Chapter Summaries

Xiao Da agreed to kill the Demon Beast after the villagers refused to help, and Xiao Yun confessed her fear and pressure to Han Jiang. Han Jiang promised to help her and gained a trace of Sword Art Essence, while his progress in Tai Xu Sword Qi remained incomplete.

• The village chief asked Xiao Da to deal with the Demon Beast after none of the villagers volunteered, and Xiao Da agreed in exchange for grain.
• Xiao Da told Xiao Yun to help him kill the Demon Beast if it appeared again, and she promised she would.
• Xiao Yun cleaned Han Jiang’s room, then confessed that she feared fighting and felt unable to refuse her father’s plans for her.
• Han Jiang promised to help Xiao Yun, and she thanked him before leaving.
• Han Jiang gained Xiao Yun’s favor and a trace of Sword Art Essence, while the system noted that he had not yet comprehended the complete Tai Xu Sword Qi.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun fought three Demon Beasts that returned to the village, including a smaller one that Xiao Yun pursued into the forest. The battle turned dangerous when Xiao Yun cried out from the forest.

• Zhang Er Niu warned Xiao Da that three Demon Beasts had returned, and Han Jiang, Xiao Yun, and the villagers went to the river.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun charged the beasts; Han Jiang fought the two larger ones while Xiao Yun faced the smaller one.
• Han Jiang discovered that the larger beasts had hard skulls and coordinated attacks using their tails and water, while Xiao Yun held her own against the smaller beast.
• The fight dragged on as the beasts grew stronger with their injuries, and Xiao Yun’s battle moved toward the forest.
• Xiao Yun cried out from the forest, followed by the sound of a longsword scraping across bone.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun defeated the Demon Beasts, but Xiao Yun collapsed from her wounds and slept for four days. She finally woke up at home and asked whether the Demon Beasts were dead.

• Han Jiang fought through the forest, killed two Demon Beasts, and found Xiao Yun battling the last one.
• Xiao Yun stabbed the remaining Demon Beast, but it mangled her arm before Han Jiang killed it and caught her as she fainted.
• Han Jiang carried Xiao Yun back to the village, where Xiao Da learned that she had only fallen asleep and arranged for her wounds to be treated.
• Han Jiang noticed Xiao Yun’s wounds healing and realized that Honkai Energy was entering her body, while her sword had been infused with the Demon Beast’s blood and Honkai Energy.
• Xiao Yun remained unconscious for three days as her mother and Xiao Da worried, and the doctor could not explain why she would not wake.
• On the morning of the fourth day, Xiao Yun woke and asked her mother whether all the Demon Beasts were dead.

After recovering, Xiao Yun discovered that she could control water and feared she was becoming a monster. Han Jiang reassured her and urged her to hide her ability from the villagers, while continuing to consider how to gain more sword intent.

• Xiao Yun recovered quickly from her wounds, and three days after waking she told Han Jiang she had developed a strange ability.
• Xiao Yun took Han Jiang to the back mountain and demonstrated how she could shape water into attacks with her sword.
• Xiao Yun feared she would become a monster and offered Han Jiang her sword, asking him to kill her if necessary.
• Han Jiang refused to harm Xiao Yun, explained that her ability did not mean she was turning into a monster, and told her to keep it hidden from the villagers.
• Han Jiang wondered how he could obtain more sword intent and master the Tai Xu Sword Qi sooner.

Han Jiang reassured Xiao Yun that her water-controlling ability did not make her a monster, then prepared to leave the village. Before he could go, the villagers gathered to drive Xiao Yun out, accusing her and Han Jiang of becoming monsters after seeing them use their powers.

• Han Jiang showed Xiao Yun that he could control fire and persuaded her that their unusual powers did not make them monsters.
• Han Jiang gained Xiao Yun's favor, then decided to leave for Mount Tai Xu to seek Fu Hua and a way out of Stigmata Space.
• Xiao Da gave Han Jiang directions, food, and copper coins, and his family prepared to see him off.
• The villagers gathered outside Xiao Da's home, and the village chief announced that they had decided to expel Xiao Yun because they believed she had become a monster.
• Dazhuang accused Han Jiang of being a monster too, and Zhang Er Niu confirmed that he had seen Xiao Yun control water.

The villagers accused Xiao Yun of becoming a demon girl and demanded that she leave, despite her role in fighting the Demon Beasts. Han Jiang defended her and used violence to silence the crowd, leaving the village in fear.

• Zhang Er Niu confirmed Dazhuang's claim that Xiao Yun had controlled water, and villagers demanded that she be driven out.
• Han Jiang reminded the villagers that Xiao Da and Xiao Yun had helped kill the Demon Beasts, but the village chief argued Xiao Yun might become dangerous.
• Xiao Yun stopped Xiao Da from arguing because she feared his words would make life harder for her parents after she left.
• A villager threw a stone at Xiao Yun, and Han Jiang caught it and pierced the thrower's leg before threatening the crowd with his sword.
• When the wounded man's mother cursed Han Jiang and Xiao Yun, Han Jiang pierced the young man's other leg and warned the villagers not to tell Xiao Yun to leave again.

Han Jiang defended Xiao Yun from the villagers, but Xiao Yun decided to leave so they would not live in fear. The village chief pressured Xiao Da to send her away, and Xiao Da agreed to spend one last night with his daughter before she left.

• Han Jiang threatened the villagers after one of them attacked Xiao Yun, then stopped when Xiao Yun pleaded with him.
• Xiao Yun told Han Jiang she would leave the village after nightfall to protect her parents and neighbors.
• Xiao Yun's grief unleashed streams of sword qi, and Han Jiang sensed that his understanding of the Tai Xu Sword God was close to a breakthrough.
• The village chief urged Xiao Da to drive Xiao Yun away and warned that moving the villagers would leave them without enough food for winter.
• Xiao Da agreed to the village chief's demand but asked to spend one last night with Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun said goodbye to her parents and prepared to leave the village with Han Jiang after the villagers turned against her. As they stepped outside the next morning, Xiao Yun transformed into a red-clad swordswoman, and Han Jiang advanced in the Tai Xu Sword God.

• Xiao Yun told Xiao Da and his wife she would leave alone, but they pleaded to go with her; she refused and asked Han Jiang not to retaliate against the villagers.
• Xiao Yun cooked a lavish final dinner and recalled childhood memories with her parents, while Han Jiang waited outside as the sun set.
• Xiao Da prepared clothes, copper coins, and dried food for Xiao Yun and Han Jiang, and Xiao Yun said goodbye to her parents the next morning.
• As Xiao Yun stepped out of her courtyard, Honkai Energy surged through her and transformed her green clothes into a red swordswoman's outfit.
• Han Jiang was pushed back by Xiao Yun's sword qi and grasped the Tai Xu Sword God, advancing from Still Water to Dustless.
• The villagers retreated in fear as Xiao Yun and Han Jiang left, and Han Jiang watched them with a cold gaze.

After Xiao Yun was driven out of her village, Han Jiang followed her into the mountains and tried to return to punish the villagers. Xiao Yun stopped him and insisted on leaving the village behind, while her rapidly growing strength kept him at bay.

• Zhang Er Niu and several other men gave Xiao Yun food and their saved copper coins before she left the village with Han Jiang.
• Xiao Yun asked Han Jiang to stay in the mountains until nightfall, then they returned to the sleeping village and gave the gifts back to each household.
• Han Jiang set out to attack the village chief, but Xiao Yun blocked his way and persuaded him to leave with her.
• After reaching the mountains, Han Jiang pretended his shoelace had come untied, then suddenly tried to rush back to the village.
• Xiao Yun intercepted Han Jiang, fought him with water and swordsmanship, and persuaded him to give up his plan to hurt the villagers.
• Xiao Yun kept her Honkai Energy surrounding Han Jiang as they crossed a mountain, showing how much her strength had grown.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun traveled toward the prefectural city, where Han Jiang sold fish to earn money for an inn. Just as their sales picked up, a squad leader confronted Han Jiang for selling in the market and attacked him.

• Xiao Yun fainted from exhaustion after guarding Han Jiang throughout their night journey, and Han Jiang caught her and promised not to return to the village.
• After Xiao Yun woke, she helped Han Jiang catch fish, and he invited her to travel with him to Mount Tai Xu.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun reached the prefectural city, paid the entrance fee with fish, and sold more fish at the market for copper coins.
• Several uniformed men pushed into the crowd, and their squad leader accused Han Jiang of selling fish without permission before kicking at him.
• Han Jiang dodged the squad leader's attacks and demanded to know what he meant.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun tried to sell fish in the county city, but the City Defense Army confiscated their catch. After disguising himself, Han Jiang took Xiao Yun to an inn, where they learned only one room was left.

• The squad leader ordered the City Defense Army to break Han Jiang and Xiao Yun’s fish stall, then took all their fish after Han Jiang pretended to comply.
• Han Jiang explained to Xiao Yun that they should avoid fighting the soldiers while they were in the city seeking directions to Mount Tai Xu.
• Han Jiang changed his appearance using dirt and grass, then led Xiao Yun into an inn.
• Han Jiang asked for two rooms and food, but the waiter told him that only one room was available.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun found no separate room at the crowded inn during the county city's temple fair, so Han Jiang arranged to sleep elsewhere. After learning that maps were held by the city lord, he asked the innkeeper for directions to Mount Tai Xu and went to share the waiter's room for the night.

• The innkeeper explained that the temple fair had filled the inn, and Han Jiang agreed to share a room with Xiao Yun for the night.
• After they ate, Han Jiang left Xiao Yun in the room and asked the innkeeper for a place to sleep and directions to Mount Tai Xu.
• The innkeeper said maps were kept by the city lord and that Mount Tai Xu lay east in Yunzhou, a province away from Cangzhou.
• The innkeeper sent the waiter Shi Tou to share his room with Han Jiang, and Han Jiang gave Shi Tou four copper coins before going to sleep.
• Han Jiang woke when Shi Tou slipped out of the room in the middle of the night.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun escaped a suspicious inn and traveled toward Mount Tai Xu for three months. They reached a village ravaged by bandits, where Xiao Yun vowed to rescue the villagers’ kidnapped family members despite Han Jiang’s concerns.

• Han Jiang discovered that the innkeeper had alerted the City Defense Army, so he and Xiao Yun slipped out of the inn and left the city before sunrise.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun traveled through the wilderness for three months, hunting for food and heading toward Mount Tai Xu.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun reached a village where bandits had looted homes, wounded villagers, and taken women and children.
• Xiao Yun promised a wounded young man that she would rescue his wife and child, while Han Jiang asked the village elder how many bandits there were.
• The elder warned Han Jiang that more than thirty armed bandits had attacked and urged him to take Xiao Yun home and seek help from her family.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun agreed to rescue the villagers captured by mountain bandits, and Han Jiang showed the villagers his strength before setting out. They left the village following the bandits’ tracks, while the villagers prepared to welcome their families home.

• The old man questioned whether Xiao Yun and Han Jiang could rescue the captives, but Xiao Yun promised to bring everyone back.
• Han Jiang asked about the bandits and demonstrated his power by punching a hole into a tree trunk.
• The old man said he had counted thirty-six bandits and believed their hideout was in East Mountain Valley.
• Han Jiang told the villagers to stay behind, prepare rooms and hot food, and welcome their families home.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun left the village, and Han Jiang followed the bandits’ horse tracks while telling Xiao Yun to stay close.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun ambushed a bandit convoy to free its captives, using Xiao Yun to distract the bandits while Han Jiang attacked from the front. Most of the bandits were killed or fled, and Xiao Yun chased their leader as Han Jiang stayed behind to protect the villagers.

• Xiao Yun prepared to attack the mountain bandits, but Han Jiang stopped her so they would not endanger the captives and sent her ahead to distract them.
• The Mountain Bandit leader surrounded Xiao Yun and declared that he would take her as his bandit wife.
• Han Jiang circled to the front of the convoy, killed the guards, and urged the villagers to run while Xiao Yun fought the bandits.
• Han Jiang used his USP45 to shoot bandits pursuing the villagers, and the villagers fled while begging him to save them.
• The Mountain Bandit leader escaped with several underlings, and Xiao Yun chased after them as Han Jiang guarded the villagers.

Han Jiang let Xiao Yun face five bandits until she used Honkai Energy to defeat them. After learning of the bandit chief’s years of crimes, Xiao Yun agreed he should die, and Han Jiang left the surviving bandits to the rescued villagers.

• Xiao Yun fought five remaining bandits while Han Jiang held back, and the rescued villagers mistook his restraint for depleted power and offered themselves as sacrifices.
• After the bandits wounded Xiao Yun and attacked together, she used Honkai Energy to form water arrows that incapacitated them.
• Han Jiang stopped Xiao Yun from killing the bandit chief immediately and heard him claim he had become a bandit to survive.
• A young villager described the chief’s rapes, abductions, killings, and enslavement, and Xiao Yun agreed he deserved to die.
• Han Jiang told Xiao Yun that hardship did not excuse harming others, then left the surviving bandits to the young men to handle.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun rescued villagers from bandits, then Han Jiang attacked the bandit stronghold and freed its captives. After returning stolen goods and gathering directions to Yunzhou, Han Jiang began using disguises to obtain maps in the nearest prefectural city.

• Han Jiang spared the bandit chief from his own hand and sent villagers to deal with him, then asked a young man to lead him to the stronghold.
• Han Jiang sent Xiao Yun with the villagers and rode toward the stronghold, struggling through several horses before one let him mount.
• Han Jiang activated his Domain Gear, killed the remaining bandits, and helped free the enslaved villagers and imprisoned girls.
• Han Jiang took some gold as compensation and returned the rest of the bandits' stolen supplies to the villagers.
• Han Jiang learned that the villages were in Cangzhou and began disguising himself to get map information from places such as the city lord's residence.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun arrived in Juyun Commandery, where they learned that a Fierce Beast had been attacking villages nearby and that Chiyuan the Immortal had come down from Mount Tai Xu. After Han Jiang threatened a group of insulting merchants, he asked them which direction the beast was in so he and Xiao Yun could confront it.

• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun reached Juyun Commandery and decided to rest before continuing their journey.
• At an inn, Han Jiang and Xiao Yun overheard merchants describe a Fierce Beast that had slaughtered villages and resisted Zhao State's forces.
• Han Jiang recognized that Chiyuan the Immortal, his master, was likely in the area, and he and Xiao Yun decided to deal with the beast.
• A man in gray mocked Han Jiang and made a lewd comment about Xiao Yun, so Han Jiang drove a chopstick through the man's wine cup into the table.
• The merchants apologized and prepared to leave, but Han Jiang stopped them to ask which direction the Fierce Beast was in.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun traveled east to find Qiongqi, a Fierce Beast threatening Zhao State, but encountered soldiers who mistook them for spies. They found Zhao State using condemned prisoners and slaves as bait for Qiongqi, and prepared to intervene.

• Han Jiang learned that Qiongqi was about twenty li east of the prefectural city and left with Xiao Yun to find it.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun met Zhao State soldiers, who accused them of being enemy spies and attacked them.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun subdued the soldiers, and a centurion told them that Zhao State had lured Qiongqi away from the border civilians.
• Han Jiang and Xiao Yun followed Qiongqi's roar and saw it killing condemned prisoners and slaves used as bait.
• Han Jiang warned Xiao Yun to be careful as they prepared to confront Qiongqi.

Han Jiang and Xiao Yun fought Qiongqi as it unleashed powerful Honkai attacks, while nearby soldiers and fleeing prisoners escaped the battle. Han Jiang triggered his 0.01% Crit Rate and wounded Qiongqi, then warned Xiao Yun as the beast turned its attack on him.

• Han Jiang drew Qiongqi away from the fleeing prisoners and joined Xiao Yun in fighting it, but its wind blades wounded them and endangered those who had not escaped.
• Qiongqi’s wind blades faded, and Han Jiang and Xiao Yun attacked, but their weapons could barely pierce its tough hide.
• Han Jiang tried to draw Qiongqi’s attention while Xiao Yun attacked from behind, but the beast knocked them both down and attacked with lightning and fire.
• Han Jiang steadied himself and used Falling Sakura Slash, triggering his 0.01% Crit Rate and making the third blade wave wound Qiongqi.
• Han Jiang realized Qiongqi was at least close to Emperor-class strength and shouted a warning as it turned to attack Xiao Yun.