Chapter Summaries

Xiao Bai brought White Ghost to the Judgment Pavilion and observed a trial, where a convicted murderer defied the court and insulted the Bright Cult. Xiao Bai ordered him sentenced to a deliberately gruesome death, while the story left Black Ghost and Black Impermanence still unresolved.

• Xiao Bai accepted White Ghost as his subordinate and ordered that Elder Hei bring everyone to the Judgment Pavilion when he returned.
• Xiao Bai and White Ghost arrived at the Judgment Pavilion, where the adjudicators invited Xiao Bai to oversee a trial.
• The adjudicators accused Zhu Xiaoming of murdering Old Wang, his wife, and their daughter after robbing and assaulting the family, and Zhu Xiaoming confessed without remorse.
• Zhu Xiaoming insulted Xiao Bai and the Bright Cult, prompting the presiding adjudicator to gag him.
• Xiao Bai ordered Zhu Xiaoming sentenced to death and prescribed a brutal method of execution, which the people present applauded.

Xiao Bai captured Black Impermanence and accepted his submission after learning he wanted White Impermanence’s facial scars healed. After planting the Life and Death Talisman in Black Ghost, Xiao Bai heard that Black Ghost knew who had hired him.

• Xiao Bai sentenced Zhu Xiaoming in the Judgment Pavilion and stayed behind to cultivate with White Ghost.
• Hei Yi brought Black Impermanence before Xiao Bai after his forces defeated and captured him.
• White Ghost reunited with Black Impermanence and told him Xiao Bai had promised to heal her facial scars if they proved loyal.
• Black Impermanence knelt and submitted to Xiao Bai, asking him to treat White Impermanence’s face.
• Xiao Bai planted the Life and Death Talisman in Black Ghost, who then offered to reveal who had hired him.

Xiao Bai learned that Fan Ling had hired Black Ghost and White Ghost to kill him, and discovered the small Alchemy Furnace they had brought along could refine pills without an alchemist. He kept the furnace to test its potential and promised to cure White Ghost’s face within a year.

• Black Ghost told Xiao Bai that Fan Ling, the young master of the Blood Sect, had paid them to kill him and handed over the reward.
• White Ghost explained that the Alchemy Furnace had produced a high-grade Healing Pill once but had only made first-grade pills in later attempts.
• Xiao Bai took the furnace to test whether he could strengthen it and make it refine higher-grade pills.
• Black Impermanence and White Impermanence pledged their loyalty to Xiao Bai, who promised to cure White Ghost’s face within a year.
• Xiao Bai’s subordinates praised him and declared their confidence in his future rule.

Xiao Bai succeeded in refining a pill on his ninth try, then asked Brother Gua to upgrade his Alchemy Furnace. After Xiao Bai spent half his magic cores and acquired ten furnaces, the upgraded furnace appeared as a rice cooker, leaving him to study its instructions.

• Xiao Bai failed eight alchemy attempts, then successfully refined a pill on his ninth try before failing his tenth.
• Xiao Bai asked Brother Gua to enhance his Alchemy Furnace, and Brother Gua demanded better furnaces and half the magic cores in his warehouse.
• Xiao Bai ordered his subordinate to buy the top ten Alchemy Furnaces from every shop in White City, and Bright Cult forces gathered them within two hours.
• Xiao Bai handed over the ten furnaces and half his magic cores, then received an upgraded furnace shaped like a miniature rice cooker.
• Xiao Bai read the instruction manual, which said the furnace needed a steady supply of battle qi and would produce a random first- to fifth-grade pill from the herbs he added.

Xiao Bai began refining pills with his automated furnace and planned a covert campaign to capture the surrounding forces’ strongest fighters. He launched the Fishing Operation, targeting the Eight Fan Gate first and leaving the Blood Sect for last.

• Xiao Bai dumped many medicinal ingredients into his strengthened Alchemy Furnace and began refining pills.
• Xiao Bai gathered the Bright Cult’s experts, and Hai Bodong recommended repeating the tactic used to take White City.
• Xiao Bai ordered the elders to secretly capture as many key fighters as possible, offering rewards and assigning Hai Bodong and Hei Yi to handle captives with pills and talismans.
• Xiao Bai named the campaign Fishing Operation and warned the elders not to scare off their targets.
• Xiao Bai selected the Eight Fan Gate as the first target, the Heavenly Snake Mansion as another target, and the Blood Sect as the final one.

Over six months, the Bright Cult’s members captured targets across the Black Corner Region by working in teams, infiltrating rival factions. With most factions heavily infiltrated, Xiao Bai decided it was time to begin the harvest, starting with the Blood Sect.

• Liu Yiyi saw how well teams captured targets and began leading Dou Kings in coordinated operations.
• Hei Yi and Hai Bodong joined forces to capture the Eight Fan Gate’s Great Elder, a four-star Dou Emperor.
• The Bright Cult’s fishing operation shifted fully to small teams, greatly increasing mission efficiency.
• Six months later, Bright Cult members reported that most rival factions had been heavily infiltrated, while some targets had stopped leaving their strongholds.
• Xiao Bai judged the operation ready to advance and chose the Blood Sect as the first target.

The Bright Cult confronted the Blood Sect in Twilight City over Young Sect Master Fan Ling’s alleged attempt to assassinate Cult Master Xiao Bai. Fan Lao rejected Xiao Bai’s demand for an explanation and launched a battle, which ended with Fan Lao facing two Dou Emperors.

• Fan Lao learned that the Bright Cult had captured assassins who implicated Fan Ling in an attempt on Xiao Bai’s life and rushed to meet the approaching force.
• Outside Twilight City, Tu Pan fought a Bright Cult Dou Wang while Fan Lao praised his loyalty and invited Xiao Bai to discuss the accusation at his residence.
• Hai Bodong told Fan Lao to come alone with Fan Ling to explain, but Fan Lao denied the charge and refused to comply.
• Both sides ordered their forces to attack, and Fan Lao struck at Xiao Bai with a massive bloody hand.
• Hai Bodong blocked Fan Lao’s attack, and Xiao Bai summoned Hei Yi, leaving Fan Lao besieged by two Dou Emperors.

The Bright Cult defeated the Blood Sect and took control of Twilight City after Fan Lao fled with Tu Pan. Xiao Bai led the Bright Cult toward the City Lord’s Manor, where local factions were captured after blocking his way.

• Hai Bodong and Hei Yi pressured Fan Lao while Bright Cult members defeated the Blood Sect forces, many of whom pretended to be unconscious to survive.
• Tu Pan announced that the Blood Sect had lost, and Fan Lao’s anger left him vulnerable to Hai Bodong and Hei Yi’s combined attacks.
• Fan Lao was smashed into the city wall, then escaped with Tu Pan as Bright Cult forces pursued them and the remaining Blood Sect members surrendered.
• Xiao Bai ordered the Bright Cult to enter Twilight City and head for the Blood Sect’s headquarters, while residents watched silently.
• Local factions blocked the Bright Cult’s route to the City Lord’s Manor, and Xiao Bai ordered their capture; the factions surrendered rather than resist.

Xiao Bai and Hai Bodong pursued Fan Lao, while Tu Pan secretly betrayed the Blood Sect leader and reported his location to the Bright Cult. Xiao Bai rewarded Tu Pan and prepared him for the next stage of the operation.

• Xiao Bai ordered the guards to kill anyone who continued shouting in the prison, then left Twilight City with Hai Bodong.
• Xiao Bai met Hei Yi and the others on a hill, and they followed the markers toward Fan Lao and Tu Pan.
• Fan Lao believed Tu Pan’s offer to draw away the pursuers and let him leave the cave.
• Tu Pan secretly met Xiao Bai and revealed that Fan Lao was hiding nearby, explaining that he had deceived him.
• Xiao Bai gave Tu Pan pills to restore his depleted vitality and told him he would need to suffer more for the operation.

Xiao Bai captured the injured Fan Lao and forced him to accept the Life and Death Talisman after threatening his son, Fan Ling. Fan Lao ultimately submitted to Xiao Bai’s demand, leaving Hai Bodong and Hei Yi shaken by the talisman’s torment.

• Fan Lao hid in a mountain cave and began recovering after Tu Pan drew the Bright Cult pursuers away.
• Xiao Bai, Hai Bodong, and Hei Yi tracked Fan Lao to the cave, where Hai Bodong subdued him with the power of space.
• Hai Bodong revealed that he had reached the threshold of Dou Zong, and Hei Yi praised him while acknowledging Xiao Bai’s help in their growth.
• Xiao Bai demanded Fan Lao’s cooperation and threatened Fan Ling when Fan Lao refused.
• Xiao Bai tortured Fan Lao with the Life and Death Talisman until he agreed, then implanted it in his head.

Xiao Bai forced Fan Lao to infiltrate the Eight Fan Gate and promised to protect his son if Fan Lao obeyed. After recovering and taking Tu Pan with him, Fan Lao reached Black Seal City and asked Yuan Yi to help him take revenge on the Bright Cult.

• Fan Lao woke in Xiao Bai's cave, surrendered under the pain Xiao Bai inflicted, and agreed to join the Eight Fan Gate as a spy.
• Fan Lao asked to bring Tu Pan and pleaded for Xiao Bai to protect his son; Xiao Bai agreed on the condition that Fan Lao completed his mission.
• Xiao Bai returned to Twilight City, while Fan Lao treated his injuries and then left with Tu Pan for Black Seal City.
• Three days later, Fan Lao met Yuan Yi at the Eight Fan Gate and asked him to help avenge the Blood Sect.
• Yuan Yi refused to intervene in what he called a private conflict, and Fan Lao argued that the Bright Cult had used an excuse to destroy his sect.

Fan Lao joined the Eight Fan Gate to seek revenge on the Bright Cult, while learning that the Gate was preparing to attack it. In Twilight City, Xiao Bai expanded the Treasure Pavilion with new medicinal pills and other goods for his subordinates to exchange.

• Fan Lao warned Yuan Yi that the Bright Cult planned to expand and had two powerful Dou Emperors, but Yuan Yi dismissed the threat and offered him an elder position to join the Eight Fan Gate.
• Fan Lao accepted Yuan Yi's offer, and Yuan Yi said the Eight Fan Gate and its Great Elder were preparing to strike the Bright Cult.
• Xiao Bai used the Blood Sect's wealth to upgrade his Alchemy Furnace to +7 and successfully refined a pill that could help someone break through a realm.
• Hai Bodong took the breakthrough pill into seclusion while Hei Yi watched enviously.
• Xiao Bai placed his other pills and goods in the Treasure Pavilion, where members could exchange contribution points or list and sell rare items.

The Bright Cult prepared to attack Eight Fan Gate and seize Black Seal City, while Xiao Bai weighed the threat from Medicine Emperor City and Heavenly Snake Mansion. Yuan Yi told Fan Lao that the campaign against the Bright Cult would begin in a day or two, leaving Fan Lao waiting for his chance to take revenge.

• Xiao Bai accepted recruits from other factions and expanded the Bright Cult’s ranks and strength.
• After learning Eight Fan Gate was mobilizing against them, Bright Cult leaders debated whether to attack or wait and considered the risks posed by Medicine Emperor City and Heavenly Snake Mansion.
• Xiao Bai decided to seize Black Seal City and ordered the Bright Cult to strike Eight Fan Gate swiftly.
• In Black Seal City, Yuan Yi told Fan Lao that he had prepared to destroy the Bright Cult and promised Fan Lao revenge in a day or two.

Green Snake of the Heavenly Snake Mansion warned Yuan Yi that the Bright Cult was marching on Black Seal City and offered her faction’s help. After Yuan Yi agreed to the alliance, Green Snake returned to a mysterious woman and revealed that the sisters intended to muddy the waters and prevent the Bright Cult from succeeding.

• A green-robed visitor appeared before Yuan Yi and criticized Fan Lao before revealing her token marked her as a member of the Heavenly Snake Mansion.
• Green Snake told Yuan Yi that the Heavenly Snake Mansion wanted the Black Corner Region to remain chaotic and offered to help repel the Bright Cult.
• Green Snake informed Yuan Yi that the Bright Cult was advancing on Black Seal City with at least four Dou Emperors and dozens of Dou Wangs.
• Yuan Yi abandoned his refusal and agreed to fight alongside the Heavenly Snake Mansion.
• Green Snake returned to a mysterious woman and told her that Yuan Yi had accepted their help, and the two sisters agreed that the Bright Cult could not succeed.

Bright Cult's main assault force reached Black Seal City, where infiltrators triggered signals that exposed the city's disorder. Yuan Yi confronted Xiao Bai outside the city, and Xiao Bai ordered Bright Cult to attack.

• A merchant caravan traveled toward Black Seal City as Xiao Bai led Bright Cult's flying force ahead and paused to prepare outside the city.
• Xiao Bai activated the Life and Death Talisman, alerting Bright Cult's agents inside Black Seal City that the main force had arrived.
• A yellow signal rose from the city, prompting Yuan Yi to gather his men and Green Snake and her companion to seek Bright Cult's forces.
• Xiao Bai chose to attack openly, and a blood-red signal announced the assault as agents within Black Seal City turned on one another and chaos spread.
• Yuan Yi killed a traitor, flew out to confront Xiao Bai, and vowed to kill Bright Cult members; Xiao Bai ordered his forces to attack.

Yuan Yi’s forces summoned Green Snake to help them fight Xiao Bai’s Bright Cult, but their hidden allies turned against them and the battle swung against Green Snake. As she called for her older sister, a powerful woman in white appeared, and Xiao Bai recognized her as White Snake.

• The Great Elder urged Yuan Yi to summon his secret reinforcements, and Yuan Yi called for Green Snake.
• Green Snake arrived, protected Hei Er from her attack, and then charged at Xiao Bai after threatening him.
• Yuan Yi’s troops turned on him, revealing that most of Black Seal City had already sided with Xiao Bai’s people.
• Hei Yi and Hei Er stopped Green Snake as the Bright Cult’s forces surrounded her and her remaining allies.
• Green Snake called for her older sister, and a powerful woman in white appeared; Xiao Bai recognized her as White Snake.

Xiao Bai and the Bright Cult seized the advantage in Black Seal City, trapping White Snake and Green Snake under the watch of Hai Bodong and six Dou Emperors. White Snake offered to withdraw the Heavenly Snake Mansion, but Xiao Bai insisted on playing a game with the sisters.

• Xiao Bai asked Hai Bodong whether he could capture or hold off White Snake, and Hai Bodong said he could.
• Xiao Bai introduced himself and claimed Black Seal City, while White Snake demanded that he withdraw and learned Hai Bodong was a Dou Zong.
• White Snake appealed to Hai Bodong and warned Xiao Bai that the Heavenly Snake Mansion would retaliate, but Hai Bodong deferred to Xiao Bai.
• Six Bright Cult Dou Emperors overwhelmed Green Snake with their auras as White Snake found herself unable to fight or escape.
• White Snake offered to leave Black Seal City and stop interfering, but Xiao Bai said he wanted to play a game with a snake, enraging her.

Xiao Bai’s Bright Cult defeated the defenders of Black Seal City, and he prepared to judge the captives in a public ceremony. As he began recounting the cult’s origin, the crowd listened beneath the cult’s fanatical slogans.

• Xiao Bai captured Green Snake and Yuan Yi while Hai Bodong fought the White Snake in the sky.
• Xiao Bai offered Green Snake and Yuan Yi a chance to join Bright Cult, but Yuan Yi refused and Green Snake feared for herself and her sister.
• Bright Cult defeated the White Snake, captured the remaining defenders, and sealed off Black Seal City.
• Xiao Bai ordered the captives held overnight and sent Hai Bodong to inventory Eight Fan Gate’s property and treasure vault.
• At noon, Xiao Bai appeared before the crowd and twenty bound captives, while Bright Cult members chanted their slogans.
• Xiao Bai began telling the crowd how the gods created humanity and how he had been born to bring light to the world.

Xiao Bai used a mass ritual of light in Black Seal City to make the people around him devoted followers, including Green Snake and White Snake. After cultivating until sunset, he left Hai Bodong to arrange the newly converted followers, while a hidden observer confirmed they had retained their emotions.

• Xiao Bai addressed the crowd and began a ritual to cleanse the twenty people on the platform, causing light to gather over the kneeling Bright Cult members.
• Spectators throughout the city joined the worship, and their radiant light drew Green Snake into devotion while White Snake struggled to resist.
• Xiao Bai approached White Snake and persuaded her to close her eyes, then declared that his followers' loyalty was settled.
• Xiao Bai cultivated in the concentrated light until sunset, then ordered Hai Bodong to arrange the followers and departed.
• Hai Bodong began organizing the people, while a hidden observer noted that they had kept their individual emotions.

Xiao Bai consolidated his power in the Black Corner Region and returned to Jia Ma Holy City as Xiao Yan’s Three Year Pact approached. He arranged for Ya Fei to work in his territory and dismissed her fears that he planned to fight the Misty Cloud Sect.

• Xiao Bai used his growing wealth to support his forces, learned that the Mo Family had developed a Quantum Bomb, and urged them to keep working on the super weapon called Pumpkin.
• Xiao Bai traveled to Jia Ma Empire with Hai Bodong, White Snake, Green Snake, White Ghost, and Black Ghost to protect his family’s remains and his weapons researchers from the coming conflict.
• Xiao Bai sent Ya Fei to the Black Corner Region to use her business talents and asked about Xiao Yan’s strength and recent activities.
• Ya Fei told Xiao Bai that Xiao Yan was a Da Dou Shi and that Nalan Yanran was at the same level; she also mentioned Nalan Jie’s gathering, but Xiao Bai declined to attend.
• Ya Fei asked whether Xiao Bai had returned to fight the Misty Cloud Sect, and he denied it, saying he would have brought more people if that were his plan.