Chapter Summaries

Chu Xingchen and his disciples entered the Heavenly Derivation Sect and traveled to Pearl-Gem Peak to meet Bai Xuanling. He negotiated with Bai Xuanling over a possible mission to find a site for his branch sect, agreeing to a forty-sixty split.

• Chu Xingchen and his group entered the Heavenly Derivation Sect and saw its lavish grounds, Teleportation Arrays, and Spirit Veins.
• Qinghe showed them around and shared gossip about the sect’s peaks and Xiao Lingyu, then hurried on after worrying Bai Xuanling had heard her call her Granny Bai.
• Chu Xingchen met Bai Xuanling at Pearl-Gem Peak, where she asked about his plan to establish a branch sect in Central Province.
• Bai Xuanling offered to show Chu Xingchen a possible site, but he grew suspicious and said he wanted to look around first.
• Bai Xuanling proposed a thirty-seventy split, and Chu Xingchen negotiated it to forty-sixty before accepting the deal.

Chu Xingchen and Chen Baiqing traveled to Northern Juluzhou to meet a Heavenly Derivation Sect contact, Jixiang. They found her at Spring Breeze Tower, where Chu Xingchen discovered she was entertaining a customer and punched him off the bed.

• Chen Baiqing smoothly reached the Golden Core realm after cultivating in the Heavenly Derivation Sect's chambers and received an Azure Heaven Ring.
• Chu Xingchen and Chen Baiqing arrived near Northern Juluzhou and headed to Wei'e City's Spring Breeze Tower to find their contact.
• The madam led them to a private room on the ninth floor after Chu Xingchen gave the recognition code.
• Chu Xingchen found Jixiang on a bed with a burly, bearded man, covered Chen Baiqing's eyes, and asked if she was Jixiang.
• The bearded man confirmed he was Jixiang, and Chu Xingchen punched him off the bed.

Chu Xingchen investigated Wuxuan Temple’s Incense-and-Fire Divine Path operation and learned that the Great Dao Sect might get involved. Though he denied being there to help, Chen Mouguang’s pale yellow seal stopped him as a side quest was triggered.

• Chu Xingchen showed Zhao Yang Bai Xuanling’s token and questioned him about Wuxuan Temple’s activities.
• Zhao Yang said Wuxuan Temple had ties to the Great Dao Sect, though the Great Dao Sect’s involvement remained unconfirmed.
• Chen Mouguang burst in to confront Zhao Yang about faulty intelligence, then explained that several Immortal Sects were investigating the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path and the Great Dao Sect might intervene.
• Chu Xingchen said he had only come for a stroll and prepared to leave with Chen Baiqing.
• Chen Mouguang took out a pale yellow seal, stopping Chu Xingchen and triggering a side quest.

Chu Xingchen learned that the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path could grant mortals cultivation through mysterious seals and agreed to inspect an experimental site. In Zhou Mountain Village, villagers prayed to their ancestor for blessings as a strange red egg grew on his head, leaving Zhou Ping terrified that the egg, not the ancestor, was becoming a god.

• Chen Mouguang showed Chu Xingchen a seal and explained that a mortal had gained cultivation equivalent to the eighth level of Qi Refining by absorbing one.
• Chen Mouguang urged Chu Xingchen to help investigate a Mist Mystery Temple experimental site, and Chu agreed to look before deciding what to do.
• Chu Xingchen arranged to meet Chen Mouguang at the Yongping Funeral Parlor at a quarter to eleven that night.
• Chu Xingchen explained to Chen Baiqing why the Heavenly Derivation Sect might consider the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path less important than its Spirit Veins.
• At night in Zhou Mountain Village, villagers prayed as the Zhou Ancestor was carried from the ancestral hall, while Zhou Ping noticed a red egg swelling on the ancestor's head and feared it was becoming a god.

Zhou Ping realized that Zhou Mountain Village was trapped under someone’s control and that the villagers’ prayers for wishes might cost them their lives. Chen Baiqing entered the village’s illusion barrier and questioned him, while Chu Xingchen waited outside with a support team.

• Zhou Ping concluded that the villagers had gone mad over Zhou Ancestor’s wish-granting prayers and that attempts to leave the village always ended in failure.
• A girl in a white rabbit mask appeared in Zhou Ping’s home, called herself his possible lifeline, and demanded that he explain what was happening to Zhou Ancestor.
• Zhou Ping told the girl, Chen Baiqing, that someone had already taken control of the area.
• Outside the illusion barrier, Chen Mouguang worried about sending Chen Baiqing inside, but Chu Xingchen explained that her protective gear and his backup measures would help keep her safe.
• Chen Baiqing persuaded Chu Xingchen to let her enter the barrier, arguing that she could deceive its spiritual-power detection and wanted to help him.

Chen Baiqing persuaded Zhou Ping to lead her to the ancestral hall and hid inside his herb basket. Their journey was interrupted when Uncle Zhou discovered them, leaving Chen Baiqing exposed.

• Chen Baiqing chose Zhou Ping as an ally and told him to lead her toward the ancestral hall.
• Zhou Ping hid Chen Baiqing in his herb basket and carried her through the village at night.
• Uncle Zhou stopped Zhou Ping and questioned why he was out so late with a basket.
• Uncle Zhou abruptly lifted the basket lid and looked inside.

Zhou Ping accompanied Chen Baiqing to the Zhou family ancestral hall, where she stopped him from touching a dangerous door and opened it herself. Inside, Chen Baiqing discovered the Zhou Ancestor suspended in a ritual and sensed two opposing souls within him.

• Chen Baiqing used fine threads to control Uncle Zhou and make Zhou Ping guide him back to the shadows.
• Zhou Ping reached the ancestral hall, but Chen Baiqing stopped him before he touched its vermilion doors.
• Chen Baiqing appeared beside Zhou Ping and pushed the doors open herself.
• Chen Baiqing saw the Zhou Ancestor floating amid red incense smoke beneath a plaque marked Incense-and-Fire Divine Path.
• Chen Baiqing sensed two opposing souls intertwined within the Zhou Ancestor and stepped into the ancestral hall.

Chen Baiqing investigated the Zhou family’s incense-and-fire ritual and tried to abduct Zhou Ancestor, but a Nascent Soul old Daoist stopped her and bound her. As the old Daoist prepared to detain her, an unknown voice spoke from behind him.

• Chen Baiqing examined the ancestral hall’s ritual and concluded that it was testing whether wish power could sustain cultivation without causing a fall in realm.
• Chen Baiqing decided to abduct Zhou Ancestor for information and began weaving spiritual power around him with the Azure Sky Treasure Ring.
• A Daoist old man appeared, blocked Chen Baiqing’s attempt to take Zhou Ancestor, and warned her to leave.
• Chen Baiqing created the illusion of a rising sun and threatened the old Daoist, but he used a Bagua formation and golden chains to restrain her.
• The old Daoist began pulling Chen Baiqing into the ground and promised to apologize later, when a voice behind him said, “Then let me apologize to you first.”

Chen Baiqing failed to rescue Patriarch Zhou from a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator, but she escaped with Zhou Ping. She reunited with Chu Xingchen outside the barrier, where he reassured her that her safety mattered most.

• The old Daoist attacked an illusory Bai Xuanling, and his lightning strike erased a mountain peak before Chen Baiqing's illusion dissolved.
• The old Daoist confirmed that the genuine Patriarch Zhou remained inside the ancestral hall and let Chen Baiqing leave with Zhou Ping.
• Chen Baiqing led Zhou Ping out of the barrier while regretting that she had failed to rescue Patriarch Zhou.
• Chu Xingchen waited outside, checked that Chen Baiqing was unharmed, and reassured her that she had handled the most important thing.

After abandoning another attack on Zhou Mountain Village, Chen Mouguang gathered evidence of Wuxuan Temple’s ritual and planned to share it with other immortal sects. Chu Xingchen left Zhou Ping in Chen Mouguang’s care and took Chen Baiqing to shop for gifts.

• Chen Mouguang stopped the attack after learning their operation had been exposed and possible reinforcements were coming.
• Chen Baiqing recreated the ritual’s layout while Chen Mouguang questioned Zhou Ping and gave him an apple from the offerings.
• Chu Xingchen inspected Zhou Ping’s traits and noticed his rare alchemy talent, though Zhou Ping lacked the aptitude to qualify as a disciple.
• Chen Mouguang planned to circulate the ritual evidence among other immortal sects to put pressure on Wuxuan Temple.
• Chu Xingchen gave Chen Mouguang a talisman for contact, then left with Chen Baiqing to buy presents for their senior and junior fellow disciples.

Li Yingling prepared to leave her team after a mission and wondered whether to bring her Second Junior Brother along. In Wei'e City, Chu Xingchen learned that the Great Dao Sect was intervening in the Wuxuan Temple crisis and asked whether he should beat its Spirit Transformation disciple, Yuyang Daozi, down.

• Li Yingling told Zhang Miaoyu that her master was easy to talk to and smarter than she was, then said she would leave the team after their mission.
• Li Yingling led her Golden Core cultivators out to work while considering where to go next and whether to summon her Second Junior Brother.
• Chu Xingchen entered Yongping Funeral Parlor with Chen Baiqing as Chen Mouguang explained that the Great Dao Sect was taking over Wuxuan Temple's affairs and the Heavenly Derivation Sect had sent reinforcements.
• Chen Mouguang said the Great Dao Sect's contingent included Yuyang Daozi, a Spirit Transformation cultivator skilled in the Taiyi Divine Art, and asked whether Chu Xingchen could hold him off.
• Chu Xingchen asked what would happen if he beat Yuyang Daozi down, and Chen Mouguang jokingly promised to kowtow twice.

At Wuxuan Temple, Dao Son Yuyang arrived to investigate Zhang Daotan’s Incense-and-Fire Divine Path, while Zhang secretly pursued a plan to become the path’s one true god. In Wei'e City, Chu Xingchen told masked cultivators he could keep Yuyang occupied indefinitely, setting up a confrontation over Wuxuan Temple’s secrets.

• Zhang Daotan welcomed Yuyang at Wuxuan Temple, and Yuyang warned that the Great Dao Sect would judge the facts rather than automatically support the temple.
• Yuyang began investigating Wuxuan Temple as Zhang privately continued cultivating wish power and resolved to make himself the one true god of the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path.
• At Myriad Fragrance Pavilion, Chen Mouguang told masked cultivators that Wuxuan Temple might hold the real secret behind the village operations.
• The gathered cultivators debated whether they could contend with Yuyang, and Chen Mouguang indicated that Chu Xingchen had a way to keep him occupied.
• Chu Xingchen declared that he could hold Yuyang indefinitely, while Wang Ling and Ye Antao revealed their identities before Ye quickly masked herself again.

Chu Xingchen claimed he could defeat Yuyang Daozi, and Chen Mouguang’s support led Wang Ling and the others to take him seriously and begin planning. At Wuxuan Temple, Yuyang Daozi found that an elderly Divine Being’s soul was being damaged and questioned the temple’s motives before an old man approached.

• Chu Xingchen said he could defeat Yuyang Daozi, and Chen Mouguang removed his mask and identified himself as a member of the Heavenly Derivation Sect.
• Chen Mouguang vouched for Chu Xingchen, prompting Ye Antao and the others to remove their masks and take Chu Xingchen’s claim seriously.
• Chu Xingchen described Yuyang Daozi as a man with a price marker on his head, and Wang Ling proposed making detailed plans.
• At Wuxuan Temple, Yuyang Daozi examined an elderly Divine Being and discovered that the man’s soul was suffering.
• Yuyang Daozi wondered why Wuxuan Temple’s Sect Leader was pushing the plan forward, then noticed an old man in Daoist robes approaching.

Chu Xingchen and Chen Mouguang waited outside Wuxuan Temple, expecting to intercept Yuyang Daozi while others infiltrated the sect. When fighting broke out inside and Ye Antao attacked the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, Chu Xingchen charged in, and Chen Mouguang chose to follow rather than abandon his allies.

• Chen Mouguang asked Chu Xingchen whether he could hold off Yuyang Daozi and requested a warning if he needed to retreat.
• Wuxuan Temple activated its Mountain-Guarding Grand Array and rang its emergency bell as Yuyang Daozi’s spiritual power surged inside.
• Chu Xingchen realized the plan had gone awry, while Chen Mouguang suggested waiting to see what happened before retreating.
• Ye Antao launched an attack on Wuxuan Temple’s array, prompting Chu Xingchen to charge toward the fighting.
• Chen Mouguang refused to sell out his own and told his team they would face the danger together.

Dao Scion Yuyang confronted Zhang Daotan at Wuxuan Temple and effortlessly stopped his strongest sword strike. As Zhang Daotan turned to his godhead’s power for a last chance, a masked figure pierced the temple’s Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, giving Yuyang an opponent he was eager to face.

• Yuyang challenged Zhang Daotan over abandoning his Dao heart, then attacked when Zhang Daotan denied knowing what he meant.
• Zhang Daotan used his jade sword and a divine ability he had practiced for centuries, but Yuyang caught the strike barehanded and destroyed the Main Hall with the force of his spiritual power.
• Zhang Daotan prepared to rely on the wish power and fragment within his divine sense to escape Yuyang, despite the unresolved erosion of his godhead.
• A small Flowing Water Sword blasted through Wuxuan Temple’s Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, and Yuyang sensed a figure in white robes wearing a Monkey Mask.
• Yuyang recognized the masked figure’s spiritual power and Dao resonance as those of a worthy opponent and smiled at the prospect of drawing his sword.

Chu Xingchen entered Wuxuan Temple and claimed he had come to help Yuyang Daozi, though he attacked Sect Leader Zhang Daotan instead. Yuyang Daozi unleashed a gigantic lightning sword, leaving the gathered cultivators to flee while Chu Xingchen apparently stayed behind to stall him.

• After Chu Xingchen broke Wuxuan Temple's Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, he told Yuyang Daozi he had come to help and offered to kill Zhang Daotan.
• Chu Xingchen inspected Zhang Daotan's traits and struck at him with a sword technique that Zhang could barely sense.
• Yuyang Daozi blocked Chu Xingchen's strike and ordered him to leave, warning that he would treat him as an accomplice if he stayed.
• Yuyang Daozi summoned a gigantic purple lightning sword that pierced Wuxuan Temple's array and engulfed the temple in lightning.
• Ye Antao asked Chen Mouguang where Chu Xingchen was, and Chen Mouguang said he was probably still inside stalling Yuyang Daozi.

Chu Xingchen fought Yuyang Daozi inside Wuxuan Temple after its disciples fled, trading powerful techniques as the battle escalated. Chu Xingchen unleashed the Yingling Great Art—The Highest Good Is Like Water, and an immense torrent of destructive water descended toward the temple.

• Chen Mouguang and the others let Wuxuan Temple’s people escape while lightning destroyed the temple and its Mountain-Guarding Grand Array.
• Chu Xingchen cleared the lightning from the Main Hall and challenged Yuyang Daozi, who attacked him with his purple Wooden Sword.
• Chu Xingchen countered Yuyang Daozi’s Reverse Flow with a surge of azure swords, then shattered his black-and-white domain with a swift strike.
• Yuyang Daozi invoked Divine Art-Guixu, eroding Chu Xingchen’s spell sword with an annihilating force.
• Chu Xingchen answered with Yingling Great Art—The Highest Good Is Like Water, summoning an azure beam and a destructive torrent that descended toward Wuxuan Temple.
• Outside the temple, Ye Antao asked Chen Mouguang whose Divine Ability was falling, but he admitted he did not know.

Chen Mouguang contacted Bai Xuanling as Chu Xingchen fought Yuyang Daozi at Wuxuan Temple, while the clash’s devastation left onlookers unable to intervene. Chu Xingchen then revealed an illusion to Zhang Daotan and demanded that he explain at least three things.

• Wang Ling and Ye Antao watched the powers clash at Wuxuan Temple and questioned whether Chu Xingchen and Yuyang Daozi were truly at the Spirit Transformation stage.
• Chen Mouguang reached Bai Xuanling through an emergency jade token and told her that Chu Xingchen had challenged Yuyang Daozi.
• Bai Xuanling told Chen Mouguang not to worry because the Heavenly Derivation Sect had her behind it.
• Yuyang Daozi used Fleeting Instant to pierce Chu Xingchen’s water sword, but Chu Xingchen casually touched his Wooden Sword and left him doubting his chances of winning.
• Chu Xingchen revealed to Zhang Daotan that the scene he had witnessed was an illusion, then said Zhang had at least three things to explain.

Chu Xingchen confronted Zhang Daotan over his use of the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path and pressed him to reveal what he had taken. Zhang Daotan transformed through the power of the Prism Fragment and Wish Power, forcing Yuyang Daozi to fight him while Chu Xingchen watched for weaknesses.

• Chu Xingchen accused Zhang Daotan of exploiting people and demanded to know what he had obtained, but Zhang Daotan refused to answer and unleashed his Wish Power.
• Zhang Daotan's power surged, his eyes turned white, and Chu Xingchen's system trait changed from [Slightly Wielded Authority] to [Authority Corruption].
• Yuyang Daozi broke free of Chu Xingchen's illusion and joined him against the transformed Zhang Daotan.
• Yuyang Daozi's Divine Art-Eradication was swallowed by Wish Power, and Zhang Daotan blasted his arm with a white attack.
• Yuyang Daozi dodged another attack with Divine Art-Shadow Departure and demanded that Chu Xingchen help, but Chu Xingchen said he was observing Zhang Daotan's weaknesses.

Yuyang Daozi identified the medium behind Zhang Daotan’s rapid Wish Power attacks and nearly cut him in half, but Zhang Daotan began regenerating and launched another attack. Chu Xingchen intervened, and as they faced Zhang Daotan together, Yuyang Daozi learned that Chu Xingchen was waiting for a borrowed Spirit Treasure to arrive.

• Yuyang Daozi used Great Dao-Nine Palaces to analyze Zhang Daotan’s Wish Power, then disrupted its medium and struck him with Divine Art-Shatter and Divine Art-Curse Separation.
• Zhang Daotan regenerated with Wish Power and prepared another attack, so Chu Xingchen rushed in and slashed at his head.
• Ye Antao, Wang Ling, and Chen Mouguang watched the battle from outside, and Chen Mouguang sent another message to his sect for help.
• Yuyang Daozi brought out his protective treasures and asked why Chu Xingchen had no defenses or Personal Spirit Treasure.
• Chu Xingchen said his Spirit Treasure was borrowed from his disciple and was still on its way, leaving Yuyang Daozi astonished.