Chapter Summaries

Qing Chen formed his Golden Core on Mingwang Peak, becoming a True Person and drawing celebration across the Condensed Jade Sect. His breakthrough alarmed Yuji True Person, who resolved to drive Qing Chen out of the sect’s center of power.

• Qing Chen absorbed spiritual energy and purple qi until his Golden Core stabilized, then proclaimed his Dao accomplished and began meditating on his gains.
• Xu Jiuling, Xue Qingxia, Gao Yuliang, and Deng Ziyue celebrated Qing Chen’s breakthrough, while True Person Budong felt relieved that the Immovable Wisdom King Lineage had gained a successor.
• Xin Bairen despaired over Qing Chen’s success and decided he could only humble himself and wait on Martial Uncle Yuji’s actions.
• Yuji True Person recognized that Qing Chen could inherit the sect under its traditions and feared his strength would overturn its power balance, so he resolved to drive him from the sect’s center of power.
• Condensed Jade Sect disciples celebrated Qing Chen’s Golden Core attainment, while Heavenfire True Person heard the news on Mysterious Pass Island and regretted not taking him as a disciple.

After half a year of seclusion, Qing Chen consolidated his Golden Core and tested the greatly increased power of his True Essence, demon aspect, and dual body-and-spell cultivation. He left the cave confident in his strength but concerned that he could not master the No-Sentient-Beings Aspect and sensed a calamity decades ahead.

• Qing Chen spent another half year cultivating in Qingyun Cave after reaching the Golden Core True Person realm, and his Golden Core True Essence became far stronger than his former Pseudo-Core magic power.
• Qing Chen manifested the Heartless Demon Aspect and used its Avīci Heartless Seal to test the strength of his high-grade Earth Grade spell against the Mystic Ice Silkworm Formation.
• Qing Chen reinforced his body with the Heartless Demon Aspect and his body-cultivator abilities, shattering Black Tortoise Iron Rock and striking the formation with a powerful saber-like attack.
• Qing Chen judged that his current strength could suppress Nine Swords True Person and Purple Centipede True Person, but he remained unable to grasp the No-Sentient-Beings Aspect’s essence.
• Qing Chen wondered whether unlocking the First Layer Seal of his Bodhi Spirit Body no longer aided his mastery of Heaven Grade spells and suspected that the Three Lives Killing Tribulation would befall him decades later.

After breaking through to the Golden Core realm, Qing Chen strengthened his divine sense and advanced the Demon Seed Golden Lotus Secret Technique, gaining the Demon Lotus Treasure-Corroding Curse. He also discovered the Nine-Luminaries Glazed Vidyaraja Pagoda’s expanded abilities, but still could not wield the tower or open his third Brahma aperture.

• Qing Chen sensed the Three Lives Killing Tribulation awaiting him and surveyed Mingwang Peak with divine sense that now reached more than twenty li.
• Qing Chen reflected on the Demon Seed Golden Lotus Secret Technique’s three layers and his inability to break the seal on the Demon Lotus Stone.
• Qing Chen advanced to three petals of the black-gold fire lotus and gained the Demon Lotus Treasure-Corroding Curse, which could weaken magic treasures but could be used only once a day.
• Qing Chen found that the Nine-Luminaries Glazed Vidyaraja Pagoda’s space, Dao Protector, trial, and concealment authorities had improved.
• Qing Chen remained unable to wield the Wisdom King Tower or open the third Brahma aperture because he lacked sufficient qi and blood.

After emerging from seclusion, Qing Chen joined the Condensed Jade Sect’s senior ranks as a Golden Core elder and received the Daoist title Hidden Spirit True Person. The sect also granted him authority over Tianshu Hall and upgraded his island, while preparations began for his Golden Core ceremony.

• Qing Chen emerged from hundreds of days in seclusion and went to pay his respects to Xuanji True Lord, but learned that the sect master was cultivating at a critical juncture.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person received Qing Chen, praised his abilities, and gave him the Daoist title Hidden Spirit True Person.
• The council of elders formally appointed Qing Chen a Golden Core elder, granted him authority over Tianshu Hall, and improved his stipend, cultivation access, and future magic-treasure benefits.
• Qing Chen's Hidden Spirit Island was renamed Earth Hidden Island and upgraded to a low-grade third-tier island, while Celebration Cloud Peak continued to rise.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person and True Person Budong scheduled Qing Chen's Golden Core ceremony for three to five years later, expecting Xuanji True Lord to emerge from seclusion by then.

After Qing Chen advanced to the Golden Core realm, the elders approved a ceremony and recognized his new standing in the sect. He arrived at Tianshu Hall to take charge and publicly challenged Xin Bairen over a past reprimand.

• Ten Thousand Souls True Person proposed holding a Golden Core Ceremony for Qing Chen, and the elders voiced no objections.
• Qing Chen donned his elder robes and command token, then headed to Tianshu Peak as the sect celebrated his promotion.
• The disciples and cultivators at Tianshu Hall greeted Qing Chen with elaborate respect as he entered.
• Qing Chen took the hall vice lord's seat, and the deputy hall vice lords and other Rogue Persons sat below him.
• Qing Chen reminded Xin Bairen of the time he had reprimanded him for killing too many enemies and asked how Qing Chen had reached Golden Core before him.

Qing Chen took command of Tianshu Hall and presided over a meeting to fill its vacant leadership posts. When Sun Wudi recommended Xu Jiuling for Deputy Hall Vice Lord, Qing Chen suggested Xu accompany him to Mysterious Pass Island, leaving the hall stunned.

• Qing Chen let Xin Bairen preside over the discussion of the vacant Battle Hall Master and Deputy Hall Vice Lord positions.
• Sun Wudi praised Xu Jiuling's character, strength, and experience and recommended him for Deputy Hall Vice Lord.
• The Rogue Persons objected that Xu Jiuling was too young and inexperienced for the position.
• Qing Chen said that Xu Jiuling could accompany him to Mysterious Pass Island, abruptly silencing the hall and alarming Xin Bairen.

Qing Chen explained that the Sect had approved his future assignment to Mysterious Pass Island and required him to take a Deputy Hall Vice Lord, making the post a perilous duty. With the other candidates unwilling to go, Xu Jiuling was nominated, while Sun Wudi was appointed to lead the Battle Hall.

• Xin Bairen signaled the Rogue Persons to resume discussion after watching Qing Chen and Sun Wudi agree with each other.
• Zhang Da asked Qing Chen whether he would replace Heavenfire True Person at Mysterious Pass Island and take a Deputy Hall Vice Lord with him.
• Qing Chen said the Council of Elders had approved his future mission and emphasized the danger of serving at the frontier.
• The veterans and Deputy Hall Vice Lords fell silent, unwilling to take the dangerous assignment.
• Qing Chen nominated Xu Jiuling as Deputy Hall Vice Lord, and the proposal passed without opposition.
• Qing Chen proposed Sun Wudi to lead the Battle Hall, then the gathering continued through other appointments with little interest from those below the dais.

True Person Budong explained why Qing Chen had been assigned to Mysterious Pass Island and offered him a low-grade magic treasure if he performed well. Qing Chen reached Xuanji Peak to choose one, where Ten Thousand Souls True Person welcomed him and led him toward the Sect’s True Secret Treasury.

• True Person Budong warned Qing Chen about the dangers at Mysterious Pass Island and explained why the sect had chosen him to replace Heavenfire True Person.
• True Person Budong told Qing Chen that the sect would lend him a low-grade magic treasure, which would become his if he performed well on the island.
• Qing Chen left for Xuanji Peak using his Blood-Wing Evasion Technique and reflected on the peak’s dense spiritual energy.
• Qing Chen admired Xuanji Peak and remarked that the sect must have spent the other Golden Core sects’ accumulated wealth to create its cultivation environment.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person greeted Qing Chen and invited him to choose a low-grade magic treasure.

Ten Thousand Souls True Person brought Qing Chen into Xuanji Sect’s hidden treasury and showed him six offensive low-grade magic treasures he could choose under the sect’s rules. Qing Chen admired several weapons, especially the Yuanmen War Halberd, before Ten Thousand Souls True Person opened the box on the final platform.

• Ten Thousand Souls True Person led Qing Chen through Xuanji Peak’s concealed array and opened the stone gate to the sect’s treasury with the Jun Command Token and Xuanji Star-Attracting Seal.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person explained that the chamber held treasures accumulated over three thousand years and presented six offensive low-grade magic treasures for Qing Chen to choose from.
• Qing Chen examined the Red Rosy Clouds Sword, Ghost Python Shears, Six-Link Buddhist Beads, and Blood Flood Dragon Saber as Ten Thousand Souls True Person described their abilities.
• Qing Chen admired the sealed Yuanmen War Halberd and considered how it would complement his cultivation and physique.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person opened the dark iron box on the sixth platform, revealing a banner-type magic treasure.

Qing Chen chose the damaged Demon Banner over the Yuanmen War Halberd after discovering that its Demon Fire resonated with his Demon Lotus Karmic Fire. He secured the banner and left with a premonition that devouring its fire would advance his karmic fire to the Golden Core level.

• Qing Chen sent his Demon Lotus Karmic Fire toward the Demon Banner, and the banner answered with green Demon Fire that intertwined with his flames.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person explained that the banner was an unknown, damaged treasure whose power was limited and whose control demanded strong Divine Sense.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person recommended the Yuanmen War Halberd, but Qing Chen chose the Demon Banner, believing its fire could strengthen his karmic fire.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person used the Sect Master's Jun Command Token to release the platform's barrier, and Qing Chen took the Demon Banner.
• Qing Chen sealed the Demon Banner inside a Spirit Box, placed it in his Storage Ring, and reflected that he had found the opportunity he had sought unexpectedly.

Qing Chen learned of his coming assignment to Mysterious Pass Island, then returned to Celebration Cloud Peak and studied the three White Bone Demon Mara Banners he had gathered. He discovered that they could form the Dutian Demon Mara Formation and summon the White Bone Immortal-Locking Yuanchen Gourd, and found a damaged Xuanming Demon General hidden inside the Xuanming Demon Banner.

• Ten Thousand Souls True Person told Qing Chen to take up a post on Mysterious Pass Island and prioritize hunting the Golden Core demonic cultivator and suppressing the Impermanence Sect and Blackwood Island.
• Ten Thousand Souls True Person encouraged Qing Chen to stir up trouble for the Three Corpse Archipelago, and Qing Chen promised to keep his advice in mind.
• Qing Chen returned to Celebration Cloud Peak and celebrated before examining his Dijiang, Pojun, and Xuanming Demon Mara Banners.
• Qing Chen realized that the three banners could form the Dutian Demon Mara Formation and summon the powerful White Bone Immortal-Locking Yuanchen Gourd once Pojun reached magic treasure level.
• Qing Chen used his Demon Seed Divine Sense to inspect the Xuanming Demon Banner and found a damaged Xuanming Demon General shaped like a giant White Bone Black Snake.

Qing Chen assessed the depleted demon banner and reflected on the killings required by the path of cultivation. At Yuji Peak, Xin Bairen sought Yuji True Person’s help to form a Golden Core, receiving support and the promise of a chance to become his named disciple.

• Qing Chen judged that Ten Thousand Souls True Person had only drawn out a fraction of the damaged demon banner’s power and suspected the ordinary banners had once been high-grade or supreme-grade magic treasures.
• Qing Chen looked toward Mysterious Pass Island and acknowledged that he had to kill to pursue breakthroughs amid the dangers of cultivation.
• Xin Bairen told Yuji True Person that he had acquired a Golden Core early-stage demon beast’s inner core and all the ingredients needed to refine a Dragon-Tiger Golden Core.
• Yuji True Person agreed to ask Fifth Elder Dan Ding to refine the pill and gave Xin Bairen supreme-grade second-tier Golden Python Rain Dew Incense to help him resist heart demons.
• Yuji True Person promised to consider making Xin Bairen his named disciple if Xin Bairen successfully formed his Golden Core, and Xin Bairen vowed not to disappoint him.

The Snake Spirit Thieves ambushed a Feng Household convoy carrying tribute and overwhelmed its defenders with their Three Snake Spirit Formation. The Third Elder surrendered half the cargo to save his people, and the thieves looted the ships before departing.

• The Snake Spirit Thieves attacked the Feng Household convoy, using poisonous miasma and coordinated formations to break its defenses.
• The python-masked leader dismissed the Feng Household’s ties to the Three Corpses Demon Cult and drove back the Third Elder.
• As the convoy suffered casualties and the ships’ cargo holds were breached, the Third Elder surrendered to spare the disciples.
• The Snake Spirit Thieves looted spirit rice and spirit ore, punctured the enchanted ships, and sailed away.

After advancing to the seventh layer of the Mysterious Yin Corpse Refining Mystic Art, Qing Chen left the Condensed Jade Sect to replace Heavenfire True Person on Earth Pass Island. Spirit Crane True Person welcomed him as the Condensed Jade Treasure Ship approached the island.

• Qing Chen practiced controlling the Flying Yaksha and reflected on the corpse gu he had implanted in Gao Yuliang and Qing An.
• Qing Chen packed away his unfinished corpse puppets and departed to take up his post on Earth Pass Island.
• Qing Chen traveled aboard the Condensed Jade Treasure Ship with Xu Jiuling, and they sighted Earth Pass Island after more than twenty days.
• Spirit Crane True Person greeted Qing Chen outside the island's western Gate of Life and explained that Songshan True Person was absent.
• Qing Chen exchanged greetings with Spirit Crane True Person and guided the treasure ship toward Earth Pass Island through the island-protecting array.

Qing Chen fought Heavenfire True Person to prove his strength and claim command of Earth Pass Island. He won Heavenfire’s respect and received the island’s highest-authority Command Token.

• Heavenfire True Person challenged Qing Chen as he arrived to take over the guard duty at Earth Pass Island.
• Qing Chen blocked Heavenfire’s Fire Prison Shackles and fought off the Fire God Sword’s fire dragons with his Heartless Demon Aspect and Black-Gold Fire Lotus.
• Qing Chen empowered his body and shattered all five fire dragons with his palms.
• Heavenfire True Person used the Five Thunders Descend from Heaven Technique to destroy Qing Chen’s lotus and damage his armor and skin.
• Heavenfire praised Qing Chen’s strength, handed him Earth Pass Island’s Command Token, and declared him the island’s strongest person besides himself.

Qing Chen prepared to establish his authority as Blood River True Person on Earth Pass Island by spreading rumors that Songshan True Person had defied him. He left his plans in motion through loyal subordinates and concealed influence, setting the stage for a public confrontation.

• The Outer Sect disciples discussed Blood River True Person’s upcoming public appearance and rumors that Songshan True Person had slighted him.
• Qing Chen instructed Xu Jiuling to spread the story that Songshan True Person was hot-tempered and had refused to welcome him.
• Lin Changsheng, now King Yama in the Demon Lotus Sect, reported to Qing Chen that the rumors had spread across Earth Pass Island.
• Qing Chen decided to use Songshan True Person as a target to establish his authority, despite Spirit Crane True Person having conveyed Songshan True Person’s apology.
• Qing Chen reflected on how he had secretly built influence on Earth Pass Island and within the Condensed Jade Sect through trusted subordinates, while Heavenfire True Person had struggled to locate the rebels.

Qing Chen learned about the unusual Snake Spirit Thieves and confirmed that Ji Bochang had been brought to Earth Pass Island as bait for Ji Cangming. At Digu Pass Peak, Qing Chen announced an Earth Pass Discourse on the Dao with a high-grade spirit artifact as its prize, and Spirit Crane True Person and Songshan True Person chose their disciples to compete.

• Lin Changsheng reported that the Snake Spirit Thieves, led by a supposed Golden Core cultivator, targeted powerful lineages while helping mortals and small groups.
• Qing Chen ordered Lin Changsheng to investigate the Snake Spirit Thieves and learned that Ji Bochang was secretly under guard on the island.
• Qing Chen planned to use Ji Bochang to draw out Ji Cangming, then sent Lin Changsheng to make the arrangements.
• Qing Chen arrived at Digu Pass Peak, where cultivators and lineage representatives had gathered.
• Qing Chen announced the Earth Pass Discourse on the Dao and offered a high-grade spirit artifact and other rewards to the winner.
• Spirit Crane True Person selected Gu Zhiruo to compete, while Songshan True Person chose Daoist Qingshan.

Qing Chen selected Gu Jianchun and Miao Long to represent the Condensed Jade Sect in a contest against the Dian Cang Sect, while secretly arranging for them to kill Daoist Qingshan. During the simultaneous bouts, Qing Chen revealed a hidden advantage in Miao Long’s saber, turning the fight against Qingshan as Gu Zhiruo and Gu Jianchun continued battling.

• Qing Chen rejected Baili Tingfeng’s request to fight because he was only at Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and chose Gu Jianchun and Miao Long instead.
• Qing Chen secretly instructed Gu Jianchun and Miao Long to strike the Dian Cang Sect disciples ruthlessly, especially Daoist Qingshan.
• Gu Jianchun and Gu Zhiruo exchanged attacks, with Gu Jianchun’s blazing sword wall breaking apart under Gu Zhiruo’s sonic sword formation.
• Miao Long’s saber attack was neutralized by Daoist Qingshan’s golden lotus sword technique, until Qing Chen secretly directed Miao Long to strike near Qingshan’s right shoulder.
• Miao Long activated concealed Pseudo-Core-level power in his saber, cut through Qingshan’s golden lotus formation, and drove toward him as the other duel intensified.

Gu Jianchun defeated Gu Zhiruo, while Miao Long gravely wounded Daoist Qingshan and prepared to kill him. Qing Chen challenged Songshan True Person and Spirit Crane True Person to fight him together, then overwhelmed Songshan True Person’s heavy-ruler attack with his demonic and Buddhist abilities.

• Gu Jianchun broke Gu Zhiruo’s jade flute and defeated her, forcing her to withdraw from the arena.
• Miao Long pierced Daoist Qingshan’s protection, smashed his shoulder, and prepared another spell as Songshan True Person tried to intervene.
• Qing Chen stopped Songshan True Person from entering the arena and challenged both him and Spirit Crane True Person to fight him.
• Songshan True Person attacked Qing Chen with the Edgeless Heavy Ruler, and Qing Chen’s second demon aspect caught its strike.
• Songshan True Person unleashed the Ninefold Mountain Sword Art, but Qing Chen strengthened his body and struck the ruler aside with the Buddha’s Wrath Wisdom King Ring-Pommel Saber.

Qing Chen overwhelmed Songshan True Person in close combat while using a black-gold fire lotus to restrain Spirit Crane True Person’s sword. Seeing that neither could win, Songshan True Person ended the fight and accepted Qing Chen’s lead.

• Songshan True Person renewed his attack, but Qing Chen’s Immovable Wisdom King Palm sent the heavy ruler flying and forced him back.
• Qing Chen battered Songshan True Person, shattered his Spirit Armor, and revealed the strength of his refined body and baleful core.
• Spirit Crane True Person urged Songshan True Person to concede, then attacked Qing Chen with the Spirit Crane Sword when the fighting continued.
• Qing Chen trapped the Spirit Crane Sword in his three-petaled black-gold fire lotus while continuing to overpower Songshan True Person.
• Songshan True Person retreated, put away his heavy ruler, and declared that he would follow Qing Chen’s lead.