Chapter Summaries

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin discovered a hidden cave on a cliff and entered it to investigate sword qi they suspected came from Sword Peak. After surviving increasingly powerful sword winds, they reached a vast vertical shaft through Yunshan Mountain, where a devastating gale descended toward them.

• Xie Yuan caught Situ Qin as sword qi burst from a cliff crevice and pierced a bird, and they concluded the dangerous force was connected to Sword Peak.
• Situ Qin examined the sword marks and judged the cave’s strongest blasts would be survivable, so Xie Yuan entered first and she followed.
• Xie Yuan and Situ Qin advanced through the cave, enduring sword winds and using their martial arts to withstand a violent blast that sent weapon-hard stones flying.
• Xie Yuan discovered that surviving the strongest sword wind increased the Black Heaven Book’s progress by one point.
• Xie Yuan and Situ Qin found a smooth vertical shaft that seemed to pierce Yunshan Mountain from summit to depths, then saw a true sword wind descend toward them at overwhelming speed.

Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun disguised themselves to pass the Yunshan Sword Sect’s entrance screening, with Mu Chaoyun accepted as a recruit and Xie Yuan admitted as a servant. After Cui Zhi brought them to the Main Peak Great Hall, the Black Lotus petals on Xie Yuan’s arm began to grow hot, leaving them both shocked.

• Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun used the Heaven Concealing Art and borrowed identities to disguise themselves before Cui Zhi and the Yunshan Sword Sect members.
• Mu Chaoyun endured Cui Zhi’s aptitude test convincingly and passed, while Xie Yuan pretended the test hurt and was allowed to accompany her as a servant.
• Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun passed checks of their papers and origins, and Mu Chaoyun quickly befriended Lin Zhen while waiting for the day’s screening to end.
• Cui Zhi led the pair up Yunshan Mountain to see the Main Peak Great Hall and told them about the forbidden Sword Peak beyond it.
• As Cui Zhi started to lead them back down, Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun sensed something unusual, and the two Black Lotus petals on Xie Yuan’s arm grew hot.

Xie Yuan and Qin Zhenyang reached Jinling to investigate Wang Zhiyi’s murder, but the great families and local officials blocked their inquiries. As the Little Hidden Dragon Meet drew near and the Duke of Ning refused to see them, Xie Yuan encountered the monk Huijue, who recognized him.

• Xie Yuan helped his fellow Yunshan Sword Sect disciples overcome seasickness, and Qin Zhenyang said his insight reflected the path toward Grandmasterhood.
• After ten days aboard a ship, Xie Yuan and the others reached Jinling, where they inspected Wang Zhiyi’s body and Xie Yuan deduced that his killer had taken something from his hand.
• Xie Yuan and Qin Zhenyang questioned the Yao Family and Chief Niu, but neither provided useful information, and their visits to Wang Zhiyi’s acquaintances yielded little.
• The Duke of Ning declined to meet Xie Yuan and Qin Zhenyang, saying he had entered seclusion, so Xie Yuan went out to clear his mind.
• A monk named Huijue emerged from a small temple, greeted Xie Yuan, and said he looked forward to his guidance.

Xie Yuan secured a post attending Situ Qin while insisting on helping at the sect’s main hall so he could continue studying the Black Heaven Book. He consumed a Blood Dragon Pill overnight and made rapid progress toward the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm before heading to the main peak.

• Xie Yuan returned to the Servant Yard and persuaded the steward to let him keep working at the Main Peak Great Hall despite his new assignment attending Situ Qin.
• The steward praised Xie Yuan’s dedication and rebuked Tian Zhuang and the other servant disciples for failing to match it.
• That night, Xie Yuan went to Waterfall Cliff and swallowed the Blood Dragon Pill Situ Qin had given him.
• Xie Yuan endured the pill’s violent Blood Qi as it circulated through his meridians and strengthened his body throughout the night.
• At dawn, Xie Yuan refined the pill’s remaining power, raised his Golden Bell Cover progress to 1447/2000, and headed toward the main peak, believing the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm was near.

Xie Yuan returned to Cloudshine and learned that One Blade Martial Hall had taken over the Soaring Dragon Escort Agency after its leaders disappeared and Yu Chunsheng regained power. He confronted Hall Master Chen Su and Wang Chengpeng at the occupied residence, demanding that they leave.

• The Firewood Room Manager granted Xie Yuan ten days of annual leave, and Lin Zhen asked him to visit Junior Sister Chen’s family.
• Xie Yuan left Yunshan Mountain, retrieved his weapons, and returned to Cloudshine, where he found the Soaring Dragon Escort Agency had become One Blade Martial Hall.
• Qin Hai told Xie Yuan that One Blade Martial Hall had seized the escort agency’s property with Yu Chunsheng’s support, while Head Zhao and Escort Leader Lu were away.
• Xie Yuan left Qin Hai and went to the former escort agency, where Hall Master Chen Su and Wang Chengpeng came out to face him.
• Xie Yuan demanded that Chen Su and Wang Chengpeng leave the escort agency themselves or be forced out.

Xie Yuan and Huijue investigated Wang Zhiyi’s murder and discovered that the Duke of Ning sought Prajna Temple’s longevity methods while secretly colluding with the great families. Huijue revealed that the families’ schemes involved abducted people, then arranged for Xie Yuan to approach a young Taoist priest who might help uncover the truth.

• Huijue followed Xie Yuan after publicly announcing his defeat, while Yao Qinglai and Jinling authorities searched the alley and ordered a citywide lockdown to catch Xie Yuan.
• Huijue took Xie Yuan to meet the Duke of Ning, where they questioned him about Wang Zhiyi’s death and the Yao Family; the Duke claimed to know nothing about the murder.
• Huijue explained that the Duke of Ning wanted Master Zhiling’s cultivation method to prolong his life and had colluded with the great families, some of whom were involved in abducting people.
• Xie Yuan asked why Huijue had sought him out, and Huijue said he wanted to investigate the great families’ crimes with him and wait for another companion.
• A young Taoist priest was thrown out of the Duke of Ning’s Residence, and Huijue told Xie Yuan to approach him and offer to reveal the truth.

Xie Yuan, posing as Nether Goose, sparred with Yao Tianchuan and used the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master's instruction to improve his swordsmanship while concealing his strength. During the deadly selection for entry to Seeing Truth Lake, he and Yao Tianchuan defeated a drug-enhanced assassin, but someone recognized that Xie Yuan was not Nether Goose and attacked him.

• The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master ordered Nether Goose to train Yao Tianchuan, and Xie Yuan repeatedly disarmed him before helping him refine his swordsmanship.
• The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master approved Nether Goose for the Human-rank assessment, and several days later the selection began with five hidden tokens and lethal competition among the assassins.
• Xie Yuan evaded and killed several ambushers while searching the estate, as a drug-enhanced female assassin began slaughtering the competitors.
• The female assassin cornered Yao Tianchuan, but Xie Yuan intervened, and the two joined forces to kill her.
• As Xie Yuan turned to search for a token, someone accused him of not being Nether Goose and struck at him.

Xie Yuan fought Huijue, a Prajna Temple monk who challenged him over the Golden Bell Cover and promised information about Wang Zhiyi’s murder if defeated. Xie Yuan won their exhausting duel, but Huijue then loudly announced his defeat across Jinling City.

• Huijue revealed that he knew Xie Yuan’s identity and offered to tell him about Wang Zhiyi’s murder if Xie Yuan defeated him in a fight.
• Xie Yuan attacked with the Galloping Wolf Saber Art and Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, but Huijue’s Indestructible Golden Bell Cover blocked his strikes.
• Huijue transformed into a Golden Body Luohan and battered Xie Yuan with powerful fists, forcing him to rely on the Cloud Dragon Step and hidden techniques.
• Xie Yuan used Sweep Through a Thousand Armies to break Huijue’s defense, then threatened another axe strike until Huijue admitted defeat.
• Huijue transported them to a secluded alley, said no one had witnessed their fight, and then used the Buddhist Lion’s Roar to announce his defeat to half of Jinling City.

Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi fought an intense sparring match in a bamboo grove, and Xie Yuan won after matching Zhang Junyi’s ultimate techniques. After Xie Yuan parted from Zhang Junyi and Huijue, Li Xingtuo arrived at the Yao Family residence to pay a visit.

• Xie Yuan met Zhang Junyi and Huijue at a Daoist temple, where he and Zhang Junyi agreed to spar.
• Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi exchanged sword techniques, with Xie Yuan gradually gaining the upper hand through his Cloud Dragon Nine Forms.
• Zhang Junyi unleashed his azure dragon technique, and Xie Yuan countered with his battle-axe before the two continued fighting at full strength.
• Xie Yuan blocked Zhang Junyi’s final lightning sword strike with his axe, and Zhang Junyi admitted defeat.
• Zhang Junyi gave Xie Yuan his Life Buying Money, while Huijue gave him a Buddhist Talisman; the three then parted ways.
• Li Xingtuo arrived at the Yao Family residence and announced that he had come to pay a visit.

Xie Yuan told Situ Qin about his dangerous adventures and his uncertainty over Li Xingtuo’s intentions, and she persuaded him to return to the Yunshan Sword Sect. As they celebrated the Lantern Festival together, Situ Qin recognized her growing feelings for Xie Yuan, and the chapter ended with them holding hands beneath the fireworks.

• Situ Qin scolded Xie Yuan for risking his life, offered him protective treasures, and gave him a Green Jade Buddha Statue pendant after he refused her jade pendant.
• Xie Yuan shared Precious Medicines and spiritual materials with Situ Qin, then recounted his time in the Floating Pagoda and his suspicions that Li Xingtuo had guessed his identity.
• Situ Qin advised Xie Yuan to return to the Yunshan Sword Sect and accept Li Xingtuo’s apparent goodwill, easing his worries.
• After Xie Yuan left, Situ Qin confided to Red Aunt that she feared for him and wanted to stay by his side, then resolved to train harder so she could protect him.
• Xie Yuan spent the next day with Situ Qin before they went to the Lantern Festival fair, where he took her hand and they watched fireworks together.

Xie Yuan escaped the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master’s ambush with Li Xingtuo’s sword, but was nearly killed after the sword’s power ran out. Mu Chaoyun saved him with a teleportation formation, and after they reunited at Jin Guang Temple, they planned to retrieve the Illusion Dream Heavenly Crystal.

• Xie Yuan used the Fleeting Light Shadow Sword to flee Jinhe Temple, then tricked the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master with feigned exhaustion and wounded him with the small sword’s remaining sword intent.
• The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master tracked Xie Yuan using Profound Water and caught up after Xie Yuan’s sword intent was spent.
• Xie Yuan fought the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master’s final attack with his battle axe, but a burst of white light transported him away before the killing blow could be confirmed.
• Xie Yuan woke in a secret chamber with Mu Chaoyun, who explained that she had used an ancient formation to save him and had been secretly watching over him.
• Mu Chaoyun returned the Eight Trigrams Lotus to Xie Yuan and explained how the Yao Family could use Profound Water to track him.
• Xie Yuan told Mu Chaoyun about the Illusion Dream Heavenly Crystal, and she said she knew a way to reach it.

After returning to the Yunshan Sword Sect, Xie Yuan explained his Sword Peak insights to the Lin Family Siblings and used a dose of Blood Ganoderma to rapidly strengthen his Golden Bell Cover. At morning lessons, Instructor Lu tested him with a spar, and Xie Yuan defeated Liu Tong while holding back before being matched against Hou Zhen.

• Xie Yuan returned to the sect, told Lin Cheng and Lin Zhen that Sword Peak’s inherited sword intent could serve as a path toward understanding its deeper sword intent, and said he had only improved the basic Yunshan Sword Style.
• Xie Yuan brewed the Blood Ganoderma with Situ Qin’s prepared ingredients, drank one of five doses, and advanced his Golden Bell Cover to the Fourth Layer with nearly five hundred points of progress.
• Xie Yuan attended his first Inner Courtyard morning lesson, where Instructor Lu noticed his flawless Yunshan Sword Style and learned he had recently reached the fourth training stage.
• Instructor Lu ordered Liu Tong to spar with Xie Yuan, who blocked Liu Tong’s attack and defeated him after spotting a flaw, while deliberately holding back.
• Instructor Lu rebuked Xie Yuan for holding back and called on Hou Zhen, the Inner Courtyard’s leading External Refinement Realm disciple, to spar with him.

Xie Yuan settled outside North Mountain Village under the alias Zhang Shan, selling carved firewood while preparing with Mu Chaoyun for the Ji Family’s arrival. As he continued cultivating and chopping toward a major breakthrough, Xie Lingyun arrived with news that Elder Fu had been furious after Xie Yuan left.

• Xie Yuan showed village chief Xie Dazhi his papers proving his identity as Zhang Shan and offered carved firewood for sale.
• Xie Yuan told Mu Chaoyun that he had arranged protections around the village and was using carved firewood to consolidate his martial techniques.
• Xie Yuan planned to draw the Ji Family away from the Xie clan and wait for them while cultivating in North Mountain Village with Mu Chaoyun.
• Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun agreed to travel together and take turns choosing where they went after the danger passed.
• Xie Yuan saw that his wood-chopping progress had reached 89,727 of 100,000 and continued chopping toward the milestone.
• Xie Lingyun arrived at Xie Yuan’s courtyard and told him that Elder Fu had nearly torn the heavens apart after he left.

Li Xingtuo avenged the Yunshan Sword Sect by defeating Yao Yuzhi and Qian Wubing, while the sect withdrew from Jinling and Xie Yuan became a target of repeated assassinations. Xie Yuan evaded the families’ pursuit and headed toward Shu Province, where Huijue’s Buddhist Talisman reacted near a large temple.

• Li Xingtuo broke into the Yao Residence, injured Yao Yuzhi despite the Heavenly A Sword, and then defeated Qian Wubing in Yongyang.
• Li Xingtuo and Qin Zhenyang withdrew the Yunshan Sword Sect from Jinling, and the new rankings placed Li Xingtuo fourth on the Soaring Dragon Ranking and Xie Yuan thirtieth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
• Xie Yuan killed two Autumn Wind Pavilion assassins who attacked him in a tavern, then realized the Qian and Yao Families were using their influence across Jiangnan to track him.
• A hooded Yao Family grandmaster and Yao Yuzhi arranged to intercept Xie Yuan at the river crossings and discussed sending Tian Chuan to Autumn Wind Pavilion.
• Xie Yuan evaded pursuit by changing direction repeatedly, chose to head southwest toward Shu Province, and noticed Huijue’s Buddhist Talisman grow warm beside a large temple.

Xie Yuan combined three Black Heaven Book pages into the Black Heaven Divine Sword, then sensed three more pages gathered in Jiang Province and went to investigate. He encountered Boss Wu at Chunjiang Restaurant, but left when danger converged on the town, leaving Boss Wu surrounded by forces approaching from every direction.

• Xie Yuan mastered Fleeting Light Shadow Sword and fused the True Shadow Candlestick, Ten Thousand Weapons Candlelight Shadow, and invisible sword qi into the Black Heaven Divine Sword.
• Xie Yuan left Yunshan Mountain after learning that Li Xingtuo had broken through and departed through the Tower to Heaven.
• Xie Yuan sensed three Black Heaven Book pages together in Jiang Province and set off to find them.
• Xie Yuan arrived at Chunjiang Restaurant, where he unexpectedly reunited with Boss Wu and warned him to leave.
• Xie Yuan suddenly vanished, and Boss Wu saw demonic forces closing in on Chunjiang Restaurant from all directions.

After settling into the Chen Commandery Xie clan, Xie Yuan planned his cultivation and used the clan’s resources to advance his techniques during a fifteen-day seclusion. He emerged to find Xie Yun and other clan disciples confronting Yun Zhu, and accepted Xie Yun’s challenge with a palm strike.

• Xie Yuan received Xie Xuan’s former residence and its generous cultivation resources, then resolved to pursue the Grandmaster Realm and seek a stronger Blood Qi technique.
• Xie Lingyun confessed that she had been serious about her romantic feelings for Xie Yuan, but accepted that they were cousins and warned him that clan members would come to challenge him.
• Xie Yuan took a Golden Wind Jade Dew Pill, raised the Nourishing Body Skill to the fourth level, and broke through the Great Golden River Skill to the ninth level during seclusion.
• Xie Yun and Xie Jing repeatedly visited Xie Yuan’s courtyard, while Yun Zhu refused to let them disturb him and later stopped them from entering.
• Xie Jing shoved Yun Zhu aside as the group tried to force their way in, and Xie Yuan emerged from seclusion to catch her.
• Xie Yun challenged Xie Yuan, who claimed not to know him and immediately thrust out a palm.

Xie Yuan returned to Yunshan Mountain and prepared to break through to Grandmaster with help from Li Xingtuo and Qin Zhenyang. After entering Sword Peak’s Sixty-Ninth Layer, he opened the Earth Bridge and attained the Grandmaster realm at age twenty.

• Xie Yuan returned to Yunshan Mountain as Zhang Shan and reunited with Qin Zhenyang, who escorted him to meet Li Xingtuo.
• Li Xingtuo gave Xie Yuan the Formless Sword and sealed his Inner Breath down to the tenth level so his internal and external strength could balance.
• Xie Yuan entered Sword Peak, and Qin Zhenyang announced that the sect would close it until Xie Yuan completed his breakthrough.
• Xie Yuan reached Sword Peak’s Sixty-Ninth Layer and cultivated amid its fierce sword intent and astral winds.
• One hour after Xie Yuan entered Sword Peak, he opened the Earth Bridge and attained the Grandmaster realm at age twenty.

Xie Yuan learned about the Black Heaven Book’s dangerous, unpredictable origins from Mu Chaoyun and suspected that viewing it could advance his panel’s progress. After a tense exchange, he left with Shen Longteng for a victory banquet, while Mu Chaoyun remained alone in his room.

• Xie Yuan asked Mu Chaoyun how to study the Black Heaven Book, and she explained its origins, chaotic contents, and risks to those who obsessed over it.
• Xie Yuan thanked Mu Chaoyun and privately guessed that regularly viewing the Eight Trigrams Lotus might increase his Black Heaven Book progress.
• Xie Yuan tried to make conversation with Mu Chaoyun, then confronted her for having left him behind; after she blamed his weak skills, he held back his anger and accepted her point.
• Shen Longteng came to fetch Xie Yuan for a victory banquet, and Xie Yuan changed clothes before leaving with him for Chunjiang Restaurant.
• Mu Chaoyun removed her hood, called Xie Yuan a lecher, and curled up alone on the couch after he left.

Xie Yuan and Kong Chun encountered bandits while scouting Little West Mountain, where Xie Yuan fought off a dangerous scar-faced attacker. Xie Yuan repeatedly used Wolf King Howls at the Moon and beat the young man to death.

• Wu Qing sent Kong Chun and Xie Yuan ahead to scout Little West Mountain and announce the Soaring Dragon Escort Agency's passage.
• Two bandits sprang from the forest and demanded toll money, so Kong Chun fired a signal arrow as the pair fought them.
• Xie Yuan disarmed one bandit with a single saber strike, but a scar-faced young man ambushed him from the bushes.
• Xie Yuan used Wolf King Howls at the Moon to block the scar-faced man's attacks and overpower him.
• Xie Yuan struck with Wolf King Howls at the Moon three times, knocking away the young man's saber and killing him with internal injuries.

Song announced that his bandits would transform into hired criminals and ordered an attack on the Soaring Dragon Escort Agency. Xie Yuan’s escort team chose the safer route around Rooster Mountain, but an ambush began as Xie Yuan scouted ahead.

• Song told his bandits to abandon roadside raids and take jobs arranged through a county contact.
• Song ordered Da Chun Er to lead twenty men in an attack on a small Soaring Dragon Escort Agency team, demanding its banner and the escorts’ heads.
• Kong Chun explained that Song’s stronghold usually left the agency in peace and offered a longer route along the Jade River to avoid Rooster Mountain.
• Xie Yuan agreed to take the Jade River route with the escort team.
• Xie Yuan noticed the forest was unnaturally quiet, moved ahead to investigate, and spotted a cold arrow shooting from the forest.