Chapter Summaries

Xiao Xie went with Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin to the Royal Plaza for the Alchemist Convention, where he met its president, Fa Ma. As they settled into the guest seating area, Hai Bodong arrived and complained about Xiao Xie’s lack of respect.

• Xiao Xie pushed through the crowd at the Alchemist Guild and met Otto, Frank, and Xue Mei.
• Otto explained that more than two thousand alchemists would compete in several elimination rounds at the Royal Plaza.
• Otto and Frank led Xiao Xie, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin into the plaza and toward the guest seats.
• Otto introduced Fa Ma as the Alchemist Guild president, and Fa Ma warmly greeted Xiao Xie and praised Otto and Frank’s progress.
• Hai Bodong arrived and asked Xiao Xie to show him more respect.

Xiao Xie attended the Fifth Alchemist Convention and greeted Jia Xingtian, Yao Yue, Yao Ye, and other influential figures. The convention officially began as Fa Ma welcomed the contestants to their stations.

• Xiao Xie greeted Ya Fei and Hai Bodong, then welcomed Jia Xingtian and the little princess Yao Yue.
• Jia Xingtian introduced Yao Ye, who commanded fifty thousand troops securing the convention, and Yao Ye greeted Xiao Xie.
• Xiao Xie took a front-row seat among Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, Ya Fei, Yao Ye, and Yao Yue as the alchemists and spectators gathered.
• Nalan Yanran arrived with Nalan Jie, Mite'er Tengshan, Mu Chen, and Mu Zhan, drawing attention in the VIP section.
• Fa Ma declared the Fifth Alchemist Convention open and called the contestants to their stations.

The first round of the Alchemist Grand Assembly began, and Liu Ling, Yao Ye, and the little princess drew attention with their entrances and quick pill-making. The time limit expired with more than a hundred contestants failing to produce a pill.

• Fa Ma sent Liu Ling, the little princess, and Yao Ye to their special platforms, and each descended directly into the plaza using a different display of skill.
• The little princess asked Xiao Xie to cheer for her, while Xiao Yi Xian and Ya Fei grew jealous after he praised Yao Ye's beauty.
• Fa Ma explained that contestants had two chances to refine a pill from an incomplete prescription and had to finish before the hourglass ran out.
• Fa Ma started the first round, and more than a thousand contestants began refining pills at their cauldrons.
• Liu Ling, Yao Ye, and the little princess finished their pills, followed by several hundred other contestants.
• The hourglass emptied, and red lights appeared on the platforms of more than a hundred contestants who had failed to refine a pill.

The alchemy competition tested contestants’ Bone Growing Pills, then challenged them to follow a seemingly simple prescription that Xiao Xie suspected was flawed. By the end of the two rounds, only a little over a hundred alchemists remained, including Yao Ye, the Little Princess, and Liu Ling.

• Fa Ma had the contestants test their Bone Growing Pills, eliminating nearly a hundred more alchemists as Yao Ye, the Little Princess, and Liu Ling passed with green lights.
• Fa Ma began the second round by giving the contestants a complete prescription and enough ingredients for two attempts.
• Xiao Xie told Xiao Yi Xian that the prescription likely contained a problem, and contestants soon began ruining their pills as their cauldrons produced black ash.
• Yao Ye, the Little Princess, and Liu Ling successfully refined Wind Riding Pills, while many others failed and were eliminated.
• When the hourglass ran out, only a little over a hundred contestants remained from the original two thousand-plus, and the routine test concluded as evening fell.

The final round of the alchemy competition began, requiring contestants to refine a pill of their choice without guild assistance. As the leading contestants prepared their cauldrons, Yao Ye revealed a rare blue flame linked to the Jia Ma imperial family’s legendary Surging Wave Dragon Beast.

• Fa Ma announced the third round’s rules: contestants had to refine a pill within the time limit, and the pill’s grade and practical value would determine the victor.
• After nearly ten minutes of deliberation, Yao Ye, the Little Princess, and Liu Ling brought out their fifth-tier cauldrons.
• Fa Ma and Jia Lao identified Liu Ling’s cauldron as the Volcanic Flame Cauldron, once used by Gu He to win the assembly.
• Yao Ye summoned blue flames that Fa Ma and Hai Bodong recognized as the Surging Wave Dragon Beast’s Azure Water Flame.
• Jia Lao’s reaction suggested the legendary beast was still alive, surprising Fa Ma and Hai Bodong.

The competition’s leading contestants finished refining Rank 4 Pills, and Xiao Xie joined the judges to assess them, astonishing the crowd with his precise evaluations. The contest continued with Xiao Xie’s expertise and reputation drawing everyone’s attention.

• The Little Princess, Liu Ling, and Yao Ye each completed a Rank 4 Pill, with Yao Ye’s pill fragrance slightly surpassing Liu Ling’s.
• When time ran out, Fa Ma and the seven Alchemist Guild elders went to judge the contestants, and Xiao Xie made a dramatic entrance as the ninth judge.
• Xiao Xie identified the Little Princess’s Fire Spirit Pill and its flaw, awarding her seven points, then gave Liu Ling’s Power Accumulation Pill eight points.
• Xiao Xie awarded Yao Ye’s Meridian Breaking Pill eight and a half points, leaving the judges and audience stunned by his knowledge.
• Xiao Xie told the other judges to continue evaluating the remaining pills, while Qing Lin praised him from the audience.

After the alchemist competition ended, Xiao Xie used his new lottery rewards to grow stronger and prepared to enter the Smiling Proud Wanderer world. He spent time with Xiao Yi Xian, Ya Fei, and Qing Lin, then activated the challenge card and disappeared.

• Fa Ma declared Yao Ye the tournament champion, and the crowd cheered as Xiao Xie left with Xiao Yi Xian and the girls.
• Xiao Xie spent Worship Points on four Level 6 draws and seven Level 5 draws, learned several skills, equipped Thornmail, and absorbed Hellfire.
• Hellfire raised Xiao Xie's cultivation to One-Star Dou Wang and advanced his Flame Mantra to a low-grade Earth Rank method.
• Xiao Xie spent the next day shopping with Xiao Yi Xian, Ya Fei, and Qing Lin before preparing to leave for a year.
• Xiao Xie converted his Dou Qi into three hundred years of Northern Darkness True Qi, tore the Smiling Proud Wanderer World Challenge Card, and vanished in a streak of white light.

Xiao Xie began his challenge in the Smiling Proud Wanderer world by stealing money, obtaining the Evil-warding Sword Manual, and mastering its sword techniques. Three months later, he had destroyed nine bandit strongholds and earned the name Inconstant Young Master.

• Xiao Xie learned that his mission was to unite the martial world and become Number One Under Heaven, then stole silver from Landlord Wang to fund his journey.
• Xiao Xie traveled to Fuzhou and found the Evil-warding Sword Manual hidden in the Buddhist hall of the Lin family's old residence.
• Xiao Xie practiced the manual by converting his internal energy, discovering that its sword techniques became exceptionally swift.
• Xiao Xie destroyed eight bandit strongholds over three months and gained the title Inconstant Young Master from those he rescued.
• Xiao Xie killed the chief of Nine Dragons Stronghold, completing his destruction of the ninth bandit stronghold.

After killing Tian Boguang and rescuing Yi Lin, Xiao Xie traveled to Hengshan City to attend Liu Zhengfeng’s Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony. He was welcomed as the feared Inconstant Young Master and waited among the martial world’s guests as the ceremony approached.

• Xiao Xie killed Tian Boguang while rescuing Yi Lin, then freed her from the sealed acupoints and sent her to find her senior sisters.
• Xiao Xie reached Hengshan City and stayed at an inn until the day of Liu Zhengfeng’s ceremony.
• Xiao Xie arrived at Liu Mansion, where Xiang Danian recognized him as the Inconstant Young Master and hurried to inform Liu Zhengfeng.
• Liu Zhengfeng welcomed Xiao Xie and seated him among the martial world’s senior guests, while Yi Lin told Dinyi that he had saved her.
• Xiao Xie greeted Dinyi and the other guests, then closed his eyes and waited for the ceremony to begin.

Liu Zhengfeng accepted an imperial appointment and declared that he was leaving the martial world, but the Song Mountain Sect interrupted his golden-basin ceremony and accused him of colluding with Qu Yang. Fei Bin held Liu Zhengfeng’s family and disciples hostage as Yue Buqun tried to protect them, leaving Liu Zhengfeng under pressure to answer whether he knew Qu Yang.

• Liu Zhengfeng received his imperial decree and announced that he would retire from the Heng Mountain Sect and the Five Mountains Sword Sects.
• Liu Zhengfeng vowed not to use his master’s martial arts for advancement or take part in martial-world disputes, then prepared to wash his hands in a golden basin.
• Fei Bin arrived with four men, damaged the basin, and accused Liu Zhengfeng of plotting with members of the demon cult.
• Fei Bin brought out Liu Zhengfeng’s wife, sons, and disciples under guard, then asked Liu Zhengfeng’s son about his father’s relationship with Qu Yang.
• Yue Buqun promised to protect Liu Zhengfeng’s family and urged him to answer honestly whether he knew Qu Yang.

Xiao Xie rescued Liu Zhengfeng’s household by killing Fei Bin and Ding Mian, then pretended to be a centuries-old master to impress those present. He began recounting stories from the Northern Song era, ending with the Beggar Sect’s crisis after Ma Dayuan’s death.

• Xiao Xie killed Fei Bin and Ding Mian with the Northern Darkness Divine Art, leaving the Song Mountain Sect disciples terrified and driving them away.
• Liu Zhengfeng thanked Xiao Xie for saving his family, and Xiao Xie claimed he had stayed out of the martial world for a hundred years.
• Xiao Xie told the gathering that he was the Carefree Master from the Northern Song era and described his disciples Wu Xingyun, Wu Yazi, and Li Qiushui.
• Yue Buqun questioned Xiao Xie’s claim of longevity, while Xiao Xie cited Zhang Sanfeng and Linghu Chong asked him to share stories from the past.
• Xiao Xie described how Qiao Feng made the Beggar Sect the greatest sect under heaven, then recounted Ma Dayuan’s death and the suspicion cast on the Murong Family.

Xiao Xie recounted the events behind Qiao Feng’s downfall and explained the meaning of repaying resentment with justice, then told Yue Buqun about Mount Hua’s origins. He left Yue Buqun demanding an explanation after calling two Mount Hua Grandmasters idiots.

• Xiao Xie revealed that Murong Bo’s deception led to Qiao Feng’s identity being exposed and the Beggar Sect’s decline, while Xuan Ci had also sheltered Ye Erniang and later died with her.
• Xiao Xie explained that Confucius taught people to repay resentment with justice and virtue with virtue, prompting Lin Pingzhi to renew his resolve to take revenge on the Qingcheng Sect.
• Xiao Xie described the Five Greats and Wang Chongyang’s legacy, explaining how Hao Datong founded the Mount Hua Sect and how its Zixia Divine Skill came from the Innate Skill.
• Yue Buqun mourned Mount Hua’s decline, and Xiao Xie blamed it on two idiotic Grandmasters, prompting Yue Buqun to challenge his insult.

Xiao Xie explained how the Sunflower Manual caused Mount Hua’s Sword and Qi Factions to split, then advised Yue Buqun to teach according to each disciple’s strengths. After leaving, he met Dongfang Bubai, who challenged him to test his claims about knowing her master, Dugu Qiubai.

• Xiao Xie traced Mount Hua’s factional conflict to Yue Su and Cai Zifeng misreading the Sunflower Manual, and described how Zen Master Du Yuan stole fragments that later inspired Lin Yuantu’s swordplay.
• Xiao Xie revealed that mastering the Sunflower Manual required castration, prompting Yue Buqun to realize the old factions had failed to understand the manual’s prerequisite.
• Xiao Xie told Yue Buqun to value both inner force and swordplay and train disciples according to their aptitudes, then departed as the others respectfully saw him off.
• Xiao Xie revealed that he knew Dongfang Bubai was hiding nearby, and she questioned his identity and his connection to her master, Dugu Qiubai.
• Dongfang Bubai fired dozens of inner-force-infused embroidery needles at Xiao Xie, and he drew the Inconstant Sword to knock them all aside.

Xiao Xie forced Dongfang Bai to accept his plan to unify the martial world, then revealed that her younger sister was Yi Lin and sent the reunited sisters to Blackwood Cliff. After two months, he traveled to Plum Villa to confront the men guarding Ren Woxing, leaving Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei recognizing him at the entrance.

• Xiao Xie overpowered Dongfang Bai and persuaded her to help him unify the martial world by revealing that her younger sister was Yi Lin of the Heng Mountain Sect.
• Dongfang Bai brought Yi Lin to Xiao Xie, and the sisters reunited before agreeing to go with him to Blackwood Cliff.
• During the next two months, Xiao Xie studied Blackwood Cliff’s martial arts manuals while Dongfang Bai led the Sun Moon Divine Sect in a major expansion.
• Xiao Xie left Blackwood Cliff and rode toward West Lake, where rumors spread that the Inconstant Young Master was the centuries-old Carefree Master.
• Xiao Xie found Plum Villa and kicked open its gates, then identified the guards Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei as they recognized him by his fearsome reputation.

Xiao Xie wiped out most of Plum Villa, drained Ren Woxing’s internal energy, and traveled to Mount Hua to challenge Feng Qingyang for the Nine Swords of Dugu. After defeating Feng Qingyang with his superior speed, Xiao Xie learned the sword art and grasped its flexible approach to finding flaws.

• Xiao Xie drained Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei’s internal energy, killed them, and entered Plum Villa.
• Xiao Xie defeated Huang Zhonggong, Heibai Zi, Tu Biweng, and Dan Qingsheng, killed all but Heibai Zi, then forced him to lead the way to Ren Woxing.
• Xiao Xie killed Heibai Zi and drained Ren Woxing’s internal energy, bringing his total internal energy to five hundred years.
• Xiao Xie met Feng Qingyang on Cliff of Contemplation and proposed a contest, with the Nine Swords of Dugu and the Eternal Youth Everlasting Spring Art as stakes.
• Xiao Xie defeated Feng Qingyang with the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay, then learned the Nine Swords of Dugu.

After learning the Nine Swords of Dugu, Xiao Xie returned to Blackwood Cliff and learned that Zuo Lengchan planned to unite the Five Mountains Sword Sects against the Sun Moon Divine Sect. A month later, Xiao Xie infiltrated the Five Mountains Conference on Song Mountain, where he prepared to make the gathered martial world his next target.

• Xiao Xie left Mount Hua after learning the Nine Swords of Dugu and returned to Blackwood Cliff.
• Xiao Xie reunited with Yi Lin and spoke with Dongfang Bai about the Sun Moon Divine Sect’s expansion and Zuo Lengchan’s plans for the Five Mountains Conference.
• Xiao Xie promised Yi Lin that he would not make trouble for the Heng Mountain Sect.
• A month later, Xiao Xie disguised himself with a bamboo hat and entered the Five Mountains Conference on Song Mountain.
• Xiao Xie observed Zuo Lengchan and other martial leaders, including Daoist Chongxu, Zhen Shanzi, and Xie Feng.

Zuo Lengchan pushed to unite the Five Mountains Sword Sects, drawing opposition from Mo Da and Tianmen while Shaolin and Wudang leaders viewed his growing power with concern. Tianmen renounced his leadership rather than accept the merger, leaving the Mount Tai Sect’s leadership in dispute.

• As thousands gathered, Zuo Lengchan silenced the assembly, and Master Fang Zheng and Daoist Chongxu grew wary of his rising strength and ambitions.
• Zuo Lengchan announced that the Five Mountains Sword Sects would merge, while Xiao Xie recognized the supporters cheering for the proposal as planted allies.
• Mo Da challenged Zuo Lengchan’s claim that the sect leaders had discussed the merger, making the Heng Mountain Sect’s opposition clear.
• Tianmen declared that he would not allow the Mount Tai Sect’s centuries-old legacy to be erased by a merger.
• A white-bearded Mount Tai Daoist accused Tianmen of clinging selfishly to power, and Tianmen drew the sect’s inherited leadership sword and renounced his position.

At the Five Mountains Conference, Yuji Zi seized control of the Mount Tai Sect and supported Zuo Lengchan’s plan to merge the Five Mountains. Xiao Xie intervened, killed Yuji Zi, and helped Tianmen regain control, leaving the debate over leadership unresolved.

• Yuji Zi disarmed Tianmen and stripped him of his position as Mount Tai Sect leader.
• Yuji Zi represented Mount Tai and supported merging the Five Mountains, while Nun Dingxian and Yue Buqun also agreed.
• Xiao Xie appeared at the conference and proposed choosing a Martial Arts Alliance Chief instead of a Five Mountains Alliance Chief.
• Xiao Xie killed Yuji Zi with a palm strike and released Tianmen’s acupoints.
• Tianmen ordered his disciples to capture Yupanzi and Yuyinzi, then thanked Xiao Xie for his help.

Xiao Xie declared his intention to unify the martial world and become its Martial Arts Alliance Chief, winning the support of the other Four Mountains sects. Zuo Lengchan challenged his claim, and Xiao Xie agreed to face Song Mountain Sect fighters, leaving more than thirty of them surrounding him.

• Xiao Xie reassured Mo Da that he had acted to oppose injustice and told Abbess Dingxian that Yi Lin was Dongfang Bubai’s biological younger sister and was safe.
• Zuo Lengchan demanded an explanation for Xiao Xie killing Fei Bin and Ding Mian, but Xiao Xie condemned Song Mountain Sect for violating the rule against involving families, and Zuo Lengchan swallowed his anger.
• Xiao Xie announced that he intended to unify the martial world and become its alliance chief, and Daoist Tianmen, Yue Buqun, Mo Da, and Abbess Dingxian pledged their support.
• Zuo Lengchan objected that the Four Mountains sects could not choose the Martial Arts Alliance Chief alone, so Xiao Xie invited anyone to defeat him and offered to face the Song Mountain Sect together.
• Zuo Lengchan led more than thirty Song Mountain Sect experts, including the Thirteen Taibaos and various elders, to surround Xiao Xie.

Xiao Xie repelled Zuo Lengchan and more than thirty Song Mountain Sect experts with his Three-Foot Qi Wall, leaving the martial artists in awe. Shaolin, Wudang, and other sects supported him as Martial Arts Alliance Chief, and the Sun Moon Divine Sect then joined their endorsement.

• Zuo Lengchan and more than thirty Song Mountain Sect experts attacked Xiao Xie from all sides.
• Xiao Xie unleashed a Gang Qi barrier that blasted the attackers away, killing seven or eight and seriously injuring the survivors, including Zuo Lengchan.
• Master Fang Zheng identified Xiao Xie's technique as the Three-Foot Qi Wall and explained its connection to the Sweeping Monk and Qiao Feng's Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms.
• Xiao Xie challenged Master Fang Zheng and Daoist Chongxu, who instead declared that Shaolin and Wudang would support him as Martial Arts Alliance Chief.
• Other martial artists voiced their support, and a red-clad figure arrived with a pink-clad companion to announce the Sun Moon Divine Sect's support.