Chapter Summaries

After breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining and regaining some of his youth, Lin Mo worried about how to obtain more cultivation resources and accidentally saw Holy Maiden Su Yu secretly sending a note. He reached Shangguan Wuqing's residence, where she was pleased by his breakthrough and younger appearance.

• Lin Mo broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining after absorbing yin energy, and his body became younger and healthier.
• Lin Mo returned to his hut, worried about Liu Ziyan's demand for five thousand spirit stones, and decided he would try to obtain more resources from her.
• Three days later, Lin Mo saw Holy Maiden Su Yu secretly give a note to a flying spirit beast in the woods and hurried away without confronting her.
• Su Yu noticed Lin Mo and watched him leave, while Lin Mo sensed her presence and feared she might kill him to silence him.
• Lin Mo arrived at Shangguan Wuqing's residence, where she noticed his seventh-level cultivation and younger appearance and expressed her satisfaction.

After dual cultivation with Shangguan Wuqing helped Lin Mo reach the eighth level of Qi Refining, he returned to his cabin to stabilize his cultivation and plan how to remind Liu Ziyan of dual cultivation’s benefits. The next day, Zhou Ze visited to apologize and gave Lin Mo spirit stones, then offered to find him new maidservants as further compensation.

• Shangguan Wuqing praised Lin Mo after their dual cultivation, while Lin Mo realized he had advanced to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
• Lin Mo planned to settle the Maidservant Department’s affairs, collect Liu Ziyan’s promised five thousand spirit stones, and find a way to remind her about dual cultivation.
• Lin Mo avoided a possible ambush by Su Yu on his way back to his cabin, then used the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art to stabilize his cultivation.
• Zhou Ze visited Lin Mo and apologized for his past bullying, claiming he was grateful that Lin Mo had brought down Lü Mingtong.
• Zhou Ze gave Lin Mo five hundred spirit stones and another three hundred as compensation, then offered to find him newly arrived maidservants.

Lin Mo accepted 1,800 spirit stones from Zhou Ze in exchange for peace and keeping his position, then prepared to visit Liu Ziyan. At the Purple Heaven Palace, Su Yu told Liu Ziyan she had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and asked about learning a more advanced cultivation method.

• Zhou Ze offered Lin Mo 300 spirit stones and promised to leave him in charge of the Purple Heaven Palace’s menial duties if Lin Mo stopped reporting him.
• Lin Mo accepted the 300 spirit stones and demanded another 1,000 in place of the female servants; Zhou Ze reluctantly paid.
• Lin Mo decided the dispute with Zhou Ze was settled and planned to collect his spirit stones from Liu Ziyan after washing at the Jade Purity Pool.
• Su Yu told Liu Ziyan she had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and asked to practice a more advanced cultivation method.
• Liu Ziyan asked Su Yu which cultivation method she wanted, and Su Yu hesitated before answering.

Su Yu asked Liu Ziyan to teach her the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art, but Liu Ziyan warned her of its drawbacks and gave her another cultivation art instead. After Hong Yue reported that a high-ranking spy had infiltrated the First Saint Sect, Liu Ziyan summoned Lin Mo, who was still worried about Su Yu.

• Su Yu asked Liu Ziyan to teach her the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art, but Liu Ziyan gave her the Ten Thousand Blood Pagoda Art and said she would teach the other art if Su Yu found a suitable Dao companion.
• Liu Ziyan recalled that she had once abandoned her original cultivation art for the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art and regretted the choice.
• Hong Yue told Liu Ziyan that a spy with access to the First Saint Sect's core secrets had infiltrated the sect, and Liu Ziyan gave her three years to find him.
• Lin Mo returned to the Wooden Hut and worried that Su Yu might attack him, but he lacked evidence to warn Liu Ziyan.
• Liu Ziyan summoned Lin Mo to the Purple Heaven Palace, and he hurried inside.

Liu Ziyan questioned Lin Mo about his rapid cultivation and his understanding of the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art, then punished him for lying. After paying him eight thousand spirit stones for resolving the Maidservant Department’s troubles, she walked to her bedchamber with Lin Mo following, while she remained confused by her sudden sympathy for him.

• Liu Ziyan discovered that Lin Mo had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining and asked him to explain his progress and understanding of the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art.
• Lin Mo claimed that the art required dual cultivation and that he had cultivated alone, so Liu Ziyan struck him for lying about the scent of another woman.
• Lin Mo realized Liu Ziyan had smelled Shangguan Wuqing on him and decided to avoid the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and see Shangguan Wuqing less often.
• As Lin Mo wiped the blood from the floor, Liu Ziyan felt an unfamiliar surge of sympathy for him.
• Liu Ziyan gave Lin Mo a Storage Ring containing eight thousand spirit stones, then walked to her bedchamber as he followed behind her.

Liu Ziyan and Lin Mo practiced dual cultivation for three days, stabilizing her Void Refinement realm and advancing him to the peak of Qi Refining. Afterward, Liu Ziyan reconsidered Lin Mo’s value and wondered about the secret behind his rapid growth.

• Liu Ziyan asked Lin Mo whether he hated her, and he credited her past favor with saving his life from abuse in the Maidservant Department.
• Liu Ziyan allowed Lin Mo to cross the line again but warned him to remember his place as a lackey.
• Liu Ziyan and Lin Mo practiced dual cultivation, and their spiritual power strengthened as his cultivation rose.
• After three days, Liu Ziyan found that her Void Refinement realm had fully stabilized and considered the possibility of reaching Mahayana.
• Liu Ziyan saw that Lin Mo had reached the peak of Qi Refining and suspected he was hiding a secret behind his rapid progress.

After reaching perfection in the Qi refining period, Lin Mo received Liu Ziyan’s Soul-Devouring Saber Art and instructions to monitor the Purple Heaven Palace while she was away. He went to the Spirit Treasure Hall to buy a saber, unaware that someone was watching him from the shadows.

• Lin Mo reached perfection in the Qi refining period and learned that Liu Ziyan would leave for a while, instructing him to record everyone who visited the Purple Heaven Palace.
• Liu Ziyan gave Lin Mo the Soul-Devouring Saber Art, told him to seek Hong Yue if he faced trouble, and then left.
• Lin Mo found that the diagrams for the first move, Soul Hook, became clear to him as soon as he looked at them.
• Lin Mo went to the Spirit Treasure Hall marketplace and showed the shop disciple a thousand spirit stones to request saber-type magical treasures.
• Lin Mo examined three low-grade spirit-tier sabers, then asked to see a black saber hanging on the wall.
• A pair of savage eyes watched Lin Mo from a concealed corner as he shopped.

Lin Mo bought the Black Blade, but Yun Fei ambushed him on the way back to steal his spirit stones and carry out Zhou Ze's contract to kill him. Lin Mo blocked her first attack with his new saber, leaving their fight unresolved.

• Lin Mo bought the Black Blade for 4,500 spirit stones after admiring its appearance and learning about its deadly effect.
• Yun Fei stopped Lin Mo on a secluded road and demanded his spirit stones, revealing that Zhou Ze had told her about the 1,800 stones and paid her 500 to kill him.
• Lin Mo handed Yun Fei the 1,800 spirit stones and offered to pay double for her to kill Zhou Ze, but she decided to kill Lin Mo and then take his remaining wealth.
• Yun Fei attacked Lin Mo with her dagger, and he blocked the fatal strike with the Black Blade, though the impact sent him flying.

Lin Mo survived Yun Fei’s attempt to kill him and escaped to the Purple Heaven Palace, where he decided to kill Zhou Ze that night. Meanwhile, Zhou Ze accepted bribes from Little Wang while implying that an unexpected development could still derail his promotion.

• Yun Fei bound Lin Mo with a freezing spiritual chain, but his Pure Yang Sacred Body neutralized her attack, allowing him to flee.
• Lin Mo reached the Martial Arts Plaza near the Purple Heaven Palace, where Yun Fei abandoned her pursuit to avoid the Enforcement Hall’s attention.
• After returning to his hut, Lin Mo resolved to kill Zhou Ze before Zhou Ze learned Yun Fei had failed.
• Little Wang bribed Zhou Ze for the deputy steward position, and Zhou Ze suggested the promotion was likely while privately leaving himself room to deny it.

Lin Mo killed Zhou Ze and took his spirit stones, then the Enforcement Hall quickly closed the case. Shangguan Wuqing offered Lin Mo the vacant steward position, but he declined because the duties would hinder his cultivation.

• Lin Mo ambushed Zhou Ze in his room, killed him, and looted his Storage Rings.
• Lin Mo counted 8,500 spirit stones among Zhou Ze's assets and believed the Enforcement Hall would not trace the murder to him.
• The Enforcement Hall questioned the two female Servants, found no suspect, and hastily closed the case.
• Shangguan Wuqing told Lin Mo she suspected he had killed Zhou Ze but was not investigating him.
• Shangguan Wuqing offered Lin Mo the Maidservant Department steward position, and Lin Mo politely refused.

After recovering from his wounds, Lin Mo broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and mastered the first move of the Soul-Devouring Saber Art. He decided to buy an aura-concealing technique before cleaning the Purple Heaven Palace, leaving Liu Ziyan’s order overdue.

• Shangguan Wuqing warned Lin Mo to be careful after he explained why he had killed Zhou Ze, and Lin Mo recuperated in seclusion.
• After more than a month of cultivation, Lin Mo broke through to early-stage Foundation Establishment and regained some of his youthful appearance.
• Lin Mo practiced the first move of the Soul-Devouring Saber Art, Soul Hook, and mastered it after five days.
• Lin Mo realized Soul Hook could threaten cultivators around his level and felt more confident about facing Yun Fei again.
• Lin Mo decided to look for an aura-concealing technique at the Sect Trading Market before cleaning the Purple Heaven Palace, despite Liu Ziyan’s overdue instruction.

Lin Mo bought a Breath-Concealing Art at the Sect Trading Market, where Zhuiming confronted Shangguan Wuqing after she ignored his advances to watch Lin Mo. Su Yu sensed that Lin Mo had reached Foundation Establishment and grew suspicious as Lin Mo left, puzzled by Zhuiming’s hostility.

• Zhuiming invited Shangguan Wuqing to help him claim a scarlet flame flower, but she ignored him to watch Lin Mo enter the market.
• Zhuiming confronted Shangguan Wuqing about her interest in Lin Mo, and she rejected his advances before leaving him behind.
• Lin Mo bought the Breath-Concealing Art for seven hundred spirit stones and noticed Zhuiming glaring at him as he left.
• Su Yu sensed that Lin Mo had reached Foundation Establishment and wondered how he had advanced so quickly from the second level of Qi Refining.
• Lin Mo decided to ask Shangguan Wuqing about Zhuiming’s hostility and clear up any possible misunderstanding.

Lin Mo learned that Grand Elder Hong Yue suspected Saintess Su Yu of being the sect’s mole and asked him to use the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art as bait. Hong Yue agreed to reward him with a low-grade Heaven-Tier Treasure if he completed the dangerous task.

• Lin Mo mastered the Breath-Concealing Art and began cleaning the Purple Heaven Palace.
• Hong Yue confronted Lin Mo and confirmed that he was cultivating the Yang Volume of the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art.
• Hong Yue asked Lin Mo to act as bait for someone seeking the art, and Lin Mo identified Su Yu as her suspect.
• Lin Mo told Hong Yue what he had witnessed about Su Yu, strengthening Hong Yue’s suspicion that the Saintess was the mole.
• Lin Mo asked for a Heaven-Tier Treasure and thirty thousand spirit stones as his reward, and Hong Yue agreed to provide a low-grade Heaven-Tier Treasure.

Lin Mo received a deposit from Hong Yue for a blade-type magical treasure before Su Yu arrived looking for Liu Ziyan. After Lin Mo revealed the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art’s drawback, Su Yu left, and Lin Mo concluded that she was probably a spy seeking the art.

• Hong Yue agreed to Lin Mo’s request for a blade-type magical treasure and paid him a ten-thousand-spirit-stone deposit before suddenly disappearing.
• Su Yu arrived at Purple Heaven Palace to see Liu Ziyan and asked Lin Mo how he had advanced from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment so quickly.
• Lin Mo told Su Yu that he practiced the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art, and Su Yu angrily asked why Liu Ziyan had let him cultivate it but not her.
• Lin Mo explained that the art bound itself to the first person’s yang energy and caused backlash if its practitioner later cultivated with someone else.
• Su Yu regained her innocent smile, left, and asked Lin Mo to tell her when Liu Ziyan returned to Purple Cloud Palace.
• Lin Mo suspected Su Yu was a spy who had come to obtain the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art.

Lin Mo suspected Saintess Su Yu of being a spy and planned to catch her contacting someone outside, while deciding to seek Shangguan Wuqing’s help. At the Enforcement Hall, Shangguan Wuqing stopped Zhuiming from driving Lin Mo away when he came to see her.

• Lin Mo reasoned that the Yin Yang Sect was the likeliest source of Su Yu’s suspected spying and resolved to gather evidence while improving his cultivation and staying alert.
• Lin Mo cleaned the Purple Heaven Palace and went to find Shangguan Wuqing instead of approaching Grand Elder Hong Yue.
• Zhuiming apologized to Shangguan Wuqing with a scarlet flame flower, and she accepted his apology but refused the gift.
• An enforcement disciple reported that an old servant was asking for Shangguan Wuqing, and she went outside to meet him.
• Zhuiming recognized Lin Mo and moved to drive him away, but Shangguan Wuqing stopped him, saying Lin Mo had come to see her.

Lin Mo sought Shangguan Wuqing’s protection from someone powerful who was targeting him, while also worrying that Zhuiming’s hostility would put him in danger. Shangguan Wuqing offered to hide him at her residence, then arranged for a junior sister to guard the office so she and Lin Mo could be alone.

• Lin Mo tried to leave when he saw Zhuiming arrive, but Zhuiming stopped him and Shangguan Wuqing invited him into her office.
• Lin Mo asked Shangguan Wuqing to protect him from a powerful person who had targeted him, explaining that Liu Ziyan was away and his hut was no longer safe.
• Shangguan Wuqing offered to let Lin Mo stay at her residence and acknowledged that Zhuiming’s hostility toward him was her responsibility.
• Lin Mo warned that Zhuiming might follow them, so Shangguan Wuqing planned to keep Zhuiming occupied while Lin Mo went ahead to her residence.
• Shangguan Wuqing told a junior sister to guard the office and keep anyone from entering, then returned to Lin Mo.

Lin Mo and Shangguan Wuqing resumed their secret relationship, first cultivating together at the squad office and later meeting at her residence. Lin Mo reached her home safely, unaware that someone from the Martial Arts Plaza had followed him.

• Lin Mo and Shangguan Wuqing spent over four hours dual cultivating in the reception room, improving her cultivation before arranging to meet again after dark.
• Lin Mo went to the Martial Arts Plaza to wait until night, while an unseen female disciple watched him and followed after he left.
• Shangguan Wuqing kept Zhuiming occupied while resolving a dispute between two Inner Sect Disciples, then returned to her residence.
• Lin Mo told Shangguan Wuqing he had noticed no one following him, though he could not be certain, and the two resumed their private intimacy.
• Shangguan Wuqing said she felt no affection for Zhuiming and preferred Lin Mo, then began undressing at his prompting.

Zhuiming watched Shangguan Wuqing’s residence, convinced Lin Mo had gone there, while Shangguan Wuqing and Lin Mo continued their dual cultivation inside. After Shangguan Wuqing broke through to middle golden core, she asked Lin Mo about his past and suggested he become an Inner Sect Disciple.

• Zhuiming went to Shangguan Wuqing’s home after an enforcement disciple swore Lin Mo had entered, but Shangguan Wuqing ignored his knocking while cultivating with Lin Mo.
• Zhuiming waited outside until the next day, then ordered the enforcement disciple to watch Shangguan Wuqing’s home and kill Lin Mo when he appeared.
• Shangguan Wuqing broke through to middle golden core during her dual cultivation with Lin Mo, while Lin Mo’s spiritual power also increased.
• Lin Mo told Shangguan Wuqing that his poor parents had sold him to the First Saint Sect because he was the youngest and least talented of their children.
• Shangguan Wuqing asked whether Lin Mo hated his parents, then suggested he take the Inner Sect Disciple assessment.

Lin Mo considered becoming an Inner Sect Disciple and began cultivating at Shangguan Wuqing’s home, where an Enforcement Hall disciple attacked him. Shangguan Wuqing realized Zhuiming might have sent the intruder and rushed back, confronting him before she could learn Lin Mo’s fate.

• Lin Mo told Shangguan Wuqing he would join the Enforcement Hall if Liu Ziyan approved his Inner Sect Disciple examination.
• After Shangguan Wuqing left, Lin Mo cultivated and attempted to break through to the foundation establishment middle stage.
• An Enforcement Hall disciple entered Shangguan Wuqing’s home and attacked Lin Mo, claiming he had provoked someone he should not have.
• Shangguan Wuqing met Zhuiming outside the Vermilion Bird Office and sensed something was wrong when he invited her to spar.
• Shangguan Wuqing hurried home, but Zhuiming blocked her, so she warned him that her master would punish him if his people had broken into her home.

Shangguan Wuqing discovered that Lin Mo had disappeared after defeating Zhu Fan, while Lin Mo collapsed from his injuries and was rescued by Grand Elder Hong Yue. Hong Yue revealed that she had saved him because she still needed him to lure out the Saintess.

• Shangguan Wuqing found Zhu Fan gravely wounded outside her damaged home and could not find Lin Mo inside.
• Shangguan Wuqing slapped Zhuiming and cut ties with him for sending Zhu Fan to force his way into her home.
• Lin Mo fled to a remote stream, reflected on his lack of combat experience, and lost consciousness from his injuries.
• Lin Mo woke in an elegant room and realized someone had rescued him.
• Grand Elder Hong Yue entered, told Lin Mo she had saved him, and reminded him that she needed him to lure out the Saintess.