Chapter Summaries

Lin Heng agreed to stay with Leng Qingqiu and Leng Qingyun for a while and help them with their affairs, despite realizing their request might involve trouble. After Duan Shuyun left, Leng Qingyun chased him after he teased her, but Leng Qingqiu called him over.

• Duan Shuyun pulled Lin Heng away from Leng Qingyun and realized he was pretending to be wronged to tease her.
• Leng Qingqiu asked Lin Heng to stay with her and Leng Qingyun and help them, and Duan Shuyun encouraged him to accept.
• Lin Heng agreed to stay, and Leng Qingqiu told Duan Shuyun they would return after the royal carriage procession resupplied on its way to Swallow Cloud City.
• After Duan Shuyun departed, Lin Heng joked about Leng Qingyun's fists and then teased her by comparing her chest to sandbags.
• Leng Qingyun pounced at Lin Heng, struck his Protective Qi, and complained to Leng Qingqiu, who called Lin Heng over.

Lin Heng learned that the Dynasty might regulate or buy out his Dream-Enhancing Pill, then spent three days at the Western Wasteland while blood-corpse attacks were suppressed elsewhere. At Blood Moon Hall, Jiang Caiyan confronted a disciple for disobeying her order and helping the Black Market control blood corpses.

• Leng Qingyun asked Lin Heng to watch over Leng Qingyun and report any men with ill intentions toward her.
• Lin Heng confirmed that he had refined the Dream-Enhancing Pill, and Leng Qingyun told him the Three Offices had proposed making it a Dynasty exclusive.
• Lin Heng questioned Xiao Lan about its treasure-sensing ability and stopped it from trying to eat the Nine Heavens Sword.
• Prince Qi's forces stayed at the Western Wasteland to seal the corridor as blood-corpse attacks elsewhere were quickly suppressed.
• Jiang Caiyan struck a kneeling disciple and rebuked him for helping the Black Market manipulate blood corpses in exchange for nourishment.

Jiang Caiyan punished Jie for helping the Black Market and heard Black Robe’s report about the Market’s attacks and the Dynasty’s movements. After learning her cousin Fang Yaxin had been redeemed, she decided to visit her imprisoned aunt before heading to Northern Pass.

• Jiang Caiyan ordered Jie to copy the cult doctrine three hundred times after warning him against cooperating with Yi Pavilion and the Black Market.
• Black Robe told Jiang Caiyan that the Black Market had sent blood corpses to attack routes leading to Northern Pass, around the time the Dynasty’s forces changed direction and moved west.
• Black Robe credited Jie with helping the cult gather information and discussed his talent and profitable exploits.
• Jiang Caiyan asked about Lin and learned he was likely at the Inter-Sect Grand Competition in the southern Western Continent.
• Black Robe told Jiang Caiyan that Fang Yaxin had been redeemed from the Flower Pavilion more than a month earlier.
• Jiang Caiyan decided to visit her imprisoned aunt and then go with Black Robe to Northern Pass.

Jiang Caiyan questioned her imprisoned aunt Fang Su about her mother’s death, while news of Demon Valley’s plans unsettled the Female Emperor and Lin Heng learned more about Dragon Manor’s influence over the Garrison Command. The chapter ended with Lin Heng thinking wistfully about the clams he had left at home.

• Jiang Caiyan visited Fang Su in the Blood Moon Cult dungeon and learned that she had ordered the torture cell prepared for a future guest.
• Fang Su insulted Jiang Caiyan and refused to explain how her mother had died, while hinting that someone might rescue her daughter Fang Yaxin.
• Jiang Caiyan dismissed Black Robe’s concerns about Fang Su’s possible backing and told him to avoid killing while she focused on the rising number of Demon Beasts.
• The Female Emperor read Leng Qingyun’s letter about Demon Valley’s plan to enter the continent through the Western Wasteland Corridor and condemned Yi Pavilion.
• Lin Heng told Leng Qingyun that the Xu Estate had dragged its feet when Prince Qi ordered the Garrison Command to move, and she explained that Dragon Manor controlled the rear guard army.
• Lin Heng sighed that he missed his clams at home, leaving Leng Qingyun puzzled by his remark.

Jiang Yan halted the Northern Expedition at Star Altar City for seven days while he waited to see what Yi Pavilion would do. Leng Qingyun, short on Spirit Stones and eager to entertain Lin Heng, decided to ask her wealthy junior brother for some money.

• Jiang Yan reached Star Altar City and told his attendant to give Yi Pavilion seven days, citing signs of its activity along the Northern Expedition route.
• Jiang Yan had an Alchemy Chamber prepared for Leng Qingqiu and asked her to refine a Mind-Nourishing Pill for him.
• Leng Qingyun celebrated the seven-day rest, but Leng Qingqiu scolded her for neglecting cultivation and compared her progress unfavorably with their junior brothers.
• Leng Qingqiu gave Leng Qingyun a prescription and Storage Pouch, ordering her to buy alchemy materials and let her keep the remaining Spirit Stones.
• Leng Qingyun complained about her small allowance and resolved to ask Lin Heng, whom she believed was rich, for Spirit Stones.

Lin Heng reflected on preparing for the Life-Death Body and the cost of sacrificing his lifespan, while Ye Tian agreed to help Qiu lure Meng Yutong into a trap. After secretly meeting Qiu, Ye Tian returned to Meng Yutong, who confronted him about sneaking out to meet someone.

• Lin Heng contemplated how the Five Elements Body would lead to the Life-Death Body and Chaos Indestructible Body, and worried about his reduced lifespan.
• Ye Tian agreed to Qiu's plan to lure Meng Yutong into a trap with four Return to Void True Lords and accepted a Bone-Corroding Pill as an optional tool.
• A Clear Moon Long Song Elder questioned whether Ye Tian could be trusted, and Qiu explained that her bewitching art made him hear what he wanted and feared.
• Hua Qi watched Ye Tian leave without stopping him and wondered how she would regard him after she rebuilt her body.
• Ye Tian returned to Hidden Sword Manor and went to Meng Yutong, who asked whether he had secretly gone to meet someone.

Meng Yutong told Ye Tian that Lin Heng’s maternal family was the powerful Dugu Clan, giving him an advantage in the contest to become Holy Son Candidate. Ye Tian learned that Meng Yutong favored Lin Heng’s prospects and left the conversation resentful and determined to drive him away.

• Ye Tian told Meng Yutong that his private meeting with friends had been a way to dispel his worries.
• Ye Tian blamed his worries on Junior Brother Lin, arguing that Lin Heng’s Foundation Establishment and status as the Sect Leader’s son did not make him impressive.
• Meng Yutong revealed that Lin Heng’s mother was Dugu Zixuan, the Ten Directions Hall Master, and explained the Dugu Clan’s power and influence.
• Ye Tian wondered how Lin Heng could have been lost for so long and guessed that he might have been abandoned by his family.
• Ye Tian asked whether Meng Yutong would recommend him or Lin Heng as a Holy Son Candidate, and she said Lin Heng had greater advantages, including his family background.
• Ye Tian resented Meng Yutong’s preference for Lin Heng and vowed to take care of Fairy Cloud Peak while driving Lin Heng away.

Duan Shuyun returned to Fairy Cloud Peak, where Yun Yao and Mu Liuxi welcomed her and learned about her travels and encounter with Lin Heng. After hearing that Meng Yutong might be in danger, Duan Shuyun went to see her Master, suspecting her junior sisters were both concerned about Lin Heng.

• Shadow Scout told Meng Yutong that Duan Shuyun had returned and was chatting with Yun Yao and Mu Liuxi.
• Duan Shuyun drank Mu Liuxi's unusual tea before Mu Liuxi could stop her, while Yun Yao blamed Lin Heng for her own constitution and thoughts about trying more.
• Duan Shuyun told Yun Yao and Mu Liuxi about her search for Literary Path ruins, her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm, and her encounter with Lin Heng in the Western Wasteland.
• Duan Shuyun explained that Lin Heng had taken the Medical Ancestor's Legacy to Swallow Cloud City for a friend, and Yun Yao and Mu Liuxi were relieved to hear he was safe.
• Yun Yao and Mu Liuxi told Duan Shuyun that someone might be plotting against Meng Yutong and that their Master had prepared a way for them to escape to Ten Directions Hall.
• Duan Shuyun went to see Meng Yutong and arranged to stay with Yun Yao that night, having noticed both junior sisters' concern for Lin Heng.

Duan Shuyun returned to Fairy Cloud Peak after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and Meng Yutong told her about the dangers facing the peak and warned her about Ye Tian and Lin Heng. Lin Heng’s teasing conversation with Leng Qingyun ended in a playful chase.

• Duan Shuyun reunited with Meng Yutong, revealed her Nascent Soul breakthrough, and apologized for not sending letters home.
• Meng Yutong explained the threats against Fairy Cloud Peak and asked Duan Shuyun to help keep an eye on the other disciples, especially Ye Tian and Lin Heng.
• Meng Yutong privately hoped Duan Shuyun would manage the household while Lin Heng earned money, unaware that Lin Heng had left her a hidden injury.
• Leng Qingyun visited Lin Heng in her new Tideglow Dress and asked to borrow Spirit Stones for more clothes.
• Lin Heng offered to buy Leng Qingyun clothes on the condition that she return them after wearing them, provoking her to chase him as he fled laughing.

Leng Qingqiu discussed Jiang Yan’s damaged divine sense and Dragon Manor’s growing disobedience with him, while Lin Heng teased Leng Qingyun after she chased him through Star Altar City. Jiang Yan warned that Leng Qingqiu and her younger sister might become targets if they supervised the vanguard army.

• Jiang Yan thanked Leng Qingqiu for the Tranquil Spirit Pills, and she warned him to limit his divine sense use and seek spiritual objects to heal its damage.
• Jiang Yan asked Leng Qingqiu about the Immortal Academy Hall, and she offered to ask her junior brother about it.
• Jiang Yan revealed that Dragon Manor’s Xu Family faction might be interfering with the vanguard army and said he was prepared to punish them if they overstepped.
• Jiang Yan told Leng Qingqiu that she and her younger sister should be prepared because their authority as pacification guards could make them targets.
• Lin Heng stopped as Leng Qingyun chased him, briefly held her close, then teased her for pursuing him alone before rubbing her head.
• Leng Qingyun grabbed Lin Heng’s ear again after he called her his senior sister.

Lin Heng teased Leng Qingyun into calling herself his wife and promised to buy her clothes. Meanwhile, Xu Erque learned that Prince Qi was wary of Dragon Manor, dismissed his attendant’s warning, and left the attendant fearing for his life.

• Lin Heng teased Leng Qingyun about her cultivation and her place in his family, then agreed to spend money on two outfits for her.
• Xu Erque’s attendant reported that the left pacification guard had met Prince Qi and was refining Spirit-Calming Pills for him.
• Xu Erque complained about his northern mission and planned to demand compensation from his third brother, Xu Xiaobai.
• The attendant warned Xu Erque that Prince Qi was dissatisfied and that the Female Emperor’s appointed fairies should not be targeted.
• Xu Erque slapped the attendant and insisted Dragon Manor could defy the Female Emperor, while the attendant privately resolved to protect his family.

Lin Heng and Leng Qingyun bought dresses while discussing business and a promised dance, and Leng Qingyun arranged a surprise dinner with her sister, Leng Qingqiu. By night, Lin Heng and Duan Shuyun were both caught in tense situations as Duan Shuyun prepared to discuss Lin Heng with Yun Yao.

• Lin Heng followed Leng Qingyun to a cloth workshop, considered the clothing trade, and bought two white dresses for 1,000 spirit stones.
• Leng Qingyun promised to wear a new dress and dance for Lin Heng at Fragrant Residence Tower that night.
• Leng Qingyun gave a dress to Leng Qingqiu and invited her to dinner with Lin Heng at Fragrant Residence Tower.
• Leng Qingyun teased Lin Heng about a big surprise and urged him to come that night.
• Duan Shuyun prepared to have an in-depth conversation with Yun Yao about Lin Heng while Lin Heng and Duan Shuyun faced tense situations in separate locations.

Yun Yao confronted Ye Tian about his feelings and revealed that he had used the Sunfall Pill to drug her, after which Lin Heng became her Dao companion. Ye Tian threatened Lin Heng, but Duan Shuyun intervened, and Yun Yao began to tell her what happened.

• Ye Tian visited Yun Yao and tried to confess his feelings, but she told him she already loved Lin Heng and was his Dao companion.
• Yun Yao confronted Ye Tian about using the Sunfall Pill on her in Golden Horse City, and Ye Tian realized Lin Heng had detoxified her.
• Ye Tian flew into a rage over Yun Yao and Lin Heng’s relationship, but Hua Qi used a mind-cleansing art to calm him.
• Ye Tian vowed to kill Lin Heng and claim Yun Yao, while she drew her sword and promised to protect Lin Heng.
• Duan Shuyun appeared and pushed Ye Tian and Yun Yao apart; after Ye Tian left, she comforted Yun Yao and promised to believe her.
• Yun Yao asked whether she could trust Duan Shuyun, who revealed that Lin Heng had already told her about Yun Yao’s relationship.

Yun Yao told Duan Shuyun about her relationship with Lin Heng and revealed how Ye Tian had plotted against her. The two senior sisters spent the night discussing Lin Heng’s past misdeeds, including why Master had locked him in the Little Black Room.

• Duan Shuyun confronted Yun Yao, who admitted that she and Lin Heng had been together in private for a long time.
• Yun Yao explained that Ye Tian had confessed his feelings to her that night, prompting her to describe how he had plotted against her in Golden Horse City.
• Yun Yao told Duan Shuyun that she had hidden the truth to protect Lin Heng, then confessed how he had worn a mask while detoxifying her and fled afterward.
• Yun Yao revealed that she had planned to tell Master about her relationship with Lin Heng and Ye Tian’s conduct before Lin Heng was locked in the Little Black Room.
• Duan Shuyun learned that Lin Heng had not told her about being locked up, and the two women spent the night recounting his foolish deeds.

Duan Shuyun learned more about Ye Tian’s threat and arranged to discuss a strategy with Yun Yao and Liu Xi. At Fragrance Bureau Tower, Lin Heng mistook Leng Qingqiu for Leng Qingyun, crossed her boundaries, and was slapped into a wall.

• Duan Shuyun urged Yun Yao to warn Master about Ye Tian and arranged for the three Senior Sisters to discuss a strategy the next morning.
• Duan Shuyun decided that she would protect Lin Heng from anyone trying to kill him.
• Lin Heng arrived at Private Room Six at Fragrance Bureau Tower, expecting to meet Leng Qingyun, but found Leng Qingqiu wearing the dress he had bought.
• Lin Heng patted Leng Qingqiu’s head and held her waist, mistakenly believing she had agreed to his advances.
• Lin Heng demanded that Leng Qingqiu perform a court dance for him, and Leng Qingqiu slapped him into the wall and pinned him beneath her foot.

Leng Qingqiu confronted Lin Heng over his treatment of Leng Qingyun, but he explained that he had been trying to protect her from being manipulated by outsiders. The conversation ended with Leng Qingqiu questioning whether he might develop romantic feelings for her younger sister, while she discovered his private wish to pursue both sisters and their master.

• Leng Qingqiu accused Lin Heng of mistreating Leng Qingyun, and Lin Heng grabbed her ankle and removed her shoe before she stomped his head into the floor.
• Leng Qingqiu dismissed Lin Heng’s complaints and asked him to explain himself, so he told her that Commander Luo Feng had gifted Leng Qingyun a dress in exchange for a dance.
• Lin Heng warned Leng Qingqiu that people around Leng Qingyun might be exploiting her tastes or her position in the Garrison Command, then claimed he only wanted to be her trusted audience.
• Leng Qingqiu questioned whether Lin Heng might develop feelings for the sister living nearby, and he privately imagined pursuing both sisters to earn the chance to exchange them for their master.
• Leng Qingqiu overheard Lin Heng’s thoughts and recalled that she and Leng Qingyun would never share a romantic partner, noting that she had once killed a man who pursued both sisters.

Leng Qingqiu asked Lin Heng to look after Qingyun as changes approached, while Ye Tian grew enraged over Lin Heng and Yun Yao, prompting Hua Qi to warn she might abandon him. Mu Liuxi told Duan Shuyun how she and Lin Heng became Dao companions, and Duan Shuyun tested whether Mu Liuxi could accept Lin Heng loving someone else.

• Leng Qingqiu asked Lin Heng to take care of Qingyun and hinted that changes were coming, then left him to eat alone.
• Ye Tian raged over Lin Heng and Yun Yao, and Hua Qi warned him that she would stop helping him and could choose another genius.
• Mu Liuxi met Duan Shuyun at dawn and admitted that she and Lin Heng were Dao companions.
• Mu Liuxi explained how Madam Mu had helped bring her and Lin Heng together, including Junior Brother Ye's schemes and Lin Heng's help to her family.
• Duan Shuyun asked Mu Liuxi whether she could accept Lin Heng falling in love with someone else she knew.

Duan Shuyun learned more about Lin Heng’s past and encouraged Mu Liuxi to tell Master about Ye Tian’s behavior. Meanwhile, Leng Qingyun begged Lin Heng to keep her after her sister scolded her for the previous night’s deception.

• Duan Shuyun asked Mu Liuxi about her attitude toward relationships and learned she could accept sincere affection between Lin Heng and others.
• Duan Shuyun discussed how Lin Heng had changed and urged Mu Liuxi to inform Master about Ye Tian’s behavior, offering her support.
• After Mu Liuxi left, Duan Shuyun reflected on Lin Heng’s difficult years in the borderlands and felt sympathy for what he had endured.
• Leng Qingyun hugged Lin Heng’s thigh and complained that he had made her suffer by giving her two identical dresses as part of his plan.
• Leng Qingyun explained that Leng Qingqiu had scolded her and threatened to cut her pocket money, then begged Lin Heng to keep her.

Lin Heng persuaded Leng Qingyun to sign a wife agreement in exchange for helping her make money, then left Star Altar City with the Blue-Scale Snake to investigate a treasure. At Sun-Moon Lake, where cultivators from several sects had gathered for a mission, Black Robe recognized Lin Heng and alerted Jiang Caiyan.

• Lin Heng offered Leng Qingyun forty percent of the profits from a business venture if she signed a wife agreement, and she signed after he promised to explain her obligations later.
• Lin Heng summoned the Blue-Scale Snake and learned that it had eaten Commander Luo Feng's sixth-tier black-iron heavy sword.
• Lin Heng left Star Altar City with the Blue-Scale Snake to follow its sense of a treasure, while Leng Qingyun prepared the raw materials.
• A day later, Lin Heng and the Blue-Scale Snake arrived at Sun-Moon Lake, where cultivators from several sects were searching for something.
• Black Robe spotted Lin Heng from a high slope and told Jiang Caiyan to look at him.

Jiang Caiyan and Black Robe spotted Lin Heng while pursuing the Green Qilin Beast, and Jiang Caiyan considered using his name to disguise their own actions. Meanwhile, a Limitless Sect steward coveted Lin Heng’s blue snake and decided to take it, leaving his disciples uneasy about the plan.

• Jiang Caiyan recognized Lin Heng passing nearby but chose to focus on the Green Qilin Beast and proposed blaming the hunt on him.
• Lin Heng told Chen He of the Limitless Sect that he was a Rogue Cultivator traveling with his pet and then walked away.
• Chen He suspected Lin Heng’s blue snake was a Golden-Scaled Snake, a rare treasure-seeking spirit beast worth as much as the Green Qilin Beast.
• Chen He and the woman in the yellow fringed dress agreed to seize the snake, while Senior Brother Zhao warned that robbing a Golden Core cultivator could bring disaster.
• Chen He dismissed Zhao’s concerns and declared that the snake was fated with them.