Chapter Summaries

Inspector Song revealed to Li Rui that he was a Mountain-Settling Envoy pursuing a Fallen Immortal possibly connected to Purple Gold Palace, and asked Li Rui to report any news. Later, Li Rui visited He Qiannian for martial arts guidance, and He Qiannian introduced his self-created Great Horizontal Training method.

• Li Rui and Cao Wei received Inspector Song at the General's Mansion, where Song demanded an account of the Purple Gold Palace situation.
• Li Rui mentioned his connection to Song Chu, prompting Song Shi to dismiss Cao Wei and speak with Li Rui privately.
• Song Shi revealed he was a Mountain-Settling Envoy pursuing a Fallen Immortal and asked Li Rui to share any relevant news.
• Li Rui decided the Purple Gold Palace matter was too dangerous to meddle in, then visited He Qiannian with a silver carp.
• Li Rui asked how to train the body after reaching the Innate Realm, and He Qiannian introduced his Great Horizontal Training method.

He Qiannian taught Li Rui the Great Horizontal Training, and Li Rui grasped its principle of seizing strength from heaven and earth. Elsewhere, Song Shi prepared to investigate the Purple Gold Palace, while Li Rui passed the art to Iron Madman, who could not learn it.

• He Qiannian demonstrated his Great Horizontal Training and asked Li Rui whether he had understood it.
• Li Rui explained that External Skill had been practiced too kindly and that martial artists had to seize what they needed, earning He Qiannian's approval.
• Xiao Yu told the disciples that Master had found his true successor, while He Qiannian declined Li Rui's request to become his disciple and urged him to prove External Skill could rival internal cultivation.
• Song Shi heard that the Purple Gold Palace was guarded by Innate Martial Artists and decided to investigate it himself using the Divine Concealment Art.
• Li Rui trained with his blade and sheath, then offered to teach the Great Horizontal Training to Iron Madman.
• Iron Madman tried to learn the art but failed and returned to the smithing room cursing.

Li Rui proposed a trade partnership between the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the Heaven Origin Commerce Association, using the Witch Kingdom’s Black Dragon Token as leverage. Meanwhile, Song Shi infiltrated Purple Gold Palace to investigate the suspected Fallen Immortal, but discovered a blazing golden tower that appeared to be an Immortal Treasure.

• Li Rui learned that Song Shi had left Qinghe City to pursue the Fallen Immortal case and met Lin Wan outside Huacai Residence.
• Li Rui agreed to let Lin Wan discuss business with the Heaven and Earth Alliance and showed her the Black Dragon Token as the key to a proposed partnership.
• Li Rui told Lin Wan to consult Vice President Lin about establishing a commerce association together, then left the arrangements to his disciples Liang He and Liu Tong.
• Song Shi followed Commander Yang’s information to Purple Gold Palace and used a Divine Concealment Talisman to slip past the guards and enter.
• Song Shi prepared to explore the palace, but a dazzling golden tower shot across the horizon, which he recognized as an Immortal Treasure.

Song Shi entered the Purple Gold Palace, was nearly killed by an Earth Immortal’s strike, and concluded that the palace held an Immortal Treasure linked to a Fallen Immortal. Meanwhile, Li Rui arranged the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s future leadership and prepared to test his innate blade in the dream realm.

• Qu Chengfeng struck Song Shi with golden light, but a phantom palm protected Song Shi; injured, Song Shi fled the Purple Gold Palace while Qu Chengfeng let him go.
• Li Rui told Liang He that Liu Tong would lead the new commerce association and Liang He would become Alliance Master, then ordered Liang He to reach the Sixth Rank within five years.
• Song Shi summoned Li Rui and requested healing supplies, then privately resolved to return to the Purple Gold Palace and claim merit for discovering its Immortal Treasure.
• Li Rui gave Song Shi’s prescription to Ning Zhongtian, practiced Great Horizontal Training, and entered the dream realm to test his innate blade against the slain hook-nosed man.

Li Rui defeated a powerful Innate Realm opponent in a dream and then used Immortal Profound Qi to grasp the beginnings of Great Horizontal Training, dazzling Wang Zhao and Iron Madman with a heavenly phenomenon. Meanwhile, Qu Chengfeng’s body was discarded as the Fallen Immortal revealed his new form and name, Si Feng, and prepared to seek out old friends.

• In a dream, Li Rui defeated the hook-nosed man with his saber and an immortal palace, then woke and began practicing Great Horizontal Training.
• Li Rui’s Immortal Profound Qi helped him draw on heavenly phenomena, bathing the courtyard in brilliant light as Wang Zhao and Iron Madman watched.
• Li Rui offered to teach Iron Madman Great Horizontal Training, but Iron Madman refused and left for the rear courtyard.
• Blood Shadow Old Ancestor reported that Song Shi had infiltrated the palace and was staying at Huacai Residence, and Qu Chengfeng ordered him to keep watching Song Shi.
• Qu Chengfeng transformed into a handsome man, declared that his former body was useless, and named himself Si Feng.
• Si Feng left the hall for the first time and said he would look for old friends who had arrived.

Li Rui prepared to pass the Heaven and Earth Alliance to Liang He and Liu Tong while Song Shi reported the Purple Gold Palace to the Dark Guards. The Blood Shadow Old Ancestor killed Song Shi, and Li Rui encountered an attacker at Huacai Residence.

• Ning Zhongtian asked whether Li Rui planned to hand the Heaven and Earth Alliance to Liang He and Liu Tong, and Li Rui confirmed the younger generation would take over.
• Song Shi used his Dark Guard jade token to report the Purple Gold Palace to Yang Bing, then turned to leave.
• The Blood Shadow Old Ancestor seized Song Shi and drained his life, leaving a mummified corpse.
• Li Rui arrived at Huacai Residence with medicine for Song Shi and sensed blood near his room.
• A man burst from the adjacent room with a long blade, and Li Rui struck him through the chest, sending his corpse into Clear River.

Li Rui discovered Song Shi’s murdered subordinates at Huacai Residence and killed an Innate Martial Artist before investigating the scene. After Song Shi was found dead and the Ghost Underworld Sect was blamed, the officials decided to conceal his death while seeking merit; Li Rui suspected Purple Gold Palace had a Fallen Immortal.

• Li Rui killed two men in black and a burly Innate Martial Artist at Huacai Residence, then found Song Shi and his subordinates missing or dead.
• Li Rui summoned Nie Siming and told Cao Wei that he had arrived to deliver medicine on Song Shi’s orders.
• Nie Siming mobilized Clear River’s forces to search for Song Shi, who was found three days later as a dried corpse.
• Cao Wei reported that the coroner suspected Blood Shadow Old Ancestor of the Ghost Underworld Sect had killed Song Shi and that the dead men at Huacai Brothel had practiced the Evil God Technique.
• Nie Siming ordered the officials to conceal Song Shi’s death while they investigated and sought merit.
• Li Rui recalled that Song Shi had pursued a Fallen Immortal and wondered whether Purple Gold Palace possessed one.

Li Rui learned that He Qiannian was a Mountain-Suppressing Envoy and told him about Song Shi’s death and Purple Gold Palace, which He Qiannian ordered him to avoid. Back at the Military Advisor’s Residence, Li Rui heard that Little White Flood Dragon had found a large amount of Withered Tree Revived Essence in Purple Gold Palace.

• Wu Qing brought Li Rui to Thousand Crane Martial Hall, where He Qiannian revealed his Mountain-Suppressing Envoy token.
• He Qiannian explained that he and Jiang Linxian were jointly responsible for the south and asked Li Rui about Song Shi’s disappearance.
• Li Rui told He Qiannian that Song Shi had died near Purple Gold Palace and described the cult’s ties to the Ghost Underworld Sect and Blood Shadow Old Ancestor.
• He Qiannian told Li Rui to stay away from Purple Gold Palace and offered to take responsibility if Nie Siming pressed him to act.
• Little White Flood Dragon told Li Rui that Old Flood Dragon had moved because Purple Gold Palace occupied his former home.
• Little White Flood Dragon admitted that he had visited Purple Gold Palace and sensed a large amount of Withered Tree Revived Essence there.

Li Rui refused to let Little White Flood Dragon risk entering Purple Gold City for Withered Tree Revived Essence, then sparred with Nie Siming and kept his new Innate realm secret. At the Purple Gold Palace, Blood Shadow Old Ancestor learned that Li Rui had killed Elder Wu and the others and recognized his name.

• Little White Flood Dragon urged Li Rui to steal the Withered Tree Revived Essence, but Li Rui forbade it and told it to stay at his residence until the danger passed.
• Nie Siming waited for Li Rui, confirmed that he had reached the Innate realm, and challenged him to a fight.
• Li Rui fought Nie Siming on the martial arts ground, but lost after more than twenty moves when Nie Siming overwhelmed him with Mountain Form.
• Nie Siming promised to keep Li Rui's breakthrough secret and advised him to remain at the guard station rather than risk drawing the Purple Gold Palace's attention.
• A disciple reported to Blood Shadow Old Ancestor that Li Rui had killed Elder Wu and the others at Hua Cai Brothel, and Blood Shadow Old Ancestor recalled that Immortal Venerable had mentioned Li Rui.

Li Rui sent Wang Zhao to the Witch Kingdom to find his own path, then joined a meeting where Liu Qing announced a campaign against the Purple Gold Palace. Li Rui was assigned to negotiate with the Witch Kingdom before the assault, which the group planned to prepare discreetly.

• Li Rui praised Wang Zhao's progress and told him to leave Clear River for a position in the Witch Kingdom, where Senior Brother Liang would arrange his arrival.
• Nie Siming summoned Li Rui to the General's Mansion, where he met Liu Qing, Yuan Xiong, Jia Qi, and Yan Zhongxing.
• Liu Qing declared that the Purple Gold Palace had to be suppressed, and Cao Wei, Jia Qi, Yan Zhongxing, and Li Rui agreed to support the campaign.
• Liu Qing ordered the Anning Guard, County Office, and Trade Affairs Department to gather an elite force discreetly and said the Witch Kingdom must be informed before troops were sent.
• Liu Qing appointed Li Rui to negotiate with the Witch Kingdom, and Li Rui accepted, intending to use Xia Xiaotang's connections.

Li Rui arranged for Yu Kingdom and Witch Kingdom to jointly suppress Purple Gold Palace, then sparred with Iron Madman and learned that Xia Xiaotang had come to see him. Xia Xiaotang revealed that General Pu Xin would lead Witch Kingdom’s troops, while she had traveled ahead alone.

• Li Rui and Iron Madman sparred, and Iron Madman defeated Li Rui after 231 moves.
• Li Rui reviewed the fight and reflected that his full strength might give him a chance to defeat Iron Madman across their realm difference.
• Xia Xiaotang replied that the Great Shaman approved joint action against Purple Gold Palace, provided Witch Kingdom also sent people.
• Li Rui consulted Nie Siming and Liu Qing, received their approval, and sent an official dispatch to Witch Kingdom.
• Xia Xiaotang arrived to see Li Rui and said General Pu Xin would lead the troops while she had come on her own.

Liu Qing and Pu Xin led a force of fifty experts to attack Purple Gold Palace, while Li Rui was assigned to guard the outer perimeter. As the battle stalled at the palace gates, He Qiannian appeared and summoned Li Rui to investigate Purple Gold Palace with him.

• Nie Siming, Liu Qing, and Pu Xin agreed to take fifty experts to Purple Gold Palace after scouts assessed its forces and Liu Qing identified a weakness in its Dragon Locking Array.
• At dusk, the group left Anning Guard and reached a forested hollow near Purple Gold Palace in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
• Nie Siming assigned Li Rui and four others to guard the perimeter while Liu Qing led the main force toward the palace.
• The rapid march force clashed with Purple Gold Palace’s defenders, who proved powerful enough to halt their advance at the gates.
• He Qiannian appeared beside Li Rui and told him to come along and see what Purple Gold Palace was truly made of.

Li Rui and He Qiannian infiltrated the Purple Gold Palace, where Li Rui absorbed its hidden Withered Tree Revived Essence and found a booklet called the Five Elements Body Refining Art. After the group withdrew and returned to Clear River, a mysterious message announced that Li Rui had completed the beginner storyline achievement of Ascend to Immortality and Become an Ancestor.

• He Qiannian told Li Rui that the Fallen Immortal was absent from the Purple Gold Palace, and the two slipped inside to investigate.
• He Qiannian broke through a hidden wall, endured a golden protective attack, and led Li Rui into a secret chamber containing Withered Tree Revived Essence.
• He Qiannian urged Li Rui to absorb the essence, which improved Li Rui's spiritual roots and strength while revealing that he had already reached the Innate realm.
• Liu Qing and the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor clashed outside the palace until the Qi Clan Old Ancestor appeared, prompting Liu Qing's party to withdraw with He Qiannian and Li Rui.
• After returning to Clear River, Li Rui went home and opened a booklet titled Five Elements Body Refining Art, triggering a message that he had completed a beginner storyline achievement.

After obtaining the complete Five Elements Body Refining Art, Li Rui discovered that the booklet’s version was corrupted and began studying the immortal technique. Meanwhile, Clear River’s officials prepared to recruit local sects against the Purple Gold Palace, and Li Rui realized the technique might also improve martial artists’ internal cultivation.

• The system awarded Li Rui the complete Five Elements Body Refining Art, and he noticed the booklet omitted and reversed parts of its formula.
• Li Rui learned that cultivating the technique required abundant spiritual qi and at least a High Grade Spiritual Root, which he hoped to gain by collecting the Spirit Raising Nine Methods.
• Nie Siming announced that the Imperial Court would not pursue Clear River over Inspector Song’s death and ordered the officials to unite the local sects against the Purple Gold Palace.
• Li Rui and Cao Wei agreed that the sects would be difficult to persuade, but understood that the campaign would likely be prolonged.
• On the Dream Cloud Platform, Li Rui studied the technique and realized its principles might be adapted into a powerful internal cultivation method.

Li Rui advanced his Great Horizontal Training by blending it with the Five Elements Body Refining Art, then learned that Purple Gold Palace remained quiet and its mysterious guest elders were expected to confront the Fallen Immortal. A month later, he struck a business alliance with Lin Lang and Lin Wan’s help, as hints of major developments in Clear River emerged.

• Li Rui showed He Qiannian that his Great Horizontal Training had reached minor success, and He Qiannian praised his progress.
• Li Rui asked about Purple Gold Palace and the Fallen Immortal, and He Qiannian said the Fallen Immortal had not returned and that the seven guest elders were great figures.
• A month passed with Purple Gold Palace subdued and little progress from Nie Siming’s efforts to coordinate with the martial sects.
• Liu Tong brought Li Rui to meet Lin Lang, where Li Rui proposed that Lin Wan and Liu Tong work together on the Heaven and Earth Alliance Commerce Association.
• Lin Lang said the Heaven Origin Commerce Association planned to settle in Clear River and warned Li Rui that major developments were coming soon.

Li Rui learned that the Yu Kingdom was merging troops from three garrisons into Annan Garrison to counter Purple Gold Palace’s growing power near Clear River. While cultivating the Profound Water Body, he finally spotted Profound Water Qi and tried to seize it by force.

• Nie Siming told Li Rui that the Holy Emperor had ordered half the troops from Annan, Jiannan, and Huaidong Garrisons merged into Annan Garrison, and warned him to keep the news quiet.
• Li Rui decided to cultivate a lesser Five Elements Body, used his Dragon Form affinity to begin shaping the Profound Water Body, and demonstrated control over water.
• Li Rui planned to acquire Weak Water Spirit Stones through the Heaven Origin Commerce Association and the new partnership with Heaven and Earth Alliance.
• Li Rui joked with Yang Yong about their long lives and kept his hopes of immortality to himself.
• After a month of cultivation, Li Rui spotted a wisp of Profound Water Qi and tried to grab it by force when his cultivation method failed to draw it in.

Li Rui absorbed Profound Water Qi and broke through to Innate Minor Accomplishment, then overwhelmed Iron Madman in a spar with his newly refined water-based martial art. Two months later, Xue Gui arrived in Clear River with the Black Armor Army and announced that Annan Garrison would relocate there to guard the Southern Border, assigning Li Rui to oversee the expansion of Anning Guard.

• Li Rui refined Profound Water Qi into his body, broke through the body-refining stage, and gained Profound Water Qi alongside his Immortal Profound Qi.
• Li Rui used his sapphire-blue Profound Water Qi to suppress Iron Madman during their spar, then offered to teach him the martial art he had created.
• Iron Madman declined Li Rui's offer, and Li Rui concluded that the Profound Water Body greatly exceeded his expectations.
• Two months later, Xue Gui entered Clear River with the Black Armor Army and told Li Rui, Nie Siming, and Cao Wei that Annan Garrison would relocate there to defend the Southern Border.
• Xue Gui announced that Anning Guard would be expanded and placed the construction work under Vice General Li's command.

Li Rui received an Imperial appointment as a Fourth Rank vice general and learned that Zhou Dinghai would become Clear River’s provincial military commissioner. Lin Lang visited to congratulate him and gave him lavish gifts, including a Frost Soul Purple Crystal, one of the nine divine treasures in the Spirit Ascension Method.

• Xue Gui appointed Li Rui a vice general, and Cao Wei realized Li Rui had risen above him in rank.
• Nie Siming invited Li Rui to spar, but Li Rui said he had matters to attend to and agreed to spar the next day.
• Lin Lang visited Li Rui with his daughter Lin Wan, congratulated him, and revealed that Zhou Dinghai would become provincial military commissioner.
• Li Rui offered to introduce Lin Lang to Miss Xia when she arrived in Clear River, and Lin Lang left after a long conversation.
• Li Rui opened Lin Lang’s gifts and found several great pills, then discovered a Frost Soul Purple Crystal in the fourth box.

Li Rui used the Frost Soul Purple Crystal and Treasure Radiance Spirit Fruit to advance to a High Grade Spiritual Root and cultivate the Profound Water Body more effectively. After three days in seclusion, he emerged to learn the Commerce Association was ready to open and named it Spring Breeze Hall.

• Li Rui received the Frost Soul Purple Crystal and Treasure Radiance Spirit Fruit from Lin Lang and consumed them to improve his spiritual root.
• Lin Wan questioned her father's lavish gifts, and Lin Lang explained that he had invested in Li Rui because of intelligence about Li Rui's connections and favor with the Holy Emperor.
• Li Rui awakened with a High Grade Spiritual Root, found the Five Elements Body Refining Art easier to understand, and focused on cultivating the Profound Water Body.
• After three days of closed-door cultivation, Li Rui met Liang He and Liu Tong, who told him the Commerce Association was ready to open.
• Li Rui praised Liu Tong for his work and named the Commerce Association Spring Breeze Hall.

Li Rui celebrated the opening of Spring Breeze Hall while Lin Lang predicted Qinghe would become one of the southern region’s greatest cities. At Purple Gold Palace, Si Feng discovered that someone had stolen the Withered Tree Revived Essence and a tampered cultivation technique, while Li Rui successfully refined the Profound Water Body.

• Li Rui and Lin Lang discussed Spring Breeze Hall’s opening, and Lin Lang explained that he had established the guild headquarters in Qinghe because he expected the city to rise in prominence.
• Si Feng introduced Sheng Daoren as Purple Gold Palace’s new Grand Elder and learned from Blood Shadow Old Ancestor about the break-in at his bedchamber.
• Si Feng found that someone had taken more than half of the Withered Tree Revived Essence and the Five Elements Body Refining Art, which he had rigged to turn its cultivator into his puppet.
• Sheng Daoren detected that someone had used the essence to enhance spiritual roots, and Si Feng suspected Jiang Linxian had come from the upper realm.
• Li Rui cultivated the Profound Water Body in his residence and successfully refined it.