Recaps

After the South Mountain Clan’s challenge went unanswered, Dao Child Yao Qian of the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace appeared at their residence and revealed that the Eastern Region’s Golden Martial Warriors had disrupted their plan. Yao Qian asserted his authority over Zhou Han and the hidden Demon Palace operatives, leaving the clan’s next move unresolved.

• Zhou Han raged that the three Eastern Region martial artists had ignored his challenge, while the bald elder warned that public rumors could not undo their recent victory.
• The bald elder suspected the Eastern Region trio had strategic guidance from the Chu Kingdom, though he did not believe they were military headquarters martial artists.
• A black-robed man wearing a Golden Mask entered the South Mountain Clan’s residence, and the bald elder stopped Zhou Han from attacking after realizing he was not one of the trio.
• The masked man revealed himself as Dao Child Yao Qian of the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace, prompting more than thirty hidden Demon Palace martial artists to bow to him.
• Yao Qian rebuked Zhou Han for expecting the Eastern Region trio to accept his challenge, then overwhelmed him with Killing Intent when Zhou Han tried to confront him.

Yao Qian gave the South Mountain Clan a way to claim victory over the Eastern Region's Golden Masked Warriors without fighting the real ones. He reported to the Goddess, who explained that several of the Devil Palace's plans had failed and predicted the South Mountain Clan's scheme would fail too.

• Yao Qian told the South Mountain Clan to disguise its own fighters with Golden Masks and have Zhou Han defeat them if the three Eastern Region martial artists did not accept another challenge.
• The bald elder and the South Mountain Clan's martial artists accepted Yao Qian's plan, and he warned them not to ruin the Devil Palace's efforts.
• Yao Qian shook off the South Mountain Clan's scouts as he left the guesthouse.
• Yao Qian met the Goddess in a flower-filled courtyard and reported that he had relayed her instructions to the South Mountain Clan.
• The Goddess recounted how Lin Bai had exposed the plan to rescue the ancestors in the Demon Suppression Cave, Prince Chen had crushed the summoned evil sects, and the South Mountain Clan's public-opinion campaign was likely to fail.
• Yao Qian asked whether the Goddess had guessed the identities of the three masked martial artists.

The Goddess and Yao Qian reviewed the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s setbacks and planned to obtain the treasure key from the captured Twenty-First Prince while continuing their operation against the South Mountain Clan. In the imperial palace, Chu Emperor learned that Chao Yushi had advised Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song not to take the bait at Moon Peak Pavilion.

• The Goddess identified Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song as the three who had foiled the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s plans and lamented that many powerful figures had allied with Lin Bai.
• Yao Qian asked whether they should still target the South Mountain Clan, and the Goddess insisted they continue because the Demon Palace had invested heavily in the clan.
• The Goddess ordered Yao Qian to find the treasure key from the captured Twenty-First Prince before the Zhao Xing Office discovered his whereabouts, then left to report to the Demon Palace elders.
• Chu Emperor told Xiao Cangsheng and the hidden figures that Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song had not gone to Moon Peak Pavilion to fight the Northern Domain martial artists.
• After the others departed, Chu Emperor asked who had advised Lin Bai, and a voice from the darkness named Chao Yushi.

Lin Bai and the Eastern Region’s allies ignored the Northern Region’s renewed challenge while searching for the missing Twenty-First Prince and the sword connected to the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasure vault. Crow returned without finding the sword, but brought back the prince’s books and calligraphy for Lin Bai to inspect for clues.

• The Northern Region issued another seven-day challenge at Moon Peak Pavilion, and Lin Bai and the others agreed not to respond yet.
• Lin Bai returned to Tianshui Sect and told the others to keep watching for the Twenty-First Prince while waiting for Crow’s report.
• Crow returned after searching the Twenty-First Prince’s residence and the surrounding void, but found no trace of the sword.
• Crow revealed that he had taken the prince’s books, paintings, and calligraphy from the residence.
• Lin Bai began examining the books and artwork for clues while Crow admitted he could not understand them.

Lin Bai examined the Twenty-First Prince’s writings and paintings and found a crude snow scene that appeared to conceal a clue. He suspected the painting pointed to Bright Moon Pavilion’s Wind and Snow Palace and went there with the Crow to investigate.

• Lin Bai and the Crow spent two days examining the books, calligraphy, and paintings from the Twenty-First Prince’s residence.
• Lin Bai noticed that a crude, unsigned snow-scene painting smelled of Dragon Blood Wine and concluded the Twenty-First Prince had painted it recently.
• Lin Bai reasoned that the Twenty-First Prince had deliberately left the unusual painting as a lure and might have hidden a clue to the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure in it.
• Lin Bai recalled the snow within Bright Moon Pavilion’s Wind and Snow Palace and set off there with the Crow.

Lin Bai and the Crow secretly entered Moon Palace Island to search the Wind and Snow Palace for the treasure key the Twenty-First Prince had hidden. Lin Bai found a new courtesan dancing there and was captivated by her unusual bearing, while the key’s location remained unknown.

• Lin Bai chose to sneak into Moon Palace Island with the Crow and used the Void Evasion Art to enter without attracting attention.
• Lin Bai reached the Wind and Snow Palace and realized the mountain in the Twenty-First Prince’s painting matched the one before him.
• Lin Bai worried that the prince might have entrusted the treasure key to Miss Yun Ke, who had returned to the Azure Lotus Sect, and sent the Crow to search the palace grounds.
• Lin Bai slipped onto the Wind and Snow Palace’s roof and looked inside at the new courtesan performing for a gathering of guests.
• Lin Bai was captivated by the courtesan’s dignified presence and eyes that seemed to reflect a lifetime of experience.

Lin Bai discovered that Lady Yuewu had a connection to the missing Twenty-First Prince, Chu Lin'an, and learned she was searching for news of him. As Lady Yuewu prepared to bathe, the Crow caught Lin Bai watching and began recording misleading accusations about him, prompting Lin Bai to destroy the Crow’s booklet.

• Lady Yuewu ended the banquet early, dismissed the guests, and returned to her bedchamber in distress.
• Lin Bai watched Lady Yuewu unfold a portrait bearing an inscription from Chu Lin'an, the Twenty-First Prince.
• Lady Yuewu asked a maidservant for news, but the maidservant reported that no one had found the prince.
• The Crow accused Lin Bai of peeping at Lady Yuewu and began writing allegations about him in a booklet.
• Lin Bai smashed the booklet and warned the Crow not to write nonsense that could get people killed.

Lin Bai confronted Lady Yuewu at Wind and Snow Palace about her connection to the missing Twenty-First Prince. After he showed her a crude painting by the prince and exposed her emotional reaction, Lady Yuewu’s hostility gave way to sorrow.

• The Crow’s noise alerted Lady Yuewu, whose maids broke through the roof and surrounded Lin Bai.
• Lady Yuewu recognized Lin Bai and teased him for sneaking into Wind and Snow Palace, but he said he had come to ask about the Twenty-First Prince.
• Lady Yuewu gave an ambiguous answer about knowing the prince, prompting Lin Bai to show her a painting of the palace’s snow mountain.
• Lin Bai said the Twenty-First Prince had painted it hastily before disappearing and suggested he had hidden a secret in it.
• Lady Yuewu accused Lin Bai of seeking promotion and wealth, but he argued that rescuing the prince would benefit them both.
• Lin Bai pointed out that Lady Yuewu had cried over the prince’s portrait, and her anger faded into sorrow.

Lin Bai questioned Lady Yuewu about the missing Twenty-First Prince and the gifts he had given her, hoping to learn whether she possessed a treasure key. Their conversation ended in a standoff over a sword, with each making its help conditional on the other’s cooperation.

• Lady Yuewu examined Lin Bai’s painting and agreed to answer his questions after he claimed he was secretly investigating the Twenty-First Prince’s disappearance for Prince Chen.
• Lady Yuewu explained how she met the Twenty-First Prince eight years earlier, fell in love with him, and rose to become the mistress of Wind and Snow Palace.
• Lin Bai asked whether the Twenty-First Prince had given her a sword, and the Crow blurted out the question before Lin Bai could conceal his interest.
• Lady Yuewu asked how confident Lin Bai was of rescuing the Twenty-First Prince, and Lin Bai replied that he could not be confident unless she gave him the sword.

Lin Bai questioned Lady Yuewu about the sword tied to the Twenty-First Prince’s abduction and discovered that the prince had given her one. After the sword was not found in her Storage Bag, Lin Bai deduced that it was kept at a private residence where the two met, and left after Lady Yuewu refused to reveal its location without a promise to rescue the prince.

• Lin Bai told Lady Yuewu that finding the sword was essential to rescuing the Twenty-First Prince and preventing the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace from obtaining it.
• Lady Yuewu admitted that the Twenty-First Prince had given her a sword after she performed sword dancing for him.
• The Crow searched Lady Yuewu’s Storage Bag and found several swords, but none was the one Lin Bai sought.
• Lin Bai inferred that the prince and Lady Yuewu met at a private residence outside the Wind and Snow Palace and that the sword was probably kept there.
• Lady Yuewu offered to reveal the residence and hand over the sword if Lin Bai guaranteed the prince’s rescue, but Lin Bai started to leave, saying he could find the place himself.

Lin Bai persuaded Lady Yuewu to reveal the Twenty-First Prince’s secret residence in Bright Moon Pavilion in exchange for helping rescue him. After they arrived, Lady Yuewu revealed that the key sword was left in the waterside pavilion, and Lin Bai rushed to retrieve it.

• Lady Yuewu stopped Lin Bai and agreed to give him the sword if he helped rescue the Twenty-First Prince.
• Lady Yuewu and Lin Bai disguised themselves and traveled by boat to Bright Moon Pavilion’s private residences.
• Lady Yuewu explained that prominent figures used the residences to secretly meet Moon Palace courtesans away from their politically arranged wives and concubines.
• Lady Yuewu brought Lin Bai to Huang Estate, the Twenty-First Prince’s alias and a residence known only to them.
• Lady Yuewu said the sword was in the waterside pavilion, so Lin Bai and the crow raced there.

Lin Bai found the sword Lady Yuewu had received from the Twenty-First Prince and recognized it as the treasure key sought across the Devil Realm Eastern Region. Before he could take it, Dao Child Yao Qian and six other Nine Underworlds Demon Palace martial artists broke into the estate, and Lin Bai faced them over the sword.

• Lin Bai used the Void Evasion Art to reach the waterside pavilion, where he and the crow found the sword Lady Yuewu had mentioned.
• Lady Yuewu arrived and confirmed the sword was the one the Twenty-First Prince had given her.
• Seven Superior-Grade Great Purity Dao Fruit martial artists shattered the estate's formation and surrounded Lin Bai, claiming he had led them to the sword.
• Yao Qian introduced himself as a Dao Child of the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace and said he had come to retrieve its sword.
• Lin Bai challenged Yao Qian's ability to take the sword, and tension rose between them.

Lin Bai refused Dao Child Yao Qian’s offer to surrender the treasured sword and fought the seven Nine Underworlds Demon Palace experts. After Crow drove Yao Qian back and Lin Bai repelled four attackers with his swordsmanship and divine weapons, Lin Bai revealed three more Grand Yi Divine Weapons to end the battle quickly.

• Lin Bai rejected Dao Child Yao Qian’s offer to take the treasured sword peacefully and chose to fight.
• Dao Child Yao Qian ordered the six other men in black to attack Lin Bai while three of them moved toward the sword.
• Lin Bai told Crow to take the sword, and Crow’s Nine-Colored Immortal Fire forced Dao Child Yao Qian to retreat and burned the residence to ashes.
• Lin Bai used his sword intent, Heaven’s Will Four Symbols Sword Formation, Heaven Measuring Ruler, and Sea God Pearl to repel four Superior-Grade Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm attackers.
• Lin Bai summoned the Yellow Springs Demon Bone, Mount Tai Sword, and Overlord Sky Halberd, shocking the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace experts.

Lin Bai used four Grand Yi Divine Weapons to overpower the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace experts and help the Crow secure the treasure sword key. By the end, the other six Superior-Grade Great Purity Dao Fruit cultivators had fled, leaving Dao Child Yao Qian alone against Lin Bai and the Crow.

• Lin Bai merged the Yellow Springs Demon Bone into his body, raising his cultivation power to the peak of the Superior-Grade Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm, and summoned the Mount Tai Sword and Overlord Sky Halberd.
• Lin Bai shattered one opponent with the Mount Tai Sword and drove the remaining three into retreat, then broke through a Golden Light Shield and struck down more of the attackers.
• The Crow took the treasure sword key while Dao Child Yao Qian and two other cultivators pursued him, and the Crow called on Lin Bai to help.
• Lin Bai attacked the pursuers with the Mount Tai Sword and Overlord Sky Halberd, forcing two more Nine Underworlds Demon Palace cultivators to flee with their Dao Fruits.
• Dao Child Yao Qian remained as the only one of the seven Superior-Grade Great Purity Dao Fruit cultivators still fighting.

Lin Bai defeated Dao Child Yao Qian’s defenses, but Yao Qian escaped and blamed him for the stolen sword key. As the Zhao Xing Office arrived at the ruined mansion, Lin Bai rescued Lady Yuewu and gave Commander Zhu Mo an account of the battle.

• Lin Bai drove his Mount Tai Sword through Dao Child Yao Qian’s Golden Shield Talisman, forcing Yao Qian to flee and vow to return for the sword key.
• The Crow joined Lin Bai, then fled alone toward the Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace while Lin Bai stayed to find Lady Yuewu.
• Lin Bai rescued Lady Yuewu from beneath the rubble and told her that the Crow had taken the sword and that she should keep it secret.
• Zhu Mo arrived with Zhao Xing Office martial artists and questioned Lin Bai about the destruction and the attackers.
• Lin Bai claimed that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had ambushed him, and Zhu Mo stopped questioning him after noticing Lady Yuewu.

After leaving Bright Moon Pavilion, Lin Bai’s story about Nine Underworlds Demon Palace fooled the Zhao Xing Office on the surface, but Zhu Mo deduced that Lin Bai had obtained the sought-after sword. Prince Chen struggled with the conflict between his friendship with Lin Bai and the interests of Chu and Tianshui Sect, then learned that Lin Bai had come to see him.

• Lin Bai thanked Zhu Mo for his warning and left Bright Moon Pavilion with Lady Yuewu.
• Zhu Mo ordered the Zhao Xing Office to search for clues, then reported to Prince Chen that he suspected Lin Bai had obtained the sword.
• Zhu Mo reasoned that Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had no reason to target Lin Bai unless the sword was involved, convincing Prince Chen of his suspicion.
• Prince Chen weighed his friendship with Lin Bai against the political interests at stake and struggled to decide what to do.
• A steward announced that Lin Bai had arrived, and Prince Chen told him to wait in the side hall while he prepared to meet him.

After securing the sword that served as a key to a Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure, Lin Bai decided he had to negotiate with the Chu imperial family rather than risk facing them alone. He told Prince Chen that the sword was in his hands, leaving room for an agreement over the treasure.

• Lin Bai assured Lady Yuewu that the Twenty-First Prince would return safely, and she warned she would expose his possession of the sword if the prince did not appear within half a month.
• Lin Bai and the crow discussed the missing map and agreed that cooperating with the imperial family was safer than trying to claim the treasure alone.
• Lin Bai proposed giving twenty percent of the treasure to the crow, twenty percent to the Tianshui Sect, and twenty percent to the imperial family, with the remainder for himself.
• Lin Bai went to Prince Chen's Residence, where Prince Chen confirmed rumors that the Twenty-First Prince had a key to the treasure.
• Lin Bai told Prince Chen that the sword was in his hands, and Prince Chen recognized that Lin Bai's disclosure left room for negotiation.

Lin Bai proposed that the Imperial Family cooperate with him, the Tianshui Sect, and a friend to divide the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure, arguing that the arrangement would not threaten Chu. After Lin Bai left, Prince Chen and Zhu Mo reflected on the strength of Chu’s young elites and the dangers surrounding the upcoming birthday celebration and transfer of power.

• Lin Bai proposed that the Imperial Family receive twenty percent of the treasure, alongside twenty percent each for his friend and the Tianshui Sect, while he kept forty percent.
• Lin Bai explained that the distribution would prevent the Tianshui Sect from threatening Chu, and Prince Chen agreed to take the proposal to Chu Emperor.
• Prince Chen asked what Lin Bai would do if Chu Emperor refused, but Lin Bai avoided answering and urged him to report the offer.
• Prince Chen sent Lin Bai away and discussed with Zhu Mo how formidable Chu’s young Holy Sons and Holy Daughters were.
• Prince Chen warned that the coming birthday celebration and transfer of power could plunge Chu’s Eastern Region into chaos if mishandled.

Emperor Chu weighed Lin Bai’s proposal to share the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasures and decided that Chu should cooperate rather than attack Tianshui Sect. As Lin Bai arrived at the Golden Hall, Emperor Chu also resolved to give Sacred Lotus Palace one final chance over its attempt to seize the key.

• Prince Chen relayed Lin Bai’s offer and his prediction that Emperor Chu would accept, preventing Chu from having a justifiable reason to destroy Tianshui Sect.
• Emperor Chu summoned Lin Bai and ordered Prince Chen to focus on the birthday celebration and finding the missing Twenty-First Prince.
• Emperor Chu and the hidden officials debated whether to attack Tianshui Sect, but agreed to let it survive and recover for now.
• Emperor Chu decided to give Sacred Lotus Palace one final chance, despite its concealment of the Twenty-First Prince’s key.
• Eunuch Gui announced Lin Bai’s arrival, and Emperor Chu invited him into the Golden Hall.

Lin Bai negotiated with Emperor Chu over the treasure key and agreed to help rescue the Twenty-First Prince. He planned to use himself as bait to draw out the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace, while Emperor Chu’s advisers debated whether Lin Bai would become an imperial ally or a threat.

• Emperor Chu confirmed that the Twenty-First Prince had not known the sword’s significance until the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace imprisoned him, and that he had left a painting as a clue before being taken away.
• Emperor Chu demanded thirty percent of the treasure and Lin Bai’s help rescuing the Twenty-First Prince, and Lin Bai accepted both conditions.
• Emperor Chu explained that the sword’s numerical marking would identify the corresponding treasure map, and Lin Bai agreed to report the marking to Prince Chen.
• Lin Bai said he would use himself as bait because the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace would come after the key, and Emperor Chu offered the Golden Hall as a safe refuge.
• After Lin Bai left, Emperor Chu’s advisers debated whether to win him over or eliminate him, and Emperor Chu chose to wait and see.

Lin Bai examined the treasure key and identified it as Sword Six, learning that he needed to find the matching Map Six to reach the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s sixth treasure. He told Prince Chen and the Tianshui Sect about the key and his agreement to share the treasures with the imperial family, leaving the sect unhappy but aware that cooperation might prevent disaster.

• Lin Bai identified the ancient seal-script character “six” on the Crow’s sword and named it Sword Six, then decided to search for Map Six with help from the imperial family and the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace.
• Lin Bai told Prince Chen about his agreement with Emperor Chu and Sword Six, and Prince Chen agreed to help find Map Six.
• Lin Bai gathered Ancestor Pan Qing, Bai Yifei, Qiao Mo, and the other Tianshui Sect members and announced that he had obtained the treasure key.
• Lin Bai revealed that the imperial family already knew about the key and explained his agreement to share the treasures with them.
• The Tianshui Sect members disliked sharing the treasures, but they understood that refusing to cooperate could put the sect at risk of annihilation.

Lin Bai finalized the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure distribution with the Tianshui Sect and arranged to keep the key’s discovery secret. The Flying Sword Devil Sect’s Holy Son, Luo Qiu, visited Lin Bai, tested his sword intent, and announced that he would free Luo Yu from Deer Terrace Palace.

• Lin Bai agreed that he would receive thirty percent of the treasure, the imperial family thirty percent, the Tianshui Sect twenty percent, and his friends twenty percent, with his unclaimed share going to the sect.
• Ancestor Pan Qing and the others agreed to search for the treasure map while pretending they were still looking for the treasure key.
• Luo Qiu visited Lin Bai at the Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace and said he had come to meet the Chu Kingdom’s leading young sword cultivator.
• Lin Bai and Luo Qiu clashed sword intents, destroying the side hall, before Luo Qiu withdrew his intent and proposed sparring in the Hunting Realm.
• Luo Qiu told Lin Bai that the Flying Sword Devil Sect would retrieve Luo Yu from Deer Terrace Palace, and Lin Bai agreed that his flying sword could return afterward.

After Luo Qiu rescued Luo Yu, Lin Bai was lured from Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace to a remote inn by a false report that Qiao Mo and Qin Yao were in danger. There he discovered Dao Child Yao Qian of the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace waiting for him, and the chapter ended as the two faced each other.

• Lin Bai told Ancestor Pan Qing that Luo Qiu had come to rescue Luo Yu and challenge him in the Hunting World, and Pan Qing warned him to be careful.
• A maid reported that Qiao Mo and Qin Yao had clashed with local ruffians at Dragon Smoke Inn, so Lin Bai went with the inn’s attendant to investigate.
• The attendant led Lin Bai through the imperial capital’s slums to Dragon Smoke Inn, where Lin Bai found no customers and no sign of Qiao Mo or Qin Yao.
• Dao Child Yao Qian descended from the stairs and revealed that Qiao Mo and Qin Yao were not there, exposing the report as a scheme to lure Lin Bai in.
• Yao Qian claimed he did not want to fight Lin Bai again, while Lin Bai remained wary of the Dao Child’s strength and hidden methods.

Lin Bai met Dao Child Yao Qian at Dragon Smoke Inn, where Yao Qian demanded the sword in exchange for a reward and the Twenty-First Prince’s release. Lin Bai refused, using the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s need for the Sixth Treasure and his protection in the imperial capital to rebuff Yao Qian’s threats.

• Dao Child Yao Qian assured Lin Bai that no one else was in the inn and that the tea was safe, then asked him to hand over the sword.
• Lin Bai asked about the Twenty-First Prince, but dismissed Yao Qian’s offer to trade the prince’s freedom for the sword and claimed he hoped the prince would be killed.
• Dao Child Yao Qian offered to pay Lin Bai, then warned that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had enough strength to threaten the Chu Empire and Tianshui Sect.
• Lin Bai said the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace could not kill him without losing its chance to find the Sixth Treasure, and that his status protected him in the imperial capital.
• Lin Bai accused Dao Child Yao Qian of relying on bluster and said many people wanted the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace exposed; Yao Qian denied placing an ambush outside the inn.

Lin Bai rejected Dao Child Yao Qian’s attempt to reclaim the treasure key and secretly followed him to the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s stronghold, Flower Fairy Garden. There, a woman called Goddess revealed that Lin Bai had tracked them, leaving Yao Qian and the waiter horrified.

• Lin Bai told Dao Child Yao Qian to return with a representative who had the authority to negotiate for the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace, then left the Dragon Smoke Inn.
• Dao Child Yao Qian dismissed the gathered experts, explaining that killing Lin Bai would cause turmoil and would not let them remove the treasure key from the imperial capital.
• Lin Bai summoned the Crow and followed Dao Child Yao Qian and the waiter as they changed disguises and entered a luxurious estate.
• Lin Bai identified the estate as Flower Fairy Garden, broke through its formation, and entered with the Crow.
• Dao Child Yao Qian and the waiter greeted a woman they called Goddess and reported that Lin Bai had resisted their pressure.
• Goddess warned them that someone had followed them to Flower Fairy Garden, and both men were horrified.