Chapter Summaries

Ye Han used the ancient spirits drawn by strengthening the Purple-Gold Little Sapling to master cultivation arts of several elements during his extended stay in the Ancient Spirit Cave. After a year and a half inside, he swallowed the Purple-Gold-rune-covered Golden Fruit in preparation for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

• Ye Han discovered that colliding with an ancient spirit had changed his spell power to fire, but he could still circulate the Azure Mystic Art and return it to wood.
• Ye Han found that strengthening the Purple-Gold Little Sapling with Foundation Establishment Pill Spirit Liquid attracted ancient spirits, then used encounters with them to deepen his cultivation.
• Ye Han cultivated four-element spells and a water-type art from his spoils, while remaining in the cave to attempt a breakthrough.
• Zhang Lingjun told the Seventh Elder that Ye Han had stayed in the Ancient Spirit Cave for a year and a half, and the Seventh Elder predicted Ye Han was nearing Foundation Establishment.
• Ye Han swallowed the Golden Fruit covered in Purple-Gold Runes, hoping it would help him become a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

Ye Han swallowed the Golden Fruit and endured its immense power as he compressed his spell power to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Outside the Ancient Spirit Cave, disciples realized that the surging spiritual energy came from the Qi Refining Realm area and suspected Ye Han was advancing.

• After the Golden Fruit ripened, Ye Han swallowed it and felt its power transform his body as spiritual energy flooded into him.
• Ye Han realized he needed to compress his spell power into liquid rather than merely circulate it faster, and began forcing it through his meridians.
• The Golden Fruit's golden liquid repeatedly repaired Ye Han's splitting flesh and meridians as he completed successive cycles of compression and grew stronger.
• Disciples gathered outside the Ancient Spirit Cave after noticing spiritual energy surging toward a location inside.
• A disciple identified the disturbance as coming from the Qi Refining Realm area, and others connected it to Ye Han, who had stayed in the cave for a year and a half.

After spending a year and a half in the Ancient Spirit Cave, Ye Han successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm amid a massive surge of spiritual energy. He remained in seclusion for two more months to cultivate, then prepared to leave after using up the Purple Cauldron’s stored energy.

• Disciples gathered outside the Ancient Spirit Cave and recognized the immense spiritual energy disturbance as Ye Han’s Foundation Establishment breakthrough.
• Jin Feng realized Ye Han had become the Seventh Elder’s official disciple and worried that he could no longer afford to offend him.
• Ye Han successfully established his foundation and sensed that his spell power, divine sense, qi and blood, primordial spirit, and soul had grown stronger.
• Ye Han used a Grain-Repelling Pill and absorbed the Purple Cauldron’s energy to improve his cultivation rather than leaving the Ancient Spirit Cave immediately.
• After two months, Ye Han exhausted the Purple Cauldron’s stored energy and found that his cultivation had advanced by only one-fifth of a layer, so he decided to leave seclusion.

Ye Han emerged from the Ancient Spirit Cave after reaching Foundation Establishment and reunited with Han Yuwan and the Azure Phoenix Fairy, who had both been waiting for him. The Azure Phoenix Fairy hinted that she recognized his connection to Green Ox Village, while Han Yuwan offered him a congratulatory gift.

• Han Yuwan greeted the Azure Phoenix Fairy, introduced herself, and congratulated her on her cultivation.
• Ye Han emerged from the Ancient Spirit Cave and greeted Han Yuwan and the Azure Phoenix Fairy, who praised his rapid advancement to Foundation Establishment.
• Han Yuwan said she had come to congratulate Ye Han and prepared a gift for him.
• The Azure Phoenix Fairy invited Ye Han to visit Green Ox Village with her, and he agreed to visit her later.
• The Azure Phoenix Fairy flew away as nearby disciples speculated about Ye Han's relationships with both fairies.
• Han Yuwan repeated that she had prepared a gift for Ye Han.

After Ye Han advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Han Yuwan gave him a Cloud-Piercing Boat, which he bound to himself and flew for the first time. Zhang Lingjun arrived with a message that Ye Han’s master wanted to see him, while Han Yuwan said she would wait at Ye Han’s cave abode.

• Han Yuwan congratulated Ye Han and gave him the Cloud-Piercing Boat as a gift.
• Ye Han bound the boat with his essence blood and Divine Sense Mark, then flew it through the sky.
• Han Yuwan joined Ye Han in flight on her White Jade Gourd and wondered about his meeting with Azure Phoenix Fairy and their plan to visit Green Ox Village.
• Zhang Lingjun arrived, congratulated Ye Han, and told him that his master wanted to see him.
• Ye Han followed Zhang Lingjun toward Seven Mysteries Peak, and Han Yuwan said she would wait at Ye Han’s cave abode.

Ye Han reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the Seventh Elder rewarded him with two powerful treasures while expecting his future service. After returning to his cave abode and reuniting with Han Yuwan and White Snow, Ye Han was greeted by Jin Feng.

• Ye Han bowed to the Seventh Elder, who praised his Foundation Establishment cultivation and gave him a Dragon-Binding Bracelet and a Protective Ring.
• The Seventh Elder told Ye Han to consolidate his cultivation and contribute to him and Seven Mysteries Peak, then watched him leave aboard the Cloud-Piercing Boat.
• Ye Han considered the gifts and the Azure Phoenix Fairy’s invitation to Green Ox Village as he flew back to his cave abode.
• Ye Han found Han Yuwan with White Snow, whose cultivation had grown stronger, and White Snow congratulated him on advancing.
• Jin Feng descended before them and asked whether Ye Han was there.

Jin Feng visited Ye Han and Han Yuwan, thanked Ye Han for the two Spirit Stones that had led him to a chance to reach Foundation Establishment, and invited them to explore the place where he had found his opportunity. Ye Han and Han Yuwan were intrigued by the prospect of mysterious treasures still hidden there.

• Jin Feng arrived at Ye Han's cave abode and congratulated him on reaching Foundation Establishment, while Ye Han recalled their past conflict.
• Jin Feng thanked Ye Han, saying that borrowing two Spirit Stones from him had led to the opportunity that helped him advance without a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Ye Han and Jin Feng set aside their past dispute, and Ye Han invited Jin Feng and Han Yuwan into his cave abode.
• Jin Feng revealed that he had explored only half of the place where he found his opportunity and said that mysterious treasures remained there.
• Jin Feng invited Ye Han and Han Yuwan to explore the place with him, and the two exchanged intrigued glances.

After sparring with Han Yuwan, Ye Han exchanged his sect token and received new Foundation Establishment rewards, then grew worried that Zhang Qingshan had not returned and decided to look for him. Elsewhere, a mysterious cult master tortured Han Qiushui, who implicated Ye Han in the death of the cult master's son.

• Jin Feng invited Ye Han and Han Yuwan to discuss a future treasure hunt, then left after they talked about cultivation.
• Ye Han defeated Han Yuwan in a spell spar and learned that Zhang Qingshan had not returned and Wang Fa had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.
• Ye Han exchanged his Identity Token, selected an Earth Spirit Shield and the Divine Incarnation Formula, and learned that Zhang Qingshan had not advanced or returned.
• Worried for Zhang Qingshan, Ye Han decided to go search for him.
• A cult master tortured Han Qiushui, who suggested that Ye Han might have killed the cult master's son and explained why he suspected him.

Mo Lan led Ye Han to the Azure Phoenix Fairy, who explained that she recognized him because he looked exactly like Seven Mysteries Peak’s late Eldest Senior Brother. Ye Han was shaken by the revelation, and the Azure Phoenix Fairy left him wondering whether his resemblance had influenced the Seventh Elder to take him as a disciple.

• Mo Lan escorted Ye Han up Elegant Beauty Peak to meet the Azure Phoenix Fairy, while Ye Han considered his reasons for planning a trip down the mountain.
• Ye Han asked the Azure Phoenix Fairy how she knew he came from Green Ox Village, and she sent Mo Lan away before answering.
• The Azure Phoenix Fairy asked Ye Han about Seven Mysteries Peak’s late Eldest Senior Brother, whom Ye Han knew only through rumors.
• The Azure Phoenix Fairy said Ye Han looked exactly like Eldest Senior Brother and revealed that this resemblance had prompted her to help him on Seven Mysteries Peak.
• Ye Han wondered whether Eldest Senior Brother was his father, and the Azure Phoenix Fairy asked why he thought the Seventh Elder had taken him as a disciple.

Ye Han learned that Azure Phoenix Fairy suspected he was connected to Eldest Senior Brother, possibly as his son, and agreed to return with her to Green Ox Village to investigate. As they traveled, she admitted she knew neither the exact connection nor who Ye Han’s mother might be.

• Ye Han realized the Seventh Elder had likely helped him because of his connection to Eldest Senior Brother, but he denied to Azure Phoenix Fairy that he was the man’s child.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy said Ye Han’s spirit root and Azure Mystic Art matched Eldest Senior Brother’s, and revealed she had visited Green Ox Village after hearing he had appeared there.
• Ye Han admitted he had found the Azure Mystic Token and Azure Mystic Art in a cave, then wondered whether Eldest Senior Brother had died there; Azure Phoenix Fairy said she had found no remains.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy proposed returning to Green Ox Village to search the cave again, and Ye Han flew there with her.
• On the way, Azure Phoenix Fairy said she knew of no woman who had been Eldest Senior Brother’s Cultivation Partner; upon reaching Green Ox Village, Ye Han spotted a familiar-looking boy herding cattle.

Ye Han returned to Green Ox Village with Azure Phoenix Fairy and revisited the cave where he had found the Azure Mystic Token, Azure Mystic Art, and golden cicada silk. The cave’s history deepened his suspicions about Eldest Senior Brother, and Ye Han asked Azure Phoenix Fairy about Teacher Lan Qing, whose connection to the mystery remained unknown.

• Ye Han saw Wang Laocai’s youngest son herding cows and chose not to visit the villagers.
• Ye Han and Azure Phoenix Fairy explored the cave, where Ye Han recalled finding the Azure Mystic Token, Azure Mystic Art, and golden cicada silk.
• Ye Han wondered whether Eldest Senior Brother had been killed by the Black-Horned Beast, though he doubted the powerful cultivator could have lost to it.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy said the Black-Horned Beast had escaped her and revealed she had sensed a mortal in the cave when she first visited.
• Ye Han confirmed that Teacher Lan Qing had told him to go to the Azure Profound Sect and asked Azure Phoenix Fairy who Teacher Lan Qing was.

Ye Han uncovered an Ancient Times Teleportation Array buried beneath the cave after noticing that its soil differed from the surrounding earth. He and Azure Phoenix Fairy wondered whether Eldest Senior Brother had used the array to leave.

• Azure Phoenix Fairy said Teacher Lan Qing was an ordinary Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator, while Ye Han remained suspicious and searched the cave for clues about Eldest Senior Brother.
• Ye Han examined the pit where he had found the Purple Cauldron and reasoned that the cave might conceal something unusual underground.
• Ye Han used the Thick Earth Art to overturn the cave floor and reveal an ancient formation with eighteen pillars, several of them destroyed.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy identified the formation as an Ancient Times Teleportation Array and asked how Ye Han had found it.
• Ye Han explained that the cave’s whitish-gray soil differed from the surrounding yellow earth, then asked whether Eldest Senior Brother might have left through the array.

Ye Han and Azure Phoenix Fairy discovered a damaged Ancient Times Teleportation Array that might have been used by Eldest Senior Brother, who could still be alive at its destination. They recorded its diagram and agreed to keep the discovery secret until they could investigate further, then parted ways as Ye Han set out to complete sect missions and visit Azure Cloud City.

• Ye Han suggested that Eldest Senior Brother might have used the Ancient Times Teleportation Array and been unable to return after its pillars were damaged.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy agreed the array could lead to Eldest Senior Brother, but said they would need to repair it and find a matching Teleportation Token.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy recorded the array's formation disk, and Ye Han asked for a copy so he could study how to repair it.
• Ye Han and Azure Phoenix Fairy left the cave, and Azure Phoenix Fairy sealed its entrance with a restriction.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy asked Ye Han not to tell the Seventh Elder about the array until they knew more, and Ye Han agreed.
• Azure Phoenix Fairy returned to the Azure Profound Sect while Ye Han chose to travel beyond the mountains, complete sect missions, and visit Azure Cloud City.

Ye Han completed two sect missions in Black Demon Forest and traveled to Azure Cloud City to buy pills before heading toward Heavenly Demon Valley to search for Zhang Qingshan. Han Qiushui recognized him despite his disguise and alerted a shadowy figure, who set out to avenge his child, while three cultivators approached Ye Han and called for him to wait.

• Ye Han left Green Ox Village after casting spells on its wells, and the villagers later became healthier and more prosperous.
• Ye Han killed two third-tier demon beasts in Black Demon Forest, completed his sect missions, and headed to Azure Cloud City.
• Ye Han entered Heavenly Peace Market in disguise, sold unwanted treasures, and bought pills from Han Qiushui.
• Han Qiushui identified Ye Han by his VIP Token and told a shadowy figure, who vowed to avenge his child and departed to deal with him.
• Ye Han flew toward Heavenly Demon Valley to search for Zhang Qingshan when three cultivators approached and called for him to wait.

Ye Han was pursued by three Foundation Establishment cultivators who recognized him as a disciple of the Azure Profound Sect and attacked him with flying treasures. He identified their Black Mountain Cult emblems and realized they were seeking revenge for his killing of Young Master Black Mountain as their copper treasures descended on him.

• Ye Han fled when three Foundation Establishment cultivators tried to intercept him, but their leader pursued him and asked if he was Ye Han of the Azure Profound Sect.
• Ye Han denied his identity, and the leader attacked with golden spears while the dark-faced cultivator fired arrows at his back.
• The female cultivator used a blue ring to slow Ye Han, but he dispelled its icy effect with the Fire Mystic Art and continued fleeing.
• The leader ordered the others to go all out and sent eight enlarged copper-coin treasures crashing toward Ye Han.
• Ye Han spotted the Black Mountain Cult emblems and realized his pursuers wanted revenge for Young Master Black Mountain.

Ye Han was surrounded by three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators seeking revenge for Young Master Black Mountain, but he used an Earth Escape Talisman and a clay decoy to escape their attacks. The pursuers realized he had vanished and worried about answering to their sect leader.

• Ye Han used the Earth Spirit Shield to block attacks from the middle-aged cultivator’s copper coins, the female cultivator’s freezing rain, and the dark-faced archer’s arrows, but the assault forced him and his Cloud-Piercing Boat to the ground.
• Ye Han struck a copper treasure away with his body-tempering technique, then realized the three cultivators had come to avenge Young Master Black Mountain.
• Ye Han used an Earth Escape Talisman to burrow underground while the dark-faced archer fired arrows at the ground and the other two pursued him with their Spirit Artifacts.
• The middle-aged cultivator smashed an earth-colored clay figure, and the three pursuers discovered that Ye Han had already escaped.

Ye Han escaped an ambush by three Black Mountain Cult cultivators and deduced that Han Qiushui had exposed his connection to Young Master Black Mountain. He lured the dark-faced man into a valley, destroyed his attempt to send a warning, and launched a counterattack.

• The middle-aged cultivator sent the three pursuers in different directions to search for Ye Han.
• Ye Han emerged from a tree more than a dozen li away, having escaped with Wood Escape while a puppet decoy drew the attackers away.
• Ye Han suspected Han Qiushui had linked him to Young Master Black Mountain after following him at Heavenly Peace Market.
• Ye Han hid from the dark-faced man, then feigned injury to lure him into following along a mountain path.
• The dark-faced man shot through Ye Han's decoy and tried to send a warning, but Ye Han destroyed the Messaging Talisman with a flame beam.
• Ye Han ambushed the dark-faced man with six Wood Spirit Flying Swords and a barrage of azure Sword-Rays.

Ye Han fought the dark-faced burly man, breaking through his Parent-Child Flying Knives and clashing with his Blood-Baleful Demon Blade. As the man tried to summon help, a vast dark shadow descended on them.

• The dark-faced burly man attacked Ye Han with his Parent-Child Flying Knives, but Ye Han's Qing Xuan Sword Formation shattered their blade light and knocked the knives away.
• Ye Han formed an enormous sword from his sword-rays and struck at the dark-faced burly man, who countered with the Blood-Baleful Demon Blade and a blood shadow.
• The blood shadow's attack tore apart Ye Han's sword formation and knocked away his Wood Spirit Flying Swords, so Ye Han used the Soul-Slaying Sword to fight back.
• Ye Han's golden sword-rays shattered the blood shadow, badly injuring the dark-faced burly man.
• The dark-faced burly man released a Messaging Talisman to call Senior Brother Sima and the others, but a vast dark shadow suddenly came crashing down.

Ye Han used the Dragon-Binding Bracelet to trap and kill Liu Zhi, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, then escaped. Senior Brother Sima and the female cultivator found Liu Zhi’s remains, notified the Cult Leader, and set off together to pursue Ye Han.

• Ye Han immobilized Liu Zhi with the Dragon-Binding Bracelet and killed him with the Soul-Slaying Sword before burning his remains and collecting his treasures.
• Ye Han flew away on the Cloud-Piercing Boat before Liu Zhi’s companions arrived.
• Senior Brother Sima and the female cultivator found Liu Zhi’s death aura and realized he had been killed.
• Senior Brother Sima sent a Messaging Talisman to notify the Cult Leader and decided to pursue Ye Han together with the female cultivator.

Ye Han escaped the Black Mountain Cult and decided to strengthen himself by refining several Spirit Artifacts with resources from the Purple Cauldron. He flew toward the Heavenly Demon Valley, still concerned that his Cloud-Piercing Boat was too slow.

• Ye Han suspected Han Qiushui had exposed his identity to the Black Mountain Cult but decided to postpone investigating him.
• Ye Han considered reporting the Black Mountain Cult to the Azure Profound Sect but chose to hunt its members himself for their treasures.
• Ye Han used the dark-faced Cultivator's Storage Bag to begin refining the Water Spirit Bow and the eight Millennium Ironwood Swords.
• Ye Han consumed a third of the pills he had bought while refining more than a dozen treasures, including the eight swords.
• Ye Han boarded the Cloud-Piercing Boat and flew toward the Heavenly Demon Valley, wishing he could make it faster.