Chapter Summaries

Lu Changzhi visited the ancestors’ underground hiding place at night to pour the Life Spirit Spring, but Gu Qingyang emerged and asked him to wait. A system prompt then offered Lu Changzhi three choices for responding to Gu Qingyang’s questions about his identity.

• Cang Wenyu shared Jade Dew Brew and a nourishing pot of food with Xu Kun, Lu Changzhi, Gu Chen, and Luo Ling'er.
• After eating and drinking, Cang Wenyu and Xu Kun took the remaining food and hurried away.
• Lu Changzhi disguised himself and went to the ancestors’ underground location, where the system initially detected no one.
• Lu Changzhi prepared to pour the Life Spirit Spring, but the system detected Gu Qingyang rising from underground.
• Gu Qingyang emerged, greeted Lu Changzhi, and asked him to wait, prompting the system to present Lu Changzhi with three response choices.

Lu Changzhi posed as Five Symbols Sect patriarch Yi Yuntian, gave Gu Qingyang Life Spirit Spring Essence, and left before anyone could examine him closely. In the stars, the real Yi Yuntian realized his fan had been stolen and began trying to identify the culprit.

• The system told Lu Changzhi it had borrowed Yi Yuntian’s Wind and Cloud Mountains and Rivers Fan and urged him to keep up the act.
• Lu Changzhi introduced himself to Gu Qingyang as Yi Yuntian and received the fan as his reward.
• Lu Changzhi gave Gu Qingyang Life Spirit Spring Essence, asked about the sect’s Origin Spirit Veins, and departed using the Heaven-Veiling Illusion Array.
• Back on Hidden Origin Peak, Lu Changzhi reflected on the sect’s past Saint Realm experts and asked the system about borrowing the spring’s source.
• The real Yi Yuntian sensed that his fan had been stolen and its mark erased, then began calculating who had taken it.

Lu Changzhi taught Xiao Ye that firsthand experience was needed to understand the world, then gave him a storage ring containing a saint's inheritance. Meanwhile, Zhou Mo investigated the disciples' sudden improvements and Cang Wenyu's seclusion, while the underground cultivators resolved to train harder.

• A mysterious figure discovered that the Wind and Cloud Mountains and Rivers Fan had been stolen and left to seek help from his senior brothers.
• Xiao Ye told Lu Changzhi that the Eastern Region seemed far better than he had expected, and Lu Changzhi advised him to unite knowledge with action by reading and traveling.
• Lu Changzhi gave Xiao Ye a storage ring as a welcoming gift, and Xiao Ye learned from Tongtong that it contained a saint's inheritance.
• Xiao Ye worried that Lu Changzhi might discover he had used Tongtong to secure a place as his disciple, but Tongtong urged him to cultivate and grow stronger.
• Zhou Mo noticed the peak disciples' dramatic improvements, then discovered that Cang Wenyu had entered seclusion behind eighteen formations.
• The underground cultivators praised Ancestor Yi for bringing life-extending spirit liquids and resolved to cultivate diligently so they could help him.

Lu Changzhi brought Xiao Ye to Hidden Origin Peak and introduced him to the other disciples. Mu Fan emerged after completing his Sacred Body cultivation, and a surge of power from Qin Li suggested that she was finishing her own cultivation as well.

• Gu Chen studied jade talismans to prepare for his first solo training trip while Lu Changzhi slept until morning.
• Lu Changzhi met Xiao Ye, revealed that his earlier appearance had been an External Avatar, and brought him to Hidden Origin Peak.
• Lu Changzhi told Xiao Ye that Gu Chen was the eldest disciple and introduced him to Jin Fugui, Luo Ling'er, and the others.
• Lu Changzhi led the group to the Heavenly Azure Ruins, where Mu Fan's Sacred Body countdown ended and Mu Fan emerged from the long box.
• Mu Fan introduced himself to Xiao Ye, then dropped his imposing act when the others noticed his unusual clothing.
• A surge of power rose in the distance as Lu Changzhi sensed that Qin Li had nearly completed cultivating her White Tiger Sacred Body.

Qin Li restored her White Tiger Sacred Body to Saint Rank, though it remained incomplete, while Xiao Ye met his senior sisters and brothers at Lu Changzhi’s residence. Mu Fan took Xiao Ye on a tour and told him not to try to fathom their master’s strength, ending by offering to show him someone bound in the back courtyard.

• Qin Li’s White Tiger phantom appeared over Heavenly Azure Ruins as her physique was restored, causing the beasts to prostrate themselves while the black dragon watched greedily.
• Lu Changzhi checked Qin Li’s physique and learned that her Saint Rank White Tiger Sacred Body remained incomplete until she obtained a White Tiger’s heart and soul.
• Gu Chen introduced Xiao Ye to Qin Li, who welcomed him as her junior brother and offered to help with his cultivation questions.
• Qin Li challenged Gu Chen to spar, while Mu Fan took Xiao Ye away on a flying boat.
• Xiao Ye asked Mu Fan how strong Lu Changzhi was, and Mu Fan warned him not to probe their master’s true strength before offering to show him someone tied up in the back courtyard.

Mu Fan discovered that the black dragon had another injury and joked that it would become food, while Xiao Ye settled on Hidden Origin Peak and used the Thunder Holy Physique. Lu Changzhi concealed the resulting phenomenon and intercepted it, then learned that three phenomena could be combined into lightning punishment; the next morning, Gu Chen prepared to set out.

• Mu Fan approached the enraged black dragon, told Xiao Ye it was meant to be eaten, and noticed it already had another scar.
• Xiao Ye built a house on Hidden Origin Peak, resolved to use his Thunder Holy Physique, and received cultivation resources and a token from Lu Changzhi.
• The Azure Cloud Sect sect master sent Elder Lin to investigate strange disturbances in Green Pine Forest.
• Xiao Ye activated the Thunder Holy Physique, and Lu Changzhi used the Heaven-Veiling Illusion Array to conceal its phenomenon and intercepted the surge of Qi.
• Lu Changzhi learned that three Heaven and Earth Phenomena could be upgraded into lightning punishment, and Gu Chen told him he was ready to set out.

Gu Chen left the Five Symbols Sect for the Aid the Azure Gate, with Lu Changzhi following him in secret, while Xiao Ye studied martial skills at the Scripture Pavilion. At the Aid the Azure Gate, Sect Master Guo Xu met with Buddhist emissaries who revealed that a great age was beginning, and he asked to borrow their scripture of blessings.

• Lu Changzhi warned Gu Chen to call for help while retreating in danger, then followed him toward the Aid the Azure Gate aboard the Void Shuttle.
• Mu Fan learned that Xiao Ye had gone to the Scripture Pavilion and returned to tinkering with his gadgets.
• Xiao Ye spent the morning simplifying and mastering martial skills by studying jade talismans.
• Lu Changzhi reviewed information about the Aid the Azure Gate and learned that its Aid the Azure Art drew power from supporters gained by creating suffering and then acting as a savior.
• Dharma Master Jingkong and two monks asked Guo Xu to help them enter the Eastern Region to relieve suffering as a great age began.
• Guo Xu agreed in principle, then asked to borrow the Buddhist order’s scripture that brought blessings and good fortune.

Guo Xu negotiated with Jingkong for a chance to study Buddhist scripture, while Lu Changzhi collected a Heaven and Earth Phenomenon near an abyss that Azure Cloud Sect elders mistook for an ancient tomb. Gu Chen reached the outskirts of the Heaven-Reaching Mountain Range and followed his treasure map toward a danger sign, where someone called out to him.

• Guo Xu accepted Jingkong’s offer to seek permission for him to study Buddhist teachings, then asked what help the Buddhist order needed.
• Lu Changzhi collected a Heaven and Earth Phenomenon while traveling and noticed Azure Cloud Sect flying boats heading toward the forest below.
• Lin Yu and the Azure Cloud Sect elders found a vast abyss, suspected an ancient tomb lay beneath it, and decided to ask their sect for reinforcements.
• The Azure Cloud Sect gained the largest share of the Mystic One Sect’s former territory as the struggle for its spoils wound down.
• Gu Chen arrived at the Heaven-Reaching Mountain Range, set off on foot to follow his treasure map, and found a danger sign pointing along his route.
• An unseen person called out to Gu Chen and asked whether it was his first time there.

Gu Chen followed his treasure map toward a region locals said was haunted, where people had gone missing, but turned back to investigate cautiously. When soul bodies erupted from beneath the ground and attacked him, he fought them off as Lu Changzhi suspected something nearby was allowing them to survive.

• An old man warned Gu Chen that people who entered the haunted region never returned, including the old man's grandson and the grandson's parents.
• Gu Chen changed direction but realized he was still following the treasure map's route, so he kept his distance and reconsidered whether to proceed.
• Lu Changzhi detected unusual power beneath the earth and found no living people in the area, leading him to wonder whether ghosts were present.
• Gu Chen sensed eerie fluctuations ahead, took out his flying boat, and was attacked by countless soul bodies bursting from beneath the ground.
• Gu Chen used talismans and his spear to destroy the attacking soul bodies while Lu Changzhi wondered what nearby force was keeping them alive.

Gu Chen destroyed the soul entities with a powerful device made by Mu Fan and recovered an Incomplete Soul-Forging Disk. The system warned Lu Changzhi that the danger had not passed because it might be inside the disk.

• Gu Chen protected his mind with a silver helmet, fought off the soul entities, and found that they avoided a spot where something seemed to lie underground.
• Gu Chen used Mu Fan’s pointed device to blast the ground, wiping out the soul entities but also flattening the surrounding area and destroying the old man’s hut.
• Gu Chen shielded the old man from the blast, then searched the crater and found the Incomplete Soul-Forging Disk.
• Gu Chen took the disk aboard his flying vessel, while Lu Changzhi learned from the system that the possible danger lay within it.

Gu Chen examined the Spirit-Forging Disc after setting up protections, while Jing Yun used an old man's memories to track him and claim the treasure for the Buddhist order. A powerful soul form emerged from the disc and attacked Gu Chen, leaving Lu Changzhi watching to see whether he could withstand it.

• Gu Chen hurried away with the damaged Spirit-Forging Disc, then stopped at a mountain and set up several formation discs before examining it.
• Jing Yun and three young monks arrived at the wreckage, questioned an old man, and Jing Yun read his memories to find Gu Chen.
• Jing Yun ordered the old man taken back and led the monks toward Gu Chen, saying the object belonged to their Buddhist order.
• A powerful soul form burst from the Spirit-Forging Disc and attacked Gu Chen, but Gu Chen knocked the disc away and activated his formations.
• Gu Chen sent talismans against the soul form, whose control over spiritual power weakened the attacks, while Lu Changzhi wondered whether Gu Chen could handle it.

Gu Chen defeated a powerful soul form with a soul-targeting needle and spear, then claimed the Soul-Forging Disc. As he flew off to seek suitable beasts, Jing Yun and his three disciples approached him, prompting concern from Lu Changzhi aboard the Void Shuttle.

• Gu Chen traded blows with the soul form and pretended to flee before striking it with a hidden Soul Break needle and his spear.
• Gu Chen reinforced the formation and attacked until the soul form dispersed, then waited and confirmed that his opponent was not completely dead.
• Gu Chen reflected on his preparations, collected the Saint Rank Mid Grade Soul-Forging Disc, and cleared away traces of his presence.
• Gu Chen set out to find beasts of suitable strength, but Jing Yun and his three disciples approached on a golden lotus platform.
• Lu Changzhi noticed the system's warning about the newcomers and worried that they would bring trouble.

Gu Chen encountered Jing Yun and three monks who claimed the Saint Rank Soul-Forging Disc belonged to the Buddhist sect and demanded its return. Lu Changzhi watched from concealment as Gu Chen stalled for time, and Jing Yun pressed closer while searching for a hidden protector.

• Lu Changzhi chose to watch quietly and intervene if needed after learning Jing Yun and his disciples had hostile intentions toward Gu Chen.
• Jing Yun questioned Gu Chen about the earlier commotion, and Gu Chen pretended not to know what had happened.
• Gu Chen showed Jing Yun the Soul-Forging Disc and claimed a cultivation technique had entered his sea of consciousness when the treasure appeared.
• Jing Yun decided to test whether anyone was protecting Gu Chen and offered a different fortune in exchange for the disc and technique.
• Gu Chen challenged Jing Yun's claim of ownership, while Jing Yun urged his golden lotus closer and continued searching the area.

Gu Chen stalled Jing Yun by proposing a spar with one of his disciples, but Jing Yun saw through the ruse and attacked. Gu Chen revealed his stronger cultivation and escaped Jing Yun’s strike, while an unknown voice intervened as Jing Yun hurled his prayer beads at him.

• Gu Chen offered to hand over the item and cultivation technique if one of Jing Yun’s disciples defeated him in a spar.
• Jing Yun sent Huijie, a Peak Life and Death Realm monk, to fight Gu Chen, who used the name Sun Long.
• Gu Chen and Huijie exchanged staff blows while Lu Changzhi watched and realized Gu Chen was buying time.
• Jing Yun noticed Gu Chen was deliberately holding back and attacked him, forcing Gu Chen to reveal his Spear Intent and fight back with a spear.
• Gu Chen’s spear wounded Jing Yun’s palm, and Gu Chen used the force of Jing Yun’s strike to retreat.
• Jing Yun threw his prayer beads at Gu Chen, but a lazy voice suddenly challenged him for bullying someone weaker.

Lu Changzhi rescued Gu Chen from Jing Yun and warned him against overconfidence, but Gu Chen asked to fight the Buddhist monk for experience. After Gu Chen revealed he could take pills to overcome the gap in strength, Lu Changzhi asked the system whether he could use the Dao Simplification Brush on Jing Yun.

• Jing Yun attacked Gu Chen with his prayer bead bracelet, but a sword from Lu Changzhi shattered the beads and Buddha phantoms.
• Lu Changzhi appeared, deployed formation plates, and asked Gu Chen whether he had been prepared to handle Jing Yun alone.
• Gu Chen realized his plan to fight Jing Yun had been reckless, despite carrying a life-saving talisman from Ancestor Gu Qingyang.
• Jing Yun tried to excuse his actions and invoked the Buddhists, while Gu Chen asked Lu Changzhi to let him exchange moves with the monk.
• Gu Chen produced a jade bottle and told Lu Changzhi he could take pills; Lu Changzhi then asked the system if he could use the Dao Simplification Brush on Jing Yun.

Lu Changzhi brought Jing Yun and his three disciples into the Heaven and Earth Pagoda and offered Jing Yun a duel against Gu Chen after suppressing his cultivation. Meanwhile, the Azure Cloud Sect investigated a sealed abyssal array, and the figure within wondered why no powerful expert had come to claim its treasure.

• Lu Changzhi offered to let Jing Yun and his disciples return to the Western Paradise if Jing Yun defeated Gu Chen, then transported them into the Heaven and Earth Pagoda.
• Lu Changzhi buried the array plate, warned Gu Chen against taking medicine, and used the Dao Simplification Brush to reduce Jing Yun from the Void Transformation Realm Ninth Stage to the Void Transformation Realm.
• Jing Yun accepted Lu Changzhi's explanation and prepared to fight Gu Chen despite his greatly weakened cultivation.
• The Azure Cloud Sect master and elders failed to find a way into the Saint Rank array beneath their forest and considered asking a holy land for help.
• A figure seated inside the palace beneath the array wondered why no expert had come seeking the treasure.

Zhang Zhou and the other elders arrived near Lu Changzhi and waited outside the treasure while Lu watched Gu Chen fight Jing Yun. Gu Chen’s growing strength forced Jing Yun to unleash a powerful defensive technique against his spear.

• Zhang Zhou received Lu Changzhi’s message that the master and disciple were safe inside a treasure, then concealed the area and waited with the elders.
• Lu Changzhi reflected that the elders’ delayed arrival preserved the disciples’ freedom while keeping backup nearby.
• Jing Yun used two prayer-bead bracelets to fight Gu Chen, whose Saint Rank spear and Spear Intent let him withstand and pressure the monk.
• Gu Chen leaped into the air and brought his spear down, prompting Jing Yun to invoke Buddha’s Mercy · Protection and form a Sanskrit character to block the strike.

Gu Chen used his spear and then an Irascible Little Meatball to fight Jing Yun, improving as he battled and eventually knocking him back. While Gu Chen pursued insight, Jing Yun noticed Lu Changzhi's Dao Comprehension Tea Leaves and tried to secure permission to leave, but Lu Changzhi corrected him before he could finish.

• Gu Chen shattered Jing Yun's golden Sanskrit character and struck his skull with the spear, prompting Jing Yun to accuse him of relying on external aids.
• Gu Chen put away the spear, took an Irascible Little Meatball, and fought Jing Yun hand to hand, steadily growing stronger.
• Gu Chen tricked Jing Yun with a slap and followed with a punch that sent him staggering back eighteen steps.
• Lu Changzhi gave Gu Chen two Dao Comprehension Tea Leaves and formed a barrier so he could focus on his insight.
• Jing Yun recognized the tea leaves as a possible divine treasure and resolved to report Lu Changzhi and Gu Chen to the Buddhist sect.
• Jing Yun asked to return to the Western Region, and Lu Changzhi agreed to call it his victory before saying Jing Yun had gotten one word wrong.

Lu Changzhi killed Jing Yun and his three disciples after they threatened Gu Chen, then confirmed to Zhang Zhou that Gu Chen was safe. With the danger over and Gu Chen still gaining insight in the tower, Zhang Zhou invited Lu Changzhi to visit.

• Lu Changzhi used the Devil-Binding Rope to restrain Jing Yun and silence him, then warned the three young monks to watch as he sent Jing Yun to the Western Paradise.
• Lu Changzhi decapitated Jing Yun, destroyed his soul, and killed the three monks when they condemned him.
• Lu Changzhi searched the four storage rings, found young girls' underwear among Jing Yun's belongings, and burned the remains to ash.
• Lu Changzhi left the tower and told Zhang Zhou that Jing Yun and his disciples were dead and Gu Chen was unharmed.
• Zhang Zhou confirmed that no remains or sarira were left, and Lu Changzhi explained that Gu Chen was still gaining insight in the tower.
• Zhang Zhou invited Lu Changzhi to visit him now that the danger had passed.

Lu Changzhi learned that the sect-guarding ancestors had specially established Hidden Origin Peak and appointed him its master, though Elder Zhang did not know why. After Gu Chen completed his comprehension and strengthened his Battle Intent, Lu Changzhi discovered that he could break through as well.

• Lu Changzhi visited Elder Zhang at his secluded mountain peak, where they shared tea and discussed their standing in the sect.
• Elder Zhang told Lu Changzhi that the sect-guarding ancestors had decided to establish Hidden Origin Peak and appoint him as its master, but he did not know their reason.
• Lu Changzhi suspected his unknown parents might be connected to the decision and resolved to ask Cang Wenyu about it.
• Lu Changzhi left Elder Zhang a Dao Comprehension Tea Leaf after they discussed the sect and ways to strengthen its elders.
• Gu Chen finished comprehending inside the Heaven and Earth Pagoda, growing stronger in Battle Intent and breaking through in cultivation.
• Lu Changzhi checked his personal attributes and saw that a breakthrough was available for him.