Chapter Summaries

Lu Ming developed Spirit Sense and Clear Qi through the True Explanation of Six Refinements of Clear Qi, and the Fire Lotus Mark transformed the Clear Qi into a lotus pill furnace. After finally forming the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner imprint, he showed Zhou Xuan his furnace and was urged to begin refining pills.

• Lu Ming condensed his first wisp of Spirit Sense and Clear Qi, expanding his perception beyond what Primordial Qi alone could detect.
• The Fire Lotus Mark absorbed Lu Ming's Clear Qi and manifested a glazed lotus-shaped pill furnace.
• Lu Ming stopped using Sun-Shining Fire Qi to temper his body and formed the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner imprint.
• Lu Ming showed Zhou Xuan and Zhou Fuling his lotus pill furnace, and Zhou Xuan praised how quickly he had formed a complete one.
• Zhou Fuling challenged Lu Ming to refine pills and warned him that he would have to pay for any materials he ruined.

Lu Ming refined a Qi Refining Elixir with help from the Fire Lotus Mark, which fused the medicinal powers on its own. He revealed his successful first pill to Zhou Xuan and Zhou Fuling, leaving both stunned.

• Zhou Xuan taught Lu Ming to refine a Qi Refining Elixir and had Zhou Fuling prepare the ingredients.
• Lu Ming practiced extracting medicinal power from the ingredients in the lotus pill furnace.
• Lu Ming discovered that the Fire Lotus Mark fused the medicinal powers and formed an embryonic pill without his guidance.
• Lu Ming used Clear Qi and True Explanation of Six Refinements of Clear Qi to finish refining the pill.
• Lu Ming showed Zhou Xuan and Zhou Fuling his perfectly round Qi Refining Elixir, and they stared in shock.

Lu Ming refined a Qi Refining Elixir on his first attempt, convincing Zhou Xuan that he was an alchemy genius. After Lu Ming declined Zhou Xuan’s offer of a Spirit Fish Pond spot because Li Yan had already arranged one, Zhou Xuan gave him intelligence about the Peach Mountain Band, and Lu Ming hurried back to warn Lu Jin.

• Lu Ming successfully refined a Qi Refining Elixir, and Zhou Xuan confirmed its quality and praised Lu Ming’s talent for sensing Pill Qi and controlling the fusion.
• Zhou Fuling grew jealous, shook Lu Ming, then blushed and retreated when she realized how close she had pulled him.
• Zhou Xuan offered Lu Ming a spot at the Spirit Fish Pond, but Lu Ming said Li Yan had already arranged one for him.
• Zhou Xuan gave Lu Ming files about the Peach Mountain Band and warned that the band had been making unusual moves.
• Lu Ming hurried back to Thunderfire Hall to inform Lu Jin, while Zhou Fuling later teased Zhou Xuan for his awkward attempts to do Lu Ming favors.

Lu Ming and the Lu family learned that the Peach Mountain Band might attack a caravan Thunderfire Hall was escorting to Mystic Whale Market, so they planned to use Zhou Xuan’s intelligence to prepare an ambush. Lu Ming volunteered to join the defense, and the chapter ended with him looking forward to the Spirit Fish Banquet and hoping to bring back fish that would strengthen his family.

• Lu Ming gave Lu Mengmeng a Qi Refining Elixir and sent her to summon Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei.
• Lu Ming shared Zhou Xuan’s detailed intelligence about the Peach Mountain Band and a warning that the band planned to act early next month.
• Lu Ming and his family suspected the band would attack Thunderfire Hall’s caravan bound for Mystic Whale Market.
• Lu Jin decided to assemble trusted Great Divine Ability Practitioners to escort the caravan and secretly follow them, while Lu Ming volunteered to join the operation.
• Lu Ming told his family he had refined a Qi Refining Elixir, and Lu Jin promised to support his alchemy training.
• Lu Ming anticipated the Spirit Fish Banquet, hoping to bring back spirit fish to help strengthen his father and second uncle.

Li Shuang and Zhou Fuling both went to collect Lu Ming for the Spirit Fish Banquet, revealing that he was studying alchemy under Zhou Xuan. At Great Clan Mountain, Yan Qing grew jealous when he saw Lu Ming with Zhou Fuling and resolved to watch him fail to take a spirit fish.

• Li Shuang and Zhou Fuling arrived at the Thunderfire Hall to escort Lu Ming to the Spirit Fish Banquet, and Li Shuang learned that Zhou Fuling was his Senior Sister because he was studying alchemy under Zhou Xuan.
• Li Shuang worried that Zhou Fuling’s closeness to Lu Ming would upset her friend Jingyi, then followed Lu Ming and Zhou Fuling toward Great Clan Mountain.
• Yan Qing and Yan Zhizhi met the group on the mountain path, and Li Shuang and Zhou Fuling revealed that Lu Ming had received a banquet spot and was learning alchemy from Zhou Xuan.
• Yan Qing became jealous of Lu Ming’s connection to Zhou Fuling, hid his anger, and privately vowed that Lu Ming would not take a spirit fish away.

Lu Ming joined the Spirit Fish Banquet and learned how the clans fished for Golden Pupil Spirit Fish in the Spirit Fish Pond. After Yan Qing sabotaged Lu Ming’s chance to catch one, Lu Ming decided to cheat in return and unleashed the Fire Lotus Mark.

• Li Shuang explained the fishing rules to Lu Ming and warned him that Yan Qing might target him.
• Lu Ming cast his Primordial Qi line into the pond while Zhou Fuling, Yan Qing, and Li Shuang fished at greater depths.
• Yan Qing caught the first Golden Pupil Spirit Fish, and Zhou Fuling soon caught one as well.
• Yan Qing signaled other anglers to stir up waves, frightening away the Golden Pupil Spirit Fish approaching Lu Ming’s hook.
• Lu Ming withdrew his gaze from Yan Qing and poured his Primordial Qi into the Fire Lotus Mark.

Lu Ming used his exceptionally pure Fire Lotus Yuan Qi to attract Golden Pupil Spirit Fish, then caught fifteen despite Yan Qing and the other clan scions trying to stop him. He ended by apologizing to the stunned crowd for making a spectacle of himself.

• Lu Ming baited his hook with Fire Lotus Yuan Qi, and a Golden Pupil Spirit Fish ignored Yan Qing's bait to swallow it; Lu Ming caught the fish.
• Lu Ming caught a second Golden Pupil Spirit Fish soon after, convincing Yan Qing that his success was no accident.
• Yan Qing, Yan Zhizhi, and other clan scions created a powerful vortex around Lu Ming's stone pillar, while Zhou Fuling rebuked Yan Qing for interfering.
• Lu Ming strengthened his bait with Fire Lotus Yuan Qi, drawing dozens of Golden Pupil Spirit Fish that broke through the vortex.
• Lu Ming rapidly caught fifteen Golden Pupil Spirit Fish, then apologized to the stunned crowd for making a spectacle of himself.

Lu Ming caught fifteen Golden Pupil Spirit Fish at the Spirit Fish Banquet, forcing Li Yan to negotiate with the clan heads so he could keep twelve. After Zhou Fuling reminded him to continue studying alchemy, Li Yan took him back to the Thunderfire Hall, then abruptly left him wondering why she seemed distant.

• Lu Ming emerged from the Spirit Fish Pond with fifteen Golden Pupil Spirit Fish, astonishing the gathered clans.
• Yan Jing suggested that Lu Ming keep only five fish and be barred from future banquets, and Li Yan accepted the compromise after the clan heads pressed their objections.
• Zhou Fuling asked Lu Ming how he had caught so many fish, and he joked that he could speak to them while she promised to back him if the clans tried to cheat him.
• Li Yan transferred three fish to Li Shuang and returned the remaining twelve to Lu Ming, warning him that he might not be invited to another banquet.
• Li Yan learned that Lu Ming was studying alchemy under Zhou Xuan, then took him back to the Thunderfire Hall after Zhou Fuling reminded him to visit the workshop the next day.
• Li Yan hurried away before Lu Ming could thank her, leaving him puzzled by her sudden distance.

Lu Ming shared the Golden Pupil Spirit Fish with his family, and the meal revealed Lu Mengmeng’s unusual ability to digest Primordial Qi. The fish helped Lu Ming form his fifth Divine Ability Dharma Mark, while a strange light from Lu Mengmeng’s chest suggested her Divine Ability Bone was awakening.

• Lu Ming brought twelve Golden Pupil Spirit Fish to Thunderfire Hall, and Lu Jin arranged for Zhong Ying to cook one each day for the family.
• Lu Mengmeng drank a bowl of fish soup in one gulp and absorbed its potent Primordial Qi, prompting Lu Jin to wonder whether she had an unusual talent for digestion.
• Lu Ming ate the fish and used its Primordial Qi to form his fifth Divine Ability Dharma Mark ahead of schedule.
• After Lu Mengmeng drank several more bowls, a strange light appeared from her chest, suggesting that her Divine Ability Bone was beginning to awaken.

Lu Mengmeng’s divine ability bone began forming early, so Lu Jin delayed its awakening while Lu Ming planned to obtain a way to weaken the family curse. Lu Ming condensed his sixth Divine Ability Dharma Mark, awakened Golden Pupil, and prepared to escort the Qingchuan Merchant Association’s caravan against the Peach Mountain Band.

• Lu Jin recognized that Lu Mengmeng’s divine ability bone was beginning to form and offered to seal the flow of Primordial Qi to delay its awakening; Lu Ming agreed, and Lu Mengmeng fainted at the prospect of cultivating painful body divine abilities.
• Lu Ming condensed his sixth Divine Ability Dharma Mark after eating seven Golden Pupil Spirit Fish, then awakened the Golden Pupil special art while sparring with Lu Qingyan.
• Lu Ming used Golden Pupil to detect the flow of Primordial Qi and identify Lu Qingyan’s true body, impressing his father with the art’s defensive potential.
• Lu Qingyan told Lu Ming that the Thunderfire Hall’s caravan escort would set out in three days, and Lu Ming resolved to seek Zhou Xuan’s help before confronting the Peach Mountain Band.

Lu Ming asked Zhou Xuan to keep Lin Changkong and Shi Tong from interfering while Thunderfire Hall fought the Peach Mountain Band. Zhou Xuan agreed and gave Lu Ming recovery pills, leaving Thunderfire Hall to prepare for the coming battle with its own strength.

• Zhou Xuan praised Lu Ming for refining a high-grade Qi Refining Elixir and advised him to cultivate more Clear Qi before attempting double refinement.
• Lu Ming told Zhou Xuan that Thunderfire Hall would escort its caravan as usual and fight the Peach Mountain Band, with Lu Jin prepared to confront its leader, Guo Kui.
• Lu Ming asked Zhou Xuan to prevent Lin Changkong from leaving the market city, and Zhou Xuan agreed to watch Shi Tong as well in exchange for Lu Ming's future favor and pill-making talent.
• Zhou Xuan gave Lu Ming Lesser Primordial Restoration Pills, and Lu Ming thanked Zhou Fuling for helping him.
• After Lu Ming left, Zhou Xuan told Zhou Fuling that Lu Jin's willingness to take the risk suggested Thunderfire Hall had an unknown trump card.

Lu Ming joined Thunderfire Hall’s caravan escort, expecting the Peach Mountain Band to attack after the caravan left Qingyuan Market. The band struck on the first night instead, and Guo Kui confronted the caravan before Lu Jin revealed himself to fight.

• Lu Qingyan introduced Lu Ming to Lü Feng and Lu Song as Thunderfire Hall’s high-grade prodigy before the caravan departed with seven Great Divine Ability Practitioners guarding it.
• Lu Ming remained alert as the caravan traveled west, but the Peach Mountain Band ambushed the camp on its first night with poisonous mist.
• Lu Ming fired a signal arrow, waking the camp as the miasma overwhelmed attendants and began to corrode the Great Divine Ability Practitioners’ Primordial Qi.
• Lü Feng recognized that a Divine Ability Restriction was strengthening the poisonous mist, and masked members of the Peach Mountain Band emerged from it.
• Guo Kui appeared above the camp and identified himself as the Peach Mountain Band’s leader, then clashed with Lu Jin when Lu Jin struck him with a Thunderfire Whip.

Lu Ming joined Thunderfire Hall’s defense against Guo Kui and the Peach Mountain Band, then set out to destroy the restriction spreading poisonous gas across the battlefield. A rat-masked Great Divine Ability Practitioner blocked his path, and Lu Ming prepared to face him with Golden Plasma Fire at the Perfection Realm.

• Lu Jin and Guo Kui exchanged attacks as Guo Kui ordered the Peach Mountain Band to kill Thunderfire Hall’s people.
• Lu Qingyan rallied Thunderfire Hall, and Lu Jinglei led the charge as the two sides began a bloody battle.
• Lu Ming identified the restriction flags by using Golden Pupil and rushed into the forest to destroy them.
• A rat-masked Great Divine Ability Practitioner ambushed Lu Ming, but Lu Ming evaded his attacks and shattered his wooden vines.
• Lu Ming countered the opponent’s Entangling Wood Hand by raising Golden Plasma Fire to the Perfection Realm with Fire Lotus Yuan Qi.

Lu Ming killed the rat-faced Great Divine Ability Practitioner with one slash and destroyed three of the forest’s four Restriction Flags, weakening the poisonous fog. As he reached the last flag, Xu Jushi arrived to stop him.

• Lu Ming combined his Perfection Realm Golden Plasma Fire with his Flame Blade and beheaded the rat-faced Great Divine Ability Practitioner with one slash.
• Lu Ming destroyed a Restriction Flag, then quickly shattered two more, thinning the poisonous fog across the forest.
• Lu Qingyan and the others sensed the restriction weakening, while Fan Li ordered Xu Jushi to kill Lu Ming before he could destroy the final flag.
• Xu Jushi hurled his blood-red axe at Lu Ming, who dodged the strike as the Peach Mountain Band’s sixth brother confronted him.

Lu Ming fought Xu Jushi, whose powerful physical Divine Abilities overwhelmed him at close range, but the Sun-Shining Golden Body and Flame of Life let him endure the blow. As Xu Jushi charged with his Upper Divine Ability, Lu Ming combined Fire Lotus Yuan Qi with his Minor Accomplishment Thunderfire Whip and advanced it to Major Accomplishment.

• Lu Ming attacked Xu Jushi with his Golden Plasma Fire-enhanced saber, but Xu Jushi’s Major Accomplishment Bronze Skin Technique withstood the golden flames.
• Xu Jushi activated the Giant Strength Technique and struck Lu Ming hard enough to hurl him through several trees, but Lu Ming recovered with the aid of the Flame of Life and his Sun-Shining Golden Body.
• Xu Jushi unleashed his Minor Accomplishment Bull Demon Vicious Soul Technique, while Lu Ming replaced his damaged saber with his Minor Accomplishment Thunderfire Whip.
• As Xu Jushi charged, Lu Ming poured Fire Lotus Yuan Qi into the Thunderfire Whip, extending it from four segments to seven and reaching Major Accomplishment.

Lu Ming defeated Xu Jushi despite being outmatched in Divine Ability Dharma Marks, then destroyed the final restriction flag and cleared the poisonous mist. He recovered in the forest and watched the Divine Ability Masters’ battle, knowing it would decide the fight.

• Xu Jushi and Lu Ming traded devastating blows, but Lu Ming rapidly healed while Xu Jushi remained badly injured.
• Xu Jushi fled, but Lu Ming caught him, anticipated his counterattack, and killed him with the Thunderfire Whip.
• Lu Ming picked up Xu Jushi’s blood axe to ensure he was dead, then dismantled the last restriction flag and dispersed the poisonous mist.
• Lu Qingyan, Lu Jinglei, and the others realized the restriction had fallen and charged the Peach Mountain Band with renewed morale.
• Lu Ming took a Lesser Primordial Restoration Pill and watched the distant battle between the two Divine Ability Masters.

Lu Jin and Lu Ming worked together to counter Guo Kui’s plan to exhaust the old man, forcing Guo Kui to unleash the Ten Thousand Scorpion Bag. In Qingyuan Market, Zhou Xuan stopped Lin Changkong from leaving, then ordered guards to support Thunderfire Hall after reports of a battle near the caravan.

• Lu Ming used the Flame of Life to erase Guo Kui’s poison and heal Lu Jin between their clashes, allowing Lu Jin to keep fighting aggressively.
• Guo Kui realized Lu Ming was healing Lu Jin, failed to strike the hidden boy, and abandoned his plan to outlast Lu Jin.
• Guo Kui activated the Ten Thousand Scorpion Bag and swallowed its deadly blood-red Primordial Qi as Lu Ming stayed hidden.
• Zhou Xuan blocked Lin Changkong from leaving Qingyuan Market and invited him to drink with Shi Tong and Shen Tai.
• Zhou Fuling reported signs of a battle near the Qingchuan Merchant Association’s caravan, and Zhou Xuan ordered the market guards to support Thunderfire Hall and wipe out the Peach Mountain Band.

Lu Ming spotted a flaw in Guo Kui’s Scorpion Venom Seal and helped Lu Jin break it, turning the battle in Lu Jin’s favor. Guo Kui then unleashed a devastating killing move, but Lu Jin countered by forming Thunderfire True Qi.

• Guo Kui and Lu Jin clashed with the Scorpion Venom Seal and the Thunderfire Whip, their Primordial Qi locked in a fierce stalemate.
• Lu Ming used Golden Pupil to find a flaw in Guo Kui’s Scorpion Venom Seal and marked it for Lu Jin.
• Lu Jin struck the flaw, shattered the Scorpion Venom Seal, and drove the injured Guo Kui into retreat.
• Lu Ming noticed Guo Kui preparing a deadly technique and warned Lu Jin, but Guo Kui’s blood-red slash shattered the Thunderfire Whip.
• Lu Jin gathered thunder and earthfire into a vortex and formed Thunderfire True Qi, astonishing Lu Ming.

Lu Jin revealed that he had refined Thunderfire True Qi, defeated Guo Kui, and drove the Peach Mountain Band into retreat. After Fan Li’s answer left the identity of the sender of Guo Kui’s letter unclear, Lu Jin and Lu Ming set out for the Peach Miasma Mountain Range to find the band’s lair, while hoofbeats approached the caravan they had left behind.

• Lu Jin’s Thunderfire True Qi tore apart Guo Kui’s attack, forcing Guo Kui to flee with a blood-red escape technique.
• Lu Jin killed four of the Peach Mountain Band’s remaining men, crippled Fan Li, and learned that Guo Kui had received a letter ordering the raid, though Fan Li did not know who sent it.
• Lu Jin reassured Steward Xu and learned that Guo Kui had escaped, prompting Lu Ming to insist that they pursue him before he could threaten Thunderfire Hall again.
• Lu Ming proposed using his Golden Pupil to see through the peach miasma, and Lu Jin took him toward the Peach Miasma Mountain Range while Lu Qingyan and the others stayed with the caravan.
• After Lu Jin and Lu Ming departed, rapid hoofbeats sounded down the road, and Lu Qingyan, Lu Jinglei, Lü Feng, and the others wondered if the Golden Gang Sword Hall was attacking.

Zhou Fuling and Commander Fu arrived after Thunderfire Hall had routed the Peach Mountain Band, learning that Lu Jin had gravely wounded Guo Kui and pursued him with Lu Ming. Zhou Xuan celebrated Thunderfire Hall’s victory, while the other hall masters left uneasy and Guo Kui’s fate remained unknown.

• Zhou Fuling and Commander Fu reached Thunderfire Hall’s camp and learned that most of the Peach Mountain Band had been killed.
• Lu Qingyan showed them the bodies of Fan Li and the other lieutenants, and reported that Lu Jin had wounded Guo Kui and gone after him with Lu Ming.
• Commander Fu took the bandits’ bodies back to Qingyuan Market to display on the city walls.
• Zhou Fuling told Zhou Xuan, Shi Tong, Shen Tai, and Lin Changkong that Thunderfire Hall was safe and Guo Kui was fleeing after Lu Jin’s attack.
• Zhou Xuan praised Thunderfire Hall’s victory and advised the other hall masters to stay in the market city while Guo Kui’s fate remained uncertain.