Recaps

Guan Junyi offered Bai Rou a powerful puppet for one thousand mid-grade spirit stones and asked the seniors to advance half the price while his sister fetched it. After receiving the puppet, he feared Li Yan and Bai Rou would punish him for his cautious deception, while they judged how recklessly he had risked his life for his village.

• Guan Junyi offered Bai Rou a puppet capable of a late Nascent Soul strike for one thousand mid-grade spirit stones.
• Guan Junyi asked Bai Rou and Li Yan to pay five hundred spirit stones in advance and let Guan Man retrieve the puppet from their village.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou took Guan Junyi and Guan Man to a secluded wilderness, where Guan Man flew back to the village on a golden sparrow puppet.
• Guan Man returned with the leopard-shaped puppet, and Guan Junyi bowed and pleaded with Li Yan and Bai Rou not to harm the village.
• Li Yan calmly confronted Guan Junyi about his scheme, making the terrified youth struggle to explain that he had acted out of fear and need.

Li Yan and Bai Rou confronted Guan Junyi and Guan Man over their scheme, then Li Yan frightened Guan Junyi and took his leopard-shaped puppet while sparing him. As they continued onward, Bai Rou examined the puppet and noticed that its formations seemed deliberately weakened or flawed.

• Li Yan warned Guan Junyi and Guan Man not to repeat their scheme, then took Guan Junyi’s leopard-shaped puppet and left the pair behind.
• Guan Junyi recovered from his terror, discovered a high-grade Storage Pouch beside him, and found it contained spirit stones with no Divine Sense imprint.
• Bai Rou reproached Li Yan for frightening Guan Junyi, and Li Yan explained that he wanted the youth to understand the danger of careless schemes.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou discussed Guan Junyi’s cleverness, and Li Yan’s teasing words left Bai Rou blushing.
• Bai Rou examined the leopard-shaped puppet and found that its formations seemed weakened, obstructed, and unable to release its full power.

Li Yan persuaded Bai Rou to investigate Guan Junyi’s village in hopes of obtaining a complete puppet, while concealing that he might steal its puppet arts if the villagers refused to trade. On his way back to the village, Guan Junyi was confronted by a silver-robed man who had tracked him from the market.

• Li Yan and Bai Rou reasoned that Guan Junyi’s village had a shared, sophisticated puppet-making inheritance despite its apparent poverty.
• Li Yan urged Bai Rou to visit the village and seek a complete puppet, privately considering taking one or stealing the village’s cultivation methods if needed.
• Bai Rou worried that their visit could cause trouble for Guan Junyi, but agreed after Li Yan promised they would leave if circumstances seemed unfavorable.
• Guan Junyi reflected on the danger of the market encounter as he flew toward his village with the Storage Pouch.
• A silver-robed middle-aged man appeared before Guan Junyi and demanded to know what he had done after leaving the market with the outsiders.

Nie Yuanchang tracked down Guan Junyi after the youths from Guan Village disappeared, then used soul search to learn that Junyi had sold a forbidden puppet and killed him to suppress the potential threat. Guan Man waited in Junyi’s room, unaware that Nie Yuanchang was heading toward Guan Village with his corpse.

• Nie Yuanchang questioned Guan Junyi about the missing village girl and the cultivators who had left the market with him.
• Nie Yuanchang used soul search on Guan Junyi and learned he had sold a puppet given to him by Guan Tianxi.
• Nie Yuanchang destroyed Guan Junyi’s sea of consciousness, took his five hundred middle-grade spirit stones, and flew toward Guan Village carrying his corpse.
• Guan Man returned to Guan Junyi’s room and waited anxiously, relieved that the village chief and elders had not seen her.

Guan Man witnessed Nie Yuanchang throw Guan Junyi’s corpse into the village entrance before fainting. After she recovered, she told the village chief and Guan Tianxi what had happened, and the village chief’s grief and anger focused on the Runyu Sect.

• Guan Man hurried to the village entrance, where Nie Yuanchang’s furious shout shook the villagers and struck the village-protecting formation.
• Nie Yuanchang threw Guan Junyi’s corpse behind the entrance, then vanished as he hurried to report the incident to his superiors.
• Guan Man recognized Guan Junyi’s bloodied face and fainted as villagers rushed to the entrance.
• The village chief, Guan Tianxi, and Aunt Yuanxiang questioned Guan Man after she awakened, and Aunt Yuanxiang helped her regain her composure.
• Guan Man answered their questions and showed them the Storage Pouch, while the village chief mourned Guan Junyi and blamed the Runyu Sect.

Guan Village mourned Guan Junyi’s death and faced mounting pressure from the Rainmoist Sect as First Elder Feng emerged from seclusion. Li Yan and Bai Rou overheard the village’s plight, and as they prepared to leave, Feng declared that the time had come to act despite not having broken through.

• The villagers learned that the Rainmoist Sect cultivator who killed Guan Junyi had also stolen the spirit stones from the transaction, and Xiao Yu demanded revenge.
• First Elder Feng emerged from seclusion and warned that the village would soon face questioning, while the village chief described how the factions’ control had made their situation worse.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou listened from outside as Bai Rou recognized Guan Village’s predicament as similar to the Woodflow Sect’s suppression over its puppet arts.
• Bai Rou urged Li Yan to leave rather than trade with the village, and Li Yan agreed despite regretting that he could not obtain its puppet techniques.
• Feng announced that the time had come to act, and the fair-skinned young man protested that Feng had not yet broken through.

Guan Feng ordered Guan Village to flee west before the Runyu Sect tightened its control, while he prepared to activate a formation that could draw the sect’s Void Refinement cultivators away. The villagers escaped under cover of their protective formation, and Guan Feng followed them in a bird-shaped puppet.

• Guan Feng decided to send the villagers west immediately, giving Guan Hong'an and the others twenty breaths to gather everyone and take Little Yi’s spirit stones.
• Guan Feng went to the hidden formation to activate its false Heavenly Tribulation, hoping to create chaos and improve the villagers’ chances of escape.
• Guan Hong'an and the other leaders placed Guan Man in the spirit storage space and gathered the clansmen according to their long-prepared plan.
• Four figures flew west from Guan Village, while two hidden figures followed them through the village-protecting formation.
• The two hidden figures recognized that the village’s active formation and puppet patrols could conceal the escape and retaliate against attackers.
• Guan Feng entered a mysterious bird-shaped puppet and silently flew west after the others.

Guan Feng hurried to escort Guan Hong'an and the other survivors away while recalling how Guan Village had declined from a powerful, protected settlement into a target of surrounding sects. The village’s fate remained precarious as they raced west, pursued by the Rain Nourishing Sect and abandoned by the first-rate sect that had once sheltered them.

• Guan Feng activated a hidden puppet to trigger a formation near the market and create confusion while Rain Nourishing Sect forces were drawn toward Guan Village.
• Guan Feng caught up with Guan Hong'an and four other survivors, carried them on the black mystic bird, and continued toward a destination thirty thousand li westward.
• Guan Feng received Guan Hong'an’s spirit storage ring and kept the four survivors outside his spirit storage space so they could help him break through if needed.
• Guan Feng recalled how Guan Village’s founder had earned land and protection from a first-rate sect, and how the village later flourished through its powerful mechanism and puppet arts.
• After the founder disappeared, the first-rate sect’s protection faded, the Guan Clan declined, and surrounding powers—especially the Rain Nourishing Sect—sought its techniques while the first-rate sect tolerated the pressure.

Guan Feng led Guan Village’s attempted escape from the Rainmoist Sect, but four Spirit Transformation cultivators intercepted them before they could reach the territory’s edge. As Guan Feng and the others engaged the pursuers, Xiaoyu suddenly turned his puppet’s sword against Guan Feng’s black mystic bird puppet.

• Guan Feng led the village’s escape, hoping the formation’s disturbance would draw away Rainmoist Sect experts.
• Four Rainmoist Sect Spirit Transformation cultivators intercepted Guan Feng and his companions.
• Guan Feng ordered the group to split up, with him and Guan Hong’an and Guan Tianxi engaging the pursuers while Guan Yuanxiang and Xiaoyu broke through.
• Guan Feng attacked three enemies as Guan Hong’an and Guan Tianxi moved to hold off the fourth.
• Xiaoyu halted his puppet and swung its dark-blue greatsword at the neck of Guan Feng’s black mystic bird puppet.

Guan Xiaoyu revealed his betrayal and ambushed Guan Feng with a sword powerful enough to cripple the black mystic bird puppet. As the Guan clan fighters were overwhelmed and Guan Feng’s allies fell, he decided to destroy his puppet and body in a final attack.

• Guan Xiaoyu struck Guan Feng’s black mystic bird with a dark-blue greatsword, damaging its formations, but Guan Feng evaded his follow-up strike and counterattacked.
• Guan Yuanxiang attacked Xiaoyu in fury, and Xiaoyu defended his betrayal by arguing that the Guan clan should return to the Xuan Ying Sect or merge with the Runyu Sect.
• Guan Feng realized Xiaoyu had leaked the village’s plans and guided their enemies to the escape route while secretly studying the black mystic bird’s weaknesses.
• Guan Feng struggled against two late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivators as Guan Hong'an and Guan Tianxi were knocked down with their puppets badly damaged.
• Guan Feng told Guan Hong'an and the others that he intended to self-destruct his puppet and body, and Guan Hong'an agreed to go with him.

Li Yan intervened when Guan Xiaoyu’s betrayal and the Runyu Sect’s attack left Guan Village on the brink of destruction. He killed the four Spirit Transformation cultivators and carried the immobilized villagers away, warning them that a Void Refinement cultivator was heading toward Guan Village.

• The Runyu Sect cultivators tried to seize Guan Feng’s puppets and threatened his clansmen, but Guan Feng refused to surrender and prepared to fight to the death.
• Guan Xiaoyu fled as Guan Yuanxiang attacked him in a desperate bid to hold him in place.
• Li Yan’s power immobilized everyone, and he killed the four Runyu Sect Spirit Transformation cultivators before carrying Guan Feng and the others away.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou appeared before the villagers and warned them not to make a sound because they were still in Runyu Sect territory.
• Li Yan told the villagers that the western route was sealed and a Void Refinement cultivator was heading toward Guan Village.

Li Yan rescued Guan Feng and the others, then saw through Guan Feng’s plan to use their plea for help to test him and kill Guan Xiaoyu. As the Runyu Sect’s grand formation erupted, Guan Feng kept pleading while Li Yan left the choice of whether to intervene unresolved.

• Li Yan freed Guan Feng, who checked the others and ordered Guan Yuanxiang to treat the badly injured Guan Hong'an and Guan Tianxi.
• Guan Feng thanked Li Yan and Bai Rou, but a pillar of light rose as the grand formation erupted, prompting him to beg them to escort the clan to safety.
• Li Yan refused Guan Feng’s request, and Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang prostrated themselves and continued pleading.
• Bai Rou questioned Li Yan’s decision to leave, and Li Yan explained that Guan Feng was testing them and intended to seize an opportunity to kill Guan Xiaoyu.
• Guan Feng was shaken that Li Yan had exposed his plan and continued denying it as he kowtowed.

Li Yan collected Guan Feng, Guan Yuanxiang, and the others into Tuban, then fled west with Bai Rou. They were stopped by Qian Feng of the Rain-Moistening Sect, who had been waiting to intercept Guan Village’s fleeing puppet masters.

• Bai Rou urged Li Yan to take the captives away or leave quickly, and Li Yan collected them into Tuban before departing with her.
• Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang found themselves in Tuban’s small, spirit-rich space and saw that Guan Xiaoyu remained sealed inside his puppet.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou flew west with their auras exposed, and Qian Feng appeared ahead and asked them to stop.
• Qian Feng revealed that the Rain-Moistening Sect had sent out its disciples to search for Guan Village’s fleeing puppet masters, and he had been stationed to watch the western route.

Qian Feng stopped passing cultivators on behalf of the Rain-Soothing Sect while searching for Guan Village’s people, but he let Li Yan and his companion go after inspecting their spirit-storage treasures and finding Gu insects. The next day, a report about Guan Village and the disappearance of four Spirit Transformation cultivators left Qian Feng facing an unexpected development.

• Qian Feng had his subordinates search passing cultivators and personally intercepted Li Yan, a Void Refinement cultivator, and his Nascent Soul companion.
• Qian Feng asked Li Yan and his companion to open their spirit-storage spaces, offering a jade slip that granted discounts at Rain-Soothing Sect markets in exchange for their cooperation.
• Qian Feng found Gu insects in their spirit-storage treasures but no people from Guan Village, so he gave them the jade slip and let them continue on their way.
• Qian Feng searched another Void Refinement cultivator overnight and gave that cultivator a jade slip as compensation for the inspection.
• Qian Feng received a report that Guan Village had left behind only worthless puppets, the strange phenomenon had been caused by human hands, and four Spirit Transformation cultivators who pursued the villagers had disappeared.

Li Yan and Bai Rou escaped Rainmoist Sect’s search and brought Guan Feng and three other survivors to a mountain cave. Li Yan asked what they planned to do next, then unsettled them by saying he would let them leave—but asking whether they could actually do so.

• Rainmoist Sect failed to find Guan Village or the missing Spirit Transformation cultivators and reported the disaster to Mystic Heroic Sect.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou reached a mountain cave without being pursued, after Li Yan used numerous gu insects to mislead anyone inspecting their spatial treasures.
• Li Yan learned through a Snow Mosquito that Guan Feng had exposed Guan Xiaoyu’s betrayal, tortured and killed him, and separately confined several of his relatives.
• Li Yan brought Guan Feng, Guan Hong'an, Guan Tianxi, and another survivor out of the spatial treasure and met them with Bai Rou in the cave.
• Guan Feng and the others greeted Li Yan and Bai Rou as Seniors and wondered whether the pair had rescued them because of their ties to Guan Junyi.
• Li Yan asked what the survivors planned to do now that they had left Rainmoist Sect’s territory, then said he would let them go and questioned whether they could leave.

Li Yan questioned Guan Feng about Guan Village’s flight and learned that the villagers had been controlled and pursued by powerful sects. After freeing them, he watched from nearby and proposed to Bai Rou that they settle the displaced villagers in a valley and help them recover, despite the danger of attracting the Mysterious Heroic Sect.

• Li Yan demanded that Guan Feng explain why Guan Village was fleeing and warned him not to lie.
• Guan Feng recounted Guan Village’s origins and its long history of being controlled and targeted by powerful sects.
• Li Yan explained that the villagers were likely still within the Mysterious Heroic Sect’s jurisdiction, removed the formation, and left with Bai Rou without making demands.
• Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang cautiously went outside to check whether Li Yan and Bai Rou had truly left.
• Li Yan secretly observed the villagers from nearby while Bai Rou asked about his intentions.
• Li Yan proposed settling the villagers in the valley where the little fox lived, and Bai Rou warned that gathering them could provoke the Mysterious Heroic Sect.

Li Yan explained that he wanted the Guan clan to understand the dangers pursuing them before offering them refuge, while Guan Yuanxiang and Guan Feng fled the Mystic Heroic Gate after learning it had falsely branded them as killers. Their attempt to repair Guan Feng’s puppet at a marketplace turned into an ambush, and Guan Yuanxiang escaped as Guan Feng’s battered puppet crashed nearby.

• Li Yan told Bai Rou he intended to hide the Guan clan in a secret realm and make them face the dangers before accepting his help.
• Guan Yuanxiang fled three pursuers after she and Guan Feng learned through Soul Searches that the Mystic Heroic Gate was seeking their clan under a false accusation.
• Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang entered a marketplace to repair his puppet, but its detection formation exposed their identities and the guards prepared an ambush.
• A disguised Spirit Transformation cultivator poisoned Guan Feng and attacked him while a shopkeeper stalled him.
• Guan Feng detonated five puppets to counterattack and shouted for Guan Yuanxiang to run, then fled toward her as the blast struck.
• Guan Yuanxiang escaped the marketplace, and Guan Feng’s battered puppet crashed into a crater near her.

Guan Yuanxiang fought her way past three Nascent Soul cultivators but collapsed before she could finish them, only to be rescued by Li Yan and Bai Rou. The chapter left Guan Feng recovering from poison in the wilderness as he woke and saw his rescuers.

• Guan Yuanxiang used the Ten Puppet Nascent Infant Tower Formation to break through the three Nascent Soul cultivators' encirclement, destroying most of her puppets and badly injuring herself.
• As Guan Yuanxiang fled, pill toxins and backlash from her damaged life-bound puppet drained her spiritual power, and the three pursuers closed in.
• Guan Yuanxiang tried to form the technique again, but her meridians failed; just as a black cloak descended to capture her, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou appeared, froze the three pursuers in place, and killed them with a single strike.
• In the wilderness, Bai Rou treated Guan Feng's poison, and Guan Feng woke to see Li Yan and Bai Rou nearby.

Li Yan offered Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang refuge beyond the Profound Heroic Sect’s territory in exchange for access to the Guan clan’s puppet arts and a future supply of powerful puppets. Guan Feng agreed to negotiate the terms and sought a promise to protect the Guan clan, while Li Yan discussed contracts and plans for their development.

• After expelling the poison, Guan Feng begged Li Yan and Bai Rou to save him and Guan Yuanxiang.
• Li Yan offered the pair a safe place to rebuild the Guan clan, freedom to come and go, and initial spiritual stones in exchange for their cooperation.
• Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang recognized that Li Yan wanted the clan’s puppet arts and puppets, but preferred dealing with him over the Profound Heroic Sect and Rain-Moistening Sect.
• Li Yan asked Bai Rou to study the Guan clan’s true puppet arts privately and required the clan to make at least Nascent Soul-level puppets from materials he would provide.
• Guan Feng agreed to both conditions but asked Li Yan to make a promise protecting the Guan clan.
• Li Yan began discussing the puppet order and a contract, and said he hoped Guan Feng would soon reach the Void Refinement realm.

Li Yan secured Guan Feng and the Guan clan’s cooperation, then evaded Mystic Heroic Sect’s renewed search by changing his appearance and traveling through a teleportation array. More than two years later, he and Bai Rou returned to the valley and found the little fox cultivating in the thatched hut.

• Li Yan, Bai Rou, and Guan Feng formed a contract, and Li Yan gave Guan Feng fifth-grade healing Pills for the injured Guan clan members.
• Li Yan placed Guan Feng and Guan Yuanxiang in Tuban’s spirit-storage space, then Bai Rou agreed to hide there while they traveled through Mystic Heroic Sect’s territory.
• Li Yan disguised himself and discovered that Mystic Heroic Sect was inspecting jade slips bearing portraits of him, Bai Rou, and Guan Village’s cultivators.
• Li Yan passed inspection by presenting Phantom Sect’s token and showing no spirit-storage artifact, then he and Bai Rou continued their journey.
• More than two years later, Li Yan and Bai Rou returned to the valley, and Li Yan startled the little fox when he entered the thatched hut.

Li Yan and Bai Rou brought the Guan clan to a secluded lakeside refuge and laid out the rules for settling there. The clan accepted the arrangement, while the fiery-red fox remained in its home and was entrusted to their care.

• Li Yan and Bai Rou visited the fiery-red fox, assured it that human cultivators would not disturb its cultivation, and altered its memories to conceal their identities.
• Li Yan transported the Guan clan to the lakeside refuge, where Guan Feng, Guan Hong'an, and Guan Tianxi discussed the bargain and agreed that accepting help in exchange for their puppet arts was worthwhile.
• The Guan clan inspected the lake and its surroundings, then bowed to Li Yan and Bai Rou in respect.
• Li Yan forbade the clan from approaching the thatched hut, permitted them to build villages around the lake, and warned them about the miasma beyond the forest and mountains.
• Li Yan told the Guan clan to leave the fiery-red fox undisturbed and help it if it needed anything, and Guan Feng agreed to follow his instructions.

Li Yan and Bai Rou settled the Guan clan in the hidden area and brought Guan Feng to help plan its defenses. Guan Feng proposed a concealment formation, and the three settled on the Chaotic Flowers Bewilder Butterflies Array as their initial plan.

• Li Yan warned the little fox to seek help from the four powerful cultivators only when necessary and told the Guan clan to treat it as an equal.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou prepared new teleportation arrays and stronger defenses while the Guan villagers cleared land and began building houses.
• Guan Feng confirmed the area was not under Xuanying Sect jurisdiction and recognized the Shattered Star Array in Li Yan's thatched cottage.
• Li Yan trusted Guan Feng to help protect the little fox's home and took him through the teleportation array to inspect the valley.
• Guan Feng recognized that the lake led to a secret realm and suggested concealing the valley and its mountainside entrance.
• Li Yan, Bai Rou, and Guan Feng discussed defensive formations and chose the Chaotic Flowers Bewilder Butterflies Array for their initial plan.

Guan Feng and Li Yan gathered materials to restore the Guan clan’s “Chaotic Flowers Bewildering Butterflies” formation, and Guan Feng returned with news that their refuge was a secret realm far from the Xuanying Sect. Guan Hong'an and the others began building the village, hopeful that the arrangement would give Guan Village a new life.

• Guan Feng named the materials needed for the formation, and Li Yan and the woman in white found they already had most of them.
• Li Yan and the others visited a market, bought the available materials and merchant-recommended substitutes, and told Guan Feng to test them.
• Guan Feng returned to the lake with multiple portions of the formation materials, leaving him overwhelmed with emotion.
• Guan Feng told Guan Hong'an and the other two that they were in a secret realm far from the Xuanying Sect and that he would refine the village’s formation.
• Guan Hong'an, Guan Yuanxiang, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators resolved to build the village, encouraged by the seniors’ apparent decision to let them manage the secret realm.

More than a year after Guan Village settled in the secret realm, Guan Feng exchanged puppet arts with Bai Rou and gained insights that later transformed the clan’s tradition. After Li Yan and Bai Rou departed, they traveled through a snowy wilderness and recalled their recent escape from a Body Integration Ghost Infant Beast.

• Guan Feng completed the village’s defenses, controlled its new concealed formation, and began exchanging puppet arts with Bai Rou.
• Bai Rou’s ideas broadened Guan Feng’s understanding, and four months later Li Yan and Bai Rou departed while Guan Feng entered seclusion.
• The Guan clansmen settled into their new lives as years passed, while Li Yan and Bai Rou continued traveling together.
• Li Yan recalled that he and Bai Rou had fled Ghost Infant Beasts after a Body Integration beast ambushed him and shattered half his body.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou crossed the snowbound wilderness on the Cloud-Piercing Blade, wary of unknown dangers.

Li Yan escaped the Ghost Infant Beast through the turbulent spatial currents, recovered from his injuries, and discovered that he and Bai Rou were lost in a remote snowy region. After detecting a large battle nearby, he went to investigate, where Ye Moran’s group was desperately defending a trapped crowd.

• Li Yan fled through the turbulent spatial currents until the Ghost Infant Beast abandoned its pursuit, then returned to the Immortal-Spirit Realm and realized he was lost.
• Li Yan hid underground, treated his injuries for more than ten days, and drew Bai Rou from his spirit-storage space after recovering.
• Li Yan and Bai Rou searched the remote snowy region for directions, and Li Yan reassured her that the area showed no clear signs of a powerful Demon Beast’s territory.
• Li Yan detected more than two hundred people fighting twenty-four thousand li away and decided to investigate with Bai Rou.
• Ye Moran directed his people to defend their array and protect the trapped crowd as the battle continued through the snow.