Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu traveled with Long Binglin and Long E Ying into Dragon Abyss Path, where they met the Dragon Sturgeon elder Ao Qing and discovered the thriving cold spring hidden in the abyss. After sensing Ao Qing’s faint hostility, Liang Qu learned why the isolated elder had withdrawn from contact and began cultivating in the cave.

• Long Binglin explained that Dragon Abyss Path’s deepest region was a life-filled cold spring, and Liang Qu’s group endured powerful currents as they passed the first rocky platform.
• A Dragon Sturgeon swept the currents away with its tail, and the Ze Cauldron absorbed a fourth wisp of Dragon Seed Aura.
• Ao Qing revealed himself, recognized Long Binglin and Long E Ying, and escorted the group through the white-mist barrier into the Dragon Sturgeon habitat.
• Liang Qu noticed faint hostility from Ao Qing and asked Long E Ying about it; Long Binglin explained that the Dragon Sturgeon elder had become isolated after losing his peers.
• Liang Qu lit the Jellyfish Lamp and asked Long Binglin and Long E Ying to guard him while he cultivated.

Liang Qu comprehended the Heavenly Gate Earth Axis and formed a fourth Yinglong Mark with wings, then used his new ability to complete Long E Ying’s cultivation. He tested a tiny winged dragon technique on Long Binglin, who was struck from behind.

• Liang Qu experienced a vision of shifting mountains, rivers, and the battle between a crimson serpent and the Black Tortoise, then grasped the flow of qi.
• Liang Qu planted the third Divine Power Seed and formed his fourth Yinglong Mark, gaining wings and completing the Hunting Tiger stage.
• Liang Qu examined Long E Ying’s qi flow and used his new power to resolve the chaos in her body, greatly increasing her aura at a cost of 216,700 Marsh Essence.
• Liang Qu created a tiny winged dragon from water and essence, then invited Long Binglin to test it.
• Long Binglin agreed, but the tiny dragon struck him from behind after appearing to fly past Liang Qu.

Liang Qu demonstrated how his new Heavenly Gate Earth Axis power let the Water Dragon Spear appear from unexpected directions and let him manipulate aura. While Long E Ying recovered, he considered how the power might reshape feng shui and wondered whether gods gained divinity through people’s reverence. The chapter ended with Long E Ying waking and feeling an invisible shackle loosened.

• Liang Qu showed Long Binglin that his Water Dragon Spear could appear anywhere within three zhang, even when Long Binglin watched closely.
• Liang Qu explained that he had combined the Yinglong of Wandering the Six Voids with the Azure Dragon Kill Scripture to create a new Divine Power Seed.
• Liang Qu used Heavenly Gate Earth Axis to drain Long Binglin’s aura and bolster his own, then considered using the power to alter feng shui and affect Long Qi or Flood Dragons.
• Liang Qu connected with the Ze Cauldron and saw that the fourth layer of the Ying Long Mark linked to the Black-robed Emperor.
• Liang Qu wondered whether gods became divine through human reverence, while Long E Ying remained unconscious.
• Long E Ying woke, circulated her Qi and blood, and said she felt comfortable, as though an invisible shackle had loosened.

Liang Qu removed Long E Ying’s Bloodline Shackles, then joined the Dragon Man Tribe and Dragon Sturgeon Tribe for a meal in Dragon Abyss Path. Ao Qing ended the meal by asking whether the Dragon Sturgeon Tribe could be saved by receiving the blood essence of a Flood Dragon that transformed into a dragon.

• Liang Qu removed Long E Ying’s Bloodline Shackles, improving her meridians and qi and blood flow.
• Long E Ying offered Liang Qu her share of lotus seeds to repay him, and Long Binglin learned that Liang Qu could remove his shackles in the future.
• Liang Qu chose not to mention the black threads he had noticed, since he did not understand their cause or meaning.
• Ao Cangyuan hosted Liang Qu and the others with Cold Abyss Clams, while Ao Qing arrived late after reportedly feeling unwell.
• Ao Qing asked Long Binglin and Long E Ying whether the Dragon Sturgeon Tribe could be saved by receiving the blood essence of a Flood Dragon that transformed into a dragon, then pointed out the Flood Dragon’s connection to Liang Qu.

Ao Qing questioned Long E Ying’s relationship with Liang Qu and revealed that he had considered submitting the Dragon Sturgeons to the Flood Dragon. After probing the Dragonfolk’s bloodline problem, he learned that White Ape could resolve it.

• Long Binglin, Long E Ying, Liang Qu, White Ape, Fat Catfish, and Round Head prepared for a possible fight when Ao Qing confronted them.
• Ao Qing asked how the Dragonfolk bloodline problem had been resolved and recalled how Long Binglin, Long E Ying, and Yan Rui had been born to preserve their people.
• Ao Qing questioned why Long E Ying had fallen in love with Liang Qu, arguing that her happiness seemed at odds with her sense of duty to the Dragonfolk.
• Ao Qing explained that he had considered submitting the Dragon Sturgeons to the Flood Dragon because the Huai River would soon have a new lord.
• Liang Qu admitted that White Ape possessed the means to resolve the Dragonfolk bloodline issue.

Liang Qu returned from the Dragonfolk with Ao Cangyuan and Ao Miyun as new subordinates, while Long E Ying blushed over Ao Qing’s teasing. He secretly placed Awei near Ao Qing’s territory to watch him, then the story shifted to Li Shoufu loading supplies as merchants began assisting his urgent preparations.

• Ao Cangyuan agreed to deliver Abyss Clams regularly, and Ao Miyun and Ao Cangyuan pledged to follow Liang Qu as colleagues.
• Liang Qu comforted Long E Ying after Ao Qing’s remarks embarrassed her, promising to make her ice cream.
• Liang Qu left Awei near the sturgeon clan’s territory to monitor Ao Qing for suspicious behavior.
• Li Shoufu oversaw the loading of thousands of grain sacks and welcomed Zhang Wenbao, who brought ships and Bloodstone Powder without payment.
• Xue Chengquan ordered another hundred shi of grain added as Liang Qu arrived at the docks.

Liang Qu prepared a supply fleet for Xihe Prefecture, assigned Cha Qing and Fan Zixuan to investigate riverbank households, and arranged for the Merfolk to relocate. After the fleet departed, an explosion struck Liang Qu’s Treasure Ship, and he discovered assassins were aboard.

• Liang Qu confirmed Li Shoufu had prepared the supplies and praised merchants Zhang Wenbao and Xue Chengquan for contributing grain.
• Liang Qu gave Cha Qing and Fan Zixuan a map and ordered them to survey riverbank households and arrange relocations in marked areas.
• Quan Linghan delivered fifty Mermaid Tears and told Liang Qu that nearly two thousand Merfolk had agreed to relocate; Liang Qu asked about the tribe’s skilled Weaving Women.
• Liang Qu collected Marsh Essence and led the supply fleet away from Yi Xing Town toward Xihe Prefecture.
• An explosion jolted the fleet awake at midnight, and Liang Qu emerged from his room and announced there were assassins.

Liang Qu staged a poisoned-wound ruse to capture a woman assassin whose memories had been altered, while his allies checked the fleet for sabotage. The revived Time Insect yielded Heavenly Dew and then Red Qi, whose effects remained unknown.

• Liang Qu pretended to be badly wounded and sent the fleet’s military men searching for an assassin, drawing a disguised woman into the open when Long E Ying crushed her wrist and exposed her.
• Liang Qu ordered Yan Qingshan and Yan Chongwen to interrogate the captured Hunting Tiger Great Martial Master, while the search below deck found no assassin and the River Otter chewed on a soldier’s leg.
• Long Pingjiang reported that the woman’s memories had been altered and that she knew only her assassination mission, leaving Liang Qu to suspect a powerful group beyond the Ghost Mother Sect.
• Liang Qu explained that he had staged the capture after his allies inspected the fleet for sabotage, and Long E Ying showed him the revived Time Insect she had frozen.
• The Ze Cauldron yielded one wisp of Heavenly Dew from the Time Insect and later produced one wisp of Red Qi, which could grant Sublimation of Favor when fused with Marsh Essence.

Liang Qu discovered that Heavenly Dew had fused Dark Yellow into a far more powerful Long Qi, strengthening its lifespan, resurrection, and Divine Power effects. With his third Divine Power prepared for Dragon Abyss Path, he planned to release the miraculous bug and continue his journey to Xihe Prefecture.

• Liang Qu examined Heavenly Dew and found that it extended a Martial Saint’s potential lifespan to four thousand years by greatly slowing metabolism.
• Liang Qu discovered that Heavenly Water Morning Dew and Dead Wood Meeting Spring had merged, letting him revive a qualified person within twelve hours at the cost of suppressing healing and slowing Dew Seed growth for sixty years.
• Liang Qu learned that Dew Seeds had replaced Seeds of Creation as materials for constructing Divine Powers and had gained a life-extending effect.
• Liang Qu realized that Wishful could alter the speed of time within a small area and that the fused Long Qi amplified its Mystic Uses throughout.
• Liang Qu concluded that his third Divine Power was prepared for Dragon Abyss Path, then agreed with Long E Ying to release the miraculous bug and opened the window.

Liang Qu released the Time Insect after drawing it a map to Pengze, where it could seek another wisp of Seasonal Long Qi and General Yuan. After arriving at Xihe Prefecture, he discussed the female assassin who had attacked him, while his companions treated the attempt as an expected danger for a prominent genius.

• Liang Qu freed the Time Insect and drew it a map showing the route west along the Huai River to Pengze, where General Yuan's Long Qi awaited.
• Long E Ying explained the map to the Time Insect and warned it that the Old Turtle of Pengze was dangerous, and the Time Insect flew west with the parchment.
• After several days, Liang Qu arrived at the Xihe Prefecture dock as workers unloaded grain from the ship.
• Xu Yuelong asked Liang Qu about the female assassin, and Liang Qu recounted the interrogation.
• Ran Zhongshi suggested the assassin had worked for the Northern Court or Southern Border and noted that her memory-erasure method was a new technique.
• Liang Qu wondered why his companions were unsurprised by his assassination, and Ke Wenbin said it was strange no one had tried sooner.

After the failed assassination, Liang Qu was sent to help with flood relief in Xihe Prefecture while preparing for his eventual Grandmaster advancement. Yang Dongxiong explained the cultivation stages and revealed that ancient methods such as Snow Mountain Qi Sea still survived, though they were less comprehensive than the modern Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace method.

• Xu Yuelong assigned Ran Zhongshi, Xiang Fangsu, Ke Wenbin, and Bai Yinbin to distribute supplies and escort relief, while Liang Qu was sent to guard the Mu River dike and study the situation.
• Liang Qu rode with Long E Ying to An Huai County through devastated streets and fields, where residents queued for grain and the aftermath of mass deaths remained visible.
• Liang Qu asked Yang Dongxiong to explain his experience advancing to Grandmaster, seeking more guidance because he lacked accumulated experience.
• Yang Dongxiong reviewed the Four Gates and Seven Paths and described how True Image transformed the body's three-tiered structure into a Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace.
• Yang Dongxiong explained that ancient cultivation methods formed three hillocks that became Great Snow Mountains, and that some practitioners still used them despite their narrower Divine Powers.

Liang Qu studied how human and Demon Beast Divine Powers differed, then considered creating a cultivation path based on his Ying Long Mark. While guarding the dam in Huai'an County, he continued learning from Yang Dongxiong and planned for the time he would need to consume qi, but he declined a visit from challengers calling themselves the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture.

• Yang Dongxiong explained that Demon Beasts often developed Divine Powers suited to their flesh and blood, while humans could wield a wider range of powers, and described how a True Image Great Grandmaster had created a concealed treasure-pagoda space.
• Yang Dongxiong told Liang Qu how Da Shun had divided a Martial Saint's foundation to use the treasure-pagoda space as an inside agent during its founding war.
• Liang Qu reflected on the advantages of widely shared cultivation methods and imagined founding a sect based on his three Azure Dragons and Ying Long Mark.
• Liang Qu repeatedly questioned Yang Dongxiong about constructing Divine Powers and consuming qi while guarding the dam in Huai'an County.
• Liang Qu reviewed his notes and planned to finish his responsibilities before taking at least half a year to consume qi.
• A military man reported that the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture had come to challenge Liang Qu, but Liang Qu refused to see them.

Liang Qu received orders to inspect disaster relief and suppress bandits in Xihe Prefecture, where dangerous fugitives remained at large. He gave the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture a chance to earn a fight with him by funding relief and capturing powerful bandits, then flew off with Long E Ying on an Azure Dragon.

• Liang Qu learned from Xu Tiling's letter that he was to inspect disaster relief and suppress roaming bandits, including powerful fugitives linked to the Ghost Mother Sect.
• Liang Qu learned that Yin Yingbo, Jiang Jixi, and Peng Chuji, the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture, had waited outside his camp to seek instruction.
• Liang Qu agreed to spar with the three after they provided ten thousand shi of grain for relief and captured five Wolf Smoke Realm bandits or one Hunting Tiger Realm bandit.
• Liang Qu summoned an Azure Dragon, took Long E Ying with him, and flew into the sky, astonishing the Three Heroes.

Liang Qu rode the Azure Dragon to Donghao County, where he searched for the Hunting Tiger bandits using rain to extend his perception. He found Qiu Yifei and killed him with a long-range strike, leaving the bandit leader to realize the danger had come from the past.

• The Xihe Prefecture Three Elites watched Liang Qu fly away, then set out to provide disaster relief and hunt bandits.
• Liang Qu and Long E Ying rode the Azure Dragon as he searched a map for the Hunting Tiger bandits' last known location.
• Liang Qu used rain to extend his perception across the hills near the Zhang Clan residence and locate the bandits' hideout.
• Qiu Yifei ordered his men to pack their stolen valuables and leave Xihe Prefecture the next morning, while his men discussed abducting more women.
• Qiu Yifei sensed danger as Liang Qu appeared above the hideout and struck him through the chest with an unseen attack.

Liang Qu killed Qiu Yifei and the remaining bandits, then rescued three women and arranged for their care. After leaving the two Zhang Clan women in the authorities’ hands to be delivered to the Three Heroes, he resumed his aerial patrol, knowing the letter warned of at least three Hunting Tiger bandits.

• Liang Qu used his bow to kill Qiu Yifei and shoot down the bandits inside the house.
• Liang Qu entered the kitchen, where Long E Ying cared for the hunter’s wife and two women from the Zhang Clan.
• Liang Qu gave the hunter’s wife a diluted drop of Awei’s Dewdrop, which revived her, though the other two women recoiled from it.
• Liang Qu decided the hunter’s wife could return to her son and that the authorities should hand the Zhang Clan women to the Three Heroes.
• Liang Qu took to the sky again to patrol after learning the letter reported at least three Hunting Tiger bandits.

Liang Qu used his Azure Dragon flight to suppress bandits across Xihe Prefecture, drawing public attention and surprising officials with his speed. After tracking down the northern bandit Chang Qihua, he launched a powerful attack that left the bandit facing a red-gold dragon.

• An old man and his grandchildren saw Liang Qu riding an Azure Dragon across the sky, and a visitor told them the Dragon King had punished the Zhang Clan bandits.
• A subordinate told Xu Yuelong that Liang Qu had killed Qiu Yifei and more than a dozen other bandits in under two days.
• Liang Qu flew north with Long E Ying and searched for Chang Qihua, a bandit tied to the Ghost Mother Sect.
• Chang Qihua sheltered in the mountains and roasted a rabbit until Liang Qu spotted his fire and attacked with ice arrows.
• Chang Qihua dodged the arrows, but Liang Qu unleashed a powerful strike that formed a huge red-gold dragon before him.

Liang Qu captured Chang Qihua, leaving only one Hunting Tiger bandit group to deal with, while the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture struggled to meet their assignment. The chapter ended with news that the last great bandit had tied up two of his own deputies and left them on the mountain.

• Liang Qu used the Sun Piercing Arrow, Golden Body Dragon Qi, and Water Dragon Spear to defeat Chang Qihua, whose battle drew witnesses to kneel before the Dragon King.
• Liang Qu cautiously searched Chang Qihua, shackled him, and sealed his Nine Apertures to restrain his qi and blood.
• Liang Qu wondered whether the Three Heroes of Xihe Prefecture had captured the remaining bandits, while Long E Ying asked if they could succeed.
• Jiang Jixi, Peng Chuji, and Yin Yingbo lamented that their efforts had produced only three Wolf Smoke bandits after half a month of searching.
• A messenger reported that Lord Liang had captured another Hunting Tiger great bandit, bringing the number to two.
• Another messenger announced that all five Wolf Smoke bandits had been accounted for because the last great bandit had tied up two of his own deputies and left them on the mountain.

As the three families' search for Ding Fengmian finally began to wind down, Liang Qu arrived and struck him down with a devastating arrow. Liang Qu handed the unconscious bandit to the Three Prodigies and asked them to deliver him to the Prefectural Office.

• Ding Fengmian watched the search camp dismantle and reflected on how the Yin, Jiang, and Peng families had mobilized the region to capture him as a favor to the Three Prodigies.
• Rain began falling, and the animals and people in the camp reacted uneasily as a crimson-gold beam appeared behind Ding Fengmian.
• Liang Qu fired an arrow from atop the blue-green dragon, blasting away half the mountaintop and knocking Ding Fengmian unconscious.
• Yin Yingbo, Jiang Jixi, and Peng Chuji realized Liang Qu had located Ding Fengmian where their search had failed.
• Liang Qu and Long E Ying descended into the camp, and Liang Qu tossed Ding Fengmian at the Three Prodigies.
• Liang Qu asked the Three Prodigies to take Ding Fengmian to the Prefectural Office.

Liang Qu captured Ding Fengmian, accepted the three Xihe families’ grain and bandit contributions, and agreed to a public three-against-one sparring match. After Xu Yuelong awarded him five Great Merit, Liang Qu considered whether the Old Monk might possess Profound Yellow Tokens he could use to obtain more Long Qi.

• Liang Qu explained how the three families’ searches had helped him find and capture Ding Fengmian, then confirmed that ten thousand shi of grain and five Wolf Smoke bandits had been delivered.
• Peng Chuji revealed that Ding Fengmian had tied up two of his own men to preserve peace, and Yin Yingbo arranged a three-against-one armed sparring match for five days later.
• The Peng, Yin, and Jiang families publicized Liang Qu’s deeds and the upcoming match, drawing excited attention from the people of Xihe Prefecture.
• Liang Qu told Xu Yuelong he had completed his assigned work, and Xu Yuelong awarded him five Great Merit.
• Liang Qu calculated that his twenty-two Great Merit could help him obtain Long Qi if he also found Profound Yellow Tokens, and wondered whether the Old Monk had any.

Liang Qu arrived at the Xihe Prefecture martial arts exhibition match, where the Three Heroes challenged him before a huge crowd. He evaded their attacks with his profound movement technique, but the Three Heroes unleashed their True Gang manifestations together.

• An old man and two children hurried to the martial arts field, where crowds gathered to watch the exhibition match.
• Liang Qu descended in a dramatic display before the spectators and faced Jiang Jixi, Yin Yingbo, and Peng Chuji.
• Jiang Jixi tested Liang Qu with a sword attack, but Liang Qu effortlessly evaded his strikes.
• Yin Yingbo and Peng Chuji joined Jiang Jixi, attacking Liang Qu with saber, sword, and hammer.
• The Three Heroes summoned their bear, dragon, and flame True Gang manifestations and crushed them down toward Liang Qu.