Chapter Summaries

Li Ping helped Meng Qingyi evade Qu Youkong by drawing the Purple Cloud Valley cultivator into the Cloudmist Mountains with Meng Wanjun disguised as his companion. Qu Youkong caught up with them and demanded to see beneath Meng Wanjun’s robe, leaving Li Ping to maintain his bluff.

• Qu Youkong secretly followed Li Ping and Meng Qingyi into the Cloudmist Mountains, while Li Ping discovered him with his powerful Divine Sense.
• Li Ping and Meng Qingyi’s plan sent Meng Wanjun out of the Immortal City disguised beside Li Ping while Meng Qingyi secretly traveled toward Donghua Mountain alone.
• After following them for three days, Qu Youkong realized the woman might be Meng Qingyi and rushed to intercept the Flying Boat.
• Li Ping warned Meng Wanjun that a Core Formation cultivator was approaching, and she struggled to control her fear.
• Qu Youkong blocked the Flying Boat, identified himself as a cultivator of Purple Cloud Valley, and demanded that Meng Wanjun remove her robe.
• Li Ping challenged Qu Youkong’s authority over Rogue Cultivators, and Qu Youkong tried to avoid a confrontation by asking to inspect Meng Wanjun.

Li Ping helped Meng Qingyi evade Qu Youkong by having Meng Wanjun reveal her face as a decoy, then arranged for Meng Wanjun to guard a formation while his Earth Spirit Mouse searched the Cloudmist Mountains. He left to inspect the Teleportation Formation, while Meng Wanjun remained behind worrying about her master's journey.

• Li Ping insisted Qu Youkong pay a greeting gift before he could see the cloaked maidservant, then told Meng Wanjun to lift her cloak.
• Qu Youkong realized Meng Qingyi had escaped by another route, left a Green Hairpin magic artifact, and departed with a threat toward Li Ping.
• Meng Wanjun refused the artifact, but Li Ping took it and brought her to a secluded valley so she would not have to travel alone through Demon Beast territory.
• Li Ping carved a cave and set up a third-tier formation, teaching Meng Wanjun how to operate it as a safe refuge for his Earth Spirit Mouse.
• Li Ping sent the Earth Spirit Mouse to search for spiritual materials, then left to inspect the Teleportation Formation while Meng Wanjun stayed behind and hoped Meng Qingyi reached Donghua Mountain safely.

Li Ping found the Western Wasteland teleportation formation destroyed and decided to rebuild it after studying its remnants. Meanwhile, Meng Wanjun waited with the Earth Spirit Mouse, worried about her master and grateful for Li Ping’s protection, as Li Ping returned to inspect the treasures the mouse had collected.

• Li Ping reached the canyon and found the teleportation formation reduced to scorched ruins, then collected its remaining materials.
• Li Ping decided to identify the formation’s specifications and rebuild it, hoping the Great Zhou end was still intact.
• The Earth Spirit Mouse brought Meng Wanjun a blood-colored piece of metal, which she stored with its other finds.
• Meng Wanjun worried about her master’s journey to Donghua Mountain and reflected on Li Ping’s protection and her own fear of Qu Youkong.
• Li Ping returned, asked Meng Wanjun about the Earth Spirit Mouse’s finds, and was pleased by the treasures in the storage bag.

Li Ping left the Cloudmist Mountains with Meng Wanjun after collecting spirit materials, then traveled to the Academy’s Jade Belt River base to reconnect with Xiao Yunzhi and Qi Hanmo. He met Qi Hanmo, whose cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment middle stage, and was surprised by his progress.

• Li Ping identified the blood-red metal as blood dragon gold and learned from Daoist Gaoji that the spiritwood was young golden profound wood.
• After the Earth Spirit Mouse found no more treasures, Li Ping left the Cloudmist Mountains with Meng Wanjun and decided to seek water- and fire-attribute spirit materials at Donghua Mountain.
• Li Ping gave Meng Wanjun a second-tier top-grade hairpin as thanks, then parted from her near the Immortal City.
• Li Ping stopped at the Academy’s Jade Belt River base to contact Xiao Yunzhi and visit Qi Hanmo.
• Qi Hanmo arrived at the reception hall and greeted Li Ping, who discovered that Qi Hanmo had reached the Foundation Establishment middle stage.

Li Ping visited Qi Hanmo and, after mistakenly believing Xiao Yunzhi had died in the Qingyun Secret Realm, learned that his assumption was wrong. Qi Hanmo described Donghua Mountain’s flourishing but increasingly corrupt trade, leaving Li Ping wary of the dangers facing the Western Wasteland.

• Qi Hanmo welcomed Li Ping and explained that orthodox Confucian cultivation had helped him advance quickly, though losing his righteous vitality would cripple his cultivation.
• Li Ping was horrified when Qi Hanmo said Xiao Yunzhi had undergone Liberation by Violence and blamed himself for her supposed death.
• Qi Hanmo explained that Xiao Yunzhi had disappeared when the Qingyun Secret Realm collapsed more than sixty years earlier, and Li Ping realized they had been talking at cross-purposes.
• Qi Hanmo said Donghua Mountain was jointly governed by the Defender Alliance and the Four Demonic Sects and had become the Western Wasteland’s largest trading hub.
• Qi Hanmo condemned the spread of Body Possession, trafficking in cultivators, and other abuses, while Li Ping reflected that unchecked human nature could descend into wickedness.

Li Ping visited Donghua Mountain Market Ward under the assumed identity of Li Jingyu to investigate the Teleportation Formation and seek spirit materials. Red Thunder Old Monster, a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator and Market Ward administrator, welcomed him and began asking about his background.

• Li Ping recalled confirming at the Academy that Xiao Yunzhi had not returned to the Western Wasteland, and wondered where she had gone.
• Li Ping saw that Donghua Mountain's lower spirit lands had been auctioned off, leaving their rogue cultivators with less protection than before.
• Li Ping entered the Market Ward as Li Jingyu and obtained an Identity Token from the Foundation Establishment guard.
• Red Thunder Old Monster approached Li Ping, recognized him as an unfamiliar Core Formation cultivator, and invited him to the summit to talk.
• Red Thunder Old Monster asked Li Ping where he had cultivated before.

Li Ping met Red Thunder Old Monster at Donghua Mountain and learned that a grand auction and private exchange would take place in six months. Suspecting Red Thunder and Zhou Lingyan of the Acacia Sect might target him, Li Ping abandoned his plans and fled toward the Jiang Kingdom.

• Red Thunder Old Monster asked Li Ping about his origins, and Li Ping said he had begun as a rogue cultivator before asking whether Red Thunder had joined a sect.
• Red Thunder explained that he worked for the Market Ward to provide for his lineage and offered to help Li Ping find third-tier spirit materials.
• Red Thunder gave Li Ping a token for an auction and private exchange scheduled in six months.
• After Li Ping left, Zhou Lingyan urged Red Thunder to join her in attacking him, but Red Thunder warned that Li Ping was cautious and seemed to possess a Treasure.
• Li Ping suspected Zhou Lingyan had been hiding in the side room and decided to avoid Red Thunder, abandon the auction, and return to the Jiang Kingdom.
• Li Ping threw away the invitation token, fled the Qi Kingdom, and breathed easier after reaching Jiang Kingdom territory without pursuit.

Li Ping returned to the Western Wasteland, passed puppets and Thunder Talismans to the Yan and Ji lineages, and met Ji Shuchen’s chosen successor, Ji Yi Zhou. He entered seclusion beneath Little Plum Mountain to cultivate his second golden core, grow spiritwood, and prepare pills and a third-tier puppet.

• Li Ping gave Yan Hengchuan’s three lineages his last second-tier upper-grade puppet and shared Thunder Talismans, asking him to watch for news from Windmist Immortal City and Donghua Mountain.
• Li Ping gave Ji Shuchen Thunder Talismans and learned that the aging elder had chosen Ji Yi Zhou to succeed him as head of the Ji Lineage.
• Li Ping met Ji Yi Zhou, gave him magic artifacts and Thunder Talismans, and learned that he would inherit the secret of the third-tier spiritual vein beneath Little Plum Mountain.
• Li Ping flew to the Underground Cold Pool, released the Earth Spirit Mouse and Desolate Fire Sparrow, and planted golden profound wood on Gray Island.
• Li Ping prepared to refine pills for his second golden core and make a third-tier puppet during his seclusion.

Li Ping refined a second golden core and advanced his Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon, gaining the ability to use its magic power in combat. A message from Yan Hengchuan reported Ji Shuchen's peaceful death and Meng Qingyi's fatal failure to reach core formation, and Li Ping chose to remain in seclusion while ordering Yan to monitor the Ji Lineage and the Immortal City.

• Li Ping used forgotten river water to cleanse Yan Liming's golden core, then refined it into a second golden core within his dantian.
• Li Ping began cultivating the Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon alongside the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art and raised his second golden core to foundation establishment in less than five years.
• Li Ping studied the second tribulation's method and refined Third-Tier Puppets during another year of seclusion.
• Yan Hengchuan sent Li Ping news that Ji Shuchen had died peacefully and Meng Qingyi had died after failing to reach core formation on Donghua Mountain.
• Li Ping decided to stay in seclusion and ordered Yan Hengchuan to stabilize the Ji Lineage's development and continue gathering news about the Immortal City and Donghua Mountain.

After her master's death, Meng Wanjun read her final letter, which urged her to cultivate at Donghua Mountain and consider Senior Li Ping as a protector and potential partner. Meanwhile, Li Ping learned how the Immortal City had changed hands and prepared a Third-Tier Puppet ahead of an auction that could help him advance his artifact-refining plans.

• Meng Wanjun entered her master's cave abode, found her dead, and mourned her for dozens of days before reading her final letter.
• Meng Wanjun learned that her master had left her valuable possessions, warned her to stay away from the Immortal City, and advised her to build a relationship with Senior Li Ping.
• Li Ping learned that Purple Cloud Valley had taken control of the Immortal City, sidelining the Meng Family while Xiong Pohai and his faction rose to power.
• Li Ping heard that True Person Blazing Fire's belongings would be auctioned at Donghua Mountain in a year and planned to bid on his artifact furnace.
• Li Ping completed the puppet components with Daoist Gaoji watching and decided to assemble the Third-Tier Puppet before attending the auction.

Months after refining Mysterious One, Li Ping traveled to Donghua Mountain to attend the auction of True Person Blazing Fire’s belongings. He asserted his status as a Core Formation Cultivator at the auction venue, where several other powerful cultivators gathered and recognized him.

• Li Ping traveled toward Donghua Mountain aboard a Flying Boat with Mysterious One, his newly refined offensive puppet, concealed nearby.
• Li Ping arrived at the Market Ward and waited at an inn, considering the strengths and bottlenecks of his two cultivation methods.
• Li Ping entered the auction courtyard without an admission token and claimed a front seat, prompting the Foundation Establishment Cultivators to give up their seats.
• Song Yushu arrived and greeted Li Ping, who recognized Xiao Yunzhi’s eldest senior brother and noted that he had reached Core Formation.
• Daoist Zhichen, Old Devil Wu, and Zhou Lingyan arrived at the auction, and Li Ping recognized them as fellow Core Formation Cultivators.

Li Ping attended the auction of True Person Blazing Fire’s belongings, where Song Yushu warned him that Zhou Lingyan might have been involved in Blazing Fire’s death. Li Ping won the Purple Crystal Furnace after intimidating a junior bidder, drawing Song Yushu’s contempt.

• Zhou Lingyan sat beside Li Ping and flirted, but he kept his distance.
• Song Yushu warned Li Ping that Zhou Lingyan had been close to True Person Blazing Fire and might have been connected to his death.
• Red Thunder Old Monster opened the auction of Blazing Fire’s belongings, and Feng presented the Purple Crystal Furnace as the first item.
• Li Ping bid for the furnace, then used spiritual pressure to stop a young cultivator from competing with him.
• Li Ping paid five thousand five hundred spirit stones for the furnace, while Song Yushu looked at him with contempt.

Li Ping recognized the Purple Crystal Furnace as a path to inheriting third-tier artifact refining and decided to pursue the Two-Polarity Starflame as its spirit-flame nourishment. The flame’s auction ended on a cliffhanger when an unnamed cultivator challenged the price of the Core Formation Treasure being offered for it.

• Li Ping saw that the Purple Crystal Furnace could help him inherit third-tier mid-grade artifact refining and reasoned that its required materials would be easy to obtain, though he still needed a suitable spirit flame.
• Li Ping bought auxiliary artifact-refining materials while the auction proceeded, and a round-faced young man won True Person Blazing Fire’s artifact-refining insights for three thousand four hundred spirit stones.
• The foundation establishment cultivator surnamed Feng offered True Person Blazing Fire’s third-tier lower-grade Two-Polarity Starflame in exchange for a Core Formation Treasure.
• Li Ping decided to secure the Two-Polarity Starflame after learning that it could grow by absorbing stellar power and might be divided to provide flames for future inheritances.
• Daoist Zhichen offered Jadeglory Essence and compensation for the flame, but an overbearing voice declared that a Core Formation Treasure was available and the Two-Polarity Starflame was not worth enough.

At the auction, Li Ping traded an Essence Condensation Pill to Feng for the Two-Polarity Starflame and two third-tier spirit materials, plus five thousand spirit stones. Back at the inn, he set the flame to grow on Gray Island and sensed that it might be evolving.

• Li Ping revealed that he possessed an Essence Condensation Pill, and Feng confirmed the pill’s authenticity.
• Feng offered the Two-Polarity Starflame and spirit stones, but Li Ping demanded both of Feng’s third-tier spirit materials as well.
• Feng accepted Li Ping’s offer of the flame, both materials, and five thousand spirit stones for the pill.
• Li Ping left the auction with the Two-Polarity Starflame and materials, while Old Devil Wu eyed him greedily.
• At the inn, Li Ping placed the Two-Polarity Starflame on Gray Island’s radiant pole starwood, where it absorbed stellar power and began to change.

Li Ping gathered materials for his cultivation, tended the spiritwoods on Gray Island, and followed the Earth Spirit Mouse toward a newly discovered treasure. In a canyon, Meng Wanjun was betrayed and poisoned by Fellow Daoist Tang, but an earth wall appeared just before the fatal blow landed.

• Li Ping confirmed that the Two-Polarity Starflame was evolving from the aura and stellar power of the radiant pole starwood, then secured his auction purchases and bought the materials for his next body-tempering tribulation.
• Li Ping concluded that he could delay traveling to Great Zhou while he sought information about the Teleportation Formation, then disguised himself as Li Ping and headed toward the Jiang Kingdom.
• Li Ping planted purple-patterned wood on Gray Island, where its growth slowed the other spiritwoods, and released the Earth Spirit Mouse to search for treasure.
• The Earth Spirit Mouse detected something nearby and led Li Ping’s Flying Boat toward a secluded canyon.
• Meng Wanjun and Fellow Daoist Tang emerged from a Minor Teleportation Talisman’s jump, but Tang Ning’s accomplice attacked Meng Wanjun with a poisoned needle and her allies arrived.
• As Meng Wanjun faced a fatal strike, an earth wall appeared and blocked the attacking magic artifact.

Li Ping rescued Meng Wanjun from Tang Ning and her four accomplices, then warned her against trusting strangers and refused her request to stay with him. As he left for seclusion, he turned back to give her two bottles of cultivation pills, leaving Meng Wanjun smiling despite her resolve to become coldhearted.

• Tang Ning attacked Meng Wanjun for her inherited wealth, but the Earth Spirit Mouse blocked the strike and Li Ping hurried to help when Tang Ning's four accomplices arrived.
• Li Ping overwhelmed the five attackers, searched the bald man's soul, and burned his body after learning what had happened.
• Meng Wanjun woke to find Li Ping had healed her, and he scolded her for falling for Tang Ning's deception.
• Meng Wanjun asked to be with Li Ping, but he refused because he planned to enter seclusion and told her to return to the Market Ward.
• Li Ping flew back to give Meng Wanjun two bottles of cultivation pills, then departed while she stood smiling in surprise.

After returning to Little Plum Mountain, Li Ping advanced his Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon body refinement to the second tier and discovered that it had extended his lifespan by a hundred years. He decided to rely on the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art for a patient path toward Nascent Soul, while avoiding dangerous pursuits of breakthrough treasures.

• Li Ping returned to Little Plum Mountain and cultivated until his qi refining reached Foundation Establishment middle stage, then began working on second-tier body refinement.
• Li Ping endured repeated injuries during his body refinement training, relying on the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art to heal until he broke through to the second tier.
• Li Ping tested his new body and found it could withstand a Second-Tier Magic Artifact and crush one with physical strength, while his transformation ability had also improved.
• Li Ping sensed that his lifespan had increased to about six hundred years and concluded that the Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon had granted him an extra hundred years.
• Li Ping chose to make the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art his primary cultivation method again and planned to cultivate the Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon to the Core Formation early stage without risking his life for treasures.

Li Ping nurtured and divided the evolved Two-Polarity Starflame, naming it Lunar Coldflame, while preparing spirit materials for artifact refining and a Life-Bound Treasure. Red Thunder Old Monster, Zhou Lingyan, and Old Devil Wu plotted to use Feng's core formation to obtain True Person Blazing Fire's cave-abode map, and the chapter ended with Li Ping's preparations complete.

• Li Ping named the evolved third-tier middle-grade Two-Polarity Starflame Lunar Coldflame, split it into two flames, and refined the weaker one as his life-bound spirit flame.
• Red Thunder Old Monster, Zhou Lingyan, and Old Devil Wu watched Feng approach core formation and discussed using him to open True Person Blazing Fire's Heavenly Mystery Box and lead them to the ancient cultivator cave abode.
• Three years later, Li Ping harvested the two-thousand-year-old purple-patterned wood, prepared its roots for Mysterious One, and divided the remaining wood into materials for artifact refining and a defensive treasure.
• Li Ping advanced his second golden core to late-stage foundation establishment, while the two Lunar Coldflames grew to third-tier middle-grade and third-tier lower-grade.
• After another two thousand years passed on Gray Island, Li Ping's golden profound wood reached ten thousand years of age, leaving him ready to refine his Life-Bound Treasure and inherit artifact refining skills.

Li Ping inherited True Person Blazing Fire’s third-tier middle-grade artifact-refining skills and considered what treasures to make from his rare spiritwoods. He reviewed news that Ji Shuwen had become Windmist Immortal City’s city lord and that Feng Guan had formed a golden core.

• Li Ping sealed the aura of the ten-thousand-year golden profound wood, then used the Lunar Coldflame, spirit materials, spirit stones, and Purple Crystal Furnace to gain an artifact-refining inheritance.
• In the inheritance, True Person Blazing Fire rose from a mortal apprentice to a third-tier middle-grade artifact refiner, formed a golden core, and died wishing for more time to pursue his craft.
• Li Ping cleared away the inherited memories and emotions, retaining the skills that made him a third-tier middle-grade artifact refiner.
• Li Ping decided to consult Daoist Gaoji about refining the ten-thousand-year golden profound wood into a treasure.
• Li Ping learned that Ji Shuwen had become Windmist Immortal City’s city lord and that the Ji Lineage had gained a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, strengthening the Three-Family Alliance.
• Li Ping read that Feng Guan, True Person Blazing Fire’s descendant, had formed a golden core more than a decade after trading with him.

Li Ping learned that the Delusion-Piercing Golden Eye could help him resist Heavenly Demons and decided to seek rare materials before advancing his body refinement. While investigating how to access records about Teleportation Formations, he encountered Zhou Lingyan and planned to impersonate her to enter the Acacia Sect, while she made plans to capture him.

• Li Ping learned that precious materials could awaken a stronger Delusion-Piercing Golden Eye, possibly capable of suppressing Heavenly Demons, and decided to delay his breakthrough and seek the materials in Great Zhou.
• Li Ping went to the Donghua Mountain market ward to investigate the Cloudmist Mountains Teleportation Formation and recalled how a demon cultivator had infiltrated Azure Dragon Mountain by changing his appearance with the Nine Tribulations True Spirit Sacred Canon.
• Li Ping decided he could impersonate a sect insider to enter a Secret Arts Pavilion, then recognized Zhou Lingyan as an ideal person to impersonate and began considering how to subdue her and perform a Soul Search.
• Zhou Lingyan mistook Li Ping's warm greeting for romantic interest and decided she might capture him alone to gain greater control over their planned cave-abode exploration.
• Li Ping planned to rent a third-tier cave abode on Donghua Mountain to draw closer to Zhou Lingyan, while she welcomed his decision as an opportunity to deal with him at her leisure.