Chapter Summaries

After defeating Qiongqi, Li refused to rule Yuetai Villa and offered its residents the chance to move to Jinxia City. The group reached the foot of Baiyao Mountain, where Mu Youhong presented Li with control of the Baiji Caravan.

• Li collapsed from injuries caused by her technique, then told Yuetai Villa’s residents they could choose their own future.
• Li revealed that Jinxia City welcomed demons, and most of the Villa residents chose to go there with her.
• Li and the others discovered a hollow filled with bones, a suspected sacrificial site, and a strange book bearing an image of a black stone gate.
• The group left Baiyao Mountain and camped in the wilderness with supplies and tents brought by Mu Youhong.
• Mu Youhong presented Li with a waist token and offered her the Baiji Caravan.

Li accepted Mu Youhong’s Baiji Caravan as an independent intelligence network for finding Yao, while Mu Youhong continued to lead its daily operations. Meanwhile, Yu Linglong and Shadow arrived in Jinxia City, were struck by its bustling and welcoming atmosphere, and headed straight for the Academy.

• Mu Youhong offered Li the Baiji Caravan, and Li accepted while leaving him responsible for its daily plans and recruitment.
• Fu Zhuzhi chose to travel with Mu Youhong’s caravan instead of going to Shenzhou, and Li agreed to let him repay his debt that way.
• Li and Tsi Qing discussed Fu Zhuzhi’s feelings and returned toward Jinxia City.
• Yu Linglong and Shadow arrived at Jinxia City and were stunned by the crowds of ordinary people seeking customers and workers at the dock.
• Yu Linglong completed the city’s thorough but welcoming registration and decided to go directly to the Academy.

Yu Linglong investigated Jinxia City's Academy by posing as a candied hawthorn vendor and discovered that many students could sense Qi. When officials confronted her over an unlicensed stall, Yu Shuangxue appeared and recognized her.

• Yu Linglong and Shadow discussed the Yao living openly in Jinxia and the possibility that the Academy was teaching children Qi.
• Yu Linglong set up a candied hawthorn stall outside the Academy to test students for Qi Sense.
• As she handed out skewers, Yu Linglong found more than twenty Qi Sense Users among the children.
• Two officials confronted Yu Linglong for selling food without a permit, while Shadow prepared to fight and urged her to escape.
• Yu Shuangxue appeared and asked Yu Linglong if she was Linglong.

Yu Linglong accepted Yu Shuangxue’s invitation to dinner and discovered that Xintao had become a Qi Sense User despite never training in qi. The revelation suggested that Jinxia City’s changes could awaken people regardless of where they lived.

• Yu Shuangxue vouched for Yu Linglong with the uniformed men, who warned Yu Linglong to obtain a permit before selling at a stall.
• Yu Shuangxue invited Yu Linglong to her home and explained that she trusted her because of her kindness to the women at Wushuang Pavilion.
• Yu Linglong reunited with Xintao, who told her she attended the Academy as a student and complained about her classmates and homework.
• Yu Linglong sensed a disturbance in Xintao’s qi and identified her as a newly awakened Qi Sense User.
• Yu Linglong realized Xintao’s awakening suggested Jinxia City’s changes could affect people even in Shangyuan City.

Yu Linglong investigated why Jinxia Academy students were awakening as Qi Sense Users and decided to approach Xia Fan about joining the Bureau of Military Affairs. Her meeting with Olina Okan erupted into a fight that set Yu Shuangxue’s home on fire, leaving both women facing her fury.

• Yu Linglong learned from Xintao and Yu Shuangxue that students at Jinxia Academy were awakening as Qi Sense Users, and offered to teach Xintao qi guidance.
• Yu Linglong examined Yu Shuangxue’s Elementary Gewu Introduction textbook but found no obvious secret behind the awakenings.
• Yu Linglong told Shadow she intended to speak with Xia Fan about taking over the Bureau of Military Affairs and becoming the new Seven-Star Envoy.
• Olina Okan recognized Yu Linglong and attacked her, prompting Shadow to counterattack while Yu Linglong tried to explain herself.
• Yu Shuangxue intervened, and both Yu Linglong and Olina stopped fighting, but Olina’s dragon breath left a charred gash and set the desk ablaze.
• Yu Shuangxue turned on the two women over the damage, and both shuddered under her furious glare.

Yu Linglong met with Ning Wanjun and Xia Fan to explain why she had come to Jinxia and reveal the Bureau of Military Affairs’ goals and the possibility of traitors within its ranks. She proposed bringing the truth back to Shangyuan City and gathering trustworthy Fangshi, with Ning Wanjun becoming the new Seven-Star Envoy.

• Jinxia’s guards brought Yu Linglong to Fengyang Mountain Villa, where she explained that she had come on her own rather than as an envoy from the Bureau of Military Affairs.
• Yu Linglong said she had been moved to contact Jinxia after meeting Xia Fan and hearing Yan’s views, and she described the Bureau’s aims and her observations.
• Ning Wanjun confirmed that Qi Sense Users in Jinxia had an awakening rate nearly a hundred times higher than those in Bai River and Anshen, though the cause remained uncertain.
• Yu Linglong revealed that Fei Nian had used a technique resembling Evil Spirit arts, suggesting an outside force had infiltrated the Bureau’s upper ranks.
• Yu Linglong proposed returning to Shangyuan City and working with Feathered Garment Qian to unite trustworthy Fangshi, telling Ning Wanjun she could become the new Seven-Star Envoy.

Ning Qianshi learned that a True Dragon had destroyed Fei Nian’s forward camp in Huiyang City and that Jinxia City could rapidly share intelligence and track agents. He resolved to launch an encirclement and suppression campaign against Ning Wanjun’s forces.

• Ning Qianshi heard from Dong Mao that Ning Weiyuan was playing the role of Son of Heaven and that the Retired Emperor had been visiting West Garden Cemetery.
• Fei Nian returned to the capital and reported that a True Dragon had destroyed the Huiyang City forward camp, killing most of his personnel and both his martial uncles.
• Fei Nian said Jinxia City used Yao to track Secret Agents, intercepted several contact points, and had declared war on the Bureau of Military Affairs.
• Fei Nian reported that Jinxia City was suspected of using Evil-Spirit Sorcery and warned that conventional methods could not contain its growth.
• Ning Qianshi spared Fei Nian punishment and decided that mobilizing the army for an encirclement and suppression campaign was unavoidable.

Bai Zhan struggled with the limits of his Kun-based swordsmanship after realizing he could not overcome Xia Fan’s Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder. Fei Nian revealed a possible way for Bai Zhan to broaden his abilities, leaving him stunned by the information.

• Bai Zhan practiced his swordsmanship in the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Hall and recalled how Xia Fan’s Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder had made his attacks and defenses useless.
• Fei Nian returned to Shangyuan and criticized Bai Zhan’s sword as too slow, prompting Bai Zhan to strike him and break his shoulder.
• Fei Nian explained that Bai Zhan’s reliance on the Kun Technique made his attacks slower, which could decide a fight against powerful sorcerers.
• Fei Nian suggested that Bai Zhan’s limitation was his reliance on the Kun trigram and said Listeners could use Immortal Arts without the same Mental Nature restrictions.
• Fei Nian whispered that he knew of an Immortal Art suited to Bai Zhan’s swordsmanship, and Bai Zhan asked where he had learned of it.

Bai Zhan sparred with Qian as Ning Qianshi announced that the Bureau of Military Affairs would move up its campaign against Jinxia and surround Shenzhou with armies from across Da Qi. The armies were set to depart the next day, with Ning Qianshi ordering them to crush Jinxia despite the risks posed by its Fangshi and suspected use of Evil Spirit techniques.

• Fei Nian visited Bai Zhan, then left after saying he had reported the front-line situation to Ning Qianshi.
• Qian challenged Bai Zhan to spar, and Bai Zhan eagerly attacked him with a wooden sword.
• Ning Qianshi told the assembled officials that earlier efforts against Jinxia had failed and that victory would have to be decided by force.
• Ning Qianshi outlined a plan to send armies from ten prefectures toward Shenzhou and encircle it from the west, south, and north.
• Ning Qianshi said Jinxia had fewer than thirty thousand defenders, but warned that its Fangshi, Xia Fan, and suspected Evil Spirit techniques made the campaign uncertain.
• Ning Qianshi ordered the armies to begin departing for the Shenzhou border the next day and declared that Jinxia had to be crushed.

The Baiji Caravan returned to Jinxia with nearly a hundred Yao, and Shanhui reassured them that Li would protect them as they settled into the city. Li reunited with Xia Fan, explained that she had grown a second tail, and described the Yao she had rescued from the Villa; after bathing and changing, the newcomers received a welcoming dinner.

• The Baiji Caravan reached Jinxia, and Shanhui reassured Wu Lie and the other Yao that Li would treat them as her people and help with their problems.
• The group stopped at a riverside camp, where Shanhui explained that they needed to bathe before entering the city.
• Li met Xia Fan outside the city, and he confirmed she was unharmed before asking about the changes she had mentioned.
• Li told Xia Fan that she had grown a second tail, then listed the kinds and numbers of Yao she had rescued from the Villa.
• Wu Lie and the others completed a thorough bath, received new clothes, and were served a full dinner.

Wu Lie and the other migrants ate a lavish meal before bathing and receiving temporary shelter, part of the Affairs Bureau’s effort to welcome refugees and prevent disease. Xia Fan reviewed the Yao migrants’ abilities and considered how some might serve Jinxia City, ending with the discovery of an eighteen-year-old Snake Demon named Ying.

• Wu Lie and Wu Qi were astonished by the feast and ate until their fears about their situation eased.
• The Affairs Bureau’s measures for washing, examining, and feeding refugees were explained, including the lessons learned from earlier outbreaks.
• The migrants were assigned temporary tents on the outskirts according to their family ties.
• Xia Fan reviewed the abilities and backgrounds of the Rabbit Demons, who were suited to healing Sorcery Arts.
• Xia Fan considered recruiting the four Dog Demons to help the understaffed Arrest Division.
• Xia Fan learned that the eighteen-year-old Snake Demon was named Ying.

Xia Fan learned about Ying’s unusual ability to retrieve objects when unobserved and encouraged Li to accept her two tails. Li left behind her worries about her appearance, while Xia Fan reaffirmed his support for her ambition to become the King of Ten Thousand Yao.

• Li teased Xia Fan for staring at Ying’s name, and he explained that it reminded him of a tale about a Snake Demon and a human marrying.
• Li described Ying’s masked appearance and shyness, then urged Xia Fan to keep her company because he was good at comforting people.
• Xia Fan learned that Ying could retrieve objects from sealed containers only when no one was watching, and that she could pass through obstacles as a snake at the cost of leaving her clothes behind.
• Xia Fan asked Li to show him her changes, and she emerged wearing her usual outfit with one brown tail and one white tail.
• Li worried that her two tails were ugly, but Xia Fan praised them as a sign of her extraordinary nature and promised to support her goals.
• Li let go of her worries and told Xia Fan that he was very good at comforting people.

Shangyuan City sent troops toward Jinxia, and Ning Wanjun gathered Jinxia’s leaders to prepare for the coming war. As Xia Fan and Li left the meeting, Li mentioned a strange book with a gate pattern that she had found at Yuetai Villa.

• Ning Wanjun told Jinxia’s leaders that Shangyuan City had mobilized troops and attacked two outposts on the Shenzhou border.
• Staff Officer He reported that Shangyuan could deploy at least a hundred thousand soldiers, while Xia Fan and He Guicai urged Jinxia to focus on concentrating forces and striking enemy weaknesses.
• Ning Wanjun ordered the Staff Department to plan Jinxia’s response and declared that the battle could not be avoided.
• Xia Fan and Li discussed the coming war after leaving the reception hall, and Li admitted she was worried about Xia Fan’s survival.
• Li told Xia Fan that she had found a book with a gate pattern in the villa master’s room at Yuetai Villa, though she could not read its writing.

Yu Linglong returned to Shangyuan City with evidence from Jinxia and sought clues that might help stop the Bureau of Military Affairs’ planned war. She found a possible lead in Fei Nian’s connection to the Curio Appreciation Fair, then encountered a strange problem as she and Wei Wendao tried to leave his study.

• Yu Linglong hid the two books she had bought in Jinxia and planned to use them to persuade Qian and other Bureau of Military Affairs members to oppose the campaign.
• Yu Linglong received Wei Wendao’s note about Fei Nian’s background and decided to visit him that night for more information.
• Yu Linglong told Wei Wendao that the war against Jinxia City would not be fought and accepted Fei Nian’s files and interview records.
• Yu Linglong noticed that the Fei Clan attended the Curio Appreciation Fair almost every year, but found no other suspicious information in the records.
• Wei Wendao offered to question senior Fei Clan Sorcerers further, then discovered that the study door was stuck as Yu Linglong prepared to leave.

Yu Linglong and Shadow confronted Fei Nian after he trapped them inside a sealed house and mortally wounded Wei Wendao. Fei Nian revealed that he knew they had investigated him, and Yu Linglong vanished during their fight, leaving her escape uncertain.

• Yu Linglong found the door and window sealed, and Fei Nian stabbed Wei Wendao through the door.
• Fei Nian entered and explained that He'er had noticed the repeated investigations into the Fei Clan; Yu Linglong accused him of using Evil Spirit Art.
• Shadow and Yu Linglong attacked Fei Nian with arrows, but he kept fighting despite his wounds and burned Yu Linglong's shoulder with strange black fire.
• Yu Linglong questioned Fei Nian's identity after noticing that his injuries did not affect him, while Shadow urged her to escape.
• Fei Nian claimed the house was sealed and filled it with black flames after Yu Linglong disappeared; when the flames cleared, she was gone.

Yu Linglong escaped Fei Nian’s attack but was left badly injured, then learned that the Bureau of Military Affairs had branded her a traitor and that Qian and Bai Zhan had already left Shangyuan. Despite Shadow urging her to abandon the plan, she decided to contact another core member and try to stop the Bureau from blindly pursuing war.

• Yu Linglong used Shadow’s ability to escape Fei Nian through a hole in the door and fled the city with the Seven Stars Token.
• Two days later, Yu Linglong learned that Qian and Bai Zhan had left Shangyuan and that the Bureau had issued a wanted notice accusing her of defecting and attacking Fei Nian.
• Yu Linglong kept Fei Nian’s attack from a friend who had secretly brought her news, unwilling to endanger him.
• Shadow urged Yu Linglong to return to Jinxia, but Yu Linglong argued that she had to stop the Bureau from pursuing war.
• Yu Linglong persuaded Shadow to help her contact another core member, and Shadow agreed on the condition that they would leave the Capital Region after one meeting.

Yan Qing translated the black leather book, revealing that the Black Gate Cult had searched the mountains south of Ganzhou for King Yong’s tomb. Xia Fan and Yan Qing recognized the discovery’s significance, but the book’s account left them uncertain how far the cult had progressed.

• Yan Qing told Xia Fan that the book’s secret language was still in use recently and that her translation was only preliminary.
• Xia Fan, Yan Qing, and Li read the journal entries describing the Pope’s search for something in the mountains and the dangers faced by her followers.
• The journal recounted the group’s discovery of a vast sinkhole, signs of earlier human activity, and evidence suggesting a ritual vessel and a possible burial site.
• The final entries said the group planned to return to its main altar after losing many members, and mentioned that the Pope had perceived the truth and that they might unveil King Yong’s Seven-Star Mystery.
• Xia Fan and Yan Qing deduced that King Yong’s tomb was likely in the deep mountains south of Ganzhou and worried that the Black Gate Cult might reach it first.

Xia Fan and the Staff Department prepared to counter the Ganzhou Army’s advance across the Lichuan River, while the Black Gate Cult’s search for a sinkhole remained unresolved. At Wangshan Ferry, General Qi Duming met Bureau of Military Affairs officer Luo Aoying as the first border battle approached.

• Xia Fan questioned Wu Lie about the sinkhole, but Wu Lie had never seen it, and a messenger reported large-scale movements along the Ganshen border.
• He Guicai reported that at least ten thousand men had gathered near Pingzhen Ferry and Wangshan Ferry, which were under martial law.
• Ning Wanjun and Staff Officer He discussed striking the Ganzhou Army as it crossed the Lichuan River, and Xia Fan proposed expanding the maneuver to prevent its escape.
• At Wangshan Ferry, Qi Duming requested an audience with Luo Aoying, who explained that his Qi Awakening affected the surrounding flow of qi.

Qi Duming's troops faced a sudden Jinxia assault at the Lichuan River, and Luo Aoying prepared the Immortal-Binding Formation to counter the attacking dragons. As Luo Qingqing and Tsi Qing joined the aerial strike, the formation's twisted hands rose from the earth to seize the attackers.

• Qi Duming warned Luo Aoying that his scouts had vanished and requested Qi Sense Users to protect reconnaissance, but Luo Aoying granted only one person for local defense.
• A guard reported that more than two thousand Jinxia soldiers had appeared on the eastern bank, so Qi Duming ordered his troops to retreat and defend the river crossing.
• Ning Wanjun's Mechanical Beast appeared with the Jinxia force, and Qi Duming recognized that the enemy intended to cross the river.
• Olina, Okan, and Chi attacked the western bank's watchtowers and weapons as Luo Aoying went to activate the Immortal-Binding Formation against the dragons.
• Chi dropped Luo Qingqing and Tsi Qing into the attack, but violet-lit pillars unleashed twisted hands from beneath the ground toward Olina and Chi.

The Jinxia Army launched a river crossing while Chi, Tsi Qing, and Luo Qingqing fought the Ganzhou defenders. The Immortal-Binding Formation captured Olina, but Luo Qingqing defeated Myriad-Edge as Qi Duming committed his central army to the battle.

• Chi dodged the Immortal-Binding Formation, but Olina was bound and dragged to the ground.
• Luo Qingqing charged Luo Aoying while Tsi Qing rose from her fall and fought through the Ganzhou soldiers.
• Qian Zhi and nine other Living Dead froze a path across the Lichuan River as Ning Wanjun’s Xuanwu Mechanical Beasts shielded their advance from the Ganzhou artillery.
• Qi Duming ordered his central army to reinforce the riverbank and called for his Green Dragon Blade.
• Luo Qingqing severed Luo Aoying’s ankle and struck him with a giant sword of light.