Chapter Summaries

Luo Bin discovered that the tomb’s next passage was tied to greed and desire, and Miao Gu warned that opening the door could expose them to another dangerous Gu. With retreat offering only an uncertain chance of rescue, Luo Bin resolved to try the Calling Bell once more and urged Miao Gu to keep moving forward.

• Luo Bin recalled the Shell-Devouring Gu and learned that pain would signal it fighting any White Gu still inside him.
• Luo Bin found a door depicting a man swallowing a pill and read the inscription, “Greed has intent, anger rises from the heart, desire takes bodily form.”
• Luo Bin and Miao Gu concluded that his desire for the Corpse Core might trigger a greed-related Gu, while another Gu could embody desire.
• Miao Gu suggested they retreat and wait for rescuers, but Luo Bin argued that staying still would leave them with little hope of survival.
• Luo Bin proposed using the Calling Bell once more and urged Miao Gu forward by reminding him of Miao Miao and the revenge they sought against An Kong.

Luo Bin succumbed to greed and took what he thought was a corpse core, only to discover it was a mass of Gu Worms and lose the Calling Bell. Meanwhile, Fourth Master Gray carried the real corpse core away, releasing vital energy and allowing the creature in the Suspended Coffin to begin breaking free.

• Luo Bin found a Pill-like object in a Brocade Box and ignored Miao Gu's warning not to touch it.
• Fourth Master Gray appeared to signal that he had taken the real corpse core, but Luo Bin's vision of him was a hallucination, and Luo Bin grabbed the Brocade Box instead.
• Green Gu Worms emerged from the box, and Miao Gu used the Calling Bell to drive them away, destroying the bell in the process.
• Luo Bin found that the supposed corpse core was only green worms shaped like a Pill, broke the box, and angrily rebuked Miao Gu before questioning his own altered emotions.
• In the Suspended Coffin chamber, Fourth Master Gray took the real corpse core, the vital energy surged upward, and a black-faced creature began pushing its way out of the coffin.

Luo Bin escaped from beneath Lakeheart Island with Fourth Master Gray and returned to the people of Thousand Miao Village. After Miao Na accused him of betraying the village, Luo Bin attacked him, cut off his ear, and continued toward the village.

• Luo Bin found the weakened corpse core, climbed out of the tomb, and swam from Lakeheart Island to shore.
• Miao Yi, Headman Lou Fang, Miao Na, and villagers questioned Luo Bin about the Spirit Movers and his time in the water.
• Miao Na accused Luo Bin of taking Miao Gu for his Gu techniques instead of helping Thousand Miao Village.
• Luo Bin used Death Thunder Drain and swung at Miao Na, but Miao Yi pulled him out of the first strike.
• Luo Bin attacked again, sliced off Miao Na's ear, and warned him to speak respectfully before walking toward Thousand Miao Village.
• Fourth Master Gray snatched Miao Na's fallen ear and leaped onto Luo Bin's shoulder.

After returning to Thousand Miao Village, Luo Bin learned that the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony meant marriage and refused to take part, then told Zhang Yunxi about his ordeal. Zhang Yunxi linked Luo Bin’s uncontrollable anger to the White Gu and questioned whether the creature was truly a Gu Worm, leaving the nature of the worm and its connection to humans unresolved.

• Miao Yi blamed Miao Na’s injury and anger on the hardship he had endured, while Miao Na silently treated his severed ear and harbored resentment.
• Luo Bin returned to Thousand Miao Village and realized the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony was a marriage rite, but he refused to go to Miao Gu’s house or Granny Li’s courtyard.
• Luo Bin reunited with Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin, then went inside with Zhang Yunxi while Hu Jin kept the crowd away.
• Luo Bin recounted his encounter with Spirit-Transfer Cave, the corpse prison, and the White Gu to Zhang Yunxi.
• Zhang Yunxi concluded that the White Gu was stirring Luo Bin’s emotions and wondered whether it was truly a Gu Worm, especially since it had not been affected by the Calling Bell.

Zhang Yunxi used Six Yin Mountain’s Bronze Clubs to drive a white worm out of Luo Bin, but the worm vanished before the Miao People could capture it. With Luo Bin refusing the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony, Zhang Yunxi demanded that Thousand Miao Village offer another way to help him or let them leave.

• Zhang Yunxi warned that the worm inside Luo Bin was affecting his emotions and could make him hurt people, then decided to use the Bronze Clubs to remove it.
• Zhang Yunxi struck Luo Bin twice with a Bronze Club, causing a white worm to emerge in his blood as Luo Bin’s uncontrollable anger subsided.
• Miao Yi and the others tried to trap the worm, but it disappeared; Zhang Yunxi checked whether it had possessed anyone and concluded that it was gone.
• Zhang Yunxi told Miao Yi that Luo Bin had refused the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony and insisted that Thousand Miao Village provide another solution or they would leave.

Luo Bin rejected Thousand Miao Village’s marriage and bamboo-splitting ceremony, while Zhang Yunxi pointed out other possible paths. Granny Li offered him and Miao Miao the village’s greatest sincerity, leaving Luo Bin to decide whether to accept.

• Zhang Yunxi freed Luo Bin from the Bronze Club and reminded him that they could seek help from Sawu Mountain or return to Floating Tortoise Mountain.
• Huang Ying treated Luo Bin’s wound and gave him a Tang Suit she had made for him.
• Miao Yi asked Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi to visit Granny Li, and Luo Bin followed Zhang Yunxi despite the villagers watching them.
• On the way, Luo Bin told Miao Yi that he wanted to live decently rather than become something traded for benefits.
• Granny Li offered to unite Luo Bin and Miao Miao through the bamboo-splitting ceremony, promising Luo Bin a chance to study medicine and Miao Miao a future as Granny Li’s disciple.

Luo Bin was being taken to meet the Miao King after Thousand Miao Village offered to let him keep his freedom and avoid the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony. In the mountain forest, the Cave Maidens bowed to a strange figure who resembled a man from a mural, and Luo Bin encountered what appeared to be that same living corpse beside a deep pool.

• Granny Li told Luo Bin that refusing would cost him his Gu Seed and shell-devouring Gu, and Miao Shun prepared to remove the Gu Seed.
• The Cave Maidens arrived and stopped Miao Shun, then led Luo Bin toward Three Miao Cave to meet the Miao King.
• Granny Li explained that the Miao King might let Luo Bin keep his freedom and avoid both Witch Doctor Peak and the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony.
• As they crossed the forest, the Cave Maidens veered away, and Fourth Master Gray warned Luo Bin and Granny Li to follow cautiously.
• Luo Bin and Granny Li saw the Cave Maidens bowing to a black, feather-faced figure who resembled the man in the mural beneath Lakeheart Island.
• Granny Li led Luo Bin away, but they came upon a deep pool and saw the figure again, now appearing human.

Luo Bin and Granny Li escaped the Cave Maidens and the strange corpse, then discussed the corpse’s identity and why the Cave Maidens worshipped him. Granny Li revealed that he was an ascended malevolent corpse, leaving Luo Bin troubled by the Miao people’s devotion to the Cave God and its cost to the Cave Maidens.

• Luo Bin woke from an illusion when Fourth Master Gray’s cries revealed that he and Granny Li were in a mountain forest, and they fled the approaching Cave Maidens and the black-feathered corpse.
• Granny Li accused Fourth Master Gray of attracting danger, and the creature bit her thumb before defiantly settling on Luo Bin’s shoulder.
• Luo Bin and Granny Li reached a ravine and discussed the forbidden tomb beneath Lakeheart Island; Granny Li said she did not know the corpse’s identity.
• Granny Li identified the corpse as an ascended malevolent corpse and explained that benevolent corpses were peaceful while malevolent corpses killed those they encountered.
• Granny Li said the Cave Maidens worshipped the corpse because they regarded him as a deity who had achieved Immortal Ascension but remained in his body.
• Luo Bin reflected that the Cave God’s chosen Cave Maidens were bound to serve until death, and he felt uneasy about Three Miao Village, Three Miao Cave, and the Miao King.

Luo Bin met the Miao King in Three Miao Cave, where the ruler explained the origins of the Cave Gods and the Three Corpse Worms. The Miao King offered to make Luo Bin his successor, but required him to remain on Three Perils Mountain and defend Thousand Miao Village.

• Granny Li led Luo Bin to Three Miao Cave, where he asked the Miao King to remove the Gu Seed and Shell-Devouring Gu.
• The Miao King offered to take Luo Bin as his disciple and waive the Bamboo-Splitting Ceremony, but Luo Bin questioned the fate of the Cave Maidens and Cave Gods.
• The Miao King explained that the Three Miao arts had once shared a lineage and that Lord Mo Di had swallowed a Rainbow Pill while seeking to cross a cultivation threshold.
• The Miao King revealed that Lord Mo Di's Three Corpse Worms were connected to Luo Bin's earlier encounter and warned that Lord Mo Di and Black Di would find him.
• The Miao King promised Luo Bin freedom from the village's restrictions and offered him succession, asking him to remain on Three Perils Mountain and answer whenever Thousand Miao Village faced danger.

Luo Bin learned from the Miao King that the Three Corpse Worms were a trial faced by those seeking to advance their spiritual realms, then prepared to confront Mo Digong under the Miao King’s instructions. Meanwhile, An Kong left his temple to search for someone, and Kong Chen tried unsuccessfully to alert Chen Zu about Luo Bin.

• Luo Bin questioned the Miao King about the Three Corpse Worms and learned that they were connected to the pursuit of immortality by practitioners of several traditions.
• Luo Bin told the Miao King that he wanted to break his shackles and get revenge, and the Miao King decided he was worth cultivating for Thousand Miao Village.
• An Kong fashioned a skull into a wooden fish, summoned black Gu Worms to cover him, and left the old temple to find someone for an offering.
• Kong Chen spotted An Kong departing by boat and called Chen Zu about Luo Bin, but a woman answered and hung up on him.
• Miao Shun told Miao Na that Luo Bin had passed the test and ordered him to return to Witch Doctor Peak, while Miao Na remained angry over what Luo Bin had done to his grandson.
• Luo Bin waited inside the ravine with bronze rods, watching the ascended evil corpse Mo Digong beneath a tree as he prepared to act on the Miao King’s instructions.

Luo Bin used Fourth Master Gray to catch venomous creatures as he began learning the Gu Arts from the Miao King. Fourth Master Gray led him out of the ravine to a strange hollow in Sanwei Mountain, where Luo Bin found a mutilated corpse hanging from a tree.

• Luo Bin abandoned the idea of using the Bronze Club to remove the Three Corpse Worms and set Fourth Master Gray as bait for a centipede.
• Luo Bin trapped a foot-long centipede in a wooden bowl and sealed it in an iron tin, then gave Fourth Master Gray a golden pill as payment.
• Fourth Master Gray led Luo Bin into a dark fissure and past venomous creatures, including a gecko that vanished beneath Luo Bin's bowl.
• Luo Bin followed Fourth Master Gray out of the ravine despite the Miao King's warning, reasoning that they needed to return before dark because Lord Mo Di was outside.
• Fourth Master Gray led Luo Bin into a hollow in Sanwei Mountain, where Luo Bin discovered a mutilated corpse hanging from a tree by a strange rope.

Luo Bin gathered venomous creatures in a valley of graves, then discovered it belonged to Spirit-Transfer Cave and witnessed the eerie effects of Great Yin. The chapter ended with time apparently reversing around him while his Pocket Watch remained frozen at noon.

• Luo Bin followed Fourth Master Gray through the graveyard and collected venomous snakes, centipedes, and other creatures from the corpses and coffins.
• Luo Bin filled his containers with venomous creatures and started back toward the valley's exit with Fourth Master Gray on his shoulder.
• Fourth Master Gray alerted Luo Bin to four Spirit-Transfer Cave members entering the valley with baskets of offerings for the Corpse King.
• Luo Bin hid in a hole as dark clouds gathered at noon, and Fourth Master Gray stopped him from leaving.
• Three Spirit-Transfer Cave members fled from the valley and disappeared into a dark mist, while Luo Bin's Pocket Watch stopped at twelve and the scene began to rewind.

Luo Bin escaped Corpse Valley during a storm after bells helped him resist the valley’s disorienting influence, but he left one of Spirit Transfer Cave’s men at the mercy of the Corpse King. The survivors recognized him and accused Thousand Miao Village of stirring up the Corpse King, while Luo Bin fled with a foreboding sense that danger remained.

• Luo Bin waited in a cave as thunder and mist filled Corpse Valley, then slipped out when a figure passed by.
• The valley’s influence turned Luo Bin around and prevented him from using Rewind, but the sound of bells steadied his mind and guided him toward the exit.
• Luo Bin reached four men at the valley’s edge, who had been ringing bells to guide out someone they thought was Sun Lin.
• When one man recognized Luo Bin and tried to shove him back into the valley, Luo Bin cut off his leg and escaped as the Corpse King seized him.
• The three survivors recognized Luo Bin, accused Thousand Miao Village of provoking the Corpse King, and watched him run away with a sense of impending danger.

After escaping Corpse King Valley, Luo Bin returned to Three Miao Cave and told the Miao King what had happened. He chose to make gu near the mountain fissure, but the weak wind left him searching for a way to strengthen the Mountain over Wind Gu hexagram.

• Luo Bin escaped the rain and returned to Three Miao Cave with Fourth Master Gray, resolving to avoid Spirit-Transfer Cave and Lord Mo Di.
• Luo Bin recounted his trip to Corpse King Valley, and the Miao King explained the conflict between Thousand Miao Village and Spirit-Transfer Cave.
• Luo Bin used the Compass to determine that the mountain fissure offered the right directions for making gu, and the Miao King allowed him to move the jars there.
• Luo Bin carried nine iron jars to the fissure, cleared its entrance of vines, and found the wind too faint to strengthen the hexagram as much as he wanted.
• Luo Bin concluded that the sacred ravine might limit the gu’s power and said he needed wind.

Luo Bin cultivated gu in the life-force-rich ravine while studying the Physiognomy Arts, and the Miao King and Thousand Miao Stockade also benefited from the renewed vitality. After producing nine gu, Luo Bin began refining them together into a stronger gu and sought more jars from the Miao King.

• Luo Bin used the Good Corpse Core and a mountain-wind gu formation to draw life-force wind, then put nine venomous creatures in each iron jar to cultivate gu.
• While the creatures fought, Luo Bin studied Black Shell Sixty-Four Celestial Calculations as the ravine's life force nourished the venomous creatures and restored the Miao King enough to leave Three Miao Cave.
• Luo Bin collected the gu that emerged from eight jars, then put all eight into the ninth jar with the toad gu to begin refining gu from gu.
• Luo Bin explained to Fourth Master Gray that refining gu from gu could produce a stronger result, then gathered more venomous creatures and asked the Miao King for additional iron jars.

Luo Bin spent six months refining gu in Three Miao Cave, growing stronger through study as he began a dangerous fourth refinement. Meanwhile, Spirit-Transfer Cave plotted to draw him out and seize him, though the creature he was creating remained unknown.

• Luo Bin rejected the Miao King's warning about repeatedly refining gu and took iron vats from Three Miao Cave to pursue faster power.
• Over six months, Luo Bin used thousands of venomous creatures for four successive refinements and studied the black shell sixty-four celestial calculations and the Primordial Sixteen Trigrams.
• The Miao King watched Luo Bin's fourth refinement for two months and suspected its result could surpass golden silkworm gu.
• Miao Na secretly went to Spirit-Transfer Cave after realizing Witch Doctor Peak would not protect him from Luo Bin.
• Huang Hang and Miao Na discussed luring Luo Bin out by targeting Zhang Xiyun, Hu Jin, or Huang Ying, and Huang Hang asked Miao Na how he would lure the woman.

Luo Bin opened the Iron Vat and discovered a powerful black-and-gold toad produced by the fourth refinement, but it resisted his blood and refused to accept him. As the Miao King threatened to make it feed a gu seed, two golden silkworms appeared beside the vat.

• Luo Bin pried open the Iron Vat and found a tiny black-and-gold toad inside.
• The toad attacked Luo Bin, but the Miao King stopped it with a golden-banded gu snake and forced it back into the vat.
• The Miao King told Luo Bin to pour his blood on the toad, but it leaped away and rejected him.
• The Miao King threatened to have Luo Bin feed the toad a gu seed if it continued resisting.
• A golden silkworm appeared on the ground, followed by an even smaller golden silkworm that fell from between Luo Bin's brows.

Luo Bin bonded with the Black Golden Toad after it ate his shell-devouring gu, then received guidance from the Miao King on raising gu. He returned to the Wind over Mountain gu hexagram after three days and found Fourth Master Gray swollen from eating more toad carcasses.

• The fourfold toad ate Luo Bin’s shell-devouring gu and the flesh he had cut off, forming a faint bond with him.
• The toad poisoned Fourth Master Gray with its tongue, but Fourth Master Gray healed by rubbing against the Corpse Core, though its lost fur did not return.
• The young silkworm entered Luo Bin’s brow, and the Miao King warned him to be cautious with his life gu before taking him to Three Miao Cave.
• The Miao King taught Luo Bin about gu for three days and named the toad the Black Golden Toad, warning Luo Bin not to feed it while he was too weak.
• Luo Bin returned to the Wind over Mountain gu hexagram and found more toad carcasses, while Fourth Master Gray squeaked at him with its belly swollen.

Luo Bin left the depleted ravine after refining the Black-Gold Toad and headed back to Thousand Miao Village. There, Miao Lan and Miao Na plotted to abduct Huang Ying, who had gone alone into the mountains and was approaching Black Snake River.

• Luo Bin collected the Jade Turtle Talismans and Corpse Core, confirmed Lord Mo Di had left, and set out for Thousand Miao Village.
• Zhang Yunxi, Hu Jin, and Huang Ying gained standing in the village through their consultations and medical help.
• Miao Lan came to seek Huang Ying, learned she was gathering herbs, and left the village to meet Miao Na and their companions.
• Miao Na planned to capture Huang Ying, while Huang Ying walked uphill alone toward Black Snake River.

After half a year in Thousand Miao Village, Huang Ying left for Floating Tortoise Mountain, while Luo Bin emerged from Three Miao Cave much stronger than before. Huang Ying encountered the monk Kong An on her way out, and Luo Bin reunited with Jin Hu and Zhang Xiyun at his stilt house.

• Huang Ying crossed the Ropeway, said goodbye to Luo Bin from afar, and left Three Perils Mountain for the outer village.
• Kong An met Huang Ying in the woods, learned that she was Miao, and pointed her toward the correct route out.
• The Miao villagers returned at evening and gathered to watch Luo Bin come out of Three Miao Cave after half a year.
• Jin Hu and Zhang Xiyun sensed that Luo Bin had grown stronger and welcomed him into the stilt house.
• Luo Bin showed Jin Hu and Zhang Xiyun the Black-Gold Toad, surprising Jin Hu.