Chapter Summaries

Qing Chen chose the dangerous Brahma Demon-Refining Art, believing its rapid cultivation and Foundation Establishment advantage were worth the risks. He returned to his cave abode to study it and realized the Demon Seed Golden Lotus could meet its demanding soul requirements, while Qin Zigu secretly reported his choice to Senior Brother Mo.

• Qing Chen examined three powerful but dangerous Mystic Grade cultivation arts and chose the Brahma Demon-Refining Art.
• Qin Zigu warned Qing Chen that the art could damage his soul and vital blood and shorten his life, but Qing Chen insisted on taking the risk.
• Qin Zigu copied the art after Qing Chen swore a heart-demon oath, then sent Senior Brother Mo a report about the new disciple's choice.
• Senior Brother Mo received the report while ill and struggling with the increasing difficulty of cultivating the art and his dwindling supply of Blood Pills.
• Qing Chen studied the art in his cave abode and learned that its first layer opened a Brahma Aperture and its third layer could improve his chance of Foundation Establishment.
• Qing Chen concluded that the Demon Seed Golden Lotus could strengthen his soul enough to meet the art's demands and resolved to gather more blood essence.

Qing Chen spent three years secretly cultivating the Demon Seed Golden Lotus and Brahma Demon-Refining Art while learning basic spells and conserving his resources. When his outer-sect probation ended, he went to the General Affairs Hall to begin taking sect missions and met Yue Ting again.

• Qing Chen tempered his soul for two hours using the cushion from Northern Mang Mountain, then recovered and refined demonic beast blood to open his first Brahma aperture.
• Qing Chen spent his days cultivating, buying demonic beast blood and corpses, and practicing basic spells and the Sword Control Art while hiding his identity at the market.
• Three years passed, and Qing Chen joined dozens of fellow disciples at the General Affairs Hall to hear that their probation had ended and they must now take sect missions.
• Yue Ting found Qing Chen at the hall and said he had searched for him throughout the past three years.

Qing Chen hid the true extent of his cultivation while discussing the sect’s disciples and their prospects with Yue Ting. During the sect duty assignments, he was sent to Yellow Bamboo Island for five years of garrison duty.

• Qing Chen told Yue Ting that he had reached the Qi Refining second layer, concealing his breakthrough to the third layer and worrying that he was running out of spirit stones and demon beast corpses.
• Yue Ting told Qing Chen that Xue Yubing had reached the third layer and might be promoted to the inner sect, while Ding Buxing had advanced slowly after choosing a weaker cultivation art.
• A middle-aged cultivator began assigning five-year sect duties, sending Ding Buxing to the Hundred Arts Hall, Xue Yubing to the Technique Transmission Hall, Yue Ting to the Hundred Herbs Hall, and Xie Yu to the Artifact Refining Hall.
• After the middle-aged cultivator left to answer Deacon Mo’s summons, Senior Brother Yu read Qing Chen’s assignment and sent him to Yellow Bamboo Island for five years of garrison duty.

Qing Chen learned that his assignment to Yellow Bamboo Island was likely arranged by Deacon Mo Qiuxian, whose sworn brothers included the cultivator who assigned him and Qin Zigu. He left Xie Yu determined to resolve the conflict with all three before departing.

• Qing Chen accepted five years of stipends after being assigned to guard Yellow Bamboo Island, while suspecting the assignment was meant to hinder him.
• Unable to determine who had arranged it, Qing Chen visited Xie Yu to ask about the General Affairs Hall and its stewards.
• Xie Yu told Qing Chen that the cultivator surnamed Yu, Deacon Mo, and Qin Zigu were sworn brothers, and that Yu was Mo's trusted aide.
• Qing Chen realized Qin Zigu may have told Mo Qiuxian that he had chosen the Brahma Demon-Refining Art.
• Xie Yu revealed that Mo Qiuxian had offered up the Brahma Demon-Refining Art to the sect, and Qing Chen left to prepare for his departure within three days.

Qing Chen suspected Mo Qiuxian planned to raise him as blood food because of his blood essence, then went to the Outer Disciple Peak market to stock up on protection. He left with only ten spirit stones but felt better equipped to survive.

• Qing Chen reasoned that Mo Qiuxian was slowing his cultivation so he could later devour Qing Chen’s blood essence.
• Qing Chen disguised his appearance and cultivation before heading to the market on Outer Disciple Peak.
• Qing Chen bought a bundle of spirit talismans from a bearded disciple for a hundred spirit stones after persuading him to name that price.
• Qing Chen bought a Dark Iron Shield for forty-two spirit stones by claiming that he had only that much left.
• Qing Chen paid seventy-five spirit stones for a Bewildering Tracks Warning Formation Disk with an added warning function.
• Qing Chen returned from his shopping spree with ten spirit stones remaining and a storage bag full of supplies.

Qing Chen arrived at Yellow Bamboo Island and inspected the island-warding formation in his new cave abode. Fearing Mo Qiuxian would come after him, he dug and concealed a fifty-zhang escape tunnel, then sensed someone touching the restrictions at the cave entrance.

• Qing Chen disembarked at Yellow Bamboo Island and questioned Mayor Chen about the island and its protective formation.
• Mayor Chen led Qing Chen to the formation abode, where Qing Chen checked the formation disc and confirmed it worked.
• Worried that Mo Qiuxian might send someone to find him, Qing Chen began digging an escape tunnel through the cave wall.
• Qing Chen completed a fifty-zhang tunnel to the yellow bamboo grove, hardened its walls, and concealed its entrance.
• Qing Chen sensed someone touching the restrictions he had set at the cave entrance.

Qing Chen rejected the old town chief’s offer of a maidservant, then heard the old man’s plea for help against the Wang Household. After learning the island’s martial forces included several powerful masters, Qing Chen considered how their vital blood could serve his demonic cultivation.

• Qing Chen refused the old town chief’s daughter-in-law as a caretaker and told him to have her deliver meals instead.
• The old town chief knelt and offered Qing Chen two spirit stones in exchange for help protecting his family.
• The old town chief explained that the Wang Household’s eldest son had become a second-rate master and was threatening to seize his position with his four brothers and more than twenty followers.
• Qing Chen learned that the old town chief also had a second-rate disciple and other martial arts followers, leaving both sides with sizable forces.
• Qing Chen considered using his spells to defeat the martial artists and wondered how enticing their vital blood would be to demons.

Qing Chen decided to use martial artists as bait to attract demonic beasts and obtain blood essence for cultivation. He pressured the old mayor into offering five spirit stones for protection, but suspected the old man was hiding more as the chapter ended.

• Qing Chen abandoned his plan to use mortals as bait and decided martial artists would be a more effective, less conspicuous source of vital energy and blood.
• Qing Chen hinted that the old mayor should provide resources in exchange for his help dealing with the unruly people.
• The old mayor claimed he had only two spirit stones, but after Qing Chen waited in silence, he confessed to having three more and offered all five for protection.
• Qing Chen agreed to handle the matter, while privately doubting the old mayor's story and suspecting he had additional spirit stones hidden away.

Chen Zhu'er returned to Yellow Bamboo Island to cultivate and report Condensed Jade Sect movements for Xu Jincheng, while her father tried to buy the island’s new cultivator’s favor. Neither Chen Zhu'er nor the old town mayor knew Xu Jincheng had made her a disposable spy, and Qing Chen was far more dangerous than they expected.

• The old town mayor told Chen Zhu'er he had paid five spirit stones to persuade the new island cultivator and warned her to keep her cultivation secret.
• Chen Zhu'er said Xu Jincheng had given her pills, advanced her to the Qi Refining Second Layer, and sent her back to report on Condensed Jade Sect movements.
• The old town mayor agreed to gather information and revealed he had sent his newly married daughter-in-law to serve the island cultivator.
• Chen Zhu'er showed her father the unusual voice transmission talismans, but he dismissed her concerns and told her to remain hidden and cultivate.
• The narrator revealed that Xu Jincheng had sent Chen Zhu'er to a secret contact point instead of Sea Prosperity Island and did not care whether she survived.
• The old town mayor planned to give Qing Chen more gifts, unaware that Qing Chen was no easy-to-fool novice.

Qing Chen reflected on the slow pace of cultivation on Yellow Bamboo Island and considered using mortal conflict to obtain more vital essence. When a nervous woman arrived with his meal, he cautiously let her into the cave abode and watched her closely.

• Qing Chen reviewed the Bewildering Trail Warning Formation and the escape tunnel he had prepared in case of danger.
• He lamented how slowly the thin spiritual energy on Yellow Bamboo Island advanced his cultivation and recalled how consuming blood essence had accelerated it.
• Qing Chen decided that he needed to set mortals against one another so he could obtain vital essence more quickly.
• After sensing someone touch his Spirit Contact Spell, Qing Chen used the Earth Escape Art to approach the cave entrance while staying hidden.
• Qing Chen saw a nervous woman carrying food, told her to follow his magical markers, and let her enter the cave abode.