Chapter Summaries

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.

Chen Ning revealed his authority as the Dragon-Seeking Sect leader, forcing Shopkeeper Yang to award the competition to the Mo Clan and hand over the Star Essence Liquid. Lin Xiaotian killed Qin Wansheng, and Chen Ning left with the liquid, ready to hatch the spirit beast egg.

• Qin Wansheng realized Chen Ning was the Dragon-Seeking Sect leader and cowered before him.
• Shopkeeper Yang begged Chen Ning for mercy, declared the Mo Clan the winner, and promised compensation and cooperation.
• Chen Ning asked Lin Xiaotian what to do with Qin Wansheng, and Lin Xiaotian snapped Qin Wansheng's neck.
• Mo Sanniang confronted the Qin Clan woman over the stolen dance diagram and her grandfather's death, then had her taken away.
• Shopkeeper Yang gave the Mo Clan its place at the Autumn Years Banquet and handed Mo Sanniang the Star Essence Liquid.
• Mo Sanniang pledged the Mo Clan as Chen Ning's vassal and gave him the Star Essence Liquid, which he stored to begin hatching the spirit beast egg.

Chen Ning and Su Ling'er returned to Vermilion Bird Peak, where Su Ling'er nearly confessed a secret before falling asleep. The spirit beast egg hatched into a Progenitor Black Dragon, whose return awakened the Dragon Clan in the Snow Mountain Forbidden Land.

• Chen Ning invited Su Ling'er to sleep on his bed, and she nearly told him a secret before he pretended to fall asleep.
• Chen Ning placed the spirit beast egg on a stone table, and it hatched into a Progenitor Black Dragon that bonded with him.
• Su Ling'er feared the newborn dragon, but Chen Ning reassured her and named it Little Black.
• The Dragon Clan's leader sensed the Progenitor's presence and ordered the clan not to interfere with its destiny.

Chen Ning discovered that the little black dragon would only eat talismans, then tried to complete the system’s heart-to-heart task by drawing Su Ling'er into a conversation. His story failed to make her regret stealing, but it reminded her of her grandfather and led Chen Ning to promise he would tell her stories from then on.

• Chen Ning tried feeding the little black dragon meat and grains, but it rejected them and ate a Protective Talisman from his spatial bag instead.
• The system assigned Chen Ning a task to have heart-to-heart conversations with three senior sect members within 24 hours, with a Heaven-Slaying Bow as the perfect-completion reward.
• Chen Ning chose Su Ling'er as his first candidate and told her a story about a child whose mother encouraged him to steal.
• Su Ling'er said the child was a noob for getting caught and boasted that nobody had caught her stealing from the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty.
• Su Ling'er said she liked Chen Ning's story and recalled how her grandfather used to tell her stories, so Chen Ning promised to tell her stories from then on.

Chen Ning visited Xiao Mei at the Law Enforcement Hall to make progress on the system task of having heart-to-hearts with sect members. Xiao Mei candidly shared her troubled past, bringing the task to two-thirds complete as Chen Ning prepared to seek one more confidant.

• Chen Ning decided to pursue the rare task reward and chose Xiao Mei as his next heart-to-heart partner.
• Chen Ning brought two jars of wine to the Law Enforcement Hall and planned to use Lie Detection to draw out Xiao Mei’s worries.
• Xiao Mei dismissed the others, invited Chen Ning to call her Mei'er, and thanked him for bringing wine.
• Xiao Mei truthfully described how her oppressed Lineage had suffered and how a fortuitous opportunity had restored its standing, while omitting her mission to infiltrate the Dragon-Seeking Sect.
• The system credited Chen Ning with progress of 2/3, and he declined to claim the reward.

Chen Ning met with Cang Yue, who asked about his plans for the Dragon-Seeking Sect. He declared a policy of rest and noncontention, but Cang Yue then isolated the courtyard with a barrier before revealing her next request.

• Chen Ning left the Law Enforcement Hall and decided to seek out the Eighth Elder.
• Chen Ning returned to his residence and found Cang Yue inspecting the talisman materials on his stone table; she apologized for looking without permission.
• Cang Yue asked whether Chen Ning had plans for the sect, and she recounted the contrasting approaches of its past sect masters.
• Chen Ning said the sect should rest, recuperate, and avoid contention, then tidied the table as Cang Yue considered his words.
• Cang Yue said she had one more matter to ask about and enveloped the courtyard in a barrier, cutting it off from the outside world.

Cang Yue asked Chen Ning to accept her as his talisman master after his guidance greatly improved her inscription skills, and he agreed with the condition that she call him Master only in private. After Cang Yue left, Su Ling’er worried that she had gained a romantic rival.

• Cang Yue showed Chen Ning two talismans and earnestly asked him to take her as his master.
• Cang Yue recalled that Chen Ning’s guidance had improved her talisman skills enough to inscribe first-grade talismans.
• A system notification told Chen Ning that Xiao Mei had opened her heart and that he had completed the mission.
• Chen Ning accepted Cang Yue as his disciple but told her not to call him Master in public.
• Cang Yue left after dispelling the barrier, and Su Ling’er worried that she was competing with Cang Yue for Chen Ning’s affection.

After Chen Ning completed the mission, he gained a Heaven-Slaying Bow while Cang Yue, Xiao Mei, and Su Ling'er each advanced in cultivation, and Cang Yue received a Spirit Void Seed. Cang Yue and Xiao Mei concluded that Chen Ning could wield the Dragon-Seeking Sect’s legendary secret treasure, agreed to keep the secret, and began discussing how to uncover the pattern behind his influence.

• Chen Ning received the Heaven-Slaying Bow and other mission rewards, then fed talismans to his rapidly growing little black dragon.
• Xiao Mei realized her cultivation breakthrough had followed Chen Ning’s visit and suspected he was responsible.
• Cang Yue visited Xiao Mei, and the two compared their recent improvements and identified Chen Ning as their common cause.
• Cang Yue privately reflected that Chen Ning had helped her condense a wisp of a Spirit Void Seed, giving her hope of reaching the Saint Realm.
• Cang Yue and Xiao Mei guessed that Chen Ning could use the Dragon-Seeking Sect’s legendary secret treasure and agreed not to tell anyone.
• Xiao Mei proposed that she and Cang Yue work out the pattern behind Chen Ning’s abilities.

Cang Yue and Xiao Mei concluded that Chen Ning’s secret treasure had helped them improve and had protected Su Ling'er from heavenly lightning, strengthening Xiao Mei’s resolve to support him. Chen Ning took Master Wei’s talismans to feed the little black dragon, and Master Wei attacked Steward Hong for allowing it.

• Cang Yue and Xiao Mei reasoned that being alone with Chen Ning had caused their breakthroughs and that he had protected Su Ling'er from the heavenly lightning tribulation.
• Xiao Mei thanked Cang Yue and resolved to help Chen Ning remain sect leader if she gained power in the Devil Race.
• Chen Ning visited Vermilion Bird Peak’s talisman room and took Master Wei’s talismans after leaving Steward Hong the sect leader’s seal.
• Master Wei returned, learned the talismans were gone, and kicked and beat Steward Hong despite the seal.
• Master Wei tore up Chen Ning’s seal and planted his foot on Steward Hong’s head.

Chen Ning confronted Master Wei for brutally beating Steward Hong and attacked him after Master Wei refused to obey his order. As Master Wei charged with two talismans enhancing his power, Chen Ning revealed a super first-grade Heavenly Lightning Talisman, darkening the sky.

• Master Wei trampled Steward Hong for touching a superior-grade talisman, while the gathered disciples were too afraid to intervene.
• Chen Ning arrived, ordered Master Wei to release Steward Hong, and learned that Steward Hong had acted on Chen Ning’s instructions.
• Master Wei refused Chen Ning’s order and stomped on Steward Hong again, so Chen Ning attacked with the Fire God Seal and declared he wanted Master Wei’s life.
• Chen Ning wounded Master Wei with an arrow from the God-Slaying Bow and revealed that he had reached the Third Heaven of the Spirit Martial Realm.
• Master Wei used a Qi-Gathering Talisman and a Bronze Bone Talisman before charging Chen Ning, who crushed a Heavenly Lightning Talisman and darkened the sky.

Chen Ning punished Master Wei for harming Steward Hong and tearing up the sect master's stamped order, then sought the grand elder's judgment. The grand elder ordered Master Wei executed, leaving the crowd cheering and Master Wei terrified.

• Chen Ning struck Master Wei with a Heavenly Lightning Talisman, gravely injuring him after Master Wei bullied Steward Hong.
• Chen Ning ordered a disciple to take Steward Hong to the medicine pavilion and confronted Master Wei for tearing up his stamped paper.
• Master Wei asked Chen Ning to let the grand elder judge the matter, and Chen Ning agreed.
• A disciple returned with the grand elder's written order, which declared Master Wei's crimes unforgivable and commanded his execution.
• The crowd cheered the grand elder's decision as Master Wei shook with fear.

Chen Ning left Master Wei to face the disciples he had bullied, then went with Su Ling'er to meet Xiao Mei at the Law Enforcement Hall. Xiao Mei invited him to claim a rare Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit near Gold and Iron City, and Chen Ning agreed to pursue the opportunity.

• Chen Ning watched as Master Wei, gravely injured and powerless, was surrounded by the disciples he had mistreated.
• Chen Ning returned to his residence, where a Law Enforcement Hall elder summoned him on Xiao Mei's orders.
• Chen Ning brought Su Ling'er with him to the Law Enforcement Hall, where Xiao Mei explained that an ancient tree near Gold and Iron City would bear a ripening Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit.
• Xiao Mei offered to accompany Chen Ning to obtain the fruit, and Chen Ning welcomed the chance to improve his cultivation.

Chen Ning and Xiao Mei arrived in Gold and Iron City to pursue the Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit, while rival forces gathered around the Innate Ancient Tree. After Su Ling'er and Xiao Mei fought over who would attend to him, Chen Ning left the room to escape their quarrel.

• Xiao Mei brought Chen Ning to Gold and Iron City and said she would collect the Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit when it ripened at midnight the following day.
• Xiao Mei pointed out Dragon-Seeking Sect disciples camped near the Innate Ancient Tree, alarming other groups who feared the sect might claim the fruit.
• Several rival forces discussed the Dragon-Seeking Sect's arrival and hoped the Situ Family would enter the contest and weaken it.
• Su Ling'er used the Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand to take the teapot from Xiao Mei and poured tea for Chen Ning.
• Xiao Mei and Su Ling'er argued over who would stay with Chen Ning, so he ordered both of them to remain in the room and walked out.

Chen Ning, Xiao Mei, and Su Ling'er waited until nightfall before heading to the ancient innate tree, where rival factions had gathered for the Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit. As the fruit neared ripening, the crowd weighed the Dragon-Seeking Sect against the feared Situ Family as likely contenders.

• Chen Ning turned down Su Ling'er and Xiao Mei's offers to help him change, then agreed that Xiao Mei should pick the Marrow-Cleansing Fruit.
• Xiao Mei felt jealous when Chen Ning comforted Su Ling'er, and her envy returned after she tried to suppress it.
• Chen Ning, Xiao Mei, and Su Ling'er set out at night for the ancient innate tree, where crowds from many factions had assembled.
• The Dragon-Seeking Sect positioned thirty disciples to guard the fruit, while the Tyrant Blade Gang brought the largest force and the Situ Family arrived with Situ Zhuikong and several powerful experts.
• The crowd discussed which faction would claim the fruit and hesitated to challenge the ruthless Situ Family.

As the Marrow-Cleansing Fruits ripened, Chen Ning and the Dragon-Seeking Sect disciples joined the scramble while Su Ling'er guarded him. Situ Zhuikong tried to claim Su Ling'er, but after she wounded him and he recognized Chen Ning, Chen Ning ordered him to gouge out his own eyes to spare himself and the Situ family.

• Chen Ning arrived with his companions and joined the Dragon-Seeking Sect disciples near the ancient tree as the Marrow-Cleansing Fruits ripened.
• Xiao Mei and the disciples rushed to seize the fruits while Su Ling'er stayed to guard Chen Ning.
• Situ Zhuikong rode up to Su Ling'er, demanded that she accompany him, and threatened to destroy Chen Ning's sect when Chen Ning refused.
• Situ Zhuikong attacked Chen Ning, but Su Ling'er deflected his strike and wounded him with her sword.
• Situ Zhuikong recognized the Dragon-Seeking Sect and apologized, and Chen Ning told him to gouge out his own eyes to spare himself and his family.

A mysterious thief stole the Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit from Xiao Mei and escaped high into the clouds, while Chen Ning confronted Situ Zhuikong over his offense against the Dragon-Seeking Sect. After Xiao Mei reported that she had wounded the thief and could still track his Qi, Chen Ning decided to pursue him into the heavens.

• The three Situ Family experts yielded the Marrow-Cleansing Divine Fruit to Xiao Mei, but a mysterious figure snatched it from the tree and fled into the clouds.
• Xiao Mei struck the thief and wounded him, but she could not follow him beyond the height where she could remain airborne.
• The Situ Family experts rushed to rescue Situ Zhuikong from the Dragon-Seeking Sect disciples and apologized to Chen Ning for his offense.
• Chen Ning refused to spare Situ Zhuikong unless he gouged out both his eyes, despite the Situ Family expert's plea for consideration.
• Xiao Mei told Chen Ning that she had failed to obtain the fruit but could sense the wounded thief's Qi among the clouds.
• Chen Ning said they would punch a hole in the heavens to pursue the thief.