Chapter Summaries

Song Kun sought the intake records for Ling Family Mountain’s outer prefecture disciples, but Yang Cuan forced him to trade his swordsmanship notes for access. Meanwhile, Qi Yun successfully broke through the miasma in his Purple Mansion and entered the Qi Refining Third Layer.

• Song Kun ordered a search for clues and went to Jiali Hall to inspect the intake records.
• Yang Cuan blocked Song Kun from retrieving the records until Song Kun agreed to lend him his swordsmanship notes.
• Song Kun obtained the Jade Slip of records, while Yang Cuan ordered a copy and suspected the outer prefecture juniors were significant.
• Qi Yun gathered the Innate True Qi filling his meridians and drove it against the obscuring miasma in his Purple Mansion.
• Qi Yun’s True Qi shattered the miasma and flowed into his Dantian, completing his breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

After reaching the Qi Refining Third Layer, Qi Yun bought the Skull Incantation and its cultivation materials from the Wuji Treasure Market. A letter from Wu Tao then arrived, and its opening words made Qi Yun fear that his secret had been exposed.

• Qi Yun confirmed his cultivation had reached the Qi Refining Third Layer and decided to acquire a protective spell rather than rush toward the Fourth Layer.
• Qi Yun chose the Skull Incantation, purchased its detailed version, and received a violent-death skull and a sealed bottle of vicious Qi and resentful thoughts with the delivery.
• A neatly dressed messenger brought Qi Yun a letter from Wu Tao of the Ninth Outer Prefecture.
• Qi Yun began reading the letter, then abruptly shut it when its opening made him suspect that his secret had been exposed.

Qi Yun suspected that Wu Tao’s invitation was a trap connected to Tang Shun’s murder, so he sent a polite refusal to delay being lured out of the Seventh Outer Prefecture. Wu Tao had betrayed him for a promised chance to become Senior Brother Zhou’s fellow disciple, and Zhou frowned after reading Qi Yun’s reply.

• Qi Yun reasoned that Tang Shun’s murder might have been traced to him, but that the people investigating could not reach him directly in the Seventh Outer Prefecture.
• Qi Yun wrote Wu Tao a warm-sounding letter refusing to meet until after his imminent breakthrough, then sent it by courier at the slower delivery speed.
• Wu Tao received Qi Yun’s letter and presented it to Senior Brother Zhou, who promised him credit and a chance to become the True Person’s disciple for reporting Qi Yun.
• Wu Tao recalled how he had accused Qi Yun after Senior Brother Zhou offered him a precious pill, then helped write the letter intended to lure Qi Yun out for capture.
• Senior Brother Zhou read Qi Yun’s claim that he was nearing the Qi Refining Second Layer and furrowed his brows.

Zheng Yi visited Qi Yun and revealed that Song Kun was investigating the Ling Family Mountain disciples because his nephew, Tang Shun, was among them. He asked Qi Yun to act as bait so Zheng Yi’s master could catch Song Kun violating sect rules, leaving Qi Yun weighing the promise of protection and entry into the inner court.

• Zhou Hao read Qi Yun’s letter, dismissed any suspicion, and decided to give him more time.
• Qi Yun failed to control the animated skull, suppressed its backlash with a talisman, and answered a knock at his courtyard gate.
• Zheng Yi introduced himself and told Qi Yun that Song Kun had demanded the records of Ling Family Mountain disciples, including Tang Shun.
• Zheng Yi explained that his master wanted Qi Yun to lure Song Kun into breaking sect rules in exchange for protection and guaranteed entry into the inner court.
• Qi Yun recognized the plan as inner-court factional infighting and questioned whether Zheng Yi’s master could truly keep him safe.

Qi Yun accepted Zheng Yi’s assignment to serve as bait, then used the opportunity to obtain a flying sword and extensive cultivation guidance. After Zheng Yi left, Qi Yun refined the sword and revealed he had no intention of meekly playing bait.

• Qi Yun agreed to Zheng Yi’s bait assignment but asked for compensation, and Zheng Yi offered him the [Azure Sky] flying sword instead of Sacred Yuan.
• Zheng Yi gave Qi Yun a communication jade talisman and taught him how to complete the Skull Incantation.
• Qi Yun mastered the Skull Incantation and pressed Zheng Yi for further instruction on his Qi-refining cultivation method.
• Zheng Yi spent most of the day dictating cultivation insights before escaping Qi Yun’s repeated requests to stay.
• Qi Yun shut the courtyard gate, refined the [Azure Sky] flying sword, and dismissed the idea of serving as bait on Zheng Yi’s terms.

Qi Yun tested the upgraded Basic Sword Qi and decided to improve his protective Skull Incantation with his remaining Sacred Yuan. After Zheng Yi explained that Wu Tao’s invitation to the Remnant Realm was likely a trap arranged by Song Kun, Qi Yun learned that Master had made other plans for his protection.

• Qi Yun tested version 4.0 of Basic Sword Qi and found its power, quantity, range, and efficiency greatly improved.
• Qi Yun opened Wuji Treasure Market to find spiritual objects that could accelerate Skull Incantation’s update.
• After a month and a half without a reply, Wu Tao sent Qi Yun a letter inviting him to join a sect mission to the Remnant Realm.
• Zheng Yi explained that Song Kun was likely luring Qi Yun into the unsupervised Remnant Realm and would probably send disciples rather than act personally.
• Qi Yun tried to get Zheng Yi to give him more life-saving items, but Zheng Yi said Master had made thorough arrangements and told him to go as agreed.

Qi Yun entered Drifting Remains Mountain to meet Wu Tao, while Zheng Yi revealed that Qi Yun was bait in a plan to provoke the master of Flower Moon Hall into acting. Qi Yun found Wu Tao at the mountain’s northern foot and waited in hiding for the others to arrive.

• Zheng Yi told Qi Yun to follow their plan in Drifting Remains Mountain and said his master would watch the master of Flower Moon Hall.
• After Qi Yun left, Zheng Yi reported to his master that the bait was in place, and his master ordered him to keep Qi Yun alive until the target acted personally.
• Qi Yun arrived in Drifting Remains Mountain and traveled toward the northern side, wary of its miasma, traps, and dangerous coffins.
• Qi Yun reached the northern foot of the mountain and spotted Wu Tao standing alone among the rocks.
• Qi Yun stayed hidden and waited for the other participants in the scheme to arrive.

Qi Yun met Wu Tao in the stone forest, where Wu Tao tried to cripple him with a hidden Sword Qi attack, but Qi Yun’s upgraded Skull Incantation blocked it and his own Sword Qi killed Wu Tao. A concealed attacker then struck from the shadows, and Qi Yun dodged and fled toward the edge of the stone forest, certain the real enemy had taken the bait.

• Qi Yun sensed Zheng Yi’s signal and went to meet Wu Tao in the stone forest.
• Wu Tao secretly crushed a jade talisman and sent a deadly scarlet Sword Qi at Qi Yun.
• Qi Yun’s Guardian Skull automatically appeared and blocked the attack, revealing his upgraded Skull Incantation.
• Qi Yun used Basic Sword Qi that turned mid-flight and pierced Wu Tao’s chest, killing him.
• A hidden attacker launched a surprise strike at Qi Yun, who dodged and raced toward the edge of the stone forest.

Qi Yun escaped Zhou Hao’s pursuit through the mountain forest until Zhou Hao’s five-ghost tracking method trapped him. Qi Yun destroyed one ghost with a cache of powerful talismans, then taunted Zhou Hao and fled deeper into the mountains.

• Qi Yun fled into the forest using [Clear Breeze Technique] after Zhou Hao killed Wu Tao and pursued him in a ghost sedan.
• Zhou Hao used the [Five Ghosts Tracking Great Method] to send five ghosts after Qi Yun, and Zheng Yi warned Qi Yun that they could trap him.
• Zhou Hao reinforced the ghosts, which coordinated to surround Qi Yun and block his escape routes.
• Qi Yun charged through the nearest ghost while unleashing dozens of powerful Evil-Dispelling Baleful Intent-Breaking Talismans and hidden Sword Qi, destroying it.
• Qi Yun taunted Zhou Hao, transformed into flowing wind, and fled deeper into the mountains while Zhou Hao seethed and Zheng Yi watched in surprise and amusement.

Qi Yun lured Zhou Hao into the Blood-Transforming Pure Lotus Throne trap, where the lotus stems began draining his blood and turning him to stone. As Qi Yun prepared to strike, Zhou Hao shattered a jade ring, summoning a pair of powerful eyes whose voice made him collapse.

• Qi Yun followed Zheng Yi's directions to the crimson-lit cavern, and Zhou Hao pursued him inside despite suspecting a provocation.
• Qi Yun stepped through the safe positions Zheng Yi had taught him and taunted Zhou Hao into following.
• An unseen person kicked Zhou Hao into the cavern, triggering the Blood-Transforming Pure Lotus Throne trap.
• The lotus stems pierced Zhou Hao's ankles and drained his blood as stone patterns spread beneath him, and he realized Qi Yun had set him up.
• Qi Yun prepared to attack Zhou Hao with Sword Qi, but Zhou Hao shattered an emerald jade ring.
• A vast illusory sky appeared, and a pair of aged eyes opened before a heavenly voice called Zhou Hao "Trash!" and forced him to his knees.

Qi Yun was nearly seized by Song Kun, the master of Flower Moon Hall, until Yang Cuan and Wei Li intervened and forced Song Kun to accept punishment for breaking the Holy Sect’s rules. After the True Persons departed, Qi Yun realized Zheng Yi had come to kill him to eliminate the witnesses to their scheme.

• Song Kun used his Foundation Establishment power to pin Qi Yun down and reach for him with a hand formed from Law Power.
• Yang Cuan’s folding fan blocked Song Kun, and he brought Wei Li to witness Song Kun’s interference in outer court affairs.
• Wei Li ordered Song Kun to report to the Internal Inspection Office and accept his punishment; Song Kun left after threatening Qi Yun with revenge in sixty years.
• Zheng Yi praised Qi Yun for helping lure Song Kun into the trap, but Qi Yun deduced that Zheng Yi intended to kill him as a witness.
• Zheng Yi admitted that he wanted to spare Qi Yun but refused.

Qi Yun lured Zheng Yi into pursuing him across Drifting Remains Mountain, using his evasive technique to survive repeated attacks until he reached a sealed golden coffin. After he struck the coffin and killed himself, the coffin burst open and a terrifying corpse-bound figure appeared, leaving Zheng Yi trapped with it.

• Zheng Yi attacked Qi Yun with his foul-blood copper sword, but Qi Yun's clear-breeze technique diverted the strike and let him escape the cavern.
• Zheng Yi pursued Qi Yun through Drifting Remains Mountain, repeatedly firing sword-rays that Qi Yun's technique deflected until Qi Yun nearly ran out of True Qi.
• Qi Yun pointed out the golden coffin suspended above them, then struck it with his remaining Sword Qi despite Zheng Yi's furious warning.
• The coffin exploded, releasing dense corpse Qi and a terrifying figure that crashed onto the mountain.
• Qi Yun told Zheng Yi to handle the figure, then used Sword Qi to kill himself, leaving Zheng Yi realizing he was trapped in the sealed Remnant Realm.

Qi Yun survived his apparent death through the [Skull Incantation]’s Death Substitution, then Yang Cuan spared him and gave him a mysterious fragment. Yang Cuan secretly planned to let Qi Yun grow stronger before Zheng Yi possessed his body.

• Qi Yun revived after Death Substitution transferred his death to the protective skull, but the spell was lost.
• Yang Cuan confronted Qi Yun, praised his disposition, and offered to spare him if he begged for his life.
• Yang Cuan erased the matter, gave Qi Yun a strange fragment, and sent him out of the [Remnant Realm].
• Zheng Yi emerged gravely wounded and questioned why Yang Cuan had let Qi Yun go.
• Yang Cuan revealed that he intended for Zheng Yi to possess Qi Yun after the [Peach Garden] opened and Qi Yun’s aptitude improved.

After surviving Drifting Remains Mountain, Qi Yun found his Dao heart clear and his cultivation poised for a breakthrough. He resolved to win the outer prefecture assessments and enter the inner prefecture for protection, then reached the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

• Two days after returning from Drifting Remains Mountain, Qi Yun rested and felt his thoughts and Dao heart clear, sensing that he was close to breaking through.
• Qi Yun decided to pursue the Triple First-Place Champion title so he could enter the inner prefecture and gain a Foundation Establishment True Person's protection from the Flower Moon Hall Master.
• Considering the well-connected disciples competing for the title, Qi Yun rejected his hesitation and destroyed the courtyard rockery with Sword Qi.
• Qi Yun's True Qi surged as he absorbed the Qi of heaven and earth, transforming it into a far denser and more powerful form.
• Qi Yun broke through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer and demonstrated True Qi projection by forming a rounded barrier around himself.

After reaching the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, Qi Yun planned to strengthen his cultivation and spells, then spent two months drawing talismans and upgraded [Talisman Art]. His improved technique let him flood [Wuji Treasure Market] with discounted talismans, drawing resentment from rival talisman masters, before he shifted his earnings toward cultivation and the year-end assessment.

• Qi Yun assessed his new protective True Qi and planned to focus on cultivation, [Skull Incantation], and improving [Clear Breeze Technique].
• Qi Yun spent two months drawing talismans, raising [Talisman Art] to version 3.0 and discovering it greatly improved his precision and results.
• Qi Yun’s discounted [Evil-Dispelling Talismans] and [Baleful Intent-Breaking Talismans] seized part of [Wuji Treasure Market]’s low-grade market and angered established talisman masters.
• Qi Yun stopped selling talismans to avoid further attention, then bought spiritual objects and cultivation pills as he prepared to claim first place in the year-end assessment.

Qi Yun used wood-element spiritual treasures to upgrade the Clear Breeze Technique with a self-healing effect, then began refining Heavenly Treasure Pills to cultivate. The outer court year-end assessment summoned every disciple to Jade Blood Hall, where a demon-like man arrived.

• Qi Yun found that natural spiritual treasures advanced his Law Technique updates less efficiently and used his remaining wood-element treasures to complete two Clear Breeze Technique upgrades.
• The Clear Breeze Technique gained a self-healing effect while Qi Yun was in its clear breeze state.
• Qi Yun swallowed more than ten Heavenly Treasure Pills and began cultivating with the Innate One Qi Heart Method.
• A conch horn summoned all outer court disciples to Jade Blood Hall for the year-end assessment, and their Great Void Jade Tallies threatened to burn them if they did not obey.
• A huge winged figure landed before Jade Blood Hall and transformed into a long-faced man with black feathers still visible on his face, startling the disciples.

True Person Ling announced the outer manor assessment in the Mirage Thousand-Faced Realm, where disciples had ten days to find a crystal key and escape through a portal. Qi Yun suspected the rules concealed traps and entered the realm with the others, using Version 6.0 to quietly redirect a brewing fight onto two other disciples.

• True Person Ling, a Foundation Establishment guest elder of the Holy Sect, explained the assessment rules and opened Jade Blood Hall's entrance to the Mirage Thousand-Faced Realm.
• Qi Yun studied the Great Void Jade Tally and suspected that the assessment details hid important information and could not be trusted.
• Two or three hundred weaker disciples withdrew to protect their lives, and True Person Ling allowed them to leave.
• The remaining disciples entered the green vortex leading into the crystal labyrinth, with Qi Yun swept along by the crowd.
• When Qi Yun accidentally stepped on a disciple's heel, his concealment caused that disciple to blame a burly man instead, until True Person Ling's glare stopped their argument.

Qi Yun entered the vast [Mirage Thousand-Faced Realm] and met Pang Xiao, a martial cultivator who attacked him without warning. After Qi Yun countered with a skull and [Light-Splitting Sword Qi], Pang Xiao mistook him for a powerful figure’s descendant and offered talismans as an apology.

• Qi Yun landed safely in the crystal labyrinth and found that his Sword Qi could not damage its walls.
• Pang Xiao landed nearby, introduced himself, and then launched a full-force punch at Qi Yun.
• Qi Yun blocked Pang Xiao’s punch with a white skull wreathed in corpse Qi.
• Pang Xiao attacked with a barrage of punches, and Qi Yun countered by sending two arcs of [Light-Splitting Sword Qi] toward him.
• Pang Xiao dodged the Sword Qi, assumed Qi Yun had a powerful backer, and offered him [Golden Light Sword Talismans] as an apology.
• Qi Yun realized Pang Xiao had misunderstood his identity and smiled mischievously.

Qi Yun defeated Pang Xiao with tracking Sword Qi, but Pang Xiao was rescued from death and branded [Bottom tier] after being expelled from the Mirage Thousand-Faced Realm. Qi Yun began considering how to exploit the assessment’s rules, then five Crystal Keys were found and the real contest began.

• Qi Yun attacked Pang Xiao from concealment with tracking Sword Qi, eventually trapping him in a net of attacks and badly wounding him.
• As Qi Yun moved to finish Pang Xiao, Pang Xiao’s body burst into black feathers, and Qi Yun realized a Foundation Establishment greater demon had been watching and rescuing those near death.
• Pang Xiao was ejected from the Mirage Thousand-Faced Realm and branded [Bottom tier] by True Person Ling, then blamed Lu Ren Jia.
• Qi Yun recognized that the assessment protected participants from death and began calculating how to exploit the rule.
• A pillar of light announced the discovery of the first Crystal Key, followed by four more pillars as the Great Void Jade Tally reported the finds.

Qi Yun ambushed Wen Zong, a powerful sword cultivator seeking the crystal key, and blinded him after his regenerating white-bone skull survived Wen Zong’s Li Fire Sword Qi. As the assessment continued, Qi Yun noticed Wen Zong’s abandoned sword might be a Law Artifact.

• Wen Zong found the crystal key holder and charged him, but Qi Yun ambushed Wen Zong from behind with Sword Qi.
• Wen Zong deflected Qi Yun’s attack and unleashed Li Fire Sword Qi, but Qi Yun’s white-bone skull blocked it and regenerated using its new White Bone Regeneration ability.
• Wen Zong rushed Qi Yun at close range, and Qi Yun engulfed him in Corpse Qi before appearing beside him and blinding him with Sword Qi.
• Qi Yun waited for Wen Zong’s rampage to subside, then struck him once to send him out of the realm; Wen Zong’s eight-faceted sword fell behind.
• Qi Yun examined the fallen sword and wondered whether it was a Law Artifact.