Arc 15The Xiangyang Plague and Fuxi Cave

Li Yan secured Wudang’s help, advanced his cultivation, and uncovered the Ghost Sect’s role in Xiangyang’s plague while rescuing its victims. The pursuit of Giant Turtle Master led Li Yan and his companions into the hidden Fuxi Ancient Cave, where Li Yan began breaking Qin Yuner’s control over the turtle.

  • Li Yan earned Wang Jingxiu’s help in seeking a dragon pearl, and Yu Longzi agreed that Five Dragons Palace could exchange the Black Tortoise Stone Statue for one.
  • Li Yan endured the True Martial Dragon Cave’s Gangsha Energy, mastered the Undying Imprint Method, and learned the Five Dragons Disciples’ hidden origins.
  • Li Yan cultivated through a thunderstorm in the Golden Hall, completed Gan Si Lian Wan Lv Heavenly Palace, and transformed his Soul Hooking Chain into two thunder dragons.
  • Li Yan investigated the Xiangyang plague, exposed Heavenly Saint Sect operatives, and discovered that the Camphorwood Great King’s remains were spreading the disease.
  • Li Yan and Yu Longzi cleansed the City God Temple and destroyed plague sources, while Li Yan learned that Master Lu had abducted Doctor Li and helped rescue him from a mountain lair.
  • Li Yan pursued East Lake Old Ancestor on Mount Xian, summoned the Han River Goddess, and found the hidden entrance to Fuxi Ancient Cave with Lu San and Wu Ba.
  • Li Yan discovered Qin Yuner’s group controlling Giant Turtle Master and East Lake Old Ancestor in the cave, then joined Lu San and Wu Ba’s attack to free the turtle and burn away the Bronze Coffin’s black hair.
Chapters 351–375 Vol. 4 Read

Ch. 351Old Daoist Wang Jingxiu

Li Yan defeated the Zhang family’s young disciples at Mingxin Hall and impressed Zhang XiaoShan with his growing mastery of boxing momentum. He then met Old Daoist Wang Jingxiu, agreed to gather rare medicinal ingredients, and asked him to help obtain a dragon pearl from Five Dragons Palace.

  • Li Yan defeated Zhang YuShan and then overwhelmed the Zhang family’s young disciples in a group fight, demonstrating his use of boxing momentum and the Undying Imprint Method.
  • Zhang XiaoShan urged the young disciples to train with firearms and learn from experienced caravan guards, then told Li Yan that Li Xuanzong held the final say over the dragon pearl and that Wang Jingxiu might help.
  • Li Yan returned to the courtyard with Lu San, and Gu Hanzi led them to meet Wang Jingxiu, who had asked to see them.
  • Wang Jingxiu asked Li Yan and Lu San to collect rare medicinal ingredients from Wushan Mountain and Ailao Mountain, and Li Yan agreed.
  • Li Yan asked Wang Jingxiu to help them obtain a dragon pearl from Five Dragons Palace.

Ch. 352Five Dragons Palace

Li Yan and Wang Jingxiu brought the proposal to trade a Nation-Protecting Divine Artifact and other treasures for Wudang’s Dragon Pearl to Mount Wudang. They reached the Five Dragons Palace, where Wang Jingxiu went to seek an audience with Yu Longzi, while Lu San decided to wait outside with the frightened animals.

  • Li Yan explained the Giant Turtle Master’s offer, and Wang Jingxiu agreed to present it to Wudang’s leaders.
  • Li Yan suggested using transparent glass for Wang Jingxiu’s refining work, leaving the Old Daoist absorbed in the idea.
  • Li Yan’s group climbed Mount Wudang, where Wang Jingxiu ordered medical disciples and supplies prepared for the wounded on the southwestern front.
  • Wang Jingxiu told Li Yan to keep the Dragon Pearl matter quiet until he spoke with his master, and Gu Hanzi departed for the Golden Hall.
  • At the Five Dragons Palace, Gu Linzi offered Li Yan guest quarters while Wang Jingxiu went to visit Yu Longzi at Hidden Immortal Rock.
  • Lu San chose to stay in the woods outside because the little fox, Rat One, and Rat Two were terrified.

Ch. 353353. Precepts, Hidden Immortal

Li Yan and his companions settled near the Five Dragons Palace, where they learned that strict precepts governed access to Mount Wudang’s Profound Realms. Meanwhile, Wang Jingxiu sought help from Yu Longzi and learned that Li Xuanzong, the Iron Toad Old Ancestor, was involved in the decision.

  • Gu Linzi sent Lu San’s group to camp outside the palace and explained the tower-building sites, the True Martial Dragon Cave, and its Cave Divinity Five Precepts to Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan.
  • Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan ate a silent vegetarian meal, then brought food to Lu San’s camp, where Wu Ba began speaking and repeatedly shouted a curse he had learned.
  • At Hidden Immortal Rock, Wang Jingxiu told Yu Longzi about Li Yan and the Black Tortoise Stone Statue, and Yu Longzi agreed the Five Dragons Palace could exchange it for a dragon pearl.
  • Wang Jingxiu left to seek help at the Golden Hall, while Yu Longzi returned to ask his master, Li Xuanzong, what to do.

Ch. 354Secrets of the Xuan Gate

Iron Toad Old Ancestor revealed that the Five Qi Dragon Lord had been reincarnated as Five Dragons Palace's disciples and explained the pact between the Xuan Gate and hidden Earth Immortals. Wang Jingxiu then asked Jade Toad Zi whether the Giant Turtle Master could enter Mount Wudang, and the sect leader refused, leaving him to earn recognition through service in the Southwest War.

  • Iron Toad Old Ancestor told Yu Longzi that the Five Qi Dragon Lord had once been suppressed by Sanfeng Zhenren and had reincarnated as Gu Linzi and the other Five Dragons Disciples.
  • Iron Toad Old Ancestor spoke with the Earth Immortal sealed behind the mural and explained that the Xuan Gate sheltered hidden Earth Immortals under an old pact, while warning Yu Longzi to purge the Five Qi Dragon Lord if they turned evil.
  • Wang Jingxiu visited Jade Toad Zi at the Imperial Scripture Hall and reported that Five Dragons Palace had agreed to exchange for the Alligator Dragon.
  • Jade Toad Zi rejected the Giant Turtle Master's bid to enter Mount Wudang, saying he first needed to serve people as a regional water god during the Southwest War.
  • After Wang Jingxiu left, Jade Toad Zi wondered whether the transformation of the Human Path had stirred Lord of the Clouds.

Ch. 355True Martial Dragon Cave

Yu Chanzi considered Lord of the Clouds’ plans amid the changing Human Path, while Yu Longzi corrected Gu Linzi’s arrogance and arranged for Li Yan and his companions to enter the True Martial Dragon Cave. Li Yan descended into the cave and entered a dark stone chamber where unseen beasts seemed to watch him.

  • Yu Chanzi told the Wudang elders that Lord of the Clouds was likely preparing for the transformation of the Human Path, and said Wudang should offer help without trying to claim him.
  • Yu Longzi sent Gu Linzi to give Lu San a command token and invite Li Yan to speak with him after visiting the True Martial Dragon Cave.
  • Yu Longzi rebuked Gu Linzi for taking pride in his status, and Gu Linzi admitted his mistake.
  • At noon, Li Yan, Sha LiFei, and Wu Ba entered the True Martial Dragon Cave while Lu San stayed outside with the spirit pets.
  • Li Yan helped Wang Dao Xuan down the steep stairs, and the three companions each entered a stone chamber.
  • Bells rang as Li Yan’s chamber darkened, and he sensed ferocious beasts watching him.

Ch. 356Dragon Cave Enlightenment

Li Yan endured the True Martial Dragon Cave’s surging Gangsha Energy and used it to master the Undying Imprint Method and glimpse Firm Strength. After the cave’s trial ended, he emerged to learn that five Five Dragons Disciples had experienced a mysterious change, and Lu San recognized a sound from the cave in their bodies.

  • Li Yan resisted the cave’s amplified senses, while Sha LiFei, Wang Dao Xuan, and Wu Ba left or struggled; Wu Ba settled into a wild-beast posture after Lu San spoke to him.
  • Lu San entered the cave, followed the dragon cries into the Dragon Form Fist, and helped trigger a surge of Gangsha Energy that forced the remaining disciples to flee.
  • Outside, the Five Dragons Disciples gathered at five wells and stood motionless, while Yu Longzi said Senior Brother Gu and the others had encountered a destined opportunity.
  • Li Yan endured the Gangsha Energy, repaired the damage to his body with the Great Luo Dharma Body, mastered the Undying Imprint Method, and understood the principle behind Firm Strength.
  • The Gangsha Energy receded, and Li Yan emerged from the cave to rejoin Sha LiFei and the others.
  • Lu San told Li Yan that the five disciples made the same sound he had heard inside the True Martial Dragon Cave.

Ch. 357The Ancient Agreement

Yu Longzi explained the Five Dragons Disciples’ past lives and warned Li Yan about Giant Turtle Master, then revealed an old agreement between the Xuan Gate and the Living Underworld Messengers. Li Yan and his companions continued to Purple Cloud Palace, where Wang Jingxiu reported that exchanging items with Giant Turtle Master was acceptable but building him a temple on Mount Wudang was not.

  • Yu Longzi told Gu Linzi and the other disciples that they had once been Dragon Vein Essences, and they accepted their human lives and renewed their allegiance to Mount Wudang.
  • Yu Longzi warned Li Yan that Giant Turtle Master’s plan to serve the Great Emperor Zhenwu might involve hidden influences, then told him that Yin Changsheng had been a Living Underworld Messenger and that his inheritance might be found near Fengdu.
  • Yu Longzi informed Li Yan of an agreement allowing Earth Immortals to remain in blessed grotto-heavens under strict conditions, while permitting Living Underworld Messengers to capture those who descended to cause havoc.
  • Li Yan urged Lu San to question Giant Turtle Master about who had suggested his plan and to dissolve their alliance if the matter could not be clarified.
  • Li Yan and his companions traveled to Purple Cloud Palace, where Wang Jingxiu told them that exchanging items with Giant Turtle Master was acceptable but building a temple for him on Mount Wudang was impossible.

Ch. 358Purple Cloud Palace, Thunder Fire Hall

Li Yan and his companions stayed at Purple Cloud Palace to cultivate while awaiting a thunderstorm that would let them enter the Thunder Fire Refining Hall. Wang Dao Xuan awakened an Eye Mystical Power, and the chapter ended as Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan reached the summit and saw thunderfire rolling across the palace roof.

  • Wang Jingxiu brought Li Yan and his companions to Purple Cloud Palace, explained its rules, and arranged for them to stay while they waited for a thunderstorm.
  • Li Yan, Wang Dao Xuan, and Lu San cultivated beneath the Purple Cloud Divine Lamp; Li Yan gained little, Lu San secured his Second Floor, and Wang Dao Xuan awakened an Eye Mystical Power.
  • Wang Dao Xuan's new ability stabilized, allowing him to examine Gangsha Two Qi and observe earth-vein energy.
  • Li Yan learned that the Xiangyang epidemic was spreading, demonic cultivators were ambushing imperial troops in Jingchu, and the fighting in Zigui County remained contained.
  • When a thunderstorm arrived five days later, Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan climbed Mount Wudang to enter the Thunder Fire Refining Hall and saw lightning turn into a rolling ball of flame atop the highest palace.

Ch. 359Thunderfire Reveals an Extraordinary Phenomenon

Li Yan entered Mount Wudang’s Thunder Fire Refining Hall and used the storm to build his third floor and Gan Si Lian Wan Lv Heavenly Palace. His cultivation provoked a Thunder Punishment phenomenon, and the Wudang Sect Master discovered that lightning was pouring from a Thunder Department mural beside him.

  • Several Daoists attempted to meditate in the Golden Hall, but each failed or was injured by the thunderfire.
  • Wang Dao Xuan declined to enter, and Li Yan went inside to build his floors despite the Old Taoist’s warning about the violent storm.
  • Li Yan arranged his ritual formation and spiritual treasures, then meditated as lightning helped separate the Five Elements and expand his Yin Sea.
  • A sea of thunder and ranks of figures appeared in Li Yan’s spirit-concentration space, while the storm outside intensified into a Thunder Punishment phenomenon.
  • The Wudang Seven Elders arrived, and Sect Master Yu Chanzi saw lightning enter Li Yan from the thunder hammer depicted in a mural.

Ch. 360360. Thunder Arts Opportunity

Li Yan endured a violent lightning storm while building Gan Si Lian Wan Lv Heavenly Palace, and the lightning transformed his Soul Hooking Chains into thunder dragons. Yu Chanzi recognized a mysterious connection and decided to support Li Yan; the chapter ended with Li Yan emerging from the Golden Hall charred but alive, crackling with electricity.

  • Yu Chanzi sensed a connection involving the Great Emperor Zhenwu Statue and Li Yan, then told Wang Dao Xuan that Li Yan was safe and had gained insight.
  • Yu Chanzi told Wudang's elders not to investigate Li Yan but to watch over him and help him if needed, then announced he would go to the capital for the New Year.
  • Li Yan endured the lightning assault, used innate Geng Metal Qi to rebuild his divine tower, and completed Gan Si Lian Wan Lv Heavenly Palace.
  • Li Yan's Soul Hooking Chain multiplied into two chains, then absorbed the lightning and transformed into two thunder dragons as Li Yan struggled to stay conscious.
  • After the storm ceased, Li Yan emerged from the Golden Hall charred and staggering, with electric arcs crackling beneath his bare feet.

Ch. 361Strange Plague

Li Yan and his companions arrived in plague-stricken Xiangyang to deliver medicine and investigate the outbreak, while Li Yan continued to worry about the strange thunder opportunity he had gained at True Martial Palace. After discovering that a gunman had attacked them and caused an infected corpse to explode, Li Yan climbed toward the shooter’s hiding place.

  • Li Yan reviewed Daoist scriptures and considered why the Jade Clarity True King’s lineage had disrupted his cultivation, while examining the thunder-storing powers of his transformed Soul Hooking Chain.
  • Li Yan and his companions arrived at Xiangyang with medicinal supplies and learned that the plague had overwhelmed the city and that an expert from the Medicine Saint Li Family had disappeared.
  • Wu Maoze explained that infected bodies were being burned, a corrupt official’s household had been executed, and the missing Mr. Li had vanished from the prefectural office.
  • Li Yan examined a corpse with purple skin and green moss in its openings, while Wang Dao Xuan and Wu Maoze discussed the unexplained plague and the City God Temple’s unsuccessful investigation.
  • A hidden gunman shot at the group and caused the corpse to explode; Sha LiFei and Lu San moved their companions to cover, and Li Yan leaped toward the shooter’s window.

Ch. 362A Bewildering Turn of Events

Li Yan captured a Heavenly Saint Sect sorcerer who revealed that Xu San Lang from the Commandery Commandant Office had supplied information, but a plague attack infected Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan. While Li Yan and Lu San sought help from the Giant Turtle Master, they learned it had vanished after pursuing a water demon and had suspected the East Lake Old Ancestor.

  • Li Yan and Lu San captured the sorcerer Cheng ZiXing, who identified Xu San Lang as the informant behind the ambush.
  • Wu DeGui persuaded Cheng ZiXing to reveal that the Heavenly Saint Sect had stationed operatives in Xiangyang City and ordered them to spread rumors before the plague outbreak.
  • Wu DeGui ordered a search for accomplices, while Zhou Zhi and Wu Maoze argued over where Li Yan should stay; Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan then showed signs of plague infection.
  • Li Yan and Lu San went to the riverside to consult the Giant Turtle Master, but an Alligator Dragon told them the master had disappeared two days earlier.
  • Lu San learned that the Giant Turtle Master had pursued a troublesome water demon and suspected the East Lake Old Ancestor was behind its disappearance.

Ch. 363Halfway Through the Night, Ghosts and Gods Spoke

Li Yan investigated the plague and set a trap at the Xiangyang Commandery Commandant Office, where Wild Gods attacked the imprisoned Heavenly Saint Sect man. He pursued the fleeing attackers while Wu DeGui mobilized troops to support him and raid their lair.

  • Li Yan learned that East Lake Old Ancestor had disappeared near Xianshan and told his men to gather information before seeking Giant Turtle Master.
  • Li Yan and Lu San encountered unrest in Xiangyang as people tried to flee the plague quarantine, and Master Lu warned that surrounding villages and Miao stockades were at risk.
  • Li Yan asked Chiliarch Zhou to secretly bring New Type Cannons to Xiangyang and later waited with Wu DeGui for enemies to attack the prisoner.
  • Rat One detected a tampered formation, and Li Yan spotted a petty banner officer placing a Bagua Mirror, revealing an inside accomplice.
  • Wild Gods attacked the prisoner, but Li Yan used his Soul Severing Throwing Knife to drive them off and freed the man from their assault.
  • Li Yan pursued the Wild Gods with a tracking spell as Lu San sent a falcon after him and Wu DeGui mobilized troops to support the chase.

Ch. 364Ghost Buddha Temple

Li Yan followed Wild Gods to the Ghost Buddha Temple and discovered that it concealed a gathering of Heavenly Saint Sect disciples and the Meishan Three Brothers. He led Wu Dehai’s forces in an ambush, defeated the brothers, and learned that the Ghost Cult had placed a bounty on him before the captured old man died.

  • Li Yan tracked the Wild Gods from Xiangyang City to the ruined Zhao De Temple, where Wu Dehai explained its history and Lu San’s animal informants reported that people had been making sacrifices there.
  • Li Yan and Wu Dehai arranged an ambush, and Li Yan used the North Emperor Black Water Escape to enter the temple and discover that its objects had become Wild Gods.
  • The Meishan Three Brothers and an old man led Heavenly Saint Sect disciples out of the temple, but the old man sensed Li Yan and exposed his hiding place.
  • Li Yan shot the old man and several disciples with a New Style Firearm, then defeated the Meishan Three Brothers in a brief fight.
  • Wu Dehai’s forces opened fire as the disciples fled, and Li Yan killed the second brother before the old man revealed that the Ghost Cult had placed a bounty on him and died.

Ch. 365Temple's Old Ghost

Li Yan discovered that Zhao De Temple was a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure inhabited by spirits, and learned that the Camphorwood Great King’s dismembered remains had caused the plague. The temple’s aged camphor spirit revealed the source and gave Li Yan a piece of the corrupted wood, and Li Yan asked whether it would risk everything on one throw.

  • Wu DeGui identified Blind Bai as a wanted former Spirit Medium connected to the Ghost Sect, and Li Yan ordered the captured Heavenly Saint Sect disciples interrogated for intelligence.
  • Li Yan used a secret art in Zhao De Temple and saw countless divine figures hidden in its ceiling, realizing the ruins were a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.
  • Wu Dehai and Chiliarch Zhou reported rebel plans to incite mountain tribes and seize routes connecting the Han and Yangtze Rivers, while Li Yan proposed burning the temple.
  • Chiliarch Zhou used a secret military art to weaken the temple’s spirits, and an aged voice explained that a scholar named Lu had forced the camphor spirit to obey him with its Soul Tablet.
  • The camphor spirit revealed that the Camphorwood Great King’s remains were the plague’s source and that vinegar could suppress them, then sent a corrupted piece of wood out of the temple.
  • Li Yan had the soldiers wrap the wood in vinegar-soaked cloth and asked the camphor spirit if it dared stake everything on one throw.

Ch. 366City God's Tribulation

Li Yan uncovered the Ghost Sect’s scheme at Xiangyang’s City God Temple, defeated its disguised followers, and exposed a demon god’s attempt to corrupt the City God and control the She Ling Soldiers. With the plague and surrounding uprisings still spreading, reinforcements from Mount Wudang arrived.

  • Li Yan ordered Wu Dehai to surround the City God Temple, then broke Daoist Yu Chenzi’s arm and stopped him from resisting as troops sealed the temple.
  • Li Yan’s forces captured two fleeing Taoists and discovered that everyone inside the temple had been murdered and their organs removed.
  • Li Yan entered the main hall, sensed danger in the City God statues and soul jars, and used the Soul Hooking Chain to destroy the jars and confront the demon god Ran Tong’s statue.
  • Li Yan explained that the Ghost Sect had tried to corrupt the City God and control Xiangyang’s She Ling Soldiers, then asked Wu Dehai to summon help from Mount Wudang.
  • Reports revealed that plague-stricken villagers had fought the garrison, Spring and Autumn Stronghold had seized the Nanzhang County seat, and a resentful section of Nanmu wood was one plague source.
  • Yu Longzi and nearly a hundred Taoists from Mount Wudang arrived at Xiangyang under the Five Dragons Disciples’ leadership.

Ch. 367Exorcising Evil, Consecrating Statues, and Removing the Plague

Li Yan helped the Five Dragons Palace cleanse Xiangyang’s City God Temple, consecrate its statues, and remove the plague’s source while learning more about Lu San’s inheritance. The plague began to recede, but the investigation revealed that Master Lu of Longzhong Academy was a demonic practitioner hiding Doctor Li in Lu Men Mountain.

  • Prefect Lu Deqian left his sickbed and resumed government affairs when he heard the Five Dragons Palace had come down from the mountain.
  • Li Yan told Yu Longzi how he exposed Demon God Ran Tong and reported that East Lake Old Ancestor had captured the Giant Turtle Master; Yu Longzi agreed to honor Li Yan’s promise to the Old Ghost from Zhao De Temple.
  • Gu Linzi told Lu San about three surviving Chu Wu inheritances: the Lord of the Clouds Divine Gate, the Xiang Lord Water Palace, and Mount Wu.
  • Yu Longzi and the Five Dragons Disciples cleansed the City God Temple, removed the baleful energy, reconsecrated the City God statue, and burned the rotten camphorwood that carried the plague.
  • Yu Longzi sent Gu Linzi to destroy the remaining plague sources and dispatched letters urging the army to attack Shennongjia; Li Yan gave Wang Dao Xuan and Sha LiFei Sweet Dew Disinfectant Pills, which cured them.
  • Wu DeGui reported that Yu Chenzi had confessed that Master Lu of Longzhong Academy abducted Doctor Li and was hiding him in Lu Men Mountain.

Ch. 368Nighttime Entry into Lu Men Mountain

Li Yan and Wu DeGui’s forces searched Lu Men Mountain for the imprisoned Medicine Saint Li Family, uncovering hidden sentries and a snake-infested trap. As an old ghost emerged from the mist and threatened Li Yan, Li Yan recognized the danger and confronted it.

  • Li Yan told Wu DeGui that the plague came from the Camphorwood Great King’s remains and agreed to help rescue the Medicine Saint Li Family before seeking Wu DeGui’s assistance near Xian Mountain.
  • Li Yan’s group traveled by warship toward Lu Men Mountain while the Five Dragons Palace Daoists raided hidden Ghost Sect and Heavenly Saint Sect positions on Yu Liang Island.
  • The Commandery Commandant Office’s scouts captured two men guarding the mountain, who revealed that Young Master Lu had hired them and was hiding his Five Stone Powder indulgence from his family.
  • Lu San used venomous snakes to locate a cave where captives were supposedly held, while Li Yan spoke with a ghost at an old grave and learned the cave was a deadly trap guarded by a snake controller.
  • As snakes surrounded the group in the misty bamboo forest, an aged voice and figure appeared and said someone had hired it to kill Li Yan; Li Yan accepted the challenge and called the place fitting for an old ghost.

Ch. 369Famous Mountain Hiding Demons and Evils

Li Yan and the Commandery Commandant Office team defeated the hermit An FaDe’s ambush, broke his formation, and rescued Doctor Li. Their search then revealed a Buddhist hall filled with enthralled men and women and a gigantic gecko feeding on them.

  • Li Yan kept the Commandery Commandant Office formation intact as An FaDe used snakes, poisonous mist, and ghostly flames to attack them.
  • Wang Dao Xuan identified the formation’s hidden objects, and the team burned a small coffin to break the array; Sha LiFei’s shot wounded An FaDe as he fled.
  • Li Yan found the wounded An FaDe at his courtyard and provoked him by mentioning Wang Chan Ancestor’s Scripture Forest; An FaDe died before the team could question him.
  • Li Yan found a hidden tunnel beneath the thatched hall, and the group followed it to rescue the captive Doctor Li.
  • Li Yan opened a rotating wall that led into a Buddhist hall, where the team found people behaving deliriously and a gigantic gecko feeding on them.

Ch. 370Disaster Stems Entirely from Traitors Within

Li Yan and the Commandery Commandant Office uncovered a Ghost Sect network in Xiangyang while rescuing the Giant Turtle Master from an ambush on Mount Xian. After the city’s traitors were arrested, Li Yan’s group entered the mountain and learned from Wu Ba that little people might be underground.

  • Li Yan killed the giant house lizard controlling the old nun, and Lu San learned that the monster and Young Master Zhao had been accomplices.
  • Centurion Cheng arrested Young Master Lu and the other young masters; under interrogation, Qing Yue revealed that the Ghost Sect had planted agents throughout Xiangyang and that An FaDe’s disciple Yu FaLing was on Mount Xian.
  • Li Yan’s party found Alligator Dragon hides, armor, firearms, and gunpowder in the Peach Blossom Study’s secret chamber, and Li Yan left Centurion Cheng to handle the arrests while he headed for Mount Xian.
  • The Commandery Commandant Office and City God Temple arrested or killed Xiangyang’s hidden agents, while warships sailed toward Mount Xian.
  • On Mount Xian, Lu San lost his connection to the Giant Turtle Master, but Wu Ba indicated that little people were beneath the group.

Ch. 371Seeking the Demon's Trail

Li Yan and his companions investigated strange signs on Xian Mountain, discovering Jing People and evidence that the mountain’s animals could not contact its god. After Li Yan followed the trail of a shooter into the Han River, he found East Lake Old Ancestor guarding an underwater cave with Gu worms, leaving the group unable to enter the suspected route to Wang Chan Ancestor’s Scripture Repository Forest.

  • Wu Ba found a tiny cave used by Jing People, and Wang Dao Xuan identified the little creatures as spirits associated with a mountain god.
  • The group found an abandoned temple where monks had been taken, but Lu San’s attempt to contact the mountain god was interrupted by the sound of a qing.
  • Wang Dao Xuan used Qi Observation and said they would need to wait until Zi Hour to detect demonic energy, but a gunshot struck Lu San’s hawk near the Han River.
  • Li Yan reached the riverbank, found blood and footprints leading into the water, and used Black Water Escape to pursue three men carrying a corpse into an underwater cave.
  • East Lake Old Ancestor emerged from the cave, covered in rune-carved iron pillars and guarded by a swarm of Gu worms, forcing Li Yan to flee back to shore.
  • As garrison warships arrived, Li Yan warned everyone to fall back.

Ch. 372Inviting the Gods

Li Yan tried to stop East Lake Old Ancestor and its Gu worms, but Qin Yuner surfaced with the demon and threatened the captive Giant Turtle Demon before sealing the underwater cave. With the entrance blocked and the Ghost Sect still hidden, Li Yan summoned spirits for help and encountered the Han River Goddess.

  • Li Yan raced to the garrison fleet, drove back East Lake Old Ancestor’s white threadworms, and helped the sailors escape the scout boat.
  • Chiliarch Zhou withdrew the fleet after Li Yan warned him about East Lake Old Ancestor and learned that Five Dragons Palace could not assist.
  • Li Yan rejected Lu San’s plan to sacrifice fish and climbed down the cliff to summon Yin Bureau soldiers, but East Lake Old Ancestor attacked and Qin Yuner threatened to kill the captive Giant Turtle Demon.
  • Qin Yuner ordered East Lake Old Ancestor to retreat and collapse the cave entrance, leaving Li Yan’s group unable to pursue the Ghost Sect.
  • Li Yan opened a ritual altar and used the North Emperor God Control Method to summon aid, but the Han River Goddess appeared.

Ch. 373Goddess, Fuxi Ancient Cave

Li Yan used the North Emperor God Control Method and received a vision from the Han River Goddess, learning that Xian Mountain held hidden passages. He led Lu San and Wu Ba through a misty valley and a horde of reanimated dead into the Fuxi Ancient Cave, then continued deeper into its passage.

  • Li Yan summoned the Han River Goddess, saw Xian Mountain’s hidden apertures, and assigned Wang Dao Xuan and Sha LiFei to meet the Garrison Navy while he entered the mountains with Lu San and Wu Ba.
  • Li Yan told Lu San and Wu Ba that the valley concealed the Fuxi Ancient Cave and described clues linking Xing He Pu to the hidden forest of steles.
  • Li Yan, Lu San, and Wu Ba fought through walking corpses and a fallen army near a Heavenly Saint Sect flag as Lu San searched the mountain wall for the passage.
  • Li Yan used the thunder stored in the Soul Hooking Chain to repel the corpses, and Lu San found the concealed entrance by striking the wall until it rang like bells and stone chimes.
  • Wu Ba pushed open the bell-shaped stone door, and Li Yan, Lu San, and Wu Ba entered the cave and headed down its dark, man-made passage.

Ch. 374Lost Secrets

Li Yan and Lu San discovered a vast Fuxi settlement beneath the mountain and learned that Qin Yuner’s group was gathering jade congs and capturing its inhabitants. Li Yan entered the underground river to try to free Giant Turtle Master, while Lu San and Wu Ba prepared to distract the enemy, but Little White Fox appeared carrying a panicked little person.

  • Li Yan identified murals depicting the Four Fiends and inferred that Chang Sang Jun and Bian Que had captured and studied a Qiongqi.
  • Li Yan sent a Chuling Paper Figure through the narrow passage and discovered Qin Yuner’s group gathering jade congs while Giant Turtle Master and East Lake Old Ancestor were under their control.
  • Li Yan and Lu San decided to rescue Giant Turtle Master, with Li Yan going underwater and Lu San and Wu Ba creating a distraction.
  • Li Yan explored the ancient Fuxi settlement and found eighteen sacrificial temples whose depressions appeared designed to hold the jade congs.
  • Li Yan entered the underground river as Lu San and Wu Ba crawled out of the cave, where Little White Fox appeared carrying a frightened little person.

Ch. 375Ancient Relic

Lu San discovered that the ancient ruins were built inside a gigantic primordial clam and joined Li Yan’s ambush against Qin Yuner and the demons. A Fire Caltrop blast disrupted the battle, leaving Li Yan underwater beside Giant Turtle Master as he struck at the Bronze Coffin’s black hair with his Soul Hooking Chain.

  • Little White Fox caught a spying Jingren, and Lu San learned from it that the ruins held a hidden Jingren settlement.
  • Li Yan hid underwater near the stone platform and saw Giant Turtle Master and East Lake Old Ancestor deliver jade congs to the shore; East Lake Old Ancestor signaled that it wanted to rebel.
  • Lu San followed the Jingren through a concealed passage and saw murals revealing that the ruins were inside a giant clam and depicting the Fuxi Clan’s use of a huge pearl and jade congs.
  • Lu San and Wu Ba attacked the demons with a Fire Caltrop just as Li Yan leaped onto Giant Turtle Master, and the explosion scattered Qin Yuner’s group and sent the turtle into the water.
  • Li Yan was caught by the Bronze Coffin’s black hair, then used his Soul Hooking Chain to burn it away and shatter the film over Giant Turtle Master’s eyes.
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