Chapter Summaries

After Tang Tiansong’s death, Hou Fei warned Tang Tianshu and decided to hasten the hatching of the dragon eggs as danger threatened the Tang Household. Tang Tiandong and Tang Tianzi set out to retrieve their brother, while Cui Xueyong went to seek reinforcements and left Tang Tianzi a protective talisman.

• Hou Fei sensed Tang Tiansong’s returned earth soul, learned of his death, and warned Tang Tianshu by sharing memories from the soul.
• Tang Tiandong appointed Tang Tianya to protect their mother and Tang Tianshu, then set out with Tang Tianzi and Cui Xueyong toward Iron Bridge Village.
• Cui Xueyong said he would fetch his grandfather, a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator, to help confront the Ye Household’s four cultivators.
• The three detoured around a fight between a masked Qi Refinement cultivator and Master Kongming before reaching Seven Pines Pavilion.
• Cui Xueyong gave Tang Tianzi his late mother’s single-use protective talisman and confessed that he wanted to marry her.
• Tang Tiandong and Tang Tianzi continued toward Iron Bridge Village to bring Tang Tiansong’s body home.

Tang Tianzi and Tang Tiandong attacked the Ye Household to avenge Tang Tiansong, using Purple Lightning Talismans to kill three cultivators. After learning the attackers had come for a fortuitous opportunity near Gazing Dragon Lake, Tang Tianzi killed the last cultivator, and Tang Tiandong turned his attention to punishing the Ye Household.

• Tang Tianzi and Tang Tiandong entered the Ye Household lineage hall, where Ye Hailiang and the mustached cultivator stood beside Tang Tiansong's body.
• Tang Tianzi used a Purple Lightning Talisman to destroy the goateed cultivator, then killed the green-faced cultivator with another.
• Tang Tianzi revealed more Purple Lightning Talismans and questioned the mustached cultivator about Tang Tiansong's killers and their sect.
• The mustached cultivator admitted his group had come for a fortuitous opportunity near Gazing Dragon Lake, but refused to identify his sect or the fourth killer, so Tang Tianzi killed him.
• Ye Hailiang begged for his life, and Tang Tiandong declared that the Ye Household would pay for its role in Tang Tiansong's death.

Tang Tiandong and Tang Tianzi dealt with the aftermath of Tang Tiansong’s death by killing the Ye Household and negotiating the sale of Iron Bridge Village to the Cui Household. The chapter ended with Cui Xueyong killing Tang Jincan after Tang Jincan tried to blame Tang Miao for the plot.

• Tang Tiandong killed the members of the Ye Household, while Cui Xueyong rejected the idea of killing the rest of Iron Bridge Village.
• Cui Xueyong proposed selling Iron Bridge Village to the Cui Household for three hundred Spirit Stones, followed by yearly spirit rice payments after ten years, and Tang Tiandong approved the arrangement.
• Tang Jincan begged Tang Tiandong and Tang Tianzi for his life, then claimed Tang Miao had been adopted and might have plotted Tang Tiansong’s death.
• Tang Tiandong rejected Tang Jincan’s accusations and condemned his betrayal of the Tang Household.
• Cui Xueyong seized on Tang Jincan’s insult as a reason to kill him and pierced his heart with his sword.

After Tang Tiansong’s death left the Tang Household vulnerable, Tang Tiandong traveled to Divine Dragon Island seeking help from Long Zhiyu. She rejected a marriage alliance and a household alliance, but offered to ask whether her dragons could protect the Tang Household if Tang Tiandong served her personally for a month.

• Tang Tiandong left the Tang Household for Divine Dragon Island, carrying his birth-date card and two spirit swords as payment for possible aid.
• Long Zhiyu told Tang Tiandong that she admired how he had fought four Qi Refinement cultivators, but her clan elder opposed the marriage alliance and the Tang Household had no dragon fossils worth pursuing.
• Tang Tiandong proposed an alliance between the households, but Long Zhiyu dismissed it because the Tang Household could not offer meaningful support in return.
• Tang Tiandong offered two spirit swords to hire Long Zhiyu’s dragons to protect his household, and Long Zhiyu agreed to ask the clan elder.
• Long Zhiyu made her help conditional on Tang Tiandong serving her personally for a month, and Tang Tiandong wondered whether she wanted him as a male bed-warming servant.

Tang Tiandong agreed to spend seven days accompanying Long Zhiyu, securing three years of protection from the Long Household’s dragons in exchange for two spirit swords. After returning to Dangwu Village, he led Tang Tiansong’s funeral, which was interrupted when Yu Wei arrived dressed in red.

• Long Zhiyu asked Tang Tiandong to act as her husband for a month, then shortened the arrangement to seven days and promised an answer about hiring the Long Household’s dragons.
• Tang Tiandong spent seven carefree days sightseeing with Long Zhiyu and later recalled having three sweet dreams of sharing a bed with her.
• Long Zhiyu helped Tang Tiandong secure three years of irregular dragon guard duty and emergency reinforcements for Dangwu Village in exchange for two spirit swords.
• Tang Tiandong and the Tang Household held a simple funeral for Tang Tiansong and buried him beneath the mountain behind Dangwu Village.
• Yu Wei arrived at Tang Tiansong’s burial dressed in festive red, prompting Tang Tiandong to frown.

At Tang Tiansong’s funeral, Yu Wei tried to take her own life so she could be buried with him, but her retching prompted Cui Xueyong to ask whether she had missed her monthly periods. Tang Tianzi discovered that Yu Wei was pregnant with Tang Tiansong’s posthumous child.

• Tang Tiandong and the others objected to Yu Wei wearing red at Tang Tiansong’s funeral, and Yu Wei asked them to bury her with her husband.
• Yu Wei tried to stab herself, but Tang Tiandong caught the dagger and Tang Tianlan took it from her.
• Yu Wei explained that her red dress was meant to be her wedding dress and insisted that she wanted to follow Tang Tiansong.
• After Yu Wei began retching, Cui Xueyong asked whether she had had her monthly period, recalling that he had arranged for her and Tang Tiansong to share a room and had given Tang Tiansong an aphrodisiac and an erotic sword manual.
• Yu Wei said she had not had her period for four months, and Tang Tianzi examined her pulse and confirmed that she was pregnant.

Tang Yuan prepared to enter seclusion while Tang Tianshu remained trapped with the old Daoist who had abducted him years earlier. As the old Daoist lay dying, he asked Tang Tianshu to guard his grave for six years.

• Tang Yuan told Tang Tiandong that Tang Tianshu had been abducted and that Tang Miao had gone south to search for him.
• Tang Yuan said he would enter seclusion on Golden Shell Island with the Mystic Spoon and told Tang Tiandong where to find him if the Tang Household faced a crisis.
• Five years later, Tang Tianshu learned that his dying master had been gravely wounded after the Diancang Sect caught him stealing its treasure.
• Tang Tianshu revealed that he had secretly poisoned the old Daoist with lead from a wine flask and had encouraged him to attack the Diancang Sect.
• Tang Tianshu pleaded for the old Daoist to remove the gu worm in his body, but the old Daoist refused and asked him to guard his grave for six years.

Tang Tianshu cremated Li Ruihai years ahead of schedule because he feared his master might take over his body, leaving himself without the promised way to remove the Gu worm. After finding Li Ruihai’s brocade handkerchief, he decided to seek the treasure associated with the Diancang Sect and headed for Mount Diancang.

• Li Ruihai made Tang Tianshu swear to avenge him, gave him a century-old True Gathering Pill, and instructed him to watch his grave for six years before cremating him and taking the brocade handkerchief.
• Seven days after Li Ruihai’s death, Tang Tianshu grew suspicious that his master planned to take over his body and decided to leave the mountain rather than keep watch over the grave.
• Tang Tianshu turned back, dug up Li Ruihai’s grave, and cremated his body while reciting the Rebirth Sutra.
• Tang Tianshu found the unburned brocade handkerchief in the grave and took it before filling the grave back in.
• Tang Tianshu worried that he had lost his chance to learn how to remove the Gu worm, then remembered Li Ruihai’s plan to steal a Diancang Sect treasure linked to immortal cultivation.
• Tang Tianshu set off toward Mount Diancang in search of the treasure and a possible path to immortal cultivation.

Tang Tianshu tried to join the Diancang Sect so he could get closer to the treasure connected to immortal cultivation. After the disciples rejected him for his poor aptitude, he used a hundred-year-old True Gathering Pill to persuade Sun Ruoya to admit him.

• Tang Tianshu arrived at Mount Diancang and asked to join the Diancang Sect despite having only one Martial Meridian.
• Shen Wenjing mocked Tang Tianshu’s aptitude and tried to drive him away.
• Tang Tianshu praised Sun Ruoya’s potential, and she considered recommending him to the sect.
• Sun Ruoya hesitated because her lack of martial talent left her with little influence in the sect.
• Tang Tianshu offered Sun Ruoya a hundred-year-old True Gathering Pill, and she declared him a Diancang Sect disciple.

Tang Tianshu gave Sun Ruoya a hundred-year True Gathering Pill and joined the Diancang Sect, where Shen Wenjing assigned him to the remote herb garden in Samsara Valley. Tang Tianshu settled into the post despite learning that the valley held the buried remains of five hundred thousand soldiers, while Shen Wenjing left after probing for another pill.

• Sun Ruoya accepted Tang Tianshu's hundred-year True Gathering Pill and offered to make him her junior brother and assign him work in the herb garden.
• Shen Wenjing objected to Tang Tianshu tending the sect's main herb garden, then assigned him to Samsara Valley instead.
• Sun Ruoya warned Tang Tianshu that Samsara Valley was remote and told him not to wander there at night.
• Shen Wenjing led Tang Tianshu to the valley and explained that its fertile soil and abundant flowers grew over the buried remains of five hundred thousand surrendered Jin soldiers.
• Tang Tianshu told Shen Wenjing he had studied pill refinement and said he had only possessed one hundred-year True Gathering Pill.
• Shen Wenjing asked Tang Tianshu for more pills, then left after Tang Tianshu denied having any.

Tang Tianshu struggled to support himself at Carefree Residence while earning money by refining pills, then discovered that his master's indestructible handkerchief had revealed ancient characters and spoken to him. Sun Ruoya visited and offered him a Sect Leader's Scripture Token so he could access the sect's scripture library, leaving Tang Tianshu wary of accepting it.

• Tang Tianshu moved to Carefree Residence, earned money refining pills, and could afford to borrow only books from the first floor of the scripture library.
• While airing his belongings, Tang Tianshu found five ancient characters on the back of his master's handkerchief and failed to tear or cut it.
• After Tang Tianshu cut his hand, a mysterious voice ordered him to wash the handkerchief, and he used the bloody water to irrigate his herb garden.
• Sun Ruoya visited, said she had reached the Mid-Stage Martial Warrior realm, and asked about Tang Tianshu's cultivation and swordsmanship.
• Sun Ruoya revealed a Sect Leader's Scripture Token that allowed access to any library books and offered it to Tang Tianshu for half a year.
• Tang Tianshu asked whether Sun Ruoya had stolen the token and hesitated to accept it.

Sun Ruoya lent Tang Tianshu the sect leader’s token so he could study pill refinement in the Scripture Repository, while Tang discovered that a golden handkerchief could greatly accelerate the growth of herbs. After a month of experimenting and reading, he learned to refine hundred-year-old pills and identified the handkerchief’s inscription as “Nine Bends Yellow River Formation.”

• Sun Ruoya asked Tang Tianshu to refine True Gathering Pills and lent him the sect leader’s token to access the Scripture Repository.
• Tang noticed that True Gathering Grass watered with bloodied water had rapidly gained medicinal age, then found that water from washing the golden handkerchief caused the effect.
• Tang experimented with the handkerchief and discovered that its water advanced herbs by up to a hundred years per day, with growth eventually stopping at several hundred years.
• Tang used his herb garden and pill-refining knowledge to make hundred-year-old True Gathering Pills and True Restoration Pills.
• Tang studied the Scripture Repository and learned that the golden handkerchief bore the words “Nine Bends Yellow River Formation.”

Tang Tianshu advanced to early Martial Venerable while hiding his true cultivation and using the Youran Pill as an excuse to help Sun Ruoya grow stronger. After Sun Ruoya broke through to Great Martial Master, she told him Shen Wenjing’s dagger might be connected to immortal cultivators.

• Tang Tianshu discovered he could store True Qi in the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation and conceal his cultivation, so he presented himself as a middle-stage Martial Master at sect tests.
• Tang Tianshu claimed to have invented the Youran Pill and used the excuse of refining it to keep Sun Ruoya company and maintain his influence at the Diancang Sect.
• Tang Tianshu gave Sun Ruoya a Youran Pill, and she broke through to become a Great Martial Master.
• Tang Tianshu asked whether the Diancang Sect had any treasures connected to immortal cultivators, and Sun Ruoya said Shen Wenjing’s dagger might count.

Tang Tianshu killed Shen Wenjing during an escort mission, concealed the murder, and let the Diancang Sect blame the Iron Sword Sect. Nearly four years later, his cultivation had stalled at Late-Stage Qi Warrior Realm despite his efforts, and he wondered why he could not advance.

• Tang Tianshu reluctantly joined Shen Wenjing on an escort mission carrying military funds and completed the journey back toward the Diancang Sect.
• While Tang Tianshu patrolled their forest camp, Shen Wenjing confronted him about the Youran Pills and pressed him to hand one over.
• Tang Tianshu attacked Shen Wenjing, killed him with a punch, took the Cold Spirit Blade, and raised an alarm to disguise what had happened.
• The Diancang Sect ruled that a Martial Venerable had killed Shen Wenjing and suspected the Iron Sword Sect, while Tang Tianshu was cleared of suspicion.
• Tang Tianshu stayed out of sight in Samsara Valley, cultivating and refining pills over the following years.
• By March 4052, Tang Tianshu found that his cultivation had stopped increasing at Late-Stage Qi Warrior Realm and wondered why he could not advance despite being an Aperture Opener.

Tang Tianshu prepared to leave the Diancang Sect to seek an immortal cultivator who could remove the gu worms in his body, while Sun Ruoya gave him keepsakes and promised to wait for him. Before he could depart, Sun Ruoya revealed that the Iron Sword School had attacked the sect with help from an immortal cultivator, giving Tang Tianshu a sudden lead in his search.

• Tang Tianshu gave Sun Ruoya ten century-old True Gathering Pills and told her he would leave the Diancang Sect the next morning to seek information about immortal cultivators.
• Sun Ruoya tried to leave with Tang Tianshu, but he refused and promised to return within one or two years if he survived.
• Sun Ruoya gave Tang Tianshu a pouch containing her hair, natal jade pendant, and a small jade plaque, then said she would wait for him.
• The next morning, Sun Ruoya warned Tang Tianshu that the Iron Sword School was attacking the Diancang Sect and that her father had ordered her to escape with him.
• Sun Ruoya explained that Shen Yidao had guided the Iron Sword School, which had brought an immortal cultivator from a demonic sect; Tang Tianshu recognized this as a chance to find what he sought.

Tang Tianshu rescued Sun Ruoya from the Iron Sword Sect and killed Shen Yidao, then used a vast supply of pills and a mysterious dagger to defeat the Black-Robed Old Monster. Afterward, Sun Ruoya stayed to lead the Diancang Sect while Tang Tianshu prepared to leave, and they parted hoping to meet again.

• Tang Tianshu and Sun Ruoya found the Diancang Sect under attack, learned Sun Haotian had died, and saw the Black-Robed Old Monster slaughtering the disciples with ghostly servants.
• Tang Tianshu fled with Sun Ruoya, then tricked Shen Yidao by throwing her toward him and killed him with Shen Wenjing's Cold Spirit Blade.
• The Black-Robed Old Monster caught up and offered to take Tang Tianshu as a disciple, but Tang Tianshu swallowed over a hundred Hundred-Year Qi Recovery Pills and attacked.
• Tang Tianshu pierced the Black-Robed Old Monster with the Cold Spirit Blade and absorbed the two ghosts, defeating the cultivator before collapsing.
• After Tang Tianshu awoke, Sun Ruoya told him the Iron Sword Sect had surrendered and agreed to follow the Diancang Sect.
• Sun Ruoya chose to become the Diancang Sect's master, while Tang Tianshu left after they exchanged a tender farewell and hoped to meet again.

Tang Tianshu used a jade pendant to find a cultivators' marketplace and searched for a sect that could help remove the Gu worm in his body. After repeated rejections, he joined the Blood Yin Sect, unaware of the danger hinted at by its recruiters.

• Tang Tianshu cultivated for two months and reached the Meridian Opening Second Layer, then discovered that a jade pendant revealed a map to a distant marketplace.
• Tang Tianshu traveled to the marketplace and learned that his five stones were Spirit Stones, but his age and weak cultivation made him unwanted by the sects recruiting there.
• Tang Tianshu repeatedly sought help from righteous and demonic sects, but none would accept him or remove the Gu worm.
• Tang Tianshu paid two Spirit Stones to the Blood Yin Sect recruiters and insisted that he wanted to join despite their warning.
• The Blood Yin Sect recruiter used a jade tablet to register Tang Tianshu as a disciple without an interview, then wondered whether he would rise quickly or become a furnace full of medicinal dregs.

Tang Tianya returned to Dangwu Village and told Tang Tiandong he planned to enter seclusion before exploring the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm for Foundation Establishment ingredients. Five years later, the Blood Yin Sect selected disciples to enter the realm, while Tang Tianshu was relieved to be excluded because his cultivation was too low.

• Tang Tiandong visited Tang Tiansong's grave with the children and told him about the family and Tang Tianlan's plans to search for Tianshu with Qin Miao.
• Tang Tianya returned from the Azure Origin Sect, paid respects at Tang Tiansong's grave, and told Tang Tiandong he had reached Qi Refinement Sixth Layer.
• Tang Tianya explained that the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm would open in five or six years and that he planned to enter seclusion to prepare for it.
• Tang Tiandong described the Tang Household's growing strength and assured Tang Tianya that the family would be fine while he cultivated.
• Five years later, the Blood Yin Sect's right protector ordered fifteen Seventh Layer disciples to enter the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm.
• Tang Tianshu, still at Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, was relieved that he did not have to go, since his attempts to grow spirit herbs had failed.

Tang Tianshu was ordered to join the Blood Yin Sect’s expedition to the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm, despite fearing that his weak cultivation would make him an easy target. Hoping to find a way out, he went to the dungeon to deliver food to a chained prisoner called a witch.

• Wang Shan accused Tang Tianshu of receiving unfair resources and urged the Right Protector to send him to the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm.
• The Right Protector ordered Tang Tianshu to join the expedition, which would depart in three days, and warned everyone not to disturb the Left Protector in seclusion.
• Tang Tianshu realized he could not ask the Left Protector to intervene and decided he needed another way to avoid the expedition.
• At dusk, Tang Tianshu carried food to the dungeon, where two guards asked him about the supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pills he had promised them.
• The guards warned Tang Tianshu to stay away from the chained witch, but he descended into the dungeon anyway.

Tang Tianshu considered helping Su Liyue escape the Blood Yin Sect dungeon after she offered him the Profound Spirit Pearl and the Profound Fire Token mnemonic. That night, he distracted the guards with supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pills and headed deeper into the dungeon.

• Tang Tianshu brought food and ginger tea to the imprisoned Su Liyue, who refused to reveal the Profound Fire Token’s location.
• Su Liyue warned Tang Tianshu that the Blood Yin Sect’s dual-cultivation method could leave him dead and offered to recommend him to the Kun Origin Sect if he rescued her.
• Tang Tianshu rejected her offer, citing the danger of escape and his Origin-Devouring Worm, but reconsidered after she offered her Profound Spirit Pearl and the Profound Fire Token mnemonic.
• At midnight, Tang Tianshu gave two guards supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pills and said he would check Su Liyue’s shackles.
• The guards swallowed the pills and began refining them, while Tang Tianshu walked farther down the dungeon passage.