Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai hosted Southern Border Insect Valley at Immortal Abode Restaurant, where he negotiated the return of its sacred Five Vices Bottle in exchange for an antidote. The banquet ended with the artifact on the table and the antidote still owed.

• Lin Bai learned that Immortal Abode Restaurant would cover the cost of his banquets, an arrangement Qiao Mo and Qin Yao suspected came from Prince Liang's Estate.
• Lin Bai chose to host Southern Border Insect Valley first and instructed Qiao Mo and Qin Yao to invite them.
• Lin Bai met the Southern Border Insect Valley ancestor Huangquan and Holy Daughter Rong Yunxin at Immortal Abode Restaurant, where they exchanged toasts and discussed the Five Vices Bottle.
• Lin Bai placed the Five Vices Bottle on the table and agreed to return it if Southern Border Insect Valley provided an antidote for the poisons afflicting him and other martial artists.

Lin Bai returned the Five Vices Bottle to Rong Yunxin in exchange for detoxifying his Azure Poison and receiving a method for treating the other poisoned disciples. He remained suspicious of Southern Border Insect Valley’s motives for targeting the Kingdom of Chu and questioned why Xia Jingzhi had fled there.

• Lin Bai told the ancestor of Southern Border Insect Valley that he would return the Five Vices Bottle in exchange for a detoxification method, and the ancestor wrote down an approach for treating the poisons used in the eastern-suburbs forest.
• Rong Yunxin explained that the Five Vices Bottle could draw poison out of its target, and Lin Bai handed it back to her.
• Rong Yunxin used the bottle to extract the Azure Poison from Lin Bai, leaving him relieved as she put the bottle away.
• The ancestor of Southern Border Insect Valley claimed his group had only pursued Xia Jingzhi and held no grudge against Lin Bai or the Kingdom of Chu.
• Lin Bai asked why Xia Jingzhi had sought refuge in the Kingdom of Chu and what Southern Border Insect Valley wanted there, but the ancestor denied knowing why Xia had chosen it.

Lin Bai confronted the Southern Border Insect Valley Ancestor, who denied knowing the valley’s larger schemes while warning that its disciples might use deadly poisons against him. After the guests left, Lin Bai learned that Leng Xingguang was still missing and asked Prince Hong Estate to investigate.

• Lin Bai told the Southern Border Insect Valley Ancestor that Xia Jingzhi was in Purgatory and would soon reveal what he knew.
• The Southern Border Insect Valley Ancestor hinted that his disciples would challenge Lin Bai in the Hunting Realm and warned that they might release Incurable Poison in a fight to the death.
• Lin Bai and the Southern Border Insect Valley Ancestor exchanged threats disguised as courteous remarks before the ancestor left with his disciples.
• Qiao Mo told Lin Bai that Wind and Snow Villa had no news of Leng Xingguang, so Lin Bai wrote down Leng Xingguang’s details and asked Prince Hong Estate to investigate his whereabouts.

Lin Bai hosted the Flying Sword Devil Sect delegation at Immortal Abode Restaurant, where its ancestor questioned the origin of his flying sword techniques and warned that he could be suspected of spying for the Spirit Realm. The ancestor urged Lin Bai to abandon the darkness for the light or join the Flying Sword Devil Sect, leaving Lin Bai to weigh the threat behind the offer.

• Lin Bai welcomed the Flying Sword Devil Sect ancestor, elders, and disciples to a banquet at Immortal Abode Restaurant.
• The ancestor questioned Lin Bai about his Supreme Avatar, flying sword techniques, and the identity of his master.
• Lin Bai said his techniques came from a proper Dao Tradition but refused to name his master or confirm a connection to the Flying Sword Immortal Sect.
• The ancestor warned that Lin Bai might be treated as a Spirit Realm spy because the Demon Realm and Spirit Realm were mortal enemies.
• Lin Bai challenged the ancestor over whether he intended to capture him, and both sects' disciples grew wary.
• The ancestor said someone would deal with Lin Bai and invited him to join the Flying Sword Devil Sect, promising to protect him even if he were a spy.

Lin Bai met with emissaries from twelve Flourishing Sects as the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration approached, then returned to the Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace to rest. The Qi Tian Sect unexpectedly arrived to visit him there, and Zhang Bailiu welcomed its elders inside.

• The Flying Sword Devil Sect’s ancestor tried to recruit Lin Bai, but admitted the sect could not help him return to the Spirit Realm; Lin Bai remained wary after its disciples had antagonized him.
• Lin Bai continued hosting representatives from the Devil Realm’s Flourishing Sects, meeting twelve of them over six days before returning to the Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace to recuperate.
• Ancestor Pan Qing told Lin Bai that the Qi Tian Sect was coming to visit, despite Lin Bai having invited them to meet at the Immortal Abode Restaurant two days later.
• Lin Bai joined Chu Xi, Zhang Bailiu, Pan Qing, Bai Yifei, and others to welcome the Qi Tian Sect’s elders at the traveling palace.
• Zhang Bailiu greeted the Qi Tian Sect’s elders and invited them inside for food and conversation, while Lin Bai recognized that their visit was prompted by him.

At a banquet with Qi Tian Sect, Lin Bai learned that Jiang Xuansu had been brought to the sect and recognized its attempt to use their past connection to curry favor with him. He invited Jiang Xuansu and the Eternal Devil Sect disciples to join the gathering.

• Lin Bai greeted Qi Tian Sect's ancestors and learned about Sacred Son Qi Lingyu and the sect's other disciples.
• Qi Tian Sect's ancestor told Lin Bai that Eternal Devil Sect had sent prodigies to cultivate at Qi Tian Sect, including Jiang Xuansu.
• Lin Bai realized Qi Tian Sect had offered Eternal Devil Sect special support to win his favor through Jiang Xuansu.
• The ancestor explained that Jiang Xuansu had declined to visit because she considered herself only a casual acquaintance of Lin Bai.
• Lin Bai asked Qi Tian Sect to invite Jiang Xuansu and the Eternal Devil Sect disciples to the banquet, and the ancestor sent someone to fetch them.

Lin Bai reunited with Jiang Xuansu and the Eternal Devil Sect at the Tianshui Sect’s traveling palace, where their strained meeting revealed how far their lives had diverged. Jiang Xuansu remained withdrawn, and Lin Bai was left grieving the loss of their former closeness.

• Lin Bai explained that the Eternal Devil Sect and Jiang Xuansu had helped him after he fell into the Devil Realm, while Zhang Bailiu and the Qi Tian Sect’s Ancestor tried to draw him closer to their respective interests.
• Liu Fuyun arrived with Jiang Xuansu and other Eternal Devil Sect disciples, and Lin Bai welcomed them into the hall.
• Lin Bai greeted Liu Fuyun, then called on Jiang Xuansu to look at him; she raised her head and wept when their eyes met.
• Lin Bai wiped Jiang Xuansu’s tears and asked whether someone had bullied her, but she said wind had blown sand into her eyes.
• Lin Bai used his sword intent to cut off every breeze around the Guest Hall, then returned to his seat as Jiang Xuansu remained withdrawn and he mourned their lost youthful closeness.

After the Qi Tian Sect’s banquet at the Tianshui Sect’s palace, Lin Bai invited Jiang Xuansu to stroll through the imperial capital and talk privately. Jiang Xuansu questioned him about his engagements to Qiao Mo and Princess Chenxian, and Lin Bai explained their circumstances before acknowledging that he understood the Qi Tian Sect’s intentions.

• The Qi Tian Sect’s ancestor thanked Zhang Bailiu and Lin Bai for hosting the banquet, then left with the sect’s martial artists.
• Lin Bai invited Jiang Xuansu to a tavern and the two walked together through the imperial capital, drawing envious looks from the Tianshui Sect’s disciples and leaving Qiao Mo and Qin Yao gloomy.
• Jiang Xuansu described the pressure to behave cautiously in Chu’s imperial capital, where the Eternal Devil Sect’s influence was small compared with that of the great sects and lineages.
• Jiang Xuansu asked Lin Bai about his engagements to Qiao Mo and Princess Chenxian, and Lin Bai explained that both had arisen from circumstances and political necessity.
• Jiang Xuansu told Lin Bai he should not have invited her out because he ought to understand the Qi Tian Sect’s intentions; Lin Bai replied that he did understand their single goal.

Lin Bai reassured Jiang Xuansu that Qi Tian Sect’s efforts to recruit them could benefit both her and the Eternal Devil Sect, while warning her to cultivate carefully amid the political maneuvering in Chu. He invited her to reminisce over a meal, and they went to a nearby tavern together.

• Jiang Xuansu warned Lin Bai that Qi Tian Sect was manipulating their relationship to win him over, and he said he could handle the situation.
• Lin Bai explained that Qi Tian Sect’s interest in him could give Jiang Xuansu and the Eternal Devil Sect a chance to advance.
• Jiang Xuansu told Lin Bai that Qi Tian Sect’s ancestor had recruited her as a Core Disciple the day after Lin Bai revealed his Supreme Avatar.
• Jiang Xuansu worried that spending time with Lin Bai might provoke Qiao Mo or Fallen Immortal, but Lin Bai said his marriage contracts were only an act.
• Jiang Xuansu cautioned Lin Bai that the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration could reshape the Devil Realm, and Lin Bai led her to a nearby tavern for wine.

Qiao Mo and Qin Yao went to check on Lin Bai, while Fallen Immortal also headed to the tavern after learning he was meeting Jiang Xuansu. The women arrived at the same time, and Fallen Immortal confirmed they had come to see him too.

• Qiao Mo set out to check on Lin Bai, and Qin Yao joined her; Bai Yifei and the others watched them leave before returning to their rooms.
• Fallen Immortal learned that Lin Bai had stayed at Eternal Devil Sect and ordered a carriage to the tavern, saying Prince Hong Estate could not let him damage its reputation.
• Lin Bai and Jiang Xuansu shared their experiences since leaving Eternal Devil Sect and discussed her future at Qi Sect.
• Lin Bai told Jiang Xuansu he planned to leave the Devil Realm for the Dao Ruins World after the Chu Emperor's Birthday Celebration, and she resolved to cultivate diligently.
• Qiao Mo and Qin Yao reached the tavern as Fallen Immortal, Chao Yushi, and Zhang Linghu arrived; Fallen Immortal asked whether they had come to see Lin Bai.

Fallen Immortal arrived at the tavern to find Lin Bai and discovered he was drinking with Jiang Xuansu, while Qiao Mo and Qin Yao were also there. Lin Bai welcomed them all to sit together, leaving him surrounded by his fiancée, his former fiancée, and Jiang Xuansu.

• Fallen Immortal learned from Chao Yushi that Qiao Mo had once been engaged to Lin Bai and wondered whether Qiao Mo still cared for him.
• The tavern shopkeeper realized Fallen Immortal might find Lin Bai with Jiang Xuansu and sent the waiter to urge Lin Bai to escape through the back door.
• Lin Bai refused to flee, insisting that he and Jiang Xuansu had done nothing wrong.
• Fallen Immortal entered the tavern, met Jiang Xuansu, and joined Lin Bai at his table.
• Lin Bai noticed Qiao Mo and Qin Yao with Fallen Immortal and invited them to sit and drink as well.

Lin Bai and his companions discussed the uncertain succession at the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration, then Meng Qinxian and the other Saint Sons arrived and invited Lin Bai to drink with them. Fallen Immortal escorted Jiang Xuansu, Qiao Mo, and Qin Yao away as Meng Qinxian pulled Lin Bai from the tavern.

• Fallen Immortal invited Jiang Xuansu, Qiao Mo, and Qin Yao to travel around Chu after the birthday celebration, and all three agreed.
• Lin Bai warned that peace might not last after the celebration, and Fallen Immortal explained that Chu Emperor’s unclear intentions made the succession uncertain.
• Fallen Immortal said Chu Emperors traditionally abdicated after ten thousand years, though Third Prince and Prince Chen had yet to produce a victor.
• Meng Qinxian, Yi Heze, Chen Yule, and Lu Qingjun entered the tavern and invited Lin Bai to join them for drinks.
• Jiang Xuansu, Qiao Mo, and Qin Yao said they would return home, and Fallen Immortal offered to escort them.
• Meng Qinxian grabbed Lin Bai and dragged him out of the tavern toward Immortal Abode Restaurant.

Lin Bai learned that Prince Chen had summoned him after the Zhao Xing Office uncovered Xia Jingzhi’s confession. The confession revealed a thousand-year conspiracy, beginning with Xia Jingzhi acting as a spy for Southern Border Insect Valley inside the Chu Kingdom.

• Lin Bai left the tavern after Meng Qinxian and the others arrived, and Chao Yushi explained that he had sent for them to protect Lin Bai’s reputation and remind him to keep the marriage pact in mind.
• Chao Yushi urged Lin Bai to focus on Purgatory before Emperor Chu’s birthday banquet, and a servant from Prince Chen’s Residence summoned Lin Bai with news of further progress.
• Lin Bai went to Prince Chen’s study, where Prince Chen showed him an Image Recording Pearl containing Xia Jingzhi’s confession.
• Lin Bai watched Xia Jingzhi confess to conspiring with Southern Border Insect Valley a thousand years earlier, faking his betrayal and serving as a hidden agent in the Chu Kingdom.

Xia Jingzhi confessed that he had served as Southern Border Insect Valley’s sleeper agent and helped the Third Prince poison the First Prince and Second Prince. He also revealed that the Third Prince had framed the Twelfth Prince, though the details of that plot remained undisclosed.

• Xia Jingzhi confessed that Southern Border Insect Valley had staged his betrayal and sent him to infiltrate Chu, but he claimed he did not know the reason for the scheme.
• Xia Jingzhi described how he used God-Devil Calamity Poison to kill the First Prince on the Third Prince’s orders.
• Xia Jingzhi confessed that he poisoned the Second Prince in the same way after Chu Emperor began favoring him as a successor.
• Xia Jingzhi revealed that the Third Prince had framed the Twelfth Prince and said he had helped with the matter, though he had not personally carried it out.

Lin Bai learned from Xia Jingzhi’s confession how the Third Prince framed the Twelfth Prince and drove the Eighth Prince, Di Wuyan, into seclusion. Prince Chen planned to reveal the confession at Emperor Chu’s birthday banquet in five days, and Lin Bai received a copy of the recording to share with Chao Yushi.

• Xia Jingzhi’s confession revealed how the Third Prince used addictive incense and staged a scene to frame the Twelfth Prince with Consort Xuan.
• Lin Bai realized that the Seventh Prince was Prince Chen, the Nineteenth Princess was Chu Xi, and the Eighth Prince was Di Wuyan.
• Xia Jingzhi’s confession described how the Eighth Prince confronted the Third Prince over the princes’ deaths before leaving the capital and entering the Buddhist order.
• Prince Chen vowed to hold the Third Prince responsible and planned to present the confession at Emperor Chu’s birthday banquet in five days.
• Prince Chen gave Lin Bai a copy of the Image Recording Pearl and asked him to show it to Chao Yushi.

After hearing Xia Jingzhi's confession, Lin Bai discussed Chao Yushi's advice for Prince Chen to expose the Third Prince's crimes at the Chu Emperor's birthday celebration. Chao Yushi urged them to conceal the confession's evidence of Southern Border Insect Valley's involvement, prepare for the Third Prince's retaliation, and have Lin Bai leave Chu once the matter was settled.

• Lin Bai told Chao Yushi and Fallen Immortal that Prince Chen planned to reveal Xia Jingzhi's confession at the Chu Emperor's birthday celebration to force an investigation before the emperor abdicated.
• Chao Yushi warned that the Third Prince would either face an imperial clan investigation or lose his title, but would retain enough power to retaliate or rebel.
• Chao Yushi advised Prince Chen to remove the confession's account of the Third Prince conspiring with Southern Border Insect Valley to avoid provoking a clash between Chu and the sect.
• Chao Yushi urged Prince Chen to mobilize military forces in case the Third Prince rebelled and advised Lin Bai to leave Chu to evade the Third Prince's revenge.
• Lin Bai agreed to pass on Chao Yushi's advice, while Fallen Immortal felt hurt and disappointed when Lin Bai said he planned to leave Chu.

Lin Bai reunited with Yi Gu, who invited him to dinner with his family at the Immortal Abode Restaurant. There, Lin Bai discovered that Yi Gu's relatives included five Grand Luo Dao Fruit Realm experts and learned that Yi Gu was connected to the Seven Nights Divine Sect.

• Lin Bai relayed Chao Yushi's reminder to Prince Chen, who decided to secretly report Xia Jingzhi's conspiracy to the Chu Emperor.
• Lin Bai returned to the Tianshui Sect's imperial residence and found Yi Gu waiting outside his courtyard.
• Yi Gu invited Lin Bai to dine with his family, and Lin Bai agreed to meet them at the Immortal Abode Restaurant.
• Lin Bai arrived at a private room filled with powerful martial artists, including five Grand Luo Dao Fruit Realm experts and a striking young woman.
• Yi Gu introduced his second uncle, Yi Tianen of the Seven Nights Divine Sect, leaving Lin Bai stunned to learn Yi Gu's connection to the sect.

Lin Bai met Yi Tianen and Yi Jinyun of the Seven Nights Divine Sect and learned that Yi Gu’s family had arranged the banquet to match him with Yi Jinyun. Lin Bai postponed showing her around until after the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration, and the group returned to their guesthouses.

• Yi Tianen introduced himself to Lin Bai, and Yi Jinyun revealed she had secretly reached Tianshui Sect before Yi Gu to keep an eye on him.
• Yi Gu told Lin Bai that Yi Jinyun was his elder sister and that the Seven Nights Divine Sect hoped to match them together.
• Yi Gu offered to introduce Lin Bai to his other sisters, while Lin Bai explained he was already troubled by marriage arrangements.
• Lin Bai declined to take Yi Jinyun around the Imperial Capital that night and suggested meeting after the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration.
• Yi Tianen and the Seven Nights Divine Sect members left Immortal Abode Restaurant, and Yi Gu followed Yi Jinyun back to their guesthouse after she gave him a threatening glance.

Yi Tianen told Yi Jinyun that the Seven Nights Divine Sect wanted her to marry Wolf Marquis to recruit Lin Bai, whose Supreme Avatar could make him a decisive asset. Yi Jinyun resisted, but Yi Tianen insisted she must obey, leaving her furious and Yi Gu frightened by her glare.

• Yi Tianen summoned Yi Jinyun and the Seven Nights Divine Sect's Core Disciples to discuss recruiting Lin Bai.
• Yi Tianen argued that Lin Bai's Supreme Avatar could help the Kingdom of Chu dominate the Devil Realm Eastern Region and urged Yi Jinyun to grow closer to Wolf Marquis.
• Yi Jinyun objected that Wolf Marquis had refused to take her around the Imperial Capital and already had ties to Fallen Immortal and other women.
• Yi Tianen said the Seven Nights Divine Sect faced severe internal conflict and could not let the Kingdom of Chu secure Lin Bai, so Yi Jinyun had to marry Wolf Marquis.
• Yi Jinyun suppressed her anger, then glared at Yi Gu with murderous intent, making him tremble.

Lin Bai hosted Ten Thousand Saints Mountain’s delegation and learned that their territory held the Devil Realm Eastern Region’s greatest concentration of ancient ruins and Dao Traditions. Their elder revealed that they had found an incomplete inheritance of the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal, while Lin Bai’s claim that he had comprehended the later sword techniques himself astonished them.

• Lin Bai welcomed Elder Long Qiu, Holy Son Wang Zhengyang, and the other Ten Thousand Saints Mountain martial artists to a banquet.
• Long Qiu explained that Ten Thousand Saints Mountain’s territory contained more ancient ruins and Dao Traditions than anywhere else in the Devil Realm Eastern Region.
• Long Qiu said Ten Thousand Saints Mountain had found the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal’s former cave abode and deduced an incomplete inheritance from its traces.
• Lin Bai told the delegation that he had obtained only the basic sword techniques and comprehended the later chapters himself.
• The Ten Thousand Saints Mountain elders reacted with disbelief at Lin Bai’s account.