Chapter Summaries

After consolidating his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, Xu Qingtong learned that Cloudsky Peak had prospered during his seclusion and decided to scout the Valley of the Dead alone while Du Siwen remained in seclusion. He entered the barren valley cautiously and uncovered buried tree trunks, leaving him to wonder what had transformed the place.

• Xu Qingtong emerged from seclusion, learned from Mei Xianghan that Du Siwen was still in seclusion, and asked Ding Jiayue about Cloudsky Peak's progress.
• Ding Jiayue told Xu Qingtong that the new disciples were advancing, Zhuang Shengren's remittances eased the peak's finances, and Lei Wei led disciples on trials in the Demon Baleful Forest.
• Xu Qingtong decided to scout the Valley of the Dead alone, gave Ding Jiayue instructions, and departed Cloudsky Peak after visiting the communications post and Zhuang Shengren at the Spirit Stone Mine.
• At the valley entrance, Xu Qingtong sent Xizi ahead to check for danger, then cautiously followed the gully into the barren valley.
• When the midday heat drove Xu Qingtong to seek shelter, he dug into a rock face and uncovered buried tree trunks, prompting him to suspect the valley had once been a forest.

Xu Qingtong uncovered clues that the Valley of the Dead might be connected to the ancient Sea Tribe, while Xiao Qi attempted a breakthrough inside the Seven-Star Bracelet. When a scorpion horseshoe crab attacked, Xu Qingtong exploited its weak divine soul and killed it with a Divine Sense Thorn.

• Xizi dug up two different ancient treasure fragments and a patterned shell that led Xu Qingtong to suspect the Sea Tribe had once lived in the valley.
• Xu Qingtong discovered Xiao Qi was absorbing chaos mist while attempting a breakthrough and decided not to disturb it.
• After night fell, Xu Qingtong sensed a scorpion horseshoe crab approaching and confirmed its poisonous stinger could petrify prey.
• Xu Qingtong stunned the scorpion horseshoe crab with Soul-Piercing Nails, then killed it by driving a Divine Sense Thorn into its head.

Xu Qingtong fought a powerful Corpse Charm and her two Corpse Fiends after she approached his cave. He defeated one Corpse Fiend and tore the Corpse Charm’s Storage Bag away, but her sudden roar struck him at close range.

• Xu Qingtong burned the dead Scorpion Horseshoe Crab, let Xizi eat it, and stored its shell.
• Xu Qingtong sensed a Corpse Charm approaching his cave with two Corpse Fiends and prepared to fight, while Xizi hid underground.
• The Corpse Charm scattered Xu Qingtong’s fiery serpents with a roar and resisted his Rushou Seal and Soul-Piercing Nails.
• Xu Qingtong trapped the Corpse Charm in an Ice Wall, then worked with Xizi to attack the two Corpse Fiends and tore a Corpse Crystal from one.
• After the Corpse Charm broke free, Xu Qingtong bound her with Green Vines and used the Shadowless Evasion Technique to snatch her Storage Bag.
• The Corpse Charm opened her mouth and sent an invisible sound wave at Xu Qingtong.

Xu Qingtong escaped the Valley of the Dead after discovering the Corpse Charm could not cross its entrance, then returned at dawn and encountered a far stronger Corpse Fiend. He fled the valley again after its roar knocked him unconscious and resolved to return when he was stronger.

• Xu Qingtong drove off the Corpse Charm by escaping the valley, then confirmed it could not pass the entrance and examined the ancient items from its Storage Bag.
• Xu Qingtong found that most of the Storage Bag’s contents had decayed, while a Black Jade Slip resisted his powerful divine sense and remained unreadable.
• At dawn, Xu Qingtong sensed a Corpse Fiend approaching inside the valley and ran for the entrance.
• Xu Qingtong escaped the Corpse Fiend, but its roar struck him down with a sonic attack outside the valley.
• Xu Qingtong regained consciousness, fled farther from the entrance, and decided to return to investigate after growing stronger.

Xu Qingtong explored Black Witch Marsh and discovered a Dragon Crocodile Turtle in a lake. With Xiao Qi newly advanced and Xizi in reserve, he fought the turtle while Xiao Qi handled an Ironback Centipede, leaving Xu Qingtong attempting to restrain the turtle with Green Vines.

• Xu Qingtong abandoned his exploration of the Valley of the Dead and traveled north to Black Witch Marsh.
• Xu Qingtong discovered that a small island in a lake was a Dragon Crocodile Turtle approaching the shore.
• Xiao Qi emerged from the Seven-Star Bracelet after advancing to the middle stage of the third tier and warned Xu Qingtong about the turtle.
• Xu Qingtong released Xizi underground and had Xiao Qi fight an approaching Ironback Centipede as the Dragon Crocodile Turtle charged ashore.
• Xu Qingtong defended against the turtle's Water Arrow and countered with a Fire Dragon, then tried to freeze it with an Ice Wall.
• Xiao Qi told Xu Qingtong to target the turtle's nose, and he sent Green Vines around it with the Goumang Seal.

Xu Qingtong and his spirit beasts hunted demon beasts across Black Witch Marsh, but a strange mound and an unusual tree drew his attention. When he probed a hollow in the tree, an immense suction pulled him inside.

• Xu Qingtong, Xiao Qi, and Xizi killed a Dragon Crocodile Turtle, harvested its inner core, and divided its remains.
• Xu Qingtong and his spirit beasts fought several more powerful demon beasts and collected demon cores and materials.
• A poisoned Water Boa ambushed Xu Qingtong beside a pool, but Xiao Qi and Xizi protected him until he recovered and killed it.
• After exploring much of Black Witch Marsh, Xu Qingtong found a bare earthen mound and an unusual tree nearby.
• Xu Qingtong discovered a hollow in the tree and was sucked into it when he probed inside with his divine sense.

Xu Qingtong fell through a hollow tree into an unfamiliar realm and was welcomed by the Witch Clan chief, Si Yuanzhi. After Si Yuanzhi invited him to stay for a few days, Xu Qingtong asked Yi Tonghe about the clan’s presence beyond Qing and Bing Provinces.

• Xu Qingtong emerged from a dark passage, was attacked by Yi Tonghe and Shi Yu'er, and learned that an unseen clan chief had stopped them.
• Yi Tonghe and Shi Yu'er led Xu Qingtong through a settlement of tree houses to meet Si Yuanzhi, chief of the Witch Clan.
• Xu Qingtong asked Si Yuanzhi to show him how to leave, but Si Yuanzhi invited him to stay and arranged a welcoming banquet.
• Yi Tonghe took Xu Qingtong to a nearby wooden house, where Xu Qingtong asked him to call him Big Brother Xu.
• Xu Qingtong asked Yi Tonghe why Witch Clan members were absent from Qing and Bing Provinces.

Xu Qingtong learned that the Witch Clan’s Lesser Heaven Realm lay outside Qing and Bing Provinces, then attended a banquet where he demonstrated his immortal arts and watched the Second Elder perform powerful shamanic arts. Si Yuanzhi and the elders tested Xu Qingtong’s abilities as they considered recruiting him, and the chapter ended with Si Yuanzhi beginning to explain how Witch Clan arts worked without spiritual power.

• Yi Tonghe told Xu Qingtong that they were in the Lesser Heaven Realm, not Qing and Bing Provinces, and Xu asked how Yi could wield such powerful attacks without magic power.
• Si Yuanzhi told two elders that divination had revealed Xu possessed great fortune and proposed testing him at a welcoming banquet before deciding whether to recruit him.
• Shi Yu'er escorted Xu Qingtong to the banquet, where Si Yuanzhi asked him to demonstrate his immortal arts.
• Xu Qingtong used object manipulation and fire dragons to serve and warm the wine, then sent the cups to the guests.
• The Second Elder summoned a giant that smashed pits into the ground and vanished after being struck by purple lightning.
• Xu Qingtong asked how the Second Elder’s powerful spells worked without spiritual power, and Si Yuanzhi began explaining the difference between Witch Clan and Daoist arts.

Si Yuanzhi explained the Witch Clan’s history and asked Xu Qingtong to join them and someday find them a new home. Xu Qingtong agreed on the condition that he conceal his affiliation until he was strong enough and never betray humans or harm the Witch Clan.

• Si Yuanzhi described the Witch Clan’s star-powered Shamanic Arts and offered to teach Xu Qingtong their cultivation technique.
• Si Yuanzhi revealed that the Witch Clan had fled Central Province ten thousand years earlier, lost its strongest cultivators in war, and remained trapped in a Lesser Heaven Realm.
• Si Yuanzhi asked Xu Qingtong to join the Witch Clan and eventually break its seal and find the clan a place to live.
• Xu Qingtong initially refused because he would not betray his human ancestors, but Si Yuanzhi assured him the clan sought only a peaceful home and would not ask him to harm humans.
• Xu Qingtong agreed to join the Witch Clan if Si Yuanzhi concealed his identity until he was strong enough and accepted that he would never betray humans or harm the Witch Clan; Si Yuanzhi agreed.

Xu Qingtong learned the Witch Clan’s writing and Taiyi Heart Method, then began cultivating with the power of the stars and studying witchcraft. After half a month, he successfully summoned a ghostlike monster and sent it to strike a tree.

• Xu Qingtong agreed to join the Witch Clan and asked to learn its writing, so Si Yuanzhi assigned Shi Yu'er to teach him.
• Xu Qingtong used his powerful Divine Sense and memory to master more than ten thousand Witch Clan characters in less than three days.
• Si Yuanzhi gave Xu Qingtong the Taiyi Heart Method after Xu Qingtong swore not to pass it on to outsiders.
• Xu Qingtong opened a Star Sea at his spleen and cultivated the power of the stars, gathering a bean-sized wisp of black mist overnight.
• Xu Qingtong studied the witchcraft recorded on the animal hide and memorized its contents before the Restriction restored.
• After half a month of cultivation, Xu Qingtong summoned a ghostlike monster and directed it to strike a tree trunk.

Xu Qingtong learned that ancestral blood could strengthen his Shamanic Arts and merged with the Blood of the Witch Ancestor, accelerating his cultivation. After spending over half a year studying and training in the Lesser Heaven Realm, he prepared to return to Bingzhou and received guidance and protective treasures from Si Yuanzhi.

• Xu Qingtong demonstrated the Summoning Technique, and Si Yuanzhi explained that true Shamanic Arts required Witch Clan bloodline power.
• Si Yuanzhi tested Xu Qingtong's compatibility with ancestral blood and, after Xu Qingtong agreed, merged it into him.
• The ancestral blood accelerated Xu Qingtong's cultivation, and over the next half year he studied Witch Clan books and Shamanic Arts until reaching the witchborn intermediate stage.
• Xu Qingtong told Si Yuanzhi he planned to leave the Lesser Heaven Realm for Bingzhou, and Si Yuanzhi gave him a beast hide of cultivation insights and a Jade Spirit Tablet for divination.
• Si Yuanzhi hesitated, then solemnly took out another object.

Xu Qingtong left Black Witch Marsh and returned to Cloudsky Peak after nearly a year away, bringing a Witch Clan Elder Token and a Calamity-Substitute Pill. He reunited with Du Siwen and learned she had advanced to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, but her account of a recent sparring competition was left unfinished.

• Si Yuanzhi gave Xu Qingtong a Calamity-Substitute Pill and the Witch Clan's Elder Token before opening a passage for him to leave.
• Xu Qingtong returned to Black Witch Marsh, decided to leave its remaining northern areas to the Azure Sea Gate, and flew to the Spirit Stone Mine.
• Xu Qingtong met Zhuang Shengren, heard that the peak had been peaceful, and promised to refine pills and swords for him before returning to Cloudsky Peak.
• Du Siwen angrily welcomed Xu Qingtong back, then listened as he recounted his travels to the Valley of the Dead and Black Witch Marsh.
• Xu Qingtong congratulated Du Siwen on reaching the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and gave her a color-changing seashell.
• Du Siwen began telling Xu Qingtong about a sparring competition held with the Azure Sea Gate two months earlier.

After Azure Sea Gate disciples injured two Cloudsky Peak disciples, Xu Qingtong confronted sect master Mu Shaoping and defeated him in a fight. Mu Shaoping admitted defeat, but refused Xu Qingtong’s demand for compensation, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Du Siwen told Xu Qingtong that Azure Sea Gate disciples had injured two Cloudsky Peak disciples and that Mu Shaoping had dismissed the injuries as unavoidable.
• Xu Qingtong brought Du Siwen to Azure Sea Gate, where he destroyed the mountain gate after Mu Shaoping left them waiting.
• Mu Shaoping challenged Xu Qingtong, who used his five divine seals to disarm and severely injure him.
• Xu Qingtong rebuked Mu Shaoping for letting his disciples bully weaker opponents and demanded ten thousand spirit stones for each injured disciple.
• Mu Shaoping refused to pay the compensation Xu Qingtong demanded.

Xu Qingtong settled the dispute with Azure Sea Gate and returned to Cloudsky Peak, where he planned to train his disciples before eventually seeking a route to the Central Province. He reunited with Fu Xingzhi and Li Yingjie, while Du Siwen remained troubled by his longing for Dongfang Hui.

• Mu Shaoping gave Xu Qingtong fifty thousand spirit stones to compensate the injured disciples and apologize, and Xu Qingtong offered him healing elixirs before departing with Du Siwen.
• On the Ink Cloud Shuttle, Xu Qingtong said he would prepare Cloudsky Peak for the Autumn Sword-Tournament and later seek a way to the Central Province to find Dongfang Hui.
• Du Siwen grew forlorn when Xu Qingtong spoke of Dongfang Hui, then returned to her quarters after they reached Cloudsky Peak.
• Xu Qingtong examined Fu Xingzhi's cultivation and taught him how to progress from the second qi refining layer.
• Xu Qingtong summoned Li Yingjie and found that he had reached the peak of the fourth qi refining layer in two years.

Xu Qingtong visited his elderly uncle and aunt, advised Chen Ruoling, and discovered that Cloudsky Peak’s summit greatly improved his shamanic cultivation. He arranged to cultivate there in seclusion, while his original body pursued other work; half a year later, his incarnation reached a bottleneck.

• Xu Qingtong gave Li Yingjie cultivation supplies and a high-grade flying sword, then visited Chen Jialiang and Madam Zhang.
• Xu Qingtong spoke with Chen Ruoling about visiting her parents, marriage, and cultivation, then gave her pills and guidance.
• Xu Qingtong’s incarnation cultivated the Taiyi Heart Method on Cloudsky Peak’s summit and absorbed star power more efficiently than in the Lesser Heaven Realm.
• Xu Qingtong asked Ding Jiayue to restrict access to the summit and began a secluded cultivation routine there with his incarnation.
• Xu Qingtong’s original body refined a ritual sword and elixirs for Zhuang Shengren, cultivated, handled peak affairs, and guided his disciples and Chen Ruoling.
• After another half year, Xu Qingtong’s incarnation reached a cultivation bottleneck.

Xu Qingtong’s incarnation broke through to the Sorcerer Realm, then used his observations of the Five Stars to improve his cultivation. After another year, he reached the mid-stage Sorcerer Realm and tested several shamanic arts, while the Cursing Technique remained untested.

• Xu Qingtong’s incarnation cultivated the Year Star’s power, while his original body kept in contact with him and attended to his disciples and other affairs.
• After five star-power clouds saturated, Xu Qingtong’s original body joined his incarnation on Cloudsky Peak, and the two merged as they condensed the clouds into five stars.
• Xu Qingtong entered the Sorcerer Realm and discovered that the Five Stars appeared and disappeared in a pattern, which he used to absorb their power more efficiently.
• A year later, Xu Qingtong’s incarnation reached the mid-stage Sorcerer Realm and advanced the Five Elixirs Origin Refinement Art to the sixth layer of Qi Refining.
• Xu Qingtong tested the Summoning Technique and Lightning-attracting Technique, finding that the Dark Spirit could nearly break his restriction and purple lightning could reduce a boulder to dust.
• Xu Qingtong remained unable to master the Divination Technique and had not tested the Cursing Technique because it required a piece of its target and consumed the caster’s lifespan.

With the Autumn Sword-Tournament less than half a year away, Xu Qingtong organized a selection for Cloudsky Peak and began preparing his cousin Chen Ruoling for the competition. The chapter leaves Chen Ruoling astonished after Xu Qingtong gives her five newly refined Exquisite Bangles that are spirit artifacts.

• Xu Qingtong gathered Du Siwen and Ding Jiayue to plan a Cloudsky Peak selection, dividing disciples by cultivation level and setting a minor tournament for the following month.
• Xu Qingtong learned that Chen Ruoling had reached the peak of the fifth layer of Qi Refining and wanted to compete so she could become stronger without relying on his protection.
• Zhuang Shengren and Lei Wei returned to Cloudsky Peak with the disciples, and Xu Qingtong, Du Siwen, and the others finalized plans for the selection.
• Xu Qingtong studied the Profound Yang Artifact Refining Technique and spent half a month forging Chen Ruoling five Exquisite Bangles.
• Chen Ruoling arrived expecting magical artifacts, then discovered that Xu Qingtong had made her a set of spirit artifacts.

Xu Qingtong rewarded Chen Ruoling and Li Yingjie with spirit artifacts, then recognized Fu Xingzhi as his true disciple and taught him the Five Elixirs Origin Refinement Art. He established a formation for Fu Xingzhi before turning to preparations for Cloudsky Peak’s minor tournament, where he learned that some new disciples had advanced to the higher-level competition.

• Xu Qingtong gave Chen Ruoling the refining method for the Five-Element Exquisite Bracelets and urged her to prepare them for battle.
• Xu Qingtong gave Li Yingjie several stacks of talismans and a spirit-artifact folding fan, cautioning him not to rely too much on outside help.
• Xu Qingtong accepted Fu Xingzhi as his true disciple, taught him the Qi Refining portion of the Five Elixirs Origin Refinement Art, and made him swear not to pass it on.
• Xu Qingtong set up a five-attribute Spirit-Gathering Formation in Fu Xingzhi’s cave abode and told him to keep the art and formation secret.
• Xu Qingtong convened the Cloudsky Peak elders to discuss the minor tournament, and Lei Wei reported that 28 disciples had registered in each of two groups.
• Lei Wei explained that four newly recruited disciples had already reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining or higher and would compete among the higher-level disciples.

Cloudsky Peak held its first Minor Competition, where the disciples fought for rankings and places in the Autumn Sword-Tournament. After four days, Chen Ruoling took first among the low-ranking disciples, while Xu Qingtong questioned how Tian Zhengyang had quietly placed fourth.

• Xu Qingtong approved the point-based competition plan, and Du Siwen, Zhuang Shengren, and Lei Wei prepared the arenas and matches.
• Xu Qingtong opened the competition, and the disciples began fighting in separate arenas for high-ranking and low-ranking disciples.
• Chen Ruoling won her first bout, Li Yingjie narrowly beat an eighth-layer opponent, and Mei Xianghan and Zhu Hua also won their opening matches.
• Xu Qingtong advised Li Yingjie and Chen Ruoling after the first day, then watched the remaining matches as Chen used her Exquisite Bangles to defeat her opponents.
• After four days, Chen Ruoling placed first among the low-ranking disciples, while Mei Xianghan placed fourth and Zhu Hua third among the high-ranking disciples.
• Xu Qingtong noticed that Tian Zhengyang had unexpectedly placed fourth, asked Du Siwen to check his results, and was left doubtful by her explanation.

Xu Qingtong brought Cloudsky Peak’s disciples to the Sect’s Autumn Sword-Tournament after two months of intensive training. Cloudsky Peak dominated the tournament, making its name and earning the greatest rewards among the seven peaks.

• Xu Qingtong and Du Siwen selected twenty Cloudsky Peak disciples for the tournament and trained them intensively for two months.
• Xu Qingtong and Du Siwen reunited with Yu Tiancheng at Gloomwind Valley, where he questioned Du Siwen about what had happened to her.
• Xu Qingtong reached an agreement with Fang Tianqi over the spirit stone vein and the disciples’ stipends.
• Cloudsky Peak’s disciples advanced through the first three days of tournament matches with only one lower-ranked disciple eliminated.
• At the tournament’s end, five Cloudsky Peak disciples placed among the top ten Elite Disciples, all five other entrants placed in the top twenty, and at least six lower-ranked disciples became Inner Disciples.