Recaps

After returning from Little Dot's world, Lin Yu reflected on what he had learned and continued cultivating the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations. A message revealed that the Ghost Gate had opened and a hundred ghosts had escaped, so Lin Yu and Jia Le set out to help.

• Lin Yu returned to his world, thanked the True Lord, and learned from Jia Le that little time had passed.
• Lin Yu recalled how Little Shi Hao had shown him the Primordial True Explanation, which nearly killed him, and he continued cultivating the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations.
• Lin Yu and Jia Le discussed how long Four Eyes might be away, since he had gone to investigate and gather evidence about the Manchu Tartars.
• A paper crane arrived with Four Eyes' message that the Ghost Gate had opened during the Ghost Festival and a hundred ghosts had escaped.
• Lin Yu told Jia Le they would go help, reasoning that their master was still available even though Four Eyes was away.

Lin Yu and Jia Le raced through the mountains to help their martial uncle after the underworld gates opened, but a pack of fox demons blocked their way. The old fox accused them of killing a young fox, and Lin Yu faced the demons as they prepared to attack.

• Lin Yu decided to travel with Jia Le without asking their Master to join them, and the Master stayed behind to watch the house.
• Lin Yu gave Jia Le a Divine Movement Talisman, and they sped through the mountains toward the funeral home.
• Lin Yu sensed demons ahead and stopped Jia Le, warning him that the road was blocked.
• More than ten fox demons emerged, led by a golden-furred old fox, while Jia Le stood protectively before Lin Yu.
• The old fox asked whether Lin Yu and a stinking Daoist had killed a little fox, threatening them with its fierce glare.

Lin Yu and Jia Le were confronted by fox demons seeking revenge for the fox demon Lin Yu had killed. Lin Yu killed the old fox and its followers, then buried their bodies and continued on their way.

• Lin Yu rejected the old fox demon's demand for revenge and taunted it into fighting.
• Lin Yu protected Jia Le with talismans and revealed a powerful moon vision that made the fox demons hesitate.
• Lin Yu used the Divine Movement Talisman and the moon to slice off the old fox demon's left foreleg.
• The old fox ordered the little foxes to attack Jia Le, but Lin Yu split the moon and killed the fox demons.
• Jia Le questioned Lin Yu, who reassured him before using the Transportation Technique to bury the bodies and selling their demon cores for points.

Lin Yu and Jia Le returned to Ren Family Town as Uncle Nine gathered Maoshan disciples to deal with the escaped ghosts. Shi Jian arrived with Shi Shaojian and took charge, while Lin Yu considered how to prevent the conflict between Shi Jian and Uncle Nine.

• Lin Yu and Jia Le traveled through the night and reached a mountain overlooking Ren Family Town.
• Uncle Nine asked the gathered Daoists to help capture the escaped ghosts, but they agreed to wait for Shi Jian before deciding what to do.
• Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai complained about waiting for Shi Jian, and Lin Yu and Jia Le arrived as Lin Yu rebuked them for disrespecting their senior uncle.
• Lin Yu declined Uncle Nine's offer to rest and noticed the gathered Daoists were displeased with the special treatment.
• Shi Jian arrived with Shi Shaojian, took Uncle Nine's seat, and asked who had caused the trouble; Uncle Nine blamed Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng.

Shi Jian joined Uncle Nine and the other Maoshan disciples in deciding to capture the ghosts with the Earlier Heaven Bagua Formation, while Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng were chosen to lure them out. That night, they sold tofu to the ghosts, but after Qiu Sheng revealed the trap to Xiao Li, a crowd of ghosts surrounded them.

• Shi Shaojian mocked Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng, and Lin Yu stopped them from retaliating before urging Shi Shaojian to explain how Shi Jian would help resolve the trouble.
• Shi Jian agreed to use the Earlier Heaven Bagua Formation and pressured Uncle Nine to choose Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng to lure out the ghosts.
• Lin Yu scolded and kicked Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng for their behavior, then confessed to Uncle Nine, who punished him by asking him to pour tea.
• That night, Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng sold tofu in Ren Family Town, and Xiao Li appeared and tried to eat some.
• Qiu Sheng told Xiao Li that red beans in the tofu would make ghosts tremble and easier to catch, and Xiao Li realized they were tricking ghosts into eating tofu.
• A crowd of ghosts appeared around Xiao Li, Wen Cai, and Qiu Sheng, who nervously invited the ghosts to eat the tofu.

Lin Yu helped Uncle Nine and the Maoshan disciples capture the ghosts unleashed during the night parade, then confronted Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng over their part in the disaster. After capturing Xiao Li, he found Uncle Nine clashing with Shi Jian.

• Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng fled into Uncle Nine's formation with a horde of ghosts pursuing them, and the Maoshan disciples activated the formation to trap the ghosts.
• Lin Yu subdued ghosts that carried traces of blood Qi while Uncle Nine and the other disciples captured the rest.
• Lin Yu confronted Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng for helping Xiao Li release the ghosts, then kicked them aside when they tried to stop him.
• Lin Yu used his jade gourd to capture Xiao Li as Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng watched helplessly.
• Lin Yu found Uncle Nine facing Shi Jian and saw Uncle Nine use the formation to counter Shi Jian's Lightning Thunder Fist.

Lin Yu confronted Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng about their lack of progress and beat them in a punishing spar after Uncle Nine agreed not to intervene. By midday, the exhausted brothers admitted their mistakes, while Jia Le treated their injuries.

• Lin Yu reminded Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng that he had promised to help them break through after a month of cultivation, then challenged them to spar.
• Lin Yu told Uncle Nine that Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng needed to take responsibility for the ghosts’ sins, and Uncle Nine stepped aside rather than stop him.
• Lin Yu froze Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng as they tried to escape, and Uncle Nine secretly watched him use the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations.
• Lin Yu summoned a fierce tiger phantom and beat Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng until they fled and begged for mercy.
• After training them through the morning, Lin Yu asked if they recognized their mistakes, and Jia Le accepted medicinal wine to treat their injuries.

Jia Le, Lin Yu, and Uncle Nine traveled to Qian Family Town to inspect Boss Qian’s Western restaurant, while discussing the growing jiangshi threat and Uncle Nine’s suspicions about the baleful Qi. The chapter ended with Lin Yu confronting a fashionable young woman at the restaurant and hinting that her attitude was why business was poor.

• Jia Le treated Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai’s injuries as Uncle Nine scolded them for the trouble they had caused.
• Uncle Nine told Lin Yu and Jia Le that Maoshan had ordered him to leave Tengteng Town’s jiangshi alone, and he suspected the jiangshi were being used to absorb rising baleful Qi.
• Uncle Nine took Lin Yu and Jia Le to Qian Family Town to inspect Boss Qian’s restaurant, and he bought Jia Le new clothes on the way.
• Jia Le gawked at the restaurant’s lavish interior and became transfixed by a fashionable young woman who greeted them.
• Lin Yu told the young woman that Boss Qian had invited them to check the feng shui, then suggested her disdainful manner explained the restaurant’s poor business.

Uncle Nine and Lin Yu visited Boss Qian’s struggling Western restaurant to examine its feng shui, while Lin Yu advised Jia Le to stop fawning over Qingqing. Uncle Nine found a feng shui problem, and Boss Qian happily agreed to pay five silver dollars for the assessment.

• Mary invited Uncle Nine, Lin Yu, and Jia Le into the restaurant while Boss Qian greeted Uncle Nine and introduced his daughter.
• Lin Yu teased Jia Le about staring at Mary and advised him to learn what Qingqing liked instead of fawning over her.
• Boss Qian offered sirloin, but Lin Yu reminded him that Daoists generally avoided beef, so Mary brought pork chops instead.
• Boss Qian explained that the restaurant had been losing money, and Uncle Nine examined the premises and found that its feng shui was problematic.
• Uncle Nine quoted five silver dollars for the feng shui assessment, and Boss Qian eagerly accepted.

Lin Yu warned Mary that Shi Shaojian had stolen a hair from her and might use evil arts against her, then gave her a Protection Talisman. That night, Mary came to the morgue seeking Lin Yu’s help, saying Shi Shaojian had arrived as predicted but was not human.

• Shi Shaojian secretly plucked a hair from Mary while Shi Jian diverted Boss Qian from doing business with Uncle Nine.
• Lin Yu warned Mary about Shi Shaojian, gave her a Protection Talisman, and told her to seek Uncle Nine at the morgue if she was in danger.
• Lin Yu made Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng print paper money to make up for the trouble they had caused, while Uncle Nine ordered them to finish before the Ghost Festival ended.
• Mary arrived at the morgue at night, hugged Lin Yu, and told him Shi Shaojian had come but was not human.

Mary sought refuge at Uncle Nine’s morgue after Shi Shaojian tried to molest her, and Lin Yu’s Protection Talisman injured Shi Shaojian’s soul. Shi Jian preserved his dying son with an evil art, while Mary later woke from a nightmare and went to Lin Yu’s room for comfort.

• Mary told Uncle Nine that Shi Shaojian had appeared beside her bed, and Lin Yu’s Protection Talisman drove him away.
• Uncle Nine let Mary stay at the morgue, while Lin Yu’s reaction suggested that his talisman had injured Shi Shaojian’s soul.
• Shi Shaojian returned to his body in agony, named Lin Jiu before losing consciousness, and Shi Jian used an evil art to preserve him and the remnant of his soul.
• Mary dreamed that a black figure attacked her, woke terrified, and went to Lin Yu’s room with her blanket.
• Lin Yu let Mary sleep on his bed and asked whether she had had a nightmare.

Lin Yu and Mary shared a quiet moment before Uncle Nine warned them that someone might target Lin Yu. Ren Fa then sought their help for Ren Tingting, whom Uncle Nine suspected was being haunted by an evil spirit, and the group waited for nightfall to confront it.

• Mary denied having cried, and Lin Yu quietly tucked her into bed before she fell asleep feeling safe.
• The next morning, Uncle Nine warned Lin Yu and Mary to stay cautious because Shi Jian might seek revenge for Shi Shaojian.
• Ren Fa arrived urgently and asked Lin Yu and Uncle Nine to save Ren Tingting, who had stopped eating and sleeping and acted strangely at night.
• Uncle Nine took Lin Yu, Mary, Wen Cai, and Qiu Sheng to the Ren Mansion and found Ren Tingting pale, vacant, and unable to speak.
• Lin Yu comforted Ren Tingting, while Mary felt jealous watching him hold her hand.
• Uncle Nine suspected an evil spirit was haunting Ren Tingting and decided they would wait until night to destroy it.

Lin Yu and Uncle Nine trapped and subdued the female ghost tormenting Ren Tingting, but the ghost’s Yin Qi had left her dangerously weak. Uncle Nine promised to nourish her health monthly, then returned with Lin Yu and the others to the mortuary, where they sensed a far stronger presence of Yin Qi.

• Lin Yu used his spiritual power to drive Yin Qi from Ren Tingting and warm her body while Uncle Nine prepared to lure out the ghost.
• Uncle Nine restrained Ren Tingting as the ghost appeared, and Lin Yu struck it with a talisman.
• Uncle Nine and Wen Cai, Qiu Sheng, and the others sealed the exits, trapping the injured female ghost, whom Uncle Nine captured with a jade pendant and gourd.
• Uncle Nine warned Ren Fa that Ren Tingting had been badly weakened and agreed to nourish her body each month.
• Uncle Nine led Lin Yu and the others back to the mortuary, where they sensed dense Yin Qi far stronger than the female ghost’s.

Lin Yu accompanied Uncle Nine to return the escaped ghosts to four ghost messengers, then used Erlang, the Illustrious Sage and True Lord's protection to force them to show respect and return Uncle Nine's paper money. The messengers left with the ghosts and gave Lin Yu a token to summon them in the future.

• Lin Yu brought the True Lord's spirit tablet and joined Uncle Nine as he carried the ghost jar to meet the waiting messengers.
• Lin Yu rebuked the ghost messengers for addressing Uncle Nine rudely, and one attacked him with a soul-binding chain.
• The True Lord's silver light blocked the chain, and his divine figure appeared, forcing the four messengers to kneel and beg for mercy.
• Lin Yu stopped the True Lord from striking and ordered the messengers to report the ghosts' deaths truthfully and punish the ghosts bearing blood Qi.
• Lin Yu made the messengers return Uncle Nine's paper money, then accepted a token from their leader so he could summon them later.

Lin Yu dealt with Xiao Li after the ghost officers left, then discovered she was Zhong Kui's younger sister and decided to let her remain by his side. Xiao Li celebrated by hugging and kissing him, while Lin Yu secretly planned to rely on her powerful family ties.

• Lin Yu admitted to Uncle Nine that he had used the True Lord's appearance to frighten the ghost officers, then offered incense to thank the True Lord and got slapped for being stingy.
• Lin Yu shook Xiao Li in her gourd and threatened to send her to the underworld, but she begged to stay with him.
• Lin Yu summoned a ghost officer and asked him to take Xiao Li away, but the officer revealed that she was Lord Zhong Kui's younger sister.
• Lin Yu decided to let Xiao Li stay in the mortal world, reasoning that he could rely on her and summon Zhong Kui if danger arose.
• Xiao Li hugged and kissed Lin Yu after the ghost officer departed, and Lin Yu called her a female hooligan.

Lin Yu continued developing his cultivation while keeping Xiao Li under control, but the morning brought news of a mass death in Qian Family Town. He accompanied Uncle Nine and the others to investigate, where they found the ground covered in corpses.

• Lin Yu sent Xiao Li back into her gourd and continued studying the divine abilities and refining his cultivation path.
• Xiao Li urged Lin Yu to rest, then watched him sleep before greeting him the next morning.
• Wen Cai told Lin Yu that many people had been found dead in neighboring Qian Family Town, and Lin Yu set out with him to investigate.
• Xiao Li secretly attached her gourd to Lin Yu and joined the group as Uncle Nine led them toward the town.
• Lin Yu and Uncle Nine pushed through the crowd, and Wen Cai pointed out the corpses covering the ground.

Uncle Nine investigated the deaths in Qian Family Town and visited Shi Jian, while Lin Yu used Nightmare Prayer on Shi Shaojian and made him blurt out a possible confession. The group left Shi Jian’s sanctuary in silence, with Uncle Nine signaling that they should discuss their suspicions away from the listening senior brother.

• Uncle Nine found that all the victims had died in a yin year, on a yin day, at a yin hour, and decided to speak with Shi Jian.
• Uncle Nine brought Lin Yu and Jia Le to Shi Jian’s sanctuary, where Shi Jian denied responsibility and promised to deal with any evil Daoist.
• Shi Shaojian emerged and defended Shi Jian, then blurted out, “So what if my master killed those people?!” before Shi Jian silenced him.
• Lin Yu revealed that he had used Nightmare Prayer on Shi Shaojian, making him unwittingly speak his innermost thoughts.
• Uncle Nine stopped Lin Yu from discussing Shi Jian at the sanctuary, and the three returned toward the mortuary in silence.

Lin Yu told Uncle Nine that Shi Shaojian seemed no longer human, and Uncle Nine decided to investigate. Back at the funeral home, Uncle Nine ordered Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng to test Shi Shaojian with a silver needle.

• Lin Yu explained that he sensed corpse Qi, demonic Qi, and traces of the dead on Shi Shaojian, while privately suspecting Shi Jian and Shi Shaojian were behind the deaths.
• Uncle Nine agreed to have his senior brothers investigate Shi Shaojian, and Jia Le reasoned that Shi Jian was the likely murderer.
• Uncle Nine returned to the funeral home and found Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng had been sleeping instead of keeping watch.
• Uncle Nine scolded Qiu Sheng with a wooden stick, then ordered him and Wen Cai to prick Shi Shaojian's yang acupoint with a silver needle.
• Qiu Sheng took the needle and hurried off with Wen Cai, while Lin Yu wondered whether to follow them and Mary laughed at their antics.

Lin Yu worried about Shi Jian’s possible retaliation and ordered Jia Le to focus on training while he tried to study. In the chat group, a Sign-In System arrived and revealed it had no host, prompting Xiao Yan to offer himself.

• Lin Yu told Jia Le to train his body, draw talismans, and cultivate while he returned to his room to read.
• Mary followed Lin Yu into his room, and he tried to ignore her and concentrate on his book.
• Distracted by Shi Jian’s threat, Lin Yu opened the chat group to unwind.
• The Sign-In System joined the chat group, and Su Xiaoxiao warned members not to mock it.
• The Sign-In System said there were many prospective hosts in the group and that it had no host yet.
• Xiao Yan eagerly asked the Sign-In System to choose him as its host.

The group members learned that systems could grant powerful rewards, while the Sign-In System revealed its unlucky host and began handing out treasures in a group red envelope. Lin Yu grabbed a Five Elements Immortal Bamboo and hoped the system would send more after it admitted it had swapped out its host’s rewards.

• Su Xiaoxiao explained that a system could act like a life cheat, making the group members envy whoever had one.
• On Mount Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng worried about Zhang Wuji but accepted that the steep cliff might be part of his fate.
• The Sign-In System shared a picture of its host, who had drawn the Sunflower Manual, and Su Xiaoxiao explained its requirement to castrate oneself.
• The Sign-In System sent a red envelope, and Lin Yu grabbed a Five Elements Immortal Bamboo while other members received treasures and abilities.
• The Sign-In System said it had swapped out its host’s sign-in rewards because he was mean to it, and Lin Yu hoped it would send more.

Lin Yu struggled to store the Five Elements Immortal Bamboo, spending points on a storage ring before buying a stronger Spirit Naitem. After securing the bamboo and absorbing the spiritual Qi it released, he found Mary asleep beside him as evening fell.

• Lin Yu examined the Five Elements Immortal Bamboo and hesitated to sell it for 500,000 points, fearing the chat group would charge far more to buy it back.
• Lin Yu used Grotto-Heaven on a gourd, but the resulting space was too small to hold the bamboo.
• Lin Yu bought a low-grade storage ring from Xiao Yan, but it broke when he tried to store the bamboo inside.
• Lin Yu bought a high-grade Spirit Naitem for two thousand points and safely stored the Five Elements Immortal Bamboo in it.
• Lin Yu absorbed the spiritual Qi filling his room until evening, then covered the sleeping Mary with a piece of clothing; she woke groggily.

Lin Yu relaxed in a rocking chair and unexpectedly entered a profound state of attaining the Dao, while Uncle Nine tried not to disturb him. Mary was startled by strange movements in her room, and Uncle Nine explained that Lin Yu’s cultivation was causing them.

• Mary woke briefly, then returned to sleep in Lin Yu’s bed as he went outside to sit with Uncle Nine.
• Lin Yu relaxed in a rocking chair, recalled the Kunpeng scripture, and began attaining the Dao.
• Uncle Nine recognized the enormous fish-and-bird phenomenon forming behind Lin Yu and froze to avoid interrupting him.
• Mary’s quilt repeatedly flew across the room, frightening her awake.
• Uncle Nine appeared and told Mary that Xiao Yu was attaining the Dao and she should stay quiet.

Lin Yu reached a critical stage in comprehending the Dao while Uncle Nine guarded him and chose not to study the insights for his own benefit. Xiao Li remained trapped inside the sealed gourd, while Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng played at fighting on their way to the morgue.

• Uncle Nine sealed Xiao Li inside a gourd with a talisman and carried it out of the room to guard Lin Yu.
• Lin Yu floated above his chair as he comprehended the Dao and understood the freedom represented by the “Carefree Wanderer.”
• Uncle Nine resisted the temptation to study Lin Yu’s comprehension and stood guard with his back turned.
• Xiao Li regretted frightening the woman and rolled around inside the dark gourd out of boredom.
• Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng staged a playful duel with branches as they headed toward the morgue, leaving it unclear whether they had completed Uncle Nine’s task.

Uncle Nine stopped Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng from disturbing Shi Shaojian as he comprehended the Dao, then learned that Shi Shaojian had become a Corpse Demon responsible for the deaths in Qian Family Village. He decided to expose the demon with Hundred Treasures Soup and sent his disciples to gather its ingredients.

• Uncle Nine dragged Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng away from the mortuary so they would not disturb Shi Shaojian, then scolded them for complaining about their chores.
• Qiu Sheng gave Uncle Nine a blackened silver needle coated in green liquid, and Uncle Nine identified Shi Shaojian as a Corpse Demon who had killed the people of Qian Family Village.
• Uncle Nine rejected Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng's suggestions to involve the authorities because they had no proof and ordinary people could not handle the demon.
• Uncle Nine planned to use Hundred Treasures Soup to reveal Shi Shaojian's true form and gave Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng a book listing the ingredients.
• Uncle Nine ordered Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng to go into town and collect the ingredients, and they reluctantly set off.

Lin Yu finished his enlightenment and mastered the Kunpeng Precious Technique, while Uncle Nine confirmed that Shi Jian had killed innocents in Qian Family Village. Uncle Nine resolved to prepare to confront Shi Jian and the corpse demon, though his grief over fighting his eldest senior brother weighed on him.

• Lin Yu ended his enlightenment, discovered he could glide, and learned the Kunpeng Precious Technique.
• Lin Yu tested the technique, moving rapidly across the courtyard before returning to his rocking chair.
• Uncle Nine checked on Lin Yu and confirmed that Lin Yu had come through his enlightenment safely.
• Uncle Nine told Lin Yu that Shi Jian had killed people in Qian Family Village and worried about the karmic consequences.
• Uncle Nine said he would prepare to stop Shi Jian and eliminate the corpse demon once his other disciples returned.