Recaps

Qing Chen tested Su Zixuan for signs of danger while she served him food, then questioned her about Mayor Chen and the island. He learned that Mayor Chen had sent his daughter Chen Zhu'er away and ordered Su Zixuan to keep their conversation secret.

• Qing Chen drew Su Zixuan into his arms and examined her for abnormal signs before letting her go.
• Qing Chen invited Su Zixuan to eat with him and learned that she had been sold into service as a child and married to Mayor Chen's eldest son.
• Qing Chen questioned Su Zixuan about the island and Mayor Chen, and she said the eldest son was an imbecile while Mayor Chen kept his affairs secret.
• Su Zixuan told Qing Chen that Mayor Chen's daughter, Chen Zhu'er, had been sent away two years earlier and that mentioning her angered him.
• Qing Chen ordered Su Zixuan to deny speaking with him, and she promised to keep their conversation secret.

Qing Chen summoned Su Zixuan to serve him while he bathed, then drew her into an intimate encounter. Afterward, he discovered that Su Zixuan had a Spiritual Root and decided to make her his maidservant, giving him a potential cultivator to support his ambitions.

• Qing Chen ordered Su Zixuan to wait beside the wooden tub in the meditation chamber and help him undress.
• Qing Chen questioned Su Zixuan about the maidservants Mayor Chen had given to cultivators and warned that they might have disappeared rather than been taken to a sect.
• Qing Chen pulled Su Zixuan into the tub with his magical power, and they became intimate.
• An hour later, Qing Chen discovered that Su Zixuan had a Spiritual Root and told her she was now his maidservant.

Qing Chen arranged a public fight between the old town chief’s faction and the five brothers’ gang to trap them all by the sea. The battle began without Qing Chen present, and the chapter left both sides fighting in a bloody melee.

• Qing Chen ordered the old town chief to announce an open contest for the town chief position and hold it by the sea in three days.
• The old town chief spread the news across Yellow Bamboo Island, while Qing Chen went to the residence of the old town chief’s disciple.
• On the appointed day, the old town chief’s fifty men faced the five brothers’ forces at the beach as Qing Chen remained absent.
• Xue Pingzhi disarmed a man with a broad axe and killed him with his sword.
• The eldest brother attacked Xue Pingzhi, and both sides charged into a melee as the old town chief joined the fight.

Qing Chen emerged during the bloody battle, gave Xue Pingzhi a pill, and ordered him to kill the old mayor and the five brothers. After commanding the survivors to fight until only ten remained, Qing Chen ordered the nine left standing to kill the immobilized townspeople.

• Xue Pingzhi gained the upper hand against the five brothers while Qing Chen watched from a concealed hill and immobilized the townspeople with Sinew Numbing Art talismans.
• The battle left the old mayor, Xue Pingzhi, and dozens of others wounded or dead before Qing Chen appeared on the beach.
• Qing Chen gave Xue Pingzhi a pill, ordered him to bind the old mayor and kill the five brothers, and told the remaining fighters that only ten could live.
• Xue Pingzhi knocked out and bound the old mayor, then killed the eldest, second, and fourth brothers.
• The remaining fighters slaughtered one another until nine were left standing, and Qing Chen ordered them to kill the frozen onlookers.

Qing Chen had the townsfolk and martial artists slaughtered, then harvested their blood essence with the Brahma Demon-Refining Art. He sent Xue Pingzhi and the nine martial artists to torment the old mayor and lure out Chen Zhu'er, leaving the old mayor threatened at the Chen Household's residence.

• Qing Chen ordered the nine martial artists to kill the townsfolk and stack the bodies beneath a reef.
• Qing Chen used demonic hands to extract blood essence from the bodies and stored the blood beads in jade bottles.
• Qing Chen placed Heart-Devouring Restriction Spells on the nine martial artists and instructed them to obey Xue Pingzhi.
• Qing Chen ordered Xue Pingzhi to torture the old mayor and use him to force Chen Zhu'er to appear.
• Xue Pingzhi took the old mayor to the Chen Household's residence, where he had him tied up and threatened him with a dagger.

Qing Chen exploited Xue Pingzhi’s attack on the old town chief to lure Chen Zhu'er into revealing herself, then destroyed her cultivation and took her possessions. He threatened the bound old town chief and his daughter as he prepared to question them.

• Xue Pingzhi tortured his former master, the old town chief, and threatened to cut off his fingers and toes.
• Chen Zhu'er approached the courtyard and sent her flying sword at Xue Pingzhi to save her father.
• Qing Chen struck Chen Zhu'er with a black sword light, piercing her Sea of Qi and destroying her cultivation.
• Xue Pingzhi died from Chen Zhu'er's flying sword, while Qing Chen took her flying sword and storage pouch.
• Qing Chen threatened to torment Chen Zhu'er and the old town chief unless the old man answered his questions.

The old mayor surrendered to Qing Chen to save Chen Zhu'er and revealed how he had killed the Condensed Jade Sect outer disciple Deng Zhiping. He explained that he had hidden Deng Zhiping's belongings and secretly taught Zhu'er his cultivation method, leaving Qing Chen with the truth behind the Chen Household's rise.

• Qing Chen had the old mayor and Chen Zhu'er tortured in the old mayor's house.
• Qing Chen threatened to leave Chen Zhu'er with his enforcers, and the old mayor agreed to talk if Qing Chen spared her life.
• The old mayor said Deng Zhiping, a low-grade spiritual root outer disciple of the Condensed Jade Sect, had come to Yellow Bamboo Island to hunt demonic beasts.
• The old mayor revealed that he poisoned Deng Zhiping and sealed him in a room with mercury, then took his belongings.
• The old mayor said he later discovered Zhu'er had a low-grade spiritual root and secretly had her cultivate Deng Zhiping's method.

Qing Chen forced Mayor Chen to reveal that Xu Jincheng of the Xu Household on Sea Prosperity Island had supplied Chen Zhu'er with cultivation resources and tasked her with monitoring Condensed Jade Sect activity. After verifying the confession and obtaining the cipher method, Qing Chen feared the Xu Household might target him if he exposed the secret.

• Qing Chen found a Lesser Jade Pill and other valuable cultivation resources in Chen Zhu'er's storage pouch, then realized Mayor Chen was hiding more from him.
• Qing Chen threatened Chen Zhu'er with abuse, and Mayor Chen revealed that Xu Jincheng and Deng Zhiping were connected to the pill.
• Mayor Chen confessed that Xu Jincheng had recognized Chen Zhu'er's spiritual root, given her cultivation resources, and ordered her to monitor the Condensed Jade Sect cultivator and visiting disciples.
• Qing Chen recorded Mayor Chen's account and worried that the Xu Household had powerful backing and might retaliate if he exposed it.
• Qing Chen tortured Chen Zhu'er for the cipher method and verified her account over twelve hours.

Qing Chen killed the Chen family survivors and traveled to a small island to lure monster beasts with essence blood. After catching and killing a first-rank low-grade Blue-Scaled Fish, he prepared to harvest its valuable flesh and blood.

• Qing Chen killed Mayor Chen, refined Chen Zhu'er into essence blood, and burned the imprisoned runners to death.
• Qing Chen rowed away from Yellow Bamboo Island and named a deserted island Hundred-Zhang Island.
• Qing Chen set up the Bewildering Trail Warning Formation and used essence blood to attract sea creatures.
• Qing Chen doubled the bait after ordinary sea creatures appeared, and a first-rank low-grade Blue-Scaled Fish entered the formation.
• Qing Chen strengthened the formation and pierced the wounded Blue-Scaled Fish through the heart, killing it.

Qing Chen refined demonic beast flesh to rapidly improve his cultivation, but his final hunt of the year turned into a dangerous battle against two Rock-Armored Crabs. After killing them at great cost, he returned to Yellow Bamboo Island and began refining the blood essence he had collected.

• Qing Chen harvested a Blue-Scaled Fish and refined its flesh into blood and vitality, gaining cultivation much faster than through ordinary spiritual-energy absorption.
• Over the following year, Qing Chen went out to sea every two months, hunted demonic beasts, and brought his cultivation close to a breakthrough.
• Qing Chen encountered two Rock-Armored Crabs at once, and they quickly drained the spirit stones powering his formation.
• Qing Chen killed one crab with his sword and Golden Sword Talismans, then burned his life-bound blood essence to pierce the second crab's shell and kill it.
• Qing Chen returned to his cave abode, activated its defensive formation, and began refining the demonic beast blood essence he had gathered.

After months of secluded cultivation, Qing Chen broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining and learned Blood Qi Manifestation. With his spiritual sense strong enough to meet the requirement for condensing a demon seed, he began the dangerous process of dividing his soul.

• Qing Chen ignited the three drops of essence blood in his Brahma Aperture and broke through to the middle Qi Refining stage.
• Qing Chen learned Blood Qi Manifestation and formed blood-colored blades and a sword powerful enough to rival a middle-grade magical artifact.
• Qing Chen discovered that his spiritual sense had expanded to twenty zhang and met the threshold for condensing a demon seed.
• Qing Chen sat on the [Old Meditation Cushion] and began dividing his soul, enduring excruciating pain as he pinched off a small piece of his primordial spirit.

Qing Chen endured the pain of splitting his soul and formed the embryonic demon seed, then spent several years hunting sea beasts around Yellow Bamboo Island to consolidate his cultivation. The account left him alive but depleted of supplies and nearly all his usable artifacts.

• Qing Chen tore a fragment of soul essence from his sea of the soul to begin condensing the demon seed, enduring immense agony.
• A month later, Qing Chen found a small vortex of dim light in his soul and began nourishing and refining the embryonic demon seed.
• Qing Chen recovered with the Old Meditation Cushion’s help and consolidated his middle Qi Refining stage using the flesh and essence blood of two Rock-Armored Crabs.
• Qing Chen returned to the waters around Yellow Bamboo Island and used martial artist essence blood, including Chen Zhu'er’s, to bait demon beasts into his traps.
• Over three or four years, Qing Chen hunted many sea beasts and demon beasts, turning most of his catches into bait and relying on his stored essence blood and demon seed to survive dangerous fights.
• Qing Chen exhausted his talismans, lost his formation and most of his artifacts, and was left with a dozen low-grade spirit stones and Chen Zhu'er's Blue Steel Sword.

After five years on Yellow Bamboo Island, Qing Chen prepared to return to the Condensed Jade Sect, concealing how far his cultivation and spiritual sense had advanced. Li Feiyu allowed him to bring Su Zixuan to the market near Xuan Island, while Yu Cheng watched Qing Chen with resentment as the spirit boat departed.

• During nearly four years of fighting, Qing Chen killed at least fifteen mid-first-tier demonic beasts and used their resources to support his cultivation.
• When General Affairs Hall disciples arrived to end his posting, Qing Chen recognized Yu Cheng, who had arranged his assignment, and exchanged barbed words with him.
• Qing Chen concealed that he had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining and developed spiritual sense that could extend twenty-five zhang.
• Li Feiyu praised Qing Chen's progress and warned him to stay cautious after returning to the sect; Qing Chen agreed to keep a low profile.
• Qing Chen asked to bring Su Zixuan aboard, and Li Feiyu permitted it after Qing Chen explained that he would leave her at the market near Xuan Island.
• Yu Cheng objected but fell silent under Li Feiyu's authority, then followed Qing Chen and Su Zixuan aboard as the spirit boat departed for Xuan Island.

Qing Chen brought Su Zixuan from Yellow Bamboo Island to Earth Jade Island, intending to cultivate her talent for formations and make her useful to his plans. After reaching the Condensed Jade Sect’s home island, he warned her to stay cautious and promised to buy her formation manuals.

• Qing Chen recalled discovering Su Zixuan’s wood-fire spiritual root and her unusual aptitude for studying formations, while secretly binding her life and death to his Dao Heart Seed Demon Secret Seal.
• Su Zixuan reached the Qi Refining Second Layer over five years of cultivation, and Qing Chen judged that she could become a useful subordinate.
• Qing Chen and Su Zixuan arrived at Earth Jade Island after Qing Chen advanced to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining during his time away.
• Qing Chen ignored Yu Cheng’s taunts at the harbor and led Su Zixuan toward Earth Jade Market, warning her not to cause trouble on the island.
• Qing Chen told Su Zixuan he would buy her formation jade slips and would acquire a market storefront for her if she learned to establish practical formations.

Qing Chen brought Su Zixuan into Earth Jade Market, then disguised himself to sell demonic beast materials and seek equipment for his companions. After accepting a fair price, he examined the shopkeeper’s magical artifacts, including a concealed-strike sword pair.

• Qing Chen explained the sect and market rules to Su Zixuan, obtained her a temporary token, and took her into Earth Jade Market.
• Qing Chen left Su Zixuan in a teahouse, disguised himself, and compared prices at shops across the market.
• Qing Chen sold a large collection of demonic beast materials to the shopkeeper of Hundred-Forging Pavilion for six hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones.
• Qing Chen asked to see mid-grade and high-grade magical artifacts for his companions.
• The shopkeeper presented the Mother-Son Thundershadow Swords and explained how the smaller sword hid within the larger sword’s lightning.

Qing Chen examined six artifacts and chose four that best suited his combat needs and limited funds. After buying them, he felt better prepared to face Mo Qiuxian, while keeping the other two artifacts in mind for the future.

• The shopkeeper demonstrated the Mother-Son Thundershadow Swords, Ink-Silver Soft Armor, Mystic Light Mirror, Thunderlight Shield, Flying Swallow Boots, and Mystic Ice Pearl to Qing Chen.
• Qing Chen realized he could not afford all the artifacts and asked the shopkeeper for their prices.
• Qing Chen chose the Mother-Son Thundershadow Swords, Ink-Silver Soft Armor, Thunderlight Shield, and Flying Swallow Boots for six hundred spirit stones.
• The shopkeeper returned fifty spirit stones from the six hundred and fifty Qing Chen had earned by selling materials.
• Qing Chen stored the four artifacts and felt more confident about facing Mo Qiuxian.

Qing Chen bought magical artifacts, rented a cave abode for Su Zixuan, and tasked her with studying formations before turning in his Yellow Bamboo Island mission. At the General Affairs Hall, Deacon Mo Qiuxian rewarded him with a Qi Gathering Pill, which Qing Chen carefully sealed away while recognizing the danger behind the encounter.

• Qing Chen bought four magical artifacts at the Hundred-Forging Pavilion and lamented how quickly the six hundred spirit stones had dwindled.
• Qing Chen rented a cave abode for Su Zixuan, gave her resources and formation texts, and ordered her to study formations.
• Qing Chen left Su Zixuan with Chen Zhu'er's Blue Steel Sword and low-grade storage pouch, then worried about how much she had cost him.
• Qing Chen turned in his Yellow Bamboo Island mission at the General Affairs Hall and received one hundred sect contribution points.
• Mo Qiuxian praised Qing Chen's mission and breakthrough, then gave him a Qi Gathering Pill, which Qing Chen sealed away with care.

Qing Chen rejected Mo Qiuxian’s offer to join the General Affairs Hall and confronted him after Mo tried to withhold his contribution points over Qing Chen’s maidservant. Several days later, Qing Chen visited Li Feiyu to thank him, having learned of Li’s ties to the General Affairs Hall’s deputy hall master.

• Mo Qiuxian apologized for Yu Cheng’s assignment of Yellow Bamboo Island and invited Qing Chen to join the General Affairs Hall, but Qing Chen declined.
• Mo Qiuxian claimed Qing Chen’s maidservant needed investigation and ordered the hall to withhold Qing Chen’s contribution points.
• Qing Chen said he would report the maidservant himself, returned Mo’s pill with an extra pill, and mocked Mo before leaving.
• Mo Qiuxian restrained his anger because Qing Chen remained an outer disciple, then ordered the General Affairs Hall disciples back to work.
• Several days later, Qing Chen visited Li Feiyu and thanked him for allowing the maidservant aboard the sect’s island.

Qing Chen enlisted Li Feiyu’s help against Mo Qiuxian, then cultivated to the peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining. When Yu Cheng’s harassment threatened Su Zixuan, Qing Chen challenged him to a life-and-death duel on the Dueling Platform.

• Qing Chen told Li Feiyu about Mo Qiuxian’s obstruction and pledged to investigate his wrongdoing, and Li Feiyu promised to help recover the deducted contribution points.
• Qing Chen used Lesser Jade Pills and demon beast flesh to break through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, then cultivated for three years until he reached its peak.
• Su Zixuan told Qing Chen that Yu Cheng’s informants had discovered her array plates and that Yu Cheng was forcing her out of her cave abode.
• Qing Chen recalled how Ding Buxing, Xue Yubing, Xie Yu, and Yue Ting had fared, then decided to confront Yu Cheng.
• Qing Chen challenged Yu Cheng to settle their conflict on the Dueling Platform, and the Battle Hall disciple scheduled the duel for three days later.

Qing Chen prepared to duel Yu Cheng, accepting Li Feiyu’s support and betting all his spirit stones on his own victory. As the duel was about to begin, Mo Qiuxian challenged Li Feiyu to wager a high-grade magical artifact on its outcome.

• Qing Chen decided to challenge Yu Cheng despite the risks of revealing his cultivation and attracting ridicule from other outer disciples.
• Li Feiyu visited Qing Chen, lent him eighty spirit stones, and gave him a jade slip detailing Yu Cheng’s known magical artifacts and cultivation arts.
• At the dueling ground, Qing Chen wagered all 150 of his spirit stones on his own victory, and Gao Yuliang added a fifty-stone bet on Qing Chen after previously betting on Yu Cheng.
• Qing Chen and Yu Cheng exchanged taunts on the platform as a Battle Hall disciple explained the duel’s rules.
• Mo Qiuxian asked Li Feiyu which duelist he favored, then proposed wagering a high-grade magical artifact on the result.

Qing Chen and Yu Cheng fought on the Dueling Platform, where Qing Chen’s paired artifacts held off Yu Cheng’s Soul-Seizing Hook and Purple-Gold Bell. As Yu Cheng struggled to break through, he prepared to use a poisoned single-use artifact, the Bat Hunting Fang.

• Mo Qiuxian and Li Feiyu exchanged taunts before the Battle Hall disciple began the duel.
• Qing Chen deployed the Thunderlight Shield and Thundershadow Son Sword, while Yu Cheng attacked with the Soul-Seizing Hook.
• Yu Cheng brought out the Purple-Gold Bell to disrupt Qing Chen’s concentration, but Qing Chen concealed how little the bell affected him.
• Unable to defeat Qing Chen with his first two artifacts, Yu Cheng secretly took out the Bat Hunting Fang, intending to poison him.

Qing Chen defeated Yu Cheng in the duel, but Mo Qiuxian attacked him in violation of sect rules, turning the contest into a three-way battle with Li Feiyu. The fight left the Dueling Platform on the verge of destruction until a powerful voice and spiritual pressure ordered everyone to stop.

• Qing Chen shattered Yu Cheng's Bat Hunting Fang, broke through his defenses, and destroyed his Sea of Qi with the child sword.
• Qing Chen moved to finish the unconscious Yu Cheng, but Mo Qiuxian attacked him from behind and Li Feiyu blocked the strike with an ancient bronze shield.
• Qing Chen and Li Feiyu joined forces against Mo Qiuxian and fought him to a standstill as the Battle Hall disciple failed to stop them.
• An overwhelming spiritual pressure suppressed the fighters' artifacts, and an unseen authority ordered them to stop brawling within the sect.

Hall Master Miao Long intervened in the chaotic fight on the Dueling Platform and investigated the clash between Qing Chen, Yu Cheng, and Mo Qiuxian. He punished Qing Chen, Mo Qiuxian, and Li Feiyu for their roles and warned the disciples against fighting privately within the sect.

• Hall Master Miao Long arrived at the Dueling Platform, forcing the fighting disciples to stop and bow.
• Mo Qiuxian accused Qing Chen of attacking Yu Cheng and trying to kill him, while Qing Chen said Yu Cheng had used an explosive artifact and Mo Qiuxian had attacked him.
• The Battle Hall disciple on duty confirmed that Yu Cheng had used a poison artifact, Qing Chen had wounded him, and Mo Qiuxian had then launched a flying sword at Qing Chen.
• Miao Long reviewed the evidence and ruled that Qing Chen, Mo Qiuxian, and Li Feiyu had all violated sect rules.
• Miao Long stripped Qing Chen of his five-year recuperation period, took five years of Mo Qiuxian's stipend and one year of Li Feiyu's stipend, and warned against future private fights.

After Hall Master Miao Long upheld the duel, Qing Chen claimed the Soul-Seizing Hook and celebrated his winnings while Mo Qiuxian seethed over his losses. Mo Qiuxian left Yu Cheng untreated and resolved to make Qing Chen the next target of his cultivation scheme.

• Hall Master Miao Long disappeared without voiding the duel, leaving Qing Chen entitled to claim a spoil of battle.
• Qing Chen chose the Soul-Seizing Hook despite Mo Qiuxian's angry protests, and Li Feiyu laughed at Mo Qiuxian's losses.
• Mo Qiuxian glared at the unconscious Yu Cheng and left without arranging treatment for him.
• Mo Qiuxian recalled the crimes and schemes he had committed to advance his cultivation and acquire the Brahma Demon-Refining Art.
• Mo Qiuxian resolved to devour Qing Chen's abundant qi and blood, and hatred toward Qing Chen consumed him.

After Mo Qiuxian threatened to arrange a deadly five-year assignment for Qing Chen, Li Feiyu tried to secure Qing Chen’s protection through his uncle, Deputy Hall Master Xu Jiuling. Xu Jiuling refused to meet Qing Chen, leaving him without the support Li Feiyu had promised.

• Mo Qiuxian cursed Qing Chen and vowed to use his connections to arrange a deadly assignment for him.
• Li Feiyu assured Qing Chen that his uncle Xu Jiuling could help and took him to Xu Jiuling’s cave abode.
• A gatekeeper allowed Li Feiyu inside but stopped Qing Chen because Xu Jiuling had not invited him.
• After an hour, Li Feiyu returned and apologized, saying Xu Jiuling would not receive visitors.