Chapter Summaries

Duàn Yì turned aside the coordinated attack of Yuwen Mu’s eight elite soldiers and countered with Ice True Qi and the Great Vajra Fist. He had already disarmed and incapacitated two soldiers, while the remaining six still surrounded him.

• Yuwen Mu’s eight elite soldiers drew their sabers together and attacked Duàn Yì from eight angles.
• Duàn Yì twisted his body to evade most of the blades, making the soldiers’ sabers collide and leaving one to strike the Songyang Iron Sword on his back.
• Duàn Yì seized one soldier’s wrist, froze a vital acupoint with Ice True Qi, and kicked him through nearby tables and chairs.
• Duàn Yì dodged attacks from two soldiers and trapped another soldier’s saber between his fists.
• Duàn Yì’s Great Vajra Fist shattered the trapped saber, and his icy true qi froze the soldier before he fell.

Duàn Yì defeated Yuwen Mu’s elite soldiers and revealed a formidable sword style that combined Songshan Swordplay with the Songyang Iron Sword. Yuwen Mu praised the technique and dismissed the soldiers, then asked Duàn Yì where it came from.

• Duàn Yì used his improved sense of martial rhythm and his five senses to defeat two elite soldiers barehanded.
• Yuwen Mu urged Duàn Yì to draw his sword and show his full strength.
• The remaining six soldiers formed a circular battle formation around Duàn Yì.
• Duàn Yì cut through all six soldiers’ sabers with one strike and lightly wounded their throats without killing them.
• Yuwen Mu praised Duàn Yì’s swordsmanship, dismissed the soldiers, and asked about its origins.
• Duàn Yì explained that he had combined Songshan Swordplay with the sharp sword qi of the Songyang Iron Sword.

Duàn Yì joined Yuwen Mu for a feast, refused his offers of gambling and women, and learned about the Yuwen Family’s Ice Profound Energy. Yuwen Mu explained that the art was shared among clan members but exceptionally difficult to master, leaving Duàn Yì to consider whether he could learn it.

• Yuwen Mu invited Duàn Yì to feast and drink with him after praising his swordsmanship.
• At the feast, Yuwen Mu offered Duàn Yì gambling and women, but Duàn Yì declined and said he intended to focus on martial arts.
• Yuwen Mu told Duàn Yì that an ancestor learned Ice Profound Energy from a divine maiden.
• Yuwen Mu explained that Ice Profound Energy was a prestigious but difficult art, and that only his eldest brother had mastered it among three generations of Yuwen clansmen.
• Yuwen Mu warned Duàn Yì that obtaining Ice Profound Energy was not the main challenge; the true difficulty was learning it.

Duàn Yì studied Yuwen Mu’s introductory formula for Ice Profound Energy and discovered that its breathing method was too difficult and painful for him to practice directly. Inside the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, he began breaking the first stage into smaller parts to pinpoint the problem.

• Yuwen Mu taught Duàn Yì the introductory mental formula for Ice Profound Energy and said he would seek permission for him to learn the complete art if he cultivated it within three days.
• Duàn Yì found that the formula’s first breathing stage strained his body and injured his chest, so he used Ice True Qi to heal himself.
• Duàn Yì entered the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, studied the formula until he understood it completely, and prepared to practice with his illusory body.
• Duàn Yì tried the breathing method again but divided its first stage into nine parts so he could identify the difficulty step by step.

Duàn Yì deciphered the first stages of Ice Profound Energy, endured its dangerous effects, and crossed the introductory threshold before discovering a new obstacle. He spent three days engrossed in cultivation while Yuwen Mu waited outside his room, hopeful that he would succeed.

• Duàn Yì realized the breathing technique strengthened the internal organs first and then drew on the body's flesh, and he used that insight to begin cultivating Ice Profound Energy.
• Duàn Yì completed the introductory method once, but Water Qi entering through his pores froze his blood and proved difficult even for Ice True Qi to dispel.
• Duàn Yì recognized that Ice Profound Energy drew on Heaven and Earth Vital Energy and was far more potent than Ice True Qi, and he remained eager to overcome its challenges.
• Duàn Yì spent the next three days studying Ice Profound Energy without leaving his room, worrying his guards and attendant.
• Yuwen Mu reassured those who reported Duàn Yì's behavior, then repeatedly waited outside his room without disturbing his cultivation.

Duàn Yì initiated Ice Profound Energy, refined the cultivation method through the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, and decided to obtain its complete manual. He told Yuwen Mu that he had entered the gate in three days, leaving Yuwen Mu stunned and unwilling to believe him.

• Duàn Yì absorbed Water Qi through his pores, circulated it nine times, and expelled impurities as Ice Profound Energy True Qi formed in his dantian.
• Duàn Yì assessed Ice Profound Energy against other cultivation methods and used the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts to improve its practice.
• Duàn Yì decided to seek the complete Ice Profound Energy manual and ordered an elite soldier to take him to Yuwen Mu.
• Duàn Yì told Yuwen Mu that he had initiated Ice Profound Energy, and Yuwen Mu knocked over his teacup in disbelief.
• Yuwen Mu recalled that even Yuwen Xiu had needed a year to initiate the art and doubted Duàn Yì's claim despite Bái Xī Wén's praise.

Duàn Yì demonstrated that he had mastered the introductory method of Ice Profound Energy and explained how he entered the gate by practicing its breathing and qi circulation in sections. Yuwen Mu revealed that the Yuwen Family had already discovered this dangerous approach through generations of study, leaving Duàn Yì wondering why he had not told him.

• Duàn Yì formed a shard of ice with Water Qi and sent it deep into a wooden table, convincing Yuwen Mu that he had mastered the introductory method of Ice Profound Energy.
• Yuwen Mu eagerly asked how Duàn Yì had overcome the dangerous first stage of cultivation.
• Duàn Yì explained that he had strengthened his body by practicing the breathing and qi circulation method one section at a time.
• Duàn Yì chose to share his insight with Yuwen Mu as repayment for the Yuwen Family's kindness and for providing him with the divine art.
• Yuwen Mu said the Yuwen Family's elders had worked out segmented cultivation over nine generations, and that his own attempts had injured his lungs and organs.
• Duàn Yì wondered why Yuwen Mu had not mentioned the method when he first passed on the mental art.

Yuwen Mu explained that he had planned to recruit Duàn Yì by guiding his cultivation and offering him Ice Profound Energy, but Duàn Yì mastered the entry method on his own. He offered Duàn Yì the complete manual as a dowry for marrying into the Yuwen Family, and Duàn Yì raised his existing ties to Guō Qíng and Helan Yue'er as a possible obstacle.

• Yuwen Mu confessed that he had intended to recruit Duàn Yì and had planned to guide him through Ice Profound Energy if he failed to advance alone.
• Duàn Yì accepted Yuwen Mu's explanation and asked when he could see the complete Ice Profound Energy manual.
• Yuwen Mu offered to give Duàn Yì the complete manual as a dowry if he married a daughter of the Yuwen Family.
• Yuwen Mu boasted about the women in his family and suggested Duàn Yì could marry more than one.
• Duàn Yì told Yuwen Mu that he was betrothed to Guō Qíng and had a close relationship with Helan Yue'er, questioning whether another marriage alliance would be proper.

Duàn Yì discussed the Yuwen Family’s proposed marriage alliance and learned that Yuwen Lan Jun was betrothed to the Young Master of the Overlord Saber Sect. Yuwen Lan Jun and her companions arrived at the You Prefecture horse farm, where they promptly became respectful toward Yuwen Mu.

• Yuwen Mu said he would consult his elder brother about arranging a marriage between Duàn Yì and a woman of the Yuwen Lineage, with news expected within three days.
• An Elite Soldier reported that Yuwen Lan Jun had arrived with several friends, and Yuwen Mu welcomed them.
• Yuwen Mu told Duàn Yì that Yuwen Lan Jun was his elder brother’s only daughter and was already betrothed to the Young Master of the Overlord Saber Sect.
• Duàn Yì recalled the Overlord Saber Sect’s fearsome reputation, its Overlord of the World Saber Technique, and the violent fates of many of its leaders.
• Yuwen Lan Jun entered the hall with three men and two women, and the group’s arrogance gave way to respectful humility before Yuwen Mu.

Yuwen Lan Jun brought Dan Pingzong and his companions to meet her Second Uncle, Yuwen Mu, while openly behaving like Dan Pingzong's lover. Yuwen Mu revealed that Lan Jun was already betrothed to the Young Master of the Overlord Saber Sect, leaving Dan Pingzong and the others shocked as the family dispute came to a head.

• Yuwen Lan Jun asked Yuwen Mu to provide fine horses and introduced Dan Pingzong, Mei Jun, Di Jiao, Tang Wan'er, and Bai Wei as her friends.
• Yuwen Lan Jun clung to Dan Pingzong and presented him as a romantic partner, prompting Yuwen Mu to question his background and his ties to her.
• Dan Pingzong described the Flying Cloud Sect and declared that he and Yuwen Lan Jun had fallen in love at first sight, asking Yuwen Mu for his blessing.
• Yuwen Mu warned Yuwen Lan Jun that she was due to marry the Young Master of the Overlord Saber Sect in a year and asked Dan Pingzong whether he knew she was betrothed.
• Dan Pingzong looked at Yuwen Lan Jun in startled suspicion, while Duàn Yì considered leaving the hall as the matter turned into a family affair.

Yuwen Mu tried to stop Yuwen Lan Jun and Dan Pingzong from defying her betrothal, then proposed a contest between Dan Pingzong and Duan Yi. Duan Yi resented being pulled into the family dispute but considered accepting for the chance to earn Yuwen Mu’s support and choose a treasure or martial arts manual.

• Yuwen Lan Jun rejected her arranged marriage and declared her love for Dan Pingzong, while Dan Pingzong and his companions urged the Yuwen Family to call off the betrothal.
• Yuwen Mu proposed that Dan Pingzong compete against someone; he would help the couple if Dan won, but Dan would have to leave You Prefecture if he lost.
• Yuwen Mu secretly asked Duan Yi to defeat Dan Pingzong and offered to help him obtain Ice Profound Energy or select a treasure from his treasury.
• Duan Yi objected inwardly to being dragged into the dispute but was tempted by the reward and the chance to test his martial arts.

Duàn Yì agreed to fight Dan Pingzong on Yuwen Mu’s behalf, hoping to strengthen ties with the Yuwen Family and test his newly learned Ice Profound Energy. As the two faced each other, Mei Jun demanded that Duàn Yì prove himself against him first, while Dan Pingzong considered using the test to learn Duàn Yì’s martial arts.

• Duàn Yì agreed to accept Yuwen Mu’s challenge on his behalf and welcomed the chance to test his cultivation.
• Yuwen Mu provoked Dan Pingzong into accepting a fight, then warned Yuwen Lan Jun about her future conduct and introduced Duàn Yì as his chosen opponent.
• Duàn Yì stepped forward to face Dan Pingzong, whose close inspection of the youth left him wary of Duàn Yì’s strength.
• Mei Jun, angered by Tang Wan’er’s interest in Duàn Yì, demanded that Duàn Yì pass his test before fighting Dan Pingzong.
• Dan Pingzong rebuked Mei Jun inwardly but considered using him to probe Duàn Yì’s abilities.

Duàn Yì accepted Mei Jun’s challenge outside the hall and defeated him with a single move, shocking the onlookers. Yuwen Mu wondered whether Duàn Yì’s martial arts had advanced dramatically through Ice Profound Energy, while the chapter explained that heightened bodily sensitivity had let him anticipate Mei Jun’s sword strike.

• Duàn Yì calmly led Mei Jun outside to fight, and the gathered spectators followed them to the courtyard.
• Mei Jun, angered by Duàn Yì’s one-handed stance, attacked him with the Flying Cloud Sect’s Flowing Cloud Swordplay.
• Duàn Yì pinched Mei Jun’s sword blade between two fingers and sent him crashing to the ground in one move.
• Mei Jun struggled to believe he had been defeated, while the spectators, including Yuwen Mu, were shocked.
• Yuwen Mu suspected Ice Profound Energy had transformed Duàn Yì’s martial arts, but Duàn Yì had actually anticipated the attack through his enhanced sensitivity to changes in the air.

Duàn Yì defeated Mei Jun with a single barehanded strike, then faced Dan Pingzong of the Flying Cloud Sect. Dan Pingzong launched a powerful sword attack, leaving Duàn Yì to prove whether he could handle a skilled swordsman without a weapon.

• Duàn Yì reflected that his ability to anticipate attacks relied on sensing airflow and had limits, while he regretted injuring his fingers with his strike against Mei Jun.
• Yuwen Mu urged Dan Pingzong to fight, while Yuwen Lan Jun watched him anxiously and Mei Jun felt dejected when Tang Wan'er ignored him.
• Dan Pingzong encouraged Mei Jun, stepped into the arena, and formally challenged Duàn Yì.
• Duàn Yì used Ice Profound Energy to soothe his injured fingers and braced himself as Dan Pingzong drew his sword.
• Dan Pingzong lunged with the Passing Clouds Before the Eyes technique, unleashing a concealed, powerful sword attack that impressed the onlookers.

Duàn Yì narrowly evaded Dan Pingzong’s sword and gained the upper hand with his footwork and Bone-Melting Cotton Palm. Dan Pingzong unleashed the Flying Cloud Sect’s Thirteen Forms of Ever-Changing Cloud Mist, escalating the duel.

• Duàn Yì used his Eight Trigrams footwork to evade Dan Pingzong’s Flowing Cloud Swordplay and move behind him.
• Duàn Yì attacked Dan Pingzong with Bone-Melting Cotton Palm, but withdrew when Dan Pingzong countered with a sword thrust that threatened his hand.
• Duàn Yì struck again, forcing Dan Pingzong to unleash his True Qi and retreat, while the onlookers saw Duàn Yì had gained a decisive advantage.
• Dan Pingzong furiously launched the Thirteen Forms of Ever-Changing Cloud Mist, and Mei Jun and Di Jiao recognized the Flying Cloud Sect’s formidable sword art.

Duàn Yì fought Dan Pingzong through the Thirteen Forms of Ever-Changing Cloud Mist and entered a state where his martial arts flowed together instinctively. He ended the duel with Vajra Subdues Demons, sending Dan Pingzong through a wall and leaving the onlookers fearing he had been killed.

• Duàn Yì calmly countered Dan Pingzong’s shifting sword attacks with a succession of fists and palms, while his cold aura steadily pressured his opponent.
• Duàn Yì’s movements became instinctive as his martial arts blended together, while Dan Pingzong struggled against the relentless force and freezing qi.
• Dan Pingzong gathered his sword aura and unleashed the final, strongest move of the Thirteen Forms of Ever-Changing Cloud Mist.
• Duàn Yì used Vajra Subdues Demons to shatter Dan Pingzong’s sword aura and refined iron blade, then struck him in the chest and sent him crashing through a wall.
• Mei Jun and Di Jiao rushed toward the rubble in a panic, while Tang Wan'er and Bai Wei shrank away from Duàn Yì and Yuwen Mu worried about the consequences.

Duàn Yì defeated Dan Pingzong without seriously injuring him, earning Yuwen Mu’s approval and a promise to help him obtain the complete Ice Profound Energy manual. Yuwen Lan Jun then revealed that she saw Duàn Yì as a possible ally in resisting the Yuwen Family’s arranged marriage.

• Dan Pingzong conceded defeat to Duàn Yì and left with Mei Jun and Di Jiao, vowing to improve his martial arts and challenge him again.
• Yuwen Mu praised Duàn Yì and promised to mediate for him regarding the complete Ice Profound Energy manual, while urging him to leave.
• Duàn Yì departed to cultivate, and Yuwen Mu ordered his soldiers to care for Tang Wan'er and Bai Wei before bringing Yuwen Lan Jun to the main hall.
• Yuwen Lan Jun told Yuwen Mu that Dan Pingzong had disappointed her and asked whether Duàn Yì could help her resist the Lineage’s marriage plans.

Yuwen Mu tried to persuade Yuwen Lan Jun to accept her arranged marriage and warned her to stay away from Duàn Yì, but she grew interested in him as a possible ally. Duàn Yì woke to the physical and internal gains from cultivating Ice Profound Energy, then heard someone knocking at his door.

• Yuwen Mu reminded Yuwen Lan Jun that the Lineage had always cared for her and urged her to accept her marriage arrangement, but she said it kept her from becoming herself again.
• Yuwen Mu questioned her involvement with numerous men and warned her to control herself and avoid Duàn Yì; Yuwen Lan Jun disregarded him and wondered whether Duàn Yì could help end the arrangement.
• Duàn Yì returned from the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts at dawn and felt his bones, sinews, and flesh adapting to the strength of Ice Profound Energy.
• Duàn Yì assessed his increased physical strength, resilience, and True Qi cultivation, noting that he lacked the complete Ice Profound Energy manual.
• Several low knocks sounded at Duàn Yì's door, and he suspected Yuwen Lan Jun had come to see him.

Duàn Yì learned that Aorgel and Yan Chongtian would face each other in a decisive battle outside Jixian City on the eighth day of the fifth month. He remained at the horse ranch, irritated by the advances of Yuwen Lan Jun, Tang Wan'er, and Bai Wei, while looking forward to the coming contest.

• Duàn Yì continued practicing martial arts at the horse ranch while Yuwen Lan Jun, Tang Wan'er, and Bai Wei repeatedly tried to attract his attention.
• Duàn Yì learned from Tang Wan'er and Bai Wei that a major battle was scheduled near Jixian City.
• Duàn Yì heard that Aorgel had crippled Yan Chongtian two years earlier and escaped back to the grasslands.
• Chivalrous Villa challenged Aorgel to fight Yan Chongtian again, with the Sun Essence Wheel as the stake.
• Both sides agreed to hold the decisive battle in the hills outside Jixian City on the eighth day of the fifth month.

Duàn Yì reflected on the marriage alliances surrounding Yan Chongtian before Yuwen Lan Jun brought him warm water and tried to persuade him to go hunting with her, Tang Wan'er, and Bai Wei. He became interested in the hunt and had not yet agreed to join them.

• Duàn Yì learned that several factions had sent women to assess Yan Chongtian as a potential marriage-alliance match.
• Yuwen Lan Jun brought Duàn Yì warm water and a towel, but he treated her warily and tried to send her away.
• Yuwen Lan Jun grabbed Duàn Yì's robe and asked him to promise to do one thing for her.
• Yuwen Lan Jun invited Duàn Yì to accompany her, Tang Wan'er, and Bai Wei to the Eastern Suburb Hunting Ground.
• Duàn Yì became intrigued by the chance to hunt wild beasts, despite initially intending to refuse.