Recaps

Ye Han escaped the upheaval at Demonheart Cliff and hid in a dry cave in the Darkness Forbidden Ground, where he tried to devise a way out. He remained unsure how to defeat the Demonic Qi Shadow or escape, and wondered whether the Purple Cauldron could absorb its Primordial Spirit.

• Ye Han escaped Demonheart Cliff’s devouring suction and crossed the barren peaks toward a canyon.
• Ye Han found an immature patch of Heavenly Treasures and chose a nearby cave as a hiding place.
• Ye Han trapped the cave entrance with Talismans, concealed it with his damaged Invisibility Cloak, and set Defensive Magic Artifacts.
• Ye Han doubted that the Seventh Elder and Fourth Elder would risk exposing their secret scheme to rescue him.
• Ye Han recalled how studying with Teacher Lan Qing had changed his fate and considered whether the Purple Cauldron could absorb the Demonic Qi Shadow’s Primordial Spirit.

Ye Han weighed using the Purple Cauldron against the Demonic Qi Shadow but could not find a safe way to get close. When the Shadow’s underlings searched near his hiding place, Ye Han recognized them as bait and stayed concealed, leaving him determined to find another way to strike back.

• Ye Han recalled how the Purple Cauldron had devoured an evil cultivator’s primordial spirit at close range, but doubted it would save him against the Demonic Qi Shadow and its powerful beasts.
• Ye Han spotted demonized cultivators and magic beasts searching the canyon and realized the Demonic Qi Shadow had sent them to find him.
• Ye Han considered ambushing the search party to weaken the Shadow’s forces, then noticed that the group’s lack of third tier beasts made the offer seem suspicious.
• Ye Han recognized that the searchers likely carried the same curse as the earlier demonized cultivator and could reveal his location if he attacked them.
• Ye Han stayed hidden behind his Invisibility Cloak as the search party passed, then vowed not to fall for the same trick twice.

Ye Han avoided the Demonic Qi Shadow’s bait and realized he needed to strengthen himself while trapped in the Darkness Forbidden Ground. He discovered that the White Jade Flower Trough repelled demonic qi, giving him a way to cultivate safely, though he remained unsure whether it would be enough to survive.

• Ye Han refused to attack the demonized cultivators and magic beasts sent as decoys, suspecting the Demonic Qi Shadow wanted their curse spirits to reveal his location.
• Ye Han suspected the zombie puppets had a hidden purpose and resolved to watch them closely.
• Ye Han decided to try breaking through to the peak of the tenth layer of the Qi Refining Realm instead of wasting time worrying.
• Ye Han brought out the White Jade Flower Trough and reasoned that it had allowed golden thread grass to grow in a cave saturated with demonic qi.
• Ye Han lay in the trough and found that it separated demonic qi from the spiritual energy he absorbed, giving him hope of cultivating safely in the Darkness Forbidden Ground.

Ye Han used the White Jade Flower Trough to cultivate safely in the Darkness Forbidden Ground and began breaking through his bottleneck with a High-Grade Qi Refining Pill. Meanwhile, Devil Lord Shadow grew anxious over Ye Han’s disappearance and contacted Gu Changdao.

• Ye Han realized the White Jade Flower Trough could let him avoid demonic qi and survive until the next Immortal Ascension Assembly, though staying hidden would delay his cultivation.
• Ye Han cultivated with the Azure Profound Art, felt his bottleneck loosen, and took a High-Grade Qi Refining Pill to aid his breakthrough.
• Ye Han refined the pill’s medicinal power as the Purple Cauldron remained petrified and unable to absorb more energy.
• Devil Lord Shadow cursed over receiving no news from his subordinates for four days and worried that Ye Han had died or thwarted his plans.
• Devil Lord Shadow began an incantation to contact Gu Changdao.

Gu Changdao convinced Devil Lord Shadow that Ye Han was still alive and agreed to help lure him out. After their exchange, Gu Changdao set off to search the Darkness Forbidden Ground, desperate to find Ye Han and preserve his own life.

• Gu Changdao told Devil Lord Shadow that Ye Han was alive and hiding, arguing that Ye Han avoided killing cursed subordinates to prevent being marked by the blood curse again.
• Devil Lord Shadow considered killing Gu Changdao but kept him alive because Ye Han’s disappearance troubled him and he feared Ye Han would ruin his plans.
• Gu Changdao proposed that Devil Lord Shadow’s subordinates keep searching while he wandered the Darkness Forbidden Ground to draw Ye Han out.
• Devil Lord Shadow approved the plan and ordered Gu Changdao to report any news about Ye Han.
• Gu Changdao put away the Golden Light Longsword and Black Demon Sword and hurried off to search for Ye Han.

Ye Han broke through to the tenth layer of Qi Refining Realm while hiding in a cavern, then devised a way to exploit the Demonic Qi Shadow’s limits and began planning how to escape the Darkness Forbidden Ground. He chose to remain hidden and cultivate until he could better protect himself and find a way to expose the Blood Shadow Curse Spirit.

• Ye Han broke through to the tenth layer of Qi Refining Realm after four days of cultivating in the White Jade Flower Trough.
• Ye Han watched three uncontrolled Two-Horned Magic Beasts attack a Mighty Ape Magic Beast controlled by the Demonic Qi Shadow and recognized a chance to turn wild beasts against its forces.
• Ye Han reasoned that the Demonic Qi Shadow could not control pack-dwelling beasts and considered luring its controlled creatures into battles with them.
• Ye Han concluded that the Purple-Gold Runes could destroy the Blood Shadow Curse Spirit if he found a way to make it reveal itself.
• Ye Han decided to stay hidden, eat half a Grain-Repelling Pill, and absorb the Purple Cauldron’s energy to stabilize his cultivation at the tenth-layer peak.

The Fourth Elder and Seventh Elder worried that the disciples had been trapped in the Darkness Forbidden Ground for more than ten days. Qin Minghui’s Life Token remained intact, so they believed the group was still alive, though the Fourth Elder continued to wonder whether Ye Han was holding them back.

• The Fourth Elder feared the expedition had failed, while the Seventh Elder reminded her that Senior Sister Ningyu had exchanged bodies with Qin Minghui.
• The Fourth Elder checked Qin Minghui’s Life Token and found it intact, easing her fear that Senior Sister Ningyu had died.
• The Seventh Elder urged the Fourth Elder to stay calm, noting that previous expeditions had lost their members within days.
• The Fourth Elder asked whether Ye Han’s low cultivation might be hindering the group, but the Seventh Elder insisted Ye Han would not hold them back.
• The Fourth Elder accepted the Seventh Elder’s confidence but remained doubtful about Ye Han.

Ye Han continued practicing talisman crafting in the Darkness Forbidden Ground, hoping to learn how to break the black qi figure’s Cursed Blood Shadow. After another Spring Renewal Talisman failed, he suspected the brush he was using was the problem.

• Outside the Darkness Forbidden Ground, the Seventh Elder worried about the dangers awaiting the selected disciples while hidden black qi slipped through a cave wall.
• Ye Han’s cultivation stabilized at the peak of the tenth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and he recognized how much stronger his Azure Profound Art made him than an ordinary cultivator.
• Ye Han kept practicing talisman crafting so he could break the black qi figure’s Cursed Blood Shadow and weaken its forces through hit-and-run attacks.
• Ye Han failed to complete another Spring Renewal Talisman despite carefully copying its rune and technique.
• Ye Han examined the failed talisman and his mid-grade magical artifact brush, then suspected the brush was preventing his talismans from working.

Ye Han refined the Wolf-Hair Brush, successfully crafted his first Spring Renewal Talisman, and learned that the Purple-Gold Runes strengthened his talismans. He made thirteen Spell-Breaking Talismans to detect the Demonic Qi Shadow’s concealed cursed blood shadows, then set out to test them.

• Ye Han refined roughly seventy percent of the Wolf-Hair Brush and successfully drew a Spring Renewal Talisman, whose power the Purple-Gold Runes increased by more than thirty percent.
• Ye Han studied Ye Chunfeng’s instructions and realized Spell-Breaking Talismans could reveal concealed auras, including the Demonic Qi Shadow’s cursed blood shadows.
• Ye Han spent ten days practicing and crafted thirteen Spell-Breaking Talismans after more than two hundred failures.
• Ye Han put on the Invisibility Cloak and headed out to test a Spell-Breaking Talisman on a Magic Beast or Demonized Cultivator controlled by a cursed blood shadow.

Ye Han used a Spell-Breaking Talisman and the Purple-Gold Runes to destroy a Cursed Blood Shadow, freeing himself to fight the Demonic Qi Shadow’s forces. The Devil Lord Shadow realized Ye Han had found a way to break the curse and ordered Gu Changdao to stop him.

• Ye Han found and killed a Demonized Cultivator, then used a Spell-Breaking Talisman to expose its Cursed Blood Shadow.
• The Purple-Gold Runes destroyed the Cursed Blood Shadow, and Ye Han fled toward another area to evade the Demonic Qi Shadow’s forces.
• The Devil Lord Shadow berated Gu Changdao for failing to find Ye Han and considered possessing his body.
• The Devil Lord Shadow sensed that Ye Han had destroyed a Cursed Blood Spirit, then lost track of him almost immediately.
• Gu Changdao asked whether Qin Minghui had left the Demonflame Forest, but the Devil Lord Shadow denied it and ordered Gu Changdao to stop Ye Han.

The Devil Lord Shadow sent Gu Changdao to track Ye Han and prepared to counter his attacks on the Shadow’s controlled forces. Ye Han continued killing those forces until Gu Changdao unexpectedly appeared and reunited with him.

• The Devil Lord Shadow told Gu Changdao to watch his subordinates so Ye Han would reveal himself, and Gu Changdao left to carry out the order.
• The Devil Lord Shadow cast blood-red talisman gates and flew off, while worrying about the woman still inside the Demonflame Forest and Ye Han’s resistance to demonic qi.
• Ye Han killed a second-tier magic beast and two Cursed Blood Shadows, then reflected that he had already slain ten Demonized Cultivators and nine magic beasts.
• Ye Han trapped and killed another second-tier magic beast with his Thorn Bracelet and Wood Spirit Flying Swords.
• Gu Changdao appeared and beheaded four Demonized Cultivators, and he and Ye Han were surprised to find each other alive.

Ye Han met Gu Changdao, whom he suspected of serving the Devil Lord, and learned that Gu was being tracked and coerced. Ye Han led him away, then asked what had happened to Qin after hearing that Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde had been captured.

• Ye Han kept his distance from Gu Changdao and prepared his defenses, suspecting the Devil Lord had taken control of him.
• Gu Changdao admitted he could not break the tracking curse and warned that the Devil Lord was coming, then threatened to attack Ye Han if he refused to help.
• Ye Han told Gu Changdao to follow him, believing the Devil Lord would not pursue them immediately.
• Ye Han asked Gu Changdao whether Qin had escaped after learning that Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde had been captured.

Ye Han learned that Qin Minghui remained trapped in the Demonflame Forest and helped Gu Changdao remove his Cursed Blood Shadows while testing whether he wanted to escape the Devil Lord. The two reached a secluded cliff, where Ye Han proposed that they work together.

• Gu Changdao confirmed that Qin Minghui was still trapped in the Demonflame Forest and had not escaped.
• Ye Han used a Spell-Breaking Talisman to reveal his own Cursed Blood Shadow and demonstrated how he could destroy it.
• Gu Changdao activated his Spell-Breaking Talisman, revealing four Cursed Blood Shadows above him.
• Ye Han destroyed Gu Changdao's Cursed Blood Shadows with Purple-Gold Runes while concealing their power with azure flames.
• Ye Han and Gu Changdao went to a secluded cliff, where Ye Han asked if they could work together.

Ye Han proposed using the Devil Lord’s desire for the Treasure Pagoda to make him release Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan, then lead him to the Five Elements Restriction Land. Gu Changdao saw that the scheme might work but feared the risks, while Ye Han reminded him that he could not survive in the Darkness Forbidden Ground as long as Ye Han could.

• Gu Changdao insisted that he wanted to cooperate with Ye Han and bowed to ask for his help escaping the Darkness Forbidden Ground.
• Ye Han suggested rescuing Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan and joining forces with them and Qin Minghui, but Gu Changdao warned that a rescue would be dangerous.
• Ye Han revealed that the main plan was to tell the Devil Lord about the Treasure Pagoda and persuade him to release Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan so the group could open the Five Elements Restriction.
• Gu Changdao recognized that the plan could draw the Devil Lord into following them, but worried that the Devil Lord would attack once the restriction was opened.
• Ye Han told Gu Changdao he had a follow-up plan and could hide for five years, while Gu Changdao could endure the demonic qi for only four or five months.
• Gu Changdao weighed whether to carry out Ye Han’s plan as Ye Han watched him with an unreadable, confident expression.

Devil Lord Shadow became furious after Ye Han purged his curse spirits, then summoned Gu Changdao, who proposed using Ye Han’s plan to gather the captives and open the Treasure Pagoda’s restrictions. As Gu Changdao tried to persuade him, Devil Lord Shadow suspected he was being mocked and threatened him.

• Devil Lord Shadow discovered that Ye Han had purged the curse spirits possessing him and Gu Changdao, and he prepared zombie puppets as his hidden trump card.
• Gu Changdao contacted Devil Lord Shadow and came to meet him, despite knowing he was in danger and having agreed to follow Ye Han’s plan.
• Gu Changdao told Devil Lord Shadow that Ye Han wanted him to join forces against the Devil Lord, then claimed he would never betray him.
• Gu Changdao proposed releasing the two captured people and going with Ye Han so the group could open the Treasure Pagoda’s restrictions, giving Devil Lord Shadow a chance to attack.
• Devil Lord Shadow glared at Gu Changdao with killing intent and asked whether he thought the Devil Lord’s intelligence was impaired.

The Devil Lord Shadow and Ye Han recognized each other’s schemes and agreed to settle the contest over the Heaven-Turning Treasure Pagoda by force. Gu Changdao brought the freed Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde to Ye Han, who faced questions about whether he could defeat the Devil Lord.

• The Devil Lord Shadow explained that he had planned to let Gu Changdao rescue Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan, then released them himself by removing their restrictions.
• Gu Changdao realized that the Devil Lord Shadow had understood Ye Han’s scheme and that both strategists intended to fight over the Heaven-Turning Treasure Pagoda.
• Gu Changdao carried the unconscious Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde away, suspecting that Ye Han had used him as a pawn.
• The Devil Lord Shadow summoned his controlled beasts and forces, mounted the peak third-tier Six-Clawed Lightning Dragon Magic Beast, and led them toward Ye Han.
• At the foot of a cliff, Gu Changdao brought the captives to Ye Han and asked whether he was confident he could deal with the Devil Lord.

Ye Han revealed that the supposed plan to activate the Five Elements Restriction was a deception meant to rescue Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan and find a way out with Qin Minghui. After Gu Changdao's anger threatened to turn against Ye Han, the rescued disciples thanked Gu Changdao, binding him more firmly to their group; the chapter ended with Ye Han announcing that Qin Minghui had already found them.

• Ye Han told Gu Changdao that the Five Elements Restriction plan was fabricated to rescue Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan and seek Qin Minghui's help escaping.
• Gu Changdao realized Ye Han had manipulated him into betraying Devil Lord Shadow and nearly attacked Ye Han in anger.
• Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan woke up, and Ye Han credited Gu Changdao with saving them.
• Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan thanked Gu Changdao, and he asked Ye Han whether they should find Qin Minghui.
• Ye Han said they did not need to search because Qin Minghui had already found them.

Ye Han discovered Qin Minghui hiding nearby and learned that she had escaped the Demonflame Forest while leaving her curse spirit behind. The group agreed they needed to leave the Darkness Forbidden Ground, but Qin Minghui revealed that she had already used the Teleportation Token.

• Ye Han detected Qin Minghui with a Spell-Breaking Talisman, and she emerged from hiding and told the others to address her as Martial Uncle.
• Qin Minghui explained that she had left her curse spirit in the Demonflame Forest, so Devil Lord Shadow still sensed it there.
• Ye Han urged the group to abandon their plan to obtain the Treasure Pagoda and find a way out of the Darkness Forbidden Ground.
• Qin Minghui agreed they should leave, but revealed that she had already used the Teleportation Token and could not teleport them out.

Ye Han and the others learned that the repaired restriction formation had rendered their Teleportation Tokens useless, so Qin Minghui proposed returning to the Five Elements Restriction to reopen its gap. She revealed the Creation Heaven Cube, a treasure she believed could protect them long enough to break through the formation.

• Ye Han asked Qin Minghui whether they could teleport out without their Teleportation Tokens, and she explained that Devil Lord Shadow had repaired the restriction formation's gap.
• Qin Minghui said the only way to escape was to return to the Treasure Pagoda and reopen the gap at the Five Elements Restriction.
• Ye Han and the others worried that Devil Lord Shadow would be guarding the area, but Qin Minghui said she had obtained a treasure that could help them.
• Qin Minghui revealed the Creation Heaven Cube and said it could repel demonic qi and beasts while they reopened the formation gap and escaped.

Qin Minghui revealed that her borrowed body was beginning to reject her, forcing the group to risk unlocking the Five Elements Restriction and pursuing the Treasure Pagoda. Ye Han accepted the dangerous plan and set out with the others to confront the Devil Lord.

• Qin Minghui showed the Creation Heaven Cube and revealed that she had reached the peak of the twelfth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
• Ye Han questioned whether they should delay their trip until Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan recovered, but both said they were already healed and nearly restored.
• Gu Changdao explained that the Devil Lord had healed Sun Houde and Lin Hongyan because he wanted the Treasure Pagoda too.
• Qin Minghui told Ye Han that her borrowed body was rejecting her and that she had to act before her primordial spirit and soul were expelled.
• Ye Han accepted Qin Minghui's plan, resolved to face the Devil Lord, and the group prepared to set off for the Five Elements Restriction.

Qin Minghui led Ye Han and the others through the illusion-filled Mist Land toward the Five Elements Restriction Land. They reached a verdant valley and found five Formation Pillars, where Qin Minghui prepared to use the Creation Heaven Cube to undo the restrictions.

• Qin Minghui gave the group Divine Spirit Pills, tied them together with the Golden Cicada Silk Ribbon, and used a Bronze Formation Disk to guide them into the Mist Land.
• Ye Han resisted the fog’s illusions with the Pure Heart Art and restored Lin Hongyan’s senses when she began to succumb to them.
• After more than two hours, Qin Minghui led the group out of the fog into a valley rich in spiritual energy, where the mature medicinal herbs had already been harvested.
• Qin Minghui led the group to five Formation Pillars, told them to replenish their spell power, and brought out the Creation Heaven Cube.

Qin Minghui raised the Creation Heaven Cube as a defensive barrier and led everyone in recovering their spell power before they attempted to activate the Five-Element Formation. The group prepared to take their places on the five pillars and retrieve the Treasure Pagoda, while expecting the Devil Lord to attack.

• Qin Minghui activated the Creation Heaven Cube, creating a barrier around the group and the five formation pillars.
• Qin Minghui warned everyone that activating the formation would consume much spell power and that the Devil Lord would attack, then took pills to recover.
• Ye Han considered his own Creation Heaven Cube and his reasons for joining the escape attempt rather than hiding alone.
• Everyone meditated and took pills for about two hours while the Creation Heaven Cube protected them.
• Qin Minghui told everyone to take the Five Elements Tokens, stand on the pillars, and prepare to activate the formation and escape with the Teleportation Token.
• Everyone took out their attribute-matched tokens, the five pillars responded, and Qin Minghui ordered them up.

Ye Han and the others activated the Five Elements Restriction Land’s formation, with Ye Han leading the wood element’s final step. Their efforts revealed the phantom of a nine-story Treasure Pagoda, while the Purple Cauldron and Creation Heaven Cube reacted to its appearance.

• Qin Minghui instructed Ye Han to lead the formation’s activation, and Gu Changdao vouched for his ability to handle the task.
• Qin Minghui, Gu Changdao, Lin Hongyan, Sun Houde, and Ye Han channeled their spell power into their formation tokens and pillars.
• Ye Han used the Purple Cauldron to replenish his spell power, then held back from replenishing it further so the others would not suspect his secret.
• The five elements’ beams converged at Ye Han’s wood token and formed a five-colored beam that surged into the sky.
• A phantom of a vast nine-story Treasure Pagoda appeared, and both the Purple Cauldron and Creation Heaven Cube reacted abnormally.

Ye Han and the others drew on the Five-Element Formation to weaken the restriction around the Nine-Story Treasure Pagoda, while Ye Han prepared a Substitute Talisman as his Creation Heaven Cube reacted to the pagoda. Devil Lord Shadow arrived with his beasts and demonized cultivators as the formation wavered, leaving the group facing an imminent attack.

• Ye Han saw that the Nine-Story Treasure Pagoda was assembled from Creation Heaven Cubes and sensed his own cube trembling as the five cultivators powered the formation.
• Ye Han noticed Qin Minghui reacting uneasily to the pagoda and secretly prepared the Substitute Talisman she had given him.
• The Five-Element Formation drew in spiritual energy and sent a growing pillar of light into the restriction, making the pagoda more distinct.
• Purple-black lightning announced Devil Lord Shadow's arrival outside the valley, leading a Six-Clawed Lightning Dragon Magic Beast and a host of beasts carrying demonized cultivators.
• Devil Lord Shadow recognized the pagoda as the Heaven-Turning Treasure Pagoda, while Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde faltered and their Formation Pillars began to shake.

Ye Han and his allies tried to open the Heaven-Turning Treasure Pagoda’s restriction while Devil Lord Shadow attacked their position. Qin Minghui’s Creation Heaven Cube stopped the assault, but Ye Han began struggling to channel the power needed to break the restriction.

• Qin Minghui told Lin Hongyan and Sun Houde to focus on opening the restriction, while Devil Lord Shadow mocked their attempt and led his forces toward them.
• Devil Lord Shadow ordered his magic beasts and demonized cultivators to attack Ye Han and the others, but Qin Minghui’s Creation Heaven Cube blocked their assault.
• Devil Lord Shadow recognized the Creation Heaven Cube and wrongly concluded that Ye Han had obtained and deployed it.
• Qin Minghui urged everyone to intensify their spell power as she felt the Creation Heaven Cube slipping from her control.
• Ye Han struggled under the force of the five elements’ spiritual energy, and Qin Minghui warned him that their lives depended on holding on.