Chapter Summaries

Tang Yan secured work at Star-Welcoming Peak and bought spirit liquid before a group of disciples arrived seeking revenge on Yan Biao for killing their Cloud Tiger. After hearing both sides and examining the corpse, Tang Yan prepared to record what happened and took out a dagger.

• Peng Jia introduced Tang Yan to Zhang Qiaoqian, who hired him to study the herbs at Star-Welcoming Peak and paid him fifty low-grade spirit stones.
• Tang Yan bought more spirit liquid from Peng Jia and planned to take the Sleeping Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix on sect missions.
• A group of five disciples came looking for Yan Biao, having accused him of killing their Cloud Tiger.
• Yan Biao told Tang Yan that the tiger had bitten him and died after he flung it into a tree.
• Tang Yan took charge of the dispute, questioned the group, examined the Cloud Tiger's body, and prepared to record what happened.
• Tang Yan hung the Cloud Tiger's corpse from a rack and drew a dagger.

Tang Yan exposed the five Clear Sky Peak disciples’ abuse of the Cloud Tiger cub and their attempt to frame Yan Biao, then forced them to confess and hand over compensation. After they fled, Rao Baoyue returned to the courtyard, and Tang Yan reminded Yan Biao to complete a Sect Mission within half a month.

• Tang Yan dissected the Cloud Tiger and showed that it had suffered prolonged beatings, contradicting the five disciples’ claim that Yan Biao had injured it.
• Tang Yan accused the five of abusing the cub and framing Yan Biao, then threatened them with his killing intent and raised Ninefold Mountain against them.
• The five disciples knelt, admitted they had falsely accused Yan Biao and offended Clear Sky Peak, and surrendered their Storage Rings as compensation.
• Rao Baoyue watched the five leave and then returned to the courtyard.
• Yan Biao tearfully thanked Tang Yan and offered to roast him a chicken, while Tang Yan told him to pick up a Sect Mission and finish it within half a month.

Tang Yan forced Tong Banzhi to agree to complete his missions by frightening him with archery, while Yan Biao nearly terrified him into surrendering as well. At the Mission Hall, Tang Yan learned that neither senior brother could reliably meet the sect’s pill-refining standard, but he urged them to try anyway and promised to cover any losses.

• Tang Yan examined the storage rings taken from the five men and found enough treasure pills to fulfill a mission.
• Tang Yan and Yan Biao went to fetch Tong Banzhi for missions, but Tong refused, so Tang Yan tied him to a frame and shot arrows around him.
• Yan Biao took the bow and frightened Tong Banzhi into agreeing to do his missions.
• Tang Yan brought Tong Banzhi and Yan Biao to the Mission Hall, where they rejected several missions as unsuitable or too dangerous.
• Tang Yan discovered that Tong Banzhi and Yan Biao could not reliably refine pills to the required quality, but urged them to practice and offered to cover their losses.

Tang Yan had Yan Biao and Tong Banzhi practice refining Netherpassage Pills while he studied and noted their mistakes. After learning of Feng Chenye’s search for Meng Yao and his five stories, Profound Pupil ordered the Thousand Connections Pavilion to print and promote them throughout the Spirit Wilderness within seven days.

• Tang Yan took missions for Netherpassage Pills and turned in twenty Mountain-Breaking Pills to complete a Grade-C mission.
• Tang Yan brought Yan Biao and Tong Banzhi to his courtyard to refine pills and observed their work while studying the Beast King Compendium.
• A Thousand Connections Pavilion attendant told Profound Pupil how Feng Chenye had searched for Meng Yao, written five stories, and lost his self-printed books to bandits.
• Profound Pupil divined that Meng Yao faced a terrible disaster and ordered the Pavilion to print and promote Feng Chenye’s five books across the Spirit Wilderness within seven days.
• Tong Banzhi failed to make qualifying pills, and Yan Biao’s cauldron lid flew into the sky before returning to him.
• Tang Yan wrote down the senior brothers’ pill-refining mistakes and told them to study the notes before trying again in two hours.

Tang Yan guided Tong Banzhi and Yan Biao in alchemy until they could refine pills that met the required standards, then arranged to install an irrigation formation in Purple Hut Peak's Spirit Herb Garden. After accepting Tang Yan's tuition, Ling Guangshan agreed to teach him alchemy and invited him to watch as he refined Mountain-Breaking Pills.

• Tang Yan agreed to guide Tong Banzhi and Yan Biao in ninth-tier alchemy and told them to say Rao Baoyue had taught them.
• Tang Yan corrected their mistakes as they refined pills, and after several days Tong Banzhi made high-quality Netherpassage Pills while Yan Biao met the mission requirements.
• Tang Yan persuaded Ling Guangshan to let him install an irrigation formation in the Spirit Herb Garden by offering him monthly tuition for alchemy guidance.
• Tang Yan set up and tested the formation, then gave Ling Guangshan half of the garden's monthly income as tuition.
• Ling Guangshan agreed to teach Tang Yan once a month and invited him to observe the refinement of Mountain-Breaking Pills.

Tang Yan learned the Mountain-Breaking Pill formula and treasure-pill techniques from Ling Guangshan, then secretly refined superior pills with his own methods. He resolved to keep his abilities and earnings hidden while he quietly grew stronger.

• Ling Guangshan tested Tang Yan's familiarity with the Mountain-Breaking Pill, then taught him its ingredients, proportions, and treasure-pill refining techniques.
• Tang Yan recognized Ling Guangshan's methods as techniques he had already learned through the Reach the Summit Pill Dao Academy.
• Ling Guangshan refined five Mountain-Breaking Pills and promised Tang Yan he could return with questions.
• Tang Yan left Purple Hut Peak and decided he could obtain more treasure-pill formulas from core disciples and deduce unfamiliar recipes through practice.
• Back at Clear Sky Peak, Tang Yan refined six Mountain-Breaking Pills in less than half a cup of tea, and they reached the Immortality Pill grade.
• Tang Yan restrained himself from openly taking missions and resolved to earn spirit stones, learn formulas, and grow stronger in secret.

Feng Chenye discovered that the Thousand Connections Pavilion had arranged for his stories to be printed across the Spirit Wilderness Realm, with notices seeking Meng Yao in every book. Meanwhile, Meng Yao was revealed to be among the scholars guarding a failing seal beneath the Hanlin Mountain Range.

• At Wind-Containing Bay, Feng Chenye sensed a vast tide of literary qi and resumed telling his story to a crowd.
• A tourist recognized Feng Chenye’s story in books printed by the Thousand Connections Pavilion and gave him five copies.
• Feng Chenye searched for Meng Yao among the tourists, then visited bookshops and learned his books were being released in hundreds of thousands of cities.
• The Heavenly Intent Bookshop’s shopkeeper explained that the Thousand Connections Pavilion had commissioned and funded the mass printing and promotion.
• At the academy’s abyss in the Hanlin Mountain Range, the dean warned that the Literary Sage’s seal might fail within half a month as sixteen scholars channeled literary qi into it.
• Meng Yao was revealed to be one of the sixteen scholars guarding the seal.

Tang Yan secretly learned Peng Jia's pill-refining method, then made upper-grade pills to trade for cultivation resources without attracting the attention of the she-devil. Meanwhile, Feng Chenye's strength rose rapidly as literary qi gathered around him, and he continued north with his mind on his book.

• Tang Yan advised Yan Biao to turn in four missions to earn enough Spirit Stones to buy more herbs.
• Tang Yan visited Peng Jia, posed as a student seeking guidance, and watched him refine five upper-grade Void-Quelling Qi-Boosting Pills.
• Peng Jia told Tang Yan about a small Trading Point east of the sect where disciples could sell surplus upper-grade pills for better prices.
• Tang Yan used the method he had observed to refine six upper-grade Void-Quelling Qi-Boosting Pills and decided to visit the Trading Base the next day.
• Feng Chenye advanced from Saint Level first grade to sixth grade in one day as literary qi poured into him, then continued north while reading.

Tang Yan sought permission from Rao Baoyue to visit a nearby Trading Base and went after convincing her he wanted to find something to cheer her up. At the base, he met a stallholder who could supply the medicinal herbs he needed, and he asked whether the man could provide them long-term.

• Tang Yan asked Rao Baoyue for permission to visit the Trading Base, and she allowed him to go only if he returned before dusk.
• Tang Yan disguised himself and visited the small Trading Base, where pill buyers offered him low prices for Mountain-Breaking Pills.
• Tang Yan discovered an old stallholder selling rare herbs and many other goods while also buying pills.
• Tang Yan learned the old man could supply the medicinal herbs he wanted at the Pill Alliance's prices.
• Tang Yan asked the stallholder whether he could provide medicinal herbs on a long-term basis.

Tang Yan traded high-grade pills to Shopkeeper Qin for ingredients and acquired a sound-recording Magic Treasure after Shopkeeper Qin accidentally erased its music. He recorded ten classical pieces and presented the renamed Portable Music Player to Rao Baoyue, who examined it without responding.

• Tang Yan exchanged thirty Mountain-Breaking Pills and twelve Void-Quelling Qi-Boosting Pills for ingredients, then bought more with four hundred low-grade spirit stones.
• Tang Yan rejected Shopkeeper Qin’s suggestive Dragon Pillar and chose a sound-recording Magic Treasure instead.
• Shopkeeper Qin demonstrated the device but accidentally erased its ten stored zither pieces, then gave it to Tang Yan for free.
• Tang Yan recorded ten classical pieces in God's Domain and returned to the Pill Alliance after cursing Rao Baoyue during the journey.
• Tang Yan presented the Portable Music Player to Rao Baoyue and claimed it held ten pieces by the Zither Immortal Yu Boya.
• Rao Baoyue examined the Portable Music Player while Tang Yan waited anxiously for her reaction.

Tang Yan gave Rao Baoyue a supposedly ancient musical treasure, but she discovered its true origins and beat him before realizing the recordings were extraordinary compositions. Meanwhile, the Dean and fifteen sages resealed the Demon Race’s passage, and Meng Yao read a novel Wang Instructor delivered that deeply impressed her.

• Rao Baoyue recognized the metal plate’s signature as belonging to her friend Xiang Xiaoyu, and Tang Yan cursed Shopkeeper Qin for misrepresenting the treasure.
• Rao Baoyue beat Tang Yan after discovering the recordings were cheap performances from pleasure houses, then listened to the ten pieces and realized they were masterpieces.
• The Dean and fifteen sages suppressed the demonic qi and repaired the seal on the Demon Race’s passage.
• Wang Instructor delivered five books to Meng Yao, who read Sword God and praised its writing after finishing it.

Meng Yao discovered that Feng Chenye had published five books while searching for her and decided she would reunite with him after the demon suppression ended. Before she could meet him, the Demon Race began battering the seal again, and she rushed to the Hanlin Mountain Range with the Academy’s worthies.

• Meng Yao found Feng Chenye’s notices searching for her at the end of his five books and remembered his devotion to her.
• Meng Yao sent a message through the Thousand Connections Pavilion inviting Feng Chenye to the Academy, then read the remaining books and praised his literary talent.
• Mr. Lan, the Dean, and other Academy worthies visited Meng Yao and questioned her about her relationship with Feng Chenye.
• The Demon Race struck the seal again, and the Dean led the worthies toward the Hanlin Mountain Range.
• Meng Yao told Wang Instructor to withdraw her invitation to Feng Chenye until the Demon Calamity had been completely quelled, then followed the others.

Tang Yan learned that Feng Chenye’s five books had become popular across the Spirit Wilderness Realm and hoped they would help Feng Chenye find Meng Yao. He tried to secure a contract to manage Cloud Ease Peak’s herb garden and lessons from Duan Yin, but when the deal failed, he told her about his friendship with Feng Chenye and was left answering her risky question about who was prettier, Meng Yao or the Thirteenth Elder.

• Tang Yan returned books to the Scripture Pavilion and learned from the old man that Feng Chenye had published five widely popular books.
• Tang Yan read all five books, borrowed three more, and bought six treasure pills from the Pill Alliance storehouse.
• Tang Yan proposed that Duan Yin hire his irrigation formation for Cloud Ease Peak’s Spirit Herb Garden and teach him alchemy, but she rejected his offer.
• Tang Yan showed Duan Yin Feng Chenye’s jade token and told her how Feng Chenye and Meng Yao had met and become close.
• Duan Yin asked Tang Yan whether Meng Yao or the Thirteenth Elder was prettier, leaving him wary of her question.

Tang Yan told Duan Yin stories while she practiced alchemy, helping her refine upper-grade Void-Spirit Purification Pills and earning the Spirit Herb Garden contract. When they left her bedchamber at dawn, Duan Yin’s innocent thanks sparked a scandalous rumor among the disciples.

• Duan Yin demanded that Tang Yan find Feng Chenye’s other books, so he offered to recount their stories instead.
• Tang Yan persuaded Duan Yin to practice alchemy while listening, and she refined upper-grade Void-Spirit Purification Pills after gaining an insight from his tale.
• Duan Yin promised Tang Yan the Spirit Herb Garden contract without kickbacks if he finished the stories, and he told her the remaining three books through the night.
• Duan Yin took Tang Yan to the Spirit Herb Garden at dawn and thanked him for a satisfying night, prompting disciples to assume they had spent the night together.

Tang Yan finished marking herbs at Cloud Ease Peak and went to meet Chen Yu at Spirit Dream Peak, while He Muyang learned that Duan Yin might have a Dao companion and began plotting against Tang Yan. The chapter ended with Tang Yan praising Chen Yu after witnessing his extraordinary sword strike.

• Tang Yan marked 183 new herbs in Cloud Ease Peak's Spirit Herb Garden after Duan Yin brought him there.
• The academy's experts prepared to defend the seal beneath the Literary Sage statue as demonic energy battered it, and the dean urged everyone to hold their ground.
• Lü Haijiao told He Muyang that Duan Yin appeared close to Tang Yan, so He Muyang ordered him to investigate and find a way to ruin Tang Yan.
• Tang Yan went to Spirit Dream Peak to seek cooperation with Chen Yu and found him practicing beneath a waterfall.
• Chen Yu cut through the waterfall with a sword strike, and Tang Yan approached to praise his skill.

Tang Yan defeated Chen Yu in a sword match, then arranged access to the Spirit Herb Garden and gained more medicinal ingredients. He traded pills with Shopkeeper Qin, obtained a Dragon Pillar for Rao Baoyue, and asked for a suitable gift for Duan Yin.

• Tang Yan defeated Chen Yu with All Living Beings, and Chen Yu agreed to take him to the Spirit Herb Garden.
• Tang Yan set up a formation in the garden, paid for the ingredients, and unlocked 122 new medicinal varieties.
• Tang Yan asked Rao Baoyue for permission to leave Clear Sky Peak, and she let him go while warning him to bring back a satisfying gift.
• At the Trading Base, Tang Yan exchanged 200 Mountain-Breaking Pills and 80 Void-Quelling Qi-Boosting Pills for medicinal ingredients from Shopkeeper Qin.
• Tang Yan accepted a Dragon Pillar from Shopkeeper Qin for Rao Baoyue and asked him to recommend a proper gift for a young woman.

Tang Yan bought fragrant dew for Duan Yin and disguised a Dragon Pillar as a massage device to give to his master. After Duan Yin offered him a reward, he asked to watch her refine pills again.

• Tang Yan bought Heavenly Profound Fragrant Dew from Shopkeeper Qin, then agreed to sell pills to Tong Chengxian in exchange for medicinal ingredients.
• Tang Yan instructed his Second Senior Brother in alchemy and later gave his master the Dragon Pillar, claiming it was a Fascia Gun.
• Tang Yan used the Dragon Pillar to massage his master, who was satisfied and sent him away.
• Tang Yan gave Duan Yin the fragrant dew, and she offered him a reward after recognizing its rarity.
• Tang Yan declined a pill and asked Duan Yin to let him watch her refine pills again.

Tang Yan helped Duan Yin refine Sovereign Realm-Breaking Pills, drew attention with his early-morning departure from her courtyard, and arranged an irrigation formation for Spirit Flame Peak. After Yu Yiwu delayed payment, Tang Yan sold a large batch of pills to Shopkeeper Qin and offered him upper-grade Void-Spirit Purification Pills.

• Tang Yan guided Duan Yin through refining five mid-to-upper-quality Sovereign Realm-Breaking Pills, then accepted two Mountain-Breaking Pills from her as onlookers speculated about their relationship.
• He Muyang learned that Tang Yan had worked with several peaks and visited Duan Yin, then smashed a table in anger over Duan Yin giving Tang Yan cultivation tonic.
• Yu Yiwu hired Tang Yan to install an irrigation formation at Spirit Flame Peak and agreed to pay him for a day of pill instruction.
• Tang Yan finished the formation by dawn, but Yu Yiwu postponed payment until he had observed it for a few days.
• Tang Yan went to the Trading Point in disguise, sold Shopkeeper Qin 500 Mountain-Breaking Pills and 150 Void-Quelling Qi-Boosting Pills, and offered him upper-grade Void-Spirit Purification Pills for 70 spirit stones each.

Tang Yan traded pills for medicinal ingredients, bought Monkey Wine for Rao Baoyue, and completed a formation at the Spirit Herb Garden, where Jia Junshan suddenly changed his attitude. Suspecting the troublemakers from Clear Sky Peak were responsible, Tang Yan went to confront Zhong Dashen and his companions, arriving as they plotted to attack him.

• Tang Yan traded pills and ingredients with Shopkeeper Qin, bought an Animation Board and Monkey Wine, then gave the wine to Rao Baoyue.
• Tang Yan traded pills for ingredients with Tong Chengxian and left the Trading District, promising Shopkeeper Qin he would return in three days.
• Tang Yan hired Jia Junshan to tutor him in tending herbs, then completed a formation that unlocked the properties of 108 kinds of herbs.
• Jia Junshan refused to discuss Tang Yan's fee until he had observed the formation for a week, prompting Tang Yan to suspect the people who had caused trouble at Clear Sky Peak.
• Tang Yan found Zhong Dashen's courtyard and confronted five young men as they boasted about beating him into submission.

Tang Yan investigated the Spirit Herb Garden sabotage, then arranged another formation with Dai Wenshi and went to collect payment from Yu Yiwu. Yu Yiwu and his companions forced Tang Yan to sign a three-year contract with deferred payment, leaving Tang Yan beaten and trapped in an exploitative arrangement.

• Tang Yan questioned Zhong Dashen and four others about the Spirit Herb Garden, but they denied knowing anything.
• Tang Yan persuaded Dai Wenshi to let him install a formation in her Spirit Herb Garden, unlocking ninety-eight new herb varieties, and she asked for a week to assess it.
• Tang Yan visited Yu Yiwu to ask about the formation and payment, where Lü Yuanjun, Sheng Xueqi, and Ji Shujing insulted and assaulted him.
• Yu Yiwu presented a strict three-year contract that deferred all payment until the term ended, and Tang Yan insisted on monthly payments or a one-month arrangement.
• Lü Yuanjun, Sheng Xueqi, and Ji Shujing pinned Tang Yan down and forced his handprint onto the contract while Yu Yiwu taunted him and had him thrown out.