Chapter Summaries

After visitors reported the strange peach-tree path in Xiushui Village, Wen Keming learned that his son Wen Yuejun had been telling the truth and set out to investigate. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao installed a Guiding Beacon at the mountain-path entrance and spotted a familiar figure approaching the mountain.

• The visitors left Xiushui Village, while villagers traded increasingly fanciful stories about the second Lin boy becoming an immortal.
• Wen Keming heard reports of the strange occurrence and realized Wen Yuejun had not lied about being trapped on the mountain path.
• Wen Keming ordered his subordinates to prepare for a trip to Xiushui Village so he could investigate.
• Lin Xiao appraised the Guiding Beacon, learned it could clear the mind and ward off evil within five hundred meters, and planted it beside the mountain-path entrance.
• Lin Xiao noticed a familiar figure walking across the fields toward the foot of the mountain.

Lin Xiao waited for Qin Jianghe and watched him begin crossing the Heart-Questioning Road, while Jiang Youfu brought Silver-Tailed Fish home to cook for his grandmother. He arrived to learn that Grandma Jiang was near death, leaving his family in grief.

• Lin Xiao met Qin Jianghe at the mountain path and assured him he could cross the Heart-Questioning Road; Qin Jianghe stepped onto it and fell into a vacant stare.
• Villagers worried that the boys might be under a mountain spirit’s influence and asked the village chief and clan elders to demand an explanation from Lin Xiao.
• Jiang Youfu took Silver-Tailed Fish meat home to cook for Grandma Jiang and, on Lin Xiao’s advice, planned to use his spiritual power to help her.
• Jiang Youfu heard his mother crying and learned from Doctor Jiang that Grandma Jiang had only a few days left.
• Jiang Youfu entered Grandma Jiang’s room and found his eldest brother struggling to feed her rice porridge.

Jiang Youfu cooked Silver-Tailed Fish for his dying grandmother, and she passed away after tasting it. As he searched her body with spiritual power, he found a faint breath in her heart, which began beating again.

• Jiang Youfu returned home and learned that Grandma Jiang had been hiding how gravely ill she was.
• Jiang Youfu prepared Silver-Tailed Fish stew with extraordinary precision, and seven-colored spiritual radiance appeared over the dish.
• Jiang Youfu fed Grandma Jiang a bite of the fish, and she smiled before peacefully stopping breathing.
• Jiang Youfu found a faint trace of life in Grandma Jiang's heart and shielded it with his spiritual power.
• Grandma Jiang's heart began beating again, and Mother Jiang confirmed that she was breathing.

Jiang Youfu created the Original Essence Heart Sutra: Immortal Food Chapter and rose to Foundation Establishment, while Lin Xiao received a set of matching artifacts for him. Qin Jianghe passed the Heart-Questioning Road and returned to the sect with Lin Xiao, who caught him up on the sect’s changes and showed him the Natural Platform where he would soon enter seclusion.

• Jiang Youfu manifested the Immortal Food Chapter and advanced from Qi Refining Sixth Layer to Foundation Establishment.
• Lin Xiao received the Immortal Food Spirit Ladle, Immortal Food Cleaver, and Immortal Food Cauldron in his private vault and planned to give them to Jiang Youfu.
• Qin Jianghe woke beside Lin Xiao, realized he had passed the Heart-Questioning Road, and walked back to the sect with him.
• Qin Jianghe explained that he had returned to discuss sect affairs with Lin Xiao and had missed everyone.
• Lin Xiao showed Qin Jianghe the sect’s new buildings and disciples, gave him a storeroom key, and showed him the mystic realm garden and Natural Platform.

Jiang Youfu stayed with his recovering grandmother, planning to tell Brother Xiao about his newly created cultivation method the next day. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao helped organize the growing sect before Yang Jinshu reported that Magistrate Wen and yamen runners had arrived in Xiushui Village.

• Jiang Youfu explained his cultivation method to Mother Jiang and Eldest Brother Jiang, then stayed beside Grandma Jiang after she woke.
• Magistrate Wen's carriage and several yamen runners entered Xiushui Village, prompting children to run and notify the village chief.
• Qin Jianghe proposed establishing an affairs hall, and Lin Xiao synthesized one beside the sect's grass shed.
• Lin Xiao made one hundred sect uniforms and distributed sets for Tuzi and Qin Jianghe to give to new members.
• Lin Xiao, Qin Jianghe, and Liu Yunan agreed on tentative stipends and assigned Qin Jianghe and Liu Yunan to arrange work at the Spirit Stone mine.
• Yang Jinshu knocked at the sect's main hall and urged Lin Xiao to look into the arrival of the magistrate and yamen runners.

Lin Xiao revealed himself to Magistrate Wen Keming and the villagers, declaring that Lingxian Sect was a legitimate sect and its mountain path had no demons. Wen Keming rushed to report the sect to the court, but Prefect Tong Shuzheng delayed the report and took out the Location Sound Transmission Talisman Lin Xiao had given him.

• Lin Xiao emerged from concealment and descended the Heart-Questioning Road to address Magistrate Wen Keming and the crowd.
• Wen Keming bowed to Lin Xiao, and Lin Xiao declared the mountain a sect site and ordered everyone to disperse.
• The villagers recognized Lin Xiao as Lin Dayou's second son and speculated about his immortality and the sect's disciple trials.
• Wen Keming returned to Anqun County, sent an urgent report to the court, and dispatched gifts and a letter to Prefect Tong Shuzheng.
• Tong Shuzheng returned Wen Keming's gifts, ordered the report delayed, and took out the Location Sound Transmission Talisman Lin Xiao had given him.

Lin Xiao prepared to enter seclusion and bought a Spirit Gathering Formation to strengthen his cultivation setup. Prefect Tong warned him that an official report could expose the Lingxian Sect to the imperial court within months, and Lin Xiao remained resolved to let more people cultivate.

• Villagers close to Lingxian Sect members agreed to try the Heart-Questioning Road the next day after their relatives urged them to cultivate.
• Lin Xiao synthesized more Location Sound Transmission Talismans and planned to leave them in the sect's storehouse before entering seclusion.
• Lin Xiao bought an Initial-Grade Spirit Gathering Formation for 2,300 Spirit Stones and learned he could combine it with his place of seclusion through the Building Synthesizer.
• Prefect Tong warned Lin Xiao that Anqun County's magistrate had sent an official dispatch that might expose the sect, and that he had delayed its arrival at the imperial court by changing its channel.
• Lin Xiao reflected that he had anticipated the sect's exposure and intended to give more people the chance to cultivate.

Lin Xiao considered the risks of the Lingxian Sect being exposed and trusted his sectmates to manage things while he was away. After preparing the Nature Platform and bidding them farewell, he entered secluded cultivation.

• Lin Xiao weighed how the imperial court and the three major sects might respond if they learned about the Lingxian Sect, and decided exposure would not stop him from pursuing the sect's goals.
• Lin Xiao went up the mountain with his father and brother, gave Liu Yunan Location Sound Transmission Talismans for Prefect Tong, and gave Jiang Youfu the immortal food three-piece set.
• Lin Xiao added an Initial-Grade Spirit Gathering Formation to the Nature Platform and synthesized it a second time.
• Lin Xiao asked everyone to work together and look after the sect and village while he cultivated in seclusion.
• Lin Xiao entered the Nature Platform and began his secluded cultivation.

Lin Xiao cultivated in the Nature Platform while the Lingxian Sect’s members handled sect affairs and prepared for Qin Jianghe’s departure. At home, Qin Jianghe heard that Niu Xiaoxue had not returned from the sect that recruited her, but he showed no concern over their broken engagement.

• Lin Xiao entered the Nature Platform and began cultivating amid its greatly increased Spiritual Qi.
• Qin Jianghe returned to the cultivation room, resolved to strengthen the sect’s enterprises, and planned to leave Xiushui Village the next morning.
• Jiang Youfu prepared lunch with the Immortal Food Three-Piece Set, and the sect members noticed their spiritual power seemed more condensed afterward.
• Liu Yunan explained the Affairs Hall and stipends, while Qin Jianghe helped distribute stipends and uniforms before attending a meeting about sect matters.
• Qin Jianghe’s parents postponed their cultivation visit and planned to go with Old Master Lin’s family the next day.
• Mother Qin told Qin Jianghe that Niu Xiaoxue had not visited home since joining a sect and that her family feared she had been taken to make human medicine; Qin Jianghe said her absence was normal and did not dwell on their broken engagement.

Qin Jianghe reassured his mother that he had gone into business to support the sect, then left Xiushui Village with Liu Yunan, who was headed to Liaoju Prefecture with talismans and pills for Prefect Tong. Meanwhile, Sun Yigao balanced teaching with cultivation and studying the four cultivation arts as the Lingxian Sect adjusted to Lin Xiao’s seclusion; the chapter ended with a purple-robed man confronting a blocked cave south of Liaoju Prefecture.

• Qin Jianghe told Mother Qin that his business was meant to create opportunities for the sect, not to get back at the Niu Household, and left Xiushui Village the next morning.
• Liu Yunan traveled with Qin Jianghe toward Liaoju Prefecture to deliver Location Sound Transmission Talismans and Lesser Rejuvenation Pills to Prefect Tong.
• Sun Yigao taught the private-school students each day while studying the four cultivation arts and advancing to the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.
• Lin Xiao entered seclusion, prompting the Lingxian Sect members to take more initiative while Senior Liao answered their questions.
• A few days later, a purple-robed middle-aged man stood before a cave south of Liaoju Prefecture and glared at its entrance, which had been packed with rocks.

Wei Hai discovered that the Shangyang Sect had taken his hidden Spirit Stone mine and went to confront them. Meanwhile, life continued peacefully in the Lingxian Sect as Lin Xiao’s family learned to cultivate, until Old Madam Lin surprised Liu Chun by drawing Qi into her body.

• Wei Hai learned that the Shangyang Sect had discovered and emptied his Spirit Stone mine, then flew to their sect to demand its master appear.
• Wei Hai’s Nascent Soul pressure overwhelmed the Shangyang Sect’s two Qi Refining gatekeepers, leaving them unconscious.
• The Lingxian Sect continued its daily affairs under Liu Yunan while Lin Xiao remained in seclusion and Lin Dayou visited the cave entrance.
• Eldest Uncle Lin struggled to learn the cultivation method, while his family patiently taught him.
• Lin Yan became the first of the newly arrived Lin family members to draw Qi into her body, followed by Old Madam Lin.
• Liu Chun was astonished that fifty-one-year-old Old Madam Lin had begun cultivating successfully after only a few days.

Liu Yunan learned that a powerful cultivator was threatening the Shangyang Sect and that the sect had changed masters without informing the imperial court, so he arranged watches around Xiushui Village. As visitors flocked to the village and boosted local trade, the village chief tried to establish rules to make the prosperity last.

• Qin Jianghe warned Liu Yunan that a powerful cultivator had been besieging the Shangyang Sect, and Liu Yunan decided to organize patrols with Tietou.
• Prefect Tong told Liu Yunan that the Shangyang Sect had a new sect master and that the court had suspended official tributes and requests for aid to the sect.
• Wen Keming tried the Heart-Questioning Road and sent a trusted subordinate onto it, but both were pushed back out; Wen Yuejun then argued with his father and left on bad terms.
• Visitors drawn by rumors of immortals increased Xiushui Village's trade, and Du Liushui set prices and a first-come, first-served rule to prevent disputes.
• Du Liushui called a village meeting and asked whether the villagers wanted quick profits or a lasting local specialty.

As visitors flocked to Xiushui Village, Liu Yunan and the others beautified its surroundings, while rumors of an immortal drew wealthy outsiders seeking land and homes. Village leaders prevented villagers from selling their plots to outsiders, though newcomers bought land on the outskirts and hired villagers to build and clear it.

• Village Chief Du persuaded the villagers to keep their prices fair and run their businesses honestly.
• Liu Yunan gathered his mother, Tietou, Lin Yun, and others to plant flowers and arrange moss-covered stones around Xiushui Village.
• Boss He bought a house plot and nearby wasteland, deciding to move his wife and daughter to Xiushui Village after hearing about the school’s strange protective barrier.
• Well-off families of Sun Yigao’s students bought house plots, and county families funded a wide, level road to the village.
• Anqun County’s Aristocratic Clans bought plots on the village outskirts after the villagers refused to sell their land or yield to pressure.
• Village Chief Du, Clan Leader Hu, and village elders had persuaded the villagers not to sell their plots, while the newcomers hired them for construction and land-clearing work.

Liu Yunan worried that visitors would stop coming to Xiushui Village, so the sect decided to offer mortals rare attractions. Jiang Youfu agreed to sell occasional dishes at the foot of the mountain, and two days later, villagers discovered a grape arbor covered in plump grapes.

• Liu Yunan told Senior Liao and Sun Yigao that he feared the village would become poor again if visitors stopped coming.
• Senior Liao, Sun Yigao, and Liu Yunan gathered the sect members to discuss how to keep mortals visiting.
• Mo Yuanjiao offered to demonstrate his Swordsmanship in the Clouds, but Liao Pantu rejected the idea.
• Jiang Youfu proposed selling food in the village, and Liao Pantu suggested he sell one or two dishes every ten days.
• Liu Chun explained that Jiang Youfu's cooking produced exceptionally powerful Spirit Cuisine, and Jiang Youfu agreed to make simpler dishes for mortals.
• Two days later, villagers and visitors discovered a grape arbor beside a village path, laden with plump grapes.

Master Ma Changlong paid one hundred taels to enter the Lingxian Dining Seat and was overwhelmed by Jiang Youfu’s cooking. After leaving, he hurried to North Mountain and begged the immortal sect to accept him.

• A visitor failed to enter the arbor until Master Ma Changlong deposited a bundle of silver in its bamboo basket.
• Master Ma entered alone and discovered the table had no chopsticks, while Liu Yunan, Jiang Youfu, and Tietou watched from hiding and realized they had forgotten to provide them.
• Master Ma tasted the dish, devoured it, and licked the plate clean, leaving the onlookers amazed.
• Master Ma left the arbor and rushed to the foot of North Mountain, with Liu Yunan and the others following him.
• Master Ma knelt on the Heart-Questioning Road and repeatedly begged the immortal sect to accept him.

Liu Yunan sent Master Ma away with instructions to await Lingxian Sect’s future disciple recruitment, while Master Ma decided to settle in Xiushui Village. In autumn, Tong Shuzheng passed the court’s latest instructions to the sect, and Mo Yuanjiao volunteered to return to the capital to gather news firsthand.

• Liao Pantu instructed Liu Yunan and the others to tell Master Ma to go home and return when the sect announced its disciple assessment.
• Liu Yunan descended from North Mountain and told Master Ma to wait for recruitment news; Master Ma then went to buy land and settle in Xiushui Village.
• As autumn harvest began, Tong Shuzheng received the court’s order to avoid antagonizing or cultivating ties with the newly appeared sect, then sent the information to Liu Yunan.
• Liu Yunan shared Tong Shuzheng’s message with the sect members at their next gathering.
• Mo Yuanjiao announced that he would return to the capital to show his father his cultivation and gather firsthand information about the court.

After Mo Yuanjiao left the Lingxian Sect, Jiang Youfu worried that ordinary people could not afford the Lingxian Dining Seat’s healing food, but Tietou helped comfort him. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao cultivated for several months, reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and discovered that his Spiritual Qi was subtly strengthening his divine soul.

• Mo Yuanjiao left the Lingxian Sect with Mo Que after promising to return in a few months.
• People who ate at Jiang Youfu’s Lingxian Dining Seat found the food improved their health, and visitors flocked to Xiushui Village for a serving.
• Jiang Youfu worried that his hundred-tael dishes were unaffordable for poor people, and Tietou reassured him with an example from his father’s work.
• Jiang Youfu resolved to cultivate like Brother Xiao and hoped to host a feast for the surrounding villages once he grew stronger.
• Lin Xiao advanced from the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage after months of focused cultivation.
• Lin Xiao noticed that cultivation infused his Spiritual Qi with what he called Divine Soul Qi, improving his control and perception, and he grew more confident about reaching the Golden Core stage.

Mo Yuanjiao and Mo Que returned to the capital after months at the Lingxian Sect, and Mo Yuanjiao ran into the fortune-teller Song Jusheng. Song Jusheng hurried away after learning that Mo Yuanjiao had found his fortuitous opportunity, leaving Mo Yuanjiao puzzled by his reaction.

• Lin Xiao chose to remain in seclusion and continue cultivating toward the Golden Core realm.
• Mo Yuanjiao and Mo Que returned to the capital with their horses after slowing their journey to accommodate them.
• Mo Yuanjiao ran through the streets and reminded himself that he needed to strive to become the Lingxian Sect's top dog.
• Mo Yuanjiao recognized Song Jusheng by his build, thanked him for his earlier divination, and offered to repay him.
• Song Jusheng hurried back to his sect's quarters, suspecting someone had taken credit for the benefits he expected from Mo Yuanjiao.

Mo Yuanjiao returned home and tried to persuade his father, mother, and grandmother to join his sect and cultivate. He then ordered Baojian to investigate a fortune-teller he suspected was connected to the Shangyang Sect.

• Mo Yuanjiao returned to the general's residence, where General Mo examined him and heard his son offer to take him as a disciple.
• General Mo sent Mo Yuanjiao to visit his mother and grandmother, then questioned Mo Que about their journey.
• Mo Yuanjiao reunited with Baojian and ordered him to discreetly investigate the Green-Crowned Daoist who frequented Flower and Willow Lane.
• Mo Que told Mo Yuanjiao that General Mo had assigned him to stay with him from then on.
• Mo Yuanjiao told Mo Que he suspected the fortune-teller belonged to the Shangyang Sect and had tricked him with a fortune-telling encounter in the past.

Mo Yuanjiao reasoned that the fortune-teller’s ignorance of the Lingxian Sect suggested the imperial court had not informed the great sects about it, while Song Jusheng grew uneasy over the Shangyang Sect’s silence. In Xiushui Village, Sun Yigao taught cultivation theory at the school and noticed a suspicious visitor outside.

• Mo Yuanjiao told Mo Que he would investigate the fortune-teller to learn whether the Shangyang Sect knew about the Lingxian Sect, and decided to wait for Baojian’s findings before reporting to his sect.
• Mo Yuanjiao’s family welcomed him home, while Song Jusheng sent another unanswered letter to the Shangyang Sect and resolved to return there if no reply came within three days.
• Word of Mo Yuanjiao’s return spread among the capital’s great clans.
• Xiushui Village’s residents began planting winter wheat, and Sun Yigao taught the students revised cultivation materials at the school.
• Sun Yigao sensed an ordinary-looking stranger peering into the school courtyard; the stranger left and wandered toward the Heart-Questioning Road as if sightseeing.