Chapter Summaries

Qin Wang met Houtu Wan'er, the last Houtu Bloodline Descendant, and agreed to seek a way to restore her appearance in exchange for the Houtu Seal. Meanwhile, the Grand Elder proceeded with his plan, and Qin Wang discovered that his Candle Dragon Totem could stop time, though using it severely drained him.

• Jiu Zi told Qin Wang that Houtu Wan'er would give him the Houtu Seal if he restored her ruined appearance, and Qin Wang asked to meet her.
• Qin Wang met Houtu Wan'er, agreed to try to restore her appearance, and left without bargaining for the seal by other means.
• Elder Gou Mang reported that Qin Wang's Candle Dragon Mark had not controlled the Power of Time, and the Grand Elder ordered him to proceed with the original plan.
• Qin Wang had Zhang Fujiang, Yan Cangwu, and Jiang Haotian prepare while the Five Ghosts guarded the courtyard.
• Qin Wang activated the Candle Dragon Totem and stopped time throughout the courtyard, then released the effect when the strain threatened to consume his lifespan.

Qin Wang learned that Houtu Wan'er’s curse could be broken with Nine Lotus Moon Liquid from the Twelve Heavenly Pillar Mountains, and he told Jiu Zi that Elder Gou Mang was a spy for the Grand Elder. Qin Wang and Jiu Zi reached the mountains’ summit, but found no sign of the liquid and wondered if it appeared only at night.

• Qin Wang learned that the courtyard’s time stop lasted only five breaths and reviewed intelligence about Houtu Wan'er, the Grand Elder’s plans, and the remaining Ancestral Witch Marks.
• Qin Wang told Jiu Zi that Elder Gou Mang was the Grand Elder’s spy, and Jiu Zi reconsidered the story of their feud before agreeing to travel with him.
• Qin Wang and Jiu Zi flew to the Twelve Heavenly Pillar Mountains to seek Nine Lotus Moon Liquid and cure Houtu Wan'er’s appearance.
• At the summit, Qin Wang and Jiu Zi found only a large, flat stone, and Jiu Zi wondered whether the Nine Lotus Moon Liquid appeared after moonrise.

Qin Wang and Jiu Zi entered a hidden space through a teleportation array and discovered a massive palace guarded by statues of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. As they tried to enter, a Cyclops statue revived and attacked them, leaving Qin Wang fighting to find a way through its formidable defenses.

• Qin Wang's Candle Dragon Mark reacted to the moonlight, and releasing Candle Dragon caused a teleportation array to appear in the glowing boulder.
• Qin Wang and Jiu Zi entered the array and arrived in a dark void where a palace stood on a meteorite, surrounded by statues of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
• Qin Wang and Jiu Zi approached the palace, but Qin Wang could not open its gates by force or damage them with the Azure Nether Small Swords.
• A Cyclops statue came alive and ambushed Qin Wang, smashing his Barbarian God Shield and resisting a strike from the Qingping Sword.
• Jiu Zi pulled Qin Wang clear of the Cyclops's axe, and Qin Wang then sent the Qingping Sword toward its unarmored cheek.

Qin Wang and Jiu Zi joined forces against a Cyclops that shrugged off their attacks while Jiu Zi gathered a powerful spell. After Qin Wang bought her time at great cost, Jiu Zi unleashed Sorcery: World-Ending Thunder Dragon at the Cyclops.

• The Cyclops wounded Qin Wang’s Qingping Sword, shattered his Barbarian God Shield, and forced Jiu Zi to reveal her hidden cultivation.
• Qin Wang summoned the Five Ghosts and Candle Dragon to distract the Cyclops while Jiu Zi gathered power, but the Cyclops easily battered them aside.
• Qin Wang threw his accumulated magic treasures at the Cyclops, then used Time Stop when his supplies ran out; the Cyclops broke free after only one breath.
• Jiu Zi fed essence blood into her thunder dragon and launched Sorcery: World-Ending Thunder Dragon at the Cyclops.

Qin Wang and Jiu Zi entered the palace after the Cyclops submitted to Jiu Zi and opened its gates. When Jiu Zi sat on the throne, visions of the Twelve Ancestral Witches appeared, and the Cyclops suddenly attacked her.

• The Cyclops survived Qin Wang and Jiu Zi’s final attack, then knelt before Jiu Zi and obeyed her commands in the Ancient Witch Clan’s language.
• Jiu Zi ordered the Cyclops to open the palace gates, and Qin Wang and Jiu Zi followed it inside after checking for danger.
• Qin Wang found no Nine Lotus Moon Liquid in the hall, while Jiu Zi said the enormous throne felt familiar from a dream.
• Jiu Zi sat on the throne, causing the hall’s lamps to flare and briefly reveal shadowy figures led by the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
• The Cyclops roared, raised its axe, and swung it at Jiu Zi.

Qin Wang escaped the Witch Clan Ancestor Hall with Jiu Zi, obtained Star Grass promised by her and discovered Nine Lotus Moon Liquid on the Twelve Heavenly Pillar Mountains. The intelligence revealed that the Grand Elder planned to sacrifice Wanyan Meng and target Jiu Zi after learning the Ancestor's aura had been sensed, so Qin Wang enlisted Jiu Zi to identify the tracker Ying Shan.

• Qin Wang rescued Jiu Zi from the Cyclops and escaped the Witch Clan Ancestor Hall, then asked her for the Witch Clan's Star Grass instead of accepting her offer of herself.
• Qin Wang and Jiu Zi discovered Nine Lotus Moon Liquid condensing on the summit and collected a washbasin full before leaving.
• A black-robed subordinate of the Grand Elder detected the Witch Clan Ancestor's aura; he killed the two trackers who had followed Qin Wang and Jiu Zi to keep the discovery secret.
• Qin Wang's daily intelligence warned that the Grand Elder would sacrifice Wanyan Meng and move against Jiu Zi, and revealed that Jiu Zi was connected to the Witch Clan Ancestor.
• Qin Wang secretly visited Jiu Zi, told her about the tracker, and heard that Ying Shan was the Grand Elder's loyal subordinate and an expert at tracking and stealing secrets.
• Ying Shan searched his records in the Shadow Witch Tribe, trying to determine whether the Witch Clan Ancestor had truly died.

Ying Shan followed Qin Wang and Jiu Zi to the hidden Ancestor Hall, where he discovered the Witch Clan Ancestor’s throne and was ambushed by a Cyclops. As Ying Shan pursued the pair toward the exit, the Cyclops moved to seal the hall doors.

• Ying Shan met Qin Wang and Jiu Zi, killed the servants who overheard their discussion, and agreed to follow them after Qin Wang claimed he wanted the Witch Clan Ancestor dead.
• Qin Wang used the Candle Dragon to open a passage through the giant rock, and Ying Shan followed them into the Ancestor Hall after sensing the Ancestor’s aura.
• Ying Shan attacked Qin Wang, but the Candle Dragon’s resistance revealed that Ying Shan had reached the Void Refining Realm, and Ying Shan forced Qin Wang to lead him inside.
• Ying Shan approached the Ancestor’s throne and dodged a massive axe swung by the Cyclops, which had been crouching unnoticed in the hall.
• Qin Wang and Jiu Zi ran for the exit while Ying Shan charged after them, and the Cyclops moved to close the doors and block their escape.

Qin Wang escaped the Ancestor Hall with Jiu Zi after using the Candle Dragon’s Time Stop, leaving Ying Shan and the Cyclops trapped inside fighting each other. He then revealed to Houtu Wan'er that Nine Lotus Moon Liquid could weaken the curse on her face, and she lunged for it.

• Qin Wang used the Candle Dragon’s Time Stop to help Jiu Zi escape the Ancestor Hall, leaving Ying Shan and the Cyclops behind as they fought.
• Qin Wang recovered outside the hall, then returned with Jiu Zi to the Twelve Heavenly Pillar Mountains.
• Qin Wang sent Jiu Zi to retrieve Star Grass from the Witch Clan Treasury and bring it to Houtu Wan'er.
• Qin Wang visited Houtu Wan'er and revealed that he had found a way to restore her appearance and obtained the necessary materials.
• Qin Wang used a drop of Nine Lotus Moon Liquid to weaken Houtu Wan'er's facial curse, and she lunged at him to seize the basin.

Qin Wang traded the Houtu Seal to Houtu Wan'er for Nine Lotus Moon Liquid and instructions for lifting the curse on her face. At Jiu Zi’s Saintess Mansion, Houtu Wan'er began treatment while Qin Wang cultivated with Star Grass and discovered that one stalk granted 100,000 progress points.

• Houtu Wan'er gave Qin Wang the Houtu Seal, which entered the back of his hand and revealed a humanoid image of Houtu.
• Qin Wang gave Houtu Wan'er the Nine Lotus Moon Liquid and told her to soak in it for a full day and night to lift her curse.
• Jiu Zi brought Qin Wang fourteen stalks of Star Grass and offered her secure secret chamber for both his cultivation and Houtu Wan'er's treatment.
• At the Saintess Mansion, Houtu Wan'er entered a barrel of Nine Lotus Moon Liquid while Qin Wang began cultivating with Star Grass.
• Qin Wang absorbed the star power from one stalk, and his Star Body Tempering Method gained 100,000 progress points.

Qin Wang advanced the Star Body Tempering Method to its third tier while Houtu Wan'er soaked in the Nine Lotus Moon Liquid to cleanse her curse. After Jiu Zi left to investigate an attack on the treasury, a shadow assassin struck Qin Wang, who subdued him and demanded to know who he worked for.

• Qin Wang absorbed the second Star Grass while Houtu Wan'er removed her clothes and soaked in the Nine Lotus Moon Liquid, eventually falling asleep.
• Qin Wang finished cultivating, reached the third tier of the Star Body Tempering Method, and left the secret chamber without disturbing Houtu Wan'er.
• Jiu Zi told Qin Wang that nothing unusual had happened, but a battle soon broke out at the Saintess Mansion's treasury.
• Qin Wang urged Jiu Zi to investigate the treasury attack and offered to guard the secret chamber; Jiu Zi went to the treasury.
• A shadow assassin emerged behind Qin Wang and attacked his throat, but Qin Wang's body resisted the dagger and he knocked the attacker into a wall.
• Qin Wang caught the injured assassin and demanded to know who he and his allies were.

Qin Wang defeated a group of masked Golden Core assassins with his strengthened body, then discovered that a powerful curse had killed the two survivors before they could speak. He confronted a figure on a distant roof who seemed to know more about the attack.

• A masked assassin's dagger shattered against Qin Wang's body, and Qin Wang crushed the man's head.
• Three black-clad attackers assaulted Qin Wang with a Flying Sword, swamp witchcraft, and a tiger-man transformation.
• Qin Wang tested his physical strength by blocking their attacks, then shattered the Flying Sword and killed the tiger-man with a punch.
• The two remaining assassins begged for mercy but suddenly died from a curse that appeared to destroy their souls.
• Qin Wang confronted a figure standing on a distant roof and asked who they were.

Qin Wang protected Houtu Wan'er from a black-robed attacker whose curse was reflected by the Houtu Seal, killing him. The daily intelligence revealed that the curse originated in the Underworld and warned that its forces would come for Qin Wang and the seal in a year.

• Qin Wang refused to step aside, and the black-robed man’s mysterious attack was blocked by the Houtu Seal, which turned the attacker to ashes.
• Jiu Zi arrived, and Qin Wang told her what had happened; they concluded the seal had rebounded the curse and continued guarding Houtu Wan'er.
• Qin Wang’s daily intelligence said the Witch Clan Grand Elder would trace Ying Shan’s disappearance to him, and that Ying Shan and the Cyclops had made a truce.
• Qin Wang learned that Jiu Zi had secretly kept a stalk of Star Grass and that his Star Body Tempering Method had reached the third tier.
• The intelligence revealed that Houtu Wan’er’s curse came from the Underworld and would end in four hours, after which she would enter the Nascent Soul Realm and face a stronger heavenly tribulation.
• Qin Wang learned that the dying Underworld Envoy had reported the Houtu Seal’s presence on him, prompting Underworld powerhouses to come to the Nine Provinces in a year.

Qin Wang learned that an Underworld Envoy sought the Houtu Seal and decided to prepare to strike back, then helped Houtu Wan'er recover and left the Saintess Mansion. He encountered Jiu Zi's jealous suitors outside, where one challenged him over his stay with the Saintess.

• Qin Wang learned that the Underworld Envoy had come for the Houtu Seal and considered using the Nether Tiger to reach the Underworld.
• Qin Wang cultivated the Star Body Tempering Method, and Jiu Zi gave him her Star Grass to absorb.
• Houtu Wan'er emerged with her appearance restored, and Qin Wang rejected her playful offer of repayment.
• Qin Wang left to prepare for the Zhu Yin Witch Tribe's sacrificial ceremony and found Jiu Zi's suitors gathered outside the Saintess Mansion.
• A young man backed by two Deity Transformation True Monarchs accused Qin Wang of plotting against Jiu Zi, and Qin Wang asked who he was to question him.

Qin Wang drove away the suitors surrounding the Saintess Mansion and learned that the Grand Elder was preparing a revival ritual. Zhu Heng revealed that the Zhu Long Witch Tribe had tried to recruit his tribe to restrain Qin Wang, but he secretly opposed the plan and warned Qin Wang.

• Qin Wang summoned Candle Dragon and stopped Xuanming Chenghua and the other suitors from disturbing the Saintess.
• Elder Gou Mang pressured the suitors into submission, but Qin Wang declared that he would not tolerate anyone interfering with his relationship with the Saintess.
• Elder Gou Mang told the Grand Elder that Qin Wang stood with the Saintess, and the Grand Elder decided not to provoke him before the revival ritual.
• Tuoba Shoushan told Zhu Heng that the Zhu Long Witch Tribe would accept the Zhu Yin Witch Tribe if it restrained Qin Ba during the ritual.
• Zhu Heng pretended to accept the offer, then revealed his distrust of the Zhu Long Witch Tribe and warned Qin Wang about its plan.
• Qin Wang asked Zhu Heng why he refused to join the Zhu Long Witch Tribe despite its favorable terms.

Qin Wang learned that Houtu Wan'er faced an unusually powerful Nascent Soul tribulation because of the fate of her bloodline. As the first lightning bolt struck, Qin Wang shielded her, provoking the tribulation clouds.

• Zhu Heng revealed that he supported Qin Wang because he believed the Candle Dragon Mark had chosen him and hoped the Zhu Yin Witch Tribe could rise with him.
• Qin Wang and Zhu Heng noticed frightening tribulation clouds over the Witch Clan Ancestral Land, and Qin Wang realized Houtu Wan'er was undergoing tribulation.
• Houtu Wan'er told Jiu Zi that most Houtu Bloodline Descendants had died in tribulations and that she expected to die as well.
• Qin Wang flew after Houtu Wan'er, and Jiu Zi followed after realizing he might help without raising the tribulation to Spirit Transformation level.
• Houtu Wan'er prepared to face the lightning alone, but Qin Wang arrived and blocked the first strike with the Barbarian God Shield.
• The tribulation clouds roared and churned, appearing enraged by Qin Wang's intervention.

Qin Wang shielded Houtu Wan'er from her escalating heavenly tribulation, then awakened Sword Intent and split the Blood Fiend Lightning Tribulation with the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike. He fainted from exhaustion, while the Wu Family’s Sword Domain reacted to his breakthrough in swordsmanship.

• Qin Wang blocked the first two lightning tribulations for Houtu Wan'er, enduring their force with his Barbarian God Shield and Star Body Tempering Method as Jiu Zi watched.
• Houtu Wan'er urged Qin Wang to leave before the final Blood Fiend Lightning Tribulation, but he assembled the Qingping Sword and stood in front of her.
• Qin Wang comprehended Sword Intent from the sword arts Wu Su had taught him and struck the Blood Fiend Lightning Tribulation with the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, splitting the lightning in two and protecting Houtu Wan'er.
• Qin Wang collapsed from exhaustion, and Jiu Zi examined him and assured Houtu Wan'er that he only needed to rest.
• The Wu Family's treasured swords trembled in celebration, prompting the elders to investigate as Wu Su received an ancient Sword Intent inheritance deep in the Sword Domain.

Qin Wang hid how badly he had been depleted from a mysterious observer, while Houtu Wan'er advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm and cared for him for three days. At the Twelve Ancestral Witches' resurrection ceremony, Qin Wang spotted the Chaos Stone but could not find Wanyan Meng before the Grand Elder arrived.

• Jiu Zi offered Qin Wang an Ice Sea Snow Lotus, but he claimed his cultivation foundation was damaged and could not quickly recover.
• Houtu Wan'er formed a Nascent Soul, thanked Qin Wang, and returned with him and Jiu Zi to the Witch Clan Ancestral Land.
• A hidden observer noticed Qin Wang's apparent depletion and left to report it.
• Qin Wang revealed to Jiu Zi that he had faked his injury to deceive the lurking cultivator, and they agreed not to tell Houtu Wan'er.
• Houtu Wan'er tended to Qin Wang for three days, believing he had damaged his foundation for her sake.
• At the resurrection ceremony, Qin Wang saw the Chaos Stone but could not find Wanyan Meng before the Witch Clan's Grand Elder appeared.

The Witch Clan began its ritual to revive the Twelve Ancestral Witches, revealing that the Grand Elder intended to sacrifice Wanyan Meng for her Curse Power. As the crowd supported the sacrifice, Jiu Zi openly challenged the Grand Elder to protect her friend.

• Qin Wang learned from Jiu Zi that the Witch Clan Patriarch was in seclusion pursuing the Great Ascension Stage.
• The Grand Elder addressed the Witch Clan and announced that the Daughter of Curse would help revive the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
• Wanyan Meng was raised onto the altar, realized the Grand Elder had deceived her, and spotted Qin Wang and Jiu Zi in the crowd.
• Wanyan Meng suspected Qin Wang had brought her to the Witch Clan to use her as a sacrifice, while Qin Wang and Jiu Zi decided to intervene.
• Jiu Zi flew before the Grand Elder and declared that she opposed sacrificing the innocent Wanyan Meng.

Jiu Zi opposed the Grand Elder’s plan to sacrifice Wanyan Meng and revive the Twelve Ancestral Witches, but the Witch Clan crowd supported him. As the Elder Council split and Qin Wang arrived to vote, Jiu Zi exposed one traitor in her camp, only for Elder Xuanming to reveal himself as another.

• Jiu Zi condemned the Grand Elder’s plan to sacrifice Wanyan Meng, declaring that he would have to step over her corpse first.
• The Grand Elder summoned the Elder Council, whose members split evenly between his side and Jiu Zi’s, and proposed letting the gathered people vote.
• Qin Wang arrived and asked whether he could vote as the Holy Son chosen by the people.
• Elder Gou Mang punched Jiu Zi from behind, but she evaded the attack and accused him of being the Grand Elder’s undercover agent.
• Elder Xuanming launched a surprise attack with a frigid arrow, but Qin Wang’s Barbarian God Shield blocked it.
• Jiu Zi recognized Elder Xuanming as another traitor in her camp.

Elder Xuanming betrayed Jiu Zi and joined the Grand Elder, who moved to restrain her and Qin Wang. The Witch Clan Patriarch’s Spiritual Sense Clone intervened and arranged a three-match contest for the next day, leaving Qin Wang waiting for new intelligence at midnight.

• Elder Xuanming left Jiu Zi’s side and joined the Grand Elder, while Gonggong Elder and Shebishi Elder refused to follow.
• Houtu Elder thanked Qin Wang for removing the curse from the Houtu Bloodline Descendant and declined the Grand Elder’s offer.
• The Grand Elder’s forces surrounded Jiu Zi and Qin Wang’s group, but Jiu Zi summoned the Witch Clan Patriarch’s Spiritual Sense Clone.
• The Witch Clan Patriarch’s Spiritual Sense Clone exchanged punches with the Grand Elder and then ordered the sides to settle their dispute through a contest.
• Jiu Zi and the Grand Elder agreed to send three people each for three matches the next day, and Qin Wang’s group returned to the Saintess Mansion.
• At midnight, Qin Wang opened the Intelligence Panel and saw that the daily intelligence had been updated.