Chapter Summaries

Dongfang Yuying and Liu Xiaolou visited Phoenix Lin Island and agreed to consider buying it after learning Zheng Huai wanted help reclaiming his homeland. As their ship sailed south, Liu Xiaolou learned a pirate ship had raised the Blood Flag, leaving the cargo vessel in danger.

• Dongfang Yuying heard Zheng Huai explain that he would sell Phoenix Lin Island for sixteen thousand spirit stones if the Qingyu Sect helped him recover Mirror Moon Lake and Tea Mountain from the Ouyang Family.
• Zhu Feiyun paid for the South Sea voyage, and Guan Li quietly gave Dongfang Yuying a message to pass along to Liu Xiaolou before leaving the ship at West Glow Island.
• Madam Mei learned that Jing Zhao had praised Zhu Feiyun and his teacher, while Guan Li returned home, settled part of his debt, and worried over the rest.
• Liu Xiaolou inspected the ship’s Crimson Snow Pine cargo and learned the South Sea Sword Sect had bought it all for a new Elder’s cave residence.
• The boat boss pointed out a nearby ship flying the Hero Flag, also known as the Blood Flag, and warned Liu Xiaolou that the crew needed his help.

Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying faced a pirate attack at sea after the merchant ship’s defenses failed. Liu Xiaolou recognized Qiu Si among the pirates, and the raiders withdrew, leaving the ships safe.

• The pirate ship caught up with the merchant vessel, and its Blood Flag and repeated volleys of arrows overwhelmed the crew and broke the ship’s protective formation.
• Dongfang Yuying summoned the Mountain God to fight the pirates as they boarded, while Liu Xiaolou bound the drumming pirate Xiao Ma with the Xuanzhen Rope.
• Xiao Ma called out to Little Tiger, and Liu Xiaolou recognized Qiu Si among the pirates and asked why he was attacking cargo belonging to the South Sea Sword Sect.
• Qiu Si ordered the pirates to retreat, and their ship pulled away from the merchant vessel.
• Dongfang Yuying asked whether the pirates knew Liu Xiaolou, and Liu Xiaolou called Qiu Si a friend.

Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying chose Yellow Dragon Mountain as the site for their sect and began recruiting disciples, but their search turned out to be a prearranged formality. Liu Xiaolou accepted An Qilang after discovering his exceptional talent, while An Qilang’s father insisted that his son join the Qingyu Sect.

• Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying explored Wutong Mountain and Yellow Dragon Mountain, and Liu Xiaolou identified the area’s unusual dragon-slaying formation before choosing Yellow Dragon Mountain for their business.
• Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying held disciple examinations, sending home successive groups of youths who did not meet their standards.
• Liu Xiaolou took over the examinations and recognized An Qilang as a youth with top-grade cultivation talent.
• Liu Xiaolou tried to persuade An Qilang’s father to send the boy to the Three Xuan Sect for treatment of a supposed innate ailment, but the father refused and demanded that An Qilang join the Qingyu Sect.
• An Qilang’s father revealed that his family had already been told the boy would be accepted and that the recruitment was only going through the motions, so Liu Xiaolou accepted An Qilang and denied that he was ill.

Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying ended their recruitment drive at Yellow Dragon Mountain and continued their journey to Chuanxi, then reached Dragon Pool near Qingcheng Mountain. They arranged to gather medicinal Dragon Peak Cloud Mist Tea when the right clouds formed, while keeping Liu Xiaolou’s identity from Qingcheng’s elders.

• After testing more than a thousand candidates, Liu Xiaolou found no promising recruits besides An Qilang and decided to stop recruiting.
• Zhao Ruyu invited Dongfang Yuying and Liu Xiaolou to visit Luofu, but Dongfang Yuying declined and they left for Chuanxi.
• On the journey, Liu Xiaolou told Dongfang Yuying that he had dealt with Zhao Ruyu under an anonymous identity, and Dongfang explained they were traveling to drink Dragon Peak Cloud Mist Tea for its medicinal effects.
• At Dragon Pool, Liu Xiaolou and Dongfang Yuying joked that Qingcheng Mountain looked more like a house than a sword.
• Long Huai arranged for Officer Wei to invite Dongfang Yuying to gather tea tips when clouds and mist formed, and confirmed that he had kept Liu Xiaolou’s matter from Qingcheng’s elders.

Wei Situ hosted Dongfang Yuying and Liu Xiaolou at Qingcheng Mountain, where they visited the Back Mountain and picked Dragon Peak Cloud Mist Tea. After Liu Xiaolou brewed the tea, Long Huai returned with his niece Lianxiang to help treat Liu’s injuries, and Dongfang Yuying claimed she was injured too so Long Huai would examine her.

• Wei Situ guided Dongfang Yuying and Liu Xiaolou through the Back Mountain, explaining Moon Lake, Three Pools of Cloud Mist, and Dragon Peak Tea Plantation.
• Wei Situ, Long Huai, Dongfang Yuying, and Liu Xiaolou picked a small amount of Dragon Peak Cloud Mist Tea before the mist dispersed.
• Wei Situ showed them several Back Mountain sights and hosted them at a banquet, where Elder Lu greeted the guests and Long Huai shared rumors about Elder Lu’s Nascent Soul.
• Liu Xiaolou brewed the tea after returning to Dragon Pool, and Dongfang Yuying persuaded Long Huai not to use his Plum Blossom Technique on Liu.
• Long Huai returned with his niece Lianxiang, who knew the Plum Blossom Technique, and Liu Xiaolou invited her inside to help treat his injuries.
• Dongfang Yuying told Long Huai that she also had foreign true essence in her qi sea, so Long Huai offered to examine her.

Elder Lu learned that Zhu Linghuang had vanished from Wangxian Gorge and hurried north as Qingcheng mobilized to investigate the missing sword spirit. With Longchi Manor focused on the crisis, Dongfang Yuying abruptly decided to leave with Liu Xiaolou before he could say goodbye to Long Lianxiang.

• Elder Lu discussed Jing Zhao’s injuries and reputation with Long Huai, then received a message and left for the north.
• Wei Situ told Long Huai that Zhu Linghuang had disappeared in Wangxian Gorge and two guards had died; they suspected the Wangwu Sect’s missing sword spirit might be involved.
• Long Huai deployed Longchi Manor’s people to watch Bihua Manor and investigate, leaving fewer people to attend to Dongfang Yuying and Liu Xiaolou.
• Dongfang Yuying proposed returning home, while Liu Xiaolou explained that Long Lianxiang was a sect leader and their exchanges had been about cultivation.
• After Dongfang Yuying returned from checking on Long Huai, he hurriedly packed and urged Liu Xiaolou to leave, preventing him from bidding Long Lianxiang farewell.

Liu Xiaolou returned to Wulong Mountain, inspected the sect’s improved defenses and thriving Golden Ring Bee colony, and celebrated New Year’s Eve with his companions. The gathering ended with Old Hudu introducing his new Tiger Bone Pill and Lord Xingde reassuring Zhou Qigu that Liu Xiaolou was working on a way to help them.

• Dongfang Yuying told Liu Xiaolou that Dragon Pool and Bihua Manor were fighting after Zhu Linghuang vanished, and explained that Zhu Linghuang had killed Martial Uncle Chen.
• Liu Xiaolou and Zhou Tong discussed the mountain formation’s repairs, Martial Uncle Fang’s plans, and the increased Golden Ring Honey harvest.
• Liu Xiaolou inspected the expanded beehive and Seven Star Bitter Chrysanthemum, then saw Big White and Little Black flee into the forest with their saddlebags.
• Liu Xiaolou and the others held a lively New Year’s Eve banquet on Qianzhu Ridge, where Old Hudu presented his Tiger Bone Pill and Liu Xiaolou ordered six pills.
• Zhou Qigu missed the warmth of a crowded household, and Lord Xingde told her that Liu Xiaolou was already trying to find a way to help them.

Liu Xiaolou spent more than four months consolidating his Foundation Establishment cultivation, strengthening the cycle that filled his sea of qi with true liquid. After helping Fang Buai pursue a Foundation Establishment Pill, he received a request from the Qingyu Sect and traveled toward Luo Mountain, with Bailu Lake in sight.

• Liu Xiaolou cultivated on Wulong Mountain for more than four months, increasing his true liquid pool and stabilizing its cultivation cycle.
• Liu Xiaolou sent six hundred spirit stones with Lord Xingde to help Fang Buai obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill in the South Sea.
• Hou Ying delivered a letter from the Qingyu Sect and explained that completing its request would earn the sect two grades of merit.
• Liu Xiaolou left Zhou Tong to guard the mountain gate and traveled east, then north toward Luo Mountain.
• Liu Xiaolou reached the mountains near Bailu Lake and anticipated eating its Longevity Snails again.

Liu Xiaolou mediated between Hongluo Villa and the Shuanglong Town Ding Clan over Yu Niang’s separation from Ding Mao, securing both families’ agreement not to let the dispute damage their alliance. He recognized that Venerable Zheng still resented the unequal suffering Yu Niang had endured and asked to speak privately with Ding Danian.

• Liu Xiaolou arrived at Hongluo Villa as Elder Fu’s envoy and was welcomed by Venerable Zheng.
• Venerable Zheng explained that Ding Mao had blamed Yu Niang’s lame foot for his failure to achieve Foundation Establishment and had mistreated her, so the Zheng family wanted them to separate.
• Ding Danian arrived, and Liu Xiaolou presented Elder Fu’s letter and urged both families to preserve their alliance despite the separation.
• Ding Danian and Venerable Zheng each agreed that their families would not hold a grudge against one another, though Venerable Zheng remained displeased.
• Liu Xiaolou recognized Venerable Zheng’s lingering resentment and proposed speaking with Ding Danian alone.

Liu Xiaolou learned that Ding Mao’s obsession with women’s feet began after he encountered an illusion in the Jinting Sect’s formation, which disrupted his marriage and cultivation. He agreed to recreate a similar formation to treat Ding Mao, while Yu Niang stayed with her family to wait, and Officer Zhou warned Liu Xiaolou that the couple might still separate for other reasons.

• Liu Xiaolou questioned Ding Danian, who explained that the Ding family’s Three Essences Nine Spirits Divine Art depended on marital harmony and that Ding Mao’s cultivation had stalled after he became fixated on women’s feet.
• Ding Danian revealed that Ding Mao’s obsession began after he saw an illusion in the Jinting Sect’s mountain-protecting formation, which had been repaired before the family could investigate it.
• Liu Xiaolou agreed to refine a similar formation and told Ding Danian to bring Ding Mao to Wulong Mountain in one month; Ding Danian also offered one hundred spiritual stones to Yu Niang as compensation for Ding Mao’s abuse.
• Venerable Zheng discussed the proposal with Yu Niang, who agreed to delay the separation and remain at Hongluo Villa until Ding Mao’s condition was treated.
• Liu Xiaolou reported the mediation to Officer Zhou, who warned that either spouse might have another partner and leave Liu Xiaolou’s efforts without a resolution.

Liu Xiaolou arranged to use Three Xuan Sect’s Twelve Turns Merit to help Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou resolve their dispute with the Zhou family, while preparing to treat Ding Mao. When Ding Mao arrived with his father, he recognized Liu Xiaolou from the day the Zheng family chose a son-in-law.

• Liu Xiaolou told Zhou Tong to prepare houses at Half Pine Flat for Ding Mao and discussed Zhou Tong’s cultivation progress.
• Liu Xiaolou explained the Twelve Turns Merit and the Zhou family’s grievance to Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou, then proposed asking Zhao Yongchun to ease the conflict.
• Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou began seeking a resolution while Liu Xiaolou stayed on the mountain awaiting the Ding family’s Spiritual Materials.
• Ding Danian arrived with Ding Mao after seven days, and Liu Xiaolou arranged lodging for them at Qianzhu Ridge.
• Ding Danian gave Liu Xiaolou the Spiritual Materials, and Liu Xiaolou began studying how to refine the formation disk.
• Ding Mao recalled that Liu Xiaolou had been present when the Zheng family chose a son-in-law.

Ding Mao trained with Liu Xiaolou’s revised formation to overcome his affliction, while Zhou Tong demonstrated the Seal Spirit Step. Yu Niang later entered the formation with Ding Mao, and he regained the opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment; their relationship remained uncertain as they stayed to consolidate the results.

• Zhou Tong used the Seal Spirit Step to evade Ding Mao’s first saber strike, then failed to avoid the second when Ding Mao concealed his spiritual power.
• Liu Xiaolou and Ding Danian tested a revised Lin Yuan Xuan Shi Formation designed to redirect Ding Mao’s attention from feet to faces.
• Ding Mao asked for Yu Niang to enter the formation with him, and Ding Danian brought her to Qianzhu Ridge three days later.
• Yu Niang and Ding Mao entered the formation together, triggering thunder and wind that signaled Ding Mao had regained the opportunity for Foundation Establishment.
• Granny Zheng and Ding Danian calmed the heavenly phenomenon, while Ding Mao told his father that he and Yu Niang needed to remain at the Three Xuan Sect to consolidate the results.

Ding Mao successfully established his foundation after Liu Xiaolou helped the Ding family, and the families departed Qianzhu Ridge. Liu Xiaolou then went to Junshan Island with Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou, where Steward Zhou recognized her as his Seventh Sister.

• Ding Mao consumed a Foundation Establishment Pill and spirit stones as he broke through to Foundation Establishment.
• Ding Danian thanked Liu Xiaolou for helping Ding Mao and advised him to watch for a Spirit Spring at Qianzhu Ridge.
• Granny Zheng discovered that Big White and Little Black had gathered Spirit Nether Bamboo Worms that could strengthen Spiritual Sense.
• Ding Danian took Ding Mao back to Shuanglong Town, while Granny Zheng brought Yu Niang with her; Liu Xiaolou prepared to claim his reward on Junshan Island.
• Liu Xiaolou traveled to Junshan Island with Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou, and Steward Zhou recognized Seventh Mistress Zhou as her younger brother's sister.

Liu Xiaolou negotiated with the Zhou family to secure absolution and reconciliation for Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou. The Zhou family’s leading cultivator agreed that Seventh Mistress Zhou should return home, while Elder Hou’s response remained pending.

• Liu Xiaolou offered his Twelve Turns Merit to absolve Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou, and Zhou Jun said Elder Hou’s agreement would settle the matter.
• Liu Xiaolou gave Zhou Jun a letter connected to the Jinting Sect’s Zhao Qi to present to Elder Hou.
• Zhou Pang assured Liu Xiaolou that the Zhou family would welcome Seventh Mistress Zhou and her husband, and would not oppose Lord Xingde building an estate below Wulong Mountain.
• Zhou Pang, the Zhou family’s Golden Core cultivator, arrived and heard Liu Xiaolou describe how Seventh Mistress Zhou’s family had feared him.
• Zhou Pang said Seventh Mistress Zhou should return home regardless of Elder Hou’s decision.

Elder Hou agreed to let the Zhou family matter go, and Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou reunited with the family and received a formal welcome. After visiting Sister Qing, Liu Xiaolou returned to Wulong Mountain and recognized three familiar-looking strangers waiting outside the gate.

• Elder Hou questioned Liu Xiaolou about the letter and agreed not to pursue the Zhou family matter, promising to ask Tianmu Mountain to leave the couple alone.
• Lord Xingde and Seventh Mistress Zhou formally joined the Zhou family, while Liu Xiaolou gave them farmland and Ghost Dream Cliff and helped Lord Xingde with the betrothal gifts.
• Zhou Tong felt overwhelmed by his new relatives, so Liu Xiaolou let him return to Wulong Mountain before leaving the Zhou family manor himself.
• Liu Xiaolou visited Sister Qing, told her about the couple's troubles being settled, and gave her a bottle of Qinghua Divine Charm Pills.
• Liu Xiaolou returned to Wulong Mountain, spotted three familiar strangers near the gate, and sent Zhou Tong to invite them up.

The Three Heroes of Ink Mountain appealed to Liu Xiaolou after the Ye family seized their sect’s home, hoping he would use his authority as an Alliance Leader to help them. Liu Xiaolou learned that the manor belonged to the Lu Clan of Tianmu Mountain, then agreed to go see the situation for himself.

• The Three Heroes of Ink Mountain told Liu Xiaolou that the Ye family had taken over their mountain gate and asked him to uphold justice.
• The brothers admitted they had harassed Ye Qinghong over unpaid fees for mining spiritual materials, but said her family had driven them off with a mountain-protecting formation.
• Liu Xiaolou learned that the Ye family’s Baiye Mountain Manor was a vassal of the Lu Clan of Tianmu Mountain.
• The three brothers despaired when they realized the Lu Clan was too powerful for them to challenge.
• Liu Xiaolou stopped their mourning and agreed to accompany them to Ink Mountain.

Liu Xiaolou accompanied the Three Heroes of Ink Mountain to confront Baiye Mountain Manor and recognized the formation protecting their former estate as a defective disk he had once helped make. After the Three Heroes called out Ye Qinghong and her family, Liu Xiaolou confirmed he was Sect Master Liu and questioned Ye Qingxiu and Ye Qinghong about their ages.

• Liu Xiaolou examined Baiye Mountain Manor’s Water Mist Flying Cloud Formation and recognized its exposed disk as one he had helped refine years earlier.
• Liu Xiaolou told the Three Heroes to call for battle, and they loudly insulted the manor’s defenders until Ye Qinghong emerged with her family.
• Ye Qinghong attacked the Three Heroes with her spiked mace, but they used their Three Talents Soul Protecting Flag to evade her and resumed taunting her.
• Human Hero announced that Sect Master Liu of the Three Xuan Sect had come to help the Three Heroes, prompting Ye Qinghong and her family to turn their attention to Liu Xiaolou.
• Ye Qingxiu asked Liu Xiaolou to identify himself, and Liu confirmed his name before asking the ages of Ye Qingxiu and Ye Qinghong.
• Ye Qinghong snapped that Liu Xiaolou should not assume every woman wanted to marry him just because he was handsome.

Liu Xiaolou mediated a dispute between the Ye Clan and the Three Heroes over Ink Mountain and arranged terms that let the Ye Clan continue gathering Water Bead Grass. Ye Qingxiu then asked Liu Xiaolou to help them use a formation to meet their sect’s deadline.

• Ye Qinghong fought the Three Heroes while Liu Xiaolou entered the Ink Pool formation unharmed, astonishing Ye Qingxiu and the Ye Clan cultivators.
• Ye Qingxiu explained that the Ye Clan had come to gather Water Bead Grass and asked Liu Xiaolou to mediate its conflict with the Three Heroes.
• Liu Xiaolou proposed that the Ye Clan return the manor, pay three spirit stones and one thousand taels of silver, and remain in the guest quarters while gathering the grass undisturbed.
• Ye Qingxiu accepted the terms and asked Liu Xiaolou to help devise a formation for gathering Water Bead Grass, offering to share the merit.

The Ye family harvested Water Bead Grass at Ink Pool and asked Liu Xiaolou to use formations to improve their yield. After the Ye family returned the manor to the Three Heroes of Mo Mountain, Ye Qingxiu secretly used the Sect Master token formation disk to harvest more grass and discovered glowing Gold Sand from a Void Rift.

• The Ye family lured Water Bead Grass out of a stone crack with a worm, showing Liu Xiaolou why the family wanted his help increasing its harvest.
• Ye Qingxiu said he had not figured out the formation disk, while Liu Xiaolou considered ways formations might draw the crack’s sides closer or widen it.
• The Ye family returned the manor to the Three Heroes of Mo Mountain, who reclaimed Ink Pool and welcomed Liu Xiaolou to stay with them.
• Ye Qingxiu secretly used the Sect Master token formation disk and its umbrella drill at the pool bottom, collecting thirty-six clumps of Water Bead Grass by dawn.
• The formation opened a Void Rift that yielded Spring Essence Jade and glowing Gold Sand, which Ye Qingxiu carefully stored away.

Liu Xiaolou learned that Tianmu Mountain had awarded merit for Water Bead Grass and investigated its possible significance, while Zhou Tong earned merit on Qingyu Sect assignments. After months of solitary cultivation, Liu Xiaolou was visited by Su Wan, who asked him to accompany her to Weiyu Mountain Grotto-Heaven.

• Ye Qingxiu told Liu Xiaolou that the Ye family and Three Xuan Sect had each received two turns of merit for the Water Bead Grass, then shared rumors about Tianmu Mountain’s inner sect and Lu Yuanlang.
• Liu Xiaolou showed Water Bead Grass to Old Hudu, who said Tianmu Mountain had offered comparable merit for ingredients used in only three spiritual pills and agreed to study the plants.
• Hou Ying asked Liu Xiaolou to send someone to help excavate a sunken ship at Dongting Lake, and Liu Xiaolou sent Zhou Tong to earn a turn of merit.
• Hou Ying later reported that Zhou Tong had completed the excavation and earned another turn of merit, but Officer Zhou had assigned him to a further case.
• Three months later, Su Wan visited Wulong Mountain and asked Liu Xiaolou to go with her to Weiyu Mountain Grotto-Heaven.