Chapter Summaries

Chen Yan and Zhang Tianzheng joined their swords to trap Yin Wuchang in the Profound Origin Return to True Sword Formation. Yin Wuchang remained trapped as he confronted Chen Yan about using Divine Firmament Sect Dao arts.

• Chen Yan wounded Yin Wuchang with the Five Thunder Spirit Sword Technique and Wind Thunder Evil-Slaying Sword, but Yin Wuchang blocked the follow-up strike with demonic qi.
• Yin Wuchang summoned twelve giant pythons to attack Chen Yan and Zhang Tianzheng.
• Chen Yan and Zhang Tianzheng raised the Profound Origin Return to True Sword Formation, destroying the pythons and enclosing Yin Wuchang.
• Yin Wuchang created eight doubles with Nine Spirit Snake Concealment, but Chen Yan warned Zhang Tianzheng not to alter the formation because Yin Wuchang was still trapped inside.
• Yin Wuchang reappeared and asked why Chen Yan knew Divine Firmament Sect Dao arts, while Chen Yan declared he would kill him and uphold justice.

Chen Yan used the Thunder Department Commander's Great Seal to summon the Divine Firmament Five Thunders against Yin Wuchang, then trapped the surviving snake demon with Facai and the ghosts. The chapter ended with Chen Yan charging into close combat and cutting off Yin Wuchang's head.

• Chen Yan invoked the Four Symbols through the Thunder Department Commander's Great Seal and summoned crimson lightning, terrifying Yin Wuchang and Zhang Tianzheng.
• Yin Wuchang broke through Chen Yan's sword formation and attacked, but the Divine Firmament Five Thunders struck and badly wounded him.
• Chen Yan found his Magic Power nearly exhausted, while the injured Yin Wuchang prepared to flee.
• Facai released Zhao Laoda and the other ghosts, who used Five Ghosts Sealing to trap Yin Wuchang before he could escape.
• Yin Wuchang attacked Chen Yan again, but Chen Yan charged at the snake demon and cut off his head.

Chen Yan killed the five-hundred-year snake demon Yin Wuchang with one slash, then advanced Mastering Five Thunders to Minor Accomplishment and comprehended Commanding Thunder, also known as Demon Lightning. The chapter left him beginning to cultivate its fire-element qi as the others reacted to his newfound power.

• Chen Yan beheaded the gravely wounded Yin Wuchang with a single slash, stunning Zhang Tianzheng and the ghosts.
• Chen Yan removed Thousand Faces and placed it on Yin Wuchang's snake head, causing the head to wither.
• Chen Yan saw that Mastering Five Thunders had advanced from Beginner to Minor Accomplishment after nearly four months of cultivation and demon slaying.
• Chen Yan manifested crimson lightning, making Facai, Black Tiger, Zhang Tianzheng, and the ghosts feel terror.
• Chen Yan recognized that he had comprehended Commanding Thunder, or Demon Lightning, and sensed its fire-element qi revolving within his heart.

Chen Yan absorbed Yin Wuchang’s memories and learned more about Black Mountain, then tested Plum Mountain Dao’s thunderfire bird gun using the Thunder Department Seal. He asked Zhang Tianzheng to introduce him to his clan’s elders so he could present an idea.

• Chen Yan withdrew the Demon Lightning, used the Human Skin Mask to take Yin Wuchang’s appearance, and examined Yin Wuchang’s memories.
• Chen Yan reverted to his own appearance and introduced himself to Zhang Tianzheng, who revealed that Mount Lao Daoist Sect had been watching him.
• After learning about Black Mountain from Yin Wuchang’s memories, Chen Yan asked to inspect Zhang Tianzheng’s bird gun.
• Chen Yan fired the bird gun with the Thunder Department Seal and destroyed a large boulder with a thunderous blast.
• Chen Yan returned the bird gun and asked Zhang Tianzheng to introduce him to his clan’s elders so he could share an idea.

Chen Yan planned to mass-produce Plum Mountain Dao’s Thunder Fire Curse Arquebuses for the Dragon Sparrow Army and identified solutions for their power source, forging, and materials. Zhang Tianzheng agreed to help connect him with Plum Mountain’s expertise, leaving Chen Yan focused on occupying Black Mountain to secure its vast Fine Iron Ore vein.

• Chen Yan decided that equipping the Dragon Sparrow Army with Thunder Fire Curse Arquebuses could give even ordinary soldiers overwhelming firepower, but he needed a way to activate them with qi and blood.
• Chen Yan considered adapting the Fish Dragon Saber’s Demon-Repelling Seal and planned to seek specialists from the Heavenly Supervision Department headquarters.
• Chen Yan concluded that cooperating with Plum Mountain Dao would provide the forging techniques and standardized production he needed.
• Chen Yan learned from Yin Wuchang’s memories that Black Mountain held an enormous Fine Iron Ore vein, supplying the materials for mass production.
• Zhang Tianzheng agreed to introduce Chen Yan to Plum Mountain’s elders and offered his own expertise with arquebuses.
• Chen Yan concluded that occupying Black Mountain was the final unresolved step.

Chen Yan gained three thousand merits, exchanged for the Earth Fiend Techniques Demon Slaying and Spirit Commanding, and prepared to capture Black Mountain. After feasting with his companions on Yin Wuchang’s snake meat, he was interrupted by Qing Yao, who arrived with alarming news.

• Chen Yan assessed Black Mountain’s leaders and decided that defeating Huai Ye would let him take control of the range, since the First Master had been absent for nearly ten years.
• Chen Yan saw his merits rise to 5,900 and spent 1,000 to acquire Demon Slaying and Spirit Commanding for the coming battle and the rule of Black Mountain’s spirits.
• Chen Yan woke after receiving the Heavenly Book of Merit’s empowerment and joined Facai, Zhang Tianzheng, Zhao Laoda, Black Tiger, and the ghosts beside the fire.
• Facai served roasted meat from Yin Wuchang’s giant snake, and Chen Yan planned to turn the leftovers into meatballs for the Dragon Sparrow Army.
• A group of Bronze Statue Chariots arrived, and Qing Yao hurried to Chen Yan and reported that something terrible had happened.

Chen Yan learned that the Mount Lao Daoist Sect had badly injured Yuantong and captured Wu Guhan, while controlling Xiangxi Commandery. After weighing Yuantong’s warning and the Heavenly Supervision Department’s limited support, Chen Yan decided to go to Long Marsh instead of Xiangxi Commandery.

• Qing Yao told Chen Yan that Yuantong was severely injured and under the Dragon Sparrow Army’s protection, and Chen Yan learned the Mount Lao Daoist Sect was responsible.
• Chen Yan read Yuantong’s letter and learned Wu Guhan had stayed behind to cover Yuantong’s escape and been captured by the Mount Lao Gu Sect.
• Yuantong’s letter warned Chen Yan that the Mount Lao Daoist Sect controlled Xiangxi Commandery and urged him not to take up his post without greater strength.
• Chen Yan concluded that the Heavenly Supervision Department could not send further support and that he would have to rely on himself to deal with the Mount Lao Daoist Sect.
• When Qing Yao asked whether they would go rescue Wu Guhan, Chen Yan said they would go to Long Marsh instead of Xiangxi Commandery.

After learning that Xiangxi was controlled by the Mount Lao Daoist Sect and Central Qian by a Ghost King, Chen Yan chose to establish himself in Long Marsh and claim Black Mountain. He arrived at the mountain with Zhang Tianzheng as Xu Ji assembled one thousand Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers.

• Yuantong told Chen Yan about the ruling forces in Xiang Prefecture’s three commanderies, and Chen Yan decided to avoid Xiangxi and Central Qian and head for Long Marsh.
• Chen Yan suspected that Black Mountain’s mysterious Elder might be Central Qian’s Ghost Prefect, but resolved to claim Black Mountain regardless.
• Chen Yan ordered Qing Yao to summon Xu Ji and the Dragon Sparrow Army, asked Zhang Tianzheng to accompany him, and set out with Zhao Laoda and the other ghosts.
• After three days of travel, Chen Yan and Xu Ji rendezvoused at the foot of Black Mountain with one thousand assembled Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers.

Chen Yan assembled the Dragon Sparrow Army, displayed the corpse of the five-hundred-year-old snake demon, and ordered its flesh made into pills to strengthen his troops. He then led Black Tiger and Facai toward Black Mountain in disguise as Yin Wuchang, planning to kill Huai Ye and use Spirit Commanding to empower local guardians.

• Chen Yan reviewed the thousand Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers, nearly five hundred of whom had reached the Blood Qi Realm, and ordered Xu Ji to make Military Ration Pills from the snake demon's flesh.
• Chen Yan encouraged Qin Chong, Yuantong, and the Qing Ji Sisters, promised to rescue Wu Guhan, and accepted Zhang Tianzheng and Zhao Laoda's ghosts into his forces.
• Chen Yan ordered Xu Ji and Qin Chong to prepare the army to ascend Black Mountain, tasked Yuantong and Zhang Tianzheng with helping eliminate demons, and assigned the Qing Ji Sisters to relay messages safely.
• Chen Yan disguised himself as Yin Wuchang and went toward Black Mountain with Black Tiger and Facai, planning to kill Huai Ye and take control of the loosely organized demon territory.
• Chen Yan planned to use Spirit Commanding to title Black Tiger the Black Mountain Mountain God and Zhao Laoda's ghosts Yin Soldier Ghost Generals, strengthening them to guard Black Mountain.

Chen Yan, disguised as Yin Wuchang, rode Black Tiger up Black Mountain and used the snake demon’s fearsome reputation to pass its guards. He reached Black Mountain Cave, where dozens of demons recognized him and fell silent in fear.

• Chen Yan collected moonlight wine and shared it with Facai, Black Tiger, and a tiny Flower Spirit he encountered on the trail.
• Chen Yan arrived at Black Mountain’s main peak, where a Rat Demon and a Leopard Demon dropped to their knees after recognizing his Yin Wuchang disguise.
• Chen Yan asked the guards whether Huai Ye was in the mountain, learned that he was, and continued uphill.
• Chen Yan reached Black Mountain Cave and found a noisy gathering of half-human, half-beast demons outside its entrance.
• A demon called out “Third Master,” and the assembled demons stopped what they were doing and turned fearfully toward Chen Yan.

Chen Yan, disguised as Yin Wuchang, visited Huai Ye, Black Mountain’s Thousand-Year Tree Spirit, and joined the demons gathering for a wine feast. As the gathering filled the clearing, Huai Ye announced that the flowers were arriving, and the mountain forest suddenly bloomed.

• Chen Yan rode Black Tiger past the frightened demons and headed into the back mountain.
• Chen Yan met Huai Ye’s scholarly-looking avatar and agreed to accompany him to the wine feast.
• Huai Ye questioned Chen Yan about bringing Black Tiger, and Chen Yan claimed the beast had offered him a treasure.
• Huai Ye poured wine into a stone pool, and demons arrived one after another with more fine wine.
• Huai Ye announced that the flowers were arriving, and translucent blue flowers rapidly bloomed across the tree and mountain forest.

At the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s banquet, Chen Yan drank the Hundred Flower Brew and advanced to the mid Dao Foundation stage without exposing his disguise. As the feast continued, the Tree Spirit announced the main course, and Chen Yan sensed living beings beneath the covered platters.

• The Thousand-Year Tree Spirit distributed Hundred Flower Brew and watched Chen Yan closely as he drank.
• The wine’s energy strengthened Chen Yan’s Magic Power and pushed him into the mid Dao Foundation stage, while Thousand Faces concealed his breakthrough as demon aura.
• Facai drank the flower wine and sprouted plants, which soon withered; Chen Yan stopped it from drinking a second bowl.
• Chen Yan drank two more bowls and gained only a small increase in Magic Power as the banquet grew livelier.
• The Thousand-Year Tree Spirit called for the main course, and female demons brought covered platters to the guests.
• Chen Yan sensed life beneath the porcelain lids and grew wary.

Chen Yan discovered that the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s banquet served infants and that the spirit had betrayed Great Scholar Li Taibai, who had attended in hopes of saving them. As the demons prepared to feast, Chen Yan interrupted and began writing a poem with Daoist talisman tools, leaving his plan poised to unfold when Jiazi Three Marks arrived.

• The Thousand-Year Tree Spirit revealed sleeping infants on the demons’ plates and Li Taibai bound atop the central jade pedestal.
• Li Taibai accused Huai Qing of breaking his promise to spare the infants, but Huai Qing claimed Li had lost their poetry contest and boasted that he had eaten Li’s grandson.
• Huai Qing struck Li Taibai, provoked him with taunts, and sealed his mouth before ordering the demons to begin the feast.
• Chen Yan, disguised as Yin Wuchang, stopped the demons and offered to write a poem for his Second Brother.
• Chen Yan produced a Talisman Brush, gold-foil yellow silk, and cinnabar, then opened his eyes as Jiazi Three Marks arrived.

Chen Yan disguised as Yin Wuchang completed the Five Thunders spell at the banquet, summoning a vast storm over Black Mountain. He revealed his intent to kill the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit with lightning and invoked the Thunder Lord as the spirit attacked him.

• Chen Yan wrote the Five Thunders spell on gold-foiled yellow silk while Li Taibai watched in shock.
• The completed spell summoned thunder, lightning, and storm clouds that covered Black Mountain and filled its demons with fear.
• Chen Yan told the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit that he intended to strike him dead with lightning.
• The Thousand-Year Tree Spirit sent black vines at Chen Yan, but Chen Yan empowered the Thunder Department Seal with the Spirit Official Art and shouted, "Thunder Lord, aid me!"

Chen Yan summoned karmic Demon Lightning that struck down the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit, but Huai Qing survived inside the fallen trunk. Chen Yan killed Huai Qing before he could recover, while Li Taibai watched and cursed the heavens.

• Chen Yan called upon Demon Lightning, which fused with Huai Qing’s karmic thunder punishment and struck him with three pillars of lightning.
• The third strike felled the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s black tree, and Li Taibai regained his freedom and celebrated Huai Qing’s apparent death.
• A vitality-filled figure emerged from the split trunk, revealing that Huai Qing had survived the lightning punishment.
• Chen Yan charged Huai Qing while the tree spirit was weakened and unable to use his Demonic Power.
• Chen Yan used Demon Slaying to stab Huai Qing through the heart and kill him.

Chen Yan killed Huai Qing, the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit, and demanded the demons at the Hundred Flowers Wine Gathering submit or die. After the Forest Giant knelt first, the gathered demons followed, leaving the Dragon Sparrow Army to finish clearing Black Mountain.

• Xu Ji and Qin Chong led a thousand Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers up Black Mountain, killing Blood Demons while sparing Pure Demons who did not resist.
• Chen Yan used Demon Slaying to destroy Huai Qing’s soul, then stored the intact body in his Small Universe in Sleeve.
• Chen Yan ordered the demons at the Hundred Flowers Wine Gathering to submit or die.
• The Forest Giant knelt and showed Chen Yan its intent to submit.
• The other demons, including the Blood Demons, knelt after the Forest Giant, completing the preliminary seizure of Black Mountain.

After Black Mountain fell, Chen Yan reviewed the Dragon Sparrow Army’s losses, arranged support for its soldiers, and ordered the development of the captured iron deposits. He planned to equip the army with Thunder Fire Curse Arquebuses and seize Changze Commandery, but still needed to consider Mount Lao Daoist Sect’s response.

• Xu Ji reported that the Black Mountain operation had killed 3,873 Blood Demons, gained more than 12,000 surrenders, and left thirty-seven Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers dead or severely wounded.
• Chen Yan ordered full compensation for the fallen soldiers’ families, the best available treatment for the wounded, and recruitment to restore the army to one thousand.
• Qin Chong reported more than one million tons of exposed Fine Iron Ore and over ten million tons of hidden reserves in the Black Mountain Range.
• Chen Yan ordered three thousand surrendered Blood Demons guilty of serious crimes to mine the ore and asked Xu Ji to request smelting craftsmen and the Demon-Expelling Curse’s developer from headquarters.
• Chen Yan planned to equip the Dragon Sparrow Army with Thunder Fire Curse Arquebuses before taking Changze Commandery, then considered how Mount Lao Daoist Sect might retaliate.

In Shangjing, Yu Huatian received Chen Yan’s request for craftsmen and a formation master after Chen took Black Mountain and announced plans to seize Long Marsh. Yu approved the support and agreed to an unspecified matter summoned by the emperor, leaving his intentions unclear.

• Wu An reported that Chen Yan had taken Black Mountain and asked for craftsmen and the master of the demon-banishing formation.
• Wu An said Chen would skip his post in Xiangxi Commandery and intended to seize Long Marsh by force if necessary.
• Yu Huatian laughed at Chen’s defiance and ordered Wu An to send one hundred craftsmen and Lu Da to Black Mountain.
• A palace maid summoned Yu Huatian to the emperor, and he told her to report that he agreed to the matter.

Chen Yan discovered that the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit's true body was a rare Wood Spirit Physique and began refining it into an External Incarnation. After an exhausting ritual, a golden phantom resembling Chen Yan entered the body, which opened its eyes and greeted him.

• Chen Yan examined the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit's Wood Spirit Physique and recognized its regenerative powers and value as an incarnation.
• Chen Yan used Spirit Commanding Talismans to erase the remnants of the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit's soul from the body.
• Chen Yan used Six Ding Six Jia Talismans and the Seven Star Candle Stand to prepare the Wood Spirit Physique for refinement.
• After restoring his Magic Power, Chen Yan performed the Heavenly Dipper ritual, making the body appear alive and sending a golden phantom into it.
• The Wood Spirit Physique opened its eyes, and it and Chen Yan said, "It's done."

Chen Yan tested the Wood Spirit Physique, discovered the strength and limits of the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s demon core, and found that the incarnation needed about three months to recover. After earning thirty thousand Merit for killing the tree spirit, he activated Upper Fortune of Great Luck and acquired Nine Breaths Qi Nourishment.

• Chen Yan tested the Wood Spirit Physique’s defenses and found that only powerful magic treasures such as the Dragon Sparrow Saber could seriously threaten it.
• Chen Yan released the Wood Spirit Physique’s Demonic Power, causing a green pillar of light to rise above Black Mountain, while Yuantong and Zhang Tianzheng discussed the display and prepared Fine Iron Ore for arriving craftsmen.
• Chen Yan examined the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s demon core, realized his current soul could not wield it effectively, and estimated that the Wood Spirit Physique would need three months to recover from its lingering lightning power.
• Chen Yan checked his personal panel and saw that the Heavenly Book of Merit had awarded him thirty thousand Merit for defeating the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit.
• Chen Yan spent ten thousand Merit to activate Upper Fortune of Great Luck and acquired Nine Breaths Qi Nourishment at Minor Accomplishment.