Chapter Summaries

After learning that a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill could produce the same golden core as years of cultivation, He Pingsheng urged Qiao Huizhu to take one. She agreed to undergo her tribulation at the City Lord’s Manor, where they found the Immortal-Inquiry Terrace available that day.

• He Pingsheng finished reading the Cultivation Collection and learned that a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill produced a golden core equal to one condensed through decades of perseverance.
• He Pingsheng interrupted Qiao Huizhu’s seclusion, gave her a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill, and explained that she should form her core.
• Qiao Huizhu worried about facing a heavenly tribulation, so He Pingsheng reassured her and gave her an Ironwood Shield and Seven-Buckle Sharp-Gold Armor for protection.
• Qiao Huizhu chose to undergo her tribulation at the City Lord’s Manor to avoid harming living things in the wilderness.
• He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu arrived at the City Lord’s Manor and learned that the Immortal-Inquiry Terrace was free that day.

Qiao Huizhu began her Golden Core tribulation at the Immortal-Inquiry Terrace, protected by preparations from He Pingsheng. Her first four waves passed, but a rare five-nine tribulation appeared and drew the attention of three Nascent Soul cultivators.

• He Pingsheng bought an Ascension to Immortality Token and gave Qiao Huizhu the Jinlan Treasure Robe and other protective treasures.
• Qiao Huizhu took a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill at the Immortal-Inquiry Terrace, and a golden core formed in her dantian.
• Qiao Huizhu endured the first wave of lightning with her body and used her Ironwood Shield to withstand the next three waves.
• A five-nine heavenly tribulation gathered overhead, astonishing the watching cultivators.
• Three Nascent Soul cultivators arrived above the City Lord's Manor, and He Pingsheng recognized that they had come to observe Qiao Huizhu's tribulation.

Qiao Huizhu endured an eight-nine heavenly tribulation and survived, receiving creation golden light that healed her and caused her dao root to sprout. As she reunited with He Pingsheng, a Nascent Soul woman confronted him and demanded that he let Qiao Huizhu go.

• Qiao Huizhu used the Ice Essence Talismans and her remaining defenses to withstand the sixth, seventh, and eighth waves of tribulation lightning.
• The three Nascent Soul cultivators marveled at Qiao Huizhu’s eight-nine heavenly tribulation and resolved to take her as a disciple if she survived.
• Qiao Huizhu survived the final strike, and creation golden light healed her injuries and stabilized her dao root.
• Qiao Huizhu told He Pingsheng that her dao root had sprouted and embraced him.
• The Nascent Soul woman recognized He Pingsheng as the owner of the Taixu Alchemy Shop and ordered him to take his hands off Qiao Huizhu.

After Qiao Huizhu survived an Eight-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Murong Tianyuan and another Nascent Soul cultivator competed to take her as a disciple. He Pingsheng helped her secretly contact her master and request help from the Free and Carefree Immortal Sect.

• A female Nascent Soul cultivator invited Qiao Huizhu to become her disciple, but seventh-layer Nascent Soul cultivator Murong Tianyuan intervened and claimed her as his own.
• Qiao Huizhu asked to say farewell to He Pingsheng, and Murong warned him that the two were no longer equals.
• The female cultivator tried to spy on He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu through the Alchemy Shop's formation, which exposed her and prompted Murong to warn her.
• He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu discussed how to escape Murong's claim, and He gave her a Dao-Grinding Stone while she returned his Jinlan Treasure Robe.
• At He Pingsheng's urging, Qiao Huizhu used a Heartbond Talisman to tell her master about her tribulation and Murong's demand, asking her to come rescue her.

The Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden and True Person Guanglong argued before the Patriarch over Xu Kunlun's fight with Guanglong's disciples and the threat to Qiao Huizhu's Dao heart. After Qiao Huizhu reported that she had survived an Eight-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and that City Lord Murong wanted her as a disciple, the Patriarch kicked Guanglong out of the hall.

• The Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden threatened to attack Jade Tree Peak's disciples if Guanglong ruined Qiao Huizhu's Dao heart, while Guanglong demanded justice for Wuqiong and Zhang Qifeng.
• The Patriarch questioned Zhang Qifeng and Wuqiong, who claimed Xu Kunlun had disrupted their divine senses before striking them.
• The Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden accused Guanglong's disciples of provoking Qiao Huizhu's husband and warned that she would kill Wuqiong if Qiao Huizhu's Dao heart shattered.
• Qiao Huizhu sent a message saying she had survived an Eight-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and that City Lord Murong wanted to take her as his disciple.
• The Patriarch accused Guanglong of bullying his precious disciple and kicked him out of the hall.

Xiaoyaozi rushed to Redstone City to save Qiao Huizhu from Murong Tianyuan, revealing that he had recently reached the Spirit Transformation Realm. He rescued Qiao Huizhu, stripped two levels of Murong’s cultivation, and brought her and Bi Yun to He Pingsheng’s Alchemy Shop.

• Bi Yun persuaded Xiaoyaozi to hurry to Redstone City, and he used repeated Instantaneous Teleportation to carry her there.
• Qiao Huizhu told Murong Tianyuan that her master, the Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden, was coming, and Murong grew alarmed when he learned she belonged to the Free and Carefree Immortal Sect.
• Murong seized Qiao Huizhu and fled the city, but Xiaoyaozi intercepted him and pulled her free with a claw formed from spiritual energy and the Power of the Laws.
• Xiaoyaozi revealed that he had broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm and reduced Murong’s cultivation from the seventh to the fifth level of the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Xiaoyaozi teleported to He Pingsheng’s Alchemy Shop with Qiao Huizhu and Bi Yun.

Xiaoyaozi arrived at He Pingsheng’s pill shop and warned Qiao Huizhu about the dangers of her prematurely sprouted dao root. He explained that a Dao-Restoring Pill could remedy its deficiency, but its rare main ingredient was mystic yellow-and-black-and-white lotus root.

• Xiaoyaozi examined He Pingsheng, recognized his connection to True Person Taixu, and recalled losing a fight to him in the past.
• Xiaoyaozi told Qiao Huizhu that her eight-nine lightning tribulation marked her as exceptionally gifted and urged her to remain in the Free and Carefree Immortal Sect until she reached the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Xiaoyaozi allowed He Pingsheng to visit and leave the sect freely because he was Qiao Huizhu’s husband.
• Xiaoyaozi warned Qiao Huizhu not to comprehend Daoist Law because her prematurely sprouted dao root was fragile and deficient.
• He Pingsheng and Bi Yun discussed the Dao-Restoring Pill, and Xiaoyaozi identified mystic yellow-and-black-and-white lotus root as its exceptionally rare main ingredient.

He Pingsheng learned that the rare Dao-Restoring Pill grew only in the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm, then visited Mi Zangyuan to ask how he had attained Golden Core Dao Access. Mi revealed that his deficient Dao Root had repaired itself after sixty years, leaving He Pingsheng worried that the same wait would be useless for Qiao Huizhu.

• Xiaoyaozi told Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden that the Mystic Yellow-and-Black-and-White Lotus Root grew in the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm, which admitted only Foundation Establishment disciples.
• He Pingsheng asked Xiaoyaozi how Mi Zangyuan had comprehended Daoist Law without a Dao-Restoring Pill, but Xiaoyaozi did not know.
• Xiaoyaozi learned that He Pingsheng had a Five-Element Spiritual Root and that powerful Divine Sense had let him defeat Xiaoyaozi’s granddisciples.
• He Pingsheng traveled to Tianqiang Mountain and waited at the Mi Household for Mi Zangyuan to return.
• He Pingsheng told Mi Zangyuan that Qiao Huizhu had attained Golden Core Dao Access and asked how Mi had repaired his deficient Dao Root.
• Mi Zangyuan explained that his Dao Root had repaired itself during sixty years without cultivation, and He Pingsheng worried that Qiao Huizhu could not afford to wait that long.

He Pingsheng agreed to wait eleven years for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm to open so he could retrieve the black-and-white lotus root for Qiao Huizhu. Meanwhile, Daoist Long Yuan learned that Qiao Huizhu’s tribulation revealed acquired fortune, and the Liang Kingdom patriarch declared that the lotus root would reach her despite any efforts to stop it.

• The Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden told He Pingsheng that the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm would open in eleven years, when the black-and-white lotus root matured, and asked him to retrieve it for Qiao Huizhu.
• He Pingsheng agreed to wait for the Secret Realm and risk the delay, and the Azure Cloud Immortal Maiden promised that her patriarch would seek treasures to help him break through his bottleneck.
• Daoist Long Yuan learned that Qiao Huizhu had undergone the Eight-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and concluded that she had acquired extraordinary fortune through contact with He Pingsheng, whom he identified as Xu Kunlun.
• The Liang Kingdom patriarch told his subordinates that Qiao Huizhu’s fortune meant the black-and-white lotus root would reach her regardless of their attempts to prevent it.

The Liang Kingdom’s Imperial Family moved the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm opening forward to three months from now and offered a Blood-Jade Purple-Skinned Jujube to whoever obtained the unripe Mystic Yellow-and-Black-and-White Lotus Root. He Pingsheng recognized the plan to destroy the lotus root before it ripened, but decided to enter the secret realm anyway; Xiaoyaozi told Xu Kunlun not to go and said he would seek another way to stabilize the Dao Root.

• The Liang Kingdom’s forefather advised the emperor not to oppose the Great Fortune Bearer and ordered the royal secret realm opened three months later, with a Blood-Jade Purple-Skinned Jujube offered alongside the lotus root.
• Ling Zhiwang told He Pingsheng that the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm would open in three months and that Foundation Establishment cultivators could compete for entry slots.
• He Pingsheng realized the Imperial Family had moved the opening ahead of the lotus root’s ripening to encourage its destruction, but resolved to obtain and enhance it with the Treasure-Gathering Basin.
• Xiaoyaozi condemned the Imperial Family’s scheme and told Xu Kunlun not to enter the secret realm, promising to find another way to stabilize the Dao Root.

He Pingsheng learned that Redstone Commandery would allocate places for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm expedition through a competition and an auction, but Elder Jingxin barred him from both routes. He decided to seek a place in another commandery, and Ling Zhiwang directed him to a friend in South Long Commandery.

• He Pingsheng read the City Lord's Manor's allocation plan and registered for the competition as Xu Kunlun, receiving token number 1886.
• Elder Jingxin demanded He Pingsheng's token and declared that he could not participate, so he handed it over and left the manor.
• Ling Zhiwang told He Pingsheng that Jingxin had also instructed the Red Moon Trading Company to keep him out of the auction and planned to prevent him from obtaining a place.
• He Pingsheng asked how to try another commandery, and Ling Zhiwang gave him a token and directed him to his friend in Southern Heaven City, South Long Commandery.

He Pingsheng traveled to Southern Heaven City disguised as Cheng Daocai to find a qualification token for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm. Qin Zhou took him to a hidden black market, where He Pingsheng began seeking a token.

• He Pingsheng took a jade slip from Ling Zhiwang and flew from Redstone City to Southern Heaven City aboard an immortal ship.
• Disguised as Cheng Daocai, He Pingsheng met Qin Zhou, Ling Zhiwang's friend, who said all the secret realm spots had been distributed.
• Qin Zhou told He Pingsheng that unregistered qualification tokens could still be traded at the black market and offered to take him there.
• Qin Zhou led He Pingsheng through a guarded entrance into a black market housed inside a magical treasure.
• Qin Zhou introduced He Pingsheng to Brother Lou, who asked what he wanted to buy.

He Pingsheng visited the Black Market with Qin Zhou and traded a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill for a qualification and a Life-and-Death Token for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm. After leaving, he rewarded Qin Zhou with another supreme-grade pill and disappeared into the night.

• He Pingsheng paid Brother Lou an introduction fee to find a qualification for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm.
• Da Ya brought Su Zhenzhen to meet He Pingsheng, and she offered a black qualification Token and a white Life-and-Death Token as a set.
• He Pingsheng traded Su Zhenzhen a supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill for the two Tokens.
• He Pingsheng thanked Brother Lou and left the Black Market with Qin Zhou.
• He Pingsheng gave Qin Zhou another supreme-grade Origin-Reaching Pill as thanks, then vanished before Qin Zhou could respond.

Daoist Long Yuan and Red Lotus searched for He Pingsheng at the Taixu Alchemy Shop but found only Cheng Daocai, then decided to wait for him at the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm. Meanwhile, He Pingsheng boarded a ship from Southern Heaven City and arrived in Western Shu Commandery.

• Daoist Long Yuan and Red Lotus visited the Taixu Alchemy Shop and asked Cheng Daocai for its proprietor, He Pingsheng.
• Cheng Daocai told them that Xu Kunlun was away, and Red Lotus threatened him before Long Yuan stopped her.
• Daoist Long Yuan concluded that He Pingsheng would enter the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm and planned to wait at its entrance.
• He Pingsheng paid for passage, boarded the great ship, and settled into his assigned room.
• After four days at sea, the ship landed in a large plaza in Western Shu Commandery.

He Pingsheng arrived at the plaza outside the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm, where he encountered Su Zhenzhen and searched for a map. Elder Jingxin attacked him with her divine sense, but He Pingsheng resisted and struck back, leaving her screaming in pain.

• He Pingsheng met Su Zhenzhen at the plaza, declined her offer to enter the secret realm together, and went to inspect a stall selling maps.
• Elder Jingxin spotted He Pingsheng from her ship and decided to kill him in secret.
• Jingxin attacked He Pingsheng's sea of consciousness, but his nine divine sense shields helped him survive.
• He Pingsheng swallowed a supreme-grade Dual Spirit Pill and expanded his divine sense to around twenty thousand zhang.
• As Jingxin prepared to attack again, He Pingsheng pierced her sea of consciousness with seven divine sense spikes.

He Pingsheng attacked Jingxin and Long Yuan with Formless Big Dipper Nails, leaving both cultivators badly injured. Long Yuan mistook the attack for the work of a hidden protector and sent Red Lotus to watch He Pingsheng and wait for the Secret Realm to open.

• Jingxin survived He Pingsheng’s divine sense attack with her jade artifact, then hid behind formations to repair her sea of consciousness.
• He Pingsheng recovered his divine sense and saw Long Yuan in the square, realizing Long Yuan might recognize him.
• Long Yuan looked directly at He Pingsheng and approached him, so He Pingsheng launched Formless Big Dipper Nails first.
• He Pingsheng’s attack badly disrupted Long Yuan’s sea of consciousness, and Long Yuan fled with Red Lotus using Instantaneous Teleportation.
• Long Yuan told Red Lotus to watch He Pingsheng without provoking him and to follow him into the Secret Realm if it opened.

He Pingsheng waited for the Five Dragon Ravine Secret Realm to open, then entered after Elder Futu announced the imperial family's reward and the realm's dangers. He arrived inside the secret realm, where the first ravine awaited him.

• He Pingsheng replenished his divine sense, changed his appearance, and waited nearly two months after the map seller was arrested.
• The Great Liang Imperial Family's golden flying boat arrived, and He Pingsheng learned that imperial disciples would enter the secret realm.
• Elder Futu announced that the secret realm would open eleven years early and offered a Blood-Jade Purple-Skinned Jujube to whoever obtained the mystic yellow-and-black-and-white lotus root.
• Elder Futu warned the cultivators about Golden Core Stage demon beasts and dangers from other entrants, and explained how to escape using a Life-and-Death Token.
• Elder Futu opened the formation, and He Pingsheng flew into the black vortex and arrived in the secret realm.

He Pingsheng entered Gold Ravine, where a formation prevented flight and metal spiritual power filled the valley. After spotting Red Lotus searching for Xu Kunlun, he attacked her with the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Slaying Banner, shattering both of her defensive barriers.

• He Pingsheng and the other cultivators fell into Gold Ravine when they discovered they could no longer fly, then he investigated the valley and its dense metal spiritual power.
• A cultivator uncovered a small spirit stone mine and collected its stones while He Pingsheng continued searching for mystic yellow-and-black-and-white lotus root.
• The Royal Family’s disciples entered with Red Lotus, who approached He Pingsheng and showed him a Jade Slip portrait of Xu Kunlun.
• He Pingsheng pretended to recognize Xu Kunlun, then attacked Red Lotus with the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Slaying Banner and broke through her two defensive barriers.

He Pingsheng killed Red Lotus, then discovered a cave filled with dense yin baleful energy and entered to investigate. A Commandery Princess and five companions headed toward the same cave to obtain Extreme Yin Azure Gold guarded by a powerful Yin Baleful Creature.

• He Pingsheng killed Red Lotus before her Life-and-Death Token teleported away her headless body, then took her Storage Bag.
• He Pingsheng left the imperial disciples behind and continued through Golden Dragon Ravine until he found a side valley filled with growing yin baleful energy.
• He Pingsheng used his divine sense to probe a black cave entrance but found the yin energy severely limited its reach, so he entered the cave.
• The Commandery Princess told her five companions that her brother had discovered Extreme Yin Azure Gold inside the cave and had been wounded by its early Golden Core Stage Yin Baleful Creature.
• The Commandery Princess said they would set up a formation to capture the creature and obtain the Extreme Yin Azure Gold for her mother.

He Pingsheng descended to the bottom of a cavern and found a massive azure-gold stone emitting yin baleful energy. After a Golden Core Stage beast attacked him, he used lightning and a spear to drive it off, took the stone, and escaped back to the valley.

• He Pingsheng descended through the cavern and discovered an azure-gold stone that he suspected was connected to an earth yin vein.
• He Pingsheng tried to cut the stone free, but a Golden Core Stage yin baleful beast attacked him.
• He Pingsheng used the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Slaying Banner’s lightning to counter the beast’s attack and struck it with the Heaven-Deficiency Divine Spear.
• The wounded beast shrank and concealed itself, while He Pingsheng cut free the stone and stored it away.
• He Pingsheng hurried out of the cavern and emerged in the valley.