Recaps

He Pingsheng was pursued by two members of the Blackwind Three Fiends, who tried to kill him and take his treasures. He used a Fire Pellet Talisman and an Ice Arrow Talisman to kill both attackers.

• The eldest and third Blackwind Fiends chased He Pingsheng by Flying Boat and caught him above the mountains.
• He Pingsheng fought back with Fire Crows and the Fire Shield Technique, but the brothers pressed him with fireballs and Flying Swords.
• He Pingsheng used a Fire Pellet Talisman to blast the eldest Blackwind Fiend into pieces.
• The third Blackwind Fiend fled, but He Pingsheng killed him with an Ice Arrow Talisman.

After killing two of the Blackwind Three Fiends, He Pingsheng enhanced a Storage Bag into an enormous, invisible version and concealed his spoils. He returned to cultivation and, a year later, had advanced his metal and earth techniques and learned a new defensive spell.

• He Pingsheng collected the Blackwind Boss’s and the third brother’s belongings, then returned to his outer-sect courtyard to inventory them.
• He found about eight hundred spirit stones, magical artifacts including a Cloud-Piercing Boat, and four cultivation manuals among the spoils.
• He enhanced a Storage Bag in the Treasure-Gathering Basin and discovered it held a ten-zhang space and could become undetectable when worn.
• He Pingsheng stored most of his possessions in the invisible Storage Bags, kept a few ordinary items in his Treasure Bag, and returned to Bamboo Peak.
• He Pingsheng refined his Flying Sword and Greenwood Shield, enhanced his metal- and earth-attribute techniques, and cultivated the earth technique.
• Over the next year, He Pingsheng raised both his earth- and metal-attribute cultivation to the sixth level of Qi Refining and learned the Earth Armor Technique.

He Pingsheng bought Golden Bone Pill ingredients and a water-attribute cultivation manual while improving his pill-refining skills. After collecting a reward from True Person Yu Ning, he began enhancing the new manual, but a woman in red arrived demanding ten batches of middle-grade Qi-Gathering Pills.

• He Pingsheng bought two sets of Golden Bone Pill ingredients and arranged to buy a water-attribute cultivation manual from an outer disciple.
• He Pingsheng refined Golden Bone Pills and Qi-Gathering Pills, producing several middle-grade pills, then gave the pills to Zhao Ling'er.
• Zhao Ling'er took He Pingsheng to report his improved pill-making to True Person Yu Ning, who rewarded him with two hundred spirit stones.
• He Pingsheng checked the copied water-attribute manual against its original, paid the outer disciple fifty spirit stones, and returned home to enhance it.
• A woman in red pounded on He Pingsheng's gate and demanded that he refine ten batches of middle-grade Qi-Gathering Pills from her ingredients.

He Pingsheng refused Linglong’s demand that he refine pills, then went to the Virtue-Honoring Garden after Uncle-Master Jade Virtue summoned him. A golden giant python attacked him outside the garden, and He Pingsheng tried to defend himself with a Fire Pellet Talisman.

• Linglong asked He Pingsheng to refine ten batches of middle-grade pills, but he refused and shut his courtyard gate on her.
• Linglong threatened He Pingsheng and revealed that True Person Jade Virtue was her grandfather.
• Zhao Ling'er brought an attendant who summoned He Pingsheng to the Virtue-Honoring Garden, while she went to seek their master's help.
• As He Pingsheng waited outside the garden, he sensed danger and leaped away just before a golden giant python struck the ground.
• The python chased He Pingsheng and lunged at him, so he pulled out a Fire Pellet Talisman in an attempt to fight back.

He Pingsheng survived the Golden Giant Python’s attack and accused no one directly, though he realized Linglong had likely arranged the trap. Jade Virtue dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding and gave He Pingsheng compensation, while Yu Ning took him and Zhao Ling'er away.

• He Pingsheng blasted the Golden Giant Python with a Fire Pellet Talisman, but its injured head struck him through his defenses and sent him crashing to the ground.
• Yu Ning arrived and fought the Golden Giant Python until Jade Virtue subdued it and questioned He Pingsheng.
• He Pingsheng explained that Ming Zhu had summoned him under a forged decree, and Linglong produced Ming Zhu’s corpse, claiming she had executed him.
• Zhao Ling'er accused Linglong of plotting against He Pingsheng after he refused to refine pills, but He Pingsheng declined to accuse her outright.
• Jade Virtue called the attack a misunderstanding, gave He Pingsheng a Treasure Bag as compensation, and Yu Ning left with He Pingsheng and Zhao Ling'er.

He Pingsheng received the [Golden Fist] spell from Yu Ning and enhanced it through the Treasure-Gathering Basin, gaining the offensive [Yellow Turban Strongman] spell. After twenty days of practice, he successfully summoned a powerful phantom warrior.

• Yu Ning scolded Zhao Ling'er for accusing Linglong without proof, then praised her for defending He Pingsheng and advised him not to force himself to refine pills for others.
• Zhao Ling'er said she was close to breaking through to the ninth level but needed to purge pill toxin, and He Pingsheng offered to refine [Clear Spirit Pills].
• He Pingsheng told Yu Ning he lacked spells, chose [Golden Fist] from the manuals she offered, and left with Zhao Ling'er.
• He Pingsheng enhanced [Golden Fist] in the Treasure-Gathering Basin and received the defensive Vajra Shield and offensive Yellow Turban Strongman spells.
• After studying Yellow Turban Strongman for twenty days, He Pingsheng summoned a ten-foot golden phantom wielding a massive axe.

He Pingsheng learned that the Green Screen Mountain Secret Realm would open in half a year and that he needed to reach the late qi refining stage to enter. Yu Ning explained the secret realm’s dangers and rules, leaving He Pingsheng with a chance to qualify if he advanced his cultivation in time.

• He Pingsheng tested the Yellow Turban Strongman's strength, then spent half a year cultivating until he reached the peak of the sixth layer of qi refining stage.
• Yu Ning summoned her disciples, scolded Xu Kunlun for failing to advance, and urged He Pingsheng to break through to the seventh layer.
• Yu Ning announced that the Green Screen Mountain Secret Realm would open in half a year and encouraged her disciples to participate if they reached the late qi refining stage.
• Yu Ning explained that the secret realm rejected foundation establishment cultivators and that its trial grounds had no rules for fighting over treasures.
• Yu Ning told the disciples that sect members usually searched together, but they might fight one another for rare treasures, and that the sect and individual generally split the spoils evenly.

He Pingsheng joined Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing to plan for the Green Screen Mountain Trial, then learned that Linglong and Jade Virtue had killed his parents. He kept his identity and grief hidden from his fellow disciples as he realized Uncle-Master Yuxuan had once tried to protect him.

• Zhao Ling'er brought He Pingsheng to Xu Kunlun's courtyard, where the four disciples agreed to support one another during the Green Screen Mountain Trial and share treasures according to their contributions.
• Xu Kunlun recounted how Linglong had tortured and killed Hao Yun after he refused to reveal where his Golden Bone Pill came from.
• Xu Kunlun told the group that Linglong had ordered He Sanjie swallowed by a giant python and that Jade Virtue had killed He Sanjie's Dao companion when she sought an explanation.
• He Pingsheng realized He Sanjie and his Dao companion were his parents, and struggled to conceal his shock and grief.
• He Pingsheng connected Uncle-Master Yuxuan's old warning not to reveal his parentage to the need to protect him from Jade Virtue and Linglong.

He Pingsheng learned that the secret realm held abundant spirit herbs and rare treasures, including the Water Essence Spirit Apricot, which could help cultivators break through Qi Refining bottlenecks. He left to continue cultivating, reassured that he was only at the sixth layer and had his Treasure-Gathering Basin.

• Xu Kunlun explained that the secret realm’s spiritual energy nourished vast quantities of spirit plants, including ingredients for pills and rare third-grade spirit roots.
• Zhao Ling'er and Xu Kunlun told He Pingsheng that the Water Essence Spirit Apricot could help a Qi Refining cultivator advance one layer, and that cultivators had died fighting over one.
• Xu Kunlun explained that Qi Refining cultivators faced bottlenecks that pills could not overcome, and warned that He Pingsheng’s Five-Element Spiritual Root might bring him several.
• Zhao Ling'er and Tian Xiaoqing urged He Pingsheng not to worry about future bottlenecks, and he decided to focus on breaking through to the seventh layer.
• Xu Kunlun gave He Pingsheng two jin of spirit tea to take back with him.

He Pingsheng reached the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage and prepared for the Green Screen Mountain Secret Realm by inventorying his supplies and advancing all five of his dantians. With the secret realm a little over a month away, he reunited with his fellow disciples and set off for Horsehead Mountain Market to buy supplies.

• He Pingsheng broke through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage and took stock of his artifacts, talismans, spirit stones, pills, and spells for the upcoming trial.
• He Pingsheng cultivated for five months, bringing his metal, wood, water, fire, and earth dantians to the seventh level and mastering the Ren Water Escape Technique and Vajra Shield.
• He Pingsheng left his courtyard and met Zhao Ling'er, who had reached the ninth level; Tian Xiaoqing was at the eighth level and Xu Kunlun at the seventh.
• Zhao Ling'er got True Person Yu Ning's permission for the group to visit Horsehead Mountain Market, and she and Xu Kunlun took He Pingsheng and Tian Xiaoqing there on two Paper Cranes.

Linglong learned that He Pingsheng had reached the seventh level of qi refining and planned to deal with him at the upcoming Green Screen Mountain Trial. He Pingsheng then visited Horsehead Mountain Market with Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing, where he began shopping for talismans.

• Junior Brother Qin told Linglong that He Pingsheng had broken through to the seventh level of qi refining and gone to Horsehead Mountain Market with Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing.
• Linglong decided to wait for the Green Screen Mountain Trial to take revenge on He Pingsheng for rejecting her.
• He Pingsheng and his companions arrived at the crowded Horsehead Mountain Market, where disciples from many sects were preparing for the trial.
• Zhao Ling'er and Tian Xiaoqing went to look for low-grade defensive magical artifacts, while Xu Kunlun joined them and He Pingsheng chose to shop for talismans.
• He Pingsheng asked a Heavenly Talisman Mountain disciple about her Fireball, Ice Needle, Binding, and Lightning Talismans, and learned that a Fireball Talisman could be activated instantly for an attack equivalent to a seventh-level qi refining spell.

He Pingsheng bought first-grade talismans for the Emerald Screen Mountain trial, then tried to purchase a second-grade Blazing Fire Talisman for protection from Jade Virtue. He learned that every shop charged 1,800 spirit stones, more than he could afford, and left without one.

• He Pingsheng bought two Ice Needle Talismans, two Lightning Talismans, and an Earth Shield Talisman for 400 spirit stones.
• He Pingsheng sought a second-grade talisman because he feared Jade Virtue might discover his identity and kill him.
• He Pingsheng found a low-grade Blazing Fire Talisman at a shop, but the shopkeeper priced it at 1,800 spirit stones.
• He Pingsheng checked three more shops and found the Blazing Fire Talisman cost the same at each, so he realized he could not afford it.

He Pingsheng browsed a market stall of strange treasures before finding a rare Disguise Talisman for sale. He bought it after learning it could disguise him from most qi refining cultivators, leaving the market with a way to conceal his identity.

• He Pingsheng examined a black bead at a stall run by a white-haired old man, but walked away when the man demanded ten thousand spirit stones.
• He Pingsheng browsed the busy market, where vendors sold talisman scriptures, monkey wine, and other goods.
• He Pingsheng found a young woman selling talismans and asked about a yellow paper talisman.
• The young woman explained that her low-grade Disguise Talisman could change his appearance three times for four hours each and fool qi refining cultivators, but not foundation establishment cultivators.
• He Pingsheng bargained the price down from two hundred spirit stones to one hundred and eighty and agreed to buy the talisman.

He Pingsheng learned that the Vine Armor Shield he had sold to Harmony Hall was being resold for more, then discovered that Zhao Ling'er, Tian Xiaoqing, and Xu Kunlun had pooled their spirit stones to buy a mysterious black bead. He followed them to Yu Ning, who also found the bead’s effect on divine sense remarkable but could not identify it.

• He Pingsheng waited for Xu Kunlun, Zhao Ling'er, and Tian Xiaoqing, then learned the Vine Armor Shield he had sold for 1,150 spirit stones was being sold for 1,500.
• The four flew back to Bamboo Peak, where Zhao Ling'er showed He Pingsheng a black bead the three disciples had bought together for 1,000 spirit stones.
• He Pingsheng recognized the bead as the item a suspicious old man had tried to sell him for 10,000 spirit stones, but he did not tell the three their purchase was a scam.
• Zhao Ling'er, Tian Xiaoqing, Xu Kunlun, and He Pingsheng brought the bead to Yu Ning for inspection.
• Yu Ning held the bead, felt her divine sense grow clearer, and failed to discover what the bead was before asking how much the disciples had paid.

Yu Ning took her disciples’ Black Bead to present to Grand Ancestor Chongyang, who exposed it as a poisonous Jilan Flower Seed. After learning it had cost two thousand spirit stones, Yu Ning sent all four disciples to spend seven days in reflection punishment at the Teleportation Plaza.

• Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing pooled one thousand spirit stones to buy a Black Bead, and Yu Ning offered them two thousand for it as a birthday gift for Grand Ancestor Chongyang.
• Yu Ning brought the disciples to Chongyang’s Daoist Grounds, where he recognized He Pingsheng from their earlier meeting.
• Chongyang identified the Black Bead as a Jilan Flower Seed that numbed divine sense and gave Yu Ning spirit stones to cover the loss.
• Yu Ning ordered Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing to undergo seven days of reflection punishment at the Teleportation Plaza.
• Yu Ning also ordered He Pingsheng to join them, despite his protest that he had not known about the purchase.

With the secret realm opening soon, He Pingsheng completed his preparations by mastering the Ren Water Escape Technique and enhancing his talismans. Yu Ning summoned her nine disciples to announce their early departure, but Hou Muxian objected to leading them because he planned to seek a Water Essence Spirit Apricot in the core region.

• Yu Ning waived He Pingsheng and the other three disciples’ reflection punishment after Hou Muxian came to the Teleportation Plaza.
• He Pingsheng returned to seclusion, practiced the Ren Water Escape Technique, and enhanced his talismans before organizing his magical artifacts and supplies.
• Seven days before the secret realm opened, Zhao Ling'er summoned He Pingsheng to Yu Ning Palace for a meeting.
• Yu Ning announced that all nine of her disciples had qualified for the secret realm and ordered them to depart that afternoon in Moon-White Sect Daoist Robes.
• Yu Ning appointed Hou Muxian to lead the group, but he objected because he intended to enter the core region and seek a Water Essence Spirit Apricot to break through his cultivation bottleneck.

He Pingsheng prepared to enter the Alliance Secret Realm with the Great Void Sect disciples, after Yu Ning warned them about the dangers and gave them escape tokens. At the Great Void Hall, he concealed his hatred for Linglong after she humiliated him by exposing the women’s clothing in his Treasure Bag.

• Yu Ning assigned He Pingsheng, Zhao Ling'er, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing to team up, gave the disciples jade tokens that took three breaths to activate, and sent them to follow Elder Xuanyang.
• He Pingsheng packed his belongings, including women’s clothing he planned to use as a disguise, and joined the disciples at Bamboo Peak’s Teleportation Plaza.
• Linglong threatened He Pingsheng, then snatched his Treasure Bag and dumped out its contents, mocking him for carrying women’s clothing.
• Luo Yu pulled Linglong away, and Hou Muxian led the disciples through a Teleportation Array to the Great Void Hall.

He Pingsheng traveled with the Great Void Sect disciples aboard Elder Xuan Yang’s Flying Boat to the Green Screen Mountain Secret Realm for the Daoist Profound Alliance’s trial. The boat arrived at a crowded square, where He Pingsheng spotted the guarded formation that appeared to lead into the secret realm.

• Elder Xuan Yang gathered the disciples, explained how their Life-and-Death Tokens worked, and led them aboard his Flying Boat.
• Xuan Yang confirmed that disciples from all Ten Peaks were present and set off southeast with them.
• He Pingsheng and the disciples watched the scenery pass as the Flying Boat crossed mountain ranges and flew past Icebound Mountain.
• After two days, Xuan Yang landed the Flying Boat in a square filled with cultivators from other sects and lineages.
• He Pingsheng noticed an enormous formation guarded by eighteen cultivators in golden Daoist robes at the back of the square.

He Pingsheng learned how the secret realm was guarded and browsed the cultivators’ stalls with his companions. He chose to buy the Bronze Skin Golden Bone Scripture despite Zhao Ling’er’s warning, seeing it as a useful way to spend time while holding back his cultivation.

• Zhao Ling’er explained that eighteen Foundation Establishment disciples from different sects guarded the secret realm entrance to prevent any sect from entering early.
• Xu Kunlun invited He Pingsheng and Zhao Ling’er to look at the stalls, where cultivators were selling pills, talismans, and other goods.
• He Pingsheng recognized the beautiful talisman seller from Horsehead Mountain Market, who remembered selling him a Disguise Talisman.
• Zhao Ling’er teased He Pingsheng about the seller, and he hurried away to browse another stall.
• He Pingsheng discovered the Bronze Skin Golden Bone Scripture, a body-refining technique, and decided to try it despite Zhao Ling’er’s objection.

He Pingsheng and three fellow Bamboo Peak disciples entered the secret realm and searched for spirit herbs. They found hundreds of Immortal Bamboo Shoots, a first-grade ingredient for Qi-Gathering Pills, and prepared to harvest them.

• Elder Xuanyang sent the Great Void Sect disciples into the secret realm in batches and gave He Pingsheng's group new Treasure Bags.
• He Pingsheng, Zhao Ling'er, Tian Xiaoqing, and Xu Kunlun landed together and agreed to share any spirit herbs they found equally.
• Tian Xiaoqing scattered Seven-Leaf Spirit Herb seeds as the group traveled through the mountains.
• After finding no spirit plants for about an hour, the group spotted a grove of Immortal Bamboo.
• Xu Kunlun identified hundreds of Immortal Bamboo Shoots, and Zhao Ling'er told the group to harvest them all.

Zhao Ling'er and the others left most of the immortal bamboo shoots behind and climbed a mountain to survey the secret realm. After identifying a Tiger-Striped Golden Bee and learning how valuable its jelly was, Zhao Ling'er proposed finding its hive.

• Zhao Ling'er stopped the group from gathering more bamboo shoots, and the four divided ten each among themselves.
• He Pingsheng led Zhao Ling'er, Tian Xiaoqing, and Xu Kunlun up a mountain to look for landmarks, but Zhao Ling'er could not locate them on the map.
• Two Tiger-Striped Golden Bees approached the group; Zhao Ling'er killed one, while Xu Kunlun's palm strike sent the other flying away.
• Zhao Ling'er explained that the bees were deadly but their jelly could restore spiritual power, neutralize poisons, and help refine pills.
• Zhao Ling'er urged the others to search for the hive and record its location if they could not gather any jelly.

Zhao Ling'er led He Pingsheng, Xu Kunlun, and Tian Xiaoqing into a cliffside cave to collect Tiger-Striped Golden Bee Jelly, but an immense swarm drove them back outside. Trapped on a narrow platform with thousands of bees covering their barriers, they faced imminent danger.

• Zhao Ling'er warned the group about the bees' lethal venom and told them to retreat or crush their jade talismans if the swarm became overwhelming.
• The four entered the cave with defensive barriers and ran deeper as increasing numbers of bees pursued them.
• Zhao Ling'er decided the group should retreat after the swarm grew too large to withstand.
• A vast cloud of bees surged out from deeper in the cave and chased the four onto the narrow cliffside platform.
• Zhao Ling'er called for them to use their Paper Cranes, but thousands of bees covered their barriers before anyone could escape.

Tian Xiaoqing, Zhao Ling'er, and Xu Kunlun escaped a swarm of Tiger-Striped Golden Bees by crushing their Jade Tokens, while He Pingsheng jumped from the cliff and survived using his Water Escape Technique. The three returned to Emerald Screen Mountain and told Elder Xuanyang that He Pingsheng remained inside, leaving the bee swarm's location unknown until he came out.

• As the light membrane weakened under the Tiger-Striped Golden Bees, He Pingsheng suggested jumping into the pool below and said he knew the Water Escape Technique.
• Tian Xiaoqing, Zhao Ling'er, and Xu Kunlun crushed their Jade Tokens and teleported away, leaving He Pingsheng alone at the cave entrance.
• He Pingsheng jumped from the cliff, broke his left leg when he hit the pool, then escaped the bees by swimming downstream with the [Ren Water Escape Technique].
• He Pingsheng set up a Defense Formation, swallowed a Supreme Golden Bone Pill, healed his leg, and decided to spend the night rather than continue searching for treasures.
• Xu Kunlun, Tian Xiaoqing, and Zhao Ling'er appeared on the plaza, where Elder Xuanyang questioned them about leaving the secret realm so early.
• Zhao Ling'er told Elder Xuanyang they had encountered tens of thousands of Tiger-Striped Golden Bees and said He Pingsheng was still inside, so they did not know where the swarm was.

He Pingsheng used the moonlight inside the secret realm to strengthen a body-tempering technique, obtaining the Heaven Tier Nine-Toxin Golden Body and choosing it over the Fire-Bathed Golden Body Art. He headed back to the Tiger-Striped Golden Bees to collect Poison Pellets and began by killing one bee.

• He Pingsheng placed a jade slip containing the Bronze Skin Golden Bone Scripture in the Treasure-Gathering Basin and let moonlight essence strengthen it overnight.
• He Pingsheng examined the strengthened jade slips and found the Heaven Tier Fire-Bathed Golden Body Art and Nine-Toxin Golden Body techniques.
• He Pingsheng chose the Nine-Toxin Golden Body because it could temper his body and grant resistance to poisons, and because he could begin cultivating it with Tiger-Striped Golden Bee Poison Pellets.
• He Pingsheng packed his belongings, left his formation in place, and returned toward the Tiger-Striped Golden Bees' nest to obtain Poison Pellets.
• He Pingsheng spotted a Tiger-Striped Golden Bee and killed it with a precise strike from his Flying Sword.

He Pingsheng cultivated the Nine-Toxin Golden Body with Tiger-Striped Golden Bee Poison Pellets, gaining resistance to poison and tougher skin. He then entered the hive, collected a gourd of bee jelly, and returned to his formation to sample it.

• He Pingsheng learned to circulate his blood and refined four Poison Pellets, completing the first level of the Nine-Toxin Golden Body's Qi Refining Chapter.
• He Pingsheng tested his new resistance by letting a Tiger-Striped Golden Bee sting him and found its poison did not affect him.
• He Pingsheng entered the hive with Fire Crows and a Stalwart Stone Talisman, pushing through swarms of golden bees.
• He Pingsheng collected roughly a gourdful of bee jelly and gathered thousands of golden bee carcasses before returning to his formation.
• He Pingsheng circulated his blood to reduce the swelling from the stings, then tasted a drop of the bee jelly.