Chapter Summaries

Xu Qingtong hid in a pool and discovered Lin Qian had poisoned Dongfang Hui and confessed to killing An Chengbao and Qin Xinghan. He rescued Dongfang Hui, but Lin Qian’s counterattack pierced Xu Qingtong’s chest.

• Xu Qingtong concealed himself in the pool as Dongfang Hui fled from Lin Qian, who had poisoned her and pursued her.
• Lin Qian admitted killing An Chengbao and Qin Xinghan, then tried to force Dongfang Hui to become his wife.
• Dongfang Hui tried to stab herself, but Lin Qian knocked away her golden hairpin and stopped her from jumping into the pool.
• Xu Qingtong attacked Lin Qian from the water with the Red Sun Sword, severing two of Lin Qian’s fingers, and shielded Dongfang Hui.
• Lin Qian struck Xu Qingtong with his flying sword, and Xu Qingtong’s shield and Protective Armor broke before the sword pierced his chest.

Xu Qingtong fought Lin Qian while protecting Dongfang Hui, and Xiao Qi killed Lin Qian after Xu Qingtong broke through his talisman’s defenses. Xu Qingtong woke briefly, but passed out again while Dongfang Hui removed the sword from his chest; he then urged her to hide the evidence and leave quickly.

• Lin Qian blocked Xu Qingtong’s Divine Sense attacks with his Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman and struck him in the chest with his flying sword.
• Xu Qingtong’s final Divine Sense attack shattered Lin Qian’s talisman and left him stunned, allowing Xiao Qi to kill him with a peck to the back of his head.
• Dongfang Hui gave the unconscious Xu Qingtong an elixir pill and waited beside him while Xiao Qi guarded him.
• Xu Qingtong woke and told Dongfang Hui to remove the sword, bandage his wound, and leave with him.
• Dongfang Hui pulled out the sword, causing Xu Qingtong to pass out again, then bandaged his wound and stopped the bleeding.
• Xu Qingtong regained consciousness and told Dongfang Hui to conceal the fight, take Lin Qian’s Storage Bag and flying sword, burn his body, and leave.

Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui escaped to the Mountain Cave after defeating Lin Qian, but their injuries and the Power-Dissolving Powder left them unable to use magic. After resting overnight, Dongfang Hui explained how Lin Qian had killed Qin Xinghan and An Chengbao and tried to assault her.

• Xu Qingtong had Dongfang Hui help him back to the Mountain Cave, then used a spirit stone to regain enough magic power to climb inside and haul her up with a rope.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui rested and ate in the cave while Xiao Qi guarded the entrance.
• The next morning, Dongfang Hui woke with her head on Xu Qingtong's lap, then told him she still could not gather magic power because of Lin Qian's Power-Dissolving Powder.
• Dongfang Hui explained that Lin Qian had joined Qin Xinghan against a Demon Beast, poisoned An Chengbao during the fight, then killed both men and took their belongings.
• Dongfang Hui said Lin Qian had tried to force her into a relationship, but she fled after resisting him and later met Xu Qingtong.

Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui searched Lin Qian’s belongings for an antidote and herbs for their Trial assignments. They found no antidote, but gathered enough herbs for two complete sets and each took one.

• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui searched Lin Qian’s Storage Bag but found no antidote for the Power-Dissolving Powder, so Xu promised to protect Dongfang Hui until it wore off.
• Xu Qingtong found an erotic book among Lin Qian’s belongings, and he and Dongfang Hui blushed when they saw its illustrations.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui agreed to pool their Trial herbs and see whether they could make two complete sets.
• Xu Qingtong teased Dongfang Hui by revealing his jade cases of herbs one at a time, and she struck his shoulder before remembering his wound.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui sorted the herbs into two complete assignment sets, each took one, and Xu kept the leftovers.

Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui stayed in a cave to recover and cultivate after completing their trial task, growing closer as he cared for her. After regaining most of his strength, Xu Qingtong inspected the Seven-Star Bracelet’s inner space and considered bringing Xiao Qi inside.

• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui agreed to remain in the cave until the trial period ended, and Dongfang Hui changed clothes while he faced the wall.
• Dongfang Hui’s words about keeping his resolve helped Xu Qingtong refocus on cultivation, and he meditated while she cleaned the cave.
• By evening, Xu Qingtong had mostly healed and recovered his magic power, though his divine sense remained weakened.
• Dongfang Hui asked about Xiao Qi, and Xu Qingtong described rescuing the chick from a snake without revealing its unusual identity.
• Xu Qingtong carved a stone bed for Dongfang Hui, then entered the Seven-Star Bracelet with a primordial spirit and found its plants and animals thriving.

Xu Qingtong studied his cultivation methods and found a way to advance faster by focusing on spiritual power transformations that suited his missing metal spirit root. After three days of cultivation, he reached the threshold of the fourth layer of Qi refining and began preparing to break through, while Dongfang Hui remained unable to gather magic power.

• Xu Qingtong compared the Black Jade Slip with Patriarch Chen Yuanhua's method and began cultivating through mutual generation among the five elements.
• Xu Qingtong shared a roasted rabbit with Dongfang Hui, then entered deep cultivation for three days while she examined his jade slips.
• Xu Qingtong emerged with his magic power at its peak and told Dongfang Hui he had reached the threshold of the fourth layer of Qi refining.
• Dongfang Hui asked to copy the Fisherman's Song in Misty Waves and the Turtle Breath Technique, and Xu Qingtong agreed.
• Xu Qingtong checked Dongfang Hui and found she still could not gather magic power, then asked Xiao Qi to obey her during his seclusion.
• Xu Qingtong sat down to prepare for his breakthrough to the fourth layer of Qi refining.

Xu Qingtong advanced to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, learned the Turtle Breath Technique, and discovered that Dongfang Hui had recovered the ability to cultivate. After more than half a month of quiet cultivation, they prepared to leave Mist Valley the next day.

• Xu Qingtong broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, accidentally startled Dongfang Hui by appearing naked, and went to the pond to wash and change.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui agreed to join Gloomwind Valley, then he began studying the Turtle Breath Technique while continuing to cultivate.
• Xu Qingtong mastered the Turtle Breath Technique overnight and demonstrated that Dongfang Hui could not detect him with her divine sense.
• Xu Qingtong examined Dongfang Hui and found no Power-Dissolving Powder remaining, and Dongfang Hui successfully gathered magic power again.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui spent the next half month cultivating, and Xu Qingtong counted that they would leave the valley the following day.

Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui prepared a cover story about escaping Howling Wind Wolves before leaving the valley, while Xu Qingtong secretly brought Xiao Qi along inside the Seven-Star Bracelet. After teleporting out, they pretended to have barely escaped and were told by Mu Ze to move away from the exit.

• Xu Qingtong asked Xiao Qi whether it wanted to stay in the valley or come with him, then stored Xiao Qi in the Seven-Star Bracelet.
• Xu Qingtong devised a story that he and Dongfang Hui had fled three Howling Wind Wolves and damaged their clothes and appearance to support it.
• Dongfang Hui explained that a Spirit Beast Bag could hold living creatures, while Xu Qingtong checked that Xiao Qi was comfortable inside the Seven-Star Bracelet.
• Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui damaged the cave walls with spells to make it seem they had exhausted their Spiritual Power, then crushed their Jade Tokens to leave the valley.
• Dongfang Hui greeted Xu Qingtong with concern, and Xu Qingtong pretended to have barely escaped the wolves as Mu Ze ordered them away from the exit.

After the Mist Valley trial ended, Dongfang Hui and Xu Qingtong joined Gloomwind Valley, while the other sects mourned their heavy losses. Guo Tianyu took the new disciples to settle their affairs before entering the sect, and Dongfang Hui said she wanted to bid farewell to her parents.

• As the agreed time expired, Dongfang Jin closed Mist Valley despite Mu Ze's plea to wait for the nine missing Azure Sea Gate disciples.
• Dongfang Jin learned Dongfang Hui came from his family at Purple Cloud Ridge, and she knelt and agreed to join Gloomwind Valley.
• After Peng Muyang and Mu Ze hesitated over Xu Qingtong's poor aptitude, Xu chose Gloomwind Valley and Dongfang Jin accepted him.
• Dongfang Jin took ten disciples back to Gloomwind Valley, leaving Guo Tianyu to help Dongfang Hui and Xu Qingtong settle their affairs.
• When Guo Tianyu asked what she needed to take care of, Dongfang Hui said she wanted to bid farewell to her parents.

Xu Qingtong settled his mortal ties by visiting his parents’ graves and avenging his mother at Black Wind Stronghold. After reuniting with his uncle’s family in Houtang Town, he quietly left them his wealth, a letter, a book, and elixirs before returning to his cultivation journey.

• Xu Qingtong accepted an Identity Jade Token and Flying Talismans from Guo Tianyu, then set out alone to settle personal matters.
• Xu Qingtong paid his respects at his father’s grave in Upper Yang Village before flying on to Black Wind Stronghold.
• Xu Qingtong killed the bandit chief who had murdered his mother and most of the stronghold’s bandits, while Xiao Qi guarded the escapees and a wounded survivor.
• Xu Qingtong found his mother’s grave, thanked the family who had buried her, and gathered her remains to take to Upper Yang Village.
• Xu Qingtong reunited with Chen Jialiang and his family in Houtang Town, told them about his life as a cultivator, and spent the evening with them.
• Xu Qingtong left his uncle’s family a letter, a book, life-prolonging and beauty-preserving elixirs, and the wealth from Black Wind Stronghold, then departed quietly.

After burying his mother beside his father, Xu Qingtong realized that his resolve to protect himself and those he cared about was the heart of his cultivation, and he formed a Dao Heart Seed. Back at the Jade Spring Commerce Association, he traded Shopkeeper Gu a Realm-Breaking Pill for help finding gengjin stone, then achieved a new level of clarity that let him make exceptional Mid-Grade Fireball Talismans.

• Xu Qingtong buried his mother beside his father and realized he cultivated to gain the strength to protect those he cared about, forming a Dao Heart Seed without knowing it.
• Xu Qingtong returned to the Jade Spring Commerce Association, where Wu Zheng welcomed him and Shopkeeper Gu asked whether he had joined Biluozong.
• Xu Qingtong told Shopkeeper Gu he had joined Gloomwind Valley and gave him a Realm-Breaking Pill in exchange for help finding gengjin stone.
• Xu Qingtong returned to his room, contemplated Dong Xuanzi's words, and entered a state of inner clarity.
• Xu Qingtong made a flawless Mid-Grade Fireball Talisman and then produced more than ten, though only one other matched its quality.

Xu Qingtong exchanged a high-grade spirit stone for gengjin stone, said farewell to Shopkeeper Gu and Wu Zheng, and bought a pill furnace before meeting Elder Guo Tianyu. After Dongfang Hui arrived at the Combat Arena the next morning, Guo Tianyu prepared to take them back to Gloomwind Valley.

• Xu Qingtong gave Shopkeeper Gu a high-grade spirit stone, and Shopkeeper Gu obtained gengjin stone and twenty middle-grade spirit stones for him.
• Xu Qingtong bid farewell to Shopkeeper Gu and Wu Zheng, then gave Wu Zheng several special talismans as a keepsake.
• Xu Qingtong bought a middle-grade Magical Artifact pill furnace at the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.
• Xu Qingtong met Elder Guo Tianyu at the Combat Arena and gave him two jade cases of treasures from Mist Valley.
• Dongfang Hui arrived at the Combat Arena the next morning, and Guo Tianyu said they would return to Gloomwind Valley.

Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui joined Gloomwind Valley after completing the Mist Valley Trial, but Xu Qingtong’s low cultivation and four spiritual roots kept him from being accepted as an Inner Disciple. Guo Tianyu took him to Swallowtail Peak, where Yu Tiancheng agreed to let him stay for now, though he refused to formally take him as a disciple.

• Guo Tianyu flew Xu Qingtong and Dongfang Hui to Gloomwind Valley and introduced them to Sect Master Fang Tianqi.
• Fang Tianqi confirmed that both had completed the trial, arranged for Dongfang Hui to join Dongfang Jin, and explained that Xu Qingtong fell short of the Inner Disciple cultivation requirement.
• Guo Tianyu persuaded Fang Tianqi to send Xu Qingtong to Swallowtail Peak and explained Gloomwind Valley’s layout on the way.
• Guo Tianyu brought Xu Qingtong to Yu Tiancheng, offering him dragon saliva grass and recommending him as a diligent helper.
• Yu Tiancheng examined Xu Qingtong and agreed to let him stay at Swallowtail Peak for the sake of the dragon saliva grass, but said he had not agreed to take him as a disciple.

Xu Qingtong settled into Swallowtail Peak, met his senior brother and sister, and learned that Yu Tiancheng had not formally accepted him as a disciple. After Du Siwen relayed Yu Tiancheng’s warning that he should stay on the peak, Xu Qingtong asked her to teach him alchemy, but she tried to steer him toward swordsmanship.

• Xu Qingtong cleaned the main hall, studied Yu Xuzi’s medicinal herb guide, and practiced the True Origin Scripture until Gong Chu arrived.
• Gong Chu introduced himself as Xu Qingtong’s fourth senior brother and explained the other Swallowtail Peak disciples’ backgrounds.
• Du Siwen appeared, scolded Gong Chu, and welcomed Xu Qingtong as their new junior brother.
• Gong Chu showed Xu Qingtong the unused cave abodes, and Xu Qingtong chose the one on the right and renovated it.
• Du Siwen admired Xu Qingtong’s renovated cave abode and relayed Yu Tiancheng’s order that he not leave the peak without permission.
• Xu Qingtong asked Du Siwen to teach him alchemy, but she suggested teaching him swordsmanship instead.

Xu Qingtong studied the fundamentals of alchemy and attempted to refine Bigu Pills, but burned the herbs and failed. He sought help from Guan Yu, who agreed to let him observe his pill refining and answer questions afterward.

• Du Siwen gave Xu Qingtong a Jade Slip about alchemy and told him to ask Second Senior Brother for guidance.
• Xu Qingtong studied the Jade Slip, learned the stages of alchemy, and decided to try refining pills.
• Gong Chu helped Xu Qingtong obtain a low-grade pill furnace and herbs for Bigu Pills.
• Xu Qingtong tried refining the herbs twice, but they burned before he could extract and purify them.
• Xu Qingtong asked Gong Chu to take him to Guan Yu, who agreed to let him observe pill refining and ask questions when he had time.

Xu Qingtong learned pill refining from Guan Yu, simulated the process in his Niwang Palace, and successfully refined mid-grade Bigu Pills. After Gong Chu told Yu Tiancheng about his results, Xu Qingtong demonstrated his skill before the Peak Master by producing nine mid-grade pills.

• Xu Qingtong spent half a month observing Guan Yu refine pills and asking him questions, then simulated the earthfire and pill furnace in his Niwang Palace.
• Xu Qingtong refined five mid-grade Bigu Pills on his first attempt and then made forty-five pills from ten sets of ingredients, including thirty-seven mid-grade pills.
• Xu Qingtong gave the pills to Gong Chu, who took them to Yu Tiancheng and reported that the new disciple was a pill-refining genius.
• Yu Tiancheng examined and tasted the pills, then summoned Xu Qingtong to demonstrate his pill refining.
• Xu Qingtong used Yu Tiancheng's high-grade pill furnace to refine nine perfectly round, mid-grade Bigu Pills.

Xu Qingtong became Yu Tiancheng’s fifth disciple and studied his master’s alchemy knowledge before preparing to refine new pills. He accepted a sect mission for Essence-Nourishing Pills and left the Duty Hall with the ingredients to complete it.

• Yu Tiancheng formally accepted Xu Qingtong as his fifth disciple and gave him an Alchemy Furnace, a Jade Slip of alchemy knowledge, and an Identity Token.
• Xu Qingtong spent a day and night studying Yu Tiancheng’s Jade Slip, then chose to practice the Essence-Nourishing Pill and Purple Sun Pill formulas within his Niwang Palace.
• After more than two months and a thousand practice refinements, Xu Qingtong sought help from Gong Chu to obtain medicinal ingredients.
• Gong Chu took Xu Qingtong to the Duty Hall, where Elder Duan offered missions requiring five pills for each set of ingredients.
• Xu Qingtong accepted a mission to refine fifty Essence-Nourishing Pills from ten sets of ingredients within one month for five sect contribution points, and received the materials.

Xu Qingtong and Gong Chu fought off Wang Muyuan and his companions with talismans after they confronted Gong Chu over Huang Yiqing. Back at Swallowtail Peak, Xu Qingtong promised to make Gong Chu more talismans and began preparing to refine the fifty Essence-Nourishing Pills due within a month.

• Wang Muyuan and several inner disciples blocked Xu Qingtong and Gong Chu, demanding that Gong Chu stay away from Huang Yiqing.
• Gong Chu and Xu Qingtong used Xu Qingtong’s talismans to drive off Wang Muyuan’s group, then hurried to Swallowtail Peak.
• Gong Chu told Xu Qingtong that Wang Muyuan was targeting Huang Yiqing, whom Gong Chu cared for, and thanked Xu Qingtong for helping him.
• Xu Qingtong revealed that he had crafted the talismans himself, and Gong Chu asked him to make more, including some for Huang Yiqing.
• Gong Chu warned Xu Qingtong not to turn in his assignment alone, and Xu Qingtong returned to his cave abode to prepare for refining fifty Essence-Nourishing Pills.

Xu Qingtong refined Essence-Nourishing Pills, learned from a furnace explosion, and produced far more mid-grade pills than his assignment required. Du Siwen helped him exchange them for low-grade pills before they went to turn in the assignment.

• Xu Qingtong’s second refinement attempt caused his low-grade Alchemy Furnace to explode, so he studied his master’s Jade Slip and switched to a mid-grade furnace.
• Xu Qingtong refined batches of Essence-Nourishing Pills, eventually producing sixty-four pills, including forty-seven mid-grade ones.
• Du Siwen visited Xu Qingtong, heard about his fight at the Duty Hall, asked him to bring her along next time, and took two stacks of his unusual Talismans.
• Xu Qingtong recovered, refined four more successful batches, and prepared fifty pills to turn in for his assignment.
• Du Siwen swapped Xu Qingtong’s thirty-three mid-grade pills for low-grade pills from her own Storage Bag and accompanied him to turn in the assignment.

Xu Qingtong increased his alchemy assignment and was ambushed by Wang Muyuan, but Du Siwen intervened and drove him off. Xu Qingtong then spent seven days refining pills and decided to focus on advancing his alchemy skills while checking on Xiao Qi.

• Xu Qingtong handed in fifty Essence-Nourishing Pills, showed Elder Duan five Mid-Grade pills, and received an assignment for five hundred pills.
• Wang Muyuan and his companions blocked Xu Qingtong on the way to Swallowtail Peak, and Du Siwen appeared after he called for her.
• Du Siwen beat Wang Muyuan and warned him not to target Xu Qingtong again, then escorted Xu Qingtong back to Swallowtail Peak.
• Xu Qingtong exchanged alchemy advice with his second senior brother, then refined 245 Essence-Nourishing Pills over seven days.
• Xu Qingtong assessed the limits of his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power, resolved to work toward Second-Tier Alchemist skill, and checked on Xiao Qi in the Seven-Star Bracelet.