Immortal Swordsman

At the beginning of the story, the protagonist Chen Yishan is helping his father eliminate a spider demon that has been terrorizing Yingchuan Prefecture. During the battle, the demon, in its dying throes, bites Chen Yishan's left arm, injecting demonic energy into his blood—leaving him on the brink of death.

A renowned physician examines him and declares there is no cure, even suggesting that his father should kill his son before he fully transforms into a demon. Unwilling to burden his parents, Chen Yishan attempts suicide but is stopped by his maidservant. In despair, his father Chen Taiqing goes to the ancestral hall to pray for the ancestors to intervene.

The ancestors answer his prayer and send a cold and aloof fairy maiden to save the boy. However, not only is she helpless, but she also has a terrible temper. After giving Chen Yishan a brutal beating, she tosses him into a cave and orders him to "reflect and attain enlightenment on his own."

Enlightenment, of course, is impossible. In a fit of rage, Chen Yishan punches and shatters the statue of the ancestral sage enshrined in the cave. Unexpectedly, this single punch allows him to accidentally grasp the method of immortal cultivation.

From then on, the protagonist, clad in plain hemp robes and carrying a black alms bowl, embarks on a journey across the world, saving others and himself along the way. One of his defining traits is his "silver tongue"—with sharp rhetoric and ever-growing cultivation, he subdues and befriends all manner of demons, immortals, and deities. Along the journey, he encounters a seductive snake woman, a cunning rabbit spirit, an arrogant immortal, and many other colorful characters.

As his journey progresses, Chen Yishan takes on disciples and forms alliances, gradually rallying forces such as the Hemp-Robe Immortal Sect, the Mystic Gate Sect, the Demon-Immortal Sect, and the Divine-Immortal Sect. After numerous trials—including battles against evil gods and demonic paths—he ultimately ascends to the position of the Founding Ancestor of the Way.