Chapter Summaries

Jiang Qinghe returned to the inn with news that he had killed three Profound Light First Realm agents and uncovered a plot linked to a Cangzhou Prefecture Garrison Deputy Garrison Master. With the team trapped in Donghua City and a Wind Thunder Sect Disciple named Wang Mang also targeted, Pei Chenye chose to take everyone to Huoyun Pavilion’s headquarters to meet him.

• Pei Chenye told Jiang Qinghe that the team had found no useful clues and could no longer contact Cangfeng City, leaving them uncertain whether to stay or flee.
• Jiang Qinghe revealed that he had killed three Profound Light First Realm agents near Wild Goose Slope, then demonstrated his power and handed Pei Chenye their letter pages.
• Pei Chenye learned that a Deputy Garrison Master was implicated in the tribute-switching case and had plotted to target Wind Thunder Sect Disciple Wang Mang.
• Jiang Qinghe proposed going to Huoyun Pavilion’s headquarters to warn and meet Wang Mang, where the enemy would be less likely to attack openly.
• Pei Chenye agreed and ordered the team to pack and depart immediately for Huoyun Pavilion’s headquarters.

Pei Chenye and the Supervision Department team visited Huoyun Pavilion to investigate Shen Huan’s suspicious death. After Wang Ben recognized the reason for their arrival, Pei Chenye asked Jiang Qinghe to explain the clues, and Jiang Qinghe began his account.

• The seven members of the Supervision Department traveled to Huoyun Pavilion, where Lin Xuanhui described the enormous Artifact Refining Main Tower.
• Pei Chenye presented his token and requested an audience with Huoyun Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Wang Haibiao.
• Wang Ben greeted the group, explained that his father was in closed-door cultivation, and escorted them inside.
• After tea, Wang Ben asked whether Pei Chenye had come because of Shen Huan’s death.
• Pei Chenye asked Jiang Qinghe to explain the matter, and Jiang Qinghe began to speak.

Jiang Qinghe and Pei Chenye sought Huoyun Pavilion’s help after revealing a conspiracy involving stolen tribute and a plot to kill Wang Ben’s son, Wang Mang. Wang Ben agreed to shelter the Supervision Department while consulting his father, leaving the group temporarily safe but awaiting Huoyun Pavilion’s decision.

• Jiang Qinghe told Wang Ben that the investigation into Yin Bangcan’s disappearance and Shen Huan’s death had uncovered stolen tribute and involvement by the Prefecture Garrison’s upper ranks.
• Jiang Qinghe showed Wang Ben a letter detailing an ambush planned against Wang Mang and an attempt to seize the Sky-Burning Halberd, convincing Wang Ben that the threat was real.
• Pei Chenye and Jiang Qinghe asked Huoyun Pavilion to cooperate with Cangfeng City’s City Lord’s Mansion against the conspirators and shelter Wang Mang.
• Wang Ben said he would consult his father, allowed the Supervision Department to remain at Huoyun Pavilion, and ordered the Crimson Flame Guard commander to meet him.
• A steward led the seven Supervision Department members to Jia-3 Courtyard, where Pei Chenye told them to rest and conserve their strength.

Pei Chenye and Jiang Qinghe discussed whether Wang Ben and Huoyun Pavilion would help them oppose the threat to Wang Mang, then prepared for their rendezvous. Meanwhile, Wang Haibiao’s effort to forge a true Spirit Weapon for Wang Mang hit a setback when the Earth Fire weakened and the halberd’s core fusion stalled.

• Pei Chenye asked Jiang Qinghe how much Wang Ben believed and whether Huoyun Pavilion would cooperate, and Jiang Qinghe judged that Wang Haibiao’s decision would be crucial.
• Pei Chenye promised to recommend Jiang Qinghe for a higher post if they overcame the crisis, and they planned for the next day’s meeting with Wang Mang.
• Jiang Qinghe returned to his room and resumed comprehending the Indestructible King Kong Shield.
• Wang Haibiao continued forging the Sky-Burning Halberd, a true Spirit Weapon intended for Wang Mang, after three years of work.
• The Earth Fire weakened suddenly, disrupting the halberd’s spiritual radiance and preventing the Void Flame Crystal from completing its fusion.

Wang Haibiao halted the Sky-Burning Halberd’s final refinement when the Earth Fire Vein weakened, preserving the weapon blank while investigating the anomaly. After Wang Ben reported a plot against Wang Mang involving Ma Shixiao, Wang Haibiao ordered him to protect Wang Mang and keep Huoyun Pavilion stable as the forging remained stalled.

• Wang Haibiao sensed the Earth Fire Vein weaken and reduced his mystic light output to preserve the halberd blank and its nascent spirituality.
• Wang Ben used the emergency sound-transmission formation to report that the Supervision Department had arrived, tribute had been switched, and someone in the Garrison Mansion intended to harm Wang Mang.
• Wang Haibiao suspected Ma Shixiao, whom he believed was acting under the protection of his brother-in-law, Li Tianyu.
• Wang Haibiao ordered Wang Ben to send more men to protect Wang Mang, cooperate cautiously with the Supervision Department, and keep Huoyun Pavilion stable.
• Wang Haibiao resumed maintaining the halberd’s fragile balance while tracing the Earth Fire Vein’s irregular fluctuations.

Fei Jingci learned that Yu Muyuan and his unit had vanished from Wild Goose Slope while the Supervision Department members were meeting with Huoyun Pavilion. He halted the operation until he could learn what happened to Yu Muyuan and the secret letter, but remained determined to obtain the Sky-Burning Halberd.

• Guo Zizhan reported to Fei Jingci that Yu Muyuan and his men could not be contacted and had left no signs at their rendezvous point.
• Guo Zizhan told Fei Jingci that seven Supervision Department members had been inside Huoyun Pavilion for more than three hours.
• Guo Zizhan suggested the meeting concerned Shen Huan’s suspicious death, easing some of Fei Jingci’s concern.
• Fei Jingci ordered his men to investigate Wild Goose Slope, check for unusual activity outside the city, and monitor Huoyun Pavilion.
• Fei Jingci suspended all further operations until Yu Muyuan’s whereabouts and the secret letter were accounted for, then reaffirmed that he would obtain the Sky-Burning Halberd.

Jiang Qinghe witnessed a bolt of Heavenly Thunder strike the earth during his dawn training and used the phenomenon to fuse the Gale Wind, Earthen Intent, and Thunderous Artistic Conceptions. After his colleagues witnessed his breakthrough, a Huoyun Pavilion attendant summoned them to the Main Hall for a discussion.

• Jiang Qinghe practiced his saber art in the snow as thunder and lightning struck a tree and shook the courtyard.
• Jiang Qinghe realized how wind, thunder, and earth could reinforce one another and fused their three Artistic Conceptions.
• The Startled Swan Blade hummed with the merged power, and the Ruyi Bi crumbled to dust.
• Pei Chenye and the other Supervision Department colleagues arrived and watched Jiang Qinghe's breakthrough.
• A Huoyun Pavilion attendant delivered the Young Pavilion Master's invitation for everyone to meet in the Main Hall.

Wang Mang returned to Huoyun Pavilion and met Jiang Qinghe, recognizing his strength and potential while discussing the dangers facing Donghua City. Later, Wang Mang and Wang Ben prepared secret messages to send using Huoyun Pavilion’s rare Formless Spirit Cicadas.

• Jiang Qinghe assessed Wang Mang’s formidable cultivation and believed his newly strengthened combat ability surpassed Wang Mang’s.
• Wang Mang greeted Jiang Qinghe as an equal, thanked him and the Supervision Department for helping protect Huoyun Pavilion, and hinted that his return would curb reckless interference.
• Wang Mang and Jiang Qinghe discussed martial cultivation and the tangled forces surrounding Donghua City, leaving Wang Mang impressed by Jiang Qinghe and considering recommending him to the Wind Thunder Sect.
• Wang Mang gave Wang Ben two drafted letters, and Wang Ben prepared the rare Formless Spirit Cicadas to carry them secretly.

Wang Mang and Wang Ben discussed Ma Shixiao’s schemes and the protection he might receive from Li Tianyu, then turned to Wang Haibiao’s progress forging the Sky-Burning Halberd. The halberd was nearing completion, and Wang Mang vowed to honor his grandfather’s sacrifice and make the weapon his own.

• Wang Mang sent two Formless Spirit Cicadas to the City Lord’s Mansion of Cangfeng City and the Wind Thunder Sect’s mountain gate, while telling Wang Ben that he had informed his master about Ma Shixiao.
• Wang Mang explained that Li Tianyu’s new authority over selecting Beginner Disciples could shield Ma Shixiao from severe punishment, though Li might restrain him to protect the sect’s reputation.
• Wang Mang told Wang Ben he would wait for an opportunity to eliminate Ma Shixiao, who coveted his Sky-Burning Halberd.
• Wang Ben said Wang Haibiao was stabilizing the earth fire in the halberd’s final forging stage and that Wang Mang could bind it to himself within three to six months using the Heart Fire Nourishing Method.
• Wang Mang promised to cultivate diligently, spread the name of Huoyun Pavilion, and live up to the Sky-Burning Halberd and his family’s sacrifices.

Qi Chunxian and Mao Tianqing secretly disrupted the earthfire flowing through Donghua City to sabotage Wang Haibiao’s attempt to forge a genuine Spirit Weapon for Wang Mang. As the Burning Star Cone’s energy became unstable, they believed their plan had reached its decisive moment.

• Qi Chunxian and Mao Tianqing used Primal Magnetic Heavy Anchors and Rock Layer Resonance Bells to disrupt the earthfire branches beneath Hundred Refinements Hall and Tiangong Workshop.
• Qi Chunxian confirmed that the Burning Star Cone’s pulse frequency had been thrown off by thirty percent and that the disruption was worsening.
• Mao Tianqing and Qi Chunxian explained that they had planned the interference to strike while Wang Haibiao was completing a Spirit Weapon for Wang Mang.
• Qi Chunxian and Mao Tianqing watched the Burning Star Cone’s light flicker and break on the Formation Plate, and Qi Chunxian declared that the time had come.

Wang Haibiao tried to save the Sky-Burning Halberd after someone disrupted the Earth Fire Vein, but a second pulse ruptured the furnace and caused a devastating explosion at Huoyun Tower. Jiang Qinghe sensed the blast, while Wang Ben and Wang Mang rushed to find Wang Haibiao.

• Wang Haibiao discovered that the Earth Fire Vein had been forcibly thrown into chaos and suspected the city's rival artifact-refining forces had tampered with it.
• Wang Haibiao burned through his own power to stabilize the furnace and guide the Sky-Burning Halberd's Weapon Soul into its core.
• A powerful pulse from the Earth Fire Vein struck the furnace, cracked its wall, and triggered an explosion that tore through Huoyun Tower and lit up Donghua Inner City.
• Jiang Qinghe woke when the Escaping Immortal Shuttle reacted to the explosion and recognized it as an artifact-refining backlash.
• Wang Ben and Wang Mang saw the blast and hurried toward Huoyun Tower to reach Wang Haibiao.

Wang Haibiao emerged from the failed Sky-Burning Halberd refinement severely injured, while the Earth Fire Vein’s abnormal fluctuation left Huoyun Pavilion shaken. Jiang Qinghe privately told Wang Haibiao and Wang Mang that he might be able to quickly heal his injuries and restore his martial foundation, leaving them doubtful.

• Wang Haibiao staggered out of Huoyun Tower carrying the unfinished Sky-Burning Halberd, and Wang Ben rushed to support him.
• Wang Haibiao explained that an abnormal fluctuation in the Earth Fire Vein had interrupted the spirit-binding process and caused his injuries.
• Wang Mang swore to make whoever tampered with the Earth Fire Vein pay, while Wang Haibiao concealed his fear that recovery would cost him his chance to break through.
• Jiang Qinghe asked Wang Haibiao and Wang Mang to speak privately, then led them to a Quiet Room.
• Jiang Qinghe claimed he might quickly heal Wang Haibiao, rebuild his martial foundation, and remove obstacles to further advancement, leaving Wang Haibiao and Wang Mang doubtful.

Jiang Qinghe traded five drops of Earth Vein Spirit Milk to Wang Haibiao and Wang Mang for the failed Sky-Burning Halberd. The exchange healed Wang Haibiao’s prospects and strengthened Jiang Qinghe’s ties to the Wang Family, while the Escaping Immortal Shuttle reacted strongly to the halberd.

• Jiang Qinghe revealed five drops of Earth Vein Spirit Milk and said they could heal Wang Haibiao’s injuries and possibly help him advance toward the Primordial Sea Realm.
• Wang Mang thanked Jiang Qinghe, and Jiang Qinghe asked the Wang Family to give him the failed Sky-Burning Halberd.
• Wang Mang agreed to give up the halberd and warned Jiang Qinghe that restoring it would be difficult and costly.
• Wang Haibiao handed Jiang Qinghe the Sky-Burning Halberd, and Jiang Qinghe gave him the Earth Vein Spirit Milk.
• Wang Mang promised to help Jiang Qinghe when he could, and Jiang Qinghe accepted the friendship while considering its future value.

After meeting with Wang Haibiao and Wang Mang, Jiang Qinghe returned to his colleagues with news that the Wind Thunder Sect and Cangfeng City City Lord's Mansion could pressure the Prefecture City authorities. The group took refuge at Huoyun Pavilion and decided to stay cautious while awaiting help.

• Jiang Qinghe left the Quiet Room and returned to Jia-3 Courtyard, where Pei Chenye, Zhou Liangru, Lin Xuanhui, and the other Department Lieutenants had waited for him.
• Jiang Qinghe explained that Wang Mang had informed the Wind Thunder Sect and Cangfeng City City Lord's Mansion about Ma Shixiao's crimes and the investigation into Department Overseer Yin's disappearance.
• Pei Chenye said the Wind Thunder Sect's intervention would likely restrain Ma Shixiao and reassure the group for the time being.
• Lu Jun'an praised Jiang Qinghe, while Lin Xuanhui resolved to urge his family to cultivate goodwill with Jiang Qinghe and the Chen Manor.
• Jiang Qinghe advised everyone to remain cautious and stay at Huoyun Pavilion while they waited for developments, and Pei Chenye invited them to eat breakfast.

Jiang Qinghe absorbed the Void Flame Crystal into the Escaping Immortal Shuttle, awakening its seventh pattern and unlocking the Void Cutter, a technique that could cut through space. After testing the costly ability and discovering the shuttle’s deeper bond with his cultivation, he prepared to return to the city and settle his grievances with the Xiao Family.

• Jiang Qinghe sealed his room and used the Escaping Immortal Shuttle to refine the Void Flame Crystal.
• The crystal’s energy lit the shuttle’s seventh pattern, and the seventh, eighth, and ninth patterns resonated together.
• Jiang Qinghe followed the shuttle’s new intent and used the Void Cutter to open a narrow crack in the space before him.
• Jiang Qinghe named the technique Void Cutter and considered its power, limits, and risks against Primordial Sea Realm opponents.
• The Escaping Immortal Shuttle entered Jiang Qinghe’s palm and settled above his Profound Light Seed, where it began nourishing his cultivation.
• Jiang Qinghe cleared away the remains of the Sky-Burning Halberd and vowed to settle his old and new grievances with the Xiao Family.

Mao Tianqing and Qi Chunxian discussed how their secret interference had destabilized Huoyun Pavilion’s Earth Fire branch and planned to exhaust it over the next ten years. Their Earth Vein Profound Mechanism Disk then showed that Tiangong Workshop’s own Blazing Heart Stream was also being disrupted, leaving both faction leaders alarmed and suspicious.

• Mao Tianqing gloated over Wang Haibiao’s failed Spirit Weapon forging and injuries after the furnace at Huoyun Pavilion exploded.
• Qi Chunxian revealed that the Earth Vein Profound Mechanism Disk and hidden devices had been used to disrupt the Burning Star Cone branch beneath Huoyun Pavilion.
• Qi Chunxian predicted that continued interference would exhaust Huoyun Pavilion’s Earth Fire branch within ten years, allowing Hundred Refinements Hall and Tiangong Workshop to dominate the market.
• The Blazing Heart Stream branch beneath Tiangong Workshop began flickering and developing breaks on the Formation Plate.
• Mao Tianqing accused Qi Chunxian of targeting his faction, while Qi Chunxian insisted the unexpected disruption was impossible.

Qi Chunxian and Mao Tianqing discovered that their tampering had triggered a cascading collapse in Blazing Dragon Ridge’s Earth Fire Veins, and eruptions began devastating Donghua City. At Huoyun Pavilion, Jiang Qinghe suspected the disaster was man-made and connected to the failed Spirit Weapon forging.

• Qi Chunxian found that disturbances in the Burning Star Cone, Blazing Heart Stream, and Melting Gold branch veins were amplifying one another and destabilizing Blazing Dragon Ridge’s main vein.
• Mao Tianqing demanded that Qi Chunxian stop the Earth Fire eruption, and the two men rushed out of the secret chamber as explosions sounded underground.
• Earth Fire erupted beneath a Tiangong Workshop forging hall, killing several Artifact Refiners, while magma and fire devastated streets across Donghua City.
• The central Huoyun Tower shook, and the members of the Supervision Department gathered in Jia-3 Courtyard.
• Jiang Qinghe said the turmoil was likely a man-made calamity tied to the forces behind Old Pavilion Master Wang’s failed Spirit Weapon forging attempt.

Jiang Qinghe weighed the unrest around Huoyun Tower against the Supervision Department’s need to stay out of Donghua City’s factional conflict, then reviewed his cultivation gains and the risks he had incurred. He remained in his room, aware that Ma Shixiao and his powerful backer might still pose a threat.

• Jiang Qinghe suspected Tiangong Workshop and Hundred Refinements Hall had sabotaged Wang Haibiao’s forging, but questioned why they had caused another disturbance after already achieving their goal.
• Jiang Qinghe concluded that his group should avoid Donghua City’s local conflicts while waiting for replies and recall orders.
• Pei Chenye warned everyone to travel in pairs, report their movements, and avoid getting involved in local disputes.
• Jiang Qinghe returned to his room, reviewed his cultivation panel, and counted the martial skills and insights he had gained in Donghua City.
• Jiang Qinghe considered the consequences of exposing Ma Shixiao’s tribute-switching plot and realized Deacon Li Tianyu’s backing might keep Ma Shixiao from being killed.

Jiang Qinghe learned that the Wind Thunder Sect had ordered an investigation into the tribute case while Cangfeng City ordered his group to return immediately. Wang Mang also revealed that Blazing Dragon Ridge’s upheaval was spreading earthfire eruptions across Donghua City, leaving the cause unknown and the city in growing danger.

• Jiang Qinghe considered how he might deal with Ma Shixiao if the deputy garrison master continued to threaten him.
• Wang Mang told Jiang Qinghe that the Wind Thunder Sect had ordered a thorough investigation of the tribute case, with confirmed participants to be sentenced to death.
• Wang Mang reported that Cangfeng City had ordered them to return at once, and warned that leaving soon might help them avoid trouble.
• Wang Mang revealed that Blazing Dragon Ridge’s upheaval had triggered earthfire eruptions across Donghua City, causing widespread destruction and nearly ten thousand casualties.
• Wang Mang said Huoyun Pavilion had not identified the cause, while the disturbance’s intensity and the interactions among the three main branch veins continued to increase.

After Chen Shou'en was killed, Chen Shouyi investigated the attack and joined forces with the Zheng Family to pressure the Xiao Family, while Xiao Yichuan accused the Chens of framing him. The Xiao Family head vowed to retaliate if Chen Shouyi continued his assault.

• Chen Lingxue, Zhao Guangyi, and Jiang Ziyue visited Chen Shouyi at Chen Shou'en's mourning hall, and Zhao Guangyi and Jiang Ziyue pledged their families' support for revenge.
• A guard reported that the killer's techniques did not match the Xiao Family's methods, but Moon Erosion Cold Sand linked the attacker to the family's poison supply.
• Chen Shouyi ordered a wider investigation and continued economic pressure on the Xiao Family with the Zheng Family, disrupting its businesses, gambling den, mines, and trade routes.
• Xiao Yinian, Xiao Zhenhai, and Xiao Yongfeng described the losses caused by the Chen Family's campaign at a meeting in the Xiao Residence.
• Xiao Yichuan claimed the evidence was a frame-up and threatened to make the conflict a fight to the death if Chen Shouyi kept attacking.