Chapter Summaries

Leng Qingge and the other four cultivators summoned the Five Qi True Thunder through the Execution Stage and badly wounded Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua brought Little Lei and his Nascent Soul into the lightning, where the Nascent Soul began recovering after absorbing a portion of the thunder.

• Leng Qingge summoned Bei Guo Zhenming, Xi Bohong, Baihou Yuqin, and Jiang Yuming to form the Five Qi True Thunder with five silk handkerchiefs.
• The five cultivators fused their thunder-charged objects into an Execution Stage, which Xiao Hua recognized as resembling the damaged treasure in his space.
• The Execution Stage sealed Xiao Hua in place and struck him with Five Qi True Thunder, charring his right arm and crushing part of his back.
• Green-robed Xiao Hua persuaded Jade Slip Xiao Hua to expose their Nascent Soul to the thunder, and Xiao Hua brought out the Nascent Soul with Little Lei.
• Little Lei absorbed most of the third thunderbolt, while the Nascent Soul took a small portion, began to collapse, then drew silver-white crystalline threads from the void and slowly recovered.

Xiao Hua survived eighty-one bolts of Five Qi True Thunder and strengthened his Nascent Soul, but Leng Qingge and the other Confucian cultivators prepared to attack him with five powerful Wen Scrolls. The chapter ended as Leng Qingge unleashed Han Cheng’s “Law” character and Xi Bohong opened another scroll.

• Xiao Hua refined Metal Essence Gold Marrow while Little Lei shielded him from the Five Qi True Thunder.
• Xiao Hua endured eighty-one bolts of lightning until the five Confucian cultivators ran out of true qi and their Execution Stage collapsed.
• Little Lei woke briefly, then Xiao Hua sent it back into his space to sleep beneath the Thunder Water.
• Leng Qingge revealed that the five Confucian cultivators would use Wen Scrolls to unleash Five Sons Ascend to Officialdom.
• The five cultivators drew their scrolls, and Xiao Hua expanded his body and readied the As-You-Wish Staff and Sea-Overturning Seal.
• Leng Qingge opened Han Cheng’s Wen Scroll, summoning a giant “Law” character, and Xi Bohong opened another scroll.

Xiao Hua faced the combined attacks of five authentic Confucian Wen Scrolls in the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram and unleashed his many treasures and techniques to resist them. The scrolls were destroyed, and Xiao Hua survived the devastating strike, though gravely wounded, as his enemies stared in disbelief.

• Leng Qingge ordered Bei Guo Zhenming, Baihou Yuqin, and Jiang Yuming to open their Wen Scrolls and join his attack on Xiao Hua.
• The five Wen Scrolls unleashed the characters “Law,” “Earth,” and “Confucian,” a Yin Yang Fish, a Vast Qi River, and a five-colored auspicious cloud against Xiao Hua.
• Xiao Hua countered with sword lights, Innate True Water, a magical treasure cauldron, the Ice Mirror, his golden body, the As-You-Wish Staff, and spiritual flame.
• The clash shook the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram, drained the Wen Scrolls of their Vast Righteous Qi, and shattered them into fragments.
• Baihou Yuqin spotted Xiao Hua staggering up from the ground, badly injured but still alive, while the five attackers looked on in disbelief.

Xiao Hua survived the Five Wen Scrolls’ assault and destroyed the inscriptions sustaining the formation, leaving the five Confucian cultivators stunned. As the fight continued, Leng Qingge summoned a Five Dragon Imperial Seal whose power made the five “Sons” bow their heads.

• Bei Guo Zhenming urged Xi Bohong to attack the apparently exhausted Xiao Hua, but Xi Bohong and the others hesitated after noticing Xiao Hua had no blood on him.
• Xiao Hua used his weapons, spiritual flames, and three Heavenly Hearts to withstand the Wen Scrolls, destroy the character “Confucian,” and erase the remaining inscriptions with green seal script.
• Xiao Hua fell into the dust under the “Law” sword net, then prepared to keep fighting despite his injuries and weakened Nascent Soul.
• A golden light appeared above the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram, and five lightning bolts formed the five “Sons” above Xiao Hua.
• Leng Qingge’s Five Dragon Imperial Seal descended, radiating golden qi and causing the five “Sons” to bow.

Xiao Hua defeated the Son of Heaven’s Imperial Power, shattered the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram, and killed Leng Qingge. He spared Baihou Yuqin and secured her submission, then turned to Xi Bohong as Xi refused to hand over the Fire Qi Ascending to Origin cultivation technique.

• The Son of Heaven summoned the Five Dragon Imperial Seal and tried to suppress Xiao Hua, but Xiao Hua’s Sleeping Dragon swallowed the seal and five dragons, then struck down the Son of Heaven and shattered the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram.
• Xiao Hua broke Leng Qingge’s golden halberd with Sleeve Universe and killed her, absorbing her escaping Nascent Soul with Spirit Severing Primordial Light.
• Xiao Hua took Leng Qingge’s Cosmic Bag and recovered the formation diagram, while the surviving onlookers stayed still in fear.
• Baihou Yuqin gave Xiao Hua the silk handkerchief and cultivation materials, accepted his terms for Tongzhu Kingdom, and departed with her disciples.
• Xi Bohong offered to hand over the Fire Brocade Cloud Diagram but refused to surrender the Fire Qi Ascending to Origin cultivation technique.

Xiao Hua forced Xi Bohong, Bei Guo Zhenming, and Jiang Yuming to leave their Cosmic Bags and negotiated the fate of Tongzhu Academy and the Jiang family. After the others departed, he concealed his severe injuries, returned to the devastated Black Cloud Ridge, and was welcomed by the humans and demons he had protected.

• Xiao Hua took Xi Bohong's Cosmic Bag and let him depart after warning him about the Fanged Beast's self-destruction.
• Bei Guo Zhenming gave Xiao Hua a Cosmic Bag, promised copies of Tongzhu Academy's books for Black Wind Ridge, and asked him to help preserve the academy if Jiang Kingdom conquered Tongzhu Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua demanded that the Jiang family kill everyone involved in the attack on Qiyang Temple and erect a stele recording the matter; Jiang Yuming agreed to seek the family head's consent and surrendered his Cosmic Bag.
• After the groups left, Xiao Hua revealed that he had been gravely injured by the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram and returned to Black Wind Ridge.
• Xiao Hua withdrew the damaged Duotian Star Array, and the humans and demons gathered there knelt and welcomed him back.

Xiao Hua assigned the demons, Jiang Kingdom’s fighters, and Qin Xiaoyao their duties as he prepared to enter seclusion. Before retreating, he founded the Creation Sect, unlocked Liu Yi’s spiritual root, and began using the Duotian Star Array to protect his recovery.

• Xiao Hua ordered the Black Bear Spirit, Great King Golden Eagle, and Great King Ten Thousand Lions to organize their forces and guard Black Cloud Ridge.
• Xiao Hua told Xiao Jian and Princess Changling to use the respite after the National Preceptor’s death to fight for Jiang Kingdom, while warning them to stay alert to Tongzhu Kingdom’s remaining threats.
• Xiao Hua gave Qin Xiaoyao pills, cultivation techniques, and magical artifacts to distribute among the disciples and Daoist soldiers, named their new sect the Creation Sect, and asked him to investigate how to gain recognition from other Daoist cultivators.
• Xiao Hua used the Soul Bridge to remove the starlight restriction on Liu Yi’s spiritual root, allowing him to sense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and named him senior brother to Wang Zhengfei.
• Xiao Hua sealed the quiet chamber with jade talismans of the Duotian Star Array and entered seclusion as blood-colored radiance, black flames, and demonic blood enveloped him.

Xiao Hua recovered from his injuries and began cultivating through the Five Qi True Thunder while his various incarnations pursued their own training. The story then shifted to Tongzhu Kingdom, where its ruler asked his ministers about planned campaigns against four neighboring kingdoms.

• Xiao Hua spent ten days repairing his bloodline and body, then used Little Lei to activate the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram and summon the Five Qi True Thunder.
• Green-robed Xiao Hua controlled the injured Nascent Soul beneath the heavenly lightning while Xiao Hua read a Confucian scroll and cultivated.
• Xiao Hua's other incarnations continued their separate practices, including tempering the Five Dragon Imperial Seal and repairing a crack in his left arm.
• The ruler of Tongzhu Kingdom convened his ministers and asked about campaigns against Gu Kingdom, Jiming Kingdom, Gaza Kingdom, and Yifeng Kingdom.
• Minister Yu stepped forward and reported that he and the generals had completed their deliberations.

Tongzhu Kingdom’s king announced plans to conquer Jiming Kingdom and Yifeng Kingdom after claiming the Daoist remnants at Black Cloud Ridge would be defeated. A giant dragon seized the king’s dragon aura and the kingdom’s fortune, leaving the court stunned as the Prime Minister ordered the palace sealed and the incident concealed.

• Minister of War Yu Zhong and Generals Hao Hu and Wen Feng advised delaying attacks on Jiming Kingdom and Gaza Kingdom and targeting Confucian kingdoms instead.
• The king revealed that the National Teacher had set a powerful formation at Black Cloud Ridge and declared that Tongzhu Kingdom would conquer Jiming Kingdom and Yifeng Kingdom.
• The Five Dragon Imperial Seal was discovered missing from the king’s desk, and the king assured the ministers it was unrelated to National Teacher Leng.
• The king’s dragon aura burst through the royal hall’s roof, but a more powerful dragon emerged and swallowed it, stripping Tongzhu Kingdom’s fortune from the king.
• The Prime Minister ordered the Hall Guards to lock the palace gates and execute anyone who spread news of what had happened.

After the failed attack on Black Cloud Ridge, Ying Hong explained his secret alliance with the Immortal Palace and his plan to use Tongzhu Kingdom to expand its power and restrain Xi Kingdom. The Prime Father learned the true stakes and joined Ying Hong in considering how to eliminate Xiao Hua and recover the Immortal Palace treasures.

• Ying Hong ordered his generals to secure Tongzhu Kingdom’s forces and palace while the ministers withdrew to discuss countermeasures.
• Ying Hong and the Prime Father recalled Ying Hong’s childhood and discussed the meaning of the kingdom’s dragon-shaped fortune.
• Ying Hong revealed that an Immortal Palace envoy had given him an Immortal Palace Token and other treasures in exchange for supporting Tongzhu Kingdom’s rise.
• Ying Hong explained that he had planned to conquer Jiang Kingdom and then provoke a campaign against Gaza Kingdom, but Xiao Hua’s intervention disrupted the plan.
• Ying Hong told the Prime Father that he had given the Imperial Preceptor Immortal Palace treasures and the national jade seal to defeat Xiao Hua, but the attempt had failed and the treasures were lost.
• The Prime Father concluded that Tongzhu Kingdom had been drawn into the conflict between Immortals and Buddhas, and he and Ying Hong discussed eliminating Xiao Hua and recovering the treasures.

Ying Hong and the chancellor devised several schemes to turn Confucian and Daoist forces against Xiao Hua while pursuing the Immortal envoy’s demands. After more than a hundred days of recovery and cultivation, Xiao Hua sensed trouble approaching and worked with his Confucian incarnation to use the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram to transform the energy in his middle dantian.

• Ying Hong and the chancellor planned to lure Xiao Hua toward Qianyu Mountain by revealing that Jiang Kingdom’s Second National Teacher was imprisoned there, then enlist other forces to capture him.
• Ying Hong planned to spread claims that Xiao Hua’s Five Dragon Imperial Seal would make him a target of Confucian cultivators and that he would need to attend the Yaotai Gathering to become Jiang Kingdom’s National Teacher.
• Ying Hong revealed that the Immortal envoy wanted a hundred Daoist sect Nascent Souls and said he had imprisoned more than ten cultivators at Qianyu Mountain, including Jiang Kingdom’s Second National Teacher.
• Ying Hong proposed publicizing the Qi Stone mine beneath Black Cloud Ridge to provoke conflict among Daoist cultivators and weaken Xiao Hua.
• After more than a hundred days, Xiao Hua sensed trouble, entered his middle dantian, and discussed Confucian cultivation with his Confucian incarnation.
• Xiao Hua gave the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram to his Confucian incarnation, who arranged it within the middle dantian and began forcing out its existing True Qi.

Xiao Hua completed the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram Grand Formation and emerged from seclusion, where he encouraged his disciples Liu Yi and Wang Zhengfei in their cultivation. Du Shanjun delivered over a million Confucian book scrolls from Tongzhu Academy, then began to raise another important matter with Xiao Hua.

• Confucian cultivator Xiao Hua used the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram Grand Formation and Five Qi True Thunder to cultivate, while Jade Slip Xiao Hua learned that Vast Righteous Qi required continual reading.
• Xiao Hua emerged from seclusion and praised Liu Yi and Wang Zhengfei for supporting each other as they cultivated.
• Wang Zhengfei told Xiao Hua that he wanted to study painting and revealed that he could cultivate in dreams, so Xiao Hua encouraged him to continue painting while practicing Daoist Qi Refining.
• Xiao Hua invited Du Shanjun to meet him after learning that he had waited outside the cave dwelling through Xiao Hua's seclusion.
• Du Shanjun delivered a record of 1,126,403 book scrolls from Tongzhu Academy, and Xiao Hua agreed to honor his promise to Dean Bei Guo.
• Du Shanjun said he had another extremely important matter to ask Xiao Hua about.

Du Shanjun revealed his knowledge of Xiao Hua’s Duotian Star Array and negotiated to inspect the Five Qi True Thunder, which Xiao Hua needed for his Nascent Soul cultivation. After Xiao Hua handed over the five silk handkerchiefs, Du Shanjun used a strange divine ability to examine them, leaving Xiao Hua astonished by the Daoist runes in his eyes.

• Du Shanjun asked Xiao Hua to set up the Duotian Star Array and revealed that he knew its flaws and could help refine or complete its jade talisman.
• Du Shanjun told Xiao Hua that he wanted the Five Qi True Thunder, not the Five Brocade Cloud Diagram or the Five Dragon Imperial Seal.
• Xiao Hua refused to give up the Five Qi True Thunder because it could help him cultivate his Nascent Soul into a Hidden Nascent Soul and condense its Dao Foundation.
• Du Shanjun agreed not to take the treasure and offered Xiao Hua the choice of the Duotian Star Array or its jade-talisman refining method in exchange for a look.
• Xiao Hua produced the five silk handkerchiefs, and Du Shanjun examined them with a divine ability that filled his eyes with Daoist runes and five-colored light.

Xiao Hua examined Du Shanjun’s imitations of the Five Qi True Thunder and negotiated for cultivation methods, only to discover that Du Shanjun wanted to recruit him for an unexplained collaboration. The chapter ended with Du Shanjun giving Xiao Hua a divine-sense technique and a jade-talisman refinement method, while hinting that completing the Duotian Star Array would benefit him.

• Du Shanjun revealed that the five silk handkerchiefs were imitations of the Five Qi True Thunder, then offered Xiao Hua a choice of rewards for examining them.
• Xiao Hua asked for cultivation methods, and Du Shanjun briefly froze him with a chilling pressure before deciding he had misunderstood Xiao Hua’s intentions.
• Du Shanjun gave Xiao Hua an Ink Cloud Pupil containing cultivation methods from the Nascent Soul stage up to before Mahayana and proposed a collaboration.
• Du Shanjun explained that Xiao Hua could improve his cultivation, spells, magical treasures, and use of divine sense by working with him, but refused to reveal the collaboration’s purpose.
• Xiao Hua chose a method for using divine sense, and Du Shanjun gave him another Ink Cloud Pupil along with a jade-talisman refinement method, noting that the completed Duotian Star Array would benefit him.

Xiao Hua gave Du Shanjun the Five Dragon Imperial Seal and reflected on the powerful Daoist senior’s search for authentic Five Qi True Thunder. After Du Shanjun left, Qin Xiaoyao reported how the Creation Sect had recruited former Jiang Kingdom cultivators and Daoist soldiers, but had failed to recruit demons.

• Xiao Hua put away the Ink Cloud Pupils, and Du Shanjun asked him to hand over the Five Dragon Imperial Seal because it threatened to draw trouble to the Jiang Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua gave Du Shanjun the seal, and Du Shanjun said he could put it to use and would spread the word that Tongzhu Academy held it.
• After Du Shanjun departed, Xiao Hua suspected he sought authentic Five Qi True Thunder to benefit his Nascent Soul and advance his cultivation.
• Wang Zhengfei told Xiao Hua that Qin Xiaoyao had important matters to report, and Qin Xiaoyao described the Creation Sect’s new disciples and the 671 Daoist soldiers admitted to its Outer Gate.
• Qin Xiaoyao reported that he had found no demons suited to the Daoist school and that Black Bear, Golden Eagle, and White Lion had barred him from recruiting among the demons.

Xiao Hua established rules for the Creation Sect and guided his disciples in cultivation, introducing spiritual-root screening as a way to choose future members. The chapter left off with Qin Xiaoyao reporting that Li Xiang and dozens of his disciples were imprisoned in the Tongzhu Kingdom.

• Xiao Hua told Qin Xiaoyao to treat the demons as a branch of the Creation Sect and ordered that disciples must not kill one another or covet mortal glory and wealth for entry into the Inner Sect.
• Xiao Hua summoned Jiang Ming, Qin Chengyi, and Jiang Haodang to assess and guide their cultivation.
• Xiao Hua removed seals from the disciples’ Spiritual Qi Heavens and discovered that Qin Chengyi had no seal, leaving him unsure how the seals related to cultivation.
• Xiao Hua gave the disciples cultivation techniques, spiritual pills, magical artifacts, and jade pupils containing a secret technique to identify spiritual roots.
• Xiao Hua instructed Qin Xiaoyao and the others to select disciples with spiritual roots and reported that he would awaken the spirits of clever, loyal disciples without them.
• Qin Xiaoyao told Xiao Hua that Li Xiang and several dozen of his disciples were imprisoned in Qianyushan Dungeon in the Tongzhu Kingdom, and Xiao Hua questioned how Qin had found them so easily.

Xiao Hua learned that Li Xiang might be in danger at Qianyu Mountain and prepared to attend the Yaotai Gathering to secure recognition for the Creation Sect. He gave Qin Xiaoyao pills and formation instructions, then heard the Black Bear Spirit's complaint and planned to hear the details.

• Qin Xiaoyao warned Xiao Hua that Tongzhu Kingdom might be using Li Xiang as bait, and Xiao Hua decided to find Qianyu Mountain and rescue him.
• Qin Xiaoyao gave Xiao Hua a jade slip with Qianyu Mountain's location and explained that the Yaotai Gathering would be held early next year, where Daoist cultivators had to compete for recognition.
• Xiao Hua agreed to attend the Yaotai Gathering and gave Qin Xiaoyao pills and formation instructions for the Creation Sect's disciples.
• Xiao Hua summoned the Black Bear Spirit, teased him about his exaggerated display of longing, and ordered him to help Qin Xiaoyao prepare defenses at Black Wind Ridge.
• The Black Bear Spirit asked Xiao Hua to uphold justice for him and began explaining his grievance.

Xiao Hua learned that Gaza Kingdom’s forces had bullied the demons of Black Cloud Ridge and ordered his followers to claim the entire ridge. At a concealed Qi Stone mine, Yuan Ya smashed open the entrance while Xiao Hua prepared to confront the occupiers.

• Xiao Hua summoned Qin Xiaoyao, Xiao Jian, and Changling, then expanded the formation to cover all of Black Cloud Ridge and placed its demons under Qin Xiaoyao’s command.
• The Golden Eagle told Xiao Hua that Gaza Kingdom’s people had occupied the area, wounded the Black Bear Spirit’s children, and attacked the Black Bear Spirit.
• Xiao Hua identified a Qi Stone mine beneath the collapsed peak and ordered Yuan Ya and the Black Bear Spirit to break open the cave entrance.
• Yuan Ya struck the stone gate with his demonic weapon and blasted it apart, astonishing the Black Bear Spirit with his strength.

Xiao Hua confronted the Gaza Kingdom forces occupying Black Cloud Ridge’s Qi Stone mine and exposed Jiang Zhihe, a former servant of the Jiang Kingdom who had joined them. After Liao Shen and Jiang Zhihe challenged his claim to the ridge, Xiao Hua cut off Liao Shen’s arm and declared that those who injured his people would pay.

• Yuan Ya attacked the Gaza Kingdom’s monk soldiers, and Qin Xiaoyao and Xiao Jian joined the fight against Liao Shen’s Buddhist artifacts.
• Xiao Hua destroyed Liao Shen’s magic disk with the Sea-Overturning Seal, forcing Jiang Zhihe to emerge from the cave.
• Jiang Zhihe admitted he had sought refuge with the Gaza Kingdom after the Jiang Kingdom fell, angering Princess Changling.
• Xiao Hua demanded that the Gaza Kingdom leave behind an arm for injuring his people, while Liao Shen and Jiang Zhihe disputed his claim to Black Cloud Ridge.
• Xiao Hua cut off Liao Shen’s left arm after rejecting the Gaza Kingdom’s claim to the Qi Stone mine.

Xiao Hua drove the Gaza Kingdom’s forces from the Black Cloud Ridge Qi Stone mine and assigned his allies to manage it. After discovering how vast and valuable the mine was, he realized the Gaza and Tongzhu Kingdoms would likely bring other powers to claim it.

• Xiao Hua cut off Jiang Zhihe’s arm and ordered him, Liao Shen, and their soldiers to leave Black Cloud Ridge, taking their personal belongings but leaving mining equipment and their Small Qiankun Bags behind.
• Xiao Hua gave Princess Changling the Qi Stones already mined and tasked the Black Bear Spirit and Xiao Jian with organizing demons to mine the remaining cloudstones.
• Xiao Hua told Qin Xiaoyao that the extracted Qi Stones belonged to Changling and asked him to arrange mining and sect affairs with Xiao Jian and the other disciples.
• Xiao Hua explored the mine and found it far larger than the spirit stone mine at Quanjin Mountain, with three sections and Qi Stones throughout its tunnels.
• Xiao Hua suspected Jiang Zhihe and Liao Shen had been sent to test him and realized that the Gaza and Tongzhu Kingdoms would likely spread news of the mine, drawing other powers to it.