Chapter Summaries

Li Rui reported He Jiuxuan’s death to the Holy Emperor, who spared Duke of Wei’s life but stripped his family of its fief and ordered them to move to the capital after the old Duke died. As Duke of Wei prepared to purge his household, Yellow Dragon Child revealed that his breakthrough was near.

• Li Rui returned to Duke of Wei’s residence after killing He Jiuxuan, then went to the palace to report his success to the Holy Emperor.
• Gu Changsheng said he would take responsibility for the killing, and the Holy Emperor granted Duke of Wei a peaceful end in recognition of his past service.
• At court, the Holy Emperor made Qi Kuang the new Duke of Wei, stripped the family’s fief, and ordered them to move to the capital after Old Duke of Wei died.
• Li Rui explained to Yuan An that Old Duke of Wei had to purge descendants tied to Purple Gold Palace and the Ghost Underworld Sect before the family could move safely.
• In the Northern Plains, Sima Mo told Yellow Dragon Child that He Jiuxuan’s Life Tablet had shattered, and Yellow Dragon Child said the time had not yet come before confirming that he was close to a breakthrough.

As the war between the Yu Kingdom and the Arctic Demon Sect continued, Li Rui discussed the Old Duke of Wei’s death and secretly absorbed He Jiuxuan’s Spirit Embryo, learning about his powerful connections. In the Great Void Dao Field, Weapon Spirit Old Man identified He Jiuxuan’s small pagoda as part of Dao Lord Pagoda-Bearing’s Immortal Slaughtering Pagoda and offered to teach Li Rui how to activate it.

• Nie Siming praised Li Rui for helping resolve the Duke of Wei’s troubles and celebrated the Old Duke of Wei’s sacrifice against the Arctic Demon Sect.
• Li Rui absorbed the last of He Jiuxuan’s Spirit Embryo, gained his memories, and discovered that He Jiuxuan was backed by a Celestial Realm master and was Yellow Dragon Child’s martial nephew.
• Li Rui considered the danger posed by He Jiuxuan’s connections before going to sleep and waking in the Great Void Dao Field.
• Weapon Spirit Old Man recognized Li Rui’s small pagoda as one of nine treasures belonging to Dao Lord Pagoda-Bearing, an old rival of Longevity Dao Lord.
• Weapon Spirit Old Man offered to teach Li Rui the Immortal Slaughtering Pagoda’s activation method, giving Li Rui the prospect of greatly increased combat power.

Li Rui refined the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda, advised Fourth Prince Zhu Ting before his Tribulation Transcendence, and watched him reach the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. As Zhu Qian struggled with his own limits, Zhou Tong revealed that Li Rui possessed a Dao Embryo and urged him to seize Li Rui’s flesh and blood.

• Li Rui completed an initial refinement of the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda and stored it in his storage bag.
• Li Rui cautioned Yuan An and Liu Tong about speaking carelessly, then sent them back to cultivate.
• Li Rui visited Zhu Ting and Xia Yun and advised Zhu Ting on Tribulation Transcendence.
• Three days later, Zhu Ting safely passed his heavenly tribulation and reached the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
• Angered by Zhu Ting’s breakthrough and frustrated by his own stalled cultivation, Zhu Qian asked Zhou Tong about potential candidates to improve his chances of reaching first rank.
• Zhou Tong revealed that Li Rui possessed a Dao Embryo, prompting Zhu Qian to covet Li Rui’s flesh and blood.

Gu Changsheng told Li Rui that Yellow Dragon Child’s Way of Dragon Slaying had caused the destruction of Small Grotto-heavens, and warned that he might bring another disaster. As autumn passed, Li Rui reviewed the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s expansion, continued cultivating, and prepared to open his Violet Palace at the Great Void Dao Field.

• Gu Changsheng explained to Li Rui that Dragon Slayers killed emperors for their fortune and had destroyed many Small Grotto-heavens, then warned him that Yellow Dragon Child was dangerous.
• Li Rui read Liang He’s letter about the Heaven and Earth Alliance gaining a foothold in Cloud Province and planning to establish a branch in Yun Province City.
• Li Rui reflected on Jiang Linxian’s success in the Immortal Cultivation World and the growing ties between Yu Kingdom and White Jade Capital.
• Li Rui cultivated the Immortal Evergreen Contemplation Method, visualizing immortal qi and transforming his Evergreen Qi.
• At the Great Void Dao Field, Weapon Spirit Old Man celebrated Li Rui’s progress and discussed the Violet Palace opening, which Li Rui was nearing after absorbing He Jiuxuan’s spiritual qi and Great Dao.

Zhu Qian persuaded the National Preceptor to support his bid to become Crown Prince, believing that Li Rui’s innate foundation could help him reach the first rank. Meanwhile, Li Rui considered opening his Violet Palace and wondered what realm his immense Immortal Court might reach.

• Zhu Qian begged the National Preceptor for help, and his second aunt invited him to stay for dinner.
• The National Preceptor took Zhu Qian for a walk and said he would remember his request, hinting that he supported Zhu Qian becoming Crown Prince.
• Zhu Qian resolved to obtain Li Rui’s innate foundation and use it to pursue the throne.
• Weapon Spirit Old Man advised Li Rui to open a Violet Palace at least ten zhang wide to have a chance of reaching the Dao Lord Realm.
• Li Rui judged that the time was right to open his Violet Palace and wondered what realm his vast Immortal Court could attain.

Li Rui left the capital and opened a powerful Violet Palace Realm over the East Sea, gaining a vast Immortal Court and a lifespan of Nine Jiazi. Gu Changsheng sensed the breakthrough through Great Yu’s rising national fortune and concealed the disturbance from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

• Li Rui told Yuan An he would leave the capital for several days or months, then traveled to the East Sea to cultivate.
• Li Rui used the Great Dao Spirit Gathering Array and his immortal qi to open his Violet Palace Realm, expanding his Immortal Court to ninety feet and allowing it to keep growing.
• Li Rui sensed his increased strength and discovered that his lifespan had reached Nine Jiazi before flying away.
• Gu Changsheng detected the surge in Great Yu’s national fortune and realized that someone had opened an unusually large Violet Palace Realm.
• Gu Changsheng told a young Mystic that he had accidentally disturbed the Armillary Sphere, then suspected Li Rui was responsible.

Li Rui, Meng Chong, and their companions returned to Cloud Province, where Yuan Dingting advised them about the Dragon Vein in the Ten Thousand Mountains. After they began searching with the Dragon Seekers, Li Rui spotted Wu De secretly moving through the mountains.

• Yuan An and the others reunited with Hu Yan Ku, Yuan Dingting, and Cui Chuxue.
• Meng Chong told Yuan Dingting that the Holy Emperor had sent him, Li Rui, and the National Preceptor to investigate the Dragon Vein.
• Yuan Dingting explained the flood dragons in the Ten Thousand Mountains and promised to protect Li Rui and Meng Chong if the National Preceptor put them in danger.
• Li Rui and his group traveled to the Ten Thousand Mountains and settled at the Qinghe Enclosure.
• Fu Wei and the other Dragon Seekers identified a True Dragon Crossing the Gorge formation as they began determining the Dragon Head.
• Li Rui spotted Wu De, the Many Treasures Daoist, moving through a concealed part of the mountain.

Li Rui met Wu De in the Ten Thousand Mountains, where Wu De discovered what he believed were the ruins of an ancient immortal sect and several Dao Monarchs’ tombs. Meanwhile, Fifth Prince Zhu Qian hired the Seven Evils and gave them a Spirit Binding Rope to kill Li Rui, who was staying in the mountains.

• Wu De discovered signs that several Dao Monarchs were buried in the Ten Thousand Mountains, but Li Rui appeared before he could leave.
• Wu De recognized Li Rui’s identity and told him he suspected the mountains held the ruins of an ancient immortal sect.
• Li Rui asked Wu De to share any discoveries, and Wu De agreed to cooperate before Li Rui returned to Meng Chong and the others.
• Li Rui’s group continued working on the Dragon Vein, though Fu Wei said repairs would take at least several months.
• Fifth Prince Zhu Qian met Evil Seven and promised to let the Seven Evils absorb Yu Kingdom fortune if they killed Li Rui.
• Zhu Qian told the Seven Evils that Li Rui was at the Qinghe Enclosure and gave them a Spirit Binding Rope to capture his Spirit Embryo.

Li Rui achieved initial success in ritual-refining the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda, gaining access to thirty percent of its power. As he met with Yuan An, Ning Zhongtian, Wang Zhao, and the Little White Flood Dragon, seven nearly identical Witch Kingdom figures entered the Ten Thousand Mountains to investigate Li Rui and the Dragon Vein.

• Li Rui ritual-refined the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda, awakening its remnant weapon spirit and reaching initial success.
• Li Rui watched Yuan An and Ning Zhongtian spar, praised their progress, and noted Yuan An’s bottleneck.
• Wang Zhao and the Little White Flood Dragon arrived to visit Li Rui and his companions.
• Wang Zhao told Li Rui that Witch Kingdom officials had entered the mountains, likely seeking the Dragon Vein.
• Seven nearly identical figures emerged from the forest and decided to investigate Li Rui cautiously before acting.

Li Rui achieved minor success in refining the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda, gaining the ability to wield thirty percent of its power. As Wang Zhao and the Little White Flood Dragon reunited with Li Rui’s group, seven lookalike Witch Kingdom figures emerged near the Ten Thousand Mountains and planned to investigate Li Rui before acting.

• Li Rui refined the Immortal Slaughtering Small Pagoda until its weapon spirit appeared, allowing him to wield thirty percent of the Dao Lord Magic Tool’s power.
• Li Rui watched Yuan An and Ning Zhongtian spar, praised their cultivation, and recognized that Yuan An was troubled by his slow progress toward the Upper Three Ranks.
• Wang Zhao and the Little White Flood Dragon arrived at Qinghe Enclosure and reunited with Li Rui, Ning Zhongtian, and Yuan An.
• Wang Zhao told Li Rui that he had seen Witch Kingdom officials entering the Ten Thousand Mountains, likely seeking the Dragon Vein.
• Seven identical figures appeared in the forest and agreed to learn the truth about Li Rui before proceeding.

After Fu Wei and the other Dragon Seekers died when the Dragon Vein turned wicked, Li Rui withdrew from the valley and was ordered to negotiate with the Witch Kingdom and Qingwei Sect. The Witch Kingdom offered to yield the Ten Thousand Mountains if Li Rui became its Earth Priest, leaving him to consider a request that could link the kingdom to his powerful grandmentor.

• Li Rui left the valley with Nie Siming and the others after the Dragon Vein turned wicked and killed Fu Wei and the other Dragon Seekers.
• The National Preceptor arrived, took control of the Qinghe Enclosure, and assigned Li Rui to negotiate with the Witch Kingdom and Qingwei Sect while reserving punishment for the Holy Emperor.
• Nie Siming and the others complained that the National Preceptor was sidelining them, but Li Rui accepted the situation as a chance to withdraw from the Dragon Vein dispute.
• Xia Xiaotang, Sang Kong, and Zhe Pu visited Li Rui to discuss the Dragon Vein, and Li Rui said Yu Kingdom would pay whatever price he could authorize.
• Zhe Pu offered to yield the Ten Thousand Mountains if Li Rui became the Witch Kingdom's Earth Priest, and Li Rui said he could not decide on the request himself.

The Hall of Literary Profundity defended Li Rui’s appointment as an official in the Witch Kingdom by invoking the ancient minister Wu Qi, and the Holy Emperor endorsed the argument as the Two Prime Ministers Theory. Li Rui received the edict and a quest reward, then learned from Eunuch Zheng that the Holy Emperor admired him and had once shared a trench with Marquis Yuan.

• Old Master Zhao proposed Wu Qi as a precedent for Li Rui serving two nations, and Scholar Wu wrote an essay arguing that extraordinary times demanded extraordinary measures.
• The Holy Emperor praised Scholar Wu’s essay, issued an edict, and made the Two Prime Ministers Theory known throughout the world.
• Eunuch Zheng delivered the edict to Li Rui, who accepted the honor while remaining wary of the Holy Emperor’s trust.
• Li Rui completed the Leave a Name in History quest and received 30 Achievement Points, bringing his achievement progress to 50/100.
• Li Rui, Meng Chong, and Eunuch Zheng drank together, and Eunuch Zheng revealed that the Holy Emperor had once fought alongside Marquis Yuan and wished Li Rui had been born into the imperial family.

Li Rui watched the Witch Kingdom, Yu Kingdom, and Qingwei Sect settle their dispute over the Dragon Vein while the Great Shaman offered to teach him witchcraft. The Seven Evils delayed their attack on Li Rui to demand more payment, and Zhu Qian ordered them to kill him within three days.

• Xuanwei and Ziyang reached an agreement with Li Rui: the Yu Kingdom would relinquish the Ten Thousand Mountains spirit mines in exchange for the Dragon Vein.
• The Great Shaman praised Li Rui, offered to teach him witchcraft alongside Xia Xiaotang, and asked him to pass his regards to Gao Tianxia; Li Rui declined the lessons.
• The Seven Evils reconsidered attacking Li Rui after he gained status in the Witch Kingdom and demanded more payment before acting.
• Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong discussed the dangers of stabilizing the Ten Thousand Mountains Dragon Vein while Li Rui stayed at the Qinghe Enclosure to cultivate.
• After learning the Seven Evils had demanded more fortune, Zhu Qian ordered them to kill Li Rui within three days if he paid them more.

The Seven Evils attacked Li Rui at the Qinghe Enclosure to seize his Spirit Embryo, but his Azure Profound Great Dao and Immortal Slaughtering Pagoda overwhelmed their combined strength. The pagoda crushed their formation and refined their flying swords, leaving the Seven Evils nowhere to be found.

• Evil Seven entered the Qinghe Enclosure undetected and approached Li Rui’s camp, intending to kill him and take his Spirit Embryo.
• Li Rui awoke as two small flying swords attacked him, but his body blocked them and he recognized the attackers as the Seven Evils.
• The Seven Evils formed a sword net, and Li Rui countered with Blade Blossoms Azure Lotus, revealing his deep mastery of the Azure Profound Great Dao.
• Evil One used the Seven Stars Aligned formation to combine the Seven Evils’ strength and launched their fused divine sword at Li Rui.
• Li Rui summoned the Immortal Slaughtering Pagoda, which destroyed the sword formation, refined the Seven Evils’ flying swords, and descended upon them.

Li Rui killed the Seven Evils and gained 30 Achievement Points, then ordered Ning Zhongtian to report their deaths to the Imperial Court. After hearing the news, Zhu Qian realized his plot against Li Rui had failed and sent Zhou Tong to Cloud Province to cover up his involvement.

• Li Rui's Dao Embryo Infant devoured the Seven Evils' Spirit Embryos, killing them and turning their Mana and Great Dao into nourishment.
• Li Rui received 30 Achievement Points, bringing his progress to 80/100, and took the Seven Evils' Storage Bags.
• Ning Zhongtian and the others arrived after the battle, and Li Rui told Ning Zhongtian to report the Seven Evils' deaths to the Imperial Court.
• Zhu Qian learned that the Seven Evils had been killed and blamed Yuan Dingting for ruining his plans.
• Zhu Qian feared Li Rui would uncover his role in the assassination attempt and ordered Zhou Tong to go to Cloud Province and cut off every lead.

After refining Evil Seven’s Spirit Embryo, Li Rui learned that Zhu Qian had hired the assassin to seize his Dao Embryo and resolved to return to the capital to kill him. Meanwhile, the National Preceptor began using the Great Dragon Locking Array to absorb the Ten Thousand Mountains’ Dragon Vein fortune and ferry its evil spirit across.

• Li Rui completely refined Evil Seven’s Spirit Embryo and discovered from his memories that Zhu Qian had hired him to target Li Rui’s Dao Embryo.
• Li Rui realized Zhu Qian was seeking innate bones through Soul Shifting Blood Exchange and decided to prepare a careful, decisive attempt to kill him rather than seek the Holy Emperor’s help.
• Li Rui ordered a return to the capital, intending to kill Zhu Qian while building strength to confront the National Preceptor later.
• In the Ten Thousand Mountains, the National Preceptor had more than one hundred Dragon Seekers activate the Great Dragon Locking Array around the valley.
• The National Preceptor sat within the evil aura and drew the Dragon Vein’s pure fortune into himself, using his own body to ferry the evil spirit across.

Zhu Qian realized that the National Preceptor, Yuan Xuanming, had altered his memories and decided to expose him to the emperor, but a fate-energy backlash killed him first. Li Rui returned to the capital, heard of Zhu Qian’s death, and wondered what the National Preceptor feared.

• Zhu Qian read about a failed crown prince and realized that Yuan Xuanming had altered his memories during a Soul Shifting Blood Exchange.
• Zhu Qian concluded that Zhou Tong was Yuan Xuanming’s pawn and decided to tell the emperor about the National Preceptor’s schemes.
• Black qi enveloped Zhu Qian as he prepared to leave, and fate-energy evil manifestation destroyed his body and Spirit Embryo.
• Li Rui returned to the capital and heard that Zhu Qian had supposedly died after his dantian shattered while attempting to break through to the Violet Palace Realm.
• Li Rui suspected that the National Preceptor had killed Zhu Qian and wondered why he had acted against the prince.

After Zhu Qian’s death exposed the Gao Clan’s involvement in stealing the nation’s fate, the Holy Emperor moved against the clan and sent Gu Changsheng to investigate the Dragon Vein. Li Rui welcomed the court’s growing hostility toward the National Preceptor, then continued cultivating at Qinghe Villa, where golden Yin Yang Talismans emerged from his sleeves.

• Gu Changsheng reported that Zhu Qian had died from the backlash of Fate Energy Evil Manifestation, and the Holy Emperor ordered the Gao Clan confined for three months.
• The Holy Emperor asked after the National Preceptor and sent Gu Changsheng south to investigate the Dragon Vein while keeping the National Preceptor in place until it was secured.
• Gu Changsheng visited Li Rui at the Qinghe Enclosure and told him that Zhu Qian’s death had led the Holy Emperor to confine Imperial Concubine Gao.
• Li Rui inferred that the Holy Emperor was turning against the Gao Clan and no longer trusted the National Preceptor, and he saw an opportunity to use the court against an enemy he could not defeat himself.
• The Holy Emperor buried Zhu Qian at Yu Mountain rather than the Filial Mausoleum, signaling his displeasure with the Gao Clan as officials sensed turmoil brewing.
• At Qinghe Villa, Li Rui sat at the center of a Yin Yang Taiji as golden Yin Yang Talismans drifted from his sleeves through Thought Becomes Talisman.

Li Rui became a Second Grade Grand Talisman Master, while Gu Changsheng urged him to consider uniting with the Dao. Meanwhile, Wu De discovered signs of a Dao Lord tomb in the Ten Thousand Mountains, as Yuan Dingting prepared to head south amid the court’s efforts to guard against the mountains.

• Li Rui used the Yin Yang Talismans to form a vast array and achieved the rank of Second Grade Grand Talisman Master.
• Meng Chong reported that the Dragon Vein in the Ten Thousand Mountains had been cleansed and warned that Yuan Dingting might visit Qinghe Enclosure while drilling troops.
• Wu De found black soil marked with signs of Immortal Blood Covered in Dust and concluded that a Small Grotto-heaven’s great tomb held multiple Dao Lords.
• Gu Changsheng discussed his broad knowledge of Immortal Cultivation with Li Rui and told him his formed Violet Palace Realm meant it was time to consider uniting with the Dao.

Gu Changsheng explained the three paths of Integrating Dao to Li Rui and encouraged him to consider Proving Dao Through Strength. Li Rui decided to seek a place among the Immortal Envoys heading to the Immortal Cultivation World, but a pillar of light from the Ten Thousand Mountains revealed the appearance of an Immortal Tomb.

• Gu Changsheng concealed the traces of Li Rui’s Violet Palace breakthrough and explained how it had affected Great Yu’s destiny.
• Gu Changsheng described Integrating Dao Through Law, Integrating Dao Through Artifacts, and Proving Dao Through Strength, noting that Gao Tianxia had succeeded in the last path.
• Li Rui realized Gao Tianxia had accepted him as a disciple-grandson in hopes he might inherit that path and become the second Earth Immortal to Prove Dao Through Strength.
• Gu Changsheng told Li Rui that White Jade Capital and other immortal sects would send Immortal Envoys to recruit talented cultivators, and Li Rui decided to try for a place.
• A hundred-zhang pillar of light erupted from the Ten Thousand Mountains, and Gu Changsheng identified it as an Immortal Tomb.