Chapter Summaries

After Yang Yong died, Li Rui returned to Qingwei Sect and learned that the Northern Plains war had ended in a truce. As he neared a new insight into the Great Dao, he advised Yuan An to use his powerful status rather than risk himself investigating a suspicious Demonic Cultivator.

• Yang Yong died after seeing Li Rui, and Wang Zhao returned from the Witch Kingdom to keep vigil before Yang Yong was buried on the hill he had chosen with Li Rui.
• Li Rui returned to Qingwei Sect and read Ning Zhongtian's letter confirming that the North Garrison Army and Arctic Demon Sect had agreed to withdraw ten li.
• Zhou Tong told Zhu Qian that the National Preceptor believed Zhu Qian's water affinity had obstructed his breakthrough and proposed using Bone Exchange Soul Shift to help him reach the Celestial Phenomenon realm.
• Li Rui listened to the Longevity Dao Lord's teachings in the Great Void Dao Field and gained insight into the Great Dao while still at the Profound Understanding Middle Stage.
• Yuan An asked Li Rui for advice about a Demonic Cultivator turning villagers into Human Puppets, and Li Rui urged him to rely on his status and have Big Brother Pei raze the village if needed.

Li Rui completed his breakthrough to third-order array mastery while traveling to Qinghe City, then discovered that Myriad Ghosts Daoist had strengthened the Evil Puppet Array and turned the guards at the spirit mine into Human Puppets. Myriad Ghosts Daoist tried to refine Li Rui at the mine, but found only a Substitute Talisman as Li Rui appeared behind him and prepared to act.

• Yuan An thanked Li Rui for guiding him to accept the advantages of his identity, then later reported that Qingwei Sect disciples sent to investigate a Demonic Cultivator had disappeared.
• Li Rui warned Old Ziyang Daoist about the suspected Demonic Cultivator, while Myriad Ghosts Daoist watched Qingwei Sect investigators and decided to refine Li Rui ahead of schedule.
• Li Rui formed a Third Order Lotus Heart Array inside his carriage, then visited Qinghe City and returned to the spirit mine, where he sensed that Myriad Ghosts Daoist had reinforced the array and turned two guards into Human Puppets.
• Myriad Ghosts Daoist killed a young Qingwei Sect cultivator he had used as a Human Puppet and went to the spirit mine to refine Li Rui.
• Myriad Ghosts Daoist activated the Evil Puppet Grand Array and the Bewildering Array, but discovered that Li Rui had left a Substitute Talisman in his room; Li Rui then spoke from behind him.

Li Rui ambushed and killed Myriad Ghosts Daoist, a Profound Understanding Upper Stage Demonic Cultivator, after secretly tracking him and preparing to counter his arrays. The arrays vanished, Li Rui claimed the demon had infiltrated his residence, and Yuan Xiong praised him for staying steady.

• Myriad Ghosts Daoist failed to suppress Li Rui with his arrays, and Li Rui struck him from behind with Flood Dragon Slayer.
• Myriad Ghosts Daoist summoned a skull treasure and countless ghosts, but Li Rui shattered the ghosts and cracked the treasure with his blade.
• Li Rui overwhelmed Myriad Ghosts Daoist with repeated strikes, breaking his defenses and chopping him into a pulp.
• Li Rui collected Myriad Ghosts Daoist's treasures, and his achievement panel awarded him 30 Achievement Points for killing an enemy above his realm.
• Yuan Xiong, Ben Shi, and Ke Chuan arrived after the arrays vanished, and Li Rui told them he had slain a Demonic Cultivator who infiltrated his residence.
• Ke Chuan and Ben Shi left, while Yuan Xiong checked on Li Rui and praised him as steady as ever.

Li Rui studied the third-tier arrays in the ancient book he had taken from the demonic cultivator he slew, while Ji Lei learned of the cultivator’s death and arranged for Blood Shadow Old Ancestor to stir up trouble in the Yu Kingdom. After discussing the Great Dao with Old Ziyang Daoist, Li Rui discovered that a speck of light circling his Dao Embryo Infant was the embryonic form of the Great Dao.

• Yuan An visited Li Rui, praised his slaying of a Profound Comprehension cultivator, and asked him about cultivation before leaving Evergreen Peak.
• Li Rui studied the ancient book of third-tier arrays and decided to learn the Tortoise Shell Array.
• Ji Lei discovered that Myriad Ghosts Daoist had died and sent for Blood Shadow Old Ancestor.
• Ji Lei asked Blood Shadow Old Ancestor to travel to the Yu Kingdom’s southern border and stir up trouble.
• Old Ziyang Daoist discussed comprehending the Great Dao with Li Rui, who later saw the Great Dao’s embryonic form circling his Dao Embryo Infant.

Li Rui awakened a remnant weapon spirit in the Great Void Dao Field, learned from its cultivation experience, and traveled with Liu Tiezhu to Cloud Province for Yuan An’s coming-of-age ceremony. After the rites, Yuan Dingting announced that he would choose a worthy teacher to counsel his youngest son.

• Li Rui’s Dao Embryo Infant destroyed Longevity Dao Lord’s phantom and awakened the remnant weapon spirit, which offered to advise him for sixty years.
• Li Rui asked the weapon spirit about cultivation and learned how to control a flying Magic Treasure.
• Li Rui and Liu Tiezhu flew to Cloud Province, toured the city, and heard residents praise Yuan An for curbing reckless young masters.
• Nie Siming welcomed Li Rui to the Annan Marquis Residence, where Li Rui reunited with Wang Li and other acquaintances.
• Yuan An completed his coming-of-age rites, and Yuan Dingting announced that he would choose a teacher to counsel him.

At Yuan An’s coming-of-age ceremony, Yuan Dingting appointed Li Rui as his son’s master, drawing the nobles’ attention to Li Rui’s growing influence. Li Rui agreed to take Yuan An with him to the Ten Thousand Mountains, and a system message confirmed he had completed the “Becoming a Master” storyline.

• Yuan Dingting asked Li Rui to become Yuan An’s master, and Li Rui accepted.
• Cui Chuxue welcomed Li Rui as someone the family trusted, while Yuan An protested his parents’ teasing.
• The guests courted Li Rui at the banquet, and Yuan Dingting arranged for him to stay beside the main hall.
• Yuan Dingting told Li Rui that Yuan An would follow him wherever he went, and Li Rui said he would take Yuan An to the Ten Thousand Mountains the next day.
• After Yuan Dingting returned to his room, Li Rui received a system message confirming he had completed the advanced “Becoming a Master” storyline.

Li Rui joined forces with the Qingwei Sect and the Red River River God to search for the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor, who was linked to Chang Xuan’s death. He also hosted the Little White Flood Dragon at the River God Palace, and the chapter ended when Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad reported that the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s location had been found.

• Li Rui took Yuan An and Liu Tiezhu back to the Qingwei Sect, where the main peak was later moved and Chang Xuan’s death became known.
• Yuan An told Li Rui that Chang Xuan had died, while Iron Madman’s letter revealed that the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor had reappeared near the southern borderlands.
• Old Ziyang Daoist told Li Rui that Chang Xuan’s death was connected to the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor, and Li Rui agreed to seek help from the Red River River God.
• Li Rui and Ziyang Daoren asked Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad to search the Red River, and it sent water dragons to patrol the waters.
• The Little White Flood Dragon visited Li Rui for help against the Eyebrow Lake Lake God, and Li Rui let it stay at the River God Palace under Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad’s protection.
• Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad told Li Rui that the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s location had been found.

Blood Shadow Old Ancestor prepared to strike Qingwei Sect and the Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad after they targeted him, while Li Rui helped assemble an alliance of four Heavenly Manifestation experts. The group reached Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s hidden cave and prepared to settle the grudge.

• Blood Shadow Old Ancestor learned that Qingwei Sect blamed him for killing Xuanyu’s prized disciple and vowed to retaliate against both Qingwei Sect and anyone framing him.
• Ziyang True Person reported another Qingwei Sect disciple’s death and urged Li Rui to advance the attack on Blood Shadow Old Ancestor.
• Li Rui and Ziyang Daoren persuaded the Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad to act after Qingwei Sect sent Xuanwei Daoren and Jiuzhen Daoren to reinforce the operation.
• The Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad told Li Rui that Si Feng had used the Soul-Shifting Bone-Replacement Technique to put Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s soul in the Listening Wind Blade God’s body, granting him Heavenly Manifestation at the cost of his future potential.
• Zhou Dinghai brought Annan Garrison’s elite to join the Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad and the three Qingwei Sect experts, forming a force of four Heavenly Manifestation experts.
• The allied force reached Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s concealed cave, where the Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad announced that their grudge would be settled.

Li Rui joined the Qingwei Sect and Annan Garrison in attacking the Purple Gold Palace and helped corner Blood Shadow Old Ancestor. After Blood Shadow escaped in Spirit Embryo form, Li Rui’s Dao Embryo devoured him, and Li Rui left to deal with the spiritual power pushing him toward a breakthrough.

• Xuanwei Daoren, Zhou Dinghai, Jiuzhen Daoren, and Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad led an assault that overwhelmed the Purple Gold Palace remnants, while Li Rui spotted Iron Madman among the group.
• Xuanwei Daoren demanded Chang Xuan’s body from Blood Shadow Old Ancestor, then joined Zhou Dinghai, Jiuzhen Daoren, and Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad in attacking him.
• Blood Shadow Old Ancestor refined Purple Gold Palace cultivators into blood corpses and used the Blood Spirit Escape Technique to flee as a tiny blood-colored figure.
• Li Rui brought Iron Madman out of the cave and blocked the sea of blood, then pursued Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s escaping Spirit Embryo.
• Li Rui’s Dao Embryo Infant caught and devoured Blood Shadow Old Ancestor, though Li Rui concealed his death from Iron Madman.
• Li Rui declined Celestial Ox Vermilion Toad’s invitation to the River God Palace because Blood Shadow Old Ancestor’s spiritual power had brought him to the verge of a breakthrough.

After devouring the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor's Spirit Embryo, Li Rui learned secrets about the Immortal Cultivation World and realized how dangerous his past had been. He secluded himself in a mountain cave, broke through to Profound Understanding Upper Stage, and emerged with the aura of the Great Dao.

• Li Rui uncovered the Blood Shadow Old Ancestor's memories, learning that the Purple Gold Palace and Qingwei Sect descended from the Myriad Laws Palace and Profound Mystery Palace, and that Ji Lei was a Fallen Immortal from the Myriad Laws Palace.
• Li Rui recognized that absorbing the Spirit Embryo had brought him to the peak of essence, qi, and spirit, so he instructed Liang He and Liu Tiezhu to guard against visitors while he cultivated.
• Li Rui left Qinghe City and entered a cave protected by the Lotus Heart Array to cultivate in seclusion.
• Li Rui broke through to Profound Understanding Upper Stage, drawing the power of heaven and earth from eighteen li and surpassing Yuan Dingting's reach at the same stage.
• Li Rui watched his Dao Embryo Infant evolve the myriad heavens and deduce the Great Dao, then opened his eyes to find that he had obtained the aura of the Great Dao.

Li Rui comprehended the Azure Profound Great Dao through his Dao Embryo and realized he might be able to cultivate a second Great Dao himself. While investigating the abduction of a Nanhua Sect disciple, he uncovered Zhu Qian’s scheme to steal talented cultivators’ bones; later, Weapon Spirit Old Man began teaching him how to choose his own Great Dao.

• Li Rui discovered that his Dao Embryo had comprehended the Azure Profound Great Dao, bringing it close to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, and realized he could potentially comprehend another Great Dao himself.
• Li Rui sensed a Nanhua Sect disciple being captured by men in black, followed them with a Tracking Talisman, and traced them to a spirit mine.
• Zhu Qian and Zhou Tong killed the captive by extracting his divine soul and refining his body, continuing Zhu Qian’s plan to improve his innate bones and pursue the throne.
• Li Rui suspected Zhu Qian was behind the Nanhua Sect disciple’s disappearance, then observed the Azure Profound Great Dao nourishing his Immortal Court and its growing Small World.
• Li Rui visited Weapon Spirit Old Man, who praised his progress and began teaching him the Great Dao Resonance Chapter to help him choose his own Great Dao.

Li Rui learned the Great Dao Resonance Chapter and used it to explore countless Great Daos, though he had not yet found his own path. After Qingwei Sect disciples came to Evergreen Peak over Chang Xuan’s murder, Li Rui trapped them in his arrays and began considering how to address the growing dispute.

• Weapon Spirit Old Man taught Li Rui the Great Dao Resonance Chapter and advised him to choose a path that was easier to follow.
• Xuan Yu Daoren accused Yu Kingdom’s military of links to Chang Xuan’s murder and pressured Li Rui, who resisted and agreed to help investigate.
• Old Ziyang Daoist explained that Xuanyu had used a secret method to trace the killer’s aura to Yu Kingdom’s military techniques.
• Li Rui mastered the Great Dao Resonance Chapter, explored many Great Daos, and learned how rival paths could lead to contention as cultivators advanced.
• Li Rui discovered that several Xuan Yu Peak disciples had been trapped in his arrays while trying to reach Evergreen Peak, then released them after they fled in fear.
• Li Rui decided he needed to find a way to handle the disciples’ demands without helping Zhu Qian cover up Chang Xuan’s murder.

Li Rui impressed Weapon Spirit Old Man by mastering the Great Dao Resonance Chapter quickly, then discussed cultivation and Qingwei Sect’s troubles with Old Ziyang Daoist. He hinted that Chang Xuan’s death might involve King Wei’s Breaking Flood Dragon Army, setting Qingwei Sect on a path to investigate Zhu Qian while Li Rui prepared to act in the Holy Emperor’s interests.

• Li Rui confirmed that he had mastered the Great Dao Resonance Chapter and described the Great Daos he had perceived to Weapon Spirit Old Man.
• Weapon Spirit Old Man advised Li Rui to take his time choosing a suitable Great Dao and answered his cultivation questions.
• Li Rui accepted the Spirit Bloom Array manual from Old Ziyang Daoist and said that disciples from Xuan Yu Peak were making it difficult for him to act.
• Li Rui told Old Ziyang Daoist that Chang Xuan’s death might be connected to the Breaking Flood Dragon Army, King Wei Zhu Qian’s private force.
• Old Ziyang Daoist left to consider the revelation, while Li Rui intended for Qingwei Sect to investigate Zhu Qian and resolved to put the Holy Emperor’s interests first.

Li Rui spent a year searching through the Great Daos before deciding to forge a unique Dao for immortality by using his body as a furnace. As Prince Yue Zhu Qi took over the spirit mine and relied on Li Rui, Xuan Yu Daoren faced a new temptation when Ji Lei offered to help him enter the Immortal Cultivation World.

• Li Rui rejected the Way of Dragon Slaying after the Great Dao Resonance Chapter warned him of a dangerous contention, then decided to create a Dao suited to his Immortal Form.
• Prince Yue Zhu Qi replaced Zhu Qian at the spirit mine, asked Li Rui for help, and entrusted him with arranging the Qingwei Sect's ten-percent share.
• Yuan Xiong told Li Rui that Zhu Qian had been confined to the capital after killing two Qingwei Sect and Nanhua Sect disciples with a blood-eating method.
• Li Rui continued cultivating by refining his body as a furnace, intending to meld the myriad Daos into a Dao devoted to becoming immortal.
• Xuan Yu Daoren accepted that Qingwei Sect would not pursue further punishment against Zhu Qian, then went to his fishing village to calm his inner demons.
• Ji Lei revealed that he knew Xuan Yu Daoren was a half-demon and offered to help him reach the Immortal Cultivation World.

Li Rui encouraged Yuan Xiong to seek advancement in the Northern Plains while refining his Immortal Court Dao essence. After Yuan Xiong and Nie Siming were ordered north, Li Rui returned to Qingwei Sect and overheard Yuan An describe a killer targeting disciples ranked near the bottom of the Earth Ranking.

• Yuan Xiong told Li Rui he would head to the Northern Plains if he failed to break through, and Li Rui encouraged him to seek a change rather than stay at the spirit mine.
• Li Rui revealed that he had reached the middle stage of Tongxuan and then cultivated his Immortal Court Dao essence, aiming to forge his own Great Dao.
• Ten days later, Yuan Xiong and Nie Siming received orders to go north and resist the Northern Plains, while the Imperial Court struggled to find Yuan Xiong's replacement at the spirit mine.
• Li Rui returned to Evergreen Peak and found Liu Tiezhu and Yuan An discussing the deaths of Qingwei Sect disciples.
• Yuan An told Liu Tiezhu that several dead disciples had ranked near the bottom of the Earth Ranking, suggesting someone was killing them according to the list.

Xuanyu committed to helping the Arctic Immortal Sect’s plan in exchange for a chance to enter the Myriad Laws Palace, while claiming Zhu Qian for himself. At the Qingwei Sect, Li Rui advised the newly arrived Witch Kingdom officer to focus on cultivation, as the killings and the forces behind them remained beyond his reach.

• Xuanyu accepted Ji Lei’s assurance that the Arctic Immortal Sect would help him ascend and agreed to cooperate, demanding that Zhu Qian be left to him.
• Sang Kong told Li Rui he was returning to the Wu Court as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and learned that Li Rui already knew his replacement was coming.
• Three days later, the new Witch Kingdom officer visited Li Rui to ask about the assassinations of Qingwei Sect disciples.
• Li Rui advised General Wang to reach the Profound Mystery realm before getting involved, and the officer left reassured.
• Yuan An warned Li Rui that the newcomer’s time at the Qingwei Sect would not go smoothly, and Li Rui cautioned him not to underestimate others.

Li Rui ignored the nobles seeking favors over future Immortal Cultivation World slots and spent three days mastering a Third Order Pagoda Talisman. After learning that Xuanyu had suppressed the demonic cultivators behind the attacks on Qingwei Sect disciples, Li Rui remained wary of the Arctic Demon Sect’s growing activity.

• Li Rui explained that Qingwei Sect had not yet finished building its grand array, while Yuan An told him his mother opposed his going to the Immortal Cultivation World.
• Li Rui advised Yuan An to wait until he reached the Upper Three Ranks before facing the dangers there.
• Li Rui practiced talisman-making for three days and achieved grand completion in Third Order Talismans Art by drawing a Pagoda Talisman in the void.
• Li Rui formed a golden pagoda barrier with the talisman and reflected on his standing as both a Third Order Talisman Master and a Third Order Array Master.
• Yuan An told Li Rui that Xuanyu had killed demonic cultivators incited by the Arctic Demon Sect, bringing a lull in the attacks on Qingwei Sect disciples.

Xuanyu Daoren helped Ji Lei and the Arctic Demon Sect exploit a gap in Qingwei Sect’s formation to attack Evergreen Peak and kill Li Rui. After sealing Old Ziyang Daoist and leaving him a message for Great Master Qingding, Xuanyu joined the attackers, and Li Rui sensed him at the foot of the mountain as Lan Daoren raised the alarm.

• Xuanyu Daoren met Ji Lei and agreed to help the Arctic Demon Sect attack Evergreen Peak through a gap in Qingwei Sect’s formation.
• Ji Lei explained that the attackers would hold off Lan Daoren while Xuanyu and the others killed Li Rui and everyone else on Evergreen Peak.
• Old Ziyang Daoist felt uneasy, but Xuanyu Daoren visited him, bound him with a golden rope, and asked him to tell Great Master Qingding that Xuanyu could no longer repay his kindness.
• Xuanyu Daoren left Old Ziyang Daoist sealed in his room and went to join the attackers.
• Lan Daoren roared that intruders were causing chaos in Qingwei Sect, while Li Rui sensed several powerful figures and recognized Xuan Yu Daoren among them.

Xuan Yu Daoren and ten Arctic Immortal Sect cultivators attacked Evergreen Peak, but Li Rui used layers of arrays and talismans to hold them off until their ten-breath window expired. The attackers escaped with a Great Teleportation Talisman, and Lan Daoren later invited Li Rui to join Qingwei Sect, but Li Rui declined.

• Xuan Yu Daoren led ten Arctic Immortal Sect cultivators through a gap in Qingwei Sect’s protective array and attacked Evergreen Peak with his Golden Fishing Rod and their Magic Treasures.
• Li Rui’s layered grand arrays and vast Talisman Array blocked the assault, holding off Xuan Yu Daoren and the ten cultivators until their allotted ten breaths ran out.
• Ji Lei called for the attackers to retreat, and Xuan Yu Daoren began to leave as Lan Daoren pursued Ji Lei’s group.
• Li Rui prepared to take Evergreen Peak into battle, but Ji Lei used a Great Teleportation Talisman to transport the Arctic Immortal Sect cultivators away.
• Lan Daoren praised Li Rui’s formation skills and offered to teach him in Qingwei Sect, but Li Rui respectfully refused.

After helping end the Qingwei Sect crisis, Li Rui learned that Xuan Yu Daoren was half-demon and prepared to leave Evergreen Peak for the Yu Kingdom’s capital. He arrived with Liu Tiezhu and Yuan An, where completing an achievement granted him the Hammer Dao Method.

• Old Ziyang Daoist told Great Master Qingding that Xuanyu had left the sect, and Qingding let him go before asking Ziyang to negotiate the sect’s stationing rules with the Yu Kingdom.
• Old Ziyang Daoist told Li Rui that Qingding’s agreement with Gu Changsheng required those stationed in the region to be below the third rank, and Li Rui agreed to relay the matter to the capital.
• Old Ziyang Daoist revealed that Xuan Yu Daoren was half-demon, and Li Rui understood why he had betrayed the Qingwei Sect.
• Li Rui left Evergreen Peak after three days and traveled with Liu Tiezhu and Yuan An to the capital in one day.
• At the capital gates, Li Rui completed the Known Throughout the Four Seas achievement and received the Hammer Dao Method.