Chapter Summaries

Chen Mu learned that Purple Soul Crystals and generations of adaptation had made Divine Soul cultivators common among the people of the Ancient Desolate Mining Area, then went with Nangong Tong to rest. The clan elders judged him mysterious and potentially powerful, and decided to find his companions before the new settlers could.

• Nangong Ya explained that abundant Purple Soul Crystals and generations of natural selection had produced many soul cultivators, though the clan had only a little over thirty Solid Realm cultivators.
• Nangong Ya sent Nangong Tong to escort Chen Mu to a guest cabin, while Chen Mu dismissed the idea that he could never escape the mining area.
• After Chen Mu left, Nangong Ya and the elders discussed his unusual technique and suspected that the pet on his shoulder was a Demon King.
• The elders decided not to offend Chen Mu and to keep him from joining the new settlers, so Nangong Ya ordered Qing Yi to find his companions first.
• Nangong Tong asked Chen Mu about life in the outside world as she led him to a cabin, then left him to rest until the next day.

Chen Mu learned that his missing companion might have caused trouble in the New Residents District and fled into a nearby forest. He and Nangong Ya and Nangong Tong flew there, then began searching on foot for Mingye.

• Nangong Ya told Chen Mu that a suspected companion had escaped from the New Residents District, a powerful settlement led by Late Core Formation Realm cultivator Wang Yu.
• Nangong Ya explained that an ancestral weapon protected her clan from the New Residents District, though using it would carry a heavy cost.
• Chen Mu took Nangong Ya and Nangong Tong aboard his flying ship and traveled to the forest where the fugitive's trail had gone cold.
• Chen Mu avoided a powerful leopard Demon King and landed, then agreed with Nangong Ya and Nangong Tong to search separate directions using their Divine Souls.

Chen Mu demonstrated that his Runic Body let him use talisman techniques without spiritual materials and accepted Nangong Tong as his disciple. While searching the Ancient Desolate Mining Area with Nangong Ya and Nangong Tong, he found Mingye under attack and teleported to her side.

• Chen Mu explained his combat talisman path and demonstrated talisman techniques that needed no spiritual materials.
• Nangong Tong asked to become Chen Mu’s disciple, and he accepted her.
• Chen Mu sensed signs of a fight and used a Light Body Talisman to speed Nangong Ya and Nangong Tong toward it.
• Chen Mu found Mingye battling a burly middle-aged man and three other experts, then sent her a Divine Soul message to flee toward him.
• Chen Mu teleported to Mingye after an explosion, and she emerged from the crater unharmed.

Chen Mu fought Wang Yu to help Mingye and the Nangong Family sisters escape, then withdrew when his Dharma Power ran low. After everyone returned safely to the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan's settlement, Mingye chose to share Chen Mu's room.

• Chen Mu arrived beside Mingye and faced Wang Yu and his three subordinates.
• Chen Mu used Five Elements techniques to battle Wang Yu and fend off the subordinates' attacks.
• Chen Mu and Wang Yu exchanged blows, then Chen Mu teleported away after his Dharma Power was depleted.
• Wang Yu pursued Chen Mu but lost track of him because Chen Mu could teleport.
• Chen Mu returned to the settlement and confirmed that Mingye and the Nangong Family sisters were safe.
• Mingye said she would follow Chen Mu and chose to share his room.

Chen Mu studied the purple mist that trapped the Ancient Desolate Mining Area and sought spirit materials to improve his resistance talismans. Mingye’s scouting data confirmed that a colossal ancient beast lay at the area’s center, leaving Chen Mu with a clearer target but no way out yet.

• Chen Mu asked Mingye what she had learned about escaping, then began studying a sample of the purple mist.
• After two days of testing plants and runes, Chen Mu found that his talisman still could not guide people through the mist.
• Nangong Tong brought Chen Mu a meal and arranged for Nangong Ya to provide four kinds of spirit plants in exchange for spirit stones.
• Mingye returned from the forest and reported signs of a terrifying ferocious beast, then supplied her observations to Chen Mu’s intelligent analyzer.
• The analyzer estimated that the ancient beast exceeded the Creation Realm and was more than three thousand meters long, confirming that it had biological characteristics.

Chen Mu discovered that Mysterious Spirit Grass could power Dispelling Runes that let people cross the purple mist and leave the Ancient Desolate Mining Area. The Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan agreed to help him gather the grass in exchange for places for ten clanspeople, but Wang Yu and the shortage of grass remained obstacles.

• Chen Mu used a Dispelling Rune to repel the purple mist and realized Mysterious Spirit Grass could help him and Mingye escape.
• Chen Mu asked Nangong Ya for Mysterious Spirit Grass, but the clan had only twelve stalks and could not gather more quickly from the forest.
• Nangong Ya explained that Wang Yu's medicinal garden held a large supply of Mysterious Spirit Grass, but the clan could not defeat him.
• Chen Mu asked to examine the clan's lethal weapon, then revealed his rune and demonstrated that it could clear a path through the purple mist.
• Nangong Ya summoned the clan elders, and Lu Yuanzhen told Chen Mu they would help obtain the grass if he reserved ten places for their clanspeople.
• Chen Mu agreed to the places if they could gather enough grass and warned that overcoming Wang Yu remained their greatest difficulty.

Chen Mu examined the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan’s Blood-Drinking Demon Saber and concluded it could not help him defeat Wang Yu. Nangong Ya offered the clan’s Spirit Origin Fruit to help Chen Mu break through to the Core Formation Realm, and he accepted, promising to oppose Wang Yu and offer the clan a place in his tribe.

• Lu Yuanzhen led Chen Mu, Nangong Ya, and Mingye to the ancestral hall’s third floor to inspect the Blood-Drinking Demon Saber.
• Chen Mu studied the blood-powered formation and determined that moving or modifying it would weaken it, making it unsuitable for a concealed attack on Wang Yu.
• Chen Mu told Nangong Ya and Lu Yuanzhen that he remained at the peak of the True Spirit Realm and had less than a one-in-ten chance of defeating Wang Yu without reaching the Core Formation Realm.
• Nangong Ya offered the clan’s Spirit Origin Fruit to help Chen Mu break through, explaining that the clan saw him as its hope against Wang Yu.
• Chen Mu accepted the Spirit Origin Fruit and promised to stop Wang Yu and treat the clan fairly if its people joined his tribe outside the Ancient Desolate Mining Area.

Chen Mu took the Spirit Origin Fruit Nangong Ya gave him and went to a secluded valley to break through to the Core Formation Realm. He quickly formed a spirit core and summoned a Heavenly Tribulation, while Nangong Ya considered having the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan learn his cultivation method.

• Nangong Ya gave Chen Mu the Spirit Origin Fruit and explained that the fruit came from a tree guarded by powerful demonic beasts.
• Chen Mu went to a secluded valley, swallowed the fruit, and used his modified cultivation technique to condense a spirit core.
• Dark clouds gathered after Chen Mu formed the core, signaling that his Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend.
• Nangong Ya, Nangong Tong, and Lu Yuanzhen watched from the valley entrance while Mingye secretly guarded Chen Mu inside.
• Nangong Ya said she wanted the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan to cultivate under Chen Mu, and Nangong Tong promised to ask him to let her teach their clansmen.

As Chen Mu endured the heavenly tribulation with an array that both shielded him and tempered his body, Wang Yu and two allies arrived to disrupt his breakthrough. The third lightning bolt was gathering as Nangong Ya and the others moved to hold off the attackers.

• Lu Yuanzhen and Nangong Ya reassured Nangong Tong that Chen Mu could survive the tribulation, while worrying that Wang Yu might find him.
• Chen Mu's array absorbed the first two lightning bolts and channeled weakened lightning into his body to temper it.
• Lu Yuanzhen explained that Chen Mu was expected to face three bolts, though a special six-bolt tribulation was possible.
• Wang Yu arrived with a Fire-Element cultivator and a woman whose Divine Soul True Body appeared above her head as the third bolt gathered.
• Nangong Ya ordered Lu Yuanzhen to hold Ye Lin, told Nangong Tong to deal with Tu Nan, and prepared to face Wang Yu herself.

Wang Yu tried to sabotage Chen Mu’s heavenly tribulation while Nangong Ya and the others fought to stop him. As Wang Yu attacked Mingye in the valley, Little White rescued her, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Nangong Tong, Lu Yuanzhen, and Nangong Ya fought Wang Yu’s allies while Lu Yuanzhen confronted Ye Lin over her forbidden body-possession technique.
• Wang Yu revealed that he had waited for Chen Mu’s tribulation so he could interfere with its third bolt, and Nangong Ya vowed to stop him.
• As the third bolt of azure lightning descended, Wang Yu split into an external incarnation and his original body, keeping Nangong Ya occupied while he charged into the valley.
• Wang Yu hurled Spiritual Power at the tribulation cloud, but Mingye shattered it with a flying knife before falling through the air.
• Wang Yu attacked Mingye, and Little White caught her by the collar and carried her out of the attack’s path.

Mingye and Little White tried to stop Wang Yu from disrupting Chen Mu’s tribulation, but his attacks shattered the cloud and erased a lightning bolt. A larger tribulation cloud gathered, and Chen Mu endured its next strikes before sensing that the final bolt could threaten his life.

• Mingye and Little White attacked Wang Yu and destroyed most of his Spiritual Power attacks, but two blasts struck the tribulation cloud and dispersed it.
• Lu Yuanzhen was knocked unconscious by a punch while his Divine Soul True Body dissolved.
• Chen Mu rose as a larger tribulation cloud formed, and Wang Yu fled while Mingye and Little White went to join Nangong Ya and the others.
• Chen Mu used Five Elements Ring Armor to withstand the fourth and fifth lightning bolts, absorbing the fifth and restoring life to the scorched land.
• The tribulation cloud gathered into one larger than all the previous clouds combined, and Chen Mu sensed that its final lightning bolt could kill him.

Chen Mu endured the sixth lightning-and-fire tribulation, overcame an inner demon through his adoptive father's remembered advice, and formed his spiritual core. As he began transforming his body, Wang Yu approached with two others, leaving Mingye and the few able fighters to prepare for danger.

• Wang Yu decided to exterminate the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan, and Ye Lin offered no objection.
• Chen Mu faced the final tribulation, briefly fell into an inner-demon vision of his father, then resisted the purple-red lightning and fire with the Five Elements Ring.
• The fused runes stabilized Chen Mu's body, allowing him to endure the tribulation and use its remaining power to complete his transformation.
• Chen Mu formed a five-colored spiritual core that turned dark gray and drew Spiritual Power from several kilometers around him.
• Mingye, Nangong Ya, Nangong Tong, Lu Yuanzhen, and the little white fox gathered to guard Chen Mu, but Mingye sensed Wang Yu and two figures approaching; only she, Nangong Tong, and the fox could still fight.

After surviving the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Chen Mu defeated Wang Yu with his newly comprehended Dharma Aspect True Body and helped subdue Wang Yu’s allies. As Chen Mu continued transforming his body, he began experimenting with making every cell absorb the runes within him.

• Wang Yu ordered Tu Nan and Ye Lin to kill Chen Mu, but Chen Mu opened his eyes and told Mingye, Nangong Tong, and Little White to stand back.
• Chen Mu summoned his Dharma Aspect True Body, crushed Wang Yu’s attacks, and kicked him repeatedly until he was barely breathing.
• Mingye killed Tu Nan, while Nangong Tong captured Ye Lin and handed her to Nangong Ya for judgment.
• Chen Mu explained that the Dharma Aspect True Body was a technique he had just comprehended, and promised to teach Nangong Tong if she reached the Core Formation Realm as a combat rune master.
• Nangong Tong discovered that Wang Yu was still alive, and Mingye took charge of him for interrogation.
• As his spirit core reshaped his body, Chen Mu considered using the transformation to make his new cells absorb the runes within him.

Chen Mu successfully created his first Rune Cells, returned to the Ancient Desolate Remnant Clan's village, and seized Wang Yu's wealth. As Chen Mu began preparing Dispelling Runes to leave the mining area, Chen Village faced a growing alliance of five great tribes and worried over the disappearance of Chen Mu and Mingye.

• Chen Mu tested rune absorption on newly formed cells and managed to create a few dozen Rune Cells before his body's transformation ended.
• Chen Mu and his companions returned to the village, where they captured Wang Yu's remaining guard and searched Wang Yu's residence for wealth.
• Mingye killed Wang Yu's loyal guard and later gave Wang Yu a swift death, while Chen Mu claimed Wang Yu's amassed resources.
• Chen Mu entered his cultivation room to make Dispelling Runes from Mysterious Spirit Grass, while Nangong Ya prepared a list of clanspeople who would leave with him.
• At Chen Village's military camp, Chen Zihu and Nan Huaiyuan learned that three more great tribes had sent troops to support Jianglan, while Chen Duo feared Chen Mu and Mingye had been harmed.

Chen Duo won Chen Zihu’s approval to lead the Five Elements Army on a surprise attack against the Jianglan Tribe’s stronghold. After reaching the settlement, she planned an underwater approach to strike its inner city, but Chen Rufeng warned that Core Formation Realm cultivators might be guarding it.

• Chen Zihu rejected withdrawing and discussed the danger of facing the allied tribes, while Nan Huaiyuan trusted his formations and Chen Zishan emphasized Chen Village’s shortage of troops.
• Chen Duo proposed taking the Five Elements Army to capture the Jianglan Tribe’s leader, and Chen Zihu approved her plan.
• Seven days later, Chen Duo and the Five Elements Army reached the forest near the Jianglan Tribe’s settlement and prepared to attack after resting.
• Chen Duo used the All-Terrain Detection System’s panoramic map to plan an underwater route to the inner city’s residential area.
• Chen Rufeng warned Chen Duo that Core Formation Realm cultivators might be guarding the settlement and asked whether she could handle them.

Chen Duo and Chen Rufeng led the Five Elements Army in a surprise attack on the Jianglan Tribe’s inner city, while Chen Duo engaged its Core Formation Realm elder. The Five Elements Army broke into the residential district and split into squads to raid its residences.

• Chen Duo told Chen Rufeng that Gu Zi'an had confirmed only one Early Stage Core Formation Realm ancestor guarded the Jianglan Tribe, and she offered to hold him off.
• Chen Rufeng assembled the thousand-strong Five Elements Army, used the Water element formation to enter a nearby river, and led the troops toward the Jianglan Tribe’s inner city.
• The Five Elements Army emerged from the river and stormed into the city, killing patrols until the sentries raised the alarm and defenders arrived.
• Chen Duo used mechanical wings to confront Jiang Siqian, matching his palm strike and driving him back with a flurry of punches.
• Chen Rufeng ordered the Five Elements Army to split into ten squads, which spread through the residential district and raided the larger homes.

Chen Rufeng led the Five Elements Army against the Jianglan Army and turned the battle into a rout. Jiang Siqian fled after Chen Duo seriously wounded him, while the Jianglan Tribe’s defeat became unavoidable.

• Chen Rufeng encountered Jiang Kechang and diverted his troops to confront the suddenly appearing Jianglan Army.
• Chen Rufeng used the Five Elements Army’s Mountain Shield to repel the Jianglan Army’s combined strike, then counterattacked with Water Dragon Strangulation.
• Jiang Kechang and Jianglan experts joined the battle, but Han He and Qin Yu arrived with the remaining Five Elements squads and helped overwhelm the Jianglan Army.
• Chen Duo withstood Jiang Siqian’s attacks and seriously wounded him with the Brahma Dharma Seal.
• Jiang Siqian saw that the battle below was lost and fled.

Chen Duo and the Five Elements Army fought the Jianglan Tribe until Jiang Ji returned and turned the battle against them. Chen Duo held Jiang Ji off so her army could retreat, but three more armies soon blocked every escape route.

• Chen Duo drove Jiang Kechang back, but Jiang Ji struck her with a Setting Sun Divine Arrow and appeared before the Five Elements Army.
• Jiang Ji prepared to attack the Five Elements Army, but Chen Duo rose from the formation, having survived the arrow.
• Chen Duo ordered the Five Elements Army to retreat toward the river while she confronted Jiang Ji with Wisdom King Possession.
• Jiang Ji stopped Jiang Kechang from pursuing the retreating army, and three armies arrived to block the Five Elements Army's routes.

Chen Duo and the Five Elements Army were ambushed by Jiang Ji and the ace legions of three great tribes while attempting to escape. After the Iron Mountain Army’s defenses fell, the Five Elements Army faced another charge, until a sudden sword strike forced Jiang Ji back from Chen Duo.

• Chen Duo realized Jiang Ji had anticipated her attack and summoned the Iron Mountain Army, Golden Saber Army, and Fierce Tiger Army to surround the Five Elements Army.
• The Five Elements Army returned to support Chen Duo, whose Five Elements Cannon drove Jiang Ji back long enough for her to recover.
• Chen Duo rallied the Five Elements Army and led them toward an escape route while Jiang Ji and the Jianglan Army pursued.
• Chen Rufeng led the Five Elements Army in a golden-blade charge that shattered the Iron Mountain Army’s Iron Mountain Wall, though the attack left the legion injured and its formation broken.
• Jiang Ji exploited Chen Duo’s grief and nearly struck her with a Great Destruction Palm, but an unknown sword light hit him and forced him back.

A Huo returned to Chen Duo’s side and led the Demon-Slaying Sword into battle, breaking through the enemy legions to aid the Five Elements Army. He then confronted Jiang Ji and revealed his name as he attacked with overwhelming sword intent.

• A Huo arrived beside Chen Duo, reassured her, and sent the Demon-Slaying Sword charging into the battlefield.
• The Demon-Slaying Sword broke through the Fierce Tiger Army and the Golden Saber Army, then pierced the Iron Mountain Army as Chen Rufeng ordered the Five Elements Army to regroup.
• The commanders of the enemy legions formed defensive lines around the Iron Mountain Army, but Nangong Feng led the Demon-Slaying Sword into their formations.
• A Huo’s presence kept Jiang Ji and Jiang Siqian from moving, and he told Jiang Ji that he was from Chen Village and was named A Huo.
• Jiang Ji accused A Huo of being from Central Land, and A Huo attacked him with a giant sword, shocking him with his swordsmanship and intent.