Chapter Summaries

As a massive Demon Spirit Tide overwhelmed Tamu Town, Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen entered the battle after Ruan Meizhen’s breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit Realm. Zhao Changfeng easily killed the Demon Spirits she revealed and led her toward the City Guard Army, leaving the question of their survival until after the fight.

• Chen Jian and Cui Pinyuan prepared to join the fight, while Zhao Changfeng urged Cui Pinyuan to stay alive and Ruan Meizhen wished Zhao Changfeng the same.
• Demon Spirits swarmed Tamu Town, killing rogue cultivators and attacking the City Guard Army as Tong Yi’s group exposed and destroyed them with the Yin Reflection Mirror.
• Ruan Meizhen made a second-rank Demon Spirit visible, and Zhao Changfeng killed it with the Blood God Saber and absorbed its malevolent willpower.
• Zhao Changfeng told Ruan Meizhen to reveal Demon Spirits while he killed them, then chose to head for the City Guard Army where the spirits were gathering.
• Ruan Meizhen questioned whether they should protect the City Guard Army, but Zhao Changfeng argued they might later report them to the Beichen Demon Kingdom and urged her to focus on fighting the Demon Spirits.

Zhao Changfeng reached the City Guard Army and rescued soldiers from invading Demon Spirits, but a third-tier Demon Spirit possessed Shen Yanrong. Unable to save her, Zhao Changfeng killed her and collected the Demon Core, telling Qin Hui not to blame him.

• Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen arrived at the City Guard Army's position, where Zhao Changfeng rescued several soldiers by drawing out their invading Demon Spirits.
• Zhao Changfeng killed more Demon Spirits while Qin Hui congratulated Ruan Meizhen on entering the Primordial Spirit Realm.
• Shen Yanrong told Zhao Changfeng that Tong Yi's group was facing third-tier Demon Spirits while Chen Jian and Cui Pinyuan hunted weaker ones.
• A third-tier Demon Spirit possessed Chi Jingchen and invaded Shen Yanrong after he broke through Qin Hui and Shen Yanrong's defenses.
• Zhao Changfeng split Shen Yanrong's body with his saber, collected the Demon Core, and told Qin Hui he could not draw a third-tier Demon Spirit into himself.

After Zhao Changfeng killed Shen Yanrong to stop her third-rank demon spirit, he and Ruan Meizhen joined Chen Jian and Cui Pinyuan in abandoning Tamu Town as the demon spirits overwhelmed its defenders. They fled toward Heavenly Shield City, but Teng Kun’s Black Demon Mountain passed overhead without stopping, leaving Zhao Changfeng worried that Heavenly Shield City was also in danger.

• Zhao Changfeng killed possessed Shen Yanrong, and Qin Hui stayed behind to defend her body and Tamu Town.
• Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen fought demon spirits from a tower, and he told her he would have taken a demon spirit into himself to save her.
• Chen Jian and Cui Pinyuan urged Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen to retreat, and the four left Tamu Town despite Ruan Meizhen’s hesitation.
• The four fought their way across the desert while Zhao Changfeng killed pursuing demon spirits and gathered their Demon Cores.
• Teng Kun’s Black Demon Mountain flew overhead toward Heavenly Shield City without noticing or stopping for the deserters.
• Zhao Changfeng watched the Demon Mountain disappear and feared that something had happened in Heavenly Shield City.

Teng Kun’s passage saved the survivors at Tamu Town, while Zhao Changfeng, Ruan Meizhen, Chen Jian, and Cui Pinyuan traveled toward Heavenly Shield City. Chen Jian’s Yin Ghost discovered that Demon Spirits had already overrun the city, leaving Ruan Meizhen’s family and the group’s safety uncertain.

• Teng Kun’s strike wiped out the Demon Spirits surrounding Tamu Town and saved Qin Hui and the three surviving disciples of the Primal Demon Temple.
• Tong Yi ordered Qin Hui to report Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen’s desertion and Chen Jian’s involvement, then led the survivors back toward Heavenly Shield City.
• Cui Pinyuan traded his two Third-Rank Spirit Beasts to Zhao Changfeng for his lower-rank Demon Cores and Chen Jian’s help with his Demon Flame backlash.
• Zhao Changfeng used the Ice-Ridge Serpent to temper his blood while Cui Pinyuan absorbed the cold poison, and the group continued toward Heavenly Shield City.
• Chen Jian sent a Yin Ghost to scout Heavenly Shield City and learned that Demon Spirits were running rampant inside.

As demon spirits ravaged Heavenly Shield City, Zhao Changfeng deduced that Song Zejun and his wife intended to use the Soul-Pacifying Bead to kill Teng Kun and let a high-rank demon spirit take his place. The group charged into the city to warn Teng Kun, but Song Zejun and his wife blocked their way, and Chen Jian revealed that he was a powerful cultivator of the Three Calamities Realm.

• Chen Jian described the demon spirit siege of Heavenly Shield City and suspected Song Zejun and his wife had helped high-rank demon spirits cross the world membrane.
• Zhao Changfeng pieced together the couple’s scheme and concluded that the Soul-Pacifying Bead might be a trap meant to kill Teng Kun and enable a demon spirit to assume his identity.
• Chen Jian decided to risk entering Heavenly Shield City to send a warning, and Zhao Changfeng, Ruan Meizhen, and Cui Pinyuan followed him through the demon-infested streets.
• Song Zejun and his wife blocked the group in an alley, and Chen Jian transformed into a powerful yin ghost and summoned his banner’s forces to face them.
• Song Zejun recognized Chen Jian as a cultivator of the Three Calamities Realm, and Zhao Changfeng cursed Chen Jian for hiding his strength.

Chen Jian secretly used a Yin Ghost to warn Teng Kun that the Soul-Pacifying Bead might be part of a plot against him. After Teng Kun faced another assault on Demon Mountain, the Demon Spirits retreated, leaving Chen Jian and the others relieved.

• Chen Jian hid his Three Calamities Realm cultivation and led Zhao Changfeng, Cui Pinyuan, and Ruan Meizhen to shelter while he contacted a Yin Ghost near Demon Mountain.
• Teng Kun comforted the soul of his descendant Lin'er, housed in a fifth-rank Brain-Devouring Snake, and prepared to use the Soul-Pacifying Bead to suppress his internal backlash.
• Chen Jian's fox-shaped Yin Ghost warned Teng Kun that Song Zejun and his wife might have conspired with high-rank Demon Spirits to kill him using the Soul-Pacifying Bead.
• Teng Kun weighed Zhao Changfeng's warning against the danger of facing another attack without the bead, then told Chen Jian that he understood.
• Chen Jian and the others watched as Demon Mountain shook under another assault, and the Demon Spirits eventually retreated.

Zhao Changfeng and his companions survived the demonic disaster in Heavenly Shield City, and the high-rank Demon Spirit Song Ziyan revealed herself before fleeing toward the realm membrane. Qin Qingyao arrived and learned that the Demon Spirit had targeted Teng Kun and the aberrations sealed by their sect.

• Zhou Jin tried to lure Zhao Changfeng outside by confessing that she and Song Zejun had murdered his family, but he stayed calm and refused to take the bait.
• Chen Jian and the others believed Zhao Changfeng had long known the truth about his parents and had patiently plotted his revenge against Song Zejun and Zhou Jin.
• The high-rank Demon Spirit appeared as Song Ziyan, then flew toward the realm membrane as the Demon Spirits scattered from Heavenly Shield City.
• Qin Qingyao arrived at Demon Mountain, and Ruan Meizhen hurried away after identifying her as the Crippled Demon Sect's celebrated elder.
• Teng Kun told Qin Qingyao that the Demon Spirit had tried to devour his primordial spirit and use his identity to release the aberrations, and that Zhao Changfeng's warning had saved him.

After the demon-spirit attack devastated Heavenly Shield City, Ruan Meizhen mourned her family while Tong Yi accused Zhao Changfeng and the others of abandoning their post. Teng Kun defended them, dismissed the city lord’s concerns, and offered Ruan Meizhen and Zhao Changfeng Demon Tokens, though Zhao still needed the sect’s approval to become a formal disciple.

• Ruan Meizhen returned to the group and revealed that her mother, brother, and sister-in-law had died in a well during the demon-spirit attack.
• Chen Jian learned that nearly a hundred thousand people had died in Heavenly Shield City and saw Tong Yi arrive with two companions.
• Tong Yi accused Zhao Changfeng, Chen Jian, and Ruan Meizhen of fleeing Tamu Town, but Teng Kun said he had ordered them to go to Heavenly Shield City.
• Teng Kun rejected Qi Donglin’s attempt to shift responsibility for the city’s losses onto him and sent the gathered onlookers away.
• Teng Kun gave Ruan Meizhen a Demon Token, making her a formal disciple, and offered Zhao Changfeng one pending approval from the sect.

Zhao Changfeng passed Teng Kun’s inspection and earned the elder’s promise of a formal disciple’s future rewards. As he prepared to leave Heavenly Shield City, he threatened Chen Jian into looking after Cui Pinyuan, who was deeply moved by his kindness.

• Ruan Meizhen told Teng Kun that Zhao Changfeng had sought revenge for his murdered family, and Zhao Changfeng explained how he had uncovered Song Zejun and his wife’s schemes.
• Teng Kun inspected Zhao Changfeng’s cultivation, heard how he had fought the demon spirits and planned to kill Tong Yi’s group, and praised him for his talent and service.
• Teng Kun promised to report Zhao Changfeng’s contribution to the sect master and said they would leave after dark.
• Chen Jian announced that he and Cui Pinyuan would leave, while Zhao Changfeng asked Chen Jian to keep Cui safe.
• Zhao Changfeng threatened to reveal Chen Jian’s Three Calamities Realm cultivation if anything happened to Cui, and Cui vowed never to forget Zhao Changfeng’s kindness.

After Shen Yanrong's death, Qin Hui rejected Qin Qingyao's offer to join the Crippled Demon Sect and chose the Primal Demon Temple. Zhao Changfeng traveled back toward the sect, met Teng Ling, learned about her bond with the Brain-Devouring Snake, and arrived at the central landmass, where Ruan Meizhen explained how the sect's chains harvested power from prisoners below.

• Qin Hui stayed beside Shen Yanrong's corpse, and Qin Qingyao told him Zhao Changfeng had been right to kill her before he chose to go to the Primal Demon Temple.
• Zhao Changfeng encountered Teng Ling, who asked for low-rank Demon Cores and revealed that she was suppressing the Brain-Devouring Snake's soul.
• Teng Ling visited Teng Kun and urged him to let her go to the Unordered Zone, while they vowed to kill the man from the Primal Demon Temple.
• Teng Ling visited Zhao Changfeng several more times to eat Demon Cores, and he learned that they helped restore her strength after battles.
• Ruan Meizhen warned Zhao Changfeng not to provoke the fifth-rank Brain-Devouring Snake as Demon Mountain neared the sect.
• Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen reached the central landmass, where she explained that chains drew spiritual power, vitality, and soul energy from prisoners underground.

The Crippled Demon Sect punished Teng Kun for the demon-spirit calamity, while refusing to make Zhao Changfeng a formal disciple before he reached the Primordial Spirit Realm unless he revealed his unusual qi-blood sea and Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding formula. Zhao Changfeng chose to wait, returned to Teng Kun’s Demon Mountain, and turned to study the Seven Tribulations Indestructible Art.

• Jiang Xuanqi suspended Teng Kun’s usual resources for five years or until he recruited seven formal disciples, and Teng Kun accepted the punishment.
• Teng Kun asked the elders to grant Zhao Changfeng formal status for his service, but Gu Jianzhou and Qin Qingyao upheld the Primordial Spirit Realm requirement.
• Teng Kun explained that revealing Zhao Changfeng’s unusually broad qi-blood sea could earn him immediate formal status but would expose the Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding formula to the sect.
• Zhao Changfeng chose to wait until he reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, and Teng Kun returned his formal disciple’s Demon Token to keep for him while noting that he had nine hundred merit.
• Back on Teng Kun’s Demon Mountain, Zhao Changfeng reviewed his rewards and focused on the Seven Tribulations Indestructible Art.

Zhao Changfeng reached the great perfection of the Yuanqi Stage while refining spirit beasts and learned that Gu Jianzhou’s disciples planned to kill him outside Demon Mountain. As he weighed whether to pursue body tempering or advance to the Primordial Spirit Realm, he unlocked the second part of the Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding technique and discovered how to refine turbid energy into pure energy.

• Pang Fan traded Zhao Changfeng three third-rank spirit beasts for his spirit jade and warned him that Elder Gu’s disciples intended to kill him if he left Demon Mountain.
• Pang Fan explained that Teng Kun needed seven Formal Disciples to regain his elder’s resource allotment and planned to recruit talented people from nearby cities.
• Zhao Changfeng stayed in his cave and refined spirit beasts until he reached the great perfection of the Yuanqi Stage, then hesitated over whether to cultivate the Seven Tribulations Indestructible Art or pursue the Primordial Spirit Realm first.
• Cui Pinyuan’s memories affected Zhao Changfeng again, and Zhao Changfeng found that the Second Cauldron had revealed the Refinement section of the Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding technique.
• Zhao Changfeng learned that the technique called his willpower turbid energy and began studying how to refine it into pure energy to nourish his primordial spirit.

Zhao Changfeng recovered from a dangerous backlash, strengthened his Blood Shadow Art, and struck a bargain with Teng Ling for third-rank spirit beasts. He claimed he could help Yuanqi Stage disciples reach the Primordial Spirit Realm, wagering five portions of turbid energy against Teng Ling’s promise of a Heaven-Crossing Boat.

• Zhao Changfeng abandoned his breakthrough attempt after his demonic cultivation art triggered killing urges and a severe backlash, then rested to recover.
• Zhao Changfeng condensed a blood shadow containing five times more turbid energy than before, and Teng Ling swallowed it as nourishment.
• Teng Ling offered third-rank spirit beasts in exchange for turbid energy, and Zhao Changfeng agreed after she brought three beasts to his hut.
• Teng Ling complained that disciples kept dying before reaching the Primordial Spirit Realm and that Teng Kun needed more formal disciples to secure the sect’s resources.
• Zhao Changfeng offered to train Yuanqi Stage disciples for a month and wagered five portions of turbid energy that none would advance; Teng Ling accepted and promised him a Heaven-Crossing Boat if he succeeded.

Zhao Changfeng began training four skeptical Yuanqi Stage senior disciples, insisting that rest would improve their mental and physical condition and help them break through. After demonstrating his strength and rapid advancement, he ordered them to sleep for a month while he continued cultivating.

• Teng Ling brought Zheng Tong, Wu Long, Wen Jiuzhou, and Qiu Ying to Zhao Changfeng for his breakthrough training plan, but they complained that they had no time to waste.
• When Qiu Ying and Wen Jiuzhou tried to leave, Zhao Changfeng knocked them down and warned that he could defeat all four with ease.
• Zhao Changfeng claimed that he had helped Ruan Meizhen break through and had advanced from the great perfection of the Yuanjing Stage to the great perfection of the Yuanqi Stage in two months, convincing the four to give his training a chance.
• Zhao Changfeng ordered the four to avoid cultivation and sleep, invoking Teng Kun's approval to make them obey.
• As the four settled down to sleep, Zhao Changfeng cultivated using the Essence-Devouring Demon Art and the Seven Tribulations Indestructible Art while monitoring them.

Zhao Changfeng faced criticism for making Zheng Tong, Wen Jiuzhou, Wu Long, and Qiu Ying rest instead of cultivate, while Teng Kun hoped they could produce a formal disciple. After half a month, Wu Long felt ready to break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm, and Zhao Changfeng agreed to guard him.

• Teng Kun learned from Teng Ling that Zhao Changfeng planned to help one of four disciples reach the Primordial Spirit Realm within a month, though he doubted it would work.
• Zhao Changfeng led the four disciples through days of sleep, sunlight, and time among nature, drawing mockery from their fellow disciples.
• Pang Fan confronted Zhao Changfeng for making them a laughingstock, but Zhao Changfeng said they would see who was right in a month.
• Wu Long noticed his deadly poisons had stabilized and asked Zhao Changfeng when he could attempt a breakthrough.
• Zhao Changfeng told Wu Long to begin the breakthrough and offered to become his Calamity Bearer if the poisons became uncontrollable.

Wu Long broke through to the Primordial Spirit Realm after Zhao Changfeng’s poison-based training, giving Teng Ling hope that Zhao could help Teng Kun. Zhao continued tempering his body and sparred evenly with Wu Long, while Wen Jiuzhou and Qiu Ying prepared to attempt their own breakthroughs.

• Wu Long absorbed the poisonous mist and broke through to the Primordial Spirit Realm, prompting Teng Ling and the others to celebrate Zhao Changfeng’s training.
• Teng Ling told Teng Kun that Wu Long had succeeded in half a month under Zhao Changfeng, and Teng Kun decided to return to the sect and see for himself.
• Feng Mu questioned Zhang Mang about Zhao Changfeng and heard rumors that Wu Long had died during Zhao’s training.
• Zhao Changfeng sparred with Wu Long and judged that his body tempering had brought him close to completing the third tribulation of the Seven Tribulations Indestructible Art.
• Wen Jiuzhou and Qiu Ying asked to attempt their breakthroughs too.

Qiu Ying successfully broke through to the Primordial Spirit Realm with Zhao Changfeng's help, strengthening the disciples' trust in him and thrilling Teng Kun with the news. As Zheng Tong reflected on her changed life, Zhang Mang challenged Zhao Changfeng to a fight, apparently hoping to kill him.

• Qiu Ying broke through to the Primordial Spirit Realm, while Wen Jiuzhou died after losing control of his power.
• Qiu Ying, Wu Long, and Zheng Tong pledged to follow Zhao Changfeng, who told them to keep quiet and promised further help with future breakthroughs.
• Teng Kun worried that he would lose the race with Gu Jianzhou for the last Blood Tower, then rejoiced when Teng Ling told him Qiu Ying had also succeeded.
• Zheng Tong recalled how she had been forced into cultivating the Corpse Demon Art and felt Zhao Changfeng had helped her rediscover her former self.
• Zhang Mang challenged Zhao Changfeng, and Zheng Tong hurried toward the cabin, believing Zhang Mang was courting death.

Zhao Changfeng accepted Zhang Mang’s challenge after Feng Mu added a third-rank Miasma Cloud Banner to the stakes, then killed Zhang Mang with a single saber strike. He challenged Duan Rongguang next and declared that every Named Disciple who had not entered the Primordial Spirit Realm could fight him for his treasures.

• Wu Long and Qiu Ying urged Zhao Changfeng to accept Zhang Mang’s challenge and claim valuable stakes.
• Feng Mu offered the Miasma Cloud Banner to secure Zhao Changfeng’s acceptance, and Zhao Changfeng agreed to fight Zhang Mang.
• Zhao Changfeng defeated Zhang Mang’s demonic attacks and cleaved him in two with his Blood God Saber.
• Zhao Changfeng claimed the banner and challenged Duan Rongguang, while Feng Mu urged Duan Rongguang to fight.
• Zhao Changfeng challenged every Named Disciple below the Primordial Spirit Realm and revealed that he had seven third-rank spirit beasts to wager.