Chapter Summaries

Li Xuanxiao and Di Nüfeng searched Old Turtle’s nine-layered shell for materials to escape, surviving its dangerous inhabitants and swearing a Great Dao Oath that bound Di Nüfeng not to harm him. After months of searching, Li Xuanxiao finally spotted the Star Flower they needed.

• Li Xuanxiao made Di Nüfeng swear a Great Dao Oath before promising to help her recover her strength so she could break them out.
• Li Xuanxiao explored the shell’s nine layers and gathered most of the materials needed for his escape plan, but he could not find a Star Flower.
• Li Xuanxiao and Di Nüfeng searched for over half a month, fought powerful cultivators and beasts, and grew more coordinated as they worked together.
• Li Xuanxiao fought off an enemy with Di Nüfeng in her weapon form and spotted a Star Flower by the cliff.

Li Xuanxiao found a Star Flower and used it to prepare a poison that briefly restored Di Nüfeng’s power. Di Nüfeng destroyed Old Turtle’s shell and escaped, while Li Xuanxiao fled from her renewed fury.

• Li Xuanxiao defeated the primitive fighters and grabbed the Star Flower just as Di Nüfeng fell from the collapsing cliff.
• Li Xuanxiao found Di Nüfeng alive at the bottom, then used local materials and the Poison Scripture to prepare a medicine for her.
• Li Xuanxiao treated Di Nüfeng with the medicine and silver needles, and she briefly regained her power before unleashing True Fire.
• Old Turtle tried to suppress the flames but his shell cracked and shattered, releasing Li Xuanxiao and Di Nüfeng.
• Di Nüfeng emerged in a fiery garment and turned on Old Turtle as Li Xuanxiao ran away.

Li Xuanxiao realized he had fallen for Di Nüfeng, but he triggered the poison he had prepared for her while fleeing. Their karmic bond erupted into a bizarre brawl in the River of Fate, as Ling Xuanxiao’s interference altered countless destinies and saved Shu Mountain and its people.

• Li Xuanxiao wondered why Di Nüfeng had not killed him and realized he might have fallen for her.
• Li Xuanxiao crushed a black pill, causing Di Nüfeng to suffer a violent poison backlash while fighting Old Turtle.
• Di Nüfeng recognized Li Xuanxiao’s betrayal and cursed him as Old Turtle seized the chance to attack her.
• Ling Xuanxiao continued fleeing and crushed more black pills, revealing that he had deliberately added ingredients to Di Nüfeng’s poison.
• In the River of Fate, two karmically linked drops fought each other, and Ling Xuanxiao’s interference redirected many destinies, preserving Shu Mountain and countless lives.

Zhao Lu failed to comfort the Young Elder of Silver Sword Peak and followed Senior Brother's plan to divert gossip by exposing Lu Ziyin. Lu Ziyin found himself at the center of a false rumor about indecent behavior and returned to his cave abode, wondering whether to resign as Peak Master.

• Zhao Lu visited the despondent Young Elder of Silver Sword Peak and worsened his mood by asking intrusive questions about his relationship with a Horse Demon.
• Zhao Lu read Senior Brother's stratagem to start bigger news and followed the instruction to throw Senior Brother Lu under the bus.
• Lu Ziyin secretly gathered medicinal herbs for his hemorrhoids in Silver Sword Peak's medicinal garden.
• Lu Ziyin read the Shushan Gazette and discovered it had printed his photo under a headline accusing an unnamed Silver Sword Peak Peak Master of relieving himself in public.
• Feng Liuli avoided Lu Ziyin, who returned to his cave abode and considered resigning as Peak Master of Silver Sword Peak.

Li Xuanxiao returned from Thousand Lake Desert after dreaming again of Shushan’s destruction and discovering that Zhang Tianxin had joined Di Nüfeng’s Heavenly Fiend Hall. He found Shushan unharmed, but his reunion with four women left him dreading the dangers of Shu Mountain.

• Li Xuanxiao dreamed that Shushan had been destroyed and woke in an underground cavern, calming himself with an incantation and mind-clearing incense.
• Li Xuanxiao sensed Zhang Tianxin traveling with cultivators and learned she had become a devoted subordinate of Venerable Master Di Nüfeng.
• Zhang Tianxin tried to persuade Li Xuanxiao to join her new cause, but he left without replying.
• Li Xuanxiao returned to Shu Mountain and remembered that he had to submit a report and route map for his overdue journey.
• Li Xuanxiao reached his hut on Silver Sword Peak and saw Zhao Lu, Feng Liuli, Su Wan, and Jiang Luoshui waiting there.

Li Xuanxiao returned from the Thousand Lakes with the second half of the Poison Scripture and resumed cultivating while monitoring dangers around Shu Mountain. Meanwhile, Jiang Luoshui plotted to lure Xiao Ran out by kidnapping his family, prompting Ling Xuanxiao to send a clone to watch over her.

• Li Xuanxiao collected treasures from Old Turtle's shell, gained the second half of the Poison Scripture, and used the Purity and Desire-Quelling Brick to suppress his thoughts of Di Nüfeng.
• Li Xuanxiao studied the Poison Scripture, checked his Junior Sisters' Dao Hearts, and used a tabloid story to clear Lu Ziyin's name.
• Sweeping Grandfather visited Li Xuanxiao and helped improve his formation.
• Jiang Luoshui learned that Xiao Ran planned to challenge Su Wan and decided to lure him out by kidnapping his family.
• Ling Xuanxiao sent a clone to follow Jiang Luoshui and prevent her plan from harming the Xiao Family or Shu Mountain's reputation.

Su Tong ordered the Xiao Family exterminated despite condemning Su Chunlai’s proposal to kill Xiao Ran, while Li Xuanxiao discovered a separate force attacking the Xiao Family and rushed to protect them. The battle was underway when one invading Nascent Soul Cultivator realized a sword strike had poisoned him.

• Su Tong learned Su Wan had broken off her engagement with the Xiao Family and ordered Su Chunlai to wipe out the entire family.
• Li Xuanxiao drugged Jiang Luoshui when she tried to infiltrate the Xiao Family, buried her underground, and recorded her actions for Shu Mountain to punish.
• Li Xuanxiao sensed three Nascent Soul Cultivators and six Golden Core Cultivators approaching the Xiao Family to kill everyone, and realized they were not Jiang Luoshui’s helpers.
• Xiao Chengshan confronted the attackers, but two Nascent Soul Cultivators engaged him while another and six Golden Core Cultivators attacked the Xiao Family grounds.
• Li Xuanxiao used Earth Escape to reach the battle and support the Xiao Family, while a Nascent Soul attacker dodged a sword strike and realized it carried poison.

Li Xuanxiao used layered poison and puppets to disrupt the Su Family’s attack on the Xiao Family while trying to avoid killing anyone. The attackers were captured, and Su Tong discovered them bound and stripped down to their underpants.

• Li Xuanxiao’s clone poisoned a Nascent Soul cultivator with several layers of poison, captured him with scorpion puppets, and learned that the Su Family had ordered the attack on the Xiao Family.
• Li Xuanxiao’s main body strengthened his clone with a talisman and chose to incapacitate the fighters rather than kill them.
• Li Xuanxiao poisoned the Xiao Family members and the remaining attackers during their battle, causing them all to collapse or lose strength.
• Iron hands burst from the ground and dragged two Nascent Soul cultivators away as Xiao Chengshan fell from the air, confused by what had happened.
• Su Tong reached the Su Family’s returned attackers and found them bound together in their underpants.

Li Xuanxiao settled the Su Family and began planning a backup mountain for Shushan in Great Sui. When the sect summoned its chief disciples, Zhao Lu revealed that Li Xuanxiao was now the only available one, leaving him as the new Senior Disciple.

• Su Tong found a Shushan Sword Token and a warning, then ordered his men to treat the attack as though it had never happened and visit the Xiao Family peacefully.
• Li Xuanxiao kept the attackers’ fortunes and noted that his clones needed to be stronger in a direct fight.
• Xiao Ran neared core formation after absorbing a thousand-year Karma Fire Crystal and continued toward his next destination while Elder Soul went into a deep sleep.
• Li Xuanxiao decided that Divine Grass Mountain in Great Sui could serve as Shushan No. 2 if Shushan were ever destroyed, and planned to investigate buying it.
• Zhao Lu told Li Xuanxiao that the other chief disciples were absent or unavailable, making him the sect’s new Senior Disciple.

Li Xuanxiao was chosen to represent Shu Mountain at the Monster Extermination Assembly in the Great Xia Capital after Lu Ziyin exaggerated his past contributions to build his confidence. Li Xuanxiao reluctantly accepted the selection, while Lu Ziyin believed he had helped him take a bold step forward.

• The elders and peak masters selected disciples for the Monster Extermination Assembly, and Lu Ziyin nominated Li Xuanxiao despite his attempt to avoid attention.
• When an elder objected that Li Xuanxiao was too weak, Lu Ziyin claimed he had uncovered the conspiracy in Coiled Dragon City, controlled its grand formation, and arranged for Zhao Lu to bring reinforcements.
• The assembly leaders accepted Lu Ziyin's account and chose Li Xuanxiao, while the disciples encouraged him to represent Shu Mountain.
• Li Xuanxiao returned to Silver Sword Peak resentful of Lu Ziyin and nearly activated the Shushan Sword Formation against him.
• Lu Ziyin said he had shared the credit to help Li Xuanxiao take a bold step, and Li Xuanxiao answered that he understood while seething inwardly.

After spending over a year preparing, Liu Xuanxiao traveled to Great Sui to inspect Divine Grass Mountain and decided it was worth buying. He approached the Ministry of Rites under the alias Jia Sidao, appearing as an old Daoist.

• Liu Xuanxiao planned to visit Divine Grass Mountain and stayed in Shushan for over a year to cultivate, practice the Poison Scripture, and reinforce the grand formation.
• After praying to Shushan's Grand Ancestor, Liu Xuanxiao left Shushan alone and traveled toward Great Sui.
• Liu Xuanxiao secretly beat a group of rich youths who were pretending to be horse bandits after they threatened a traveling couple.
• Liu Xuanxiao surveyed Divine Grass Mountain with his puppets and clones, finding spirit springs, ancient trees, and abundant spirit herbs despite records describing it as poor in resources.
• After three months of further inspection, Liu Xuanxiao decided to buy Divine Grass Mountain and went to the Ministry of Rites using the alias Jia Sidao.
• Liu Xuanxiao introduced himself to the Ministry of Rites official in the guise of an old Daoist and proclaimed, “Boundless Heavenly Venerate!!!”

Ling Xuanxiao arrived at Divine Grass Mountain and faced the Sword Spirit’s trials, revealing an enormous, unbreakable Dao heart. In the second trial, he lost his memories, rescued the Sword Spirit disguised as a little girl, and began teaching her his own strange lessons.

• The Sword Spirit began her first trial, but Ling Xuanxiao’s colossal Dao heart crushed her sword and emerged unscathed.
• The Sword Spirit sent Ling Xuanxiao into a domain where he lost his memories and encountered a little girl pursued by wolves.
• Ling Xuanxiao killed the wolves, then carried the disguised Sword Spirit away to escape the possibility of more dangerous beasts.
• Ling Xuanxiao and the little Sword Spirit traveled together, and he began teaching her to read and memorize lessons about perseverance and dealing with people.

Sword Spirit tested Ling Xuanxiao with a trial that replayed their shared past, but he chose to kill her in one life and accepted death in the next. After Sword Spirit admitted defeat, Ling Xuanxiao was approached by a white-clad woman who identified herself as Sword Spirit and addressed him as Mountain Master.

• Sword Spirit acted out a past in which she had merged with the Demon Pearl and begged Li Xuanxiao to save her after slaughtering their sect, but he killed her.
• Sword Spirit angrily demanded another trial, and the domain rewound with Ling Xuanxiao in her place.
• After Ling Xuanxiao slaughtered the sect while under the Demon Pearl's influence, Sword Spirit prepared to kill him, but he calmly told her to do it.
• Sword Spirit collapsed, conceding that Ling Xuanxiao had defeated her with his resolve.
• A white-clad woman appeared before Ling Xuanxiao, bowed, and introduced herself as Sword Spirit while calling him Mountain Master.

The Old Emperor canceled Zhao Lu’s marriage to the Great Sui prince and plotted to provoke a conflict between the kingdoms after the Monster Extermination Assembly. Meanwhile, Li Xuanxiao gained the Dragon Slaying Sword’s Sword Spirit, founded the Nine Streams Sect on Divine Grass Mountain, and left still undecided about attending the assembly.

• The Old Emperor ordered an envoy to tell Great Sui that Zhao Lu’s engagement was canceled and planned to use her future duel or death to justify war.
• Liu Qiushui blamed Li Xuanxiao for plotting against her and vowed to settle their score.
• Li Xuanxiao found the Sword Spirit at Divine Grass Mountain, named his sect the Nine Streams Sect, and ordered the Sword Spirit to clear the mountain of dangerous beasts.
• The Sword Spirit drove away the vicious beasts and caught ground squirrels, whom Li Xuanxiao persuaded to help build the sect’s residences.
• Li Xuanxiao set up basic formations and left the Founders’ Ancestral Hall empty before departing, still uncertain whether to attend the Monster Extermination Assembly.

Li Xuanxiao learned that Zhao Lu’s broken betrothal to a Great Sui prince could complicate the approaching Monster Extermination Assembly, then discovered she had fallen ill and was being summoned back to the Great Xia Imperial Palace. Suspecting the Old Emperor’s motives, he decided to escort her and prepare for danger by taking several of his master’s treasures.

• Li Xuanxiao returned to Silver Sword Peak, avoided Su Wan and Jiang Luoshui, and found Zhao Lu waiting for him.
• Zhao Lu told Li Xuanxiao that her Imperial Father had arranged and then abruptly canceled her engagement to a Great Sui prince after she refused it.
• As the Monster Extermination Assembly approached, Zhao Lu fell too ill to use spiritual energy, and Golden Armored Guards arrived to take her back to the palace, saying the Empress was gravely ill.
• Li Xuanxiao suspected the Old Emperor had a hidden plan and decided to accompany Zhao Lu to Great Xia for the assembly.
• Li Xuanxiao entered Daoist Lingxu’s hall, took the Shushan Sect Leader Sword Token and his master’s whisk, plucked three hairs for sending messages, and set out.

Ling Xuanxiao traveled with Shu Mountain’s delegation to the Monster Extermination Assembly while trying to avoid Su Wan’s advances. Meanwhile, he secretly befriended Great Sui’s Fifth Prince Ye Yunzhou through a Communication Jade Mirror, and Ye Yunzhou realized his Mirror Friend was a man.

• Yuyangzi asked Ling Xuanxiao about the story that he had controlled Coiled Dragon City’s grand formation, and Ling Xuanxiao explained that Lu Ziyin had invented it.
• Yuyangzi led Ling Xuanxiao, Su Wan, Shen Chujian, Qin Wenke, Huang Peiying, and Zhao Lu toward the Great Xia Imperial Palace aboard a Flying Ship.
• Qin Wenke tried to talk with Su Wan, but Su Wan ignored him and instead repeatedly sought conversation with Ling Xuanxiao.
• Zhao Lu told Su Wan that Ling Xuanxiao had injured his throat, giving him an excuse not to talk.
• Ye Yunzhou dismissed his guard’s calls for revenge over his broken engagement and said he already liked someone else.
• Ling Xuanxiao and Ye Yunzhou exchanged messages through their Communication Jade Mirrors, and Ye Yunzhou concluded that his Mirror Friend was a man.

The Old Emperor planned to provoke a war with Great Sui so he could use the ensuing chaos to feed the Myriad Souls Banner, while secretly testing the visiting delegations for fellow transmigrators. After three days of tests, he proposed that the four factions hunt Asura Hall remnants, leaving Li Xuanxiao suspicious of his motives.

• The Old Emperor decided that war with Great Sui would give him cover to gather people for the Myriad Souls Banner, and he cursed the missing transmigrator.
• Li Xuanxiao arrived in Great Xia with Shushan's delegation and carefully assessed the imperial hall for dangers and escape routes.
• The Old Emperor tested Li Xuanxiao with strange questions and a paper airplane, but Li Xuanxiao acted confused and avoided suspicion.
• Over three days, the Old Emperor secretly tested everyone at the banquet.
• The Old Emperor proposed that disciples from the four factions capture Asura Hall remnants in Great Xia, and Li Xuanxiao wondered what he was planning.

The four factions changed the Monster Extermination Assembly into a campaign against an evil cult, and their disciples set out to purge its remnants. Zhao Lu survived an ambush by using a clone and poison, while two concealed Sword Masters prepared to strike at an unseen target.

• Yuyangzi ordered Shen Chujian to lead the disciples safely, and Ling Xuanxiao admitted his strength was weak but his escape skills were excellent.
• The disciples left the Great Xia Capital, while Zhao Qi insulted Ye Yunzhou and recalled the late Emperor's promise to make him Crown Prince.
• After three days, Zhao Qi led the Great Xia Imperial Family through a foggy valley, where three assassins attacked Zhao Lu and were killed.
• Zhao Lu warned that the attackers' apparent Great Sui methods might be a setup, then dodged a deadly arrow using Shen Chujian's difficult clone technique and poisoned the real assassins.
• Two concealed Sword Masters sensed their target and launched their short swords from the darkness.

Ling Xuanxiao deduced that the Old Emperor planned to use a war between Great Sui and Great Xia to conceal the Myriad Souls Banner’s victims. When Ye Yunzhou was ambushed and nearly killed, Ling Xuanxiao rescued him and removed the traces of his Sword Qi.

• Ling Xuanxiao concluded that the Old Emperor had arranged the broken engagement and false-flag attacks to provoke war and use the chaos for the Myriad Souls Banner.
• Qin Wenke offered Su Wan Qi Nourishing Powder, learned that her heart belonged to Ling Xuanxiao, and promised to give them both gifts.
• Ye Yunzhou, wounded and poisoned by attackers he believed came from the Great Xia Imperial Palace, sent a message revealing that he was a prince of Great Sui and buried the Communication Mirror.
• Ling Xuanxiao used a sword to strike down Ye Yunzhou’s attackers, then made Ye Yunzhou unconscious and carried him away.
• Ling Xuanxiao leveled the surrounding ground and vegetation to conceal any traces of Sword Qi.

Ye Yunzhou recovered after someone saved him, while evidence exposed a plot to provoke war between Great Xia and Great Sui. As Li Xuanxiao prepared for further danger, the Old Emperor agreed to help Liu Qiushui seize Great Xia’s Dragon Vein in exchange for half of it.

• Ye Yunzhou woke with his poison purged and wounds bandaged, then found an Image Stone that revealed his rescuer had left evidence of the assassins’ ambushes.
• Zhao Lu showed the Image Stones at the Great Xia Imperial Palace and told the Old Emperor that someone had tried to provoke war between Great Sui and Great Xia.
• The Old Emperor ordered an investigation while Li Xuanxiao watched warily and considered how to counter him.
• Pingyangzi, Chongxu, and other Shushan cultivators stationed themselves across the Great Xia capital, ready to respond to a signal.
• Li Xuanxiao sent a secret letter to Shushan using Daoist Master Lingxu’s handwriting, seal, and hair.
• The Old Emperor admitted to Liu Qiushui that his plan had failed, then accepted her offer to divide Great Xia’s Dragon Vein after she seized it.