Chapter Summaries

Su Yi destroyed Nine Bend City by triggering the Nine Palaces Blood Slaughter Formation, ending the danger to ships on the Great Cang River. As he and his companions headed back to Gun Province City, the wounded Nine-Headed Bird vowed revenge from its prison.

• Su Yi reunited with Jin Xiaochuan at the riverbank and prepared to return with Wen Lingxue while Ning Sihua took the others on the Azure Scaled Eagle.
• Su Yi slashed with the Governing Mystery Sword from the sky, detonating the Nine Palaces Blood Slaughter Formation and destroying Nine Bend City and its ghosts.
• Ning Sihua praised Su Yi’s deed, and Su Yi explained that he had borrowed the formation’s power before leaving with his companions.
• Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong witnessed the devastation from afar, while the escaped ghosts and demons fled in terror.
• The people near Thousand Whirlpool Ridge later remembered the blue-robed immortal in a lasting legend and built a temple in his honor.
• Trapped and gravely wounded in the Moth Larva Blood Cave, the Nine-Headed Bird swore to cultivate believers and take revenge on Su Yi.

Su Yi returned to Gargling Stone Residence with Wen Lingxue after rescuing her and Zhu Guqing, easing Cha Jin’s worries. While Wen Lingxue rested, he discovered a rare piece of Starfall Iron Essence and realized he could use it to forge a true Spirit Sword.

• Cha Jin and Zheng Muyao waited for Su Yi to return, trading barbs until Zheng Tianhe announced his arrival.
• Su Yi returned with Wen Lingxue, and Ning Sihua took Zhu Guqing back to Heavenly Origin Academy; Zheng Tianhe left after Su Yi acknowledged the Zheng Clan’s help.
• Su Yi carried Wen Lingxue inside, instructed Cha Jin to prepare for her, and reassured Wen Lingxue that he would stand by her in the future.
• At dawn, Su Yi examined the treasures offered by the Ghosts and demon creatures and found Starfall Iron Essence hidden inside a dull stone.
• Su Yi recognized that the rare material could help him forge a true Spirit Sword to replace his depleted Governing Mystery Sword.

Su Yi advanced to the late stage of the Qi Gathering Realm and reflected on refining his true qi into Dao Qi. Cha Jin chose to stay by his side, and Wen Lingxue recovered after resting, leaving the household in good spirits.

• Su Yi practiced the Pine Crane Body Forging Art, broke through to the late stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, and demonstrated his swordlike True Qi to Cha Jin.
• Su Yi explained the cultivation foundations behind Dao Qi and considered how long it would take to refine all his true qi.
• Cha Jin told Su Yi she had decided to stay by his side, and he asked her to buy clothes for Wen Lingxue.
• Su Yi gently covered the sleeping Wen Lingxue with a quilt, while Cha Jin went shopping for her and herself.
• Cha Jin returned with clothes and accessories, and Wen Lingxue joined Su Yi for lunch wearing a pale green dress that he praised.

After ending his marriage arrangement with Wen Lingxue’s sister, Su Yi left Wen Lingxue heartbroken and wandered through the city. At the Peace Inn, he showed the innkeeper a broken copper coin from Weng Yunqi and was led away for a private conversation.

• Su Yi told Wen Lingxue that he had drawn a clear line between himself and her sister, and Wen Lingxue wept before asking if she could still call him brother-in-law.
• Cha Jin went to comfort Wen Lingxue, while Su Yi left Gargling Stone Residence for a walk.
• Zhou Zhili arrived with Xue Ningyuan to meet Su Yi, but Su Yi told them to come another day and continued on his way.
• Su Yi entered the Peace Inn and showed its innkeeper the broken copper coin Weng Yunqi had given him.
• The innkeeper recognized the coin, questioned Su Yi about Weng Yunqi, and invited him to a more private place to talk.

Su Yi entered Peace Inn’s underground palace and discovered that the Yin Sha Sect had taken control of the inn. After defeating Elder Lu and questioning him about the Soul Jade, Su Yi learned it had been brought from Blood Tucha Demon Mountain ten years earlier, raising questions about Qing Wan’s origins.

• Elder Lu led Su Yi through a cellar passage to an underground palace beneath Peace Inn.
• Elder Lu revealed that the Yin Sha Sect controlled the inn and demanded that Su Yi explain his connection to Weng Yunqi and the Soul Jade.
• Su Yi struck Elder Lu down with Dao Astral Force and killed two guards who rushed into the hall.
• Elder Lu recognized Su Yi’s Soul Jade as the one stolen by Weng Yunqi and said Branch Leader Hu Yan Hai had brought it back from Blood Tucha Demon Mountain ten years earlier.
• Su Yi connected Hu Yan Hai’s mission to the mountain’s ten-year beast tide and wondered whether Qing Wan’s origins were tied to the same place.

Su Yi uncovered Weng Yunqi’s attempt to use him against Hu Yan Hai and killed Weng after learning how he had tracked him. He returned to Gargling Stone Residence, where Cha Jin noticed he seemed unhappy and offered to drink with him.

• Lu Chuan told Su Yi that Hu Yan Hai was at the Yin Sha Sect’s headquarters in White Province and swore not to reveal their encounter, but Su Yi told him to report it to Hu Yan Hai.
• Su Yi used Cave Fire Golden Eyes to disable the formation around Weng Yunqi’s courtyard and overheard Weng admitting he had hoped to use Su Yi against Hu Yan Hai.
• Weng Yunqi tried to flee and bargain for his life, but Su Yi killed him after saying he had already learned Hu Yan Hai was away from Gun Province.
• The Yellow Robe Middle-Aged Man told Su Yi that Weng had used the incomplete Blood Seal Copper Coin to track his aura, and Su Yi left with the coin.
• Cha Jin told Su Yi she had taken Ling Xue to Heavenly Origin Academy, then offered to share wine because she thought he looked unhappy.

Su Yi and Cha Jin shared a long, drunken dinner, during which he gave her a cultivation scripture. Su Yi woke beside Cha Jin with no memory of the night, while she found the scripture and resolved that he had given it to her as a promised cultivation guide.

• Cha Jin noticed Su Yi's unusual mood and joined him for dinner, where they discussed loneliness and perseverance on the Great Dao.
• As they drank and Cha Jin complained about being treated like a maid, Su Yi handed her a stack of pages containing a secret art.
• Su Yi and Cha Jin challenged each other to drink, and Su Yi eventually became drunk and lost his memory of the night.
• Su Yi woke in Cha Jin's room, saw her lying beside him, and left without learning what had happened.
• Cha Jin pretended to be asleep until Su Yi left, then read the Chaotic Cave Nine Profound Scripture and realized its value.
• Su Yi relaxed by the lake the next morning, regretting that he could not remember the previous night.

Su Yi continued treating Cha Jin casually after their night together, then guided her through the Chaotic Cave Nine Profound Scripture until she fell asleep in his room. Meanwhile, Xiang Tianqiu and Yu Baiting aligned against Su Yi ahead of the Tea Party, and Xiang began to suspect Su Yi might be tied to the powerful Su Family of Jade Capital City.

• Su Yi sent Cha Jin to buy breakfast, and she hurried away in embarrassment when he laughed at her awkward walk.
• Xiang Tianqiu visited Yu Baiting, who warned him that Su Yi had killed Old Wen and was far more formidable than he seemed.
• Yu Baiting offered to support Xiang Tianqiu at the Tea Party if Xiang helped deal with Su Yi, and Xiang claimed he had enough preparations to ensure the Sixth Prince could not turn the tide.
• Xiang Tianqiu wondered whether Su Yi belonged to the Su Family of Jade Capital City and decided to ask the Second Prince to investigate discreetly.
• Cha Jin spent the day wondering about Su Yi's feelings, then went to his room after dinner for guidance on the Chaotic Cave Nine Profound Scripture.
• Cha Jin listened to Su Yi explain the scripture through the night and woke at dawn in his bed, unsure when she had fallen asleep.

As the Tea Party approached, Su Yi learned that Zhou Zhili’s rival might have Grandmasters ranked among the Great Zhou’s strongest backing him, but remained confident he could secure Zhou Zhili’s victory. The group set out for West Mountain Summit, with Cha Jin accompanying Su Yi and Qing Jin privately reconsidering her past choice to refuse becoming his maid.

• Zhou Zhili visited Su Yi and explained that the Tea Party would take place the next morning at West Mountain Summit, while warning that Xiang Tianqiu might have powerful Grandmasters supporting him.
• Su Yi learned about the Great Zhou Grandmaster Ranking and the secretive Ten Directions Pavilion, whose leader was rumored to be a powerful Land Immortal.
• Su Yi told Cha Jin that Zhou Zhili was too inexperienced to win alone, but that with Su Yi’s help it would be hard for him to lose.
• The next morning, Zhou Zhili arrived with his companions and Xue Ningyuan, and Su Yi agreed to go to the Tea Party with Cha Jin, food, and his rattan chair.
• Qing Jin watched Cha Jin accompany Su Yi and wondered what might have happened if she had accepted his offer to become his maid.
• The group left Gun Province City by carriage and headed toward West Mountain Summit.

The Gun Province Tea Party drew powerful figures as the Sixth Prince arrived with Su Yi, whom many regarded as his trump card. Hua Yan realized that Su Yi was the mysterious youth she had met before and suspected he had killed the Third Prince’s retainers, while Mo Tianling quietly confronted how far Su Yi had surpassed him.

• Yuan Wutong and Yuan Luoxi arrived at West Mountain, where Yuan Luoyu guarded the mountain path as a Crimson Scale Army Ten-Thousand Commander.
• Hua Yan told Uncle Ying that Ten Directions Pavilion considered Su Yi the Sixth Prince’s trump card but predicted the Sixth Prince would lose the Tea Party.
• Zhou Zhili arrived with Su Yi, Cha Jin, and his other companions, drawing the attention of the gathered powers.
• Hua Yan recognized Su Yi as the blue-robed youth who had sold weapons belonging to the Third Prince’s retainers and concluded that Su Yi had likely killed them.
• Yuan Luoyu greeted Su Yi, who invited him to drink at Gargling Stone Residence, while Mo Tianling watched and felt bitter about being left behind.

Zhou Zhili confronted Xiang Tianqiu over who would become Gun Province’s new Governor-General, while Xiang revealed that Xue Ningyuan had defected to the Second Prince’s side. The gathering ended with Xue challenging Zhou Zhili’s reliance on Su Yi to change the outcome.

• Zhou Zhili arrived at the West Mountain Summit and learned that Kang Shanjing of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect had come to support Xiang Tianqiu’s side.
• Su Yi ignored the gathering’s political tension, settled into a rattan chair by the cliff, and watched the sea of clouds.
• Xiang Tianqiu backed Zhang Lingyu for Governor-General, while Zhou Zhili insisted that Mu Zhongting was the better candidate.
• Xiang Tianqiu called on Xue Ningyuan, who left Zhou Zhili’s side and endorsed Zhang Lingyu.
• Xue Ningyuan told Zhou Zhili that he was already at a disadvantage and mocked his faith in Su Yi’s ability to turn things around.

At the Tea Party, Xiang Tianqiu’s side dismantled Zhou Zhili’s support and urged him to give up. Yue Changyuan then revealed Su Yi’s connection to the Jade Capital City Su Family, but claimed the clan despised and had rejected him, leaving the hall convinced Su Yi was powerless.

• Xue Ningyuan denounced Su Yi and withdrew his support for Zhou Zhili.
• Kang Shanjing presented the Sect Leader’s Imperial Decree, preventing Chang Guoke and Qing Jin from involving themselves in worldly disputes.
• Xiang Tianqiu warned Zheng Tianhe that supporting Zhou Zhili violated an Imperial Decree against imperial relatives interfering in court affairs.
• Xiang Tianqiu introduced Yue Changyuan, a steward of the Jade Capital City Su Family, and Zhou Zhili and the others realized Su Yi shared the clan’s surname.
• Yue Changyuan addressed Su Yi as the Su Family’s Third Young Master, then claimed the clan regarded him as an unwelcome, unfilial outcast whom no one would care if he died.

Su Yi rejected pressure from the Jade Capital City Su Family and intervened in Zhou Zhili’s struggle against the Second Prince’s allies. He killed Yue Changyuan with a single sword strike, leaving the summit’s confrontation poised to escalate.

• Xiang Tianqiu pressured Zhou Zhili to yield, arguing that Mu Zhongting was the only ally he had left.
• Su Yi told Zhou Zhili that he had lost because he was too weak and declared that strength made empty negotiations unnecessary.
• Yue Changyuan warned Su Yi not to defy the Su Family patriarch, but Su Yi demanded that Yue kneel or die.
• Zhou Zhili vowed to punish Yue Changyuan and his allies if he ever rose to power.
• Yue Changyuan attacked Su Yi with his saber, but Su Yi shattered the saber qi and split Yue Changyuan and his weapon in two with Sword Qi.

After Su Yi killed Yue Changyuan, negotiations at the Tea Party collapsed into a martial duel. Qin Changshan arrived to fight Su Yi, who challenged him to a battle deciding both victory and death.

• Su Yi dismissed Yu Baiting and Xue Ningyuan's warnings and threatened Kang Shanjing after killing Yue Changyuan.
• Xiang Tianqiu called Qin Changshan to the West Mountain Summit to settle the dispute through martial combat.
• Qin Changshan arrived, and the crowd recognized him as a fifth-level grandmaster ranked twenty-seventh on the Grandmaster List.
• Qin Changshan offered to spare Su Yi if he withdrew, but Su Yi mocked him and refused.
• Su Yi declared that his duel with Qin Changshan would decide both victory and defeat and life and death, and Qin Changshan accepted.

Su Yi faced Qin Changshan, a fifth-level Grandmaster, in a three-sword duel atop West Mountain and defeated his attacks with extraordinary swordsmanship. Qin Changshan was left coughing blood, while the duel’s outcome remained unresolved.

• Qin Changshan drew Mountain Majesty and challenged Su Yi to withstand one of his swords.
• Su Yi broke Qin Changshan’s first sword, Surging Waves Strike the Shore, with Chop Mountains and Seas.
• Qin Changshan’s second strike, Thousand Streams Pierce the Sky, was stopped by Su Yi’s Wander the Ten Directions.
• Qin Changshan unleashed his perfected third sword, but Su Yi answered with Pick Sun and Moon, shattering the ocean of sword intent.
• Qin Changshan coughed up blood and stared in disbelief after Su Yi wounded him.

Su Yi defeated and killed Qin Changshan, securing Zhou Zhili’s victory at the Tea Party, then beheaded Xue Ningyuan when the losing faction tried to leave. Kang Shanjing challenged Su Yi over the killings, and the chapter ended with Xiang Tianqiu’s group hoping the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s standing would make Su Yi hesitate.

• Su Yi criticized Qin Changshan’s swordsmanship, then killed him with a single sword strike after Qin unleashed his strongest attack.
• Xiang Tianqiu admitted defeat, and Zhou Zhili demanded that he hand over the Governor’s Mansion within three days.
• When Xiang Tianqiu’s group tried to leave, Su Yi killed Xue Ningyuan despite the protection of his golden shield.
• Kang Shanjing rebuked Su Yi for continuing to kill after the Tea Party ended, while Xiang Tianqiu’s group looked to the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect for protection.

Su Yi used his sword to command the sea of clouds and killed Kang Shanjing, Xiang Tianqiu, Yu Baiting, and other opponents who tried to flee the summit. After Zhou Zhili thanked him and vowed to face the consequences, Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong arrived and greeted Su Yi.

• Kang Shanjing warned Zhou Zhili about Su Yi, but Su Yi attacked him with the Governing Mystery Sword.
• Xiang Tianqiu led the other leaders in fleeing, so Su Yi summoned the hundred-zhang sea of clouds and cut off their escape.
• Su Yi killed Kang Shanjing, Xiang Tianqiu, Yu Baiting, Zhao Qing, Bai Hanhai, and the Prefect of Huai'an County.
• Zhou Zhili thanked Su Yi and promised to bear the backlash from the killings, while Su Yi dismissed his concerns.
• Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong arrived on an Azure Scaled Eagle, and both greeted Su Yi.

After killing the masters at the Tea Party, Su Yi left West Mountain Summit with Cha Jin, putting off Ning Sihua and Cloud Radiance Marquis Shen Jiusong until the next day. Shen Jiusong advised Zhou Zhili that the bloodshed could earn him the Emperor’s approval, while the crowds below waited to learn how the Tea Party had ended.

• Su Yi declined to discuss Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong’s business until tomorrow, then left with Cha Jin aboard the Azure Scaled Eagle.
• Shen Jiusong told Zhou Zhili that surviving the Emperor’s test could secure his approval and that the Emperor might be preparing to choose a Crown Prince.
• Shen Jiusong gave Mu Zhongting a command token and promised the Crimson Scale Army’s support in his role as governor.
• Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong departed, and Zhou Zhili left the summit with Zheng Tianhe, Chang Guoke, Qing Jin, and Mu Zhongting.
• The crowds at the foot of West Mountain Summit discussed the Tea Party’s end, still unsure who had won.

After Zhou Zhili declared Mu Zhongting the new Governor of Gun Province City, the Crimson Scale Army confirmed that Xiang Tianqiu and the other leading powers had died at West Mountain. Their deaths sparked violent power struggles among several clans, while Xiang Ming learned that his father had been killed and broke down in fury.

• Zhou Zhili named Mu Zhongting the new Governor of Gun Province City, and the crowd suspected Su Yi had defeated Qin Changshan.
• Yuan Luoyu returned from the mountaintop and reported that Xiang Tianqiu and the others were dead, leaving Gun Province City on the brink of chaos.
• Yu Xiao told Yu Shuangning that Yu Baiting was dead, struck her, and had her imprisoned as the Yu Clan fought over leadership.
• The deaths of Yu Baiting and other clan leaders triggered bloody succession struggles in the Yu, Zhao, Bai, and Xue Clans.
• At Contemplation Cliff, Xiang Ming heard that Xiang Tianqiu had been killed at the Tea Party and roared in disbelief.

After the West Mountain Bloodshed, Zhou Zhikun and Zhou Zhizhen learned that the emperor admired Zhou Zhili’s actions and left them without support. Su Hongli summoned Su Yi to repent by May 5, while Su Yi examined the recovered weapons and contemplated forging a new sword.

• Zhou Zhikun and Zhou Zhizhen learned the emperor praised Zhou Zhili and left Zhou Zhikun unmentioned.
• Su Hongli asked whether Su Yi had acted for the Su Family, then ordered Pei Wenshan to offer him a chance to repent by May 5.
• You Qingzhi and Su Boning interpreted May 5 as a warning that Su Yi could be cast aside like Ye Yufei.
• Yuan Luoyu delivered items recovered from West Mountain Summit and said his father wished to visit Su Yi.
• Su Yi examined Qin Changshan’s Mountain Majesty sword and planned to forge a new sword with Starfall Iron Essence.
• Su Yi watched Cha Jin play with Crimson Suanni, then wrote a verse about a long sword and a lone wild goose.