Chapter Summaries

Chen Heng subdued Tu Shan Ge in the fox clan’s hidden divine domain and forced him to sign a Spirit Contract, making him Chen Heng’s spirit pet. Chen Heng then had Tu Shan Ge lead him to the main building, while the other foxes kept their heads down.

• Chen Heng questioned Tu Shan Ge about the ten-mu space and threatened him with the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead until Tu Shan Ge admitted it was his divine domain.
• Tu Shan Ge explained that he had hidden his fox clan in the divine domain on Blazing Mountain and that the wards had been left open when the foxes fled inside.
• Tu Shan Ge revealed that he had sent Tu Shan Zhuang to seduce Chen Heng so the foxes could absorb his yang energy.
• Chen Heng burned Tu Shan Ge with the bead and demanded that he sign a Spirit Contract to become his spirit pet.
• Chen Heng signed the Spirit Contract with Tu Shan Ge, withdrew the bead, and ordered him to offer tea as host.
• Tu Shan Ge led Chen Heng toward the main building, lamenting the wealth Chen Heng was about to plunder.

Chen Heng acquired three Dao arts from Tu Shan Ge’s collection and learned that the Huzhao Sect might pursue anyone who used Aurora Great Escape. Elsewhere, Xiao Yu killed a farmer and was confronted by Yin Gonghao, an elder of the Huzhao Sect.

• Tu Shan Ge learned that Chen Heng belonged to the Mysterious Truth Sect and the Chen Clan of the Rong Kingdom, and lamented his lack of powerful backing.
• Tu Shan Ge showed Chen Heng his collected belongings, and Chen Heng found the Qi Armor Technique, Blood Armor Technique, and Aurora Great Escape.
• Tu Shan Ge explained that Aurora Great Escape had been taken from a Huzhao Sect disciple and warned Chen Heng not to reveal it.
• Xiao Yu killed a farmer who had given her food after he glanced at her calves.
• Yin Gonghao introduced himself as a Huzhao Sect elder and declared that he had come to slay Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu killed Yin Gonghao, but she discovered that he could repeatedly reappear while the village’s walking corpses overwhelmed her. As she was bitten, Yin Gonghao intercepted a blue-black escape light from the southwestern sky.

• Two walking corpses attacked Xiao Yu, and she decapitated them before stabbing Yin Gonghao and throwing his body into a well.
• Yin Gonghao reappeared unharmed, and Xiao Yu knocked him down and mangled him again, only to find another version of him waiting.
• Yin Gonghao revealed that he had refined the entire village into walking corpses and said he wanted to recruit Xiao Yu as a disciple.
• The walking corpses surrounded Xiao Yu and dragged her down, and one of them bit into her neck while Yin Gonghao watched.
• Yin Gonghao spotted a blue-black escape light approaching from the southwest, identified it as the Xiantian Demon Sect’s Nether Emperor Nine Splendors Great Escape, and seized it with a hand of magical power.

Yin Gonghao confronted Chen Ying, learned he sought an immortal of corpse deliverance in the Earth Abyss, and agreed to return with him to the Huzhao Sect. Afterward, Yin Gonghao recruited Xiao Yu by ordering her to kill Chen Heng, while Chen Heng remained unaware of these events and successfully completed his practice in the One True Dharma Realm.

• Yin Gonghao attacked the blue-black escape light, but Chen Ying used Jade Pivot's Dipper Talisman to stop his magical hand and revealed himself.
• Chen Ying told Yin Gonghao he sought an immortal of corpse deliverance in the Earth Abyss, then persuaded him to return to the Huzhao Sect and make arrangements.
• Yin Gonghao left a strand of pure qi behind, which found Xiao Yu badly wounded among the walking corpses and healed her.
• Yin Gonghao offered Xiao Yu a chance to become his disciple if she killed Chen Heng within a month, and she agreed under the name Zhou Chuyu.
• Chen Heng, unaware of the events outside, completed his practice in the One True Dharma Realm.

Chen Heng tested and improved his Qi Armor Technique in the Dharma Realm, then returned to find Tu Shan Ningning bringing him food. Two days later, he defeated Tu Shan Ge in a sparring match.

• Chen Heng tested his minor-mastery Qi Armor Technique against the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead and found it could not withstand the artifact's full attack.
• Chen Heng spent twenty days in the Dharma Realm cultivating the Qi Armor Technique to intermediate mastery, but remained unable to begin the Aurora Great Escape without dry silver star ore.
• Chen Heng returned to his cave and found Tu Shan Ningning waiting with food; he gave her a grape before going back inside.
• Two days later, Chen Heng sparred with Tu Shan Ge in the Divine Domain of Blazing Mountain, and Tu Shan Ge conceded defeat.

Chen Heng asked Tu Shan Ge how someone with his background could enter a major sect, and learned that the Flower God Manor admitted rogue cultivators through a costly, dangerous banquet. He then asked Tu Shan Ge whether he had heard the honorific “Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord” or the phrase “primordial beginning true origin.”

• Chen Heng sparred with Tu Shan Ge and learned that Tu Shan Ge had no explanation for the Divine Domain’s light.
• Chen Heng asked Tu Shan Ge how he might enter one of Xudu Heaven’s major sects, but Tu Shan Ge said such sects rarely accepted outsiders.
• Tu Shan Ge told Chen Heng that the Flower God Manor held costly Flower-Gathering Banquets where only the final three survivors could become disciples.
• Chen Heng considered gathering more Yin Horse plants on his trip to the Earth Abyss to afford the banquet’s tribute.
• Chen Heng asked Tu Shan Ge whether he had heard the honorific “Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord” or the phrase “primordial beginning true origin.”

Chen Heng asked Tu Shan Ge about the Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord and the mysterious Primordial Beginning True Origin, learning of the Dao Lord’s campaign in Lapis-Free Heaven. After Tu Shan Ge guessed the true qi’s rank, Chen Heng showed him an ancient book, which horrified him as a vicious art that violated heaven’s harmony.

• Tu Shan Ge recalled that his former mistress had witnessed the Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord present captives to the Pivot Dipper Sect after conquering a Zen Pure Land in Lapis-Free Heaven.
• Tu Shan Ge described how the Dao Lord destroyed the Great Peacock King Temple’s defenses, killed its Presiding Venerable, and captured two million Peacock Monk Soldiers before Xudu Heaven’s Dao Lords deterred a Bodhisattva from taking revenge.
• Chen Heng grew more eager to join one of Xudu Heaven’s great sects and asked Tu Shan Ge about Primordial Beginning True Origin.
• Tu Shan Ge guessed that Primordial Beginning True Origin was likely upper-grade or supreme-grade ninth-rank true qi and lamented that his former mistress had never obtained the Vermilion Luminescence Sect’s Imperial Plain Jade Truth method.
• Chen Heng handed Tu Shan Ge a yellowed ancient book, and Tu Shan Ge recoiled, calling its method a terrifying evil art that violated heaven’s harmony.

Chen Heng discovered that the book he believed was a Qi Cultivation Art appeared to everyone else as a demonic artifact-forging method, raising questions about his father's legacy and death. Five days later, after cultivating, Chen Heng heard a shrill whistle and distant laughter approaching.

• Tu Shan Ge and the other foxes read Chen Heng's book as instructions for refining the sinister Blood River Cart Treasure Wheel.
• Chen Heng suspected his connection to the original owner's blood let him see the book's true contents and questioned how his father had died.
• Chen Heng asked Tu Shan Ge what the book's cover said and learned the fox saw the title, “Compendium of the Blood River Cart Treasure Wheel's Complete Formation.”
• After five days, Chen Heng returned from cultivating in the One True Dharma Realm and heard a piercing whistle, sharp cracks, and distant teasing voices.

The Tong Household’s Second Young Master arrived at Blazing Mountain with Deng Zhongzhi and revealed the secret history of the Earth Palace Golden Chapter. Chen Heng prepared to confront them, but Tu Shan Ge urged caution and sent Tu Shan Zhuang to help meet the visitors.

• The Second Young Master mocked Deng Zhongzhi and bragged about his past visits to Mount Yang Daoist’s estate.
• Deng Zhongzhi warned the Second Young Master not to offend Mount Yang Daoist and stopped him from revealing the Earth Palace Golden Chapter’s secret.
• Deng Zhongzhi recalled how the Tong Household’s patriarch and Mount Yang Daoist found the golden page, memorized its Dao Art, and could not share or decipher its contents.
• Chen Heng prepared to leave his cave abode with the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead, but Tu Shan Ge warned him not to attack the Second Young Master.
• Tu Shan Ge called Tu Shan Zhuang, and the two foxes nervously left the Divine Domain to face the suspended flying boat.

Tong Yi arrived at Blazing Mountain and demanded that Tu Shan Ge provide him with Xiao Yu, while Tu Shan Ge and Tu Shan Zhuang struggled to maintain their disguises. Chen Heng appeared and attacked Tong Yi with lightning, severing his arm.

• Tong Yi arrived at Blazing Mountain aboard the Cloud-Piercing Flying Boat with Deng Zhongzhi and twenty soldiers, greeting Tu Shan Ge as his uncle.
• Tong Yi explained that he had been confined after Censor Sun died when Tong Yi slept with Sun's concubine.
• Tong Yi privately asked Tu Shan Zhuang, disguised as Wang Duanbao, to lend him Xiao Yu, then threatened to ask Tu Shan Ge himself.
• In the main hall, Tong Yi questioned Tu Shan Ge about his missing concubines and Xiao Yu, while Deng Zhongzhi watched warily.
• Chen Heng entered, and Tong Yi turned his attention to the handsome young Daoist.
• Chen Heng fired lightning from his sleeve, and although Tong Yi raised a Talisman Artifact, the attack severed his arm and knocked him down.

Chen Heng defeated Tong Yi and Deng Zhongzhi’s forces with the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead, then held Tong Yi at swordpoint. Deng Zhongzhi offered Tong Yi’s talisman artifacts for his life, but Tong Yi refused to give them up.

• Deng Zhongzhi attacked Chen Heng after Tong Yi lost an arm, but Chen Heng blasted him back with the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead.
• Chen Heng killed the armored soldiers with a ring of fire while Tong Yi attacked with an azure-light artifact and relied on a jade defensive talisman.
• Chen Heng’s lightning depleted Tong Yi’s embryonic breath, shattered his defense, and left him defeated with a sword at his neck.
• Deng Zhongzhi killed Tu Shan Ge in combat, but surrendered his saber when Chen Heng demanded to know whether he still intended to fight.
• Deng Zhongzhi offered Tong Yi’s talisman artifacts in exchange for his life, and Tong Yi angrily refused.

Chen Heng killed Deng Zhongzhi after deceiving him into a contest, captured Tong Yi, and stayed on Blazing Mountain to cultivate. Five days later, a brilliant light emerged from his cave abode, signaling that he had broken through to Qi Refining.

• Tong Yi tried to bargain for his release by promising Chen Heng a chance to join the Five Radiances Sect, but Chen Heng said he wanted the Talisman Artifact.
• Chen Heng held Tong Yi at swordpoint and persuaded Deng Zhongzhi to agree to hand-to-hand combat, then struck him with lightning instead.
• Deng Zhongzhi died after trying to kill Tong Yi, and Chen Heng knocked Tong Yi unconscious and ordered Tu Shan Ge to keep watch over him.
• Chen Heng chose to remain on Blazing Mountain until he could break through to Qi Refining.
• Five days later, light streamed from Chen Heng's cave abode, and Tu Shan Ge realized he had succeeded.

Chen Heng completed Qi Refining by following the Primordial Beginning True Origin Scripture Spoken by the Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord, while Tu Shan Ge witnessed the extraordinary phenomena surrounding his breakthrough. The chapter ended with Chen Heng summoning spiritual energy in the cave residence.

• Tu Shan Ge watched the light around Chen Heng’s cave residence shift through blazing heat, bitter cold, and many colors before erupting into turmoil.
• Chen Heng carefully combined the sun and moon visualizations in the Purple Plain Palace and endured darkness and deceptive heavenly visions as he formed a qi channel.
• Chen Heng circulated the qi channel through every acupoint, completed Qi Refining, and shattered the channel to begin the next method.
• Chen Heng’s body rang nine times as its colored lights settled into a white halo, and he awoke feeling renewed and unshackled.
• Chen Heng beckoned, causing countless streams of spiritual energy to surge toward him.

After reaching Qi Refining, Chen Heng discovered that his primordial beginning true origin method could refine spiritual qi of every attribute, letting him gather qi without the restrictions faced by other cultivators. He drained Blazing Mountain’s meager reserves, began refining Talisman Coins, and a purple-robed Daoist in the Xiantian Demon Sect sensed his breakthrough and named the method.

• Chen Heng examined the many kinds of spiritual qi and realized Qi Refining cultivators usually had to distinguish which attributes their methods could refine.
• Chen Heng tested several kinds of spiritual qi and found that his method absorbed them all, regardless of attribute.
• Delighted by this discovery, Chen Heng drew in spiritual qi from across Blazing Mountain until he exhausted the mountain’s supply.
• Chen Heng began refining Talisman Coins to continue strengthening his embryonic breath before entering the Earth Abyss.
• A purple-robed Daoist in the Xiantian Demon Sect sensed Chen Heng’s primordial beginning true origin and smiled.

Jade Pivot learned that a descendant had comprehended the Primordial Beginning True Origin Scripture and sent Yue You to find him in the Southern Territory of Eastern Maitreya Province. The descendant was Chen Heng, who finished cultivating at Blazing Mountain, where Tu Shan Ge warned him of trouble.

• Jade Pivot and Yue You discussed the weakening Pure Yang lightning tribulation and learned that one of Jade Pivot’s descendants had comprehended the Primordial Beginning True Origin Scripture.
• Jade Pivot gave Yue You a drop of blood and asked him to retrieve the descendant from the Southern Territory of Eastern Maitreya Province.
• Yue You sent a spirit body toward the Southern Territory, then withdrew when Junior Sister Xu arrived at the grotto-heaven.
• Chen Heng finished cultivating in Blazing Mountain after using his last Talisman Coin and emerged from his secluded chamber.
• Tu Shan Ge congratulated Chen Heng on reaching Qi Refining, then warned him that information extracted from a captive suggested trouble.

Chen Heng learned how Tong Gaolu gained his cultivation and why he possessed powerful talisman artifacts, then decided to target Tong Jizhen to gain leverage in the Rong Kingdom. Chen Heng and Tu Shan Ge set out for Yuanjing aboard a Cloud-Piercing Flying Boat.

• Tu Shan Ge explained that Tong Gaolu gained embryonic breathing after an old beggar struck him, but squandered the chance to become the beggar’s disciple through his lust and cruelty.
• Chen Heng deduced that the beggar belonged to the Five Radiances Sect and learned that Tong Gaolu had received a Heaven and Earth Bag containing tens of thousands of talisman coins and three mid-grade talisman artifacts.
• Tu Shan Ge told Chen Heng that Tong Gaolu had reached the seventh layer of qi refining, while Tong Jizhen had reached the third layer and Tong Feng had attained embryonic breathing.
• Chen Heng chose to eliminate Tong Jizhen first as a pledge of allegiance and discussed the political rewards of intervening in the Rong Kingdom.
• Chen Heng and Tu Shan Ge departed Blazing Mountain for Yuanjing aboard a Cloud-Piercing Flying Boat.

Chen Heng examined the talisman artifacts he had gained and considered how his demanding cultivation art gave him far more strength than ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. As he tried to tame the Cold Dipper True Qi aboard the flying boat, Zhou Chuyu learned from Yin Gonghao that she could dominate the mortal world and asked if she should capture Chen Heng.

• Chen Heng inspected his attributes in the One True Dharma Realm and reviewed the four talisman artifacts he had taken from Tong Yi.
• Chen Heng concluded that Primordial Beginning True Origin required enormous reserves of embryonic breath but gave him a major advantage over cultivators using lower-grade arts.
• Chen Heng began channeling embryonic breath into the Cold Dipper True Qi, which surged through his body and filled him with freezing mist.
• Zhou Chuyu asked Yin Gonghao how strong she was among Qi Refining cultivators, and he told her she could sweep across the mortal world but should not underestimate disciples of great sects.
• Zhou Chuyu asked Yin Gonghao whether she should capture Chen Heng, skin him, and stuff him with straw.

Zhou Chuyu accepted Yin Gonghao’s challenge to kill Chen Heng within a month in exchange for tutelage and a chance at a great opportunity, while Chen Heng continued struggling to refine Cold Dipper True Qi. The chapter left Chen Heng preparing to try again after another failed attempt.

• Zhou Chuyu admitted that she wanted to drag Chen Heng down into the mud and agreed to Yin Gonghao’s one-month test, knowing failure would cost her cultivation.
• Yin Gonghao promised Zhou Chuyu tutelage and a chance at a great opportunity if she killed Chen Heng and cultivated a Golden Core within fifty years.
• Yin Gonghao seized disciples from Refined Rock Mountain, crushed them to death, and let Zhou Chuyu choose several Talisman Artifacts from the remains.
• Zhou Chuyu left the valley with her new opportunity, crying and laughing as she thought of her dead mother.
• Chen Heng’s attempt to refine Cold Dipper True Qi failed, killing his Mind Image before it reformed.
• Chen Heng reviewed why the process was difficult, steadied his mind, and began another attempt.

Chen Heng mastered the control of his embryonic breathing and refined the cold dipper true qi during repeated trials in the One True Dharma Realm. After arriving near Yuanjing, he prepared to use the true qi against Tong Gaolu and began a scheme targeting Tong Jizhen.

• Chen Heng repeatedly died while practicing until he learned to circulate his embryonic breathing and extract the cold dipper true qi.
• Chen Heng returned to the real world and showed Tu Shan Ge the cold dipper true qi, asking whether it could briefly freeze Tong Gaolu.
• Chen Heng injected the cold dipper true qi into Tong Yi, then learned from Tu Shan Ge that Tong Jizhen had a taste for men.
• Chen Heng ordered Tu Shan Ge and Tu Shan Zhuang to impersonate Ji Yu without alerting Tong Gaolu.
• Ji Yu arrived at the residence for a paid encounter, saw Chen Heng, and was knocked unconscious; Chen Heng asked which of them would impersonate him.

Chen Heng killed Tong Jizhen at the Spring Splendor House and learned more about the danger posed by Tong Gaolu, then infiltrated the imperial palace to seek the Imperial House’s help. He confronted the Empress after accidentally entering her bathing chamber.

• Tong Jizhen left his officers and went to the Spring Splendor House, where Chen Heng killed him with the Green Bamboo Thorn.
• Chen Heng took Tong Jizhen’s Heaven and Earth Bag and explained to Tu Shan Zhuang that he needed allies against Tong Gaolu’s formidable flesh-tempering Dao Art.
• Chen Heng ordered Tu Shan Ge to disguise himself as Tong Jizhen, then flew to the Imperial Palace to approach the Imperial House.
• Chen Heng entered the palace and knocked unconscious a maid and several palace maids after they discovered him.
• The Empress came out of the warm chamber, and Chen Heng told her not to undress while an outsider was present.