Chapter Summaries

Qin He joined Da Yajin and three others on a nighttime hunt for a Netherflame Beast, while Da Yajin stressed that survival mattered more than fighting. After Ge Yanbing spotted three masked followers believed to be Mo Sanfeng’s men, Da Yajin changed course to prepare an ambush.

• Da Yajin and Qin He discussed Sin City’s dangers and agreed that their group should retreat if the hunt turned against them.
• After night fell, Da Yajin led Qin He, Ma Da, Ma Er, Liu Shan, and Ge Yanbing into the wilderness to hunt the Netherflame Beast.
• Ge Yanbing used the Night Shadow Technique to scout behind the group and discovered three masked mid-stage cultivators following them.
• Da Yajin identified the pursuers as likely men sent by Mo Sanfeng and asked whether the Ma Da brothers had leaked the route as planned.
• After Ma Da confirmed the route had been leaked, Da Yajin changed course to prepare a welcome for the pursuers and urged Qin He to hurry.

Qin He accompanied Da Yajin’s team on a night patrol to a marker stele where a Night Watchman had previously died. A concealed fiend beast ambushed them, and Ma Da and Ma Er raised a shield to meet its charge.

• Qin He followed Da Yajin and observed how his experienced team coordinated as they crossed the snowy wilderness.
• Ma Da and Ma Er approached the marker stele after Ma Er used a sparrow as bait, while Ge Yanbing warned that something was lurking nearby.
• A huge white insect-like fiend beast erupted from the snow and charged the group, revealing scraps left from its previous victim.
• Ma Da and Ma Er joined forces and raised a black iron shield as the fiend beast attacked.

Qin He and Da Yajin’s group fought a powerful Nether Silkworm that trapped them with an Earth-Binding Formation and attacked with corrosive venom. After exploiting its weakness, Ge Yanbing delivered the killing blow, leaving Qin He impressed by the group’s coordination and Da Yajin’s judgment.

• The Nether Silkworm ambushed the group, knocking Ma Da and Ma Er aside before binding them with its Earth-Binding Formation.
• Da Yajin, Ma Da, and Ma Er split up to distract the beast, but its venom corroded Ma Er’s shield and it nearly struck Da Yajin from above.
• Qin He noticed gaps in the Nether Silkworm’s neck armor whenever it spat venom and told Ma Da to provoke it while Ma Er prepared a fire attack.
• Ma Da drew the Nether Silkworm’s venom, and Ma Er’s flaming cloth struck its neck, weakening the beast and loosening its formation.
• Ge Yanbing emerged and drove a long spike through the Nether Silkworm’s head, killing it.

Da Yajin’s group killed a Nether Silkworm and harvested its valuable parts before continuing through the mountains. Da Yajin revealed their next destination was a trap for the pursuers, near a level-five Ice Flood Dragon.

• Da Yajin explained that Fire Flood Dragon Throat Oil had restrained the Nether Silkworm and ordered Ma Da and Ma Er to harvest it.
• Ma Da and Ma Er removed the Nether Silkworm’s armor, sacs, eyes, and foremost four legs, then packed away the useful parts.
• Da Yajin decided to leave the poisonous corpse behind and led the group onward.
• Ge Yanbing went ahead to scout the pursuers, while Da Yajin told Qin He they had dug a pit for them.
• Da Yajin warned Qin He that a newly arrived level-five Ice Flood Dragon was nearby, and Qin He considered the danger of facing it.

Da Yajin led Qin He and the others to Canyon Lake, where an Ice Flood Dragon slept beneath the ice, and planned to use it against Mo Sanfeng and his pursuers. As they waited on a nearby snow peak, Qin He questioned Da Yajin about the trap and the Netherflame Beast.

• Da Yajin guided the group through an icy canyon to Canyon Lake and warned them to stay quiet because an Ice Flood Dragon lay beneath the ice.
• The group muffled their footsteps, skirted the lake, and climbed a nearby snow peak to wait for their pursuers.
• Da Yajin revealed that Mo Sanfeng was an enemy due to business friction and admitted he had lured people into the trap before.
• Qin He asked why Da Yajin had been so eager to catch the Netherflame Beast and whether Mo Sanfeng had come for it too.

Qin He questioned Da Yajin about the Netherflame Beast and learned why the City Lord's Mansion wanted a pregnant female. As Mo Sanfeng's group approached, Great Gold Tooth's party blasted the ice sheet and awakened something beneath it.

• Da Yajin explained that the City Lord's Mansion offered three thousand spirit stones for a pregnant Netherflame Beast to investigate changes deep within the Nether Soil.
• Qin He learned that Da Yajin knew where the female beast's nest was because he had found the male beast first, before Mo Sanfeng stole it and let it escape.
• Ge Yanbing spotted several shadows following their route along the edge of the ice sheet.
• Liu Shan threw an Explosion Talisman toward two breathing holes in the ice after Great Gold Tooth ordered him to act.
• The blast cracked the ice sheet, buried Qin He and the others in falling snow, and provoked an enraged roar from beneath it.

An Ice Flood Dragon erupted from the frozen lake and attacked Mo Sanfeng’s group after Da Yajin’s setup. Mo Sanfeng’s defenses failed, so he activated a blood talisman and summoned something within a rising cloud of evil mist.

• The Ice Flood Dragon burst through the ice, shattered the nearby mountain, and fixed its blood-red gaze on Mo Sanfeng’s group.
• Mo Sanfeng realized Da Yajin had set him up, while the Ice Flood Dragon swept three of his companions into its jaws.
• Mo Sanfeng raised a Mysterious Gold Shield and attacked with a blood-coated sword, but the Ice Flood Dragon broke his weapon and sent him crashing onto the ice.
• Mo Sanfeng ignited a dark-red talisman and unleashed a thick, blood-colored mist as his aura surged.
• Da Yajin watched excitedly, and Qin He realized Mo Sanfeng was summoning something through the evil mist.

Mo Sanfeng used Blood Fiend Soul Possession to summon a powerful creature that wounded the Ice Flood Dragon, but the spell backfired and he fled. The Ice Flood Dragon broke free of the blood-red chains and spotted Qin He, Da Yajin, and the others hiding nearby.

• Mo Sanfeng used his kin's blood and his own vital blood to summon an evil creature from the Demon Abyss.
• The summoned skeletal claws wounded the Ice Flood Dragon, but Mo Sanfeng suffered backlash and lost control of them.
• The Ice Flood Dragon struck Mo Sanfeng through his Mysterious Gold Shield, but the talisman on his chest restrained it long enough for him to escape.
• The Ice Flood Dragon remained bound and wrecked the frozen lake until the chains weakened.
• The Ice Flood Dragon turned toward Qin He, Da Yajin, and the others after catching their scent.

Da Yajin, Qin He, and the others fled from the Ice Flood Dragon as it smashed through the canyon. Most of the group escaped down side passages, leaving Da Yajin to keep pace with Qin He while the dragon pursued them.

• Da Yajin turned to flee as the Ice Flood Dragon charged after the group, and Ma Da and Ma Er split off into a side passage.
• Ma Er warned Da Yajin to be careful, while Da Yajin complained that his companions had abandoned him.
• Liu Shan urged Da Yajin to stop hiding his abilities, so Da Yajin activated a dark-gold talisman that doubled his speed.
• Liu Shan and Ge Yanbing each escaped into side passages, with Ge Yanbing pointing out that Qin He had led the way.
• Da Yajin caught up to Qin He, praised his speed, and insisted on staying with him as the Ice Flood Dragon pursued them.

Qin He and Da Yajin fled the Ice Flood Dragon’s attacks across the ice lake, with Da Yajin clinging to Qin He and forcing him to protect them both. The dragon unleashed a sweeping forest of ice spikes, and Da Yajin spotted a mountain cave ahead as Qin He’s escape slowed.

• The Ice Flood Dragon fired an ice spike at Da Yajin, who dodged as his sword shattered against it.
• The dragon launched three stronger ice spikes; Da Yajin used Divine Shield Talismans to block two, while Qin He destroyed the one aimed at him.
• Da Yajin chased after Qin He and begged for help, claiming he was broke after spending his remaining talismans.
• The Ice Flood Dragon froze the air and sent an enormous wave of ice spikes sweeping toward Qin He and Da Yajin.
• Da Yajin bound himself to Qin He with a rope-type magical artifact, and Qin He cut through the ice spikes as they fled.
• Da Yajin spotted a mountain cave ahead while Qin He’s progress slowed.

Qin He and Da Yajin stumbled into a hidden chamber beneath the ice lake and discovered an ancient, blood-powered array. Qin He recognized it as an incomplete Teleportation Array and wondered whether someone had built it to escape Sin City.

• Qin He and Da Yajin fell into a concealed opening while fleeing the Ice Flood Dragon, and the ice collapsed behind them.
• Da Yajin used a night pearl to reveal ancient Inscriptions that resisted the Ice Flood Dragon and protected the cave.
• Qin He and Da Yajin found frozen Night Watchmen suspended above a dried Blood Pool, with tubes and channels linked to the surrounding array.
• Da Yajin guessed that the Fugitives of Sin had built a blood-powered array, possibly to kill the Ice Flood Dragon.
• Qin He identified the incomplete formation as a Teleportation Array and considered whether it had been intended to help someone escape Sin City.

Qin He and Da Yajin discovered an abandoned Teleportation Array while hiding from the Ice Flood Dragon and searched the underground cavern for an exit. They agreed to keep the array secret and remained wary of each other as they prepared to leave.

• Qin He and Da Yajin discussed the abandoned Teleportation Array and the failed attempt to hunt the Ice Flood Dragon.
• Da Yajin suggested they could profit by killing the Ice Flood Dragon and using the array, and Qin He agreed to split the proceeds evenly.
• Qin He and Da Yajin searched the cavern and found a narrow flight of stone steps leading toward the surface.
• Qin He and Da Yajin repeatedly deferred to each other at the stairs because neither wanted to expose his back.
• Da Yajin and Qin He agreed to keep the array's existence secret, then continued politely insisting that the other go first.

Da Yajin returned safely from Ice Lake with Qin He and reunited with Liu Shan, Ge Yanbing, Ma Da, and Ma Er. The group headed toward Pillar 270, where Da Yajin revealed that an Evil Spirit had appeared at a former camp and three Night Watchmen had died.

• Liu Shan, Ge Yanbing, Ma Da, and Ma Er waited anxiously for Da Yajin, and Ge Yanbing spotted him approaching with Qin He.
• Da Yajin reunited with his men and credited Qin He with helping him survive, though Qin He denied that they had joined forces.
• Da Yajin led the group toward his brother's night patrol post and said they would help finish his patrol task.
• Qin He asked about Pillar 270, and Da Yajin explained that Fugitives of Sin had vanished from a temporary camp after an Evil Spirit appeared there.
• Da Yajin said three Night Watchmen had died at Pillar 270 and claimed he had investigated the incident.

Qin He and the others reached Pillar 270 at dawn and found its stele wrapped in blood-red vines, with an Evil Spirit waiting above it. The spirit attacked in shifting forms, and Great Gold Tooth began using his Wealth-Gold Technique to confront it.

• Qin He followed a foul stench toward Pillar 270 as the group waited for dawn to weaken the yin.
• The group saw the stone stele in a sunken valley, wrapped in blood-red vines, and Da Yajin reacted with grave concern.
• Liu Shan spotted an Evil Spirit above the stele, and Da Yajin warned everyone not to look into its glowing eyes.
• The Evil Spirit lunged at the group and split into six masses of black mist; Ge Yanbing's blade struck one and sent him staggering.
• Da Yajin explained that the spirit's true body was hidden in the shadows beneath the mist, and Liu Shan urged the group to stand back to back.
• Great Gold Tooth invoked his Wealth-Gold Technique and sent a golden Talisman Strip above his head.

Qin He and the others reached the stone stele under Da Yajin’s Golden Light Talisman, but the Evil Spirit overwhelmed the barrier as Qin He used his Jade Tablet. A powerful Lion’s Roar suddenly destroyed the attacking tentacles, leaving the source of the technique unknown.

• Da Yajin used a Golden Light Talisman to drive back the gray mist and led the group toward the stone stele.
• Liu Shan realized the Evil Spirit had evolved to at least the fourth tier as blood-red vines battered the barrier.
• Qin He pressed his Jade Tablet against the stone stele, provoking the Evil Spirit to unleash a flood of tentacles.
• The tentacles overwhelmed the Golden Light Talisman, and Da Yajin, Ge Yanbing, and the others prepared to fight for their lives.
• A roar swept away the tentacles, and Da Yajin recognized it as the Daoist sect’s Lion’s Roar.

Qin He destroyed the Evil Spirit with Lion’s Roar, and the group uncovered the remains of a likely Fugitive of Sin camp beneath the stone stele. They left with bones as evidence, while Qin He remained uneasy about the site’s secrets.

• Qin He used Lion’s Roar to erase the Evil Spirit and blast away the swamp around the stone stele.
• Da Yajin regretted wasting his spirit talisman, and the survivors praised Qin He’s overwhelming attack.
• Ma Da and Ma Er uncovered twenty-six skeletons beneath the stele, including seven Night Watchmen identified by their Jade Tablets.
• Da Yajin concluded that the site had likely been a camp for Fugitives of Sin and ordered the group to take one set of bones back as evidence.
• The group departed, but Qin He glanced back at the stone stele and sensed that something about it was wrong.

Qin He and the others discussed the ominous Demon Abyss and rumors of a hundred thousand heavenly demons. Da Yajin revealed that the Abyss was active and that powerful Divine Court figures had departed, prompting the group to consider hiding after their trip.

• Qin He asked Da Yajin whether anyone had entered the Demon Abyss, and Da Yajin said no one who went there had returned.
• Da Yajin mentioned rumors that a hundred thousand heavenly demons might descend, alarming Liu Shan and Ge Yanbing.
• When Ge Yanbing and Qin He pressed him, Da Yajin admitted that the Demon Abyss was showing signs of activity and that important Divine Court figures had set out to investigate.
• Da Yajin warned the group not to speculate or spread the information, saying the City Lord's Mansion would silence anyone who did.
• Ge Yanbing and Liu Shan decided to lie low after the trip, while Ma Da urged the others to stay in the city, and Qin He distanced himself from Great Gold Tooth.

Qin He and the others found a female Netherflame Beast after it killed several people, but discovered it was far larger and stronger than Great Gold Tooth had let on. With the beast about to return to its cave, Qin He demanded more payment before agreeing to pursue it.

• A beast's roar and screams led Liu Shan and the others to the remains of four people killed nearby.
• Ge Yanbing spotted a Netherflame Beast, and the group hid behind a boulder to watch it.
• Qin He saw that the female Netherflame Beast was three times larger than the one he had encountered before and carried six corpses on its back.
• Great Gold Tooth admitted he had withheld the beast's size and strength, while Liu Shan warned that it would soon return to its cave.
• Great Gold Tooth urged Qin He to help take down the beast, and Qin He demanded more payment.

Qin He bargained with Great Gold Tooth for a Spirit Contract Talisman and joined the fight against the Netherflame Beast mother. The beast was wounded and besieged, but its hardened scales resisted Ge Yanbing’s attack as Qin He prepared another strike.

• Qin He refused spirit stones and agreed to take down the mother beast in exchange for a Spirit Contract Talisman.
• Qin He hurled the Four-Unlike at the mother beast, severing its tail, then struck it again as it tried to spit poisonous fire.
• Qin He dodged the green flames and pierced the beast’s left eye with Bone-Piercing Nails.
• The mother beast used Netherworld Tremor, forcing Qin He to dodge and losing him his advantage.
• Ge Yanbing, Liu Shan, and Great Gold Tooth attacked together, with the Soul-Seizing Bell freezing the beast in midair.
• Ge Yanbing’s knife struck the mother beast’s hardened scales, and Qin He swung the Four-Unlike at it again.

Qin He killed the mother beast with Four-Unlike and claimed the Talisman Strip from Great Gold Tooth. The group discovered the beast had already given birth, leaving them unsure where its offspring had gone.

• Qin He smashed the mother beast twice with Four-Unlike, crippling its abdomen and spine.
• Qin He destroyed the mother beast's Demonic Being with Lion's Roar, and Ge Yanbing stabbed through its pupil to kill it.
• Great Gold Tooth handed Qin He the Talisman Strip in payment, and Qin He tucked it into his robes.
• Liu Shan noticed the mother beast's belly felt empty, and Ma Da and Ma Er opened it to confirm it had already given birth.
• Great Gold Tooth realized they had arrived too late.