Chapter Summaries

Ji Qinglin learned more about the sealed apostate Fen Ye and asked Zhang Huaisu to show him the strength of the Four Sages. After experiencing her overwhelming presence and discovering she could read thoughts and share emotions, he embraced and kissed her, but their moment was interrupted by an urgent call from outside.

• Ji Qinglin asked Zhang Huaisu to investigate Fen Ye, an apostate sealed by the immortal who had killed or consumed eighteen hundred people in three days.
• Zhang Huaisu told Ji Qinglin that his and Yu Ye's soul bodies were sound and that Yu Ye's creator was probably gone.
• Ji Qinglin asked to witness the strength of the Four Sages, and Zhang Huaisu struck his inner landscape with a powerful spiritual presence that made him see an alluring illusion.
• Zhang Huaisu calmed Ji Qinglin and explained that the Four Sages could resist and guide emotions, while he could manifest his own qi force if he learned to let go of unnecessary obsessions.
• Ji Qinglin learned Zhang Huaisu could sense thoughts through contact and share another person's sensations, then embraced and kissed her as their emotions intensified.
• Someone outside shouted that something had happened and called for Master.

After Cui SanMei was attacked in Bangkok, Ji Qinglin and his companions left Nanyang Island to return and investigate. On the ship, they concluded the attack was likely a diversion and planned to exploit their enemies’ fear by having someone impersonate Ji Qinglin.

• Yu Ye reported that Cui SanMei had been attacked, prompting Ji Qinglin’s group to leave Nanyang Island early.
• Zhang Huaisu escorted Ji Qinglin and the others to their merchant ship, where their departure drew attention from people outside the Book Review Bureau.
• Ji Qinglin told NanGong Qian Feng to return to the company with Uncle Mo and stay cautious while Bangkok remained unsettled.
• Yu Ye, Red Night, Lu Bing, and Jiang Chen discussed why Cui SanMei had been targeted and suspected the attack was meant to draw Dark Police officers away from another objective.
• Ji Qinglin reasoned that the attackers were acting cautiously after their defeat in Celestial Elephant City and proposed using chaos against them by having someone imitate him.
• Yu Ye and Red Night looked to Jiang Chen as the one most capable of impersonating Ji Qinglin.

Cui SanMei and Yu Ye’s group responded to an arson attack on Ji’s General Store and suspected enemies had infiltrated Bangkok. As Ji Qinglin headed toward the city center, a masked stranger arrived at the Six Arts Hall and challenged it.

• Cui SanMei ordered increased patrols and protection for Ji’s General Store while waiting for Yu Ye to return to Bangkok.
• After Yu Ye arrived, Fan Yu reported that suspicious people had set fire to Ji’s General Store, and Ji Qinglin realized the firefighters had arrived suspiciously fast.
• Cui SanMei ordered officers to contain the fire without exposing all their personnel, while Yu Ye warned them that the firefighters might be disguised enemies.
• Jiang Chen went to handle the General Store as Ji Qinglin headed toward the city center and remarked that the night would be long.
• A masked, disheveled man challenged the Six Arts Hall and sent one of its disciples flying with a light palm strike.
• Ji Dao Zhenyi caught the disciple, then ordered the Martial Arts Arena prepared for the stranger.

Fen Ye challenged Ji Dao Zhenyi at Six Arts Hall, demanding the whereabouts of a painting and overwhelming the master with strange black flames and mist. As Fen Ye threatened Ji Dao Zhenyi and his disciples, a powerful blade aura pierced the wall and stopped the wooden spikes.

• Ji Dao Zhenyi welcomed the masked challenger, who said Ji should spread his name if he won.
• The challenger used black mist to seize Ji Dao Zhenyi's wrists and demanded repayment of a debt, revealing that he knew about the painting.
• Ji Dao Zhenyi said his ancestor had forbidden the family from cultivating the painting's technique, then called for the Undercover Police as the challenger unleashed black flames.
• The challenger revealed himself as Fen Ye, battered Ji Dao Zhenyi, and demanded to know where the painting was.
• Fen Ye threatened to kill Ji Dao Zhenyi's disciples with wooden spikes, but an overwhelming blade aura pierced the wall and blocked them.

Xie Ling, Fan Yu, Lei Qiong, Lu Bing, and Zhang Mazi defended Ji's General Store from attackers disguised as firefighters while Ji Qinglin confronted Fen Ye at Six Arts Hall. Fen Ye held Ji Dao Zhenyi hostage, and lightning and fire suddenly burst through the wall behind him.

• Xie Ling and Fan Yu spotted two vans arriving at General Store Alley, and covert officers stopped them before their Machina Qi Practitioners could reach the store.
• Lei Qiong struck back against the attackers at one entrance while Xie Ling's officers engaged the group at the other.
• Fan Yu learned that the supposed firefighters were impostors, escaped their attack, and found Lu Bing and Zhang Mazi waiting outside with him.
• The attackers recognized Ji Qinglin, but their communications failed as Fen Ye and A Qing faced opposition at separate locations.
• Ji Qinglin confronted Fen Ye at Six Arts Hall, where Fen Ye grabbed Ji Dao Zhenyi and threatened to kill him unless Ji Qinglin let them pass.
• Ji Qinglin refused to rescue Ji Dao Zhenyi, and a bolt of lightning and a burst of fire suddenly smashed through the wall behind Fen Ye.

Yu Ye and Red Night rescued Ji Dao Zhenyi from Six Arts Hall while Ji Qinglin kept Fen Ye occupied inside. Fen Ye proposed betraying A Qing in exchange for the Immortal Remains, then claimed he was the Immortal’s benefactor and fellow townsman.

• Ji Qinglin stopped his blade from striking Ji Dao Zhenyi as Yu Ye and Red Night pulled him from Six Arts Hall.
• Red Night defeated two Machina Qi Practitioners blocking the alley, and Yu Ye knocked down another attacker who ambushed them.
• Yu Ye ordered Undercover Police reinforcements to arrest the defeated attackers and keep away from the dangerous hall, while Red Night said Ji Qinglin would handle Fen Ye.
• Ji Qinglin questioned Fen Ye inside the hall, and Fen Ye offered to help capture A Qing in exchange for Ji Qinglin’s Immortal Remains.
• Fen Ye called himself the Immortal’s benefactor and fellow townsman.

Ji Qinglin confronted Fen Ye at Six Arts Hall, learned more about Fen Ye’s history with the Immortal, and tried to stall him while the Shadow Police evacuated civilians. Fen Ye attacked Ji Dao Zhenyi outside, prompting Ji Qinglin to fight him, and the chapter ended with Ji Qinglin’s Black Blade cutting into Fen Ye’s shoulder.

• Ji Qinglin learned that Fen Ye had helped the Immortal escape the Well of Gods and Demons and had killed Three Towns, Eighteen Hundred Lives before the Immortal sealed him away.
• Fen Ye agreed to leave Six Arts Hall and offered to exchange the Immortal Remains he had obtained, but Ji Qinglin suspected he planned to harm Ji Dao Zhenyi.
• Ji Qinglin escorted Fen Ye outside, where Yu Ye and Red Night had evacuated civilians and were treating Ji Dao Zhenyi in a nearby grove.
• Fen Ye attacked Ji Dao Zhenyi with a Black Flame Qi Blade, but Ji Qinglin hurled the Black Blade to block the strike.
• Ji Qinglin and Fen Ye fought, and Ji Qinglin’s Tribulation Fire-wrapped Black Blade broke through Fen Ye’s black flames and struck his shoulder.

Ji Qinglin fought Fen Ye in West Chang District Plaza, using heart-sword techniques and heavenly thunder to overcome Fen Ye’s black-flame soul body. He struck off Fen Ye’s head with Heavenly Thunder Guides My Sword, while the Dark Police learned Ji Qinglin had faked his death.

• Ji Qinglin used Wrath Asks the Heavens to cut through Fen Ye’s black flames and wound his shoulder.
• Yu Ye told the Dark Police and Third Sister that Ji Qinglin was alive and had faked his death as part of his plan.
• Fen Ye shattered Ji Qinglin’s Black Blade and overturned the plaza ground, disrupting the sword net before charging at him.
• Ji Qinglin used Desire in Wild Dance and the Only Consciousness Sword Intent to counter Fen Ye’s black flames.
• Ji Qinglin drew heavenly thunder onto himself, stored it in his sword intent, and launched Heavenly Thunder Guides My Sword.
• Ji Qinglin’s blue sword strike cut off Fen Ye’s head.

Ji Qinglin resisted Fen Ye’s Inner Vision Mind Assault and countered with his own overwhelming Inner Vision, but Fen Ye then turned into a ground-hugging shadow and attacked Ji Dao Zhenyi. A giant black bird intervened, tearing Fen Ye’s shadow apart and forcing him back into his wounded body.

• Fen Ye reattached his severed head and began advancing while using Inner Vision Mind Assault to overwhelm the dark guards.
• Yu Ye contacted Zhang Huaisu through the Jade Token, and Zhang Huaisu reassured her that Ji Qinglin could handle Fen Ye’s attack.
• Ji Qinglin realized Fen Ye could not attack while maintaining the technique, cast aside his weapons and tribulation fire, and met Fen Ye’s pressure with his own vast Inner Vision.
• Fen Ye turned into a black shadow on the ground and slid toward Ji Dao Zhenyi, while Ji Qinglin’s sword strikes failed to stop it.
• A giant black bird swooped down and slashed Fen Ye’s shadow, forcing him to reform with a bleeding chest.

Ji Qinglin and Coal Boss stopped Fen Ye’s assault in the plaza, though Fen Ye escaped through a substitute body. After confirming Fen Ye was far away, Ji Qinglin organized the defense and headed back to Ji's General Store to confront another group of invaders.

• Coal Boss swooped down to rescue Ji Qinglin from Fen Ye, and Ji Qinglin recognized the bird as his long-time companion.
• Ji Qinglin guessed that Coal Boss was connected to Fen Ye and the Immortal, then had Coal Boss grow large to block Fen Ye’s attack.
• Ji Qinglin used the Azure Sky Treasure Mirror and Heavenly Thunder Guides My Sword to split Fen Ye’s substitute body, finding Immortal Remains inside it.
• Yu Ye and Zhang Huaisu concluded that Fen Ye’s true body was far away and had been severely weakened, while Red Night fed Coal Boss.
• Pei Ruohai and the dark police arrived and were astonished to find Ji Qinglin alive.
• Ji Qinglin ordered Pei Ruohai to protect Ji Dao Zhenyi and sent the remaining forces with him to Ji's General Store to face another group of invaders.

Ji Qinglin’s allies thwarted A Qing’s attempt to seize the Immortal Remains at Ji’s General Store, then used Fen Ye’s betrayal to sow distrust between the two enemies. A Qing escaped by returning to his main body, while Ji Qinglin and his companions regrouped at the ruined store.

• A Qing’s Machina Qi Practitioner fought through the General Store’s traps and discovered that Red Night had flushed the Immortal Remains into the sewer.
• The restroom exploded, and Jiang Chen, disguised as Zhang Mazi, waited for A Qing to return downstairs.
• Jiang Chen played A Qing a recording of Fen Ye offering to cooperate with Ji Qinglin, revealing that Fen Ye had been playing both sides.
• Jiang Chen proposed sharing information to deal with Fen Ye, but refused to let A Qing leave; A Qing stabbed his chest and escaped by returning to his main body.
• Lu Bing and Lei Qiong entered the wrecked store, and Jiang Chen revealed her identity before Ji Qinglin, Yu Ye, and Red Night arrived.

Ji Qinglin returned after faking his death, revealed that he had been disguised as Zhang Mazi, and reunited with the Undercover Police and Lei Qiong. After checking the ruined General Store, he decided to question Ji Dao Zhenyi about the powerful Fen Ye.

• Jiang Chen and Lei Qiong left the destroyed General Store, where Xie Ling and Fan Yu questioned why Jiang Chen had been disguised as Zhang Mazi.
• Yu Ye and Red Night arrived with Ji Qinglin, who revealed that his death on Red Island had been faked and that he had secretly investigated the Machina as Zhang Mazi.
• Lei Qiong kicked Ji Qinglin in anger, then embraced him, while Ji Qinglin apologized for hiding his survival from everyone.
• Ji Qinglin learned that Red Night had protected the Immortal Remains by flushing them into the septic tank and sealing them in tracked airtight bags.
• Jiang Chen explained that A Qing had likely helped them set a tiger against wolves, and Yu Ye said Fen Ye had nearly killed Ji Dao Zhenyi without help from Ji Qinglin and the Coal Boss.
• With the General Store ruined, Ji Qinglin decided to question Ji Dao Zhenyi overnight about Fen Ye.

Ji Qinglin reunited with Lei Qiuyun and headed to Undercover Police Headquarters to question Ji Dao Zhenyi about Fen Ye, while his disciples joked about dividing his inheritance. At headquarters, Cui SanMei reviewed footage of Ji Qinglin’s battle with Fen Ye, and Ji Qinglin froze when he saw another version of himself.

• Ji Qinglin asked Lei Qiuyun to guard Ji's General Store, then invited Lu Bing to join him on the trip to headquarters.
• Yu Ye and Red Night admitted they had split Ji Qinglin’s cars after believing he was dead, and Jiang Chen reproached them for dividing his inheritance without her.
• Cui SanMei learned Ji Qinglin was alive and watched footage of him defeating Fen Ye, whose recent killings had made him an international criminal.
• Ji Qinglin and his companions arrived at Undercover Police Headquarters, where he saw another version of himself in the office area.

Ji Qinglin returned to Undercover Police Headquarters and explained that he had faked his death while investigating the intelligent machines, then joined the others in questioning Ji Dao Zhenyi about Fen Ye. Ji Dao Zhenyi shared an account from his ancestor Ji Dao Che, whose team encountered a mysterious slaughter in Hua Tian Town, ending with Ji Dao Che waking beside a strange masked man and scroll.

• Ji Qinglin returned to headquarters, revealed that his apparent death had been staged, and went to speak with Cui SanMei.
• Ji Qinglin told Cui SanMei that Fen Ye had appeared after the battle in Celestial Elephant City and had escaped because his true body was absent.
• Ji Dao Zhenyi agreed to share what he knew and produced a scroll and journal left by his ancestor, Ji Dao Che.
• Ji Dao Che joined Peace Officer Bei Ye's team to investigate Hua Tian Town, where they found residents dead and dried out.
• A mysterious force drove the team into violent madness, and Ji Dao Che fled after killing several wounded colleagues.
• Ji Dao Che awoke beside a tree with his wounds partly healed, as a black-robed, masked man stood near a strange scroll.

Ji Dao Che survived the calamity in Hua Tian Town and received a strange cultivation painting from the Black Robed Man, whom he promised to keep it for. He passed the painting down through the Ji Dao Family with strict warnings against cultivating it, and Ji Dao Zhenyi eventually realized the man had returned for the painting and the family’s lives.

• The Black Robed Man told Ji Dao Che that a sealed monster had attacked three towns with the Calamity Sound, then offered him a Mind Cultivation Painting in exchange for keeping it within his descendants.
• Ji Dao Che studied the painting, left Hua Tian Town, reported the massacre, and moved south while concealing the painting from outsiders.
• As he grew old, Ji Dao Che told his son that the painting’s oppressive feeling resembled the monster’s influence and ordered his descendants to preserve it without cultivating it.
• The Ji Dao Family passed down the painting and Ji Dao Che’s notes for generations, eventually entrusting them to Ji Dao Zhenyi.
• Ji Dao Zhenyi recognized that the Black Robed Man had returned for the painting and threatened the lives of the Ji Dao Family’s descendants.

After Fen Ye’s attack, Ji Qinglin and the others pieced together how the evil painting and the Immortal Remains might have helped Fen Ye regain power. The group then began planning a covert response to Wild God Technology, while Ji Qinglin received a concerned message from NanGong Qian Feng.

• Ji Dao Zhenyi explained that Fen Ye had targeted painting bearers to absorb their power, and Ji Qinglin connected Fen Ye to a monster once sealed by an immortal.
• Ji Qinglin and Yu Ye reasoned that Ji Dao Zhenyi’s account held a clue Fen Ye did not want revealed, narrowing it down to the town massacre or the painting’s cultivation secret.
• Cui SanMei said Wild God Technology had enabled the attack, then outlined how the dark police could plausibly act against the company while denying involvement.
• Ji Qinglin proposed planning a covert operation against Wild God Technology and put Red Night in charge of protecting the company; Red Night eagerly accepted.
• Ji Qinglin received a message from NanGong Qian Feng asking whether he and the others were safe.

After surviving the Bangkok battle, Ji Qinglin arranged the next steps for his allies and visited NanGong Qian Feng. He left her stunned by announcing that he had come to make up for their promised dual cultivation session.

• NanGong Qian Feng worried about Ji Qinglin during the battle, then felt nervous and excited when he promised to visit her.
• Ji Qinglin gave the painting to Zhang Huaisu for appraisal and discussed his staged death and support from the Undercover Police with Cui SanMei.
• Ji Qinglin and his companions returned to the courtyard, rested, and agreed to search Bangkok for hidden dangers, investigate Fen Ye and A Qing, and prepare to confront Wild God Technology.
• Ji Qinglin speculated that Coal Boss was a part of Fen Ye refined by the Immortal, then said he was going to see an old friend.
• Ji Qinglin found NanGong Qian Feng asleep over a book about romantic bedroom techniques and told her he had come to make up for their promised dual cultivation session.

Ji Qinglin investigated suspicious East India Buddha Country imports and found evidence that the country might be connected to A Qing’s Machina. After he returned with dinner, he and NanGong Qian Feng finally acted on their mutual desire.

• NanGong Qian Feng agreed that Ji Qinglin should wait until night, then left for her meeting after he kissed her.
• Ji Qinglin noticed Immortal Path Biology had sharply increased its Cultivation Suit sales to the East India Buddha Country after the Machina Storm and connected the purchases to suspicious reports about monks.
• Ji Qinglin obtained the East India Buddha Country’s freight records through NanGong Qian Feng and found that imports of cultivation supplies and large equipment had also risen.
• Ji Qinglin left a note saying he had something to deal with, then returned with dinner and red wine for NanGong Qian Feng.
• NanGong Qian Feng and Ji Qinglin kissed, and she stopped resisting as they went to bed together.

Ji Qinglin reunited with Red Night and examined a newly recovered Immortal Remain, while Lian continued fighting the Immortal in an illusory space. The Immortal accepted responsibility for the war and revealed that two others besides him had come out of Jiuzhou.

• NanGong Qian Feng promised to use Four Seas Trade’s network to investigate what the East India Buddha Country had recently bought.
• Red Night reported that she had recovered the Immortal Remains, and Ji Qinglin examined the newly found left lower leg bone while considering what remained missing.
• Ji Qinglin suspected Fen Ye had failed to find the Immortal Remains hidden by Sima Zhao and his son, and decided Xiao Jiang should investigate.
• Ji Qinglin fell asleep holding the new Immortal Remain, while Lian failed to defeat the Immortal in their illusory battle.
• The Immortal refused Lian’s offer to arrange a fake death, accepted the consequences of his past choices, and warned that two more had come out of Jiuzhou.

Ji Qinglin learned that the Immortal had divided his Essence, Qi, and Spirit among Lian, A Qing, and the machina before choosing to die, while two other powerful figures had also left Jiuzhou. As Ji Qinglin prepared to target Wild God Technology, Fen Ye offered A Qing a lead on the Immortal’s old friend in the East India Buddha Country.

• Ji Qinglin recalled the Immortal’s conversation with A Lian and realized that the Immortal had voluntarily ended his life and left his Essence to Lian, his Qi to Ji Qinglin, and his Spirit to the machina.
• Yu Ye reported that the city was secure, and Ji Qinglin agreed to plan against Wild God Technology while Fen Ye and A Qing recovered; Red Night volunteered revenge schemes, and Lu Bing warned about the enemy’s numbers.
• A Qing ordered Moon Envoy to keep searching for Fen Ye and accelerate Machina Monk production, then argued with Sanada, who ended their high-risk cooperation but agreed to keep selling Cultivation Suits.
• Fen Ye contacted A Qing, denied betraying him, and offered to introduce an old friend of the Immortal’s who was located in the East India Buddha Country.