Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai summoned the Crow to ask about the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasures, and learned they belonged to a legendary list of 108 treasures that included the Tomb of the Heaven Swallowing Race. After bargaining over their shares, Lin Bai got the Crow to agree to help search for the remaining treasures.

• Lin Bai summoned the Crow and asked whether he knew about the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasures.
• The Crow explained that the Demon Palace had left nine treasures, each powerful enough to elevate a sect, and that all nine could restore its former glory.
• The Crow described the 108 treasures of the four great realms and revealed that the Tomb of the Heaven Swallowing Race ranked first on the list.
• The Crow said he had lost most of his memories and could not locate the treasures without recovering them.
• Lin Bai offered the Crow a share of the treasure hunt, and the Crow agreed after they haggled.
• The Crow asked Lin Bai where the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasures were and whether he knew of any beyond the two found by Qi Tian Sect and Seven Nights Divine Sect.

Lin Bai told the crow that the Twenty-First Prince’s key to the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s treasures might be hidden in his palace, and the crow flew off to search for it. Lin Bai then met Meng Qinxian, Yi Heze, Lu Qingjun, and Nie Shang, who had deduced his role in confronting the Northern Region’s martial artists; he warned them not to interfere and said they would skip the battle atop the Moon Summit.

• Lin Bai explained that Zhang Peixuan had abducted the Twenty-First Prince and that the prince’s key might be hidden in his palace, prompting the crow to rush off and search for it.
• Lin Bai decided not to rely solely on the crow and left the Tianshui Sect’s residence to assess the imperial capital’s response to the abduction.
• Meng Qinxian, Yi Heze, Lu Qingjun, and Nie Shang confronted Lin Bai, having deduced that he was one of the sword cultivators who had dealt with the Northern Region’s martial artists.
• Lin Bai explained why he had faced the Northern Region’s martial artists without involving them and said the conflict now depended on the Chu Emperor’s arrangements.
• Lin Bai said they would not attend the Northern Region’s seven-day appointment atop the Moon Summit and urged his companions not to act rashly.

Lin Bai concluded that finding the Twenty-First Prince or the sword he had hidden was the best way to uncover the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure. He considered using Zhao Xing Office records to learn about the prince but held back to avoid drawing the royal family's attention to the Tianshui Sect.

• Meng Qinxian, Nie Shang, and the others left Lin Bai after probing for information about the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace treasure without asking him directly.
• Lin Bai and the Tianshui Sect's elders and disciples returned from a day of searching with little useful information, so Lin Bai waited for the Crow to report back.
• Lin Bai recalled how the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had used the Holy Son Murder Case to distract the imperial capital before attacking the White Deer Academy, and suspected the prince's abductor would have left few clues.
• Lin Bai speculated about where the Twenty-First Prince might have hidden the sword, including a secret chamber, treasury, trusted friend, or the royal family.
• Lin Bai considered using his Sword-Bearer Envoy token to obtain the prince's records from Zhao Xing Office, but decided against it to avoid attracting the royal family's scrutiny.

Lin Bai, Chen Yule, Yi Song, and their companions gathered at Moon Peak Pavilion to watch the Northern Region martial artists challenge the Eastern Region’s “Golden Martial Warriors,” whom they knew to be Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song. As the crowd awaited the challengers, Zhou Han of the South Mountain Clan appeared atop the pavilion and called for the Golden Martial Warriors to fight.

• Chen Yule brought Lin Bai and the others to a private room overlooking Moon Peak Pavilion, where they discussed relying on their friends and connections in the imperial capital.
• Lin Bai and his companions spotted Zhao Xiantu, Li Mo, Shangguan Tong, and others across the street, but Lin Bai said they should focus on the Northern Region martial artists and wait to see their methods.
• Martial artists from the imperial capital’s families and sects gathered around Moon Peak Pavilion as the moon rose to its highest point.
• Zhou Han, the Holy Son of the Northern Region’s South Mountain Clan, appeared atop Moon Peak Pavilion and challenged the Eastern Region’s Golden Martial Warriors to come out and fight.

Zhou Han challenged the Eastern Domain’s three Golden Martial Warriors at Moon Peak Pavilion, but they never appeared, and the confrontation spilled into street fights between Northern and Eastern Domain martial warriors. Lin Bai restrained his companions and watched the Zhao Xing Office arrest mostly Northern Domain fighters before the crowds dispersed, while he expected the Northern Domain to make another move.

• Zhou Han challenged the three Eastern Domain Golden Martial Warriors three times at Moon Peak Pavilion, but none of them showed up.
• Northern Domain martial warriors jeered at the absent challengers, and Eastern Domain martial warriors answered with insults until the crowds erupted into violence.
• Yi Song offered to fight the Northern Domain martial warriors, but Lin Bai said they were trying to provoke him and trusted the Zhao Xing Office to handle the unrest.
• The Zhao Xing Office arrested groups of fighters, mostly from the Northern Domain, as the night gave way to dawn.
• Lin Bai and his companions left the tavern after the crowd dispersed, and Lin Bai warned that the Northern Domain martial warriors would have another plan.

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.