divine ability to claim Spirit Rhinoceros Island as their temporary base.

• Unable to enter Clearlight Peak or reach True Lord Xuan Cheng, Chu Mo met Guan Xu, who agreed to assign Zhao Qing to accompany him.
• Chu Mo considered the Turbid Abyss Sea and departed three days later with Zhao Qing and several dozen disciples.
• Chu Mo met Xi Hong, Si Yun, and Li Xing at the Mountain Gate, and they discussed where to establish their foothold near the New Domain.
• Xi Hong revealed that he had once lent something to Spirit Rhinoceros Island's master and said it was time to collect the debt.
• Xi Hong's [Interest-Bearing Loan] stripped True Person Spirit Rhinoceros of his possessions, leaving Xi Hong to declare Spirit Rhinoceros Island their temporary base.

Xi Hong took control of Spirit Rhinoceros Island and sent Chu Mo and Si Yun to investigate the New Domain. At the sea boundary, Chu Mo saw that the dungeon had retreated by more than six thousand li, leaving him uncertain about its condition.

• True Person Spirit Rhinoceros surrendered Spirit Rhinoceros Island to Xi Hong, who moved Tribulation Deliverance Sect disciples into its key areas.
• Chu Mo declined Xi Hong's offer of an interest-bearing loan as Xi Hong assigned him and Si Yun to investigate the New Domain.
• Si Yun hinted that he could share information about True Person Jiqing, but Chu Mo put the mission first.
• Chu Mo and Si Yun reached the New Domain and found that the Turbid Abyss Sea had advanced more than six thousand li.
• Chu Mo saw the dungeon boundary had retreated over six thousand li and wondered whether the dungeon had shrunk or partly collapsed.

Chu Mo and Si Yun entered Panbo's Water Mansion and encountered Chen Ziliang, who demanded the return of junior brother Dawnlight's soul. Chu Mo refused to back down, leaving a confrontation on the verge of erupting.

• Si Yun told Chu Mo that the True Lords had already taken the Water Mansion's main treasures, and Chu Mo agreed to explore what remained.
• Chu Mo and Si Yun descended into the underwater palace city, where Si Yun identified water-aligned wounds on corpses as likely the work of the Great Evolution Dao Sect or the Azure Depths School.
• A pair of golden flying swords attacked them; Chu Mo avoided the strike with Yin-Yang Divide, while Si Yun's robes were cut apart before he changed into a fresh set.
• Chen Ziliang appeared with a junior brother, and Chu Mo recognized him from their past fight in Cloudmist.
• Chen Ziliang restrained his junior brother and demanded that Chu Mo return junior brother Dawnlight's soul, promising not to trouble him if he complied.

Chu Mo, disguised as Youxuan, fought Chen Ziliang after negotiations over Dawnlight’s soul failed. Chen’s attacks could not touch Chu Mo in the Yin Realm, while Chu Mo’s blood river and Black Gold Bow wore down Chen’s defenses until a treasure mirror’s clear light fell over him.

• Chen Ziliang offered to pay for his junior brother’s soul, but Chu Mo showed that he could not return it and raised the blood in his palm.
• Chen Ziliang attacked with countless sword lights, which passed through Chu Mo in the Yin Realm and struck at Si Yun instead.
• Chu Mo sent a blood river at Chen Ziliang, who countered with his flying sword as Si Yun struggled against Chen and his junior brother.
• Chu Mo revealed the Black-Gold Sun-Drawing Treasure Bow and fired a rapid barrage of arrows that shattered Chen Ziliang’s protective pearl.
• As Chen Ziliang tried to defend against Chu Mo’s renewed attacks, the Nine Nether Form-Penetrating Soul-Seizing Treasure Mirror shone on him.

Chen Ziliang fled the Water Mansion after Chu Mo grievously wounded him, but Chu Mo intercepted him before Cen Lingyi arrived and stopped another attack. A lavish procession then brought True Person Yuchen to the scene, where he greeted Cen Lingyi.

• Chen Ziliang's sword attack missed Chu Mo and shattered the Water Mansion restriction, so he recalled his junior brother and fled with him.
• True Person Si Yun tried to pursue Chen Ziliang, but a surge of water baleful intent blocked his way and let the sword rainbow escape.
• Chu Mo used Treading Yin to Turn Yang to appear ahead of Chen Ziliang and fired a sun-wheel arrow, which Cen Lingyi stopped with her Golden Bracelet.
• Cen Lingyi asked Chu Mo whether they had met before, and Chen Ziliang warned her that Chu Mo held Junior Brother Dawnlight's soul captive.
• A grand procession pulled by four black flood dragons arrived, and True Person Yuchen greeted Cen Lingyi from within his carriage.

Chu Mo confronted True Person Yuchen of the Great Evolution Dao Sect, baiting him into threatening the Tribulation Deliverance Sect before disappearing. He returned to Spirit Rhinoceros Island, pondering the Heaven's Will Sect and Great Evolution Dao Sect.

• Yuchen arrived at the Turbid Abyss Sea and insulted Chu Mo while trying to impress Cen Lingyi.
• Yuchen threatened to exterminate Chu Mo's sect, and Chu Mo revealed he belonged to the Harmony Truth Lineage of the Tribulation Deliverance Sect.
• Chu Mo pressed Yuchen to honor his threat against the Tribulation Deliverance Sect, then vanished before anyone could react.
• Cen Lingyi transported Chen Ziliang and his junior brother away, while Yuchen ordered his attendant Chen Qing to report for punishment.
• Chu Mo reappeared on Spirit Rhinoceros Island and reflected on the Heaven's Will Sect and Great Evolution Dao Sect.

Chu Mo and the Tribulation Deliverance Sect’s leaders assessed rival factions near the New Domain and agreed to intimidate rogue cultivator alliances. Chu Mo set out with Li Xing to attack the Profound Water Grotto, carrying Space-Locking Flags to prevent its leaders from escaping.

• Chu Mo recounted his clash with Chen Ziliang, and Xi Hong praised his victory before outlining the factions gathering near the New Domain.
• Xi Hong rejected Li Xing’s proposal to attack the Heaven's Will Sect and instead planned to negotiate with it and the Azure Depths School.
• Xi Hong ordered Li Xing to destroy one or two powerful rogue cultivator factions with old grudges against Spirit Rhinoceros Island.
• Chu Mo asked to join Li Xing, hoping to gather souls to nourish the Netherworld Soil in his Profound Banner.
• True Person Spirit Rhinoceros named the Profound Water Grotto and White Spirit Island, and Chu Mo chose the Profound Water Grotto as his first target.
• Xi Hong gave Chu Mo six Space-Locking Flags, and Chu Mo departed for the Profound Water Grotto.

Youxuan attacked Profound Water Grotto and broke its protective array with Ghost-Eating Insects, then trapped Wang Mao and his junior sister as they tried to flee. He overwhelmed their defenses with a blood river while Wang Mao warned that the Abyssal Sea Alliance was on its way.

• Wang Mao and his junior sister worried that the Tribulation Deliverance Sect might threaten Profound Water Grotto after taking Spirit Rhinoceros Island.
• Youxuan attacked the grotto’s grand array, then identified himself to Wang Mao and claimed the sect had come to settle a feud.
• Youxuan released 31,600 Ghost-Eating Insects, which devoured the array and grievously wounded Wang Mao when it collapsed.
• Wang Mao and his junior sister tried to escape, but Youxuan’s Space-Locking Flags sealed the surrounding sea and stopped them.
• Youxuan unleashed a blood river against the pair, breaking their water-based defenses as Wang Mao warned that the Abyssal Sea Alliance would arrive soon.

Chu Mo killed Wang Mao and the Blue-Skirted Woman, destroyed the Profound Water Grotto, and used the slaughter to intimidate the Abyssal Sea Alliance. Back on Spirit Rhinoceros Island, he learned the sects would settle control of the Panbo Water Mansion in a deathmatch at the Flood Dragon Lord’s Water Abode in six days.

• Chu Mo warned Zhang Tianming and the Abyssal Sea Alliance not to interfere in his sect’s private grievance, then captured Wang Mao and the Blue-Skirted Woman’s souls and wiped out the Profound Water Grotto.
• Chu Mo demanded that Zhang Tianming deliver the grotto’s treasury to Spirit Rhinoceros Island, then vanished; Zhang Tianming and the other cultivators chose not to intervene.
• In his cave abode, Chu Mo found that the two Golden Core souls had greatly expanded the Profound Banner’s netherworld soil and considered secretly harvesting more souls to improve his escape abilities.
• Xi Hong brought Chu Mo the Profound Water Grotto’s treasury and explained that the Azure Depths School and other sects had made plans concerning the Panbo Water Mansion.
• Xi Hong told Chu Mo that the sects would settle control of the Water Mansion in a deathmatch at the Flood Dragon Lord’s Water Abode, and Chu Mo agreed to leave in six days.