Chapter Summaries

After Ji Shu foiled Mount Song Sect’s poison plot and saved the Mount Hua Sect, Yue Buqun decided to reward him and teach him the Purple Cloud Divine Skill after the Alliance Assembly. Ji Shu arrived at Mount Song for the assembly, where Tang Ying'e hinted at a coming confrontation, and the Mount Hua disciples spotted their Eldest Senior Brother among the gathered sects.

• Yue Lingshan questioned Ji Shu about the deaths at the inn, and he explained that Mount Song Sect’s assassins had tried to poison them.
• Yue Buqun resolved to teach Ji Shu the Purple Cloud Divine Skill after the assembly, while he and Ning Zhongze warned that Zuo Lengchan might target other sects too.
• Zuo Lengchan learned that the poisoning had failed and planned for Ding Mian to challenge Ji Shu at the Five Peaks Alliance Assembly, with support from below the stage.
• Ji Shu accepted restorative medicine from Yue Lingshan and continued strengthening his Five Poisons Inner Qi.
• Ji Shu accompanied Yue Buqun’s party to Mount Song, where Tang Ying'e greeted them with open hostility and warned that their pride would not last.
• At the reception hall, the Mount Hua disciples noticed their Eldest Senior Brother among the Mount Hengshan Sect group.

At the Five Peaks Alliance Assembly, Linghu Chong reunited with Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, and Yue Lingshan, while his jealousy toward Ji Shu drew the attention of Zuo Lengchan's plotters. The gathering ended with Yue Buqun openly challenging Zuo Lengchan's planned sect merger.

• Linghu Chong greeted Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze, but Yue Buqun rejected him as a disciple and told him to leave.
• Linghu Chong met Ji Shu and grew jealous when Yue Lingshan warmly introduced the new Mount Hua disciple; Ren Yingying warned him to stop pining for his Little Junior Sister.
• The Six Immortals of Peach Valley decided to attack Ji Shu, while Mount Song disciples reported the tensions to Ding Mian and Zuo Lengchan, who ordered them to exploit the grudge.
• Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze introduced Ji Shu and the others to leaders from several sects, and Lin Pingzhi silently glared at Yu Canghai with hatred.
• Zuo Lengchan announced a sect-merger ceremony for two days later, and Yue Buqun stood to declare that Mount Hua had never agreed to merge.

Yue Buqun agreed to Zuo Lengchan’s plan to merge the Five Peaks Sword Sect and learned that Ji Shu’s martial arts could make him Mount Hua’s strongest contender in the upcoming arena competition. Yue Buqun left expecting Ji Shu to win and take the new sect leadership, while Yue Lingshan resumed practicing swordplay with him.

• Yu Jizi claimed leadership of Mount Tai Sect and announced its support for merging the Five Peaks, while Mr. Mo Da remained silent on Mount Hengshan’s position.
• Zuo Lengchan proposed an arena competition to determine the new sect leader, and Yue Buqun agreed to the merger; Linghu Chong reluctantly accepted as well.
• Zuo Lengchan announced that the competition would begin in two days, with Shaolin’s Master Fangzheng and Wudang’s Daoist Chongxu as judges and witnesses.
• Linghu Chong saw Yue Lingshan enter Ji Shu’s room and left sadly, while the Six Immortals of Peach Valley discussed interfering on his behalf.
• Yue Buqun examined Ji Shu and judged his internal cultivation and sword skill strong enough to give Mount Hua a near-certain chance of winning the competition.
• Yue Buqun urged Ji Shu to stay alert and promised that he and Ning Zhongze would support Ji Shu as sect leader if he won; Yue Lingshan then practiced swordplay with Ji Shu.

Ji Shu cultivated beneath a Dragon-Coiled Ancient Tree on Mount Song and greatly strengthened his Five Poisons Inner Qi. When the Six Immortals of Peach Valley tried to tear him apart, he killed all six as Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying arrived.

• Ji Shu realized Yue Buqun supported his bid to lead the Five Peaks Sword Sect because he wanted Ji Shu as his son-in-law, and Ji Shu accepted the opportunity as a step toward his Main Quest.
• Ji Shu searched Mount Song for a source of qi mechanism and found one beneath the Dragon-Coiled Ancient Tree at the summit.
• Ji Shu cultivated through the night, drawing in qi mechanism and strengthening his Five Poisons Inner Qi while he slept on a boulder.
• The Six Immortals of Peach Valley found Ji Shu at dawn and approached him, intending to tear him apart while he slept.
• Ji Shu sensed the Six Immortals, pretended to sleep, then drew his sword and killed all six when they reached for him.
• Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying arrived at the summit; Linghu Chong saw the Six Immortals approaching Ji Shu but did not intervene.

Ji Shu killed the Six Immortals of Peach Valley and nearly clashed with Linghu Chong, while Ren Yingying led Linghu Chong away. After finding the Swallow Art among the dead men’s belongings, Ji Shu quickly mastered the Lightness Skill.

• Ji Shu killed Peach Root Immortal and three others in an instant, then slew Peach Branch Immortal and Peach Stem Immortal when they fought back.
• Linghu Chong accused Ji Shu of cruelty and challenged him, but Ren Yingying intervened and dragged Linghu Chong away.
• Ji Shu considered why Linghu Chong seemed to hate him and decided he might kill him if Linghu Chong attacked again.
• Ji Shu searched the Six Immortals of Peach Valley’s belongings and found a booklet titled Swallow Art.
• Ji Shu learned the Swallow Art with the aid of his twin Supreme Talents and practiced until he seemed to walk through the air.

Ji Shu cultivated on Mount Song and Yue Lingshan brought him breakfast, then stayed overnight to keep watch and fell asleep beside him. Linghu Chong saw them together and left in shock, while Ji Shu noticed him but chose not to intervene.

• Ji Shu continued cultivating beneath the ancient tree, improving his techniques as the Five Poisons Secret Codex absorbed its Qi Mechanism.
• Members of the Sun Moon Holy Cult carried away the Six Immortals of Peach Valley’s corpses, restrained from attacking Mount Hua disciples by Ji Shu’s strength and Ren Yingying’s warning.
• Yue Lingshan brought Ji Shu breakfast and, after hearing how the Six Immortals had tried to kill him, insisted on keeping watch while he practiced.
• Yue Lingshan stayed beside Ji Shu that night, wore his robe against the cold, and eventually fell asleep leaning against him.
• Linghu Chong climbed the mountain, saw Yue Lingshan asleep beside Ji Shu, and descended in disbelief, blaming Ji Shu for deceiving her.

Linghu Chong grew angry over Yue Lingshan’s closeness to Ji Shu and rejected Ren Yingying’s advice to avoid making an enemy of him. As the Songshan Sect prepared to target Ji Shu, Yue Lingshan woke in his arms and twisted her ankle while trying to get away.

• Linghu Chong headed to find Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze, but Ren Yingying stopped him and challenged his anger toward Ji Shu.
• Ren Yingying warned Linghu Chong that Ji Shu was an extraordinary talent and urged him to build a good relationship with him, but Linghu Chong refused to listen and left.
• Ren Yingying worried that Linghu Chong’s hostility toward Ji Shu could endanger their family and friends, and decided to try persuading him again.
• Ding Mian, Fei Bin, and Tang Ying'e discussed their plan to kill Ji Shu, and Fei Bin decided to wait for the grand competition to attack him.
• Yue Lingshan woke up in Ji Shu’s arms, hurriedly tried to get up, and twisted her ankle before falling back onto him.

Ji Shu completed his Five Poisons Secret Codex cultivation while Yue Lingshan grew closer to him during their time together on the mountain. They left for the Five Peaks Alliance Arena Competition, with Lin Pingzhi still troubled by his family’s blood feud and his own lack of talent.

• Ji Shu treated Yue Lingshan’s twisted ankle, and she left promising to bring him food.
• Ji Shu cultivated through the night and increased his Five Poisons Inner Qi by half, then continued resting as Yue Lingshan brought him meals and practiced swordsmanship.
• Yue Lingshan made a secret wish beneath a shooting star and fell asleep leaning against Ji Shu.
• The next morning, Yue Lingshan and Ji Shu were joined by Lu Dayou and Lin Pingzhi, who told them the Five Peaks Alliance Arena Competition was about to begin.
• Ji Shu discovered that his Five Poisons Inner Qi had reached completion and surpassed the inner strength of two Yue Buquns.
• The group descended the mountain, while Yue Lingshan looked back wistfully and Lin Pingzhi reflected on Ji Shu’s extraordinary talent and his own desire to avenge his family.

Ji Shu attended the Five Peaks Sword Sect Arena Competition, where Linghu Chong defeated two opponents before challenging him. Ji Shu accepted the challenge and faced Linghu Chong on the arena as Zuo Lengchan’s hidden plans remained in place.

• Yue Buqun urged Ji Shu to stay steady at the Arena Competition, and Ji Shu followed the Mount Hua Sect to the grounds.
• Zuo Lengchan announced that the winner of the competition would become Sect Leader, and Yu Jizi volunteered to fight first.
• Linghu Chong defeated Yu Jizi and Tang Ying'e in quick succession, then challenged Ji Shu.
• Ji Shu accepted the challenge after Ning Zhongze, Yue Buqun, and Yue Lingshan warned him to be careful.
• Linghu Chong introduced himself as Hengshan Sect Leader and thrust his sword toward Ji Shu’s eyes.

Ji Shu defeated Linghu Chong in a sword match after studying the Nine Swords of Dugu, then continued winning against Mount Song disciples. Linghu Chong’s resentment toward Ji Shu grew, while Ren Yingying became frustrated with Linghu Chong and turned her attention to Ji Shu.

• Ji Shu and Linghu Chong traded rapid sword attacks as Ji Shu studied the Nine Swords of Dugu and grasped some of its principles.
• Ji Shu disarmed Linghu Chong with a strike of Sword Qi and knocked him off the stage, winning the match.
• Master Fangzheng announced Ji Shu’s victory, and the spectators praised his skill as Linghu Chong returned to his seat in shame and anger.
• Ji Shu sent Zhang Jingchao, Sima De, and Deng Bagong of the Thirteen Protectors of Mount Song flying from the stage with his scabbard.
• Ren Yingying warned Linghu Chong that she would stop helping him if he continued fixating on Yue Lingshan, then watched Ji Shu perform.
• Linghu Chong grew more hateful toward Ji Shu as he saw Ren Yingying’s admiration for Ji Shu.

Ji Shu continued defeating the Five Peaks Sword Sect’s challengers with ease, drawing suspicion that he had mastered the Evil Warding Sword Manual. Fei Bin then triggered a poisoned-arrow trap beneath the arena, but Ji Shu escaped and killed him, prompting Zuo Lengchan to attack and Yue Buqun to intervene.

• Ji Shu defeated more than twenty challengers, while Yu Canghai and others suspected he had learned the Evil Warding Sword Manual.
• Fei Bin challenged Ji Shu with the Great Songyang Hand, then secretly activated a mechanism beneath the arena.
• Ji Shu evaded the poisoned arrows with his swordsmanship and Swallow Art, leaping clear of the collapsing arena.
• Ji Shu hurled his sword through Fei Bin and killed him as Zuo Lengchan shouted in fury.
• Zuo Lengchan attacked Ji Shu from behind, and Yue Buqun intercepted him, forcing the two leaders to fight.

Ji Shu slaughtered Mount Song disciples after their poisoned-arrow ambush, then stopped when Master Fangzheng and Daoist Master Chongxu intervened. Yue Buqun defended Ji Shu and withdrew Mount Hua from the Five Peaks Sword Sect, leaving Zuo Lengchan threatening to hunt Ji Shu if he ever left Mount Hua.

• Ji Shu dodged the poisoned arrows and killed Ding Mian and many Mount Song disciples with the Righteous Qi Sword.
• Master Fangzheng and Daoist Master Chongxu blocked Ji Shu and warned him to stop; Ji Shu agreed to end the Arena Competition.
• Yue Buqun declared Mount Hua’s withdrawal from the Five Peaks Sword Sect and accused Zuo Lengchan of arranging the attack.
• Zuo Lengchan blamed the Players and Ji Shu, while Yu Jizi and most other sects supported him or stayed silent.
• Master Fangzheng proposed taking Ji Shu to Shaolin Temple, but Yue Buqun refused and prepared to leave with his people.
• Zuo Lengchan let Ji Shu go for the moment but threatened a Jianghu bounty if Ji Shu left Mount Hua; Linghu Chong watched Yue Lingshan cling to Ji Shu and could not intervene.

After the Five Peaks Sword Sect assembly collapsed, the other sects left rather than risk opposing Mount Song Sect or Ji Shu. Zuo Lengchan believed Ji Shu had been poisoned and ordered a second attack, while Yue Buqun’s party discussed their isolation and prepared to rely on themselves.

• The other sect leaders watched Mount Song Sect and Mount Hua Sect clash, then departed without supporting either side; Zuo Lengchan personally saw off the Wudang and Shaolin representatives.
• Master Fangzheng offered to take Ji Shu if Mount Song Sect captured him, and Zuo Lengchan privately resented Shaolin’s stance.
• Zuo Lengchan recalled that arrows had grazed Ji Shu, concluded the poison would kill him, and ordered Tang Ying'e, Lu Bai, Le Hou, and the others to carry out a second plan against Yue Buqun’s party.
• On the ride back, Lin Pingzhi considered leaving Mount Hua Sect but decided to stay and help as best he could.
• At an inn, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze blamed Mount Song Sect for a string of past attacks and agreed they could rely only on themselves; Yue Buqun then asked Ji Shu to meet him in his room.

Yue Buqun urged Ji Shu to grow stronger against Mount Song Sect and offered him Mount Hua’s leadership and Yue Lingshan’s hand in marriage. He gave Ji Shu the Purple Cloud Divine Skill, which Ji Shu mastered almost instantly, leaving Yue Buqun convinced that Mount Hua’s future rested on him.

• Yue Buqun warned Ji Shu that Mount Song Sect would seek revenge and urged him to strengthen himself to protect Mount Hua Sect.
• Yue Buqun said he intended Ji Shu to lead Mount Hua Sect after him and proposed that Ji Shu marry Yue Lingshan, but Ji Shu was unsure, so Yue Buqun left the matter to them.
• Yue Buqun gave Ji Shu the Purple Cloud Divine Skill and encouraged him to master it to restore Mount Hua Sect’s fortunes.
• Ji Shu read the manual, asked Yue Buqun several questions, and comprehended the Purple Cloud Divine Skill in moments, generating self-circulating inner energy.
• Yue Buqun learned how quickly Ji Shu had mastered the skill and pledged Mount Hua Sect’s full support to him.

Ji Shu rapidly strengthened his Purple Cloud Inner Qi by consuming medicinal treasures, then protected the Mount Hua party from an ambush on the road. He entered the forest to confront the hidden attackers while Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze prepared to support him.

• Ji Shu’s Purple Cloud Divine Skill refined a bag of medicinal treasures so quickly that he had to suppress its circulation, and Yue Buqun arranged for more medicine to be bought.
• Yue Lingshan comforted Ji Shu and practiced swordsmanship with him by candlelight, leaving late at night with a flushed face.
• The next morning, Ji Shu ate another bag of medicine and increased his Purple Cloud Inner Qi by half before the party set out for Mount Hua.
• Ji Shu detected an ambush in a quiet forest, but arrows struck Lin Pingzhi’s shoulder as the group tried to turn away.
• Ji Shu shielded Yue Lingshan from the arrows, then headed into the forest to confront the attackers while Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze stood ready to follow.

Ji Shu used his strengthened Purple Cloud Inner Skill and swordsmanship to kill Lu Bai, Le Hou, and more than a hundred Mount Song Sect disciples who had ambushed the Mount Hua Sect. After the group recovered weapons and Lu Bai’s Immortal Crane Hand manual, Zuo Lengchan received the bodies at Mount Song and mourned his fallen allies.

• Ji Shu rushed through the forest, dodged the Mount Song disciples’ arrows, and killed Lu Bai with a single sword strike.
• Ji Shu cut down more than a hundred Mount Song disciples and killed Le Hou as he tried to flee and then fight back.
• Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze arrived, confirmed Ji Shu was unharmed, and recognized Lu Bai and Le Hou among the dead.
• Yue Lingshan and the others searched the bodies and recovered treasure, weapons, and Lu Bai’s Immortal Crane Hand manual, which Ji Shu kept without cultivating.
• Yue Buqun took the bows and crossbows and resolved to buy more Great Medicine for Ji Shu after returning to Mount Hua.
• Zuo Lengchan saw the bodies at Mount Song, mourned Lu Bai and Le Hou, and stood before his silent Protectors and disciples.

After returning to Mount Hua, Ji Shu and the sect prepared for the Player Organization and Mount Song Sect to strike again. Ji Shu’s Purple Cloud Divine Skill reached perfection and produced an unprecedented phenomenon.

• Zuo Lengchan learned that Ji Shu had survived the poison and ordered his allies to target Ji Shu, Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, Yue Lingshan, and their friends.
• Yue Buqun’s group returned to Mount Hua and discovered that Hong Chen and the Players had ransacked much of the sect before leaving.
• Yue Buqun ordered the sect to seal its gates and keep a low profile while Ji Shu cultivated his Purple Cloud Divine Skill.
• Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, and Yue Lingshan supported Ji Shu as the Mount Hua disciples trained and gathered Treasure Medicine for him.
• More than ten days later, Ji Shu’s Purple Cloud Divine Skill reached great perfection, creating a sky-filling display of purple qi that astonished Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze.

Ji Shu perfected the Purple Cloud Divine Skill and decided to attack the Mount Song Sect, but a cavalry force intercepted him at the foot of Mount Hua. Ninth Princess Hong Qian arrived and demanded his surrender, claiming she had tried to protect him.

• Yue Buqun and the Mount Hua disciples congratulated Ji Shu on perfecting the Purple Cloud Divine Skill as they reported suspicious groups gathering below the mountain.
• Ji Shu announced that he would go alone to destroy the Mount Song Sect, and Yue Buqun reluctantly let him leave.
• A General and several units of Iron Cavalry surrounded Ji Shu at the foot of the mountain and demanded that he surrender.
• Yue Buqun led the others to safety while they prepared to support Ji Shu with bows and crossbows.
• Ninth Princess Hong Qian arrived with martial arts experts, offered Ji Shu a chance to surrender, and said she had guaranteed her brothers would spare him.

Ji Shu refused Hong Qian’s recruitment and killed her when she ordered her guards to seize him. He slaughtered her cavalry and general, while the other forces around Mount Hua quietly withdrew.

• Ji Shu rejected Hong Qian’s offer to recruit him and refused to kneel or travel with her to Chang’an.
• Hong Qian ordered her men to seize Ji Shu and said she would beat him to death, so he charged and beheaded her with his sword.
• The General ordered the guards and cavalry to attack Ji Shu, but Ji Shu cut through the formation and killed all eight hundred cavalrymen.
• Ji Shu killed the General after defeating the cavalry.
• The Mount Song Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and other forces abandoned their positions and quietly slipped away.

After Ji Shu slaughtered the cavalry, the martial-world forces fled, and he found the Tai Chi Fist Manual among the dead. He mastered its half-complete techniques, strengthened his inner qi, and rode away from Mount Hua while his allies worried about the enemies he had made.

• Yu Canghai and the Qingcheng Sect fled Mount Hua, and Yu Canghai condemned Zuo Lengchan for nearly getting them killed.
• Yue Lingshan, Yue Buqun, and the others checked on Ji Shu, who searched the corpses and found the Tai Chi Fist Manual on Hong Qian, the Ninth Princess.
• Ji Shu returned beneath the Old Sophora Tree and practiced the manual, forming nine streams of Tai Chi qi that harmonized with his other inner qi.
• Ji Shu gave the manual to Ning Zhongze and descended Mount Hua, while Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, and the others saw him off.
• Ji Shu judged that he might have reached the Innate Realm but knew he still could not withstand guns and cannons, so he resolved to keep cultivating.