Recaps

Grand Eunuch Wei proclaimed Emperor of Wei’s amnesty for Bai Canhong and the Star-Picking Pavilion, appointing Bai Duke of Ji and distributing official posts to his followers. After the ceremony, Kang Dabao reunited with Kang Changyi, accepted Kuai En’s invitation to a meal, and learned Kuai En would serve as administrator-general of Shannan Circuit; he then thanked Chu Yanran, brought his son home, and agreed to take her son as a disciple.

• Grand Eunuch Wei read the imperial edict granting Bai Canhong the title Duke of Ji and appointing him deputy commissioner, while the Star-Picking Pavilion’s disciples received posts and rewards.
• Kang Dabao considered how Bai Canhong’s amnesty could encourage other wavering factions to submit to the Kuang imperial clan.
• Kuai En invited Kang Dabao, Jiang Qing, Kang Changyi, Chu Yanran, and Attendant Luan to a feast, then revealed that he had been appointed administrator-general of Shannan Circuit for a hundred years.
• Kang Dabao examined Kang Changyi, thanked Chu Yanran for her help, and gave her a bottle of Three Treasures Wondrous Gathering Pills.
• Chu Yanran granted Kang Changyi leave to return home and asked Kang Dabao to accept her son into the Chongming Sect; Kang Dabao agreed.

Kang Dabao received the appointment of Huangpi Circuit Pacification Commissioner and learned that Kuang Liuting expected him to retain Cloud Horn Prefecture while helping oversee Shannan Circuit. After Su Chen delivered the imperial rewards and news of the Ninth Prince’s succession dispute, Kang Dabao resolved to leave the Kuang Household’s struggles to them and focus on cultivating.

• Bai Canhong accepted the imperial amnesty and traveled with the Star-Picking Pavilion’s disciples and accumulated possessions to pay respects to the Emperor of Wei.
• Kang Dabao maintained Chongming Sect’s position in Huangpi Circuit, accepted gifts from local powers and Joyful Sight Mountain, and refrained from expanding his territory without orders.
• Su Chen brought Kang Dabao the Emperor’s praise, the title of Huangpi Circuit Pacification Commissioner, and an appointment to a cave abode in Great Abyss Capital.
• Su Chen explained that Kang Dabao would retain Cloud Horn Prefecture and be expected to advise and keep watch over Kuai En in Shannan Circuit.
• Su Chen revealed that the former Right Director of the Imperial Clan had been stripped of his titles and sent to Liangxi after urging the Emperor to name the Ninth Prince heir.
• After Su Chen departed, Jiang Qing criticized the Kuang Household’s succession disputes, and Duan Anle reminded Kang Dabao that Kuai En’s appointment might have been arranged by the Ninth Prince.

Lian Xuepu’s 250th birthday drew an enormous procession of gifts and powerful guests to Azure Rosy Cloud Mountain, while Nong Daokui and Bo Guming earned favor with the Jade Moon Shan Household by helping gather its offerings. The banquet began with Chongming Sect figures in attendance, and Sect Leader Kang Dabao’s arrival left the assembled guests watching for what would happen next.

• Nong Daokui warned Bo Guming to keep quiet about their past meeting with Lian Xuepu, then introduced him to Shan Shijie’s legitimate son, who asked them to obtain missing birthday gifts.
• Nong Daokui and Bo Guming gathered the requested treasures, delivered them to a Shan Household attendant, and joined the household’s procession to Azure Rosy Cloud Mountain.
• The procession reached the crowded mountain, where Nong Daokui and Bo Guming submitted a birthday card and entered a grotto-heaven reception, gaining valuable advice, gifts, and a chance to approach Market Warden Qiu.
• At the summit, Lian Xuepu received congratulations from powerful sects, households, and officials, while Yuan Jin and Jiang Qing discussed the Chongming Sect’s influence and Lian Xuepu’s seclusion.
• Kang Dabao arrived at the banquet after breaking through to late-stage Golden Core and offered Lian Xuepu his congratulations, drawing the guests’ attention.

Kang Dabao emerged from thirty years of seclusion as a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator and attended Lian Xuepu’s birthday feast, where they discussed the Chongming Sect’s prospects and the Hehuan Sect’s hidden reach. After returning to Yangming Mountain, Kang Dabao faced his wife Fei Shuhe’s anger and made amends at home.

• Kang Dabao arrived at Lian Xuepu’s birthday feast, where the guests recognized his advancement and the Hehuan Sect envoys paid him their respects.
• Lian Xuepu gave Kang Dabao pills and advice, warned him that the Hehuan Sect might be a branch of a greater power, and urged Ye Zhengwen to focus on cultivation.
• Kang Dabao and his junior brothers left Azure Rosy Cloud Mountain and returned to Yangming Mountain, where Fei Shuhe confronted him for neglecting his household after seclusion.
• Kang Dabao blamed Kang Changxi’s reluctance to accept an arranged marriage for the delay, then Fei Shuhe pulled him into the inner quarters to reconcile.

Sect Leader Kang Da convened the Chongming Sect’s leaders and heard Duan Anle report on the growth of its six Beast Gardens. An urgent talisman edict brought news of trouble for the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, whose leaders began planning how to protect their family.

• Kang Dabao gathered the Chongming Sect’s senior disciples and invited them to report on the sect’s affairs.
• Duan Anle credited his junior brothers with managing the work and reported that the six Beast Gardens held thousands of spirit beasts and had secured mounts for the Sky-Treading Cavalry.
• Kang Dabao received a talisman edict, frowned, and announced that disaster had struck.
• Fei Ye Shui told Fei Tianqin that the Fei Household’s recent service had earned it some protection, but the Kuang Household and neighboring powers threatened its future.
• Fei Ye Shui urged Fei Tianqin to support Nanying and strengthen the household’s son-in-law as they prepared to move resources and descendants elsewhere.

At Ink Cloud Marsh, Kang Rongquan guided Zhu Yunsheng toward practical service and gave him Spirit-Nourishing Grain seeds to test in Cloud Horn Prefecture. At Yangming Mountain, Ye Zhengwen failed to find suitable Rogue Cultivators for the sect’s Attendant posts, while the Ying Prefecture Fei Household’s fleet approached Mountain North Circuit.

• Kang Rongquan explained the Spirit-Nourishing Grain’s potential to expand the population and cultivable lands across the Chongming Sect’s domain, and Zhu Yunsheng embraced the idea.
• Kang Rongquan gave Zhu Yunsheng seeds to deliver to Tanglu for trials among crop cultivators and mortals in Cloud Horn Prefecture, and asked him to send help against Demon Beasts near Ink Cloud Marsh.
• Ye Zhengwen paid Guhongzi for his lecture and asked him to recruit independent Rogue Persons, but Guhongzi said the sect’s strict rules made suitable candidates difficult to find.
• Guhongzi warned Ye Zhengwen that his chosen path was perilous, then Ye Zhengwen reported the failed recruitment to Kang Dabao, who said the Attendant search could wait and assigned him preparations for the next sect-wide competition.
• A large fleet of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household neared the skies over Mountain North Circuit.

Fei Wanqing returned to Yangming Mountain with Kang Lingyi, Kang Changzhao, and Kang Changyan, then arranged for thirty-six talented children from the Fei Household to enter the Chongming Sect. The next day, she privately told Kang Dabao that she had another assignment involving Gada, the Buddha Child of the Original Response Temple.

• Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan returned to Yangming Mountain with Fei Wanqing after more than fifty years away.
• He Chang welcomed Fei Wanqing and the returning Kang siblings, while Yuan Buwen rejoiced at the brothers’ cultivation progress.
• Fei Wanqing met Kang Dabao and presented a list of thirty-six Fei Household children with Dual Spirit Root aptitude, asking that they enter the Chongming Sect.
• Kang Dabao agreed to accept the children and their tuition gifts, and the sect hosted a banquet for the visiting cultivators.
• Fei Wanqing visited Kang Dabao alone the next day and began explaining an assignment from Patriarch Tianqin concerning Gada, the Buddha Child of the Original Response Temple.

Fei Wanqing asked Kang Dabao to approach Gada about obtaining Mani Treasure Leaves for Fei Ye Shui, and Kang Dabao agreed while privately suspecting the request concealed a more serious purpose. At Fei Shuhe’s family gathering, Kang Changxi fed spirit dew to Little Qi and wondered how it would strengthen the turtle’s bloodline while making future advancement harder.

• Fei Wanqing asked Kang Dabao to seek Mani Treasure Leaves from Gada, and he agreed to visit the Buddha’s son in Phoenix Cry Prefecture.
• Kang Dabao grew suspicious of the Fei Household’s reason for seeking the leaves, then set off alone for Phoenix Cry Prefecture after checking his affairs and giving Duan Anle instructions.
• Fei Wanqing visited Fei Shuhe, who offered her gifts in gratitude for her help and for the Golden Core Formation Pill Kang Dabao had provided.
• Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan asked Kang Changxi about Little Qi’s rapid cultivation, and Kang Changxi said even Kang Dabao could not explain it.
• Kang Changxi fed Little Qi another bowl of spirit dew and considered its benefits to the turtle’s bloodline and the extra effort its future advancement would require.

Kang Dabao visited Gada in Phoenix Cry Prefecture to ask for a Mani Treasure Leaf that could help his junior brother Yuan Jin overcome a heart demon. Gada agreed to give him one if he captured the hidden Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast demon officer Yongli alive.

• Kang Dabao entered Phoenix Cry Prefecture City and noticed how prosperous it had become under the Duke of Qin's administration.
• Kang Dabao went to the White Pagoda Temple and met Gada, who welcomed him with butter tea and dismissed his attendants.
• Kang Dabao asked Gada for a Mani Treasure Leaf to help Yuan Jin overcome the monkey demon rooted in his heart.
• Gada explained that he could not give up a Mani Treasure Leaf without compensation and asked Kang Dabao to capture Yongli alive.
• Kang Dabao agreed to capture Yongli, and Gada promised the Mani Treasure Leaf upon his return.

Kang Dabao visited Gada and the Fei Household as he prepared to capture the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast, also known as Demon Officer Yongli, alive in exchange for the Mani Treasure Leaf. After discussing the Dao with Fei Nanying and the Fei elders, he paid respects to Fei Granny Liu and left the residence, where he was surprised to meet Qin.

• Kang Dabao left the White Pagoda Temple after agreeing to pursue the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast for Gada’s Mani Treasure Leaf.
• Fei Nanxi and other Fei cultivators welcomed Kang Dabao at the Fei residence, where Fei Nanying questioned him about his visit to Gada.
• Fei Donggu warned Kang Dabao that Demon Officer Yongli was dangerous and gave him a Jade Slip with information about the beast; Fei Dongwen offered help from the younger Fei cultivators.
• Kang Dabao discussed the Dao with Fei Nanying, Fei Dongwen, and Fei Donggu for ten days, and the four gained insights from one another.
• After Fei Nanying hosted a banquet, Kang Dabao visited Fei Granny Liu’s spirit tablet to pay his respects before leaving the Fei ancestral shrine.
• Kang Dabao saw an old acquaintance in a crimson official robe outside the Fei residence and exclaimed, “Brother Qin?!”

The Chongming Sect received a vast shipment of treasures sent by Lian Xuepu, and its leaders argued over how to distribute the most valuable items. The chapter ended with Duan Anle reflecting on the prospect of the sect soon having five Golden Cores.

• Shangguan Fengshan delivered Lian Xuepu’s manifest and treasures to the Chongming Sect, where Han Xundao, He Chang, and Liu Ya supervised their inspection and transfer into storage.
• Duan Anle and Zhou Kun examined the manifest and recognized the value of the Foundation Establishment Pills, Moonlight Rice seed, cloud-patterned iron essence, and Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste.
• At the council meeting, Kang Rongquan secured the Moonlight Rice seed for cultivation and Jin Shilun requested that the three guards receive a share of the valuable pills and paste.
• Shan Yong, Tang Jiu, Zhu Yunsheng, and Duan Yunzhou argued over whose disciples had worked and sacrificed most for the sect, until Duan Anle silenced them and fined Duan Yunzhou for damaging an heirloom furnishing.
• Duan Anle ruled that all the Foundation Establishment Pills and Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste would serve as prizes in the coming sect competition, then urged Kang Rongquan to form his Golden Core.
• Kang Rongquan departed after revealing that his Core Thesis was complete, while Duan Anle declined to leave sect affairs and wondered whether five Golden Cores would soon make the Chongming Sect prosperous.

Kang Dabao reunited with Qin Sufu in Phoenix Cry Prefecture City, where Qin revealed he would transfer to Shannan Circuit to oppose Kuai En’s abuses. After settling his errands and buying Core Formation treasures for the younger generation, Kang Dabao encountered his old acquaintance Senior Cultivator Wufeng under attack on the road home.

• Kang Dabao met Qin Sufu, and the two discussed the prosperity of Chongming Sect’s territory and the worsening oppression in Shannan Circuit.
• Qin Sufu told Kang Dabao that he had petitioned Prince Consort Shen to transfer him to the Shannan governor-general’s office and work against Kuai En.
• Kang Dabao sent gifts and inquiries, then bought Core Formation spirit treasures for Kang Rongquan, Duan Anle, and Kang Changyi.
• Kang Dabao left Phoenix Cry Prefecture City and spotted Senior Cultivator Wufeng being attacked by three members of the Tiger Mountain Thirty-Six Sha.
• Kang Dabao killed the three bandit cultivators and collected their Storage Bags, while Senior Cultivator Wufeng remembered that he still had an unsettled account with him.

At Yuan Buwen’s funeral in Han City, the Chongming Sect honored his service by granting the Xuanlin Yuan Household major rewards, while Kang Changxi warned local leaders about rising demonic threats. An urgent report then revealed a Golden Core demon and its horde attacking Tanggu County, and Changxi rushed ahead to investigate whether it was the sought-after Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast.

• Xiu An and other regional leaders attended Yuan Buwen’s funeral, where He Chang read a eulogy on behalf of Sect Leader Kang Da.
• He Chang awarded the Xuanlin Yuan Household a Double Brightness Token, sixty years of tax exemption, a hereditary Crimson Zhang Guard centurion post, and a Foundation Establishment Pill every hundred years.
• Kang Changxi warned the assembled household leaders to report dangerous demons and evils, and told Yuan Ze'en that a junior could study under Yuan Jin the following year.
• The Wind Stone Fang Household sent an urgent report that a Golden Core demon surrounded by black mist and ten thousand demons had devastated its lands in Tanggu County.
• Kang Changxi set off alone for Tanggu County to investigate whether the demon was the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast, leaving He Chang, Kang Changzhao, and Kang Changyan behind.

Kang Changxi joined the battle against Demon Officer Yongli at Tanggu County, but the beast escaped his attack and fled. Sha Shan arrived with a powerful coffin Law Treasure and captured Yongli, leaving Kang Changxi demanding to know why Sha Shan had entered Chongming Sect territory.

• Kang Changxi arrived at Tanggu County as Yongli's black mist and beasts overwhelmed the defenders and destroyed the Xuan-class puppet.
• Kang Changxi used his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes and Primordial Ancient Body to fight Yongli and rally the defenders.
• Yongli found an opening, used its black beasts to block Kang Changxi's attacks, and fled toward the other circuits.
• Kang Changxi pursued Yongli, but his spear's flames could not slow the beast's escape.
• Sha Shan arrived in a rune-covered coffin that sent nine inky chains around Yongli and restrained it.
• Kang Changxi recognized Sha Shan and sternly questioned why he had entered Chongming Sect territory.

Kang Changxi fought Sha Shan over the black coffin holding Demon Officer Yongli, but Jiang Qing and Kang Dabao intervened before Sha Shan could defeat him. Kang Dabao took the coffin and sent Sha Shan away, then warned Kang Changxi to stop taking needless risks.

• Kang Changxi attacked Sha Shan to keep him from harming Demon Officer Yongli, and the two fought while their troops held back.
• Sha Shan intensified the fight with his Mysterious Sha Coffin Staff, injuring Kang Changxi and binding him with Sha blades.
• Kang Changxi released a cloud of Lion Insects and used hidden Soul-Splitting Sword Qi to make Sha Shan think Jiang Qing was nearby.
• Jiang Qing arrived and defeated Sha Shan, while Senior Cultivator Wufeng stopped Sha Shan's household troops from intervening.
• Kang Dabao forced back Sha Shan and two senior cultivators, shrank the black coffin to an inch, and took it into his pouch.
• Sha Shan left with his injured companions, and Kang Dabao warned Kang Changxi before going to speak with Gada.

Kang Changxi settled the aftermath of the clash in Cloud Horn Prefecture, while Senior Cultivator Wufeng accepted his new home and place in the Chongming Sect. In Phoenix Cry Prefecture, Kang Da delivered Demon Officer Yongli to Gada and received a Mani Treasure Leaf for Kang Dabao.

• Kang Changxi organized Cloud Horn Prefecture’s response and advised He Chang not to approach the Shannan Circuit General Administration Office yet.
• He Chang rode to Red Cloud Mountain to visit the injured Senior Cultivator Wenzun, while Kang Changxi returned to Yangming Mountain with Wufeng.
• Ye Zhengwen and the other elders welcomed Wufeng to Cloud Watching Abode and urged Kang Changxi to build a relationship with Wufeng and his disciple Zhou Yun.
• Kang Da brought the captured Demon Officer Yongli to Gada, who subdued him with the Nine-Leaf Beast Heart Jeweled Necklace.
• Gada gave Kang Da a Mani Treasure Leaf for Kang Dabao and celebrated finding the beast he had sought for a hundred years.

The officials in the Office of the Duke of Qin argued over how to respond to Kang Dabao, then jointly petitioned the Shannan Circuit General Administration Office. Meanwhile, Fei Ye Shui received the Mani Treasure Leaf and divined an auspicious sign for the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, though his death Qi and fading strength made its future uncertain.

• Sha Shan demanded that Kang Dabao be held accountable, while Zhu Tong's proposals to resolve the dispute met with opposition from the officials.
• Zhu Tong withdrew from the matter, and Gui Baifu led the remaining officials in signing a letter asking the Earl of Fengen to seek an explanation from the Marquis of Martial Peace.
• Sha Shan accused Qin Sufu of leaking the meeting's decisions, but Qin Sufu affixed the official seal and left without responding.
• Kang Dabao gave Fei Wanqing the Mani Treasure Leaf and urged her to travel cautiously to Ying Prefecture.
• Fei Tianqin brought the Mani Treasure Leaf to Fei Ye Shui, who revealed two more and used the clan's prepared treasures to perform a divination.
• Fei Ye Shui read the Qian hexagram as a sign that the clan would survive, then sent Fei Tianqin back to Phoenix Cry Prefecture while his own death Qi continued to worsen.

Kang Dabao prepared to defend the Chongming Sect against pressure from the duke’s office, while Kuai En rejected its order to punish the sect and chose to keep his troops from advancing. The chapter left Kuai En watching for a future change in circumstances as political tensions continued to build.

• Kang Dabao discussed the duke’s office’s demands with Duan Anle and Kang Changxi, then sent a letter to the Shannan Circuit General Administration Office defending the Chongming Sect’s actions.
• Kang Dabao ordered Qi Ke, Chen Zihang, and Gun Fangmu to help treat Wen Zun, and directed the Merit Points Hall to arrange rewards for those who helped capture Yongli.
• Kuai En read the duke’s office’s order and Kang Dabao’s letter, judged that the officials were trying to use him against the Chongming Sect, and sent the Golden-Feathered Owl back with Spirit Beast Pills.
• Kuai En instructed his officials to defend the Mountain South borders without moving troops toward Cloud Horn Prefecture, and ordered them to report that the Chongming Sect had acted in self-defense.
• Kuai En considered that he and Kang Dabao might clash in the future, but decided to wait for a new variable before choosing his next move.

Yang Wuwei visited Kang Dabao to get an introduction before taking a post in Ancient Mysterious Circuit, where Joyful Sight Mountain was facing growing danger. After sending him off with two captive Pill Masters, Kang Dabao worried over Kang Rongquan’s impending Core Formation and went to wait outside the Seclusion Chamber.

• Yang Wuwei visited Kang Dabao and received a letter of introduction to Joyful Sight Mountain for his new post in Ancient Mysterious Circuit.
• Kang Dabao told Yang Wuwei that two False Core blood cultivators had fled Joyful Sight Mountain after attacking one of its Foundation Establishment disciples, and Yang Wuwei realized the sect was in trouble.
• Yang Wuwei learned that You Longzi had given Kang Dabao two Clear Stream Trees to nourish Yangming Mountain’s Spirit Vein, and he promised he would never harm the Chongming Sect.
• Kang Dabao gave Yang Wuwei a talisman decree and sent him to collect two Pill Masters whom Joyful Sight Mountain wanted to arrest.
• Kang Changxi told Kang Dabao that Kang Rongquan had entered seclusion to attempt Core Formation, and Kang Dabao said he should face the trial without further guidance.
• Kang Dabao watched the Clear Stream Trees and the Seclusion Chamber, then decided to wait outside while Kang Rongquan continued his seclusion.

Kang Rongquan succeeded in forming his core inside Jade Peak Grotto-Heaven, and the Chongming Sect celebrated the news. As Zheng Yuntong hurried to join the celebration, the Fei Household prepared to launch a decisive battle once word arrived from Ying Prefecture.

• Zheng Yuntong returned to Yangming Mountain and learned from Liu Ya that Kang Rongquan’s Core Formation attempt should become clear within days, but he was not allowed to wait outside Jade Peak Grotto-Heaven.
• Zheng Yuntong visited the Scripture Repository, where Shan Yong gave him free False Core notes and explained which other Core Formation records he could afford to borrow.
• Shan Yong’s neglected cloudleaf calamus bloomed as spiritual mist gathered over Elegant Spirit Peak and the Spirit-Suppressing Bell rang nine times, announcing Kang Rongquan’s success.
• Zheng Yuntong hurried toward Elegant Spirit Peak while Kang Da and Third Master Jiang rejoiced at Kang Rongquan’s breakthrough.
• Fei Tianqin rallied the Fei Household’s Golden Core cultivators and ordered them to prepare for a decisive battle after word arrived from Ying Prefecture.

Fei Ye Shui activated the Origin-Suppressing Cauldron to prepare the Ying Prefecture Fei Household against an invasion, while a hidden traitor and the gathered Nascent Soul powers threatened the clan. A later report described his death in battle and the political settlement that followed, as the Emperor of Wei grew wary of the allied chancellors and the danger posed by the Dragon Spawn.

• Fei Ye Shui used the Mani Treasure Leaf and his Essence Blood to awaken and control the Origin-Suppressing Cauldron's Innate Sha-Suppressing True Qi, exhausting his vital essence in the process.
• Fei Dongzheng secretly concealed a warm voice-transmission talisman and watched the Core-Embracing Terrace, while Fei Ye Shui secretly observed him with Divine Sense.
• The Emperor of Wei and Kuang Shenzhi discussed the approaching threat to Ying Prefecture, then received a report that Fei Ye Shui had killed Su Qingxuan, wounded Shi Yankong and Baili Cangming, and died when the cauldron shattered.
• Han Yonghe petitioned for Ying Prefecture to come under imperial rule, for the Fei descendants to be resettled, and for a shrine to honor Fei Ye Shui; Gui Nianzhi and Han Yonghe also jointly petitioned to appoint an imperial governor to Yuelu Prefecture.
• The Emperor of Wei granted Han Yonghe's requests and ordered the Fei Household resettled in Mountain North Circuit, while questioning the alliance between the chancellors and considering seeking help from the Dragon Spawn.

After Fei Ye Shui’s death, Kang Dabao attended the mourning rites and heard Fei Tianqin warn him not to grow complacent on the road to Nascent Soul. The Silver Saber Prince Consort Shen Lingfeng paid his respects, recalled Kang’s ancestral master, and left Kang and Jiang Qing pondering his warning that worldly ties could hinder cultivation.

• Kang Da brought his family to Fei Ye Shui’s mourning hall, where Fei Tianqin grieved and warned Kang Dabao that reaching Nascent Soul required constant vigilance and ambition.
• Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing stayed at the Fei residence for several days, consulted its scripture repository, and witnessed other Nascent Soul powers offer condolences with conspicuous distance.
• Fei Enwen summoned Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing to meet Shen Lingfeng, the Silver Saber Prince Consort, who had arrived to pay respects to Fei Ye Shui.
• Shen Lingfeng recognized Kang’s connection to Zhang Yuandao, praised his leadership, and advised him to serve the Duke of Qin by guarding the Huangpi circuit.
• As he departed, Shen Lingfeng warned Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing that the road to Nascent Soul demanded severing worldly ties; Kang and Jiang were deeply unsettled by his words.
• Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing prepared to leave for Yangming Mountain, while Fei Tianqin reassured Kang that the Fei Household would remain secure.

Kang Rongquan celebrated his Golden Core formation by demonstrating how clarity and turbidity sustained each other, impressing the Chongming Sect’s guests and unsettling those who had been probing its spiritual veins. After the ceremony, Jiang Qing asked Kang Da for permission to venture into the Outer Dao.

• Kang Rongquan descended to his Golden Core ceremony, where Kang Da and Chongming Sect disciples welcomed him before guests from neighboring powers.
• Kang Rongquan explained his understanding of the Dao of Alchemy and used Hornless Dragon Seizure to draw on the earth veins, revive a Clear Stream Tree, and nourish barren soil with spirit grass.
• Senior Cultivator Huiyi praised Kang Rongquan’s discourse, while visiting envoys abandoned their probing and showed the Chongming Sect greater respect.
• After the ceremony ended, Jiang Qing approached Kang Da and requested permission to journey to the Outer Dao.

High Person Three Words came to the Chongming Sect seeking a position and was tested in a spar on Orchid Terrace. Kang Changxi narrowly defeated him, while Jiang Qing effortlessly broke his strongest attack, and Sect Leader Kang Da used the lack of reliable replacements to delay Jiang Qing’s journey again.

• He Chang welcomed High Person Three Words, who offered a valuable jade talisman and said he had come to join the Chongming Sect.
• Sect Leader Kang Da summoned Kang Rongquan, Jiang Qing, and Kang Changxi to assess High Person Three Words through a spar.
• Kang Changxi fought High Person Three Words on Orchid Terrace and won by exploiting flaws in his techniques.
• Jiang Qing stopped High Person Three Words’ full-strength flame-metal attack with a single sword stroke, demonstrating his superior skill.
• Sect Leader Kang Da told Jiang Qing that the sect still lacked a reliable replacement, so Jiang Qing would have to delay his journey.