Chapter Summaries

Qin Yang warned Han Anming that Emperor Ying’s alteration of the Illusory Heart Mask could expose Zhou Wang, while Zhou Wang concealed his true intentions and survived the purge. After Emperor Ying destroyed the masks and Zhou Wang’s suspicion was cleared, Zhou Wang received Duke Dai’s final message and realized Qin Yang’s hidden connection to the former dynasty.

• Qin Yang confronted Zhou Wang about Duke Dai’s sacrifice and concluded that their scheme had been designed to erase suspicion of Zhou Wang.
• Qin Yang urged Han Anming to keep Zhou Wang isolated, anticipating Emperor Ying’s imminent alteration of the Illusory Heart Mask.
• Emperor Ying changed the mask’s underlying settings at noon, and Wei Xingchao ordered the Inner Marquises to execute those whose masks revealed their loyalty to the former dynasty.
• Zhou Wang’s mask fell away, and he publicly thanked Emperor Ying, preserving his cover as a loyal member of Great Ying’s imperial clan.
• Zhou Wang received Duke Dai’s final message, recognized Qin Yang’s connection to the Thief Sect and the former dynasty, and resolved to strike back at him.

Qin Yang investigated the image found on Duke Dai and traced it to the Bai Residence, Zhou Wang’s maternal family. Suspecting Zhou Wang might carry the Former Dynasty’s imperial bloodline, Qin Yang decided to stir up rumors against him himself, since Zhou Wang had not acted against Qin Youde.

• Xu Zhengqiang gave Qin Yang intelligence about the Emperor Ying’s handling of the Illusory Heart Mask, and Qin Yang realized Zhou Wang had escaped exposure while appearing loyal.
• Qin Yang tried to contact Uncle Meng and Old Man Wei, but neither portrait responded; he then sent Wen Yubo to identify the image found on Duke Dai.
• Wen Yubo located the Bai Residence in Chou City, and Qin Yang went there to inspect its gates and investigate its connection to Zhou Wang.
• Qin Yang learned that Zhou Wang’s mother came from the Bai family and speculated that Zhou Wang might possess the Former Dynasty’s imperial bloodline, making Duke Dai’s plan to take over Great Ying’s national fortune more plausible.
• After finding no trace of a Former Dynasty connection in the Bai family genealogy, Qin Yang decided to have his subordinates spread rumors that could raise suspicion about Zhou Wang.

Qin Yang arranged for Zhang Zhengyi to pose as the successor of the Tomb Keeper and die after revealing Qin Yang as the Thieves' Sect's new preacher. The resulting rumors spread wildly, while Wei Xingchao investigated the claim and Qin Yang waited to see how the Emperor Ying would respond.

• Qin Yang warned Zhang Zhengyi that his identity as the preacher might be exposed, then gave him Strange Fruits and techniques to stage a convincing death.
• Zhang Zhengyi, disguised as a tomb robber, copied records from ancestral grounds around Li Capital until Wei Xingchao captured him at a planned ambush.
• During interrogation, Zhang Zhengyi identified himself as the Tomb Keeper's successor and named Qin Yang as the new preacher before destroying his body and soul in a blast that devastated the Heavenly Order Guard Prison.
• Wei Xingchao reported the claim to the Emperor Ying and investigated Qin Yang, while rumors falsely attributed countless ancient crimes and plots to Qin Yang.
• Zhou Wang fanned the rumors, and Qin Yang was pleased that the world was piling blame on him; he then helped Zhang Zhengyi recover from his staged death.
• Qin Yang grew anxious when Wei Xingchao still had not confronted him after several days.

Meng Yi resisted the Former Dynasty Great Emperor’s attempt to make him kill himself, choosing to trust Qin Yang instead. Qin Yang willingly went to the Heavenly Order Guard to assist with an investigation, where Xu Zhengqiang secretly warned him that the Tomb Keeper had been captured.

• Wei Xingchao struggled to investigate rumors about Qin Yang because the Emperor Ying required evidence before the Heavenly Order Guard could question him.
• The Former Dynasty Great Emperor lured Meng Yi to the Heaven-Stealing Coffin and trapped him inside the Endless Corridor, then claimed the Tomb Keeper would be captured to pressure Qin Yang into acting.
• Meng Yi nearly killed himself to prevent the Former Dynasty’s scheme, but realized his death might enable a trap for Qin Yang and chose to trust him instead.
• The Former Dynasty Great Emperor wondered whether his intelligence about the Dao Sect’s elders sacrificing themselves for their juniors had become outdated when Meng Yi refused to die.
• Xu Zhengqiang arrived at Desperate Estate with the Emperor Ying’s decree ordering Qin Yang to assist the Heavenly Order Guard’s investigation, and Qin Yang agreed to go.
• At the Heavenly Order Guard, Xu Zhengqiang secretly warned Qin Yang that the Tomb Keeper had been captured and told him to be careful.

Qin Yang faced Wei Xingchao’s interrogation in the Heavenly Order Guard Prison, where a captive presented as Uncle Meng was used to test whether Qin Yang was the Thieves’ Sect Preacher. Qin Yang talked his way through the accusations and revealed his identity as the Young Master of the Li Clan, leaving Wei Xingchao convinced he had misjudged him; the supposed Tomb Keeper was still set to be executed in seven days.

• Xu Zhengqiang warned Qin Yang that the investigation could be a trap, then led him to the Heavenly Order Guard Prison, where his cultivation was suppressed.
• Wei Xingchao presented a blindfolded captive who looked like Uncle Meng and questioned Qin Yang about his ties to the Thieves’ Sect.
• Wei Xingchao used a language expert and intercepted messages to accuse Qin Yang of being the Preacher, but Qin Yang denied knowing the captive and challenged the evidence.
• Qin Yang deflected Wei Xingchao’s accusations with explanations about the rumors, the Former Dynasty’s treasures, and Zhou Wang, then said he had acted for the Great Emperor Princess.
• Qin Yang revealed the Ghost God Token, the Heart-Devouring Gu, and the Three Lives Ghost Willow, identifying himself as the Young Master of the Li Clan and convincing Wei Xingchao he had been wrong.
• Wei Xingchao said the Tomb Keeper would be executed in seven days, and Qin Yang left without promising to attend; a language expert later reported that Qin Yang had called Wei Xingchao a melon peel.

Jiayi learned Qin Yang had been taken to the Heavenly Order Guard Prison and stormed the prison to rescue him, severely wounding Wei Xingchao before discovering Qin Yang was safe. Qin Yang urged her to submit to Emperor Ying, whose investigation revealed that the accusations had served a plot that Jiayi’s impulsive rescue had already disrupted.

• Wei Xingchao learned that Jiayi had broken into the Heavenly Order Guard and fought her way toward the prison.
• After hearing Qin Yang had been taken away, Jiayi armed herself, ordered her forces to stand by, and attacked the Heavenly Order Guard Prison.
• Jiayi fought through the prison’s defenses and its Inner Marquises, injured Wei Xingchao, and reached Qin Yang, who emerged unharmed from a breached wall.
• Qin Yang told Jiayi to go to the palace, admit her fault, and accept punishment before Wei Xingchao arrived.
• Jiayi pleaded guilty before Emperor Ying, while Wei Xingchao reported that Qin Yang was the Li clan’s Young Master and described the events surrounding his detention.
• Emperor Ying realized Jiayi had disrupted the conspirators’ scheme, forgave her, and left Wei Xingchao to face the consequences of his actions.

Qin Yang helped Wedding Dress settle the aftermath of her raid on the Heavenly Order Guard Prison, then secretly told Wei Xingchao that he planned to rob the Tomb Keeper’s execution in three days. After discovering that the supposed Meng Yi was a counterfeit, Qin Yang prepared to use the execution as a trap for the people framing him and investigate what had happened to the real Uncle Meng.

• Wedding Dress returned to the Great Emperor Princess Residence after the Emperor Ying rewarded her and kept the prison incident from becoming public.
• Qin Yang told Wedding Dress to stay indoors for a few days, then secretly visited Wei Xingchao and gave him medicine for his wounds.
• Qin Yang told Wei Xingchao he would rob the execution ground himself and asked him to distinguish Qin Yang’s allies with a jade pendant rather than arrest them.
• Qin Yang returned to Desperate Estate, released the Puppet Master, and returned the five hundred Destruction Balls it had prepared.
• Qin Yang concluded that the captured Meng Yi was a counterfeit because he used an old Daoist Sect code phrase that Uncle Meng had changed after Qin Yang mocked it.
• Qin Yang planned to use the execution to draw out the plotters, question the counterfeit, and kill those who took the bait.

Qin Yang went to the execution ground to rescue the fake Meng Yi, while Wei Xingchao set a trap for the attackers. After the ambush began, Qin Yang knocked Wei Xingchao out with a brick and the Radiant Sun Treasure Bell, then took the prisoner and fled.

• Qin Yang spent three days preparing in Secret Chamber Three, then told Golden Pig he was going to rob the Heavenly Order Guard's execution ground.
• Qin Yang arrived at the execution ground and sat beside Wei Xingchao as the chained fake Meng Yi awaited execution.
• A giant Black Hand attacked, and Wei Xingchao's armored subordinate and the Divine Dynasty's suppressive power turned the battle against the invaders.
• A God-Killing Arrow and another attacker struck at Wei Xingchao, weakening the great seal and drawing his attention to the attackers' lack of Qin Yang's identifying aura.
• Qin Yang struck Wei Xingchao with a black brick and the Radiant Sun Treasure Bell, then broke the fake Meng Yi's chains and carried him away.
• Wei Xingchao survived behind a barrier underground and angrily concluded Qin Yang had settled personal scores under the guise of public duty.

Qin Yang escaped with the fake Meng Yi, uncovered and killed him, then learned Uncle Meng was still alive but trapped. Back in Great Ying, the Black Azure Water Buffalo and the Ghost God Band crushed the prison-break conspirators, while a staged report sent the court into a futile attack on Qin Yang and Ying Ying.

• Qin Yang fled toward Kui Mountain with the sealed fake Meng Yi while the Black Azure Water Buffalo revealed itself and helped the Ghost God Band subdue the prison-break forces.
• The Black Azure Water Buffalo spared Wei Xingchao, and the remaining Great Ying experts withdrew as the Ghost God Band sealed the battlefield and killed the invaders.
• Qin Yang removed the fake Meng Yi's seals, then sealed his power when he tried to attack and killed him after he refused to reveal Uncle Meng's location.
• Qin Yang used Corpse Touching to learn that Uncle Meng was trapped rather than dead, then had the Puppet Master steer the flying vessel back to Desperate Estate.
• Wei Xingchao reported the events to the Emperor Ying, and later received a Jade Slip showing Qin Yang escaping with the prisoner.
• At court, Ying Ying confirmed the accusation against Qin Yang, but Wei Xingchao realized the Emperor Ying had tacitly approved Qin Yang's actions.

Qin Yang traced Zhou Wang’s Former Dynasty imperial bloodline through hundreds of generations and exposed his findings at the grand court assembly. Zhou Wang demanded a bloodline test, leaving the accusation unresolved.

• After the court assembly, Zhou Wang learned that the Heavenly Order Guard’s execution squad had survived but his own and the Former Dynasty’s forces had been wiped out.
• In Secret Chamber Three, Qin Yang used the Thinking Art to sort through nearly a million records and identify a continuous line of women carrying the Former Dynasty imperial bloodline.
• After recovering, Qin Yang visited Wei Xingchao and warned him that he planned to accuse Zhou Wang at court, giving him copied documents as evidence.
• At the grand court assembly, Qin Yang presented his accusation and traced Zhou Wang’s bloodline through 889 generations, from the Bai lineage back to the Former Dynasty imperial family.
• Zhou Wang rejected Qin Yang’s claim, then knelt and volunteered to undergo a bloodline test.

Qin Yang helped expose Zhou Wang’s suspected former-dynasty bloodline, then left court with a reward and encountered the Illusory Sea Clan’s Great Elder. The Emperor Ying ordered Zhou Wang to commit suicide without testing his bloodline, while Qin Yang returned to Desperate Estate unaware of Zhou Wang’s fate.

• The Emperor Ying treated Qin Yang’s evidence against Zhou Wang as credible, and Qin Yang believed Zhou Wang’s demand for a bloodline test had doomed him.
• The Emperor Ying excused Qin Yang from court and awarded him a Ten Thousand Year Ice Heart Lotus, which Qin Yang accepted before leaving Li Capital.
• Near Desperate Estate, Qin Yang saw through an illusion and met the Illusory Sea Clan’s Great Elder, who asked about the missing Second Elder and Illusory Sea Setsuna.
• Qin Yang politely declined to accompany the Great Elder to the Blue Cave, and the Great Elder left after deciding Qin Yang likely knew nothing of the Second Elder’s death.
• At the Ancestral Temple, the Emperor Ying rejected Zhou Wang’s plea for a bloodline test and ordered him to commit suicide before his father’s spirit tablet.
• Zhou Wang protested that he had no choice after Duke Dai revealed his bloodline, but the Emperor Ying had already left.

Qin Yang handled Zhou Wang’s funeral after Zhou Wang took his own life, and the Emperor Ying ordered him buried in the Dragon Vein Ancestral Court. Qin Yang then visited the viewing and asked where Zhou Wang’s coffin had come from.

• Qin Yang heard that Zhou Wang had taken his own life in the Ancestral Temple and considered how Zhou Wang’s fear of the Emperor Ying had led to his downfall.
• Eunuch Wang told Qin Yang that Zhou Wang’s funeral arrangements were his responsibility, and Qin Yang went to the Ministry of Rites to organize them.
• Qin Yang’s subordinates completed the funeral preparations within a day, aided by the fear that Qin Yang might retaliate against anyone who obstructed him.
• Qin Yang reported to the Emperor Ying, who ordered that Zhou Wang enter the Dragon Vein Ancestral Court despite the manner of his death.
• Qin Yang confronted Wei Xingchao over rumors that Qin Yang was petty, then went to Zhou Wang’s Residence and asked where the coffin had come from.

Qin Yang investigated the unusual coffin prepared for Zhou Wang and learned that it was a Black Phoenix Tree set intended to enable rebirth through nirvana. He completed Zhou Wang’s funeral and sent him into the Dragon Vein Ancestral Court, leaving the former dynasty’s plan to revive him thwarted for now.

• Qin Yang examined Zhou Wang’s coffin and suspected it was tied to a hidden plan, then found the coffin maker in the eastern district.
• Qin Yang paid the old craftsman fifty years of lifespan to learn that the coffin and outer coffin were a Black Phoenix Tree set used for nirvana, and heard that Duke Dai had cheated the craftsman.
• Qin Yang returned to the Zhou Wang Residence and carefully oversaw the funeral preparations and seven-day vigil.
• Qin Yang performed Corpse Touching as Zhou Wang’s coffin was sealed, then led the procession to the Dragon Vein Ancestral Court.
• Qin Yang watched the tomb-guarding strongmen carry Zhou Wang’s coffin inside and concluded that the former dynasty’s plan to use the Black Phoenix Tree for rebirth would fail.

Qin Yang deduced how the Former Dynasty Great Emperor planned to use Zhou Wang, the Heaven-Stealing Coffin, and Great Ying’s national fortune to be reborn and seize the throne. After returning to Desperate Estate, he examined Zhou Wang’s memories and the Great Bright Palace Chapter, then reasoned that Uncle Meng might have been lured into a trap connected to the former dynasty’s remaining Heaven-Stealing Coffin, most likely in the Northernmost Land.

• Qin Yang pieced together the former dynasty’s plan to use Zhou Wang and the Black Parasol Tree Coffin to rebirth the Former Dynasty Great Emperor inside Great Ying’s Dragon Vein Ancestral Court and take the throne.
• Qin Yang returned to Li Capital, filed his report, finished Zhou Wang’s funeral arrangements, and then left for Desperate Estate after speaking with Wedding Dress.
• Qin Yang examined the light orbs he had touched from Zhou Wang and found a plan outlining Zhou Wang’s intended rise and a cultivation method called the Great Bright Palace Chapter of Cast Dao Court.
• Qin Yang realized that Corpse Touching revealed only what the dead person believed, so Zhou Wang’s memories could not provide the full truth about Uncle Meng.
• Qin Yang considered where the former dynasty had hidden its new Heaven-Stealing Coffin and concluded that the Northernmost Land was the likeliest location and possible trap for Uncle Meng.

Qin Yang devised a plan to rescue Meng Yi by using the Book of Myriad Techniques auction to draw out the former dynasty and mobilizing Great Ying to search the Northernmost Land. When the Former Dynasty Great Emperor’s dharma body learned that Qin Yang had sent investigators rather than risking a direct rescue, Meng Yi felt reassured and focused on breaking the Endless Corridor.

• Qin Yang decided that rescuing Meng Yi himself was too risky, so he traveled north and secretly arranged to meet Wei Xingchao in his Jade Carriage.
• Qin Yang proposed using the Book of Myriad Techniques auction to lure out the former dynasty, and he and Wei Xingchao agreed that Great Ying’s forces would search the likely hiding places, especially the Northernmost Land.
• Wei Xingchao reported the plan to Emperor Ying, who approved it and sent Imperial Guards, Blood Phoenix, and Jia Yi to prepare to support the operation.
• Qin Yang used his avatar to travel to the Extremely Northern Ice Field while Wei Xingchao concealed his movements, and Great Ying’s spies and Outer Marquises began converging there.
• The Former Dynasty Great Emperor’s dharma body told Meng Yi that Qin Yang had deduced his location and asked how to win Qin Yang over, but Meng Yi rejected the idea and resumed breaking the Endless Corridor.

The Yin Emperor confronted Qin Yang’s clone in the Extremely Northern Ice Field and tried once more to recruit him, but the clone detonated Destruction Balls and badly damaged the Yin Emperor’s dharma body. The blast let Meng Yi escape the Endless Corridor, while Qin Yang left Desperate Estate with Blackie and headed for Li Capital to stay safe.

• The Yin Emperor abandoned the Endless Corridor after learning that Qin Yang had announced a Netherworld Auction featuring Great Yin’s Book of Myriad Techniques, and Meng Yi sensed the corridor’s power weaken.
• The Yin Emperor met Qin Yang’s clone, offered to rebuild the Dao Sect and make him Great Yin’s Crown Prince, and learned that Qin Yang refused to join him.
• The Yin Emperor restrained the clone, but Qin Yang detonated the Destruction Balls hidden inside it, blasting the Yin Emperor’s dharma body thousands of miles and leaving a vast scar across the ice field.
• Blood Phoenix arrived, fought through the Yin Emperor’s lightning, and saw the destruction before leaving to report it; the tremor also gave Meng Yi a chance to escape the Endless Corridor.
• Qin Yang recalled the clone’s encounter at Desperate Estate, then left for Li Capital with Blackie while the Golden Pig stayed behind.

Qin Yang took refuge at the Heavenly Order Guard headquarters after reporting that he had injured Yin Emperor's Dharma Body, prompting Emperor Ying to order a search. Meanwhile, the wounded Dharma Body sought the Illusory Sea Clan's help in finding the painter's painting, and the Great Elder agreed to negotiate an alliance.

• Qin Yang told Wei Xingchao that Yin Emperor's Dharma Body had appeared in the Extremely Northern Ice Field and been severely injured, so Wei Xingchao reported the news to Emperor Ying.
• Emperor Ying confirmed that the Directorate of Celestial Observations had detected the explosion and ordered the Heavenly Order Guard to find Yin Emperor's Dharma Body.
• Qin Yang stayed at the Heavenly Order Guard headquarters and learned that traces of the Endless Corridor confirmed Uncle Meng had escaped after Yin Emperor's Dharma Body pursued him.
• Yin Emperor's Dharma Body traveled toward the Eastern Sea and asked the Illusory Sea Clan to lend him the painter's painting so he could find its copy.
• The Illusory Sea Great Elder agreed to proceed on the condition that Yin Emperor establish an alliance with the Illusory Sea Clan in Great Yin's name.

Illusory Sea Great Elder allied with the Yin Emperor to search for the duplicate of the Mountains and Rivers Painting, but their trail led them to Qin Yang and the sealed Death World. The pair reached Desperate Estate seeking Qin Yang, only to learn from Golden Pig that he had gone to Li Capital.

• Illusory Sea Great Elder and the Yin Emperor agreed to a contract: the Great Elder would lend the original Mountains and Rivers Painting to locate its duplicate, and the Yin Emperor swore not to harm Illusory Sea.
• The Yin Emperor used the painting three times but failed to find the duplicate, so Illusory Sea Great Elder revealed the shortcut into the Death World near Zong Island.
• The Yin Emperor and Illusory Sea Great Elder crossed the Burial River into the Death World, where the Yin Emperor's dharma body recovered from its destructive aura and found the exit sealed.
• The Yin Emperor told Illusory Sea Great Elder that Illusory Sea Second Elder and Illusory Sea Setsuna had fallen into the boundless void, then learned Qin Yang had entered the Death World and blamed him for the sealing.
• The Yin Emperor and Illusory Sea Great Elder left the Death World and traveled to Desperate Estate, where Golden Pig told them Qin Yang had gone to Li Capital.

Yin Emperor's dharma body sent the Illusory Sea Great Elder to question Qin Yang, but Qin Yang's bluffs and a staged attack turned the elder against Yin Emperor. Qin Yang left the Illusory Sea Great Elder suspecting his ally and revealed to readers that the sealed instance was hidden in his Sea Eye.

• Yin Emperor's dharma body decided not to enter Li Capital and persuaded the Illusory Sea Great Elder to infiltrate the Heavenly Order Guard and question Qin Yang.
• The Illusory Sea Great Elder confronted Qin Yang about the Burial River passage, and Qin Yang denied knowing its dangers while accusing the elder of suspecting him despite his keeping their secrets.
• Qin Yang claimed the elder was working for the former dynasty, then suggested Yin Emperor's dharma body had manipulated him; a staged lightning attack threw the elder's suspicions into further turmoil.
• Qin Yang helped the Illusory Sea Great Elder escape during the Heavenly Order Guard's response, and the elder returned to the Desperate Estate to question the Golden Pig.
• The Golden Pig named the South Sea Dao Lord and Burial Sea Dao Lord as its sealers, convincing the Illusory Sea Great Elder that Qin Yang was unrelated and prompting him to plan against Yin Emperor's dharma body.
• Qin Yang passed off the attack as a drill for the Heavenly Order Guard and concluded that distrust had broken the alliance, while revealing that he had sealed the instance inside his Sea Eye.

The Illusory Sea Great Elder believed the Yin Emperor’s incarnation planned to use him and the Illusory Sea Clan, so he reported the incarnation’s location to the Emperor Ying in exchange for the clan’s safety. The Emperor Ying exposed and pursued his former rival, leaving Qin Yang shaken by Great Ying’s overwhelming power.

• Qin Yang reflected on his encounter with the Illusory Sea Great Elder and prepared to deal with the Book of Myriad Techniques, the Table Painting, and their related memories.
• The Illusory Sea Great Elder suspected the Yin Emperor’s incarnation intended to kill him and seize control of the Illusory Sea Clan, so he decided to strike first by alerting the Emperor Ying.
• The Illusory Sea Great Elder entered the palace city and offered the Yin Emperor’s location in exchange for the Emperor Ying’s promise not to attack the Illusory Sea Clan if it did not rebel.
• The Emperor Ying used the Imperial Seal to expose the Yin Emperor’s concealment and crossed thousands of miles on a Golden Bridge to confront him.
• The Emperor Ying’s command to execute the former-dynasty traitor killed some people within three thousand miles, and Wei Xingchao organized the recovery of the dead across Li Capital.
• Qin Yang saw one of the victims and realized the Emperor Ying had personally acted against the Yin Emperor’s incarnation, then tried to calm himself by insisting he was only helping Jiayi in an internal struggle.