Chapter Summaries

Wei He and Old Man Nine Shadows joined forces to seek two mid-grade aberrant breeds and a high-grade Azure Sun Bat hidden beneath Nine Yuan Temple. They entered the underground passage and discovered that a deadly trap awaited them in the stone chamber.

• Old Man Nine Shadows tried to ambush Wei He, but they exchanged blows, recognized each other’s strength, and agreed to cooperate.
• Old Man Nine Shadows told Wei He about the Azure Sun Bat and two aberrant breeds, and Wei He agreed to help seize them.
• Wei He left his subordinates and traveled with Old Man Nine Shadows to the abandoned Nine Yuan Temple, where others had already entered.
• Wei He and Old Man Nine Shadows followed a passage beneath the temple and found a chamber covered in dried blood.
• Wei He kicked a stone into the chamber, where a concealed blade sliced it apart.

Wei He and Nine Shadows raided a temple chamber for aberrant species, but were forced to flee from its Azure Sun Bats after betraying and poisoning one another. They later divided the prizes, became research partners, and Nine Shadows began to see Wei He as a friend as Zhou Yugui drew closer to uncovering the truth.

• Nine Shadows lured Wei He into a temple chamber and sent him to face an Azure Sun Bat while he took two aberrant species.
• Wei He threatened Nine Shadows with poison, forcing him to help fight the bat, but they retreated when they realized it could not be killed.
• The pair escaped two Azure Sun Bats by igniting a fire in the tunnel, then exchanged antidotes and divided the aberrant species.
• Wei He and Nine Shadows returned to the hut and began planning aberrant-species farms while sharing pharmacological research.
• Nine Shadows grew to regard Wei He as half a friend, while Zhou Yugui steadily approached the truth behind his investigation.

Zhou Yugui’s search for the attacker who injured Yan Jiuhai ended when the investigator Xia Houji was poisoned after finding a discarded cloak. Meanwhile, Wei He and Jiuying continued researching poison hidden in force, then Jiuying showed Wei He a captured Stone Deer he planned to turn into a meat field.

• Xia Houji found a black cloak and a faint mark while searching the forest with Zhou Yugui.
• Xia Houji suddenly died from poison, and Zhou Yugui ordered his men to find a poison expert and informed his father.
• Wei He and Jiuying discussed their unsuccessful efforts to conceal poison within force without harming themselves.
• Jiuying invited Wei He to see a captured exotic beast he planned to turn into a meat field.
• Wei He and Jiuying entered a cave protected by layers of poison powder and saw the chained Stone Deer.

Wei He and Jiu Ying made a Stone Deer meat field using a strange beast variant, while Wei He continued building his strength. Months later, Yao Hansheng proposed that he, Wei He, Sun Yi, and Qian Rui become sworn brothers to support one another, and Wei He reluctantly agreed.

• Jiu Ying implanted a variant in a Stone Deer, transforming it into a meat field that could continually produce strange beast meat.
• Over the next half year, Yao Hansheng gained renown by challenging other branch courts, while Chen Lin injured her left hand during a failed breakthrough and Zhou Xing Su also failed to enter force.
• Qian Rui told Yao Hansheng and Sun Yi that he planned to leave the Inner Court, and Sun Yi said he might leave too if his next breakthrough failed.
• Yao Hansheng condemned the treatment of Wan Qing Court and proposed that he, Wei He, Sun Yi, and Qian Rui unite as sworn brothers.
• Yao Hansheng drew Wei He into the oath, and Wei He agreed while reserving judgment about whether the new brotherhood would prove worthwhile.

Wei He broke through to the fourth layer of Overturning Rain Vigor, gaining a sharp increase in speed and power as the Heavenly Seal Sect’s internal crisis deepened. Wan Ling warned Wan Qingqing that the sect’s factions were nearing another split.

• Wei He completed the fourth layer of Overturning Rain Vigor using the Boundary-Breaking Pearl and a Cold Fiend Bird eyeball, then tested his newfound speed and palm power.
• Wei He practiced controlling his increased speed before returning to Heavenly Seal Hall and eating a Spring Cause Bird eyeball to conceal his breakthrough method.
• Wan Qingqing visited Wan Ling, who explained that the Heavenly Seal Sect’s branch courts were divided and that the Sect Master and Deputy Sect Masters were failing to contain them.
• Wan Ling told Wan Qingqing that the sect could split into twelve factions, including the Nine Branch Courts, the two Deputy Sect Masters’ factions, and the Shangguan lineage.

Wan Ling warned Wan Qingqing that rivals would target Wan Qing Court’s territories, while Wei He survived a coordinated attack on Heavenly Seal Hall and went out disguised to hunt for the attackers’ watchers. Zhou Yugui discovered a terrifying masked figure in his inn and fled, leaving his allies unaware of the danger.

• Wan Ling warned Wan Qingqing that challengers might be used to force her, Hansheng, and Wei He from their positions, and expressed particular concern for Wei He.
• Wei He killed six masked attackers who stormed Heavenly Seal Hall, ordered the courtyard cleaned, and sent word of the attack to the main sect.
• Zhou Yugui met with Night Hawk Tower and Fushan Courtyard members, revealing their plan to seize Yubei Town’s territory and pressure Wan Ling.
• Wei He disguised himself in a black robe and white ghost mask, then began searching the area around Heavenly Seal Hall for watchers.
• Zhou Yugui sensed danger, encountered the masked Wei He in the inn corridor, and pointed him toward the room he had just left.
• Zhou Yugui realized the masked figure was heading for his room and ran from the inn to seek his father.

Wei He ambushed and killed a group of attackers, then disposed of the evidence, but Lin Shiling confronted him the next morning over her missing brother. Their fight began with Wei He unable to break through her defenses.

• Wei He drugged and ambushed the Night Hawk Tower experts and Fushan Courtyard disciples, killing them before dissolving their bodies and burning the inn room.
• Wei He took Zhou Yugui’s fan, and Zhou concluded that Wan Qing Court was connected to the mysterious black figure before Wei He dragged him into an alley and killed him.
• Wei He returned to Heavenly Seal Hall and resumed his usual training as the city began to react to the killings.
• Lin Shiling stormed into Heavenly Seal Hall and demanded that Wei He return her missing younger brother, but the corpses in the rear courtyard did not include him.
• Lin Shiling attacked Wei He, and he evaded her strike but found that his Overturning Rain Vigor could not penetrate her Scale Armor defenses.

Wei He survived Lin Shiling’s challenge and a deadly attack from Zhou Shun, who was searching for his missing son, Zhou Yugui. After Wei He swore he was innocent and suggested Zhou Shun investigate who had come into contact with Yugui, Zhou Shun accepted his account for now but left the reason Yugui had visited Wan Qing Court unspoken.

• Lin Shiling attacked Wei He in the courtyard, but he used his speed and fourth-layer Overturning Rain Vigor to evade her.
• Zhou Shun ambushed Wei He, but Wan Ling intervened and stopped him from killing Wei He; Zhou Shun explained that Zhou Yugui and several martial masters had disappeared nearby.
• Wei He denied knowing what happened to the missing men, and Wan Ling told him to pack and go to Han Sheng before she left amid changes within the sect.
• Lin Shiling realized Wei He had regained some strength after breaking through to the fourth layer of Overturning Rain Vigor.
• Zhou Shun attacked Wei He again and accused him of concealing a fatal clue, but Wei He denied harming Zhou Yugui and swore an oath to Taishi.
• Zhou Shun accepted Wei He’s denial for the moment, and Wei He advised him to investigate who could have defeated Zhou Yugui; Zhou Shun withheld that his son had come to divide up Wan Qing Court.

After Zhou Shun left, Wei He packed for a new assignment at Wan Qing Court’s meat fields, where Wan Ling gathered the court’s remaining disciples amid rising conflict between the branch courts. Wei He revealed he had reached the fourth layer of Overturning Rain Vigor, leaving Wan Ling and Wan Qingqing stunned as Wan Qing Court prepared to act.

• Zhou Shun returned to Wei He’s room, offered him a pill, then switched it after Wei He admitted he felt some resentment but understood Zhou’s concern for his missing son.
• Wei He packed his belongings and hurried to Wan Qing Court’s meat fields in West Mountain after the Court Head called for help.
• Wan Ling and Wan Qingqing addressed the more than thirty people who had stayed with Wan Qing Court, noting that other disciples, including Ding Xiaohe and Bai Rui, had joined rival courts.
• Wan Ling recognized Qingqing, Yao Hansheng, and Wei He as the court’s remaining martial masters and prepared to give them orders.
• Wan Ling asked about Wei He’s injuries, and Wei He revealed he had reached the fourth layer of Overturning Rain Vigor, shocking Wan Ling and Wan Qingqing.

As the Heavenly Seal Sect fractured into rival camps, Wan Qing Court withdrew to West Mountain while Wei He advanced his Flying Dragon Technique and learned that the plague had been man-made. After Wei He sparred with Wan Qingqing, Wan Ling proposed that they marry, but he refused to become a live-in son-in-law and take the Wan surname.

• Wan Ling led Wan Qing Court to abandon its other interests and gather near the West Mountain flesh fields while the Heavenly Seal Sect split into factions.
• Wei He advanced the Flying Dragon Technique to its fifth level, and Nine Shadows told him that his research indicated the plague was man-made.
• Wei He returned to West Mountain and sparred with Wan Qingqing, whose Bone Jin forced him to retreat after his extreme-cold effect slowed her movements.
• Wan Ling asked Wei He what he thought of marrying Wan Qingqing, and he agreed if Wan Qingqing was willing.
• Wan Ling said Wei He would need to carry on the Wan family bloodline, but Wei He refused to marry into the family and give his future children the Wan surname.

Wan Ling accepted Wei He’s refusal to marry into the Wan Family, while Zhou Shun’s search for his missing son stalled. Later, Wei He and Wang Shaojun discussed the court’s collapse and Zhou Shun’s strength, leaving Wei He wary of seeking revenge through poison.

• Wan Ling let Wei He leave after he refused to marry into her family, and she decided there was no need to rush Wan Qingqing’s marriage.
• After Emperor Shizong was killed and King Qingting took the throne, Zhou Shun threatened Meng Tinghuan over his failure to find Zhou Shun’s missing son.
• Meng Tinghuan argued that someone had falsified clues about the disappearance and urged Zhou Shun to investigate the people connected to them again.
• Wang Shaojun condemned the Central Imperial Court’s turmoil and told Wei He that Taizhou remained stable under Governor Zhao Huanxian’s new policies.
• Wang Shaojun suggested poisoning Zhou Shun to repay his attack, but Wei He rejected the plan because Zhou Shun’s strength and senses made it too dangerous.

Wei He persuaded Wang Shaojun to report Zhou Shun’s suspected military-equipment smuggling to the Chijing Army, giving them grounds to move against the Heavenly Seal Sect. After Wang Shaojun and Wei He killed two spies who overheard them, Wang Shaojun revealed his past connection to the Returning Goose Pagoda and warned that he might have to leave to deal with it.

• Wei He told Wang Shaojun that his missing deputy was linked to Zhou Shun and the theft of military equipment, which Wei He suspected had been sold to the Xiangqu Rebel Army.
• Wang Shaojun agreed to report the matter to Commander Yuchi and told Wei He not to spread the information himself.
• Wang Shaojun killed a masked Returning Goose Pagoda spy outside the estate, then he and Wei He split up to pursue the others who had overheard them.
• Wei He caught a masked pursuer and killed him, but the corpse dissolved through a method Wang Shaojun identified as the Returning Goose Pagoda’s.
• Wang Shaojun revealed that the Returning Goose Pagoda was a branch of the Chaos God Cult that he had once joined, and said he might leave soon to handle its renewed pursuit of him.

Wei He continued cultivating while Zhou Shun, under mounting pressure, prepared to flee Xuanjing City and abduct nine people connected to Zhou Yugui’s disappearance. Wang Shaojun warned Wei He of the secret arrests, and Wei He concluded that Yuchi Zhong would move against Zhou Shun before he could escape.

• Rumors about military arms smuggling spread through Xuanjing City, leaving Zhou Shun under investigation and increasingly constrained.
• Jiu Ying announced he was writing a book on pharmacology, while Wei He trained Iron Ridge Garment to strengthen Overturning Rain Vigor.
• Xie Yan urged Zhou Shun to seek help as their situation worsened, but Zhou Shun concealed that he had already contacted his family and planned to leave the city that night.
• Zhou Shun ordered Xue Dewang to take nine suspicious people with them, including Wei He, and personally lead the operation.
• Wang Shaojun warned Wei He that Zhou Shun was secretly arresting people connected to Zhou Yugui’s disappearance, and Wei He predicted Yuchi Zhong would stop Zhou Shun from escaping.

After the Chijing Army ambushed Zhou Shun as he fled, Shangguan Ji confronted him and left him to escape mortally wounded. Wei He found Zhou Shun in the forest, promised to find his son, then told Wang Shaojun that he had already killed Zhou Yugui.

• Xie Yan led a raid on Zhou Shun's residence after learning he had sold military equipment to the Incense Gathering Cult.
• At the east city gate, Xu Chi's Chijing Army surrounded Zhou Shun's convoy and shot down his followers as Zhou Shun fought his way out, wounded by a poisoned short spear.
• Shangguan Ji confronted Zhou Shun beside a lake, and Zhou Shun escaped after their battle while Shangguan Ji returned to the Heavenly Seal Sect.
• Wei He and Wang Shaojun pursued Zhou Shun, who offered Wei He his wealth and a high-grade meat field in exchange for help.
• An unseen attacker struck Zhou Shun from behind, and he died after asking Wei He to find his son, Yu Gui.
• Wang Shaojun asked whether Wei He would keep his promise, and Wei He revealed that he had killed Zhou Yugui himself.

Wei He prepared to spar with Wan Qingqing while reflecting on his past and storing away the spoils he had collected. In Xuanjing, Wen Lian urged Lin Xiaoxiao to replace Wei He as Rushui Workshop’s adviser, but Lin Xiaoxiao remained loyal to him and considered expanding only after discussing it with him.

• Wei He thought about returning to Cloud Province but decided he needed to become stronger before making the dangerous journey.
• Wei He examined his hidden stash, including Zhou Shun’s map marking three flesh fields, then took gold notes and set out to spar with Wan Qingqing.
• Wei He arrived at Wan Qing Court’s training ground, where the disciples were practicing under the guidance of veteran members.
• Wen Lian criticized Lin Xiaoxiao for contracting Rushui Workshop’s markets and relying on Wei He, and advised her to seek support from Arc Light Court instead.
• Lin Xiaoxiao refused to replace Wei He, explaining that he was good to her and that her brother and business were doing well under the current arrangement.

Wen Lian was taken by Han Yuzhong after he demanded grain and meat from her father, Wen Shang, and decided to claim her in exchange for the Wen Family’s stability. Lin Xiaoxiao asked Wei He to help rescue her, but he refused to interfere in the family’s affairs.

• Wen Lian left Lin Xiaoxiao after failing to persuade her to seize the market more aggressively.
• Han Yuzhong pressured Wen Shang to provide grain and meat, then set his sights on Wen Lian when he saw her in the garden.
• Wen Shang arranged for Wen Lian to spend time with Han Yuzhong, hoping to secure the Wen Family’s future.
• Wen Lian rejected Han Yuzhong’s advances, and he had his guards restrain her before beating her unconscious.
• Lin Xiaoxiao went to Wei He and asked him to help Wen Lian after Han Yuzhong took her away.
• Wei He refused to intervene, saying he had no right to involve himself in another family’s affairs.

Wei He agreed to intervene after Lin Xiaoxiao offered him Wen Lian’s two North Map Cave Wolf meat farms, and Wang Shaojun used the Wang Family’s influence to secure Wen Lian’s release. The chapter ended with Wen Lian fleeing her family and taking refuge with Lin Xiaoxiao, while Wei He and Wang Shaojun deepened their partnership and planned future ventures.

• Lin Xiaoxiao offered Wei He both of Wen Lian’s North Map Cave Wolf meat farms in exchange for helping her, and Wei He agreed to act immediately.
• Wei He asked Wang Shaojun to intervene, and Wang sent a message to handle Wen Lian’s situation before asking Wei He to help with a separate threat involving Returning Goose Pagoda assassins.
• Wei He encountered a convoy carrying Elder Xie Minzhi and learned from Wang Shaojun that the elder was a powerful figure from the Prefectural City.
• Wang Shaojun proposed that he and Wei He build a business and family fortune together, and Wei He agreed to discuss his share later.
• Under pressure from the Wang Family, Han Yuzhong released Wen Lian before harming her, but Wen Shang had urged her to return to him.
• Wen Lian quarrelled with her family, ran away from home, and sought refuge with Lin Xiaoxiao.

After Lin Xiaoxiao rescued Wen Lian with Wei He's help, the Wen Family was destroyed by Han Yuzhong's crackdown. Wei He then accompanied Wan Ling and Wan Qingqing to a gathering where Commander Yuchi Zhong pressured the Heavenly Seal Sect to supply the Chijing Army and proposed a martial contest between their juniors.

• Lin Xiaoxiao comforted Wen Lian, explained that Wei He had helped rescue her from Han Yuzhong, and urged her to thank him.
• Han Yuzhong had the Wen Family's businesses and residences searched and seized, forcing Wen Shang and his family to flee while Wen Lian lost everything.
• Wan Ling brought Wei He and Wan Qingqing to Yuchi Zhong's gathering of the Heavenly Seal Sect's eleven branch lineages.
• Yuchi Zhong demanded supplies for the Chijing Army, and the sect leaders offered large quantities of rice and exotic beast meat before he demanded more.
• Yuchi Zhong called for a martial contest, and Shangguan Ji persuaded him to have the juniors compete instead of the sect leaders.

At a gathering in Jade Mountain Hall, Commander Yuchi Zhong challenged the Heavenly Seal Sect masters to fight his disciple Zhou Xingtong, offering to exempt the winner’s branch from tribute. After Zhou Xingtong easily defeated two chief disciples, Yuchi Zhong proposed that he face one of the Nine Sons of Heavenly Seal, leaving Shangguan Ji to weigh the threat to the aging masters.

• Commander Yuchi Zhong summoned Zhou Xingtong and offered a branch exemption from tribute to anyone who could defeat him head-on.
• Xie Rusheng challenged Zhou Xingtong, but Zhou Xingtong’s casual blow sent him crashing into the wall and left him unable to fight.
• Zhou Xingtong struck the floor with his steel whip, demonstrating his powerful Alternating Sound Jin.
• Song Huiming fought Zhou Xingtong in a contest of force but was overwhelmed and injured.
• Commander Yuchi Zhong proposed that Zhou Xingtong challenge one of the Nine Sons of Heavenly Seal, and Shangguan Ji recognized his plan to bolster Zhou Xingtong’s reputation.

At the Night Gathering, Zhou Xingtong defeated the Nine Sons of Heavenly Seal and killed Chen Yuan, while Commander Yuchi Zhong’s soldiers prevented Shangguan Ji from retaliating. Shangguan Ji left without defending the sect, prompting its branches to withdraw and Zhou Xingtong and Yuchi Zhong to plan their next moves against them.

• Zhou Xingtong challenged Wan Ling, defeated her with his Innate Copper Skin and Alternating Sound Jin, then went on to defeat Daoist Jin Xu and other leaders of the Nine Sons of Heavenly Seal.
• Chen Yuan attacked Zhou Xingtong with her full strength, but he struck her down and killed her with Alternating Sound Jin.
• Commander Yuchi Zhong’s gunmen aimed at the Heaven Seal Sect members as Shangguan Ji prepared to retaliate, and Zhou Xingtong taunted him to fight.
• Shangguan Ji departed without answering Daoist Jin Xu, and the Nine Sons of Heavenly Seal announced that their branches were leaving the sect.
• Commander Yuchi Zhong agreed that the Zhou Family could claim one-third of the territory and planned to watch Shangguan Ji while Zhou Xingtong dealt with the other branches.