Chapter Summaries

Shen Duheng and Shan Heyuan sought a safe place to hide and recover, with Shan Heyuan trapped as a Nascent Soul inside the Dantian Small World. They settled in the dead city of Ridge Pine City, where Shen Duheng began restoring a Spirit Plant garden as a possible refuge and place to rebuild Shan Heyuan’s body.

• Shan Heyuan persuaded Shen Duheng to investigate Qiuyi Mortal Market and then hide in a dead city, where the lack of Spiritual Power could frustrate Ji Li’s tracking.
• Shan Heyuan anchored his Dantian Small World to Shen Duheng’s storage bracelet, and Shen Duheng logged out at Qiuyi Mortal Market after several days of effort.
• After failing to find materials for Shan Heyuan’s Nascent Soul, Shen Duheng agreed to look for a Cultivation Method to build a body from Spirit Plants, while Shan Heyuan considered using the Illusionless Tree.
• Shen Duheng disguised himself as a Rogue Cultivator swordsman and entered Ridge Pine City, where Spiritual Power was absent and survivors watched him from the shadows.
• Shen Duheng chose a ruined Spirit Plant garden between Ridge Pine City and Zuting City and began restoring it with the spirit soil they had saved.

Shen Duheng took Shan Heyuan, whose soul was attached to a stud earring, to explore an underground market in Ridge Pine City. They found a bustling settlement with many talisman arrays and outside goods, leaving Shan Heyuan curious about how the survivors obtained them.

• Shen Duheng received a letter from their neighbor inviting him to a nearby underground market and showed it to Shan Heyuan.
• Shan Heyuan attached his soul to Shen Duheng’s stud earring and briefly saw the ruined landscape outside the Dantian Small World.
• On the first market day, Shen Duheng disguised himself and rode his sword with Shan Heyuan toward the underground market.
• Shen Duheng and Shan Heyuan found that the market’s entrance and surroundings were protected by many talisman arrays powered by Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Shen Duheng entered the market, where Shan Heyuan saw low-level cultivators selling spiritual objects and Law Artifacts that seemed to come from outside the dead city.

Shen Duheng and Shan Heyuan explored Ridge Pine City's market, learned how its residents used Death Qi to grow Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass, and bought plants and cultivation supplies. They began preparing a garden to experiment with growing the local plants, while Shan Heyuan concluded that the Azure Bird Palace benefited from keeping the city’s inhabitants there.

• Shen Duheng bought Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass, seeds, a growing array, and local spirit soil after a peddler explained that the plant grew by absorbing Death Qi.
• Shen Duheng and Shan Heyuan surveyed the market and discussed why the city’s residents stayed despite its harsh conditions and limited prospects.
• Shan Heyuan developed an interest in using Death Qi and asked Shen Duheng to help him experiment because he had no body.
• Shan Heyuan instructed Shen Duheng to prepare the garden with Death Qi-rich mountain humus instead of spirit soil and set up an array for the grass.
• Shan Heyuan suspected the Azure Bird Palace allowed Ridge Pine City to persist because its residents’ cultivation of local specialties benefited the sect.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng hid in the dead lands, tending spirit grass while following news of Ji Li and the cultivation world's worsening decline. After they discovered a plot of Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass had mostly withered from neglect, Shen Duheng tried to revive it, and they considered ways to keep the dry soil from wasting the spirit liquid.

• Shan Heyuan criticized the Azure Bird Palace's exploitation of local residents and resolved to address it if he got the chance.
• Shen Duheng told Shan Heyuan that Zhuo Zheng and most of his people had defected to Ji Li, forcing the rest to hide.
• They learned that Ji Li had failed his Tribulation Transcendence and was recovering while still using Shen Duheng's name.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng discussed how the top sects' stockpiling would not save the cultivation world once outside supplies ran out.
• They found that eighty percent of a plot of Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass had withered after Shen Duheng forgot to water it for eleven days.
• Shen Duheng poured spirit liquid on the grass, and they discussed growing it in pots to prevent the dry earth from absorbing the liquid.

Shan Heyuan discovered that Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass could absorb and release pure death Qi, which helped balance the life-filled Dantian Small World. He and Shen Duheng began growing more of the grass, while Shen Duheng replanted staple crops in the outside garden.

• Shan Heyuan found that the seemingly dying Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass still had life and replanted it beside the spirit spring in the Dantian Small World.
• Shan Heyuan discovered that the recovering grass released pure death Qi, which enriched the Dantian Small World rather than harming it.
• Shan Heyuan decided to grow more Brilliant Creek Dragon Grass to balance the small world's strong life force, and Shen Duheng agreed to order seeds and supplies.
• Shen Duheng obtained high-quality seeds and cultivation materials, and he and Shan Heyuan divided the growing work between them.
• After more than half a month, Shan Heyuan had raised a batch of seedlings while Shen Duheng had planted Fujiang Potatoes and Yangdai Grain outside.

Shen Duheng sold their surplus crops in Ridge Pine City and learned that its factions were consolidating amid growing concern over supplies. Shan Heyuan showed him that his Dantian Small World had stopped evolving and concluded that he might need to abandon his Nascent Soul and cultivate anew, before revealing that he knew another obscure possibility.

• Shen Duheng sold their high-quality crops at a premium and agreed to trade directly with a cultivator who promised to gather supplies for him.
• Shen Duheng told Shan Heyuan that Ridge Pine City's factions were consolidating and that the city was nearing chaos.
• Shan Heyuan showed Shen Duheng how life Qi and death Qi had divided his Dantian Small World, which no longer seemed to be evolving.
• Shan Heyuan explained that using a branch of the Illusionless Tree could only provide a temporary puppet body and that he might have to give up his Nascent Soul to grow a new body.
• Shen Duheng acknowledged the difficulty of starting over, and Shan Heyuan said he knew another, obscure way.

Shan Heyuan entered seclusion in his Dantian Small World to find inspiration for his stalled cultivation and discovered that his changing life Qi could transform the world. He realized it needed the metal element and called Shen Duheng for help, who embraced him.

• Shan Heyuan explained his idea of physically merging with a Spirit Plant, but admitted he did not know how to achieve it.
• Shen Duheng suggested that Shan Heyuan try seclusion to find inspiration, and Shan Heyuan agreed after arranging a signal between them.
• Shan Heyuan reviewed the Spring Transformation Art and his old notebook while reflecting beneath the Illusionless Tree.
• Shan Heyuan's Qi came into harmony with the Dantian Small World, causing the stagnant world to change along with him.
• Shan Heyuan realized the transformed world was missing the metal element and summoned Shen Duheng for help.
• Shen Duheng set aside his spirit sword and embraced Shan Heyuan when he asked for a lot of metal element.

Shan Heyuan needed a metal-element spiritual object to advance his cultivation, so Shen Duheng gave him one of his own ribs. Shan Heyuan used it as he began reshaping his Dantian Small World and pursuing a risky path to merge himself with the Illusionless Tree.

• Shan Heyuan realized that metal-element Spiritual Power alone could not complete his Dantian Small World, and Shen Duheng promised to find a suitable spiritual object.
• Shen Duheng brought Shan Heyuan a white bone rich in metal-element Spiritual Power, and Shan Heyuan recognized it as Shen Duheng's rib.
• Shen Duheng explained that he had refined and removed his last left rib, and Shan Heyuan accepted it before entering seclusion beneath the Illusionless Tree.
• Shan Heyuan used Pu Core Fire to melt and temper much of his Dantian Small World, aiming to fuse it into a seed and change its stable state.
• Inspired by horizontal gene transfer, Shan Heyuan decided to try merging himself with the Illusionless Tree, prepared to become a ghost cultivator if the attempt failed.

Shan Heyuan refined his Dantian Small World and the Illusionless Tree until he became a wooden bud, then asked Shen Duheng to plant him somewhere rich in Spiritual Power. Shen Duheng set out to find a suitable Spirit Plant garden and eventually chose Changlin Island.

• Shan Heyuan fused with the Illusionless Tree and refined the Dantian Small World, absorbing its materials and Spiritual Power.
• Shan Heyuan concentrated the Illusionless Tree's Spiritual Power into his origin core until only a wooden bud remained, still gripping Shen Duheng's storage ring.
• Shen Duheng found the wooden bud and learned from Shan Heyuan that he had succeeded but needed to be planted somewhere rich in Spiritual Power.
• Shen Duheng left Ridge Pine City and traveled to Wei Province, but found the Spirit Plant garden there ruined by the dead city's decline.
• Shen Duheng searched several provinces and finally settled on Changlin Island in the Islet Sect's territory.

Shen Duheng planted the transformed Shan Heyuan in a Spirit Plant garden and guarded him until he awoke and began growing. As the cultivation world continued to collapse, Shan Heyuan recovered, eventually took human form, and asked Shen Duheng for a hug.

• Shen Duheng rented a Spirit Plant garden and planted Shan Heyuan in high-grade spirit soil, where leaves appeared after three days.
• Shen Duheng fended off two groups who broke into the garden and kept watch until Shan Heyuan awoke more than two months later.
• Shan Heyuan absorbed Fertilizer Pills and spirit water, then learned from Shen Duheng that 624 cities had died and the major sects were withdrawing their forces.
• Shen Duheng gathered news while Shan Heyuan recovered, and they learned that Ji Li was weakened and fewer people were pursuing them.
• After more than two months of growth, Shan Heyuan took human form, remarked that it felt unfamiliar, and held out his arms to Shen Duheng for a hug.

After Shan Heyuan regained his body, he showed Shen Duheng how his Dantian Small World had become complete, and the two left Changlin Island to cultivate and seek the Realm Spirit in Fu Province. Their nine-year journey exposed them to the cultivation world's worsening disasters, and they arrived in a devastated world with Fu Province still functioning under the Spirit Jade Palace's protection.

• Shan Heyuan explained that his Dantian Small World had advanced and revealed that the giant tree at its center was his true body.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng agreed to seek the Realm Spirit in Fu Province and improve their cultivation away from the Sword Reverence Sect.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng traveled overland for nine years, witnessing disasters and helping where they could as cities died and cultivators became refugees.
• During the journey, a third of the cultivation world's cities died, Spiritual Power dwindled, and average cultivation fell from Foundation Establishment to Qi Refining.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng reached Fu Province at Spirit Transformation Realm and found it among the few continents still functioning, largely because the Spirit Jade Palace had opened the West Jing Secret Realm to refugees.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng met the Realm Spirit and Yun Junping in Fujiang City, where Spirit Jade Palace invited them to stay and help protect the cultivation world. They declined to become guest elders and remained wary of accepting support before they had done anything.

• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng arrived openly in Fujiang City and asked the Realm Spirit to meet them.
• The Realm Spirit arrived with Yun Junping and recognized Shan Heyuan as Qingyun, then questioned his unusual condition and rapid cultivation.
• Yun Junping invited the pair to stay at Spirit Jade Palace, and the Realm Spirit proposed making them guest elders in exchange for resources and help.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng declined the guest elder offer because their ties to the Sword Reverence Sect ran too deep.
• The Realm Spirit said a divination had pointed to Shan Heyuan as the cultivation world's hope, but Shan Heyuan declined the offer of supplies because he felt they had not yet earned them.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng stayed at the Spirit Jade Palace, where Shan Heyuan refined Fertilizer Pills and Shen Duheng made Sky-Soaring Pills. Shan Heyuan reconnected with his friends by secret letters and learned that some were living peacefully while others were rescuing people near a dead city.

• Lord Yunping invited Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng to stay at the Spirit Jade Palace, and they accepted.
• The Realm Spirit supplied Shan Heyuan with materials and visited his Dantian Small World, marveling at its growth and flourishing spirit plants.
• Shan Heyuan refined Fertilizer Pills, while Shen Duheng used Thousand Powder Grass to refine Sky-Soaring Pills.
• Shan Heyuan sent secret letters to his friends, who replied with news of their lives and the changes around them.
• Jiu Mingyue had become sect master of the Supreme Harmony Sect, while Ma Rupei, Zhong Shuran, Zhao Changming, and Li Jiamu had settled into relatively peaceful lives.
• Jiang Zhi, Li Jian, and others were leading rescue teams near a dead city with Lin Ji and Sheng Chao, and could not leave without orders or resigning from the Sword Reverence Sect.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng reunited with Jiang Zhi, Li Jian, Lin Ji, and Sheng Chao, explained their identities and history, and welcomed them to a Spirit Plant garden near Fujiang City. As Sheng Chao and Lin Ji prepared to publicize the truth about Ji Li, Shan Heyuan showed Jiang Zhi a hardy new grain variety intended to help ease the cultivation world's food and Spiritual Power shortages.

• Shan Heyuan invited Jiang Zhi and Li Jian to Fujiang City to help cultivate Spirit Plants, and Jiang Zhi agreed to come with Lin Ji and Sheng Chao.
• Jiang Zhi's group arrived, and Shan Heyuan explained his and Shen Duheng's identities and what had happened to them over the years.
• Sheng Chao offered to work with Lin Ji on publicizing the truth about Ji Li, and Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng agreed to review their plan.
• Shan Heyuan settled the group in his large Spirit Plant garden and told Jiang Zhi about the hardy Wunuo Grain he had cultivated.

Shan Heyuan showed Jiang Zhi and Li Jian his high-Spiritual-Power Wunuo Grain and explained that his cultivation method had produced it. After they confirmed its promise and resistance to pests and disease, Shan Heyuan proposed testing it in a dead city with three separate teams.

• Shan Heyuan told Jiang Zhi and Li Jian that mature Wunuo Grain contained around two hundred to five hundred ling, far more than the Yangdai Grain grown in dead cities.
• Jiang Zhi and Li Jian rested at Shan Heyuan's houses, then examined the Wunuo Grain and praised the precision of his growing methods.
• Jiang Zhi and Li Jian found that the Wunuo Grain resisted disease and insects and began learning how to grow it.
• Shan Heyuan asked Jiang Zhi and Li Jian to lead separate teams with him to test the Wunuo Grain in a dead city after the current crop was harvested.

Shan Heyuan and his team successfully grew Wunuo Grain in the dead city of Tongyi, proving it could thrive without Spiritual Power in the soil or a functioning Heavenly Dao. After a bountiful harvest, Shan Heyuan planned to distribute the first batch to cultivators in dead cities near Fujiang City.

• Shan Heyuan, Jiang Zhi, and Li Jian divided the Wunuo Grain seeds and set out with separate teams to test growing them in dead cities.
• Shen Duheng joined Shan Heyuan's team, which planted Wunuo Grain in a former Spirit Plant garden in Tongyi City using ordinary cultivation supplies and techniques.
• The Wunuo Grain sprouted within five days, and Shan Heyuan explained that it absorbed fire from the sun and converted it into Spiritual Power.
• Shan Heyuan's team harvested plump heads averaging more than three hundred seeds each, despite Tongyi City's dead soil and severed Heavenly Dao.
• Shan Heyuan planned to borrow helpers from the Spirit Jade Palace and distribute the processed grain to cultivators in nearby dead cities, verifying recipients through their Spiritual Power patterns.

Shan Heyuan expanded Wunuo Grain production and sold the second batch of seeds at cost as cultivators praised the crop’s quality and ease of growing. As crowds gathered for the third batch, they discussed Shan Heyuan’s past efforts to save the cultivation world and condemned Ji Li’s claim to leadership of the Sword Reverence Sect.

• Shan Heyuan distributed the first batch of Wunuo Grain as seeds with planting instructions, while he and his allies planted several hundred thousand mu for the second batch.
• Cultivators praised Wunuo Grain’s abundant Spiritual Power and easy cultivation, so Shan Heyuan sold the second batch of seeds at cost to fund further planting.
• The Realm Spirit praised Shan Heyuan’s management, and Shan Heyuan credited Lin Ji, Sheng Chao, and the Spirit Jade Palace while lamenting the Sword Reverence Sect’s decline under Ji Li.
• Cultivators gathered outside Fujiang City to buy the third batch of seeds and shared stories about Shan Heyuan’s past deeds and the Sword Reverence Sect’s former reputation.
• The cultivators criticized Ji Li for taking another person’s identity and noted that the Heavenly Dao had struck him down, leaving him unrecovered.

Wunuo Grain spread across the cultivation world as Shan Heyuan and his allies tried to help people survive worsening disasters. After half of Changlin Island collapsed, Lin Ji and Sheng Chao left to assist with relief efforts, while Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng discussed whether the cultivation world could still be saved.

• Shan Heyuan and his allies sold Wunuo Grain to cultivators and representatives from several major sects, though the Sword Reverence Sect made no move.
• Yun Junping told Shan Heyuan that half of Changlin Island had collapsed, and the group decided they needed to help with disaster relief.
• Lin Ji and Sheng Chao set out for Changlin Island, and Shan Heyuan gave them two bottles of Sky-Soaring Pills and warned them to protect themselves.
• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng discussed whether the cultivation world could be saved, and Shen Duheng suggested that a powerful cultivator might break its shackles.
• While Shan Heyuan reviewed the fifth generation of Wunuo Grain with Jiang Zhi and Li Jian, space rippled nearby and Shen Duheng arrived by tearing through it.

Ji Li's attacks on cultivators revealed that he was using a Devil Cultivation Method to drain their cultivation, and Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng prepared to confront him. They left Fujiang City together, while the Realm Spirit began to warn them about what might happen if they did not return.

• Lin Ji arrived wounded and reported that Ji Li had ambushed him and Sheng Chao in Chongshan City; Shan Heyuan contacted Yun Junping for help.
• Lin Ji disappeared, apparently intending to seek revenge for Sheng Chao, and Shan Heyuan sent the Spirit Jade Palace's people to find him.
• Ji Li killed forty-three cultivators of the Proliferation Sect, including Mao Jingbai, and survivors confirmed that he drained victims' cultivation to strengthen himself.
• Shan Heyuan agreed to accompany Shen Duheng to find Ji Li, and they shared an intimate farewell before leaving Jade Slips for Jiang Zhi and Li Jian.
• The Realm Spirit saw Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng off outside Fujiang City and began to say what to do if they did not return within a few days.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng waited in Zhewu City to intercept Ji Li, who arrived with blood on his robe and attacked them. Their sword techniques clashed with enough force to reduce a large part of the city to dust.

• Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng reached Zhewu City to stop Ji Li from harming the Three Nine Sect and waited there for several days.
• Ji Li appeared and argued with Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng, dismissing the danger to the city and its cultivators.
• Shan Heyuan sent an enemy-attack flare, prompting nearby cultivators to flee before Ji Li attacked.
• Shen Duheng met Ji Li’s powerful sword strike head-on while Shan Heyuan retreated from the clash.
• The collision between Ji Li and Shen Duheng’s sword techniques reduced a vast area of Zhewu City to fine dust.