Chapter Summaries

The Fifth Elder recruited Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai to expose Ye Han’s background and target him, claiming Ye Han had obtained his cave abode by trading a Foundation Establishment Pill to the Seventh Elder. The three agreed to investigate and act against Ye Han, while the Fifth Elder planned to let other disciples covet the cave abode and attack him.

• Zhang Sanlei asked the mysterious senior why Ye Han lived in the Seventh Elder’s cave abode before agreeing to help.
• The senior claimed Ye Han had received an Azure Mystic Token and a Foundation Establishment Pill, then traded the pill to the Seventh Elder for the cave abode.
• Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai accepted the offer of three magic artifacts and agreed to target Ye Han.
• The Fifth Elder revealed that he had recruited the three disciples to spread Ye Han’s background and provoke others into coveting his cave abode.

Ye Han asked Zhang Qingshan about immortal spells, but learned his cultivation was too low to use them. Zhang Qingshan then explained body tempering and agreed to teach him.

• Zhang Qingshan warned Ye Han that Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai were dangerous and advised him to stay cautious.
• Ye Han asked Zhang Qingshan to teach him immortal spells, but Zhang Qingshan explained that Ye Han needed to reach the middle stage of the Qi Refining Realm before he could cast them.
• Zhang Qingshan demonstrated his body-tempering strength and explained how training the body helped cultivators fight and endure breakthroughs.
• Ye Han eagerly asked Zhang Qingshan to teach him the body-tempering method.

Li Zongqing, Wang Fulai, and Zhang Sanlei plotted to target Ye Han, believing the Fifth Elder backed their scheme. After practicing the Blood Refining Art, Ye Han faced Zhang Qingshan’s urgent question about whether he was truly the Seventh Elder’s disciple.

• Zhang Sanlei told Li Zongqing and Wang Fulai that Ye Han had received a cave abode in exchange for his Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Zhang Sanlei claimed the Fifth Elder had wanted the pill for a grandson and had ordered them to act against Ye Han.
• The three planned to spread rumors about Ye Han, provoke others to target him, and watch how the Seventh Elder responded.
• Ye Han practiced the first level of the Blood Refining Art Zhang Qingshan had taught him, completing fifty-one strenuous repetitions.
• Zhang Qingshan arrived looking grim and asked Ye Han whether he was really the Seventh Elder’s disciple.

Ye Han confirmed to Zhang Qingshan that he was not the Seventh Elder’s disciple and had traded a Foundation Establishment Pill for his Cave Abode. Zhang Qingshan warned him that the rumors could make him a target, and Ye Han hoped to secure his friend’s protection and bind their interests together.

• Zhang Qingshan told Ye Han that rumors claimed he had traded an Azure Mystic Token and Foundation Establishment Pill for the Cave Abode rather than receiving it as the Seventh Elder’s disciple.
• Zhang Qingshan warned that someone had deliberately spread the rumors and that other cultivators might target Ye Han and his Cave Abode.
• Ye Han admitted that the rumors were true and explained that he had traded the pill to the Seventh Elder for the Cave Abode.
• Ye Han suspected the Fifth Elder had spread the rumors in retaliation after Ye Han had rejected his proposed trade.
• Ye Han chose to tell Zhang Qingshan the truth because he trusted his concern and wanted his help and protection.

Ye Han explained how the Azure Mystic Token and his Cave Abode protected him from being targeted, then persuaded Zhang Qingshan to keep cultivating there alongside him. Zhang Qingshan promised to defend Ye Han, and the chapter ended with their partnership framed as one of the key supports of cultivation.

• Ye Han told Zhang Qingshan that the Cave Abode was his protection and invited him to continue cultivating there.
• Zhang Qingshan worried that people might target Ye Han because he lacked a powerful backer, but Ye Han pointed to the Azure Mystic Token and Zhang Qingshan himself as safeguards.
• Ye Han reflected that the Azure Mystic Token obligated the Azure Profound Sect to protect him and that exchanging his Foundation Establishment Pill for a Cave Abode had followed Teacher Lan Qing's advice.
• Zhang Qingshan agreed that the Cave Abode made Ye Han harder to target and promised that no cultivator below the Foundation Establishment Realm could bully him.
• Ye Han considered how wealth, cultivation methods, companionship, and land supported a cultivator, with the Cave Abode and his bond with Zhang Qingshan providing the latter two.

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 Mystic Art, and Ye Han claimed that his Azure Mystic Token explained it.
• Ye Han considered the origins of the Azure Mystic Token, Azure Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic Art.

Ye Han convinced the Azure Phoenix Fairy that he had found the Azure Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic 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.