Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng discovered that the flames from Void Furnace’s dead great-grandfather could provide a dangerous source of spiritual cultivation, while Void Furnace tried to prove his value. When Hu Yu’s enraged roars shook the Snake Cave, Zhang Xuezhou ordered everyone to hide and wait.

• Void Furnace explained that his great-grandfather’s dead Fire Seed could release flames that stimulated the spirit, and Zhang Xuezhou tested the flames before pulling back from their scorching sting.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng discussed what to do with Void Furnace, but Zhang Xuezhou stopped them when they heard Hu Yu roaring outside the Snake Cave.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Void Furnace to seal the hidden space and sat down as Hu Yu’s roars shook the cave for nearly a quarter of an hour.
• Ren Yisheng admired Hu Yu’s endurance, and Void Furnace realized that Ren Yisheng envied Hu Yu’s powerful inherited bloodline.

Zhang Xuezhou and his companions planned to escape the Snake Cave while Hu Yu and the Ferocious Beasts searched for its treasures. The Void Furnace asked to join them and offered to improve Ren Yisheng’s bloodline, and Zhang Xuezhou arranged for him to begin the treatment immediately.

• Zhang Xuezhou and the others overheard Hu Yu and the Ferocious Beasts lamenting the loss of the Quelling Chief and preparing to dig through the Snake Cave for Fire Seeds and other treasures.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Ren Yisheng that they could leave while the Ferocious Beasts slept, but needed several days to prepare to take their valuables in one trip.
• The Void Furnace asked to leave with the group and offered to use his abilities to improve Ren Yisheng’s bloodline.
• Zhang Xuezhou proposed that the Void Furnace treat Ren Yisheng immediately so his increased strength could help them escape if they encountered Hu Yu.
• Ren Yisheng accepted Zhang Xuezhou’s decision, while the Void Furnace agreed to begin the treatment.

As the Void Furnace refined Ren Yisheng’s body, it explained the limits of Gene Sequence advancement and warned that excessive Ferocious Beast traits could corrupt cultivators. Ren Yisheng concluded that a Sequence Lock might be the only way forward, while the Void Furnace asked Zhang Xuezhou to teach it Gene Sequences.

• Zhang Xuezhou relayed the Void Furnace’s guidance as its flames purified Ren Yisheng’s body and improved his combat endurance.
• The Void Furnace explained that Gene Sequence growth depended on scarce Ferocious Beast resources and could not continue indefinitely.
• The Void Furnace warned that accumulating too many borrowed traits could turn cultivators into withered husks or mindless killing puppets.
• Ren Yisheng realized that the Sequence Lock might be the only path beyond the limits of his Gene Sequence.
• The Void Furnace firmly asked Zhang Xuezhou to teach it Gene Sequences, appearing ready to leave the Void Fire Clan’s path and join another school.

The Void Furnace explained how it had acquired a new body and considered using gene sequences to strengthen it, while Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng questioned its account of the White-Forehead Clan’s Tiger Soul Hall and the higher-dimensional world. Zhang Xuezhou recognized the Void Furnace’s Sage Dao as likely Daoist Hongjun, giving him a possible path to survive his connection to the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

• The Void Furnace told Zhang Xuezhou that it had refined an ape Ferocious Beast into a body after failing to seize Zhang Xuezhou’s, and said it wanted to try gene sequence cultivation.
• Zhang Xuezhou promised to help the Void Furnace develop its gene sequences, then asked where the humans of Qinmeng had gone.
• The Void Furnace said they might be in the Tiger Soul Hall, a White-Forehead Clan relic that used the essence and Qi of slaughter to create weapons or spiritual nourishment.
• Ren Yisheng argued that human gene sequence development did not justify exterminatory slaughter, but the Void Furnace compared it to powerful beings keeping races in captivity.
• The Void Furnace told Ren Yisheng that the higher-dimensional world had no human power ruling its own territory, but spoke of a powerful figure called Sage Dao.
• Zhang Xuezhou suspected Sage Dao was Daoist Hongjun and considered that reaching him in the Purple Cloud Palace might help him survive his ties to the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

Zhang Xuezhou and his companions harvested precious herbs from the Snake Cave while trying not to wake Hu Yu. After gathering supplies, Zhang Xuezhou planned to use spiders to improve his Drowsiness Technique and deepen Hu Yu’s sleep.

• The Void Furnace revealed that the herbs had grown from his seeds and used his herb sickle to harvest them quickly.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng agreed to take a limited amount of herbs and leave rather than risk confronting Hu Yu and the other Ferocious Beasts.
• Zhang Xuezhou carried nearly forty jin of herbs out of the Snake Cave using his flying technique.
• The Void Furnace praised Zhang Xuezhou’s flying ability and grew more determined to join his sect.
• Zhang Xuezhou returned with food, water, and small black spiders, then said he would practice using them to make Hu Yu sleep more soundly.

Zhang Xuezhou and the others prepared to abandon Void Furnace’s base, using Sleepy Bugs to put Hu Yu to sleep while they moved the Qinmeng Secret Stone and supplies. Hu Yu woke as the stone was dropped from the cliff, then flew away before Zhang Xuezhou could lure him off, leaving the group’s escape uncertain.

• Zhang Xuezhou ritually refined nocturnal spiders into Sleepy Bugs while Void Furnace and Ren Yisheng watched and ate.
• Zhang Xuezhou realized that the Spiritual Qi from Void Furnace’s fire crystals could benefit him and Ren Yisheng, though Void Furnace could no longer absorb the crystals directly.
• Hu Yu and the golden-furred lion excavated nearby without noticing the group, but Zhang Xuezhou decided they should move rather than rely on avoiding discovery.
• After nearly two days of refinement, Zhang Xuezhou used the Sleepy Bugs to put Hu Yu to sleep, and the group began moving the Fire Seed, fire crystals, medicines, and Qinmeng Secret Stone.
• Zhang Xuezhou and the others pushed the nearly two-ton Qinmeng Secret Stone out of the Snake Cave and dropped it from a cliff, but Hu Yu woke and roared.
• Zhang Xuezhou prepared to draw Hu Yu away so Ren Yisheng could escape with the heavy-duty truck, but Hu Yu spread blue light-like wings and flew across the sky.

After Hu Yu fled from the name Seven Spiders, Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng packed their haul and continued toward the Scarlet Alliance State. The Golden Fur Lion and Hu Yu later inspected the truck but failed to find the concealed Fire Seeds, leaving the group alive and their cargo undiscovered.

• Zhang Xuezhou asked the Void Furnace about Seven Spiders, and the Void Furnace admitted he had never heard of him.
• Zhang Xuezhou sealed the gathered treasures in mud and stone while Ren Yisheng drove the heavy truck toward the Scarlet Alliance State.
• The Golden Fur Lion suddenly sliced open the truck roof, and Zhang Xuezhou pretended to faint as the lion withdrew.
• Hu Yu's tiger's roar cracked the windshield and sent the truck crashing into a roadside rock, leaving Ren Yisheng slumped over the steering wheel.
• The Golden Fur Lion and Hu Yu inspected the truck and dismissed its occupants as useless humans without discovering the Fire Seeds hidden beneath the mud and stone.

Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng returned from the Snake Cave with their cargo and discussed the dangers posed by powerful beings such as Mengtesi Badun. At the Aomeijia Alliance, Montes Clark revealed that Badun had fallen seriously ill and asked whether they had encountered powerful Ferocious Beasts.

• Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng reached the temporary port after a long return journey and arranged transport for themselves and their cargo.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered strengthening his Fleshly Body Technique, while he and Ren Yisheng discussed their suspicions about Mengtesi Badun and the need to work with nonhuman beings.
• Ren Yisheng chartered a shuttle boat to the Aomeijia Alliance, where the group transferred to a chartered flight home.
• Montes Clark approached Ren Yisheng and Zhang Xuezhou, asking whether they had encountered powerful Ferocious Beasts while hunting with Lord Badun.
• Montes Clark said Lord Badun had fallen ill and could not hold a normal conversation, and Ren Yisheng denied responsibility by claiming Badun had abandoned them.

Ren Yisheng chartered an airliner to take Zhang Xuezhou and Changkong Tengfeng back to the Scarlet Alliance State, leaving Montes Clark worried about the Aomeijia Alliance’s uncertain future. On the flight, Ren Yisheng discussed Montes Badun’s condition with Zhang Xuezhou before asking Void Furnace whether it could locate the Fire Meteor beings’ Void Stone base.

• Ren Yisheng arranged a flight by buying every seat and invited Changkong Tengfeng to return with the group to see her father, Changkong Yinghao.
• Montes Clark learned that Changkong Yinghao might attempt to reach the Seventh Sequence, then watched the plane depart and worried that Montes Badun’s condition could destabilize the Aomeijia Alliance.
• Aboard the airliner, Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Yisheng discussed the Quelling Chief, Montes Badun’s condition, and the danger of losing control of the Aomeijia Alliance.
• Zhang Xuezhou fell asleep, and Ren Yisheng went to the cockpit to ask Void Furnace whether it could search a fixed area for the Fire Meteor beings’ Void Stone base.

Zhang Xuezhou woke in Shanglin Park and learned that the new emperor had entered the shifting secret place and gathered rare medicinal plants. When the Empress Dowager arrived and summoned him, Zhang Xuezhou feigned illness and hid in bed while Han Yan went to report back.

• Zhang Xuezhou woke in Shanglin Park and found the Black and White Twin Horses still hanging from his waist.
• Han Yan told Zhang Xuezhou that the new emperor had entered the secret place once and collected six purple lingzhi mushrooms and ten Solomon's seal plants.
• Han Yan explained that the Empress Dowager had punished him with ten strokes and that he had come to Shanglin Park searching for the new emperor.
• Zhang Xuezhou left his room and saw the Empress Dowager's phoenix carriage arriving, realizing why Han Yan had smiled oddly.
• Han Yan told Zhang Xuezhou that the Empress Dowager wanted to see him, but Zhang Xuezhou pretended to be ill and returned to bed.
• Han Yan warned Zhang Xuezhou that he would report his refusal, then left to avoid being blamed.

Zhang Xuezhou avoided punishment from the empress dowager by eating the food she brought and explaining that the new emperor had saved him from wolves at Mount Zhongnan. The empress dowager left reassured about her son’s safety, crediting the Red Empyrean Sword for his feat.

• Zhang Xuezhou hid in bed and called out that he was hungry when the empress dowager arrived, and she ordered food brought in instead of having him beaten.
• Zhang Xuezhou ate the pastries and drank the wine, impressing the empress dowager with his appetite and endurance.
• The empress dowager asked about Zhang Xuezhou’s journey to Mount Zhongnan, and he said the new emperor had rescued him from a pack of wolves.
• Zhang Xuezhou claimed the new emperor had killed forty-six gray wolves within a hundred meters, and Cheng Bushi admitted that such a feat would be difficult even for him.
• The empress dowager concluded that the Red Empyrean Sword had enabled the feat and felt reassured that her son could defend himself.

Zhang Xuezhou convinced the empress dowager that the new emperor had used the Red Empyrean Sword to defeat the curse masters, escaping punishment and earning an invitation to a banquet. After the empress dowager left, he offered to heal Han Yan’s badly caned wounds.

• Zhang Xuezhou reported the new emperor’s success at Mount Zhongnan, and the empress dowager accepted his account after hearing that the Feathered Forest Guards had returned with gray wolves.
• Cheng Bushi praised the new emperor and credited the empress dowager’s guidance, easing her worries about the emperor’s safety.
• The empress dowager ordered a fine banquet for the new emperor and invited Zhang Xuezhou to attend at the Palace of Peace and Happiness.
• Han Yan complained that he had been caned twice and was too injured to enjoy the reopening of Chang’an City’s pleasure houses.
• Zhang Xuezhou offered to heal Han Yan with his technique and advised him to eat, hydrate, rest, and replenish his Qi and Blood.

Zhang Xuezhou healed Han Yan after his punishment, earning his gratitude and a promised payment. The new emperor then revealed that he was studying the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation to locate the hidden secret place on Mount Zhongnan.

• Zhang Xuezhou healed Han Yan's injured backside with the Supreme Purity True Technique, and Han Yan praised his skill and promised to pay him three hundred gold.
• Han Yan told Zhang Xuezhou where the new emperor was, and they went to meet him after the empress dowager's inspection moved on.
• The new emperor removed his Feathered Forest Guard disguise and asked about Han Yan's injuries, then praised Zhang Xuezhou for winning the empress dowager's favor.
• The new emperor showed Zhang Xuezhou an animal-skin book describing the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation and said he could use it to locate the secret place on Mount Zhongnan.

The new emperor prepared to investigate the damaged formation on Mount Zhongnan, ordering Han Yan to assemble Feathered Forest Guards while Zhang Xuezhou accompanied him. Before they set out, the emperor produced a second Heaven-Riding Shuttle, which Zhang Xuezhou began refining so they could travel together.

• The new emperor considered that the damaged formation might not be a Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation and ordered Han Yan to recruit a hundred Feathered Forest Guards with protective gear and fire oil.
• The new emperor told Zhang Xuezhou that Xin Zhui had returned to the palace to guard Lady Wei, who was awaiting childbirth, and said they would travel to Mount Zhongnan together.
• After waiting for the empress dowager to leave Shanglin Park, the new emperor revealed a second Heaven-Riding Shuttle from the Armory and asked Zhang Xuezhou to pilot it.
• The new emperor explained that he had kept the shuttle in a secret vault because awarding such a valuable treasure could put Zhang Xuezhou in danger.
• Zhang Xuezhou began leaving his spiritual imprint on the shuttle so he could carry the new emperor toward Mount Zhongnan.

Zhang Xuezhou flew the new emperor to Mount Zhongnan on the Heaven-Riding Shuttle so they could find the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation. After the emperor studied the formation diagram, they planned to search for its core from outside, though Zhang Xuezhou doubted they could break the formation from one side.

• Zhang Xuezhou took the new emperor on the Heaven-Riding Shuttle, and the emperor overcame his fear of flying as they raced toward Mount Zhongnan.
• Zhang Xuezhou landed at the site where he had found a great medicinal herb, and the new emperor used a luminous pearl to examine his footprints.
• The new emperor studied the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation diagram and asked Zhang Xuezhou to help locate its core.
• The new emperor proposed using fires at the four directions while Zhang Xuezhou surveyed them from the air, and Zhang Xuezhou agreed to help.
• Zhang Xuezhou doubted they could unravel the formation from outside alone without the rare chance of it malfunctioning.

The new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou used the Heaven-Riding Shuttle to locate the formation’s eye on Mount Zhongnan and signaled the Feathered Forest Guards to search for it. Their attempt to light a guiding fire instead started a wildfire, leaving the new emperor searching for a way to stop it.

• Han Yan arrived with the Feathered Forest Guards, and the new emperor ordered them to gather wood and build a fire.
• The new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou flew above Mount Zhongnan and used the formation diagram to locate the formation’s eye.
• The new emperor dropped a luminous pearl to mark the site, then he and Zhang Xuezhou landed nearby to light a signal fire.
• The fire spread into a wildfire when a gust carried flames into the surrounding dry brush, and the new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou failed to put it out.
• The wildfire spread as the Feathered Forest Guards headed toward them, and the new emperor remembered a possible way to stop it.

Zhang Xuezhou took the new emperor to the Jing River Water Mansion to ask Ao Li to extinguish the fire on Mount Zhongnan, but first challenged the Dragon King to a flying contest. As the mountain came into view, Zhang Xuezhou called for them to stop racing and put out the fire.

• The new emperor agreed that Zhang Xuezhou should try to recruit Ao Li to bring rain to Mount Zhongnan.
• Zhang Xuezhou used the Heaven-Riding Shuttle to fly with the new emperor to the Jing River, where the new emperor grew nauseated from the speed.
• Ao Li greeted Zhang Xuezhou, and Zhang challenged him to a flying contest with a great medicinal herb as the wager.
• Ao Li accepted the contest after Zhang described the herb's effects, and Zhang immediately sped off with the new emperor.
• When the burning Mount Zhongnan came into view, Zhang called to Ao Li to pause the race and help put out the fire.

Zhang Xuezhou enlisted Ao Li to extinguish the forest fire, then tricked him into losing the start of their race back to the Jing River. The new emperor’s fear of powerful cultivators faded as he watched Ao Li get outmaneuvered, while a distant white light hinted that the hidden place on Mount Zhongnan had appeared again.

• Ao Li summoned rain from the surrounding rivers and extinguished the fire, though the excess water threatened to cause a flood.
• Zhang Xuezhou proposed racing back to the Jing River, and Ao Li eagerly agreed.
• Zhang Xuezhou shouted “Three” and launched the Heaven-Riding Shuttle before Ao Li realized the countdown had been skipped.
• The new emperor adapted to riding the shuttle and reconsidered his awe of powerful cultivators after seeing Ao Li get fooled.
• Zhang Xuezhou reached the Jing River ahead of Ao Li, and a streak of white light flashed and vanished in the distance.

Zhang Xuezhou agreed to race Ao Li for a drop of the Jing River Dragon King's Essence Blood, after the new emperor suggested it as the wager. The new emperor supplied pills for the three-thousand-li contest, hoping Zhang Xuezhou would win and help him reach his goals.

• Ao Li challenged Zhang Xuezhou to another flying contest, but Zhang demanded an equivalent wager for his purple lingzhi.
• Zhang proposed dragon saliva, and Ao Li refused because Pilan had spread rumors about him and demanded money.
• The new emperor whispered that Zhang should wager for a drop of Ao Li's Essence Blood, and Zhang secured Ao Li's agreement to race three thousand li after daybreak.
• Ao Li returned to the Water Mansion to take medicine, while the new emperor asked Zhang whether he could win.
• Zhang said he would use the Heaven-Riding Shuttle and needed to travel without the new emperor, who provided Qi and Blood Fortune Pills and two Law Power Fortune Pills.

The new emperor waited by the Jing River after Zhang Xuezhou and the Jing River Dragon King began a flying contest, reflecting on Zhang Xuezhou’s mastery of Law Treasures. He encountered the unstable Fellow Daoist Pilan and offered her fragrant herbs in exchange for something of equal value, then asked what she was good at.

• The new emperor realized Zhang Xuezhou could control the Heaven-Riding Shuttle well enough to make long-distance flight practical.
• Pilan arrived with a bird-headed child, mistook the new emperor for someone connected to Ao Li, and accused him of threatening her.
• The new emperor tried to calm Pilan by asking whether she knew Dongfang Shuo, prompting her to lament that her child lacked a nest made from fragrant herbs.
• The new emperor offered Pilan a cartload of fragrant herbs in exchange for something valuable.
• Pilan began removing her feather robe as an apparent offer, and the new emperor urgently asked what she was good at.