Chapter Summaries

Yu Linfeng opened Han Cheng's Wen Scroll, revealing the power of Vast Righteous Qi and prompting Xiao Hua to realize he had misunderstood the foundation of Confucian cultivation. The chapter leaves Xiao Hua puzzling over why Confucian cultivators use spirit stones if they cultivate through Vast Righteous Qi rather than Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

• Yu Linfeng opened Han Cheng's Wen Scroll, whose Vast Righteous Qi destroyed Ming Yue Palace's defensive formation and sent sword-like radiance into the sky.
• Yu Linfeng and Fu Zhiwen described the greater power of Han Feizi's authentic handwriting, which Fu Zhiwen said had killed a hundred Demon Generals during the Demon Realm invasion.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that Confucian cultivators cultivated Vast Righteous Qi through learning and ancient characters, rather than treating it as Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
• Xiao Hua realized his cultivation path had been mistaken and that this explained why he had failed to condense his own Danxin.
• Xiao Hua asked Fu Zhiwen whether he had seen anything during Xiao Hua's moment of realization, then wondered why Confucian cultivators used spirit stones.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed Qi Stones and the decline of the Yin-Yang School while the auction at Star Picking Tower continued. After bidding on two Grand Confucian works, Yu Linfeng revealed a third scroll associated with the School of Diplomacy.

• Fu Zhiwen explained that Qi Stones contained Vast Righteous Qi, though Confucian cultivators traditionally preferred drawing it from the world, and he warned that students were increasingly using Qi Stones and Daoist pills as shortcuts.
• Xiao Hua bid once against Young Master Duanmu for Han Cheng’s calligraphy, then stopped, and Young Master Duanmu won the work.
• Yu Linfeng presented Zou Yuanhan’s calligraphy, whose yin-and-yang radiance filled the sky, while Fu Zhiwen described the Yin-Yang School’s origins and its later decline into doctrines of union.
• A senior on the third floor bought Zou Yuanhan’s calligraphy after Young Master Duanmu briefly raised the price and withdrew.
• Yu Linfeng opened the third Wen Scroll, revealing Lu Cheng’s character “River,” and the crowd recognized it as the School of Diplomacy’s Vast Qi River.

Xiao Hua watched the final Wen Scroll reveal the Confucians’ Five Qi Ascending to the Origin, then questioned Fu Zhiwen about the Confucian school and its cultivation. The bidding crowd marveled at the rare calligraphy as the path toward Confucian sainthood was explained.

• An unnamed cultivator downstairs won Lu Cheng’s calligraphy of the Vast Qi River, and Xiao Hua dismissed the auction as dull.
• Yu Linfeng unveiled the final Wen Scroll, whose five-colored radiance startled Fu Zhiwen into identifying it as the Confucians’ Five Qi Ascending to the Origin.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that the Confucians were one school among Confucian cultivators, though their dominance had made the terms nearly synonymous.
• Fu Zhiwen described Confucius, Mencius, and Xun Zi, along with their teachings and the classics associated with them.
• Xiao Hua inferred that Five Qi Ascending to the Origin marked the height of Confucian cultivation, and Fu Zhiwen said cultivators who reached it could become saints and ascend to the heavens.
• Xiao Hua asked whether Confucian cultivators ascended to the same Immortal Realm as Daoist cultivators, and Fu Zhiwen said he could not know until he reached that realm himself.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed Confucian calligraphy and the vanished Zhu Lineage while an auction proceeded. Fu Zhiwen then explained the Calming Flute and Heavenly Sound Zither and their famous romance legend, which Xiao Hua dismissed as fabricated.

• Yu Linfeng displayed Kong Liwen’s calligraphy, and Fu Zhiwen explained how its Vast Righteous Qi differed from Confucius’s.
• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua that the once-renowned Zhu Lineage had vanished after the War of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and Xiao Hua suspected it had been exterminated by Daoists.
• Young Master Duanmu lost the bidding for Kong Liwen’s authentic work after another guest raised the price.
• Xiao Hua gave Fu Zhiwen spiritual fruits, and Fu Zhiwen continued explaining the Ten Great Artifact Controls.
• Fu Zhiwen recounted how the Golden Boy and Jade Girl supposedly used the Calming Flute and Heavenly Sound Zither to end their families’ feud and later entered the Immortal Palace.
• Xiao Hua called the romance legend fabricated and compared it to Yu Linfeng’s sales pitch as Fu Zhiwen auctioned a phoenix-tail zither downstairs.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed the Immortal Palace’s authority and the Buddhist Sect’s influence in Cangxian Continent as the auction shifted to Pure Land treasures. The auction continued with Buddhist artifacts, and Fu Zhiwen explained the Eighteen Articles of a Bhikkhu.

• Fu Zhiwen explained that the Immortal Palace intervened when demons openly threatened Confucian cultivators or preyed on the people, and described the Sacred Realm’s ban on demons entering Cangxian Continent.
• Yu Linfeng ended the Cangxian Continent auction and presented Pure Land treasures as Buddhist monks recited scriptures, though one attendee mocked them and urged the auction onward.
• Yu Linfeng introduced Miaocheng’s Six-Dragon Tin Staff, and bidders began competing for it before the monks had finished reciting.
• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua that Buddhist cultivation was spreading among Confucian cultivators and that the Buddhist Sect chiefly sought to recover eminent monks’ relics.
• As other Buddhist artifacts went up for auction, Xiao Hua asked about the Eighteen Articles, and Fu Zhiwen listed and explained the items carried by Buddhist monks.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen watched Star Picking Tower auction Buddhist sarira, as Buddhist monks insisted they must reclaim every one. The monks won the sarira after a token bidding exchange that Xiao Hua recognized as a show of mutual courtesy between Buddhism and Star Picking Tower.

• Fu Zhiwen explained that Buddhist artifacts were commonly made from objects monks had carried and nourished with their mental power.
• Yu Linfeng opened bidding on dozens of sarira, and Confucian cultivators raised the prices as the monks watched.
• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua that the monks relied on devotees’ offerings and were obligated to buy every sarira; a monk then warned bidders about karmic consequences and offered three top-grade Qi Stones for each one.
• Xiao Hua predicted Star Picking Tower would test the monks, and a bidder offered three high-grade Qi Stones per sarira before falling silent.
• The monk matched the opening offer of one high-grade Qi Stone per sarira, and Yu Linfeng sent the jade boxes to him.

After the Buddhist monks paid their ransom and left, Star Picking Tower presented its final treasures from the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons. Xiao Hua learned about the legendary Soft Water Tender Love Sword, then recognized a jade slip containing a Five Elements Evasion Technique; Yu Linfeng cut its reserve price in half, angering Fu Zhiwen.

• Yu Linfeng accepted a Small Qiankun Bag of ransom from the Buddhist monks, who then departed.
• Yu Linfeng introduced the final auction items, and a golden-crowned bird appeared to represent the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that the Soft Water Tender Love Sword ranked first among the Ten Great Artifact Controls and recounted the Pear Blossom Fairy's tragic battle at the Immortal Palace.
• Xiao Hua noticed a jade slip that Yu Linfeng identified as containing a Five Elements Evasion Technique from the Ancient Daoist Sect.
• Yu Linfeng lowered the jade slip's reserve price from one top-grade Qi Stone to fifty high-grade Qi Stones, prompting Fu Zhiwen to protest that Star Picking Tower had refused to lower the price of his Lightning Derivation Wood.

Xiao Hua outbid Young Master Duanmu and another cultivator for an intermediate Water Evasion cultivation technique, then learned from Fu Zhiwen that magical power could be used as Yuan Force. As the auction moved on to demon beast eggs, Xiao Hua realized he could eventually use the complete Five Elements Evasion Techniques.

• Xiao Hua deliberately bid early on the jade slip, and Young Master Duanmu bid once before stopping.
• Another cultivator raised the price, but Xiao Hua bid again and prevented him from continuing, securing the jade slip for fifty-six high-grade Qi Stones.
• Xiao Hua examined the Water Evasion technique and learned it let cultivators fly through water-aspected spiritual energy without needing actual water.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that Confucian cultivators used Yuan Force as a general term that could include magical power and mind power.
• Xiao Hua realized his restored magical power would let him use the Water Evasion technique, then watched as Yu Linfeng began auctioning demon beast eggs.

Xiao Hua helped Fu Zhiwen win a Wood-attribute Cloud Crane egg before the auction revealed a blazing golden object reserved for third-floor guests. A commanding bidder stopped Yu Linfeng from uncovering it, and Star Picking Tower’s Zhu Qing arrived and took over.

• Fu Zhiwen explained that he wanted a green crane to take his wife roaming once she escaped her predicament, and Xiao Hua told him to bid freely.
• Young Master Duanmu drove up the price of the Wood-attribute Cloud Crane egg, but Xiao Hua bid twenty-six high-grade Qi Stones and secured it for Fu Zhiwen.
• Yu Linfeng announced that the golden object was reserved for third-floor guests and warned that bidders would need the strength to keep it.
• A powerful voice from Xiao Hua’s left ordered Yu Linfeng not to uncover the golden object, and Yu Linfeng obeyed.
• Zhu Qing descended in azure robes, dismissed Yu Linfeng, and left the blazing object concealed.

At Ming Yue Palace’s auction, Zhu Qing resisted pressure to conceal an item and revealed a set of dragon bones whose aura overwhelmed the crowd. Xiao Hua recognized their dragon might, and the chapter ended with the bones being concealed again as the bidding was about to begin.

• Zhu Qing refused to hide the auction item despite threats, and the guests urged him to reveal it.
• A calm voice and several powerful guests stopped the threats, allowing Zhu Qing to continue the auction.
• Zhu Qing used Yu Linfeng’s ink brush to unveil dragon bones, releasing overwhelming dragon might throughout Ming Yue Palace.
• Xiao Hua endured the dragon might, while Fu Zhiwen used verses formed from Vast Righteous Qi to resist it.
• Zhu Qing struggled to announce the starting price, and Young Master Duanmu told him to conceal the dragon bones again.
• Zhu Qing used the ink brush to cover the dragon bones in golden light.

At Ming Yue Palace, Zhu Qing resumed the dragon-bone auction after explaining Star Picking Tower’s predicament, and Xiao Hua decided to bid because Little White might need the bone. Inside the mysterious dark cloud, Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua began studying bone segments, while the unrefined Soul Bridge remained blocked outside by the cloud’s protections.

• Zhu Qing explained that Star Picking Tower had tried to contact the East Sea Dragon Palace before putting the dragon bone up for auction, then invited the gathered factions to bid.
• The East Sea Dragon Palace offered to outbid everyone by one top-grade Qi Stone, and another bidder answered by offering ten more than them.
• Xiao Hua decided to bid on the dragon bone for Little White and entered the mysterious dark cloud to consult Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua.
• Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua swallowed one bone segment and absorbed another to study its green seal character, while agreeing to examine soul treasures.
• Jade Slip Xiao Hua could not summon the bone sphere into Ying Shi Heaven, and he and Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua saw it spinning against the dark cloud as the Heavenly Pattern Earth Deed and lightning threads held it back.

Jade Slip Xiao Hua learned that Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua could not leave without an External Incarnation, while Little White explained the difference between living souls and essence souls and agreed to examine the seal within Xiao Hua’s soul. Returning to the auction, Xiao Hua realized bidders were secretly negotiating over the dragon bones, whose dragon might could also be converted into Imperial Qi by Confucian cultivators.

• Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua absorbed the bone sphere and told Jade Slip Xiao Hua that he could not leave Ying Shi Heaven without an independent physical vessel or an External Incarnation.
• Little White said the dragon bones lacked the essence blood needed for a complete shell, then explained that living souls were protected by their bodies and that he could only sense, not see, what lay beneath Xiao Hua’s soul seal.
• Jade Slip Xiao Hua asked Little White to slowly unravel the seal and then returned to the auction hall, where he found the crowd silent and realized the bidders were communicating privately.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that Confucian cultivators valued the dragon bones as a source of royal fortune because their dragon might, especially the horn, could be turned into Imperial Qi.
• Fu Zhiwen concluded that the third floor held royalty from another kingdom, not Tongzhu Kingdom, and that Star Picking Tower feared a royal-house conflict while Tongzhu Kingdom’s ruler was away.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed Mohism’s history, mechanical arts, and constructs while a Mohist Mo Boat went up for auction. Xiao Hua suspected that God Demon Chess was an advanced form of construct, though Fu Zhiwen doubted the theory and urged him to bid on a flying artifact control.

• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen reasoned that the dragon bone’s bidders were likely royalty from nearby regions, then watched the East Sea Dragon Palace claim it through Zhu Qing.
• Yu Linfeng resumed the auction and introduced a Mo Boat crafted by a Mohist disciple.
• Fu Zhiwen explained Mohist teachings, strict organization, and the school’s role in developing mechanical arts and artifact controls.
• Xiao Hua speculated that God Demon Chess and its Divine Generals might be constructs, but Fu Zhiwen said the idea was too simple and unproven.
• Fu Zhiwen pointed out that the Mo Boat had been auctioned and advised Xiao Hua to bid on a flying artifact control.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed the rivalry between Confucianism and the Military School before the auction revealed the Crimson Flame War Chariot. Yu Linfeng identified it as an imitation of the Crimson Emperor’s chariot and described its powerful materials and requirements, leaving the final item’s bidding yet to come.

• Fu Zhiwen explained that the Military School, with its martial learning and emphasis on force, posed a challenge to Confucianism, while Xiao Hua connected its influence to Tongzhu Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua watched as Yu Linfeng announced that the auction’s last two rare treasures were restricted to honored guests on the towers.
• Yu Linfeng revealed a blazing war chariot that spectators initially mistook for the Crimson Emperor’s legendary chariot.
• Xiao Hua assessed the chariot’s fire-dispersing material and battle-born Baleful Intent, noting how it could strengthen its driver and intimidate opponents.
• Yu Linfeng identified the item as the Crimson Flame War Chariot, an imitation forged from a complete Fire Spirit Stone and sealed with three Fire Spirit Beast essences, which required fourth-grade Yuan force to drive.

Xiao Hua bid for the Crimson Flame War Chariot at the auction, but Princess Baihua revealed that she needed it to strengthen her claim to the throne of Nüwa Country. Xiao Hua yielded the chariot to her and accepted her token and promise of future repayment.

• Xiao Hua joined the bidding for the Crimson Flame War Chariot as its price rose above one hundred thousand top-grade Qi Stones.
• Princess Baihua of Nüwa Country introduced herself to Xiao Hua and invited him to serve as State Teacher, then explained that she needed the chariot for her struggle to inherit the throne.
• Princess Baihua said the chariot would increase her chances of winning the succession contest, and the Murong Family woman complained about being drawn into her appeal.
• Xiao Hua agreed to yield the Crimson Flame War Chariot to Princess Baihua, who gave him a flower token and promised to repay his favor with treasures or cultivation techniques.

Xiao Hua withdrew from bidding on the Crimson Flame War Chariot after Princess Baihua offered him a flower, then listened as the auction presented its final item: a mysterious white horse from the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons. The chapter ended with Fu Zhiwen explaining that the horse’s unusual bloodline made it far rarer than an ordinary demon beast, while its true nature remained unknown.

• Princess Baihua won the Crimson Flame War Chariot, and Xiao Hua withdrew after receiving her flower.
• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua that Nüwa Country was populated entirely by women and described its annual Tilian Festival.
• A Murong family woman warned Xiao Hua that the flower and Princess Baihua were both dangerous, but ignored his request to explain.
• Yu Linfeng revealed that the auction’s final item was a demon beast from the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons, and only distinguished guests could bid.
• The auction hall saw a white horse preserved in a giant crystal, whose forehead bore a horn-like protrusion.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that the horse’s unusual bloodline distinguished it from ordinary demon beasts, though he and Xiao Hua did not know exactly what it was.

Star Picking Tower revealed that the white horse was a Heavenly Horse with an unknown maternal bloodline, and bidding for it escalated as powerful guests competed. When a bidder’s attack disrupted the auction hall’s formation, Zhu Qing withdrew the third-floor concealment, leaving Ao Shuai to confront the bidder face-to-face.

• Yu Linfeng explained that the Heavenly Horse was not an Immortal Palace mount, but had a rare bloodline tied to the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons and possibly lands beyond the Three Great Continents.
• Fu Zhiwen suggested that bidders wanted the Heavenly Horse for its prestige and possible clues about the world beyond the heavens, while Xiao Hua joked that he would rather ride a phoenix.
• Duanmu Qing, a Murong family woman, and an unidentified bidder competed for the horse, with the bids reaching 250,000 top-grade Qi Stones.
• The unidentified bidder challenged Ao Shuai and unleashed a fierce yellow gale, prompting Zhu Qing to counter with a shooting star and withdraw the third-floor formation.
• Ao Shuai appeared in Golden Armor and demanded that the bidder reveal his identity.

Old Demon Zhi Feng negotiated Ao Shuai’s withdrawal from bidding on the Heavenly Horse, then clashed with Duanmu Qing and Zhu Qing as he competed against the Duanmu and Murong families. He proposed that the Heavenly Horse should go to whoever could subdue it, leaving the auction’s rules uncertain.

• Old Demon Zhi Feng introduced himself to Ao Shuai and Duanmu Qing, who raised the bid by another two hundred and fifty-one thousand top-grade Qi Stones.
• Old Demon Zhi Feng persuaded Ao Shuai to stop competing by promising him a better path to cultivation and assistance; Ao Shuai withdrew from the auction.
• After Zhu Qing warned him against interfering with the auction, Old Demon Zhi Feng resumed bidding, and Duanmu Qing and the eldest young lady of the Murong Family continued raising the price.
• Old Demon Zhi Feng bid five hundred thousand top-grade Qi Stones and warned that nobody else should expect to keep the Heavenly Horse if he could not win it.
• Old Demon Zhi Feng questioned whether the winner could subdue the Heavenly Horse, and the eldest young lady of the Murong Family suggested awarding it to whoever had the means to do so.

Xiao Hua joined the attempt to claim the sealed Heavenly Horse, challenging Young Master Duanmu’s assumption that the mount was already his. The bidding dispute remained unresolved as the Murong Family’s eldest miss noticed Old Demon Zhi Feng reacting strangely to Xiao Hua.

• Old Demon Zhi Feng arranged for himself to cover the risks of releasing the Heavenly Horse, and the Murong Family’s eldest miss agreed to help subdue it.
• Xiao Hua stepped forward and announced that he would bid for the Heavenly Horse, prompting Old Demon Zhi Feng and Young Master Duanmu to challenge him.
• Xiao Hua argued that he was qualified to bid and proposed that he and Young Master Duanmu compare their Qi Stones, with the poorer bidder withdrawing.
• Young Master Duanmu threatened Xiao Hua, then backed down after Xiao Hua pointed out that other bidders were present.
• The Murong Family’s eldest miss observed Old Demon Zhi Feng staring at Xiao Hua before abruptly turning his attention back to the Heavenly Horse.
• The Murong Family’s eldest miss asked Young Master Duanmu to consult Old Demon Zhi Feng, who had proposed the plan.

Xiao Hua joined Duanmu Qing and Old Demon Zhi Feng in trying to subdue the heavenly horse, while Zhi Feng secretly sensed that Xiao Hua had an unknown powerful backing. Murong Congyun withdrew from the contest, and the crystal prison began to open, leaving the three men poised to capture the escaping horse.

• Old Demon Zhi Feng allowed Xiao Hua to join the attempt to subdue the heavenly horse, though he privately grew wary after sensing a fleeting fear around him.
• Murong Congyun withdrew from the bidding after Xiao Hua joined, leaving Xiao Hua, Duanmu Qing, and Old Demon Zhi Feng to compete.
• Zhu Qing warned the three men about the horse’s speed and violent temperament, then used a diamond crystal and his blood to unlock its prison.
• Duanmu Qing revealed his family’s Dragon Subduing Lock, and Zhi Feng proposed that all three strike as soon as the horse awoke.
• Xiao Hua said he needed no magical artifact to subdue the heavenly horse as the crystal shrank and exposed it.