Recaps

Ye Han reflected on the cultivation advantages he had gained and resolved to grow stronger by cultivating in his Cave Abode. After asking Zhang Qingshan to investigate the rumors about him, Ye Han heard Zhang warn that he might not be able to help much longer and asked what was troubling him.

• Ye Han recognized that his cultivation method, Zhang Qingshan's guidance, and his Cave Abode gave him three of the four essentials for cultivation, and he resolved to become stronger.
• Zhang Qingshan asked how Ye Han had obtained the Azure Profound Art, and Ye Han claimed that his Azure Profound Token explained it.
• Ye Han considered the origins of the Azure Profound Token, Azure Profound Art, and Purple Cauldron, then asked Zhang Qingshan to discover who was spreading rumors about him.
• Zhang Qingshan agreed to investigate and advised Ye Han to remain in his Cave Abode until he could protect himself; Ye Han said he was willing to stay put and cultivate.
• Zhang Qingshan told Ye Han to follow their cultivation plan because he did not know how much longer he could help, and Ye Han asked what he meant.

Ye Han struggled to advance his Azure Profound Art while making rapid progress with the painful Blood Refining Art during Zhang Qingshan’s absence. After running out of food, Ye Han noticed the Purple Cauldron had changed again.

• Ye Han practiced the Azure Profound Art for over two hours but remained disappointed that he had not broken through to the second level.
• Ye Han reflected on Zhang Qingshan’s sect duties and learned that Zhang had left several days earlier to complete a mission.
• Ye Han practiced the Blood Refining Art and, after half a month, reached its first level, gaining remarkable strength and defensive power.
• Ye Han exhausted Zhang Qingshan’s food supplies and wondered whether he would have to leave his Cave Abode to find more.
• The Purple Cauldron fell from Ye Han’s robe, and he realized that the treasure had changed again.

Ye Han studied the changing Purple Cauldron but could not determine how to use it, then realized his food was nearly gone and decided to leave his Cave Abode. As he stepped outside, an unknown person confronted him and asked if he was Ye Han.

• Ye Han recalled how the Purple Cauldron had turned from stone to jade and helped him cultivate, and discovered a new cluster of green spiritual light inside it.
• Ye Han tried to absorb the green light with the Azure Profound Art but got no response, then put the Purple Cauldron away.
• Ye Han found that only enough food for one meal remained and worried because Zhang Qingshan had not returned.
• Ye Han decided to go out for food despite rumors about his identity, hoping to explore the Azure Profound Sect.
• As Ye Han opened his Cave Abode, someone outside asked in a cold voice whether he was Ye Han.

Ye Han faced Jin Feng, who tried to take over Ye Han's cave abode under the pretense of offering protection and cultivation guidance. Jin Feng threatened him and implied that Zhang Qingshan might not return, leaving Ye Han worried about his senior brother and still resisting Jin Feng's demand.

• Jin Feng waited outside Ye Han's cave abode and offered to protect him if he followed him.
• Ye Han politely avoided agreeing and realized Jin Feng wanted to use his cave abode for cultivation.
• Ye Han said he shared the abode with Zhang Qingshan and needed his permission.
• Jin Feng dismissed the excuse, displayed a fiery aura, and warned Ye Han that Zhang Qingshan might not come back.
• Ye Han tried to delay Jin Feng until Zhang Qingshan returned and questioned what had happened to him.
• Jin Feng demanded entry regardless of Ye Han's wishes and said Zhang Qingshan had risked his life by pursuing something.

Ye Han learned that Zhang Qingshan had taken a dangerous Blood-Dry Bird mission, while Jin Feng threatened him and demanded use of his cave abode. Ye Han refused by claiming the cave’s restriction allowed only him and Zhang Qingshan to enter, leaving Jin Feng’s reaction unresolved.

• Jin Feng told Ye Han that Zhang Qingshan had accepted a mission to kill Blood-Dry Birds for access to the Blood Refining Pool and was unlikely to return.
• Ye Han realized Zhang Qingshan was in danger but knew he could not help him, while Jin Feng posed an immediate threat to his cave abode.
• Jin Feng threatened Ye Han and offered protection in exchange for borrowing the cave abode.
• Ye Han claimed the Seventh Elder’s restriction allowed only him and Zhang Qingshan to enter, and said Zhang’s restriction had not been lifted.
• Ye Han used the restriction as an excuse because he did not intend to let Jin Feng into his cave abode.

Ye Han stalled Jin Feng's attempt to take over his Cave Abode by securing a five-day delay and borrowing two Spirit Stones. Five days later, Jin Feng returned and called for Ye Han to come out.

• Ye Han refused to let Jin Feng into the Cave Abode without Zhang Qingshan's approval, then persuaded Jin Feng to wait five days for an answer.
• Ye Han borrowed two Spirit Stones from Jin Feng, offering the Cave Abode as collateral if Zhang Qingshan did not return.
• After Jin Feng left, Ye Han climbed down the cliff, gathered supplies around Seven Mysteries Peak, and returned to the Cave Abode.
• Five days later, Jin Feng shouted for Ye Han to come outside.

Ye Han hid in his cave abode while Jin Feng waited outside for an answer about using it to cultivate. With Zhang Qingshan still missing and Jin Feng preparing to get rough, Ye Han remained trapped inside as the confrontation escalated.

• Ye Han recalled how Seven Mysteries Peak had fallen from prominence and how he had become an inner sect disciple despite his weak cultivation.
• Ye Han spent the two spirit stones he borrowed from Jin Feng on food and a Low-Grade Qi Refining Pill, but he remained stuck at the second level of qi refining.
• Ye Han worried that Zhang Qingshan would not return to help him and decided to keep hiding from Jin Feng inside his protected cave abode.
• Jin Feng grew angry after waiting five days for Ye Han to answer his request to use the cave abode and shouted for him to come out.
• Jin Feng threatened to get rough and summoned a red-glowing Flying Fork.

Jin Feng confronted Ye Han over the two Spirit Stones, but Ye Han stayed inside his Cave Abode and relied on his Azure Profound Token to deter an attack. A Patrol Team cultivator intervened and sent Jin Feng away, leaving Ye Han wondering if he recognized her.

• Jin Feng demanded that Ye Han come out of his Cave Abode and threatened him with his Flying Fork.
• Ye Han refused to leave, reminding Jin Feng that his Azure Profound Token protected him and warning him of the consequences of attacking his Cave Abode.
• Ye Han denied taking Jin Feng's Spirit Stones, pointing out that Jin Feng had no witness or IOU to prove it.
• A Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Patrol Team arrived, ordered Jin Feng to leave, and watched him depart without attacking.
• Ye Han heard the woman's voice and wondered if she was someone he knew.

Azure Phoenix Fairy drove Jin Feng away from Ye Han’s cave abode, then questioned Ye Han after he emerged and claimed Jin Feng had bullied him. She saw through Ye Han’s story and abruptly recognized his cultivation method, asking where he had learned the Pure Profound Art.

• Azure Phoenix Fairy ordered Jin Feng to leave, and he fled while vowing to make Ye Han pay someday.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy wondered why the Seventh Elder had given Ye Han his cave abode, then saw him peek outside after Jin Feng left.
• Ye Han tried to gain Azure Phoenix Fairy’s favor by claiming Jin Feng had demanded his cave abode and trapped him inside.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy teased Ye Han about the two spirit stones he had swindled from Jin Feng, and Ye Han denied cheating him.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy fixed Ye Han with a piercing gaze and asked where he had learned the Pure Profound Art.

Ye Han convinced the Azure Phoenix Fairy that he had found the Azure Profound Art in his Cave Abode, though he suspected it had belonged to someone she knew. After she returned the manual and prepared to leave, Ye Han asked her for a favor.

• The Azure Phoenix Fairy recognized Ye Han's Azure Profound Art and pinned him in place with her aura while accusing him of lying.
• She pulled the manual from Ye Han's robes, recognized its handwriting, and withdrew her aura as she asked where he had found it.
• Ye Han guessed the manual had belonged to the Cave Abode's former owner and claimed he had found it under the bed after moving in.
• The Azure Phoenix Fairy returned the manual, accepted that Ye Han had found it by fate, and declined to enter the Cave Abode.
• Ye Han thanked her, urged her to reconsider, and asked her to do him a small favor as she prepared to leave.

Ye Han challenged Azure Phoenix Fairy Qing Feng’s warning about the cultivation world, convincing her of his determination and earning her respect. She gave him Qi Refining Pills as a first-meeting gift, then warned him to be careful while cultivating the Azure Profound Art.

• Azure Phoenix Fairy told Ye Han to address her as Martial Aunt, and Ye Han insisted he would not remain a weak Qi Refining Realm cultivator forever.
• Qing Feng wondered whether Ye Han resembled a once-powerful True Disciple she had known, who had disappeared and was presumed dead.
• Ye Han declared that fear could not lead to cultivation, and Qing Feng reconsidered his prospects and agreed to see how far he would go.
• Ye Han asked for Qing Feng’s name, and she introduced herself as Qing Feng and gave him a bottle of Qi Refining Pills.
• Qing Feng warned Ye Han to be careful about cultivating the Azure Profound Art, and he asked what she meant.

Azure Phoenix Fairy warned Ye Han that he needed to become a True Disciple, then gave him five high-grade Qi Refining Pills before rushing away to answer an urgent summons. Ye Han discovered her pills were far superior to the one he had bought and decided to use the ordinary pill first, while Jin Feng plotted revenge.

• Azure Phoenix Fairy told Ye Han that becoming a True Disciple was his only path and gave him a bottle of high-grade Qi Refining Pills.
• Jin Feng watched Ye Han return to his Cave Abode and vowed to take revenge for being cheated and humiliated.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy remembered that Ye Han might not be able to handle the high-grade pills, but left after receiving an urgent talisman summon.
• Ye Han compared Azure Phoenix Fairy's five pills with his purchased pill and noticed the purchased one was cracked and weaker.
• Ye Han put the high-grade pills away and chose to use the ordinary Qi Refining Pill first.

After the Azure Phoenix Fairy took the Azure Profound Art manual from him, Ye Han hid his Purple Cauldron and Qi Refining Pills and worried about the dangers surrounding him. Unable to advance past the second level of Qi Refining, he tried an inferior Qi Refining Pill and discovered how quickly it strengthened him.

• Ye Han resolved to keep the Purple Cauldron and Qi Refining Pills hidden in his Cave Abode, where other cultivators could not easily find them.
• Ye Han worried that Zhang Qingshan had not returned and that Jin Feng or another cultivator might target him.
• Ye Han returned to the Cultivation Room and swallowed an inferior Qi Refining Pill to overcome his cultivation bottleneck.
• Ye Han circulated the Azure Profound Art, drawing the pill's medicinal power through his meridians and feeling his magical power grow after one cycle.
• Ye Han realized pill cultivation was far faster than meditation and wondered how quickly he would progress with the better pills from the Azure Phoenix Fairy.

Ye Han broke through to the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm with an Inferior Qi Refining Pill, then trained with the Blood Refining Art to strengthen his body and stabilize his cultivation. As he prepared to cultivate again, he noticed that the Purple Cauldron had changed once more.

• Ye Han reached the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm and discovered that his senses and awareness of spiritual energy had sharpened.
• Ye Han decided not to use the five better-quality Qi Refining Pills, wary of pill dependence and an unstable foundation.
• Ye Han practiced the Blood Refining Art, finding that his stronger body let him train longer and helped stabilize his cultivation.
• Ye Han thought about Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan's disappearance and the cultivator's skeleton he had found in the cave.
• Ye Han retrieved his Qi Refining Pills and the Purple Cauldron, then realized the cauldron had changed again.

Ye Han discovered that the Purple Cauldron had turned stone-like after the Qi Refining Pills he stored with it crumbled into ash. After cultivating beside it, he found his cultivation had increased enormously and realized the cauldron had absorbed the pills’ power.

• Ye Han found the Purple Cauldron stone-like and discovered the Qi Refining Pills had decayed into ash.
• Ye Han suspected the Purple Cauldron had absorbed the pills’ medicinal power and carried it into the Cultivation Room to test it.
• Ye Han cultivated with the Azure Profound Art while watching for a reaction from the cauldron, then became absorbed in meditation.
• Ye Han emerged from meditation with sharpened senses and greatly increased cultivation.
• Ye Han looked at the Purple Cauldron and exclaimed that he understood how it worked.

Ye Han emerged from a three-month meditation session with a much taller body, peak fourth-level Qi Refining Realm cultivation, and an exceptionally stable foundation. He suspected the Purple Cauldron could absorb pill potency and help him cultivate without the usual drawbacks, but he had no Spirit Stones or food and decided to go outside.

• Ye Han examined the Purple Cauldron and discovered that his cultivation had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm and that he had grown several inches taller.
• Ye Han saw autumn leaves outside his Cave Abode and estimated that he had meditated for about three months, then realized his senses had sharpened enough to notice tiny details and distant sounds.
• Ye Han found that his cultivation and foundation were stable, unlike after he had taken an inferior Qi Refining Pill.
• Ye Han recalled that the Purple Cauldron had absorbed the potency of Azure Phoenix Fairy's Qi Refining Pills and reasoned that it might let him cultivate without pill toxins, unstable foundations, or other pill drawbacks.
• Ye Han recognized that he had no Spirit Stones to buy more pills, found his stored food moldy, and considered going outside now that he looked like a youth.

Ye Han explored Seven Mysteries Peak, learned that the seven peaks would soon hold a trial awarding Foundation Establishment Pills, and wondered whether anyone would recognize him. The chapter ended when he spotted three people watching him and feared they had recognized him.

• Ye Han wandered around Seven Mysteries Peak, confident that his changed appearance and improved cultivation made him less recognizable.
• Ye Han looked over the workshops and market stalls but had no money to buy anything, so he planned to spend his silver on food.
• Ye Han overheard disciples discussing a joint trial in which the top performers would receive Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Ye Han considered the difficulty of reaching Foundation Establishment and the long lifespans cultivators could attain.
• Ye Han noticed three people staring at him and feared they had recognized him.

Ye Han encountered Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai, three disciples who seemed to be sizing him up and looking for a way to use him. They invited him to help with a mission in exchange for a share of the reward, and Ye Han asked what they needed him to do.

• Ye Han recognized Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai as the three disciples who had followed Zhang Qingshan and worried they might recognize him.
• Zhang Sanlei asked which martial uncle Ye Han studied under, and Ye Han claimed he had just arrived at Seven Mysteries Peak without naming his master.
• Ye Han suspected the three had helped spread word of his identity, but praised their supposed unity to keep them from openly threatening him.
• Zhang Sanlei asked about Ye Han's cultivation, and Ye Han said he was at the fourth layer of the qi refining realm.
• Wang Fulai and Li Zongqing offered Ye Han a share of a mission's reward and promised to look after him if he helped them.
• Ye Han asked how he could help the three senior brothers.

Ye Han agreed to help Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai lure a Demon Beast, though he suspected they had bad intentions and planned to avoid them. When he returned to his cave abode with food, he found Zhang Qingshan waiting there and noticed that his hand was injured.

• Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai pressured Ye Han into agreeing to help them trap a Demon Beast in Thousand Mountains Valley after promising him protection and a share of the reward.
• Ye Han told the three men he lived at the New Disciple Residence and planned to hide in his cave abode once they left.
• Ye Han bought a large supply of food at the Food Hall and headed back to his cave abode.
• Ye Han spotted Zhang Qingshan outside his cave abode and exclaimed when he saw that Zhang Qingshan's hand was injured.

Ye Han reunited with Zhang Qingshan, who returned from a dangerous mission badly injured and missing an arm. Zhang Qingshan praised Ye Han’s rapid progress, leaving Ye Han wondering whether his recent growth came from advancing his Blood Refining Art.

• Ye Han welcomed Zhang Qingshan back and noticed that he had lost an arm.
• Zhang Qingshan explained that enemies had ambushed him after his Blood-Dry Bird mission, leaving him badly wounded, and said he had returned to the cave more than ten days earlier.
• Ye Han realized that cultivating with the Purple Cauldron might have cut him off from the outside world and resolved to use it only somewhere safe.
• Zhang Qingshan urged Ye Han to avoid reckless risks and prioritize staying alive.
• Zhang Qingshan noticed Ye Han’s rapid cultivation progress and height gain, and Ye Han wondered whether his Blood Refining Art had advanced.

Ye Han explained his rapid cultivation to Zhang Qingshan and learned why Zhang planned to enter the Dark Forbidden Land despite his injuries. After Ye Han revealed Zhang Sanlei and the others’ baiting scheme, Zhang suspected they had also betrayed him, and Ye Han proposed setting them up.

• Ye Han told Zhang Qingshan that the Azure Phoenix Fairy had given him Qi Refining Pills, explaining his rapid cultivation.
• Zhang Qingshan asked to use Ye Han’s Cave Abode while recovering, then explained the Dark Forbidden Land selection and his determination to compete for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Ye Han warned Zhang about the danger of entering the Dark Forbidden Land while injured, but Zhang explained why he could not afford to miss the opportunity.
• Ye Han told Zhang Qingshan that Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai wanted him to serve as bait while hunting demonic beasts.
• Zhang Qingshan suspected the three had leaked his confidential mission whereabouts, and Ye Han suggested that they set the three up.

Ye Han urged Zhang Qingshan to help him take revenge on Zhang Sanlei and the others and seize the Demon Beast they sought, but Zhang Qingshan refused and advised him to focus on cultivation. The chapter left Ye Han asking how to learn spells after reaching the peak of the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, and Zhang Qingshan promising him a suitable Wood Element Spell.

• Ye Han argued that Zhang Qingshan should stop letting fellow disciples bully him and proposed taking the Demon Beast from Zhang Sanlei and the other two.
• Zhang Qingshan refused to involve Ye Han in his personal grudge and said they should focus on recovering and cultivating.
• Ye Han dropped the subject and told Zhang Qingshan that he had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm.
• Zhang Qingshan explained that Ye Han could begin learning basic incantations and hand seals.
• Zhang Qingshan offered to teach Ye Han a suitable Wood Element Spell after he learned the basics, and Ye Han eagerly asked what spell it was.

Ye Han learned the basic incantations and hand seals from Zhang Qingshan, making rapid progress despite the difficulty of using Spell Power to perform them. After Zhang Qingshan saw him create faint vortices of Spell Power, he said Ye Han was ready to learn a spell.

• Ye Han eagerly asked Zhang Qingshan to teach him spells, but Zhang Qingshan insisted he first learn basic incantations and hand seals.
• Zhang Qingshan taught Ye Han how incantations and hand seals worked together to mobilize spiritual energy and form spells.
• Ye Han learned more than a dozen incantations and hand seals in two days while Zhang Qingshan restored his cultivation with Healing Pills.
• Ye Han practiced in the Cave Abode's main hall and formed faint vortices of Spell Power in the air.
• Zhang Qingshan saw Ye Han's progress and said he could teach him a spell.

Zhang Qingshan taught Ye Han the Vine Soul Technique, and Ye Han began practicing it in his Cave Abode. Just as his attempts started showing progress, an angry familiar voice called for him outside, leaving him wary that someone had discovered his identity.

• Ye Han let Zhang Qingshan recover in his Cultivation Room, and Zhang Qingshan praised Ye Han's firm foundation and skill with hand seals and incantations.
• Zhang Qingshan gave Ye Han a manual for the Vine Soul Technique and explained how it could summon vines to attack and entangle enemies.
• Ye Han studied the manual and asked Zhang Qingshan to explain the parts he did not understand.
• Ye Han tried the technique three times; his vines briefly coiled around a heavy stone block before shattering, but he saw the block shift and continued practicing.
• After a little over two hours, an angry familiar voice called Ye Han out from beyond the Cave Abode, and Ye Han worried that someone had discovered who he was.

Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai confronted Ye Han at his cave abode, demanding his help against a Demon Beast, and Wang Fulai accidentally revealed their role in Zhang Qingshan’s injuries. Zhang Qingshan emerged and asked Ye Han to explain his plan for dealing with the three.

• Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai shouted at Ye Han’s cave abode, urging and threatening him to honor his promise to help them deal with a Demon Beast.
• Ye Han stayed inside and wondered who had revealed his identity, suspecting Jin Feng or the Fifth Elder.
• Wang Fulai threatened Ye Han by invoking Zhang Qingshan, then let slip that Zhang Qingshan had been left in a badly injured state.
• Ye Han realized Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai were likely responsible for Zhang Qingshan’s injuries.
• Zhang Qingshan left the Cultivation Room, dismissed Ye Han’s concern, and asked him to share his plan for dealing with the three.