Recaps

After discovering that the Dragon-Seeking Sect was riddled with undercover agents and its legendary secret treasure was a fabrication, Chen Ning accepted a system mission that could save his life. He ordered his guards to fetch Su Ling'er, the dangerous Thief God's granddaughter, so he could stand watch outside her room.

• Chen Ning learned from the former sect master's memories that powerful undercover agents had infiltrated the Dragon-Seeking Sect, all seeking a nonexistent secret treasure.
• Chen Ning received the Peerless Good Sect Master System and saw that his beginner title improved his ability to persuade others.
• Chen Ning accepted the Night Watch mission, which required him to stand guard outside Su Ling'er's room or die.
• Chen Ning decided to risk approaching Su Ling'er and ordered his guards to fetch her.

Chen Ning waited for Su Ling'er and persuaded her to sleep in his room while he kept watch outside. When a terrifying thunderstorm threatened her cultivation, his complaints unknowingly persuaded the Heavenly Dao to stop the storm, and Su Ling'er mistook his actions for a deliberate rescue.

• Lu Qing delayed bringing Su Ling'er to Chen Ning, arriving drunk that evening and leaving without showing respect.
• Chen Ning persuaded Su Ling'er to sleep in his room by claiming he wanted her to try his luxurious bedding.
• Su Ling'er feared that the night's thunderstorm would ruin her cultivation or kill her, while Chen Ning stayed awake outside to complete his task.
• Chen Ning complained about the rain, triggering his title's passive effect and persuading the Heavenly Dao to disperse the clouds and stop the storm.
• Su Ling'er believed Chen Ning had confronted the Heavenly Dao to protect her, fell asleep, and Chen Ning completed the beginner task at dawn.

After completing a task, Chen Ning gained cultivation and the forbidden Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand, which he secretly used to cripple Lu Qing. Su Ling'er left after an awkward exchange, and Chen Ning accepted a new task to discover what was troubling Xiao Mei, the Devil Race spy who led the Law Enforcement Hall.

• The system raised Chen Ning to the Human Martial Realm Third Heaven and granted him complete mastery of Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand.
• Chen Ning used Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand to remove a bone from Lu Qing's shoulder, leaving Lu Qing's right arm limp and sending him fleeing for treatment.
• Su Ling'er woke and questioned Chen Ning about why he had called her over the previous night, then blushed and ran away before he could answer.
• Chen Ning accepted the time-limited task [Xiao Mei's Worry], which required him to find Xiao Mei and resolve her troubles within seven days.
• Chen Ning recognized Xiao Mei as the master of the Law Enforcement Hall and a spy from the Devil Race, but decided to pursue the task for its rewards.

Su Ling'er punished Lu Qing for neglecting Chen Ning, then realized his injury bore traces of her family's Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand. Chen Ning prepared to face Xiao Mei at the Law Enforcement Hall, where a new mission required him to find her fine wine.

• Su Ling'er went to the medicine pavilion and crippled Lu Qing's leg for neglecting Chen Ning, then told Pharmacist Geng not to treat him.
• Su Ling'er recognized traces of the Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand on Lu Qing and resolved to tell her grandfather about the possibility that a legendary expert had emerged.
• Chen Ning arrived early at the Law Enforcement Hall, prepared to question a Devil Race infiltrator and having learned a few phrases in the Devil Race Language.
• Xiao Mei entered the Law Enforcement Hall, and Chen Ning's system activated a mission to present her with fine, strong wine within seven days.

Chen Ning distilled potent liquor to complete his mission involving Xiao Mei, but after she drank it and passed out, he discovered that her residence was sealed. He was trapped with her overnight and feared she might kill him when she woke.

• Chen Ning visited Xiao Mei in the Law Enforcement Hall and promised to solve her dissatisfaction with the world's ordinary wine.
• Chen Ning built a still and repeatedly distilled wine into strong liquor over the next two days.
• Chen Ning brought the liquor to Xiao Mei's residence, where she drank more than half the jar and quickly passed out.
• Chen Ning carried Xiao Mei to her bed and tried to leave, but a restriction on the door prevented him from escaping.
• Chen Ning realized he would have to stay overnight and worried Xiao Mei would kill him when she woke.

Chen Ning reviewed his quest rewards, including a lie-detection skill and a permanent mind-control ability, then learned that the system had also broken Xiao Mei’s cultivation bottleneck. Elsewhere, two famed wine-loving cultivators set out toward the source of the fine wine, while Xiao Mei woke to find Chen Ning’s cultivation had surged and her own bottleneck had broken.

• Chen Ning saw that completing Xiao Mei’s quest had raised his cultivation to the Human Martial Realm Sixth Heaven and granted him a title, Lie Detection, and Bewitch Hearts.
• The system announced that Xiao Mei’s cultivation bottleneck had broken through, leaving Chen Ning worried that he had strengthened a dangerous undercover enemy.
• In the Azure Mystic Forbidden Land, the Wine Maniac sensed the fine wine and flew off to find it, followed by his scholarly attendant.
• Li Changtian, the Wine Sword Immortal and master of Flying Cloud Valley, departed to seek the wine, prompting the valley to announce his wandering and turn away the waiting sword cultivators.
• Xiao Mei woke to find Chen Ning asleep and noticed his rapid cultivation increase, which she suspected came from the Dragon-Seeking Sect’s secret treasure.
• Xiao Mei realized that her own cultivation bottleneck had also broken through.

After Xiao Mei broke through her bottleneck from drinking Chen Ning’s liquor, she resolved to support him and asked him to call her Mei’er. Meanwhile, Lin Xiaotian tacitly approved Han Zhuang’s plan to challenge Chen Ning’s position on the Azure Cloud Platform, and Chen Ning found two men drunk on his liquor in his courtyard.

• Xiao Mei concluded that Chen Ning was her good fortune and decided to help him secure the sect master position while pursuing her own ambitions in the Devil Race.
• Chen Ning woke and spoke with Xiao Mei, who thanked him for the liquor and asked him to call her Mei’er; he invited her to drink more in a few days.
• Han Zhuang told Lin Xiaotian that Chen Ning lacked cultivation and backing, then proposed forcing him off the sect master position at the Azure Cloud Platform in three days.
• Lin Xiaotian dismissed Han Zhuang but tacitly approved the plan, reasoning that deposing Chen Ning would bring him benefits.
• Chen Ning returned to his courtyard and found an old man and Li Changtian drunk after apparently stealing his liquor and breaking his distiller.
• Chen Ning kicked the old man and punched Li Changtian, and both passed out.

Li Changtian and Wine Maniac apologized to Chen Ning for drinking his wine and breaking his distiller, then helped him gather materials and rebuild it. After Chen Ning revealed he was the Dragon-Seeking Sect's young sect master, he shared wine with them and began demonstrating swordsmanship, leaving Li Changtian deeply shaken.

• Li Changtian woke Wine Maniac, and the two agreed to apologize to Chen Ning for their drunken damage.
• Li Changtian offered three thousand taels of gold, but Chen Ning asked them to gather materials and buy more wine instead.
• Li Changtian and Wine Maniac returned with the supplies, and Chen Ning revealed that he was the sect master of the Dragon-Seeking Sect.
• Chen Ning finished assembling the distiller and shared its wine with Li Changtian and Wine Maniac.
• Chen Ning drew Li Changtian's sword, recited lines about slaying a man in ten steps, and left Li Changtian stunned.

After Chen Ning's drunken sword poetry inspired Li Changtian to break through in the Sword Dao, Chen Ning went to the Azure Cloud Rite to make his vows as sect master. He activated the ceremonial jade, but an icy voice challenged his right to lead the Dragon-Seeking Sect.

• Chen Ning recited sword poems and danced with his sword until he fell asleep, leaving Li Changtian with a moment of enlightenment and a Sword Dao breakthrough.
• The next morning, Chen Ning learned from a recording Spirit Stone that Li Changtian had damaged his brewing equipment again and gone with Elder Xuan to buy materials.
• Su Ling'er led Chen Ning to the Azure Cloud Platform, distracted by her growing affection for him.
• Chen Ning arrived at the ceremony, climbed the platform, and activated the jade with Primordial Qi despite rumors that he had no cultivation.
• As Chen Ning prepared to speak, an icy voice demanded to know how he dared occupy the sect master's seat.

At the Azure Cloud Platform, Han Zhuang challenged Chen Ning’s right to lead the Dragon-Seeking Sect, with Lin Xiaotian backing his attempt to force Chen out. Chen chose to yield for now, but Wine Maniac suddenly stormed onto the platform before the elders could formalize the decision.

• Han Zhuang accused Chen Ning of tricking the old sect leader and demanded that he give up the sect leader’s position, while the crowd and elders offered Chen no support.
• Su Ling’er defended the old sect leader’s right to choose Chen, but Han Zhuang roused the crowd by questioning why the old sect leader had passed over the elders for a cultivator without cultivation.
• Chen Ning noticed Lin Xiaotian’s satisfaction and chose the system’s option to avoid a direct confrontation, then told Han Zhuang he would give up the position.
• Han Zhuang accepted Chen’s surrender and deferred to the elders, and Lin Xiaotian began declaring Chen’s voluntary resignation.
• Wine Maniac burst onto the Azure Cloud Platform after knocking aside two gatekeeper disciples, announcing his name as he confronted the Dragon-Seeking Sect.

Wine Maniac and Li Changtian arrived at the Azure Cloud Rite and publicly showed respect for Chen Ning, disrupting the elders’ attempt to remove him as sect leader. With powerful allies at his side, Chen Ning attacked Han Zhuang and demanded to know who had plotted against him.

• Cang Yue tried to redirect Wine Maniac away from the Azure Cloud Rite, but he ignored her and called out to Chen Ning about the supplies he had brought.
• Wine Maniac struck Han Zhuang for claiming Chen Ning had swindled his way into becoming sect leader.
• Li Changtian arrived from Flying Cloud Valley and formally paid his respects to Chen Ning as sect leader.
• Chen Ning recognized that the powerful visitors changed his position and decided to keep the sect leader’s seat.
• Chen Ning kicked Han Zhuang down and demanded to know who had put him up to the plot.

Chen Ning used the Wine Maniac and Sword Immortal Li Changtian’s presence to secure his position as sect master and expose the plot against him. Lin Xiaotian killed Han Zhuang before he could reveal who had directed him, and the elders later learned that Li Changtian’s Sword Dao had advanced again.

• Chen Ning confronted Han Zhuang and offered to spare him if he named the person behind the attempt to remove him.
• After the crowd dispersed, Lin Xiaotian struck Han Zhuang dead before he could speak, then claimed he had been protecting Chen Ning.
• Chen Ning ordered two courtyards prepared for his powerful friends, and the elders bowed to him and agreed to postpone the Azure Cloud Rite.
• The Wine Maniac urged Chen Ning to leave, and the elders respectfully saw him and Li Changtian off.
• The third elder told the others that Li Changtian’s Sword Dao cultivation had advanced, leaving them fearful of what might have happened if Chen Ning had been deposed.

After the Wine Maniac and Li Changtian left, Chen Ning received the Heaven-Reaching Talisman and used it to make his first batch of talismans. Seven discarded talismans ended up in Cang Yue’s hands, where their golden patterns caught her attention.

• Chen Ning gave wine to the Wine Maniac and Li Changtian, who thanked him before departing.
• Chen Ning claimed the Heaven-Reaching Talisman, a max-proficiency, high-tier heaven-grade cultivation method for inscribing talismans.
• Chen Ning prepared supplies and inscribed ten talismans while Su Ling'er watched; he kept a Protective Talisman, a Divine Speed Talisman, and an Immortal-Trapping Talisman, and discarded the other seven.
• Chen Ning let Su Ling'er sleep on the floor in his room, and a breeze lifted the seven discarded talismans from the courtyard.
• On Verdant Peak, a woman told Cang Yue that the Sword Immortal and the Wine Maniac had left, then presented her with the seven talismans found in Chen Ning's courtyard.
• Cang Yue examined the talismans as faint golden patterns appeared on them.

Cang Yue recognized the seven talismans as extraordinary works made by Chen Ning and suspected he could become a talisman grandmaster. Lu Qing tried to report Su Ling'er, but after hearing how respected Chen Ning was, he panicked and attempted to withdraw his complaint before the Law Enforcement Hall elder took him to its hall master.

• Cang Yue examined the seven high-quality talismans and concluded that Chen Ning had made them, speculating that the old sect leader had chosen him for his talent.
• Cang Yue suppressed her urge to investigate Chen Ning's inscription method and ate pastries to calm herself.
• Lu Qing went to the Law Enforcement Hall and submitted a complaint accusing Su Ling'er of privately punishing him and insulting Chen Ning.
• Lu Qing overheard disciples say that the nine elders respected Chen Ning and that he had invited the Sword Immortal and Wine Maniac.
• Lu Qing tried to retract his complaint, but a Law Enforcement Hall elder took him to meet the hall master.

Xiao Mei used her mind-bewitching power to expose Lu Qing’s grudge against Chen Ning and had him stripped of his post, crippled, and driven from the sect. The next morning, Xiao Mei reported the punishment to Chen Ning while Su Ling'er grew jealous of her closeness to him.

• Xiao Mei bewitched Lu Qing into admitting he hated Chen Ning and would have continued accusing him if Chen Ning had not gained influence.
• Xiao Mei ordered Lu Qing stripped of his inherited guard position, had his cultivation crippled and limbs broken, and sent him down the mountain.
• Chen Ning discovered his seven defective talismans had disappeared and ate breakfast brought by Su Ling'er.
• Xiao Mei visited Chen Ning, offered her report about Lu Qing’s punishment, and came close to him while thanking him for his trust.
• Su Ling'er watched Xiao Mei approach Chen Ning and felt uneasy that she might take him from her.

Chen Ning accepted a system mission to make a dessert for Cang Yue and hurried to Verdant Peak to prepare cream cakes. After finishing four cakes, he went to deliver them to Cang Yue, who was already puzzled by his unusual behavior.

• After Xiao Mei left, Su Ling'er felt relieved and decided she needed to keep Chen Ning from seeing Xiao Mei as much.
• Chen Ning accepted the system mission to make a dessert for Cang Yue, with a chance to earn a spirit beast egg and a penalty for failure.
• Chen Ning used a Divine Speed Talisman to reach Verdant Peak, then went to the kitchen instead of visiting Cang Yue.
• Chen Ning directed the cooks to prepare ingredients and made four cream cakes, which he and the cooks tasted and approved.
• Cang Yue heard that Chen Ning had spent the afternoon in the kitchen and wondered why he was experimenting with cakes.
• Chen Ning arrived at Cang Yue's door carrying the cakes and knocked.

Chen Ning brought Cang Yue a cream cake, unaware that it conveyed profound talisman mysteries and caused her talisman realm to rise. After the system rewarded him with cultivation levels, a divine ability, and a mysterious spirit beast egg, Cang Yue shut the doors and asked him to stay the night.

• Chen Ning visited Cang Yue and gave her a cream cake, which she eagerly tasted and asked for more.
• Cang Yue invited Chen Ning to stay and serve tea, while he suspected she was probing him about a secret treasure.
• Cang Yue realized the cake contained talisman mysteries and believed Chen Ning was guiding her cultivation.
• The system rewarded Chen Ning with three cultivation levels, the Fire God Seal, a mysterious spirit beast egg, and an increase to Cang Yue's talisman realm.
• Chen Ning tried to leave, but Cang Yue shut the doors and windows and asked him to stay the night.

Cang Yue kept Chen Ning overnight because his presence helped her understand the profundity of talismans, leaving him embarrassed after they shared a bed. Chen Ning slipped away the next morning while Cang Yue remained asleep.

• Cang Yue discovered that her talisman mastery had advanced and urged Chen Ning to stay the night so she could remain near the mysterious insight he seemed to provide.
• Cang Yue carried Chen Ning onto her bed and drew close to him, while he checked his system and learned that he had gained the Great Yan Dynasty's Fire God Seal.
• Chen Ning tried to move away, but Cang Yue wrapped an arm around him to keep him close as she pursued her talisman insight.
• Chen Ning awoke beside the sleeping Cang Yue, then dressed and left before she could wake up.
• Cang Yue's maid watched Chen Ning depart and wondered whether Her Highness had taken a liking to the sect leader's looks.

Chen Ning went to the Azure Feather Pavilion for a ride back to Vermilion Bird Peak, where Qin Lie challenged him and mocked him as a powerless sect master. Chen Ning defeated Qin Lie with the Fire God Seal and asked whether he conceded.

• Chen Ning discovered he had no Divine Speed Talisman and went to the Azure Feather Pavilion to rent a flying spirit beast.
• Xu Zhong tried to lend Chen Ning the Golden-Winged Peng, but Qin Lie refused and provoked him into a spar.
• Chen Ning accepted Qin Lie's challenge and dodged several attacks while gauging his strength.
• Chen Ning used the Fire God Seal to blast Qin Lie backward and burn away his clothes.
• Qin Lie attacked again with Myriad Manifestations, Ten Thousand Breaks, but Chen Ning dissolved the fist shadow with his flames and struck him with another fiery seal.
• Chen Ning asked Qin Lie whether he conceded.

Chen Ning defeated Qin Lie, took three years of his cultivation, and then traveled with Su Ling'er to Gold and Iron City to find Star Essence Liquid for a spirit beast egg. The chapter left them at the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce, where a woman was being insulted at the entrance.

• Chen Ning defeated Qin Lie with one palm strike and used Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand to take three years of his cultivation.
• Chen Ning returned to Vermilion Bird Peak and learned that hatching the spirit beast egg required Star Essence Liquid from the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce in Gold and Iron City.
• Chen Ning invited Su Ling'er down the mountain, and they flew to Gold and Iron City on the Golden-Winged Peng.
• Chen Ning and Su Ling'er explored the city and ate at a restaurant before heading to the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce.
• Chen Ning and Su Ling'er found several people blocking the chamber's entrance as a fat-headed woman berated another woman.

Chen Ning learned that the Mo Clan needed a high-grade dance manual to compete with the Qin Clan for a chance to perform at the imperial palace. Su Ling'er produced a manual stolen from the sect’s treasure vault and gave it to Mo Sanniang, leaving the Mo Clan with a chance to win.

• Shopkeeper Yang announced that the Mo Clan and Qin Clan would compete in three days, with Star Essence Liquid as the prize.
• Mo Sanniang explained that the Mo Clan lacked a high-grade dance manual, making it difficult to defeat the Qin Clan.
• Chen Ning told Su Ling'er he wanted to help the Mo Clan in exchange for a chance at the Star Essence Liquid.
• Mo Sanniang knelt and begged Chen Ning to save her clan.
• Su Ling'er revealed that she had taken a high-grade dance manual from the sect’s treasure vault and tossed it to Mo Sanniang.

Chen Ning gave Mo Sanniang the Rainbow Garments Under the Moon manual to help the Mo Clan defeat the Qin Clan, then stayed at the Mo residence and refused the young women sent to serve him. At the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce, the clans prepared to compete for a place at the Autumn Year Banquet, but the Qin Clan secretly poisoned the Mo dancers with Dissipation Powder.

• Mo Sanniang accepted the Rainbow Garments Under the Moon manual and agreed to give Chen Ning the Star Essence Liquid if the Mo Clan won.
• Mo Sanniang hosted Chen Ning and Su Ling'er at the Mo residence, where Chen Ning sent away two young women she had dispatched to serve him.
• Mo Sanniang brought Chen Ning and Su Ling'er to the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce for the contest between the Mo and Qin clans.
• A Qin Clan woman scattered Dissipation Powder over the Mo dancers, and the Qin Clan head learned that at least three dancers had been exposed.

Chen Ning helped the Mo Clan overcome the Qin Clan’s attempt to sabotage its dancers, allowing Mo Sanniang’s troupe to perform the high-grade dance and win over the audience. The performance ended in thunderous applause, while the Qin Clan woman realized the Mo Clan had recovered a dance manual of extraordinary quality.

• The Qin Clan woman poisoned three Mo Clan dancers, leaving them dazed and unable to remember the dance manual.
• Chen Ning returned and assured Mo Sanniang that the Mo Clan could still win the competition.
• Chen Ning used Bewitch Hearts to control the three poisoned dancers and had them wear masks as they rejoined the troupe.
• Mo Sanniang and the dancers performed the dance, impressing the spectators with its beauty and remarkable effects.
• The Qin Clan woman panicked as she recognized the dance as one based on a high-grade manual, and the audience applauded the Mo Clan’s performance.

After the Mo Clan dazzled the crowd, Chen Ning sabotaged the Qin Clan’s performance, leaving its dancers in disarray. Qin Wansheng accused Chen Ning without evidence and pressured Shopkeeper Yang by revealing the Dragon-Seeking Sect’s backing, and the Qin Clan kept its Autumn Year Banquet place.

• Shopkeeper Yang watched the Mo Clan’s performance earn the crowd’s acclaim before the Qin Clan dancers took the stage.
• Chen Ning secretly used Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand to disrupt the Qin Clan’s dance, prompting the spectators to laugh at the performance.
• Chen Ning checked that the three injured Mo Clan dancers had been taken to a clinic and learned they would recover soon.
• Qin Wansheng accused Chen Ning of tampering with the performance and claimed his word was evidence, while Shopkeeper Yang challenged his demand.
• Qin Wansheng told Shopkeeper Yang that he represented Dragon-Seeking Sect elder Lin Xiaotian, who was staying at his residence.
• Shopkeeper Yang, unwilling to offend the Dragon-Seeking Sect, announced that the Qin Clan would attend the Autumn Year Banquet as usual.

Chen Ning and the Mo Clan confronted Qin Wansheng after Shopkeeper Yang unfairly awarded the contest to the Qin Clan and Qin Wansheng accused Mo Sanniang of stealing a dance diagram. When Lin Xiaotian arrived to rescue Qin Wansheng, he recognized Chen Ning and knelt to greet him as sect leader.

• Shopkeeper Yang awarded the qualification to the Qin Clan despite knowing the Mo Clan had won, and Qin Wansheng challenged Chen Ning.
• Qin Wansheng accused Mo Sanniang of stealing the Qin Clan's high-grade dance diagram, but Chen Ning returned the diagram to her.
• Qin Wansheng sent guards to seize the diagram, and Su Ling'er killed two of them before the Qin Clan's remaining guards charged.
• Chen Ning used Bewitch the Mind to make Qin Wansheng's wife hold him at saberpoint, then threatened him as Qin Wansheng called for his backer.
• Lin Xiaotian arrived, recognized Chen Ning, and knelt before him, addressing him as the sect leader.