The Ascension Trials commence. Due to his quadruple-attribute spiritual root, Han Li is rejected by all the sects and ultimately fails the selection process.

Han Li makes up his mind to pursue the path of cultivation. He goes home before departing to Huangfeng Valley to bid his family farewell.

Lu Ming Yuan tries to get intimate with Chen Qiao Qian, but as she rejects him, he takes it out on Han Li, who happens to pass by. Lu Ming Yuan demands Han Li to hand over the Foundation Pill.

To break through his current level, Han Li decides to enter the Crimson Forbidden Ground to find the ingredients of the Foundation Pill.

To cure Yan Ru Yan of her ailment, Nangong Wan decides to suppress her power and head to the forbidden ground personally to harvest the required herbs.

After slaying the Inky Flood Dragon together, Han Li and Nangong Wan race against time as the exit from the Crimson Forbidden Ground begins to close. Han Li acts quickly to get Nangong Wan out.

Han Li creates 14 Foundation Pills with the herbs he found in the Crimson Forbidden Ground. He decides to use them as the foundation of his cultivation. He prepares for his seclusion in the Alchemy Chamber. He goes into an 11-month seclusion. He finally reaches the Foundation Stage together with Chen Qiao Qian.

When Han Li is working on his dwelling, a bunny sneaks into his dwelling. He's disappointed with the current defense formation he has. With the Twin-Eyed Mouse's guidance, he travels to Yuanwu to search for a proper defense formation. In the auction, everyone is wearing a robe with a mask. Han Li puts his 1,000-year-old herb up for auction. A young man, Qi Yun Xiao, wishes to exchange it with his formation but fails. Han Li notices that someone is tailing the young man.

Yan Clan Stronghold is in upheaval. Once a century-old clan devoted to eradicating evil and upholding the righteous path, how can they now turn to the demonic way? However, every voice of dissent is suppressed by the clan leader, and in the end, Yan Clan Stronghold's defection to the Ghastly Spirit Sect became a foregone conclusion. They send wedding invitations of Yan Ru Yan and Wang Chan to the Seven Sects. Nangong Wan senses that something is amiss.

Han Li encounters Mo Cai Huan being harassed in the city streets. He swiftly knocks out the lecherous medicine dealer. The reunion leaves Mo Cai Huan overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, as she never thought they would meet again.

Wang Chan activates the Blood Spirit Array. Luckily, Han Li has a hunch. He escapes with Dong Xuan'er. They use an underground path thanks to Mo Cai Huan's help. Wang Chan prepares to capture them. At the same time, Nangong Wan receives Xuan Yue's report. She confirms that Yan Clan Stronghold has surrendered to the Demon Sects.

While escaping, Dong Xuan Er runs into Xuan Wu and others who are looking for her. At Xuan Yue and Lv Tian Meng's suggestion, Xuan Wu takes Dong Xuan Er back to Huangfeng Valley first. But Xuan Yue and Lv Tian Meng change their course using an excuse that their sects have asked them to check on a mine. Chen Qiao Qian doesn't suspect them. Halfway there, they run into Han Li, who wakes up from being unconscious. Xuan Yue and Lv Tian Meng, who have an ulterior motive, refuse to let him go back. They create an excuse to make him travel with them. They forcefully bring him to the mine.

Xuan Yue and Lv Tian Meng didn't show up in the mine. Chen Qiao Qian and the rest evacuate toward the cave. They try to make it to the cave before the destruction of the protective array. Outside the cave, Wang Chan, who took his sweet time, realizes that the cave is inaccessible after the collapse. He uses the Earthquake Talisman out of spite. The shaky mine entrance collapses instantly.

On his way out, Han Li rescues the injured Chen Qiao Qian. He carries her to safety. The intimate connection reminds Chen Qiao Qian of the time Han Li rescued her in the cave. Han Li returns to the Seven Sects Coalition Forces camp to exchange his spirit gems with Elder Chen. He runs into Chen Qiao Qian again. The other Chen disciples traveling with her mock him. When Elder Chen reveals his achievements to them, they stop mocking him.

Qi Yun Xiao introduces his senior, Xin Ru Yin, to Han Li. Han Li can tell that she's the formation master. So, he takes out the teleportation array he found in the mine to show them so that they can take a look at it.

Nangong Wan suspects there's more to Elder Han's supposed defection than it appears. Wang Chan introduces Dong Xuan Er to Patriarch Yun Lu, from whom she learns she is the daughter of Yun Lu and Hong Fu. Han Li discovers the corpses of cultivators who met a gruesome end in the palace. Steward Wang sets a trap, sending the Four Mengs to watch Han Li.

The Bloon Cocoon under the Sky Concealing Bell ruptures. Tie Luo turns into a half-bull, half-humanoid demon. After the battle, Han Li discovers the Blood-Condensing Five Element Pill and a broken arm. Tie Luo, who's seriously wounded, escapes by burrowing a tunnel. However, Han Li has planted a tracking mark on him. Han Li intends to use it to locate their den.

The guard of the Black Fiend Cult risked his life to fire a warning. Tie Luo transforms into a demon and joins the fight. In the battle, Han Li holds Tie Luo back while Song Meng and Liu Jing stop the ice demon from completing his demonization.

Liu Jing detonates the Explosive Talisman, intending to bring down the man clad in blue and the cult leader together with him. The man clad in blue saves the emperor of Yue in the nick of time. Han Li destroys the roof of the library, helping everyone to escape the sea of fire.

Han Li suspects that Melodious has been possessed by another cultivator. He manages to tricks him into revealing that he is from Spirit Taming Sect of Tiandu. Han Li stops concealing his strength and presses him for answers, but they are interrupted by the man's wife and daughter, to whom the cultivator introduces Han Li as a friend.

Han Li's jade slip arrives at Jingu Plain. Elder Han intercepts it right after that. He even issues an order to inspect and deliver any messages that they received as those at the front are busy with the war. It seems that he has colluded with the enemies...

Han Li is exhausted from the constant battles. When he is about to give up, Li Hua Yuan shows up and eliminates the Art of Qianji on his body. Then, Han Li is asked to leave. Only then does he realize that they are not the seeded disciples. They are just abandoned pawns.

Nangong Wan brings reinforcements to Huangfeng Valley, but she's too late. She encounters Hong Fu, who's alone. She's paying her respects to Li Hua Yuan's grave. She tries to inquire about Han Li's whereabouts, but Hong Fu has no idea either.

Han Li discovers his cultivation has regressed to the Qi Refining stage. As he and Nangong Wan recover from their injuries, they spend a period of quiet days together, living simply like ordinary mortals.

To neutralize the poison, Han Li delivered Physician Mo's handwritten letter to the Mo family. He didn't expect Physician Mo to hide a message within the letter. To keep the Mo family safe, the madams of the Mo family decide to take advantage of Han Li.