Chapter Summaries

Lu Zheng arrived as Hua Yixing and the other four women fought a powerful Mountain Demon that had eaten an entire village. He took over the battle, but the Mountain Demon repeatedly broke through his restraints with her immense physical strength, and Lu Zheng prepared to use the Golden Citadel Heart Sword.

• Hua Yixing and the other four women fought the Mountain Demon, but her strength and tough hide kept the fight even.
• Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan's group arrived, and Lu Zheng told the women to rest while he faced the Mountain Demon.
• Lu Zheng bound the Mountain Demon with a True Cloud Spell and cut her arm with his sword, but she tore free of the spell and expelled the White Cloud Sword Qi.
• The Mountain Demon declared that she would kill Lu Zheng and the demon women, then charged at him.
• Lu Zheng formed a hand seal and called on the Golden Citadel Heart Sword.

Lu Zheng exploited the Mountain Demon’s weak soul to pursue and kill it inside its cave lair. After gaining an unexpectedly large amount of Light of Luck, he continued deeper into the mountain and discovered something glowing red.

• Lu Zheng used the Golden Citadel Heart Sword and Divine Palace to overwhelm the Mountain Demon’s True Spirit and chase it into the mountains.
• The Mountain Demon fled to its cave and taunted Lu Zheng, hoping to lure him into an ambush.
• Lu Zheng entered the cave, sealed the passage behind him, and used the Earthwalk Technique and mental attacks to defeat the Mountain Demon.
• After confirming the Mountain Demon was dead, Lu Zheng stored its corpse and received 141 strands of Light of Luck.
• Lu Zheng realized the Mountain Demon had already obtained an opportunity and followed the cave passage to a spacious chamber lit by red light.

Lu Zheng claimed five ripe Spirit Fruits from the Mountain Demon's lair, leaving three unripe fruits behind, and returned to the village with the Mountain Demon's corpse. That night, he shared one Spirit Fruit among his companions, whose portions strengthened them but left them briefly overwhelmed by its effects.

• Lu Zheng examined the strange tree, picked its five ripe fruits, and left the three unripe ones behind.
• Lu Zheng returned to the village, where Liu Qingyan and the others were burying the Mountain Demons, and added the Mountain Demon's corpse to their grave.
• Liu Qingyan decided the group would spend the night in the village before heading to another village the next day.
• Lu Zheng revealed a Spirit Fruit far more potent than a Bi Luo Fruit and promised to share it with everyone.
• Lu Zheng portioned the Spirit Fruit according to everyone's constitutions, and the group briefly felt intoxicated as its spiritual qi strengthened them.

Lu Zheng and his companions helped survivors across Eastern Chuan Province until the floods ended, then returned through Lingbei Province toward Yizhou. After grateful townspeople celebrated their relief work, Du Yuru and the Yizhou Demon Suppression Division welcomed them and revealed that the Emperor had issued Liu Qingyan a commendation.

• Lu Zheng and his companions traveled through Eastern Chuan Province, aiding survivors, fighting demons and ghosts, and distributing food and medicine until the floods ended.
• Lu Zheng joked that his searches through the mountains had yielded no more Spirit Fruits, while Liu Qingyan cautioned against relying too much on them for cultivation.
• Grateful townspeople gathered to thank Lu Zheng, Liu Qingyan, and their companions for saving lives during the disaster and insisted they share a meal before departing.
• The group detoured around places they had previously visited and crossed from Lingbei Province into Yizhou.
• Du YueYao reunited with Du Yuru, and Lu Zheng greeted Chu Jin, Duan Changzai, and Du Huanzhen from the Yizhou Demon Suppression Division.
• Du Yuru told Liu Qingyan that the Emperor had heard of her relief work and issued an imperial commendation, surprising Lu Zheng.

Liu Qingyan received an imperial title and a plaque for her healing work, while Lu Zheng and his companions learned the Demon Suppression Division was investigating an unclear matter. The group left the prefectural office for the Demon Suppression Division without learning what had happened.

• Du Yuru told Liu Qingyan that an imperial edict had arrived, and Chu Jin reassured her that the Demon Suppression Division knew she was a fox and still considered her a citizen of Great Jing.
• Zhong Lingyin read Emperor Jing’s edict naming Liu Qingyan the Benevolent Heart of a Green Healer and presented her with a plaque bearing the emperor’s calligraphy.
• Liu Qingyan handed the plaque to Lu Zheng, who stored it in his gourd for her to decide where to display later.
• Zhong Lingyin praised Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan’s potential, and Du Yuru hosted a family banquet for the visitors.
• Chu Jin asked Lu Zheng and his companions about their travels and said the Demon Suppression Division was handling an unclear matter, but he did not share its details.

After completing their work in Yingshan Town, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan returned to Tonglin County, where they reunited with Liu Qingyan’s family and settled back into ordinary life. That afternoon, they went together to Peach Blossom Glade after two months away.

• Bai Ting'er and the other women relaxed after the imperial edict and the Demon Suppression Division, while Lu Zheng joked that Emperor Jing’s reward was too modest.
• Lu Zheng, Liu Qingyan, and Hua Yixing’s group stayed overnight at the Lu River River God's Residence with Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu, then Hua Yixing and the five women departed for home to cultivate.
• Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan entered Tonglin County and returned to the Liu residence, where Liu Qingquan learned that Liu Qingyan was the Green Physician Goddess.
• Lu Zheng brought fruit and pastries to the Liu residence, where Liu Qingyan discussed her patients with Old Man Liu and Lu Zheng entertained Liu Qingquan with tales of fighting demons.
• Despite Lu Zheng’s suggestion that she rest, Liu Qingyan went with him to Peach Blossom Glade.

After Liu Qingyan received an imperial plaque for her malaria remedy, life in Tonglin County returned to normal. Lu Zheng decided to give away his airplane and secretly traveled to Shu Capital, where he reached the flight research institute.

• Lu Zheng and Shen Ying played chess while Liu Qingyan teased him about expecting more to follow the Emperor Jing's plaque.
• Lu Zheng asked Lin Wan about giving away his airplane and chose Shu Capital because it was distant and had an aircraft research institute.
• Lin Wan worried about how Lu Zheng could travel two thousand kilometers without leaving records, and he said he could make the trip in a week.
• The next day, Lu Zheng drove Lin Wan to work, turned off his phone, used the Invisibility Technique, and set out for Shu Capital.
• Lu Zheng traveled through the modern world by day and slept in ancient times at night, then arrived at the Shu Flight Research Institute.

Shen Lingfei discovered that an F35 had been delivered to Shu Flight Research Institute in pieces, while Lu Zheng returned to Sea City and heard about a full-armor fighting event against Japanese participants. The chapter left Lu Zheng considering whether to join the event.

• Liu Zhenhua told Shen Lingfei that someone had sent the institute an F35, and Shen hurried to see it after arriving at work.
• Shen Lingfei found the disassembled fighter jet and several missiles in the institute’s back courtyard, then angrily noticed that its avionics system had been cut through.
• Lu Zheng returned to Sea City, spoke with Lin Wan, and learned she was handling a financial case involving a suspect in the city.
• Du Lin invited Lu Zheng to lunch and asked if he would compete in a full-armor fighting event against the Japanese.
• Lu Zheng became interested in the invitation.

Lu Zheng joined Du Lin and Zhao Wenyu for lunch and learned about a Full Armor Fighting match between Sea City’s Wu Yue Club and Japan’s Sixth Day Club. Interested in competing, he asked when it would take place and said he wanted to commission fish-scale armor.

• Zhao Wenyu greeted Lu Zheng eagerly and explained that he had become his admirer after seeing him wield a heavy steel staff with ease.
• Lu Zheng asked why Full Armor Fighting was being held locally, and Zhao Wenyu described the private matches and the sport’s events and rules.
• Du Lin noted that regional differences in equipment and the lack of weight classes made Full Armor Fighting difficult to establish as an official sport.
• Zhao Wenyu explained that Sea City’s Wu Yue Club would face Japan’s Sixth Day Club at Hai City Gymnasium, with individual matches on the first day and team events on the second.
• Zhao Wenyu invited Lu Zheng to compete, and Lu Zheng asked when the event would be before requesting fish-scale armor.

Lu Zheng joined Zhao Wenyu’s preparations for a martial arts competition and met Zhang Tiexia, a former military expert. After Duan Xiaolong questioned whether Lu Zheng belonged in the mixed martial arts event, Lu Zheng agreed to test himself against Zhang Tiexia.

• Lu Zheng tried on Zhao Wenyu’s forty-kilogram Fish Scale Chainmail and moved comfortably while carrying it and a heavy spear.
• Duan Xiaolong arrived with Zhang Tiexia, a former soldier ranked among the top ten in a military-wide competition.
• Lu Zheng said he planned to enter the long-weapons, short-weapons, and mixed-martial-arts events.
• Duan Xiaolong challenged Lu Zheng to test himself against Zhang Tiexia, and Lu Zheng accepted.

Lu Zheng overwhelmed Zhang Tiexia in both a long-weapons bout and a mixed martial arts match, revealing a vast gap in skill and strength. Du Lin concluded that unless someone could defeat Zhang Tiexia, no one would take Lu Zheng’s competition slot.

• Lu Zheng and Zhang Tiexia introduced their martial arts backgrounds and prepared to test their skills with long weapons.
• Lu Zheng used his solid-steel spear to score fifteen points against Zhang Tiexia without allowing him to score, and Zhang conceded.
• Zhang Tiexia challenged Lu Zheng to a mixed martial arts match, choosing a sword and shield while Lu Zheng used an Embroidered Spring Blade.
• Lu Zheng repeatedly struck Zhang Tiexia while evading his attacks, and Zhang conceded again.
• Du Lin judged that Zhang Tiexia was formidable enough to keep others from taking Lu Zheng’s competition slot unless they could first defeat him.

Lu Zheng agreed to compete in Full Armor Fighting and invited Lin Wan and her colleagues to watch. He then visited Shaotong Mountain to meet Daoist Priest Yuting, bringing gifts and sharing his medicated wine with the two elders.

• Lu Zheng explained Full Armor Fighting to Lin Wan, agreed to enter, and arranged three front-row tickets for her, Xiu Min, and Li Ying.
• After Daoist Priest Yuting arrived and asked him to come play chess, Lu Zheng gathered fruit, pastries, and wine before traveling to Shaotong Mountain.
• Lu Zheng greeted Daoist Priest Mingzhang, Daoist Priest Yuting, and Yuan Jing, then offered them his gifts.
• Daoist Priest Yuting asked Lu Zheng for Lingzhi Wine, and Daoist Priest Mingzhang objected to sharing his supply.
• Lu Zheng took out two flasks of medicated wine for Daoist Priest Mingzhang and Daoist Priest Yuting, pleasing both elders.

Lu Zheng joined Daoist Priest Mingzhang and Daoist Priest Yuting for Go and lunch, where Yuting revealed that two unknown cultivators with Demonic Possession had appeared during the flood disaster. The group suspected a rising demonic cult, and Mingzhang believed the imperial court and major sects would handle the threat.

• Daoist Priest Mingzhang gave Lu Zheng his place in a Go game against Daoist Priest Yuting, and Lu Zheng repaired Mingzhang’s losing position well enough to earn Yuting’s praise.
• At lunch, Daoist Priest Yuting told Daoist Priest Mingzhang, Yuan Jing, and Lu Zheng that he had encountered and killed two unfamiliar cultivators with Demonic Possession in Yinan Road during the flood relief.
• Daoist Priest Yuting said the Demon Suppression Division had been unable to identify the cultivators, whose demonic qi carried a trace of fire qi.
• Lu Zheng mentioned that Lord Chu of the Yizhou Demon Suppression Division had also asked him about strange activity, and Daoist Priest Mingzhang concluded there had likely been multiple cases of Demon Cultivation.
• Daoist Priest Mingzhang argued that the Emperor Jing and the major sects’ ancestors would address the threat, while Daoist Priest Yuting warned that past calamities had involved demon cultivators.

Lu Zheng learned that the cultivation traditions of this world originated from immortals and deities who reincarnated or taught through dreams, and that Heavenly Demons could do the same. Reassured that such beings could not bring their true bodies into this world, he enhanced his cultivation with the Jade Seal and arrived at Peach Blossom Manor.

• Lu Zheng asked Daoist Priest Mingzhang about divine thought reincarnation and teachings transmitted through dreams, and learned Heavenly Demons came from beyond this world.
• Daoist Priest Mingzhang explained that early cultivation inheritances came from Upper Realm immortals and deities who reincarnated or taught through dreams, including the origins of Fengyang Mountain's thunder arts and the Taiyuan Xuan Book.
• Daoist Priest Yuting and Daoist Priest Mingzhang said evil demons beyond the heavens could also transmit teachings or reincarnate, but could not bring their true bodies into the world.
• Lu Zheng reflected that the world was less safe than he had thought, then decided to rely on his own strength and used the Jade Seal to enhance his cultivation.
• After the enhancement, Lu Zheng arrived at Peach Blossom Manor, where Lu Lang called to him.

Lu Zheng spent the morning with Shen Ying at Peach Blossom Manor, then accompanied her through the busy Peach Forest, where scholars and young ladies gathered. They came upon Zhao Wenrong bragging about how he had defeated a female ghost, and Zhao stopped short when he noticed them listening.

• Shen Ying used spiritual peach blossom petals to wash Lu Zheng's face and told him that Peach Blossoms was spreading while Incense Luck from Peach Mother Divine Mountain had declined.
• Lu Zheng and Shen Ying strolled through the Peach Forest together, where she tucked a blossom into her hair and led him past her illusion barrier.
• Shen Ying explained that scholars who had finished the County Exam and young women seeking husbands were gathering in the forest.
• Zhao Wenrong told a group of young men and women an embellished story about charming a female ghost and killing her with a borrowed Dust Whisk.
• Lu Zheng and Shen Ying listened nearby, and Zhao Wenrong noticed them before he could finish bragging.

Lu Zheng and Shen Ying ran into Zhao Wenrong, who had turned Lu Zheng’s deeds into a tale of his own generosity. At Peach Blossom Shrine, they learned Hou Ping had gone to hunt a tiger and returned after killing a beast nearly on the verge of becoming a demon.

• Lu Zheng praised Zhao Wenrong’s flood relief in front of his companions, sparing him embarrassment, and Zhao Wenrong claimed the two were close brothers.
• Shen Ying and Lu Zheng discussed Zhao Wenrong’s boastful retelling as they headed to Peach Blossom Shrine.
• Shen Ying learned that Hou Ping had gone to Fengping Mountain to hunt a tiger that had killed two people.
• Hou Ping returned battered and told Lu Zheng and Shen Ying that the tiger was nearly a demon and that he had killed it.
• Hou Ping said he had handed the tiger over to the hunters waiting in the mountains, who recognized him from Peach Blossom Shrine.

Lu Zheng visited Peach Blossom Shrine, where he learned Zhu Yushan had missed the Prefecture Exam while helping control floods, then spent the day playing mahjong with Zhu Yushan, Li Hanyu, and Shen Ying. As the group prepared to leave, a Tiger Demon roared nearby and Demon Qi surged from the shrine, prompting Shen Ying to call out to Hou Ping.

• Shen Ying wondered why a tiger nearing demonhood had blocked the road on Windscreen Mountain and let hunters return safely, while Hou Ping went back to Peach Blossom Shrine.
• Lu Zheng stayed overnight at Peach Blossom Manor after Shen Ying invited him to admire the peach blossoms.
• Zhu Yushan arrived with Li Hanyu and told Lu Zheng and Shen Ying he had missed the Prefecture Exam while helping control floods and fight demons in Sanjiang Province.
• Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, Li Hanyu, and Zhu Yushan played mahjong through the day, and Zhu Yushan gradually regained his spirits despite losing money.
• A tiger roared near Peach Blossom Shrine, Li Hanyu identified it as a Tiger Demon, and Demon Qi surged from the shrine as Shen Ying called out to Hou Ping.

Hou Ping and Lu Zheng’s group confronted an injured Tiger Demon who had come to Peach Blossom Shrine seeking revenge. Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, Li Hanyu, and Zhu Yushan held him back, and the chapter ended as Lu Zheng summoned a Flying Cloud Cleaves Evil attack.

• Hou Ping faced the Tiger Demon at Peach Blossom Shrine, and Lu Zheng and the others arrived before the demon could attack him.
• Shen Ying asked whether the Tiger Demon was connected to the tiger killed the previous day, but he attacked Hou Ping instead of answering.
• Lu Zheng wounded the Tiger Demon and pulled Hou Ping out of danger, while the group realized the demon was injured and chose to fight him.
• Lu Zheng sent Hou Ping, Zhao Wenrong, and Yu Shu to Peach Blossom Manor as he and the others battled the Tiger Demon with spells and magic.
• The Tiger Demon unleashed Black Wind and Servant Ghosts, but the group’s combined attacks kept him from escaping into the sky.
• Lu Zheng appeared before the Tiger Demon and gathered Cloud Qi to strike with Flying Cloud Cleaves Evil.

Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, Li Hanyu, and Zhu Yushan joined forces to trap and weaken the wounded Tiger Demon inside the Peach Blossom Shrine. As the demon made a desperate charge for freedom, Lu Zheng immobilized him at the decisive moment, leaving the four ready to strike.

• Lu Zheng fought off the Tiger Demon with his blade, spells, and Golden Citadel Heart Sword, while Shen Ying urged him to avoid rushing in.
• Shen Ying unleashed Peach Blossom Evil, and Li Hanyu used her pearl to hold back the Tiger Demon's tiger ghosts.
• When the Tiger Demon tried to leave, Shen Ying grew peach trees around the shrine, while Li Hanyu and Zhu Yushan trapped him with waves and moonlight.
• Lu Zheng struck the Tiger Demon with his Golden Hammer and followed up with spells and saber attacks as the four kept him from escaping.
• The Tiger Demon grew weaker through the night, then transformed and charged desperately for the shrine entrance.
• Lu Zheng cast the Body Immobilization Spell, halting the Tiger Demon's charge and disrupting the Demon Qi surging through his body.

Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, Li Hanyu, and Zhu Yushan killed the powerful Tiger Demon at Peach Blossom Shrine and discovered pills and a stone plaque beneath its corpse. The plaque matched one Lu Zheng had found in Leng Jian's cave, so the group decided to travel to Yizhou Prefecture and ask the Demon Suppression Division about the faction behind them.

• Lu Zheng used the Body Immobilization Spell at a decisive moment, allowing Shen Ying and the others to wound and kill the Tiger Demon; Lu Zheng destroyed its true spirit.
• Shen Ying found five porcelain bottles of pills and a stone plaque hidden beneath the Tiger Demon's corpse.
• Lu Zheng recognized the plaque as identical to the one he had found in Leng Jian's cave on Wild Wolf Mountain.
• Lu Zheng told Shen Ying and Li Hanyu about Leng Jian, and Shen Ying suspected that he and the Tiger Demon belonged to the same faction.
• Shen Ying insisted they investigate the faction, and Lu Zheng suggested asking the Demon Suppression Division.
• Zhu Yushan proposed leaving for Yizhou Prefecture overnight, and Lu Zheng agreed.