Chapter Summaries

Song Yan joined Che Ning and the others on an expedition to the cave abode of the Foundation Establishment cultivator Lin Qinglong at Cloud-Covering Peak. After Che Ning used a jade ring to reveal the hidden entrance, the group approached the cliff, where the scene began to change.

• Song Yan met Che Ning and the other cultivators waiting outside Spirit Stream Market, and Che Ning offered to take some of them to Cloud-Covering Peak on his Withered-Wood Meditation Mat.
• On the way, Che Ning questioned Song Yan about when he joined the sect, and Song Yan thought Che Ning resembled Senior Brother Lin Qing.
• Wu Zheng identified Cloud-Covering Peak as an auspicious burial site, and Che Ning confirmed that Lin Qinglong had established his cave abode there.
• Che Ning used a blue-green jade ring to stop the waterfall, then led the group toward the cliff after the ring revealed rippling spiritual light.
• As the group came within ten feet of the cliff, the scene before them began to change.

Song Yan and the other cultivators opened the hidden entrance to Senior Lin Qinglong’s cave abode and read the late senior’s account of his life. After they found the inner chamber empty except for a scroll painting, Che Ning revealed that the true cave abode and Lin Qinglong’s legacy were inside it.

• Che Ning and the other cultivators joined their spiritual power to break the restriction, activating a mechanism that carried them down to the cave’s entrance.
• The group read Lin Qinglong’s brief autobiography and learned that he had left the Cloud Brook Sect, become a painter and rogue cultivator, and later protected the sect for a hundred years.
• Lin Qinglong’s account said he had left his cave abode free of traps and intended its antiques, spiritual objects, and records for whoever found them.
• Song Yan took a rusty, broken short sword from a pool after the other cultivators dismissed it as worthless.
• The group reached an empty inner chamber containing only an enormous scroll painting, and Che Ning said Lin Qinglong’s true cave abode and legacy were inside it.

Song Yan, Rong Xiaofeng, and Wu Huaguo entered the world inside the painting and explored a wooden hut, where a talisman golem attacked them. They defeated it and found a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone, while the other cultivators explored elsewhere in the realm.

• The Friend-Inviting Jade Pendant entered the painting, and Che Ning and the cultivators followed into its world.
• Song Yan, Rong Xiaofeng, and Wu Huaguo entered a mountain forest and agreed to move quickly in search of treasures.
• The three explored a wooden hut but found only decayed and ordinary belongings.
• A talisman golem formed from purple leaves and attacked the group with fierce winds and thunder.
• Rong Xiaofeng identified the golem's weak points, and Song Yan and Wu Huaguo struck its wrists to defeat it.
• The talisman golem crumbled into a Cinnabar Talisman, leaving a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone behind.

Song Yan shared a Talisman Golem’s Middle-Grade Spirit Stone with Rong and Wu Huaguo after their successful hunt. In the painting world, Che Ning obtained the Truth-Shaming Brush and used its powers to kill the scar-faced cultivator who tried to steal it.

• Song Yan offered the Talisman Golem’s Middle-Grade Spirit Stone to Rong and Wu Huaguo, who agreed to split any more they found.
• Che Ning obtained the Truth-Shaming Brush, a spiritual artifact paired with the Wandering-Holding Scroll, and reflected on his long pursuit of the treasures.
• The scar-faced cultivator attacked Che Ning, but Che Ning evaded the saber strike and used the brush to interfere with the man’s saber intent.
• Che Ning explained that the Truth-Shaming Brush could record and alter a target’s state or presence, trapping the scar-faced cultivator inside the painting.
• Che Ning detonated the ink traces on the scar-faced cultivator’s body, killed him, and took his Heaven and Earth Bag.

Che Ning considered whether to kill Song Yesheng but decided to wait, while Song Yan and Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng explored Wind-Moon Cliff. Song Yan began refining a wind-and-thunder spiritual object, but three cultivators appeared from the clouds as he sat down.

• Che Ning decided not to kill Song Yesheng for now and suspected Wu Zheng if Wei Dao died again.
• Song Yan, Wu Huaguo, and Rong Xiaofeng defeated a talisman puppet and collected its spirit stone.
• The three climbed to Wind-Moon Cliff and discovered a withered tree holding powerful wind and thunder spiritual power.
• Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng stepped back while Song Yan approached the tree, but he could not store it in his Heaven and Earth Bag.
• Song Yan sat down to refine the spiritual object, and three cultivators emerged from the clouds on another valley's summit.

Song Yan drew the Wind-Thunder Spirit from the dead wood while Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo fought three Rogue Cultivators seeking the spiritual object. After Xiao He disabled their youngest companion and the scholar-robed cultivator badly wounded Rong Xiaofeng, Song Yan finished gathering the wind and thunder and launched a lightning-charged Flying Sword at the scholar.

• A red-robed female cultivator and a scholar-robed Rogue Cultivator attacked Song Yan's companions while their timid junior, A-Ming, was sent to disrupt Song Yan.
• Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng held off their opponents as Song Yan said he needed half an incense stick to finish drawing out the Wind-Thunder Spirit.
• Wu Huaguo filled the cliff with flowers and grass, letting Xiao He ambush A-Ming with a bite that left him unconscious.
• Wu Huaguo injured the red-robed woman with her Flower-Pitying, Speech-Understanding Scripture, but the scholar-robed man crushed most of Rong Xiaofeng's insects and wounded him.
• Song Yan completed his cultivation and sent a Flying Sword crackling with golden lightning toward the scholar-robed cultivator.

After refining the Wind-Thunder Spirit, Song Yan helped Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo defeat three rogue cultivators on the mountain. The group searched the fallen cultivators and agreed to divide their spoils after leaving the space.

• Song Yan used his wind-and-thunder Sword Qi while Rong Xiaofeng's spirit insects and Wu Huaguo's plants hindered the scholar-robed cultivator and the red-skirted female cultivator.
• Song Yan killed the scholar-robed cultivator after Wu Huaguo disrupted his spiritual power, and Rong Xiaofeng searched the corpse.
• Song Yan killed the red-skirted female cultivator as Xiao He brought over the unconscious young man who had tried to kill him.
• Wu Huaguo buried the two younger cultivators, and Song Yan thanked Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo for standing with him.
• Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo accepted the scholar-robed cultivator's Heaven and Earth Bag as their share and agreed to divide the spoils after leaving the space.

Wu Zheng killed Wei Dao after they found nothing in the world within the painting, and the surviving cultivators returned to the outside world. Song Yan and the married couple discovered the scholar-robed cultivator had carried a book called the Artless Fragment, which might be connected to Lin Qinglong, and waited for Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo to name a price.

• Wu Zheng stabbed Wei Dao from behind, took his Heaven and Earth Bag, and buried him near Lin Qinglong’s remains.
• The world within the painting dissipated, leaving five survivors, and Che Ning took the painting as a scroll before departing.
• Song Yan, Rong Xiaofeng, and Wu Huaguo returned to Spirit Stream Market and divided the three rogue cultivators’ belongings, including three Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Song Yan took a human-skin mask from the red-skirted female cultivator’s bag.
• The group found the Artless Fragment in the scholar-robed cultivator’s bag and connected its name to Lin Qinglong’s title, Rogue Person of Artlessness.
• Song Yan waited for Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo to offer a price for the book.

Song Yan accepted the couple’s offer to trade the Artlessness fragment and the other loot for the middle-grade Spirit Stones, allowing them to take the Daoist text back to the Wu Clan. After returning to the sect, he sensed that his Sword Dao Seed had reached its current limit and resolved to break through to the Qi Refining sixth layer.

• Rong Xiaofeng offered Song Yan all the middle-grade Spirit Stones from the trip in exchange for the Artlessness fragment and the other items from the three Heaven and Earth Bags.
• Song Yan agreed to the division, and Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo thanked him and invited him to visit Beiya Mountain in Dragon Spring Prefecture.
• Song Yan left the couple and hurried back to the sect.
• Song Yan reflected that refining and fusing the Deadwood Wind-Thunder had strengthened his Sword Dao Seed and seemed to bring his cultivation closer to a breakthrough.
• Song Yan decided it was time to advance to the Qi Refining sixth layer.

Song Yan broke through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and later observed the Two-Pole Bead using the supreme wind-and-thunder spirit to nurture his Life-Bound Flying Sword. The chapter ended as a pitch-black hand emerged from the Ink Pool and nudged the Glutton Tail Flute.

• Song Yan used Yellow Sprout Pills and the Little Spirit Gathering Formation to break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, which he attributed to the Dao Seed's transformation.
• After stabilizing his realm, Song Yan noticed Xiao He was missing and planned to warn her to be careful when she returned.
• Song Yan cleaned the battered short sword from Senior Lin Qinglong's cave abode and planned to have it repaired and sell it at the black market as a valuable find.
• More than half a month later, Song Yan watched golden wind-and-thunder light from a dead tree in the Two-Pole Realm flow around his Flying Sword and merge into the Dao Seed's phantom.
• After Song Yan directed his Divine Sense out of the Two-Pole Realm, a pitch-black hand emerged from the Ink Pool and gently nudged the Glutton Tail Flute.

Shan Zifeng abused his authority over Tongchen Peak’s Affairs Hall, extorting resources from weaker disciples and threatening their families. After learning Song Yesheng was rebuilding his cultivation quickly, Shan Zifeng ordered an investigation and planned to cripple him again if he had no relatives in the sect.

• Shan Zifeng beat disciple Hu for the missing spirit grain and Spirit Tea, then ordered Hu’s younger sister to come to the Affairs Hall for punishment.
• The chapter explained how Shan Zifeng used his connections to Wang Lin and a Foundation Establishment relative to intimidate disciples and embezzle their resources.
• A square-faced disciple told Shan Zifeng that two cultivators had left the sect and handed over the things they had left behind.
• The square-faced disciple warned that Song Yesheng was rebuilding his cultivation unusually fast and might soon enter the Inner Sect.
• Shan Zifeng ordered an investigation into whether Song Yesheng had relatives in the sect and said Zheng Bo and the others should cripple him again if he was alone.

On Laba Festival, Song Yan met Buddhist disciples who sensed a heart demon around him, while an unknown outer sect disciple spent ten days studying how missions were accepted. Song Yan later met Shao Sichao in disguise and asked what he knew about Shan Zifeng.

• Song Yan encountered two monks from Transformation Crossing Temple delivering Laba dew, and one worried that Song Yan showed signs of a heart demon.
• An unfamiliar Qi Refining sixth-layer disciple observed the Mission Hall for ten days, then went to Spirit Source Marsh and passed Yang Yuerong without being recognized.
• Song Yan wore a human-skin mask and arranged a meeting with an information broker at the Carefree Heart Pavilion.
• The broker turned out to be Shao Sichao, who warned that information about a fellow cultivator's personal affairs cost extra.
• Song Yan asked Shao Sichao how much he knew about Shan Zifeng.

Song Yan questioned Shao Sichao about Shan Zifeng and learned what resources might help his cultivation, while Shao could not identify the source of Song Yan’s Sword-Controlling Technique. Preparing for a coming fight, Song Yan attended the Night Market Auction, where the first lot—a Mountain-Subduing Seal imitation—looked exactly like the one Wang Xi had used.

• Song Yan paid Shao Sichao for information about Shan Zifeng’s cultivation, connections, master, method, and recent interest in Indigo Fire Flowers.
• Song Yan offered Shao Sichao thirty more Spirit Stones to learn which Daoist book Song Yan had used to learn his Sword-Controlling Technique, but Shao could not answer.
• Song Yan left the Carefree Heart Pavilion and resolved to kill Shan Zifeng before the New Year.
• At the Worry-Relief General Store, Song Yan checked the auction list, noted the Qi-Replenishing Pills and Ren Water Spirit-Transforming Talisman, and decided to attend.
• Song Yan entered the Rare Goods Pavilion auction, where Luo Sheng opened the bidding with an imitation Mountain-Subduing Seal that Song Yan recognized as resembling Wang Xi’s artifact.

Song Yan bought a Ren Water Spirit-Transforming Talisman and Qi-Replenishing Pills at the auction, then used a Mission Hall escort assignment to lure Shan Zifeng toward an ambush. Shan Zifeng reached the prepared trap but stopped just before entering it.

• Song Yan won the Ren Water Spirit-Transforming Talisman for three hundred Spirit Stones and a set of Qi-Replenishing Pills for one hundred and twenty-five.
• After leaving the auction, Song Yan noticed two rogue cultivators following a sect cultivator and suspected someone would die.
• Shan Zifeng accepted Tong Chuping’s Law Artifact escort mission because its Fire-Forging Pills reward suited his needs, while considering whether he could exploit the client.
• Song Yan disguised himself, concealed his presence, and prepared a Flight-Prohibition Talisman Array near a town on Shan Zifeng’s route.
• After waiting for three days, Song Yan saw Shan Zifeng approach the ambush, but Shan Zifeng suddenly stopped just before entering it.

Song Yan killed Shan Zifeng with a hidden formation of Sword Essence after weakening him with the Ren Water Spirit-Transforming Talisman. He burned and buried Shan Zifeng’s body, gathered the loot, and fled the woods after the battle.

• Shan Zifeng detected Song Yan’s ambush, but Song Yan used a Ren Water Spirit-Transforming Talisman to suppress his fire techniques and pressed the attack with Unmoored Boat.
• Shan Zifeng activated his Protective Spirit Jade and crimson armor, while Song Yan concealed a Binding Formation containing Sword Essence sealed in talismans.
• Song Yan used Sword Dao True Essence to shatter Shan Zifeng’s armor, then unleashed the hidden Sword-Rays until they broke his Copper Bell and killed him.
• Song Yan burned Shan Zifeng’s corpse, buried the remains, and left the woods with Xiao He carrying Shan Zifeng’s Heaven and Earth Bag.

Song Yan recovered from his battle with Shan Zifeng and examined the spoils, discovering that a strange mask called the Mysterious Calamity Worship Spirit could sense spiritual items. An ancient Evil Cultivator’s notes explained how the mask had helped its former owner target other cultivators, and Song Yan was startled when he came across the term “Sword Cultivator.”

• Song Yan returned to Greenleaf Peak, replenished his spiritual power, and slept after the strain of fighting Shan Zifeng.
• After waking refreshed, Song Yan laid out Shan Zifeng’s possessions and found a damaged bronze bell and a strange mask Xiao He had retrieved.
• Song Yan searched Shan Zifeng’s belongings for clues about the mask and found an ancient book titled “Evil Cultivator Notes.”
• Song Yan learned the Mysterious Calamity Worship Spirit could detect cultivators carrying spiritual items with a chosen type of Spiritual Qi, which explained how Shan Zifeng had found him.
• Song Yan read the notes for warnings about evil cultivators and suddenly spotted the familiar term “Sword Cultivator.”

Song Yan read an evil cultivator’s account of three branches of sword cultivation and considered how the Two-Pole Bead and Mysterious Calamity Spirit-Worshipping Veil might help him find or use ancient Sword Intent. He refined the veil and counted Shan Zifeng’s spirit stones, concluding that he had done what was needed for the cultivators Shan had oppressed.

• Song Yan read the senior evil cultivator’s description of three sword-cultivation branches, including one said to have originated in the Chu Kingdom.
• Song Yan guessed that the Two-Pole Bead might be connected to the Chu Kingdom branch and considered using the veil to detect ancient swords bearing Sword Intent.
• Song Yan realized that testing his ideas would require a fully formed life-bound flying sword and lamented that he still lacked Sword Intent.
• Song Yan erased Shan Zifeng’s spiritual imprint from the Mysterious Calamity Spirit-Worshipping Veil, refined it, and discovered that it could vanish from his face.
• Song Yan counted the spirit stones taken from Shan Zifeng and decided he had done all that benevolence and duty required by avenging the cultivators Shan had oppressed.

Song Yan settled into steady cultivation after Shan Zifeng’s death went largely unnoticed, then visited Tongchen Peak’s Affairs Hall and reunited with Wu Zheng. He received the Xuanyuan Sect’s compensation goods and headed to Lingyuan Marsh Market to sell surplus items before the new year.

• Song Yan sorted his spirit stones and planned to save some while spending the rest on cultivation resources and sword practice.
• Song Yan heard that Lin Qing had passed the Heart-Refining Road and entered the Inner Sect, while rumors about Shan Zifeng’s death soon faded.
• Song Yan visited Tongchen Peak’s Affairs Hall, where Wu Zheng greeted him and they counted the Xuanyuan Sect’s compensation goods together.
• Song Yan found spirit stones, pills, formations, and other goods among the compensation, including three high-quality Spirit Condensing Pills.
• Song Yan felt grateful to the elders and sect master who had helped settle the dispute, then went to Lingyuan Marsh Market to sell surplus Law Artifacts and miscellaneous items.

Xiao He found a second Jade-Stone Ball and met Bai Qi, a white snake demon who tried to recruit her to Shangtong Mountain and search for Between Mountains and Seas. Xiao He refused to leave Yanyan, but Bai Qi warned her to cultivate and left her with the Black Chi Dragon Transformation Chapter.

• Xiao He followed the marked Jade-Stone Ball to a cliff and found an identical one.
• Bai Qi confronted Xiao He, reclaimed the balls, and revealed herself as a white snake demon who had used them to lure Xiao He into conversation.
• Bai Qi learned that Xiao He had never cultivated and that her human grandfather had raised her alongside Yanyan.
• Bai Qi invited Xiao He to Shangtong Mountain to seek Between Mountains and Seas, but Xiao He refused because she wanted to stay with Yanyan.
• Bai Qi placed spiritual knowledge in Xiao He's mind, urged her to cultivate, and left for the clouds after giving her the Black Chi Dragon Transformation Chapter.

Song Yan celebrated New Year’s Eve with friends at the Dongyuan Sect, where Li Jun’s handwritten greetings gave the disciples a sudden boost in cultivation. Song Yan received a special message urging him to cultivate his sword intent, while a secluded young man and a woman in white reflected on the sect and the fragile hope of its people.

• Song Yan joined Gu Qingqing, Li Qingfeng, Shao Sichao, and Yang Yuerong for New Year’s Eve dinner at the sect’s dining establishment, where they shared stories of home and welcomed Xiao He.
• At midnight, the sect’s lanterns and fireworks lit the mountain as Li Jun sent every disciple on duty a handwritten greeting containing pure Spiritual Qi that advanced their cultivation.
• Song Yan’s greeting bore the words “Diligently cultivate sword intent; do not waste the spiritual opportunity,” and its spiritual intent entered his Sword Mansion of the Dao-Subduing and merged with his Dao Seed.
• In the Forbidden Ground, a young man in white kept vigil beside a gravestone, spoke of a promising young sword cultivator in the sect, and worried about the growing traces of Devil Cultivators.
• On Floating Jade Peak, a woman in white watched the New Year celebrations and considered how humans endured hardship, before sending a blue-green butterfly drifting into the Yanran Mountain Range.