Chapter Summaries

Xiao Hua watched Liu Yi begin sensing spiritual qi while Xiao Jian gambled away the primeval stones he had won, then lost everything and was caught cheating. As the convoy entered a narrow mountain pass, scouts reported that the route was safe.

• Liu Yi used a spirit date to grasp a little spiritual qi, and Xiao Hua told him to keep comprehending rather than rely on spirit fruits alone.
• Xiao Jian rejected Yuan Ya's offered spirit date and joined the caravan's gambling beside the bonfire.
• Xiao Jian gambled away his winnings over several nights, then lost his remaining primeval stones and was caught cheating.
• Xiao Jian quickly recovered his cheerful manner after losing everything, while Xiao Hua watched the convoy approach a narrow road between mountains.
• Qi Jin reassured himself about the journey, and scouts sent back a signal that the mountains were safe.

Xiao Hua's convoy was ambushed by bandits from four strongholds, and Yuan Ya joined the fight to rescue Qi Jin. As Yuan Ya battled a formidable monk and Second Brother Ji prepared to intervene, a young Confucian scholar named Yu arrived and challenged the bandits.

• Several hundred bandits surrounded the convoy, and Liu Yi explained that four strongholds had joined forces to rob it.
• After negotiations failed, the escorts and caravan hands fought the bandits, while the bandits initially ignored Xiao Hua's carriage.
• Xiao Hua sent Yuan Ya to help Qi Jin and gave him the demonic staff, which Yuan Ya used to fight through the bandits.
• A fat monk on a donkey intercepted Yuan Ya, and the two fought evenly until Yuan Ya began to gain the advantage.
• Second Brother Ji rode toward Yuan Ya to assist the monk, but a young scholar called Yu arrived and attacked him with a sword.
• Second Brother Ji warned Yu to leave, but Yu refused and declared that the bandits were unworthy of hearing his name.

Xiao Hua recognized the wandering hero You Zhongquan and sent his Divine Strength Centipede to defeat the bandits before teasing You Zhongquan about a destined romance. After You Zhongquan routed the remaining bandits, he realized Xiao Hua was an Immortal Master.

• You Zhongquan declared himself a wandering hero and challenged Second Brother Ji, while Xiao Hua recognized his name from Huang Yi’s tragic story.
• Xiao Hua released his Divine Strength Centipede, which killed Second Brother Ji and his mount before moving on to attack another bandit general.
• Xiao Hua questioned You Zhongquan about his life and offered to introduce him to a woman named Little Cabbage, but You Zhongquan dismissed him and charged at the bandits.
• You Zhongquan discovered the bandits fled from his sword and killed one who tried to evade him, then pursued the rest.
• The caravan attendants thanked You Zhongquan as an Immortal Master, and he turned to find Xiao Hua watching from the air and claiming he had always been one.

Seventh Uncle caught up with You Zhongquan and tried to take him home, while Xiao Hua watched the escorts and his spirit beast defeat the mountain bandits. After the Divine Strength Centipede killed the last bandit chief and his strange donkey, Qi Jin offered Xiao Hua half the immortal stones the trading firms had won from Xiao Jian.

• Seventh Uncle found You Zhongquan and scolded him for sneaking away, while the household guards tried to persuade him to return home.
• Seventh Uncle called Xiao Hua a fraud and told him to leave, so Xiao Hua flew off to watch the battle.
• The Divine Strength Centipede killed three bandit chiefs, and Yuan Ya fought the last one until the donkey's poisonous fart knocked him down.
• The Divine Strength Centipede killed the fat monk and his donkey, and Xiao Hua revived Yuan Ya with an antidote pill.
• The escorts returned to the convoy, and Qi Jin offered Xiao Hua half the immortal stones the trading firms had won from Xiao Jian.

Xiao Hua refused the You family’s reward for helping You Zhongquan and praised the young man’s courage, then traveled with the family and learned about his background. The chapter left You Zhongquan’s wish to become a wandering hero at odds with the You family’s hopes for his cultivation.

• Xiao Hua declined Seventh Uncle’s offer of a temple and statue, saying he needed no reward for helping You Zhongquan.
• Xiao Hua praised You Zhongquan’s bravery, and Seventh Uncle invited him to travel with the You family toward Tongzhu Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua introduced Yuan Ya and Liu Yi to You Zhongquan, and the young men began chatting as the caravan moved on.
• Seventh Uncle told Xiao Hua that You Zhongquan was a gifted young scholar whose cultivation had stalled despite his family’s high expectations.
• Seventh Uncle explained that You Zhongquan wanted to become a wandering hero rather than the Great Grandmaster the You family hoped he would become.

Seventh Uncle condemned wandering heroes and defended Confucian laws, while Xiao Hua questioned his claim that law alone explained the Daoist school’s decline. After hearing why You Zhongquan had fled an arranged marriage, Xiao Hua praised his ideals and asked Seventh Uncle to explain the power of great Confucians.

• Seventh Uncle argued that wandering heroes were lawless wastrels and that Confucian cultivators should punish wrongdoing through established laws rather than personal judgment.
• Xiao Hua challenged Seventh Uncle’s account of the Daoist school’s destruction, and You Zhongquan asked how Confucians could be accused of corrupting law through literature.
• Seventh Uncle explained that You Zhongquan had fled a marriage arranged between the You and Chang families as part of an alliance between Yifeng Kingdom and Xin Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua praised You Zhongquan’s determination to pursue the wandering-hero ideal, but Seventh Uncle insisted that great Confucians wielded mightier abilities than flying swords.
• Xiao Hua asked Seventh Uncle what it meant for a great Confucian to settle the universe with a single written character.

Xiao Hua learned more about Confucian cultivation from Seventh Uncle and shared spirit dates with You Zhongquan and the others as their convoy traveled. At a fork in the road, Xiao Hua chose the route toward Tongzhu Kingdom, while Xiao Jian changed his mind and decided to accompany Seventh Uncle toward the Gaza Kingdom capital.

• Seventh Uncle explained that Confucian cultivators wielded characters and writings as divine abilities, then showed Xiao Hua a Wen Scroll whose single character contained powerful Vast Righteous Qi.
• Xiao Hua reassured Seventh Uncle by showing no interest in taking the scroll, and Seventh Uncle grew more respectful of him.
• You Zhongquan offered Seventh Uncle a spirit date to test for poison, and Xiao Hua advised them how to eat and temper the fruit before giving You Zhongquan more.
• You Zhongquan shared spirit dates with Liu Yi and Yuan Ya, while Xiao Hua and Seventh Uncle continued discussing Confucian cultivation during the journey.
• The convoy reached a fork, and Xiao Hua planned to head east toward Tongzhu Kingdom while Xiao Jian chose to travel north with Seventh Uncle toward the Gaza Kingdom capital.

Xiao Hua and his companions reached the capital of Tongzhu Kingdom, where Xiao Jian explained the city’s defenses and the Confucian cultivator families behind its wars. As children carried lotus lanterns from the gates, Xiao Jian realized it was the Ghost Festival.

• Xiao Hua parted from You Zhongquan and reflected on his ties to him and the absent Huang Yi.
• Xiao Jian traveled with Xiao Hua for several weeks, remaining quiet about his past and the spirit dates while gradually earning Xiao Hua’s respect.
• Xiao Hua’s group arrived at the walled capital of Tongzhu Kingdom and heard a father and son recount its legendary defense against a siege.
• Xiao Jian explained that Tongzhu Kingdom’s capital was controlled by the Xu Confucian cultivator family and that conflicts between such families shaped the wars between nations.
• Xiao Hua saw children carrying lotus lanterns through the city gate, and Xiao Jian recognized that it was the Ghost Festival.

Xiao Hua and his companions entered the Tongzhu Kingdom’s capital on Ghost Festival and went looking for a Daoist temple where they could stay. At a crowded garden, they watched a scholar named Jiang inscribe a powerful character onto a lotus lantern, as the night began to bring Xiao Hua a chance to advance among cultivators.

• Xiao Hua and his companions passed the capital’s strict gate inspection after Xiao Jian presented his documents and paid extra silver.
• Xiao Jian explained that Daoist disciples had to lodge at a temple on Ghost Festival, and Liu Yi found Qiyang Temple near an auction at Mingyue Workshop.
• Xiao Hua chose to head to Qiyang Temple first, and Liu Yi led the group through the crowded city toward a garden by a winding stream.
• A Tongzhu Academy student recalled a lotus lantern that had risen too high and warned the crowd that Ghost Festival lanterns should travel on water.
• Scholar Jiang recited a passage about righteous energy and inscribed a scarlet character onto a woman’s lotus lantern, infusing it with sword intent.

Xiao Hua and his companions left the lively Ghost Festival celebrations and reached the impoverished Qiyang Temple, where Dao Shan was feeding porridge to beggars. As Dao Shan welcomed Xiao Jian, the temple’s dire condition and the old Daoist’s lack of cultivation became clear.

• Mister Jiang entertained the crowds at Tongzhu Academy, then received a secret message by flying sword and destroyed it.
• Xiao Hua noticed two black-clad people fleeing through ruins and asked Liu Yi about local criminal groups; Liu Yi identified the Black Wind Gate.
• Xiao Hua and his companions crossed into the desolate district around Xiluo Ridge and found Qiyang Temple beneath the bridge.
• They saw Dao Shan distributing white porridge to starving beggars outside the dilapidated temple.
• Dao Shan greeted Xiao Jian as a fellow Daoist and asked him to wait until he had finished serving the beggars.

Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian visited Qiyang Temple, where the elderly Dao Shan had spent decades distributing gruel to beggars. Dao Shan welcomed them with formal Daoist rites and led them into the temple to pay respects to the Dao Ancestor.

• Dao Shan explained that he had distributed gruel for fifty years, then handed the ladle to Liu Yi when he grew too tired to serve.
• Dao Shan praised Liu Yi’s careful charity, and Xiao Hua introduced himself as a fellow Daoist rather than accepting the title of senior.
• Dao Shan noted the growing number of beggars in Tongzhu Kingdom and arranged a formal welcome for Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian at Qiyang Temple.
• Xiao Hua asked Liu Yi to have more gruel cooked for the beggars, who waited happily after the pot ran empty.
• Dao Shan and the temple’s Daoists welcomed Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian with music and bows, then led them to the main hall.
• Xiao Hua followed the temple’s rites, bowing to the tablets honoring the dead and then returning the Daoists’ greeting.

Xiao Hua visited Qiyang Temple, where he supplied grain for Dao Shan’s charitable work and learned about the temple’s hardships under Tongzhu Kingdom’s hostility toward Daoism. The chapter ended with Dao Shan questioning Xiao Hua’s plan to visit Mingyue Workshop.

• Xiao Hua offered incense at Qiyang Temple and spoke with Dao Shan about his travels and disciples.
• When Dao Shan revealed that the temple had run out of food, Xiao Hua filled its empty storage rooms with grain from his Cosmic Bag.
• Dao Shan’s disciples began cooking porridge for Xiao Jian and the hungry people outside the temple.
• Dao Shan explained that Tongzhu Kingdom had forbidden Qiyang Temple from erecting a golden statue and that people were again eyeing the temple’s land.
• After the group ate, Xiao Hua said he would stay at the temple but visit Mingyue Workshop the next morning, and Dao Shan asked why he would go there.

Xiao Hua and his companions left Qiyang Temple for Mingyue Workshop, where the lively, extravagant district contrasted sharply with the temple’s poverty. After Xiao Jian defended the women who worked there, Xiao Hua asked why their circumstances were so tragic, and Xiao Jian’s answer remained to come.

• Xiao Hua declined Dao Shan’s offer of guides, left Qiyang Temple with Liu Yi and Xiao Jian, and felt an unexplained sense of unease.
• Xiao Hua examined Qiyang Temple with his divine sense but found nothing unusual, then decided to continue with his companions to the auction at Mingyue Workshop.
• Xiao Hua and his companions reached Mingyue Workshop and saw its lantern-lit waterways, pleasure boats, grand archway, and crowded streets.
• A woman from Most Patrol Tower tried to entice Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian, but Xiao Hua ignored her and Xiao Jian told her he had only two copper coins.
• Xiao Hua sent Liu Yi to find the auction venue and remarked that Mingyue Workshop was no place for people like them.
• Xiao Jian argued that the women’s hardships were far worse than Dao Shan’s, and Xiao Hua asked him to explain.

Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian arrived at Star Picking Tower for an auction, where a confrontation erupted when a Golden Carriage drawn by dragon horses charged toward Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua subdued the driver and halted the horses, just as Young Master Duanmu emerged and a Star Picking Tower scholar hurried over to greet him.

• Liu Yi reported that the auction would be held at Star Picking Tower, and Xiao Hua and his companions headed there.
• Xiao Jian recalled that Star Picking Towers might be backed by an organization with branches in several kingdoms, and Xiao Hua said he had come only to trade.
• Four dragon horses pulled a Golden Carriage up to the tower, where its driver in Golden Armor lashed his whip at Xiao Hua.
• Xiao Hua caught the whip, pulled the driver from the carriage, and forced two of the attacking dragon horses down toward the ground.
• Young Master Duanmu stepped out of the Golden Carriage, and a middle-aged scholar hurried over to welcome him.

Xiao Hua clashed with Young Master Duanmu outside Star Picking Tower, then learned from Xiao Jian that the Duanmu Family was a powerful Confucian cultivator family ruling Cangxian Continent. As they entered the tower, Xiao Jian pointed out that Xiao Hua had acted far less cautiously than usual, leaving Xiao Hua to wonder why he had provoked the conflict.

• Scholar Zhu intervened to defuse the confrontation between Xiao Hua and Young Master Duanmu, and the blue-robed attendants escorted Xiao Hua into Star Picking Tower.
• After Xiao Hua entered, the Golden-Armored coachman recovered his whip and secretly gave a jade slip and instructions to a blue-robed attendant.
• Xiao Jian warned Xiao Hua that the Duanmu Family was a formidable subordinate first-rank family, while the principal first-rank families were the Four Great Families of Cangxian Continent.
• Xiao Jian and Liu Yi urged caution, but Xiao Hua refused to leave Star Picking Tower before entering it on behalf of the Daoist sects.
• Xiao Jian observed that Xiao Hua had needlessly escalated the encounter despite usually hiding his strength, and Xiao Hua recognized that his actions had caused the trouble.

Xiao Hua entered Star Picking Tower and was astonished by the rules embodied in its screen, while Young Master Duanmu and Zhu Qing watched him from a private room. Zhu Qing secured a promise that Duanmu would not personally kill Xiao Hua, but the threat from others remained as the auction approached.

• Xiao Hua dismissed Liu Yi’s suggestion to seek an exit and entered Star Picking Tower with Xiao Jian, where he noticed its primal array blocking divine sense.
• Xiao Hua studied the screen and sensed a star-plucking hand whose profound rules reminded him of the Hand of Cause and Effect.
• Young Master Duanmu told Zhu Qing that Xiao Hua had dragged Duanmu Qiu from the carriage and that Qiu’s newly elevated surname made the insult a matter of family honor.
• Zhu Qing asked Duanmu not to pursue Xiao Hua because the matter concerned Star Picking Tower, and Duanmu promised not to kill him personally while warning that he could not control others.
• Duanmu left to look around before the auction, while Zhu Qing stayed behind to attend to important business.

Xiao Hua recognized the Star Moon Alliance’s name in the screen and entered Star Picking Tower’s Star Palace with Xiao Jian, Liu Yi, and Yuan Ya. There, he learned how its trading area worked and arranged to exchange Qi Stones for silver while the auction remained due to begin later.

• Zhu Qing warned Young Master Duanmu that the auction was strange and that some attendees were beyond his understanding.
• Xiao Hua realized the screen’s images followed his divine sense and identified the words “Star Moon” as the Star Moon Alliance.
• After Liu Yi reported that Star Picking Tower had only one entrance, Xiao Hua decided to stay, and Xiao Jian chose to remain with him.
• Xiao Hua and his companions passed through a white jade gate into the Star Palace, a vast hall divided by a shining star chart.
• A palace-robed woman explained that entry cost one low-grade Qi Stone and that Star Picking Tower guaranteed the safety of trades made there.
• Xiao Hua asked the woman to exchange his remaining Qi Stones for silver, while Xiao Jian objected to the tower’s unfavorable exchange rate.

Xiao Hua bought a silver Star Token at Star Picking Tower and learned how it could reveal trade listings, map the star palaces, and conceal traders’ appearances. He headed to his rented Hong Zi Si Liu palace, leaving Xiao Jian and the others to explore while wondering why Xiao Jian had gambled away the Qi Stones he needed to restore his cultivation.

• Xiao Jian admitted that he had gambled away his Qi Stones after lowering their value when other players refused to wager for gold.
• A palace-dressed woman explained the bronze and silver Star Tokens, and Xiao Hua chose the silver token for its trade listings and palace-rental features.
• The woman returned Xiao Hua’s goods and the remaining gold in a Small Qiankun Bag, which Xiao Hua emptied and returned to her.
• Xiao Hua gave bronze Star Tokens to Xiao Jian and the others, then used the silver token’s map to find the Hong Zi Si Liu star palace.
• Xiao Hua invited the others to explore and seek him out, then walked toward his palace on starlight while wondering why Xiao Jian had gambled away the Qi Stones he could have used to restore his cultivation.

Xiao Hua entered a Star Palace and traded a two-thousand-year Linglong Grass for an item of unknown origin that he recognized as a Buddhist relic. The Confucian scholar who traded with him suspected Xiao Hua was a monster and decided to leave because several eminent Buddhist monks were in Mingyue Workshop.

• Xiao Hua entered the scholar’s Star Palace and learned that its study and wares were arranged through an illusion.
• Xiao Hua asked for Extreme Magnetic Yuan Light, but the scholar did not recognize it and instead sought thousand-year Qi Heng Grass, which Xiao Hua recognized as Linglong Grass.
• Xiao Hua offered a two-thousand-year Linglong Grass, but rejected the scholar’s offer of Qi Stones and ordinary trade goods.
• Xiao Hua asked for strange items of unknown origin, accepted a jade-boxed item, and traded the Linglong Grass for it.
• After Xiao Hua left, the scholar identified the item as a Buddhist relic, suspected Xiao Hua was a monster, and decided to leave Mingyue Workshop.

Xiao Hua searched the Star Picking Tower for rare objects and cultivation techniques, then learned that basic Daoist methods were forbidden across the continent. After trading Dragon Beard Grass for ordinary supplies, he was left waiting when the auction was delayed by an hour.

• Xiao Hua examined the Star Palace listings and realized that demon cores might lead him to useful pill formulas.
• A visitor pointed out that Xiao Hua had not specified what he would exchange for rare or unidentified objects, so Xiao Hua added spirit herbs to his notice.
• Xiao Hua asked the visitor about Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist cultivation techniques, and the visitor explained that basic Daoist methods were forbidden while other traditions' techniques were widely available.
• Xiao Hua traded a roughly three-hundred-year-old stalk of Dragon Beard Grass for the visitor's brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and other ordinary materials.
• The Star Picking Tower announced that the auction would be postponed by one hour, and the visitor left to look around.