Recaps

Lin Chuan introduced Qin Tiexin, who used the name Master Mingjue, to the other members of their team before Du Heng asked to test his fighting ability. In the martial arts hall, Qin Tiexin withstood Du Heng’s sword attacks and began counterattacking with a thrust kick.

• Liu Suifeng, Du Heng, and Xu Ying greeted Qin Tiexin and introduced their cultivation and specialties.
• Du Heng asked to spar with Qin Tiexin so he could learn how to coordinate with him in the Secret Realm Trial, and Qin Tiexin agreed.
• Liu Suifeng led the group to a martial arts hall, where Du Heng revealed his upper-grade law artifact, Stone Splitter.
• Qin Tiexin entered the arena unarmed and took Du Heng’s Sword Qi and sword strikes without being injured.
• Qin Tiexin blocked Du Heng’s successive attacks and countered with Hills and Ravines Thrust Kick.

Qin Tiexin demonstrated overwhelming defense in a sparring match with Du Heng, blocking a powerful sword strike with a thin layer of golden light. Benhong recognized the technique as the introductory level of the Dragon Elephant Golden Body Instruction and suspected Mingjue had an Innate Buddha Heart.

• Qin Tiexin absorbed Du Heng's kicks and then repelled his Earth Splitter Slash without taking a step or suffering an injury.
• Du Heng expressed his shock at Qin Tiexin's defense and saluted him, saying the group could attack freely with him holding the front.
• Lin Chuan, Liu Suifeng, and Xu Ying watched in amazement, while Liu Suifeng joked that Qin Tiexin would let him stop taking the front line.
• Benhong recognized Qin Tiexin's golden light as Gilded Light Body Protection from the Dragon Elephant Golden Body Instruction, which he had sold to Mingjue disguised as the Golden Light Incantation.
• Benhong realized Mingjue had reached the introductory level in fewer than ten days and privately judged him eighty percent likely to have an Innate Buddha Heart.

Benhong arranged for Brahma Sound Valley agents to observe and protect Mingjue during the Secret Realm Trial, hoping to confirm his innate Buddha heart and recruit him. Meanwhile, Lin Chuan and his companions took their seats at the Star Treasure Pavilion as the auction began.

• Benhong contacted a Brahma Sound Valley agent and ordered them to test Mingjue's martial techniques, record his Buddhist techniques, and save him if he faced mortal danger.
• Benhong explained that confirming Mingjue's innate Buddha heart could support Brahma Sound Valley's plans to recruit him.
• Lin Chuan led Qin Tiexin, Du Heng, Liu Suifeng, and Xu Ying to the Star Treasure Pavilion, where Lin Wei separated from them to join her team.
• A maid escorted the five companions to a private room, and Qin Tiexin counted his remaining spirit stones and resolved to spend carefully.
• Su Mei opened the auction, explained its bidding rules, and announced that it would offer sixty-seven lots across five categories.

Qin Tiexin and the others attended a Star Treasure Pavilion auction featuring items for the Secret Realm Trial. The auction’s second half began with offensive Law Artifacts, while Qin Tiexin continued saving his Spirit Stones for a worthwhile purchase.

• Lin Chuan bought a Soul-Fortifying and Spirit-Calming Pendant for twenty-six hundred Spirit Stones after passing on several earlier lots.
• Xu Ying gave Qin Tiexin two bottles of Instant Spiritual Essence Replenishment Pills from her family's Jade Cauldron Pill Pavilion, so he did not bid on them.
• Du Heng bid six thousand Spirit Stones for the High Antiquity Array-Breaking Mystic Key, but a sixth-floor private room won it for sixty-five hundred.
• Su Mei announced a break and explained that Star Selection contestants could borrow Spirit Stones or pledge items as collateral before the auction's second half.
• Du Heng bought a set of Lightning Tribulation Evil-Destroying Talismans for twenty-eight hundred Spirit Stones as the offensive Law Artifact lots began.

Qin Tiexin won the Red Luan Heart Flame at auction, hoping to use it to strengthen his fire of life and speed up his cultivation. He ended the chapter pleased with the purchase despite the flame’s carnal-desire side effect.

• The [Mystic Vajra Armor] sold for eight thousand spirit stones, and Xu Ying won the [Flowing Light Plain Silk Armor] for ten thousand.
• Lin Chuan won a box of Cold Flame Marrow-Warding Paste for sixteen hundred spirit stones.
• Su Mei presented the Red Luan Heart Flame and explained its uses and side effect, but the other bidders showed little interest.
• Qin Tiexin bid eight thousand spirit stones for the Red Luan Heart Flame and won it from private room twelve on the third floor.
• Liu Suifeng questioned Qin Tiexin about buying a flame with an aphrodisiac side effect, while Qin Tiexin privately celebrated the purchase.

Qin Tiexin bought the Red Luan Heart Flame at the auction and returned to the Lin Household’s secluded cultivation chamber before dawn. The chapter ended with him leaving Ming'an’s Buddhist scriptures to be transcribed and preparing to cultivate again.

• Qin Tiexin opened the fire jade box to examine the Red Luan Heart Flame, while Liu Suifeng studied its sealing array and Du Heng pulled him away from the flame.
• Lin Chuan became flushed from the flame’s heat, and Xu Ying laughed as Liu Suifeng teased him.
• Su Mei ended the auction, and Qin Tiexin stored the Red Luan Heart Flame before leaving the Star Treasure Pavilion with Lin Chuan and Lin Wei.
• Lin Wei hid a wriggling creature in a cloth bag, while Liu Suifeng and Du Heng headed back to their lodgings and Xu Ying departed by carriage.
• Qin Tiexin placed a wooden fish beside the sleeping Ming'an and asked the Lin Residence steward to transcribe three Buddhist scriptures onto paper.
• Qin Tiexin carried his refined-iron staff through the rear courtyard and entered the secluded cultivation chamber.

Qin Tiexin began absorbing the Red Luan Heart Flame, but its fierce resistance left him badly burned and drained. He discovered that Spiritual Qi strengthened his Fire of Life, which surged with new power as the struggle continued.

• Qin Tiexin released the Red Luan Heart Flame from its formation and felt its heat and lust-inducing influence overwhelm his senses.
• Qin Tiexin drew the Divergent Flame into his heart, where it became a firebird that repeatedly burned through his chest while the Fire of Life repaired his wounds.
• Qin Tiexin used the True Fire Furnace Scripture to try to trap and devour the firebird, but the two flames remained locked in a costly struggle.
• Qin Tiexin recalled that spiritual power could strengthen the Fire of Life and drew Spiritual Qi from his Dantian into his heart chamber.
• Qin Tiexin's Fire of Life flared into brilliant gold with a five-colored halo after absorbing the Spiritual Qi, and the searing agony gave way to warmth.

Qin Tiexin absorbed the Red Luan Heart Flame, endured a crushing hunger, and consumed nearly half an Iron-Spined Savage Bull to replenish his Qi and Blood. After tempering his essence blood, he reached the Late Qi and Blood Realm and tested his newly formed Qi Gang.

• Qin Tiexin's fire of life swallowed and digested the Red Luan Heart Flame, healing his burned skin and growing stronger.
• Qin Tiexin's body was left desperately hungry, so he ate raw and stewed Iron-Spined Savage Bull meat for a day and night.
• Qin Tiexin circulated the True Fire Furnace Scripture and raised his essence blood proportion to seventy-two percent.
• Qin Tiexin reached the Late Qi and Blood Realm and formed a dense layer of Qi Gang over his left arm.
• Qin Tiexin tested the strength of his Qi Gang and took out a strength-testing stone to measure his power.

Qin Tiexin tested his newly increased strength after refining the Red Luan Heart Flame and discovered a faint bird-shaped mark on his chest. He reunited with Ming'an, then joined Lin Chuan and the others at a training ground to begin practicing team coordination.

• Qin Tiexin measured his strength at 103,000 jin with his arm, over 150,000 jin with his legs, and found that Edgeless weighed exactly as much as his maximum strength.
• Qin Tiexin tested Edgeless with the Heavy Mountain Saber Technique and saw his strike light up the training chamber's protective formation.
• Qin Tiexin noticed a faint pink bird mark above his heart, suspected it came from the Red Luan Heart Flame, and covered it with his robe.
• Qin Tiexin returned to the courtyard, gave Ming'an three Buddhist scripture Jade Slips, and told him to read the steward's copies until he could cultivate.
• Qin Tiexin went to Lin Chuan's rented training ground to practice coordination with the group, where three peak Foundation Establishment Iron-Clawed Bear puppets rose to begin the drill.

Qin Tiexin and his companions practiced their combat roles for the Secret Realm Trial, then prepared for the assessment. The night before it began, the severed arm awakened and sensed something of its own origin to the northwest.

• Qin Tiexin, Du Heng, Lin Chuan, Liu Suifeng, and Xu Ying completed ten drills and developed coordinated combat roles.
• Xu Ying tracked the team’s habits and prepared pills and warnings to support them during battle.
• Lin Chuan gave Qin Tiexin a jade talisman that could block a full-force Golden Core late-stage strike.
• The five agreed to meet at the Morning Star Training Ground the next morning for the Secret Realm Trial assessment.
• Qin Tiexin discovered that the severed arm had awakened and was pointing toward something of the same origin to the northwest.
• The severed arm asked Qin Tiexin why his cultivation had progressed so slowly.

Qin Tiexin learned that the awakened severed arm sensed a presence of the same origin near the likely Secret Realm Trial site and agreed to guide and protect him. After reassuring Ming'an and preparing through the night, Qin Tiexin set out at dawn with Lin Chuan and Lin Wei for the trial.

• The severed arm told Qin Tiexin that a presence of the same origin had awakened it, and it offered to guide his search and help if danger arose in the Secret Realm Trial.
• Qin Tiexin spent the night teaching Ming'an Buddhist scripture, and Ming'an prayed for his safe return before falling asleep holding his clothes.
• Qin Tiexin left Ming'an asleep and prepared for the trial by wearing the little peace Buddha Ming'an had carved.
• At dawn, Madam Lin gave Qin Tiexin, Lin Chuan, and Lin Wei parcels of spirit cakes as they prepared to leave.
• Ming'an watched Qin Tiexin depart from beside the screen wall, silently rolling his prayer beads faster.

Qin Tiexin and the other candidates gathered for the third Star Selection trial, where a prince announced they would cross the Vast Waves Ancient Battlefield to collect seawater and return. As the candidates prepared to enter the dangerous secret realm, Qin Tiexin sensed hostile killing intent among the crowd.

• Qin Tiexin and his companions entered the Morning Star Training Ground and joined their team in its designated assembly area.
• Lin Wei reunited with her companions and went to join Lan Lingwei's powerful all-female team.
• Qin Tiexin noticed Xiao Yan and Ling Shuyao among the candidates, then sensed several hidden gazes carrying killing intent.
• The prince announced that the Secret Realm Trial would take place in the Vast Waves Ancient Battlefield and described its history and dangers.
• The prince explained that candidates had to use water-drawing jade talismans to collect seawater and return within thirty days for full points, while anyone who failed to return within forty days would receive zero.

Qin Tiexin and his companions entered the Canglan Secret Realm, a dangerous wasteland filled with unstable space and ancient battlefield ruins. After Liu Suifeng mapped and anchored their starting point, the group prepared to choose a route toward their objective.

• Qin Tiexin and his four companions received jade talismans and entered the secret realm through a spatial rift.
• The five arrived in a blood-red wasteland, where Liu Suifeng detected dead zones, violent Spiritual Qi currents, and dangerous spatial rifts.
• Qin Tiexin used Spirit Material Sense to detect buried law artifact fragments, while the severed arm in his Frost Storage Bag trembled and indicated the northeast.
• Liu Suifeng projected a map, identified the Vast Waves Sea as lying far to the northeast, and set an anchor at their arrival point.
• Liu Suifeng looked to Lin Chuan to decide the group's next move.

Lin Chuan led his team through the Secret Realm, relying on Liu Suifeng’s array disc to avoid dangerous spiritual disturbances and spatial rifts. After they reached a stable area with a strong Spiritual Qi response, Qin Tiexin sensed danger and stopped the group.

• Lin Chuan led Qin Tiexin, Du Heng, Liu Suifeng, and Xu Ying deeper into the Secret Realm rather than wait for more cultivators to arrive.
• The team encountered a newly arrived group of rogue cultivators, ignored their request to travel together, and continued onward.
• Liu Suifeng used his array disc to guide the team around turbulent currents, spiritual vacuums, and spatial rifts as they crossed the wasteland.
• Lin Chuan warned the others to watch for surviving treasures among the ancient battlefield’s scattered wreckage.
• The team rested in a grove with stable Spiritual Qi, where Xu Ying checked their condition and Liu Suifeng updated his map.
• After the array disc revealed a nearby area of unusually dense Spiritual Qi, Qin Tiexin raised his fist to warn the group as they entered it.

Qin Tiexin, Lin Chuan, and their companions defeated three mutated Ironclad Lizards and collected their spoils before following Liu Suifeng toward dense Spiritual Qi. They reached a ruined Buddhist temple beside a medicinal garden glowing with spiritual light.

• Three Foundation Establishment late-stage Ironclad Lizards burst from the ground and attacked Xu Ying, but Qin Tiexin, Du Heng, and Lin Chuan killed them within five breaths.
• Du Heng harvested the lizards' intact back plates and beast cores, and Xu Ying recorded and stored the spoils for the group's later division.
• Qin Tiexin asked to keep the lizards' flesh for his cultivation, and Lin Chuan agreed on the condition that everyone could share the meals.
• The severed arm in Qin Tiexin's Frost Storage Bag stirred, and he sensed its summons growing clearer toward the northeast.
• Liu Suifeng led the group less than five li to a ruined Buddhist temple and a nearby medicinal garden shimmering with spiritual light.

Lin Chuan and the others found a Buddhist restriction blocking the ruined temple, which Liu Suifeng could not safely dismantle and Du Heng failed to break with his sword. Qin Tiexin opened it with the Arhat Fist, leaving the group unsure whether the restriction recognized the Buddhist technique or simply yielded to his strength.

• Lin Chuan chose to investigate the temple before visiting the nearby medicinal garden, where Xu Ying hoped to find thousand-year-old spirit medicines.
• Qin Tiexin triggered a golden barrier around the temple, and Liu Suifeng found that its layered Buddhist structure would take days to study and risked self-destruction if forced.
• Du Heng struck the barrier with the Mysterious Gang Stone-Splitting Sword Instruction and was hurled backward without damaging it.
• Liu Suifeng identified the barrier as a protective and screening restriction but could not determine what conditions allowed entry.
• Qin Tiexin gathered Arhat Fist Gang in his left fist and struck the barrier, which flickered and shattered as the temple's Buddha and arhat murals lit up.
• Liu Suifeng wondered whether Qin Tiexin had broken the restriction through sheer strength or because it recognized his Buddhist martial technique.

Lin Chuan and the others searched the ruined Buddhist Alchemy Chamber and divided its surviving treasures. After Liu Suifeng called them into a concealed side room, they prepared to investigate another discovery.

• Xu Ying found and claimed a repairable Pill Furnace, while Liu Suifeng took the broken formation plate to study its Buddhist restrictions.
• Qin Tiexin discovered the Dragon Elephant Bodhi Pill Formula and a fragment of the Dragon Elephant Instruction, which Xu Ying assessed as valuable but difficult to use.
• Qin Tiexin declined the scrolls, so Xu Ying stored them and copied the Pill Formula onto a Jade Slip.
• Liu Suifeng shouted for everyone to come to the concealed side room beside the Pill Formula.

Lin Chuan and his companions found a battlefield map in a hidden chamber and used it to identify a route toward the Pure Land Chan Sect’s former main encampment. They then discovered a thousand-year-old herb garden containing rare spirit medicines, and Xu Ying organized the group to harvest them.

• Liu Suifeng copied a battlefield map that showed the Pure Land Chan Sect’s main force had been stationed about two hundred li northeast.
• The five followed the path to the herb garden as the sky darkened and the scent of blood grew stronger.
• Xu Ying identified three ancient Dragon Blood Fruit trees and a living Bodhi Tree in the garden.
• Xu Ying found White Jade Elephant Ganoderma and declared that the garden held all three principal ingredients for the Dragon Elephant Bodhi Pill.
• Xu Ying assigned Liu Suifeng and Du Heng to harvest the ganoderma and supplementary herbs, while Qin Tiexin and Lin Chuan helped pick the Dragon Blood Fruit.

Lin Chuan and the others discovered that the herb garden’s medicines had been harvested about a century earlier and realized something might be guarding it. As they hurried to gather what remained, Qin Tiexin sensed killing intent just as the group faced an imminent attack.

• Lin Chuan told Liu Suifeng to set up defensive, concealment, and warning formations before the group harvested the herb garden.
• Qin Tiexin and Xu Ying discovered that the dragon blood fruits were only about a hundred years old, and the group found the white jade elephant ganoderma was similarly young.
• Lin Chuan concluded that someone had harvested the garden before and that it had an owner; Liu Suifeng’s warning formation detected residual spiritual power heading northwest from the garden.
• Lin Chuan ordered everyone to harvest quickly and leave, so Xu Ying, Qin Tiexin, Liu Suifeng, and Du Heng gathered the remaining medicines.
• Qin Tiexin felt his Fire of Life surge and sensed killing intent as he reached for another dragon blood fruit, and someone shouted, “Watch out!”

A Blood-Eyed Devil Ape attacked Qin Tiexin and his companions at the herb garden after catching them taking spirit medicines. Qin Tiexin blocked its powerful strike, and Liu Suifeng’s binding formation caught the ape, leaving the fight poised to continue.

• Qin Tiexin sensed a threat above, and a Blood-Eyed Devil Ape descended on the five people at the herb garden.
• The ape’s first blow shattered Liu Suifeng’s defensive formation, but the group scattered before it struck the ground.
• The ape attacked Qin Tiexin, who met its fist head-on with his own and held his ground.
• Du Heng and Lin Chuan struck the ape from behind, but its Qi Gang deflected their attacks.
• Liu Suifeng’s binding formation wrapped the ape’s legs in vines, and he celebrated catching it.

Du Heng severed the Blood-Eyed Devil Ape’s right arm with his strongest sword technique, but the enraged beast broke free and charged at Du Heng and Xu Ying. Lin Chuan intercepted its blow and was sent flying with Xu Ying as Qin Tiexin rushed to help.

• The devil ape broke Liu Suifeng’s vines and knocked Du Heng into the herb garden wall, but Du Heng and Liu Suifeng coordinated another binding attempt.
• Du Heng used Earth Splitter Slash, severing the devil ape’s right arm and cutting a deep wound across its shoulder and chest.
• Liu Suifeng’s binding formation failed as the devil ape’s blood baleful intent intensified, and it targeted the injured Du Heng and Xu Ying.
• Qin Tiexin charged toward the devil ape, but Lin Chuan stepped in front of Xu Ying and blocked its fist with his Golden Thread Wood-Grain Armor.
• The devil ape shattered Lin Chuan’s armor and sent him flying into Xu Ying, while Lin Chuan spat blood.

Qin Tiexin held off the demonic ape long enough to knock it into a crater, where Liu Suifeng trapped it with a Confining Quicksand Formation and prepared another formation. The ape was pinned in the sand as the Thunder Pattern Strangling Formation began to rise.

• Qin Tiexin arrived in time to shield Du Heng from the demonic ape, while Liu Suifeng dragged Du Heng to safety.
• Qin Tiexin fought the demonic ape head-on, relying on his defenses and the Fire of Life to withstand its punches.
• Qin Tiexin caught the ape's wrist, swept its legs out from under it, and drove it into a crater with a Heavy Savage Chop.
• Liu Suifeng activated the Confining Quicksand Formation, sinking and binding the demonic ape in the crater.
• Liu Suifeng raised eight purple flags and activated the Thunder Pattern Strangling Formation.

Qin Tiexin, Liu Suifeng, and Lin Chuan badly wounded the demonic ape with lightning and coordinated attacks, but it survived and tried to flee. Qin Tiexin stopped it and stunned it with Lion’s Roar, allowing Lin Chuan to strike at the back of its head with Azure Ribbon.

• Liu Suifeng used eight formation flags to bombard the demonic ape with lightning, then collapsed from the spiritual power the formations consumed.
• The demonic ape survived the attack and limped toward the edge of the medicinal garden, frightened and badly injured.
• At Lin Chuan’s urging, Qin Tiexin intercepted the fleeing demonic ape and fought it with Arhat Fist.
• The demonic ape tried to blast Qin Tiexin with blood baleful intent, but Qin Tiexin’s Lion’s Roar overpowered the attack and left it momentarily dazed.
• Lin Chuan drew his hidden flexible sword, Azure Ribbon, and thrust it toward the back of the demonic ape’s head.

Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin killed the demonic ape with help from their companions, then the group treated their injuries and prepared to spend the night in the damaged herb garden. Du Heng began examining the beast as they considered why it was so powerful.

• Lin Chuan pierced the demonic ape’s head with Azure Ribbon, killing it and freeing Qin Tiexin.
• Xu Ying treated Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin, while Liu Suifeng praised Lin Chuan’s sword and rebuilt the garden’s defensive formations.
• Lin Chuan decided the group would rest in the herb garden overnight and leave the next morning.
• Xu Ying treated Lin Chuan’s chest injury and told him not to use his spiritual power that night.
• Qin Tiexin surveyed the ruined spirit medicines, and Du Heng examined the demonic ape’s severed arm and speculated about its strength.

Du Heng dissected the Blood-Eyed Devil Ape and explained the value of its demon core, eyes, heart, and Spirit Bones, revealing that his family specialized in hunting and selling Demon Beast materials. Qin Tiexin realized the Du Household might supply the flesh and blood his cultivation needed and asked Du Heng how his family handled those remains.

• Du Heng extracted the devil ape's demon core, eyes, heart, and two Spirit Bones, explaining their uses and market value.
• Qin Tiexin asked why Du Heng knew so much about Demon Beast materials.
• Lin Chuan explained that the Du Household ran mercenary companies and beast-hunting teams, and that Du Heng had hunted beasts since childhood.
• Qin Tiexin considered using the Du Household's Demon Beast flesh and blood for his True Fire Furnace Scripture.
• Qin Tiexin asked Du Heng how his family handled the flesh and blood left after removing valuable Demon Beast materials.