Recaps

Gao Yunyi visited Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang, who mistook his poem for a declaration of mutual understanding, while Zhang Qingyan had lured him there by claiming she owned a female cat that could do backflips. After discovering the lie, Xiao Zhaohuang attempted to satisfy Gao Yunyi by performing a backflip herself.

• Xiao Zhaohuang welcomed Gao Yunyi to her residence, and he guessed that she enjoyed needlework.
• Gao Yunyi recited a poem that moved Xiao Zhaohuang, but Zhang Qingyan's praise broke the moment.
• Xiao Zhaohuang praised Gao Yunyi's poetry and offered to show him manuscripts, while Gao Yunyi wondered why Zhang Qingyan had brought him there.
• Zhang Qingyan admitted that he had claimed Xiao Zhaohuang kept a female cat that could do backflips, and Xiao Zhaohuang angrily dismissed the servants and Zhang Qingyan.
• Xiao Zhaohuang performed a backflip in front of the puzzled Gao Yunyi and meowed.

After humiliating herself before Gao Yunyi, Xiao Zhaohuang hid in her bedchamber until she learned he had found her amusing rather than disgraceful. Gao Yunyi and Zhang Qingyan then explored a quiet courtyard in her residence and found a little boy watching ants in a vegetable patch.

• Xiao Zhaohuang hid beneath her bedding, convinced she had ruined her dignity and lost Gao Yunyi's favor.
• A maidservant told Xiao Zhaohuang that Gao Yunyi was not angry and had praised her as an interesting woman, so she ordered help dressing and fixing her hair and makeup.
• Gao Yunyi savored the memory of Xiao Zhaohuang's coquettish meow while Zhang Qingyan wondered what had happened between them.
• Gao Yunyi and Zhang Qingyan wandered through the residence and entered a secluded courtyard after discussing rumors that Xiao Zhaohuang kept male consorts.
• Zhang Qingyan mistook a chubby little boy in the courtyard for Xiao Zhaohuang's illegitimate son, but Gao Yunyi approached him and saw that he was watching ants fight.
• Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little boy squatted together, absorbed in the ants battling in the vegetable patch.

Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang brought her nephew, Xiao Gaoyi, to meet Gao Yunyi, hoping to secure his protection for the timid orphan. Gao Yunyi accepted Xiao Gaoyi as a younger brother and gave him a Star-Patterned Daoist Robe, while Zhang Qingyan was dragged away for punishment.

• Xiao Zhaohuang arrived and watched Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little fatty discuss an ant battle in the vegetable patch.
• Zhang Qingyan mistook Xiao Gaoyi for Xiao Zhaohuang's illegitimate son, and Xiao Zhaohuang ordered guards to drag him away for twenty strokes of the cane.
• Xiao Zhaohuang explained that Xiao Gaoyi was her orphaned nephew and that she feared for his safety amid the Capital's dangers.
• Gao Yunyi recognized his own withdrawn nature in Xiao Gaoyi, asked his name, and told him to call him big brother.
• Xiao Gaoyi called Gao Yunyi big brother, and Gao Yunyi gave him a Star-Patterned Daoist Robe as a gift.

Xiao Zhaohuang brought Gao Yunyi to the training ground and performed her halberd techniques, hoping to impress him. Her martial arts realm stirred after she gave the performance her all.

• Xiao Zhaohuang led Gao Yunyi and the others to the training ground, dressed in martial attire and carrying a Fangtian Huaji.
• Xiao Gaoyi told Zhang Qingyan that Gao Yunyi was his big brother, but refused Zhang Qingyan’s demand to be called Second Brother.
• Gao Yunyi ordered the guards to give Zhang Qingyan another thirty strokes after Xiao Gaoyi appealed to him for help.
• Xiao Zhaohuang displayed her powerful halberd techniques, and Gao Yunyi watched with growing admiration.
• After Xiao Zhaohuang’s final strike cracked the stone ground, her dormant martial arts realm began to stir and a surging presence burst from her body.

Gao Yunyi took Xiao Zhaohuang and the others boating on Phoenix Yi Lake, where he summoned Bai Suzhen to join them. Xiao Zhaohuang resented the snake’s possessive scorn but admitted she envied its closeness to Gao Yunyi, while Bai Suzhen plunged into the lake to play.

• Xiao Zhaohuang quietly admired Phoenix Yi Lake beside Gao Yunyi and felt relieved that he seemed unconcerned with the rumors about her.
• Zhang Qingyan asked Gao Yunyi to let Bai Suzhen play in the lake, and Gao Yunyi summoned the enormous white snake with a wave of blue light.
• Bai Suzhen entered the boat and nuzzled Gao Yunyi, while Xiao Gaoyi hid under a table and the other passengers recoiled in fear.
• Bai Suzhen gave Xiao Zhaohuang a contemptuous look, and Xiao Zhaohuang grew angry before admitting she envied the snake’s affection with Gao Yunyi.
• Gao Yunyi sent Bai Suzhen back to the lake, where it churned the water as Zhang Qingyan watched and wished for a Spirit Pet of his own.

Gao Yunyi released Maybach Crane, then prepared to leave Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang’s residence. When he learned she was going to trim her horse’s hooves, he became unexpectedly interested and stayed to watch.

• Gao Yunyi released Maybach Crane, who flew away heartbroken when his master ignored him and spotted Xiao Zhaohuang’s captive White Cranes.
• Xiao Zhaohuang tried to keep Gao Yunyi at her residence, but he refused her little brother’s plea to stay and headed for the gate with Zhang Qingyan.
• A guard reported that Red Hare was refusing food and needed his overgrown hooves trimmed, a task Xiao Zhaohuang handled herself.
• Gao Yunyi asked to watch the hoof trimming, and Zhang Qingyan and the little fatty followed him to the stable.
• Xiao Zhaohuang trimmed Red Hare’s hooves as Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little fatty watched intently, while the normally unruly horse stood trembling and obedient.

After Xiao Zhaohuang struggled with doubts about how to win Gao Yunyi’s affection, she discovered his Immortal Bird had been left behind and arranged for it to mate with female cranes. Back at the residence, Gao Yunyi gave his nameless chief eunuch the name Cao Zhengchun, which the eunuch accepted with overwhelming gratitude.

• Xiao Zhaohuang wondered why Gao Yunyi had ignored her beauty and asked how she could make him like her.
• Xiao Zhaohuang rushed to Phoenix Yi Lake and found the Immortal Bird amid a flock of exhausted white cranes.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered servants to gather beautiful female cranes so the Immortal Bird could leave behind offspring with an Immortal Beast bloodline.
• Gao Yunyi returned to the residence and asked the chief eunuch for his name.
• The chief eunuch explained that he had no name, so Gao Yunyi named him Cao Zhengchun.
• Cao Zhengchun knelt and thanked the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable for bestowing the name.

The Liang Emperor, near death and unwilling to relinquish his throne, joined forces with Pei Jingxuan to plan the Immortal’s assassination in hopes of stealing her eternal-life core. Xiao Zhaohuang gained the Immortal’s favor and political support, while Xiao Chengchen withdrew from the succession struggle.

• The Immortal visited Xiao Zhaohuang for five days, and the Eldest Princess was repeatedly made to trim horses’ hooves until she drove the horses from her residence.
• Eminent scholars and celebrated figures switched their support to Xiao Zhaohuang after believing she had won the Immortal’s favor, leaving Xiao Chengchen isolated and withdrawn from the succession struggle.
• The Liang Emperor sat alone in Yangxin Hall, nearing death but refusing to take the medicine that could only prolong his life briefly.
• The Liang Emperor questioned Pei Jingxuan about a plan to kill the Immortal and obtain the Innate Golden Core said to grant eternal life.
• Pei Jingxuan claimed the Daoist School’s Divine Artifact could kill the Immortal, and the Liang Emperor promised him power and the position of State Preceptor if the plan succeeded.

Xiao Zhaohuang learned that the emperor had formed the Eastern Depot and ordered an investigation into his plans, while Zhang Erhai worried that her actions were making her look like a usurper. Zhang Qingyan returned home transformed by his training and stunned his father with his new physique.

• Xiao Zhaohuang learned that the emperor had established the Eastern Depot using people transferred from Beiping Prefecture to monitor officials and watch the Immortal.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered the Pacification Investigation Office to investigate everyone recently granted an audience with the emperor and uncover his hidden trump card.
• Zhang Erhai worried that Xiao Zhaohuang's frequent visits with the Immortal were fueling rumors that she intended to seize the throne.
• Zhang Qingyan returned to the Zhang Residence, bared his muscular torso, and showed his shocked father his new physique.

A carriage bearing the Jade Spring Mountain palace retreat’s flag entered the Imperial City without stopping, as the Imperial Guards feared the Immortal inside. The chapter recounted how the Immortal’s visit to Qinlan Tower had reshaped the Capital’s brothel rankings, while the carriage continued toward its destination in the palace.

• The Imperial Guard commander recognized the carriage’s flag at Chengtian Gate and ordered his men to kneel and let it pass.
• The commander told his anxious subordinates that the carriage carried the Immortal, and they gratefully promised to reward him.
• The Immortal’s visit to Qinlan Tower had made it the Capital’s foremost brothel and raised its Four Golden Flowers to the ranks of the Ten Beauties of Jinghua.
• Drunken Jade Tower’s top courtesan lost her standing, while Tang Yuan'er disappeared after losing her chastity and reputation.
• The Four Golden Flowers kept their faces veiled and claimed they would wait for the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable, which only intensified the public’s pursuit of them.

The Liang Emperor brooded over his plan to kill Gao Yunyi and protect his throne, then panicked when the Immortal entered the palace. Gao Yunyi took the dragon throne and demanded that the emperor bow to him.

• The Liang Emperor concluded that Zhao Huang’s favor with Gao Yunyi threatened his rule and resolved to continue the plot to kill the Immortal.
• A palace attendant announced Gao Yunyi’s arrival, and the Liang Emperor feared his conspiracy had been discovered.
• Gao Yunyi entered Yangxin Hall and casually greeted the Liang Emperor, who pretended to welcome him respectfully.
• Gao Yunyi sat on the dragon throne and rebuked the Liang Emperor for failing to bow before an Immortal.

Gao Yunyi visited the imperial palace and confronted the Liang Emperor, who secretly resented him and wanted to kill him. After Gao Yunyi rejected the emperor’s hope for eternal life and left him a Spirit-Gathering Pill, the emperor collapsed and crawled toward it.

• The Liang Emperor knelt before Gao Yunyi, who noticed the emperor’s hostility on his minimap.
• Gao Yunyi questioned why the Liang Emperor had not taken the Spirit-Gathering Pill, and the emperor dismissed his trembling attendant before answering.
• Gao Yunyi mocked the emperor’s hope for an elixir of eternal life and said he would never give one to an emperor.
• Gao Yunyi left the Spirit-Gathering Pill by the Liang Emperor’s feet and went to explore the palace.
• After Gao Yunyi departed, the Liang Emperor spat blood, collapsed, and crawled toward the pill.

Gao Yunyi wandered freely through the Liang Kingdom's imperial palace and entered the Imperial Garden, where he witnessed a princess order a servant beaten to death. When the princess confronted him, she became infatuated with his appearance.

• Gao Yunyi strolled through the palace as attendants and guards knelt before him, and he passed through the Gate of Heavenly Purity into the inner court.
• An attendant explained that Still Abyss Hall was being built to nurture the emperor's nature and calm his heart, and Gao Yunyi mocked the emperor's condition.
• Gao Yunyi went to the Imperial Garden, where a princess had a young eunuch beaten to death for hurting her cat, Jintuan.
• The princess demanded that Gao Yunyi stop, but he ignored her until he turned around; she then blushed and called him handsome.

Minghua Princess mistook the handsome Gao Yunyi for a potential prince consort, then grew furious when he ignored her and ordered him seized. Gao Yunyi’s command turned her attendants against her, and he left the imperial garden as Minghua Princess cried for help.

• Minghua Princess admired Gao Yunyi’s appearance and imagined rules for him as her future prince consort.
• Minghua Princess demanded Gao Yunyi identify himself, then ordered her attendants to seize him when he remained silent.
• Gao Yunyi ordered the palace cat killed, and a palace maid obeyed, avenging her paired companion whom Minghua Princess had killed.
• Minghua Princess threatened the attendants and Gao Yunyi, but Gao Yunyi said he did not want to see her again and left the garden.
• Minghua Princess screamed for help as the palace attendants closed in, but her cries could not escape the inner palace.

After Minghua Princess died because palace servants obeyed an Immortal’s decree, the Liang Emperor suppressed his rage and accelerated his plan to oppose the Immortal. He ordered Mao Gang to finish Still Abyss Hall in five days and recruit key allies, including Pei Jingxuan, for the dangerous undertaking.

• A palace attendant reported Minghua Princess’s death, and the Liang Emperor ordered the execution of the servants responsible before learning they had acted on the Immortal’s decree.
• The Liang Emperor feared the Immortal’s power and decided he could no longer delay his plan.
• He summoned Mao Gang and ordered Still Abyss Hall completed within five days.
• The Liang Emperor told Mao Gang to notify his loyal subordinates and warned that Pei Jingxuan’s success would determine their victory or defeat.
• Mao Gang accepted the plan to slay an Immortal, eager to earn a lasting reputation.

While the emperor and Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang’s power struggle continued around him, Gao Yunyi fished at Phoenix Yi Lake with Zhang Qingyan and the little fatty, then visited Xiao Zhaohuang as she embroidered his portrait. The chapter left Xiao Zhaohuang blushing as Gao Yunyi admired the embroidery and asked if it was meant for him.

• Gao Yunyi fished with Zhang Qingyan and the little fatty, but caught nothing while they landed fish.
• Gao Yunyi summoned Bai Suzhen to churn Phoenix Yi Lake and sweep fish, shrimp, turtles, and crabs onto the shore.
• Gao Yunyi ordered Zhang Qingyan and the little fatty to gather the catch for an all-fish feast.
• Xiao Zhaohuang worked on an embroidered portrait of Gao Yunyi in her private loft.
• Gao Yunyi appeared behind Xiao Zhaohuang, praised her embroidery, and asked whether the portrait was for him.

Gao Yunyi repaid Xiao Zhaohuang’s gift by using an immortal technique to print a lifelike portrait of her onto satin. Xiao Zhaohuang added a poem to the portrait and resolved to protect him at any cost.

• Gao Yunyi asked Xiao Zhaohuang for satin and used his photography and printing functions to create a portrait of her.
• Xiao Zhaohuang mistook the portrait for an immortal art that had drawn her soul into the satin.
• Gao Yunyi gave Xiao Zhaohuang the portrait and reminded her to give him the embroidery she was making for him.
• Xiao Zhaohuang embroidered a poem onto the portrait and vowed to protect Gao Yunyi, even if doing so brought ruin upon Great Liang.

Rumors spread through the Capital that the Immortal was a murderous demon, while Zhang Qingyan tried to leave the Ministry of War Minister's Residence to defend his big brother's reputation. Zhang Erhai blocked him and warned him not to get involved in a political struggle he could not influence, and the chapter ended with father and son preparing to fight in earnest.

• Rumors accusing the Immortal of being a demon and blaming him for the Capital's troubles spread through the marketplaces and alleyways.
• Zhang Qingyan tried to leave the residence, but Zhang Erhai challenged him to get past him first.
• Zhang Erhai criticized Zhang Qingyan's crude fighting and explained that the rumors were part of a struggle among powerful people.
• Zhang Qingyan attempted a sneak attack and insisted he had to defend his big brother, even if he could not stop the rumors.
• Zhang Erhai revealed his battle-scarred, muscular physique, leaving Zhang Qingyan stunned by the demon-like shape of his back.

Xiao Zhaohuang ordered the Pacification Investigation Office to crush rumors about the Immortal while investigating secret deliveries to Jade Spring Mountain and the rapid construction of Still Abyss Hall. The chapter left her determined to hold Mao Gang accountable for the deaths of more than a thousand workers and to uncover the hall’s purpose.

• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered the Pacification Investigation Office to intensify its hunt for people spreading rumors about the Immortal, and said Lu Maoxiu would assist from the Court of Judicial Review.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person reported that saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal had been secretly transported to Jade Spring Mountain through channels involving the Ministry of Works, the Wu Household, and the Directorate of Heavenly Observations.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person said palace attendants had become eager to help the Pacification Investigation Office after the Immortal executed Minghua Princess, and reported that His Majesty was secluded in Yangxin Hall with a declining appetite.
• Xiao Zhaohuang learned that Still Abyss Hall was nearly finished after Mao Gang accelerated construction, causing more than a thousand craftsmen and laborers to die from exhaustion or illness.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered an investigation into the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Heavenly Observations and demanded that everyone involved in Still Abyss Hall's construction be brought to the Imperial Prison for questioning.

Zhang Qingyan fought his father, Zhang Erhai, for a full day and night to earn the right to leave the residence. After defeating him, Zhang Qingyan headed out to stand by his big brother, while Zhang Erhai recovered and ordered a carriage to follow him.

• Zhang Qingyan and Zhang Erhai fought in the training grounds, and Zhang Erhai was impressed by how quickly his son learned and improved.
• Madam Zhang begged them to stop, but Zhang Erhai kept trying to prevent Zhang Qingyan from leaving, while Zhang Qingyan insisted he could not abandon his big brother.
• Zhang Qingyan finally knocked Zhang Erhai down and declared that he had won.
• Zhang Qingyan apologized to his father and staggered out of the residence.
• Zhang Erhai revealed that he was safe, and Madam Zhang arranged a carriage to follow Zhang Qingyan to Jade Spring Mountain.

Zhang Qingyan visited Gao Yunyi at the Temporary Palace Villa to warn him that people were calling him a demon from beyond this world, but Gao Yunyi showed no concern. When Zhang Qingyan tried to stay on the mountain, Gao Yunyi ordered him to leave, and Zhang Qingyan departed in tears.

• Gao Yunyi mistook the battered Zhang Qingyan for a monster and had Bai Suzhen swallow him before recognizing him.
• Zhang Qingyan told Gao Yunyi that people in the Capital were claiming he was a demon from beyond this world.
• Gao Yunyi dismissed the rumors as the gossip of ants, leaving Zhang Qingyan to fear that he might crush those spreading them.
• Zhang Qingyan said he had fought his father to come comfort Gao Yunyi and intended to stay, but Gao Yunyi threatened to have Xiaobai see him out.
• Zhang Qingyan left the Temporary Palace Villa and wept outside its closing gates.

Xiao Zhaohuang’s arrests of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Astronomy heightened fears that she was moving against the throne. The Liang Emperor offered her the crown but demanded she release the prisoners, and she refused.

• The Pacification Investigation Office arrested hundreds of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Astronomy, with the Ministry of Justice, Court of Judicial Review, and Five-City Military Command assisting.
• People in the Capital feared Xiao Zhaohuang was preparing to seize the throne, though she still needed a legitimate claim.
• Xiao Zhaohuang entered the Hall of Heavenly Worship and paid her respects to the Liang Emperor, who had become frail and aged.
• The Liang Emperor led Xiao Zhaohuang to the dragon throne and offered to issue an edict passing Great Liang's realm to her.
• The Liang Emperor told Xiao Zhaohuang to release the arrested officials, but she refused outright.

Xiao Zhaohuang refused the Liang Emperor’s demand to release the people she held and rejected his efforts to persuade or threaten her. Their confrontation ended with her openly warning that she might repeat the Xuanwu Gate incident, while the emperor’s guards ignored his order to seize her.

• The Liang Emperor offered Xiao Zhaohuang anything she wanted, and she demanded Command of All the Armies.
• The Liang Emperor ordered her to release her prisoners and threatened to strip her of her princess title, but Xiao Zhaohuang refused.
• Xiao Zhaohuang argued that the Immortal’s presence benefited the Liang Kingdom, while the Liang Emperor insisted the Immortal had to disappear to restore the Xiao Household’s power.
• The Liang Emperor pleaded with Xiao Zhaohuang not to obstruct his plans, but she refused again and he angrily ordered guards to seize her.
• Xiao Zhaohuang warned that she would carry out an incident at Xuanwu Gate if the Liang Emperor persisted, then left as the guards did nothing.
• The Liang Emperor spat blood and swallowed his last Immortal Elixir.

The Eldest Princess suppressed rumors about the Immortal as the Capital awaited a possible seizure of the throne. At the Temporary Palace Villa, Cao Zhengchun confessed that he had spied on Gao Yunyi and warned him of the emperor's plan to strike that night, prompting Gao Yunyi to offer him a pill after he took poison.

• The Eldest Princess ordered a brutal crackdown on people accused of defaming the Immortal, filling prisons and leaving the Capital fearful.
• Cao Zhengchun confessed to Gao Yunyi that he had reported his actions to the emperor and was secretly the director of the Eastern Depot.
• Cao Zhengchun warned Gao Yunyi that Bureau of Astronomy personnel were working on mysterious supplies beneath the villa, though Gao Yunyi had already noticed people underground.
• Cao Zhengchun revealed that he had taken poison to atone for betraying the emperor and urged Gao Yunyi to flee before an attack that night.
• Gao Yunyi refused to leave and gave Cao Zhengchun a red pill to keep him alive.

A massive explosion destroyed the Temporary Palace Villa on Jade Spring Mountain, and Xiao Zhaohuang and Zhang Qingyan rushed to confirm the Immortal’s safety. Zhang Erhai suspected the emperor had plotted to kill the Immortal, while the capital moved toward lockdown.

• After learning that explosive materials had been secretly transported to the Temporary Palace Villa, Xiao Zhaohuang ordered the Phoenix Plume Guards to prepare to go to Jade Spring Mountain.
• An explosion shook the capital and sent flames and smoke rising from Jade Spring Mountain, prompting Xiao Zhaohuang to hurry toward the villa.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person ordered the Phoenix Plume Guards to the mountain and directed the Five-City Military Command to lock down the capital.
• Zhang Erhai and Madam Zhang saw the smoke from Jade Spring Mountain, and Zhang Erhai suspected the emperor had tried to slay the Immortal.
• Zhang Qingyan emerged from his room and insisted on going to Jade Spring Mountain, so Zhang Erhai gave him an identification token to get through the north gate.