Chapter Summaries

Qin Yi brought another group of Da Qian civilians to Southern Li, where Xie Yuan welcomed him and remained loyal to the Li Family’s rule. As Qin Yi revisited his old home and shared a meal with Cheng Cheng, she delighted in Southern Li’s mortal food and drink.

• Qin Yi arrived in Southern Li with another group of civilians, prompting Xie Yuan to complain about his repeated trips and arrange a meal.
• Qin Yi accepted Xie Yuan’s invitation after Cheng Cheng asked to eat, and Xie Yuan teased him about his relationship with her and Li Qingjun.
• Xie Yuan told Qin Yi that Southern Li believed Li Qingjun had become an immortal because Qin Yi had been present, and Qin Yi denied being an immortal himself.
• Qin Yi found his former residence still empty and suggested giving it to people in need, but Xie Yuan said they could discuss it later.
• At dinner, Cheng Cheng enjoyed Southern Li’s Lihuo wine and persimmons, while Qin Yi realized she had rarely encountered ordinary mortal foods.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng visited Xie Yuan, where the general revealed that six-year-old Li Wuxian had engineered the Crown Prince of Great Qian’s downfall through a carefully staged deception. Xie Yuan asked Qin Yi to investigate whether something had possessed her when he went to Dragon Abyss City.

• Cheng Cheng eagerly ate unfamiliar fruits and wine while Qin Yi and Xie Yuan teased her about her sheltered upbringing.
• Qin Yi asked Xie Yuan how Wu Xian had been, and Xie Yuan described her as a remarkably clever monster.
• Xie Yuan recounted how Wu Xian used a staged tantrum and a decoy recipe to expose the Crown Prince carrying stolen military blueprints, leading to his imprisonment and death.
• Qin Yi realized Wu Xian’s actions had likely been deliberate and warned Xie Yuan to keep the secret.
• Xie Yuan asked Qin Yi to check whether something had possessed Wu Xian, and Qin Yi reflected on the risks of immortals becoming entangled in mortal affairs.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng reunited with Li Wuxian and confirmed that her soul showed no signs of possession or body seizing. Seeing that she had built a snowman of him, Qin Yi put aside his remaining doubts, but Li Wuxian objected to Cheng Cheng joining them inside.

• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng traveled by flying vessel while Qin Yi discussed Li Wuxian’s unusual nature with Liusu.
• They watched Li Wuxian build a snowman in the Xianning Palace garden, and Liusu confirmed that her soul had developed continuously without suspicious traces.
• Qin Yi recognized that Li Wuxian’s snowman depicted him and called out to her from the clouds.
• Li Wuxian happily greeted Qin Yi, and he picked her up while Cheng Cheng watched.
• Li Wuxian invited Qin Yi inside for winter-warming grass soup, then called Cheng Cheng his maid and said she should stay out.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng tried to guide six-year-old Li Wuxian, whose apparent childishness concealed a sharp political position in Da Qian. Cheng Cheng advised her to avoid the succession struggle, and the chapter ended with Li Wuxian asking to learn Qin Yi’s transformation-based cultivation method.

• Cheng Cheng grew furious when Li Wuxian mistook her for a maid, and Qin Yi carried the girl into Xianning Palace to teach her about humility.
• Qin Yi urged Li Wuxian to follow her father Li Qinglin’s example of leading from the front, while Cheng Cheng doubted that lesson suited a future ruler.
• Li Wuxian explained that Lingxu had taught her palace intrigue and that she had used weapon blueprints as bait to antagonize the Crown Prince.
• Cheng Cheng advised Li Wuxian to keep her distance from the Emperor, avoid competing with the Princes, and learn quietly while protected by the National Teacher and Southern Li.
• Li Wuxian asked to learn Qin Yi’s transformation method, praising the fantastical feats she believed it could achieve.

Qin Yi taught Li Wuxian the Creation Golden Chapter and gave her a silver spear, while Cheng Cheng gave her a bell. After they left, Li Wuxian revealed that she remembered Cheng Cheng was a demon, handed the bell to Lingxu, and asked about signs of danger and Great Qian’s future.

• Qin Yi taught Li Wuxian the Creation Golden Chapter for three days, answering her incisive questions until he felt his own understanding deepen.
• Qin Yi gave Li Wuxian a silver spear, and Cheng Cheng gave her a magical bell before they departed Xianning Palace.
• Li Wuxian gave the bell to Lingxu and explained that she remembered Cheng Cheng was a demon, though she did not blame her.
• Li Wuxian asked Lingxu about a glimmer of bloody light in the east, and he said the threat was beyond his ability to divine.
• Lingxu predicted that Great Qian had no more than eight years left, and Li Wuxian wondered whether reaching fourteen would be enough.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng traveled toward Burning Heaven Island for the Qian Sect Tournament, discussing cultivation and the world’s creation. Their journey brought them face to face with a slaughtered caravan and Spirit Cloud Sect disciples whose blame on demons exposed a divide between humans and demons.

• Qin Yi received a message from the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace that the tournament would take place on December twelfth at Burning Heaven Island beyond the Eastern Sea.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng set out through the wilderness, where they discussed the mysteries of creation and how different cultivation paths might merge.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng encountered Tai Puzi and the Spirit Cloud Sect team, who were investigating a strong smell of blood.
• Qin Yi found a merchant caravan destroyed by a tiger demon that was eating a corpse, and the Spirit Cloud Sect disciples killed it.
• Tai Puzi blamed demons for Da Qian’s chaos, while Cheng Cheng recognized that human prejudice had created a wall between humans and demons.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng met Spirit Cloud Sect disciples and learned that the grand competition might involve hidden circumstances. After Cheng Cheng struggled with seeing demons killed, Qin Yi buried the human and demon dead separately, and she wondered who had inspired his sense of chivalry.

• Tai Puzi introduced Qin Yi by his Demon City alias, and Qin Yi revealed his real identity as a hall master of Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace.
• Yellow Stone True Person advised Qin Yi not to participate in the grand competition, then left with Tai Puzi and the Spirit Cloud Sect group.
• Cheng Cheng said she wanted to avoid witnessing more demons being killed and suggested investigating the cultivation world instead.
• Qin Yi buried the human and demon corpses separately, prompting Cheng Cheng to reflect on his compassion and ask whether he was unique.
• Qin Yi said someone else had awakened his dream of being a hero, and Cheng Cheng suspected that person was Li Qingjun.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng headed to the Eastern Sea to investigate Burning Heaven Island, but realized they did not know where it was. After spotting Zheng Yunyi poison and defeat a Sword Cultivator, Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng approached to stop him.

• Qin Yi changed his and Cheng Cheng's appearances as they flew toward the Eastern Sea, then returned to his own face at Cheng Cheng's request.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng reached the Eastern Sea, where Cheng Cheng reflected on how small her Rift Valley was beside the boundless ocean.
• Qin Yi realized that he and Cheng Cheng had forgotten to find out Burning Heaven Island's location.
• Qin Yi released Little Ghost, and they fought while Cheng Cheng watched.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng spotted Zheng Yunyi dueling a Sword Cultivator and saw Zheng Yunyi poison him and pull him from the sea.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng approached Zheng Yunyi and told him to stop.

Qin Yi rescued Chu Jiantian from Zheng Yunyi and learned that Zheng had provoked him by insulting Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace and boasting about Junior Sister Li. Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng headed with Chu Jiantian to the Penglai Sword Pavilion’s island, where Cheng Cheng intended to see Qing Jun.

• Qin Yi recognized Zheng Yunyi, accused him of filthy behavior, and took Chu Jiantian from his grasp with overwhelming force.
• Qin Yi let Zheng Yunyi leave, explaining to Cheng Cheng that killing him could provoke a sect war despite Zheng’s past attempts to kill him.
• Cheng Cheng used a poison-cleansing technique on Chu Jiantian, who woke and introduced himself to Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng.
• Chu Jiantian explained that Zheng Yunyi had insulted the Penglai Sword Pavilion and claimed that Junior Sister Li would rush to Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace’s aid.
• Cheng Cheng urged Chu Jiantian to invite them for a drink, and he offered to take them to the Penglai Sword Pavilion’s island.

Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng traveled with Chu Jiantian toward Penglai Sword Pavilion and encountered a ship endangered by the sect’s sparring. Li Qingjun rescued the ship with her spear, and Chu Jiantian proudly revealed that she had become a formidable Sword Cultivator in only three years.

• Chu Jiantian explained that Penglai Sword Pavilion had arrived early to prepare for the sea tournament and clear the surrounding waters.
• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng dodged stray sword qi as Penglai Sword Pavilion disciples sparred violently near the coast.
• Qin Yi spotted a ship caught beneath the waves and rushed to help, with Cheng Cheng and Chu Jiantian following.
• Li Qingjun used her spear to lift a huge wave away from the ship, allowing it to escape, while Qin Yi and another Daoist stopped the returning seawater with Buddhist prayer beads.
• Li Qingjun thanked the two Daoists and departed, and Chu Jiantian identified her as his junior sister and praised her rapid rise to the third level of Bone Tempering.

Qin Yi disguised himself while helping Li Qingjun save a merchant ship, but she began to suspect that he was someone she knew. After she invited the disguised pair to Tianya Island, Cheng Cheng recognized Li Qingjun as a formidable rival and reconsidered her approach.

• Qin Yi held back the waves so Li Qingjun could escort the merchant ship to safety, while she wondered whether he might be Qin Yi.
• Cheng Cheng let the returning waves blast Qin Yi into the air, then followed him as he set off after Li Qingjun.
• Chu Jiantian explained that the ship was headed to Tianya Island, a meeting and trading place for Rogue Cultivators.
• Li Qingjun examined Qin Yi's resemblance to someone she knew but found his aura and cultivation unlike Qin Yi's.
• Cheng Cheng introduced herself and Qin Yi as Dao Companions, and Li Qingjun invited them to let her guide them to Tianya Island.
• Cheng Cheng realized Li Qingjun was clever and revised her opinion of her as a rival.

Qin Yi, Cheng Cheng, Li Qingjun, and Chu Jiantian explored Yingtian City on Tianya Island, where Qin Yi learned more about Li Qingjun’s lonely life in the male-dominated Sword Pavilion. The group headed for the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to sample immortal wine and browse discarded treasures.

• Chu Jiantian explained that Yingtian City was Tianya Island’s second-largest city and that its immortal Town Market lay hidden in the mountains.
• Qin Yi chose to explore the mortal city rather than visit the immortal Town Market, and Li Qingjun accepted his advice about seeking the Dao in the mortal world.
• Li Qingjun revealed that she was the Sword Pavilion’s only woman and had spent most of her three years there cultivating in seclusion.
• Li Qingjun explained that she had told her senior brothers she was married, but they had not believed her, so she kept her distance and focused on cultivation.
• Chu Jiantian led the group to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, and Liusu urged Qin Yi to inspect its consigned treasures.

Qin Yi and his companions visited Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, where Penglai Sword Pavilion’s reputation earned them front-row seats at a treasure appraisal conference. Li Qingjun and Cheng Cheng traded pointed remarks about their relationship with Qin Yi, and the chapter ended with him recognizing an unfamiliar fruit as a lemon.

• Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s staff recognized Chu Jiantian and Li Qingjun as Penglai Sword Pavilion disciples and welcomed the group with deference.
• The shopkeeper led Qin Yi, Cheng Cheng, Chu Jiantian, and Li Qingjun to the front row and told them the pavilion’s owner would soon arrive for the treasure appraisal conference.
• Qin Yi admired the hall’s art and learned that the owner’s paintings and other artistic treasures might be presented at the conference.
• Qin Yi stared at Li Qingjun in her sword-robed attire, and Cheng Cheng stepped on his foot with her Sun and Moon Trample technique.
• Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun exchanged remarks about companionship and marriage, with Li Qingjun calling Qin Yi her husband.
• Qin Yi gave Cheng Cheng an unfamiliar yellow fruit and recognized it as a lemon.

At the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s Treasure Appraisal Conference, Qin Yi and his companions watched Penglai Sword Pavilion’s Chu Jiantian identify several curiosities before a Black-Robed Man exposed the limits of his knowledge. Li Qingjun recognized a mysterious sphere as a Beast Mouth Holding Pearl, acquired it, and credited Qin Yi with secretly guiding her.

• Cheng Cheng ate a lemon whole and saved its seeds while Chu Jiantian and the others sampled lemon steeped in wine.
• Lin Donghai began the Treasure Appraisal Conference, and Chu Jiantian identified an ancient Demon Race horn and a shard carved by mortal tribes.
• Lin Donghai presented an unidentifiable sphere, and the Black-Robed Man revealed it was a mechanism component before Lin Donghai withdrew it from sale.
• Li Qingjun identified the sphere as a Beast Mouth Holding Pearl that could open a restriction and persuaded Lin Donghai to give it to her.
• Li Qingjun handed the pearl to Qin Yi and thanked him for secretly guiding her, while Chu Jiantian stared in disbelief and Cheng Cheng kept eating lemons.

Qin Yi recognized a small mechanism component and agreed to visit the Black-Robed Man’s home with Li Qingjun to inspect a fragment. At an appraisal gathering, Qin Yi recognized a painting as his own work and learned that a young girl had bought it with lemon tea, leaving him hopeful that he could find her before Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun demanded explanations.

• Qin Yi kept a small stone sphere after recognizing it as a mechanism component, then agreed with Li Qingjun to visit the Black-Robed Man and inspect his fragment.
• Lin Donghai unveiled a painting that the crowd praised, while Qin Yi reacted with shock and insisted it was mediocre.
• Qin Yi revealed that he had painted the work as a practice piece, and Lin Donghai said a girl had traded lemon tea for it the previous month.
• Qin Yi learned the girl might still be nearby and thanked Lin Donghai, then realized Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun were watching him.
• Cheng Cheng demanded that Qin Yi explain who the girl was, while Li Qingjun ordered him to remove his disguise.

Qin Yi’s disguise was exposed when Li Qingjun recognized his painting, forcing him to reveal himself and confront her alongside Cheng Cheng. After the women argued over their relationship and Qin Yi’s other companions, Cheng Cheng persuaded him to search for Ju Yunxiu together, leaving Li Qingjun watching their intimacy in defeat.

• Li Qingjun dragged Qin Yi away from the appraisal room and demanded that he change back, so he resumed his original appearance.
• Li Qingjun asked why Qin Yi had hidden his identity, and he explained that he had disguised himself earlier for an investigation; she laughed and touched his cheek.
• Chu Jiantian offered Li Qingjun the Penglai Sword Pavilion’s support, then left after she said their relationship was not what he assumed.
• Qin Yi introduced Cheng Cheng, and Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun argued over his relationships and asked about the young girl they had seen.
• Qin Yi identified the girl as Qing Cha, Ju Yunxiu’s nominal disciple, and Li Qingjun offered to help search for them.
• Cheng Cheng clung to Qin Yi and urged him to look for Ju Yunxiu with her, leaving Li Qingjun staring at their closeness.

Qin Yi, Cheng Cheng, and Li Qingjun visited Sa Yun’s lavish estate to inspect his collection of mechanisms and restrictions. Qin Yi recognized a blood-colored jade fragment as dangerous and urged Sa Yun to throw it away at once.

• Qin Yi eagerly accepted Sa Yun’s invitation to see his treasure, while Li Qingjun and Cheng Cheng continued their tense display of affection and rivalry.
• Sa Yun led Qin Yi, Cheng Cheng, and Li Qingjun to his wealthy family estate and showed them his guarded treasure hall.
• Qin Yi identified Sa Yun’s mechanism components and explained the purpose of a hidden pedestal mechanism.
• Sa Yun revealed a blood-colored jade fragment that carried a murderous aura and asked Qin Yi to assess it.
• Qin Yi recognized that the jade fragment was part of a high-grade restriction and told Sa Yun to throw it away immediately.

Qin Yi recognized Sa Yun’s blood jade as a dangerous blood-seal artifact and bought it from him after it began turning creatures into demons. He and Cheng Cheng saved a harmless newly transformed demon girl from Sa Estate’s guards, then Qin Yi identified her original form as an alpaca and jokingly called it a legendary divine beast.

• Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng warned Sa Yun that the blood jade could transform creatures into demons and might be part of an evil blood-sacrifice ritual.
• A newly transformed herbivorous demon girl fled Sa Estate’s guards, but Li Qingjun and Cheng Cheng stopped them from killing her.
• Qin Yi persuaded Sa Yun to let him take the girl and paid him a Top Grade Spirit Stone for the blood jade.
• Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun comforted the girl, and Qin Yi saw her original form and called the alpaca a Grass Mud Horse, a legendary super divine beast.

Qin Yi, Cheng Cheng, and Li Qingjun left Yingtian City with the rescued alpaca and discussed the clues and dangers they had found there. Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun formed an alliance to keep Qin Yi from pursuing other women, before Li Qingjun brought him to Penglai Sword Pavilion to meet the elder leading its delegation.

• Qin Yi and his companions departed Yingtian City, carrying the young alpaca and the blood jade that might point toward his missing Senior Sister.
• Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun agreed to leave the alpaca temporarily at Penglai Sword Pavilion, while Qin Yi and Liusu discussed the jade's shamanic magic and the danger of the Shura battlefield.
• Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun admitted their feelings for Qin Yi and made an alliance to give him sour faces and keep him from pursuing other women until the grand competition.
• After the flying vessel entered Penglai Sword Pavilion territory, Li Qingjun rebuffed Qin Yi's attempt to touch her shoulder, and he asked to meet the elder leading her delegation.
• Li Qingjun led Qin Yi and Cheng Cheng to the elder's stone house, but the disciples outside said their master was not receiving visitors.

Qin Yi pondered the strange circumstances surrounding the competition, then spent the evening at the beach with Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun. Chu Jiantian set aside his former obsession and challenged Qin Yi to meet him in the competition, leaving Qin Yi eager to experience Penglai’s sword Dao.

• Qin Yi questioned why the competition’s organizers were absent and why the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace had not arrived, but Liusu told him not to worry about schemes beyond his strength.
• Qin Yi watched Cheng Cheng and Li Qingjun relaxing by the sea as the sunset stirred his thoughts about the Dao.
• Li Qingjun rejected the Sword Cultivators’ grilled fish and suggested they offer some to Qin Yi instead.
• Chu Jiantian told Qin Yi that Penglai’s strongest young Senior Brother considered himself Li Qingjun’s best match and might react badly to Qin Yi’s relationship with her.
• Chu Jiantian said his obsession with Li Qingjun had faded, introduced himself as a fourth-layer Bone Forging Sword Cultivator, and challenged Qin Yi to meet him during the competition.
• Qin Yi accepted Chu Jiantian’s invitation to drink and said he wanted to experience Penglai’s sword Dao.