Chapter Summaries

Lin Heng agreed to help Prince Qi investigate and liquidate corrupt great clans after Jiang Yan promised imperial backing, helpers, and a share of their wealth. Lin Heng and Leng Qingyun reviewed the list, which named the Murong Family but not the Ye Family, and Lin Heng explained that the potential rewards outweighed the risks.

• Lin Heng initially refused Prince Qi’s request, warning that targeting numerous great clans could bring him dangerous enemies.
• Jiang Yan reassured Lin Heng that the Female Emperor backed the operation and offered assistance and a share of the clans’ illicit wealth.
• Lin Heng accepted on the condition that his Master, senior sisters, and other associates would not be dragged into the matter, but Jiang Yan said he could not promise that.
• Jiang Yan showed Lin Heng a list of targets that included the Murong Family and many Imperial Strategy Bureau officials, but not the Ye Family.
• Leng Qingyun noticed Lin Heng was disappointed not to see a particular name and asked why he had accepted the risky assignment.
• Lin Heng told Leng Qingyun that the great clans’ wealth made the opportunity worth the danger, and gave her a sweet treat while she playfully felt his muscles.

Lin Heng encountered Mu Li while visiting the bustling streets of Dingyang City, and she teased him about his relationships with his seniors. Mu Li invited him to a tavern to repay him for saving her life, and Lin Heng followed despite his protests.

• Lin Heng left Prince Qi's Mansion and headed toward the Medical Assembly, stopping to watch a weapons shop and taunting his Nine Heavens Sword until it trembled.
• Mu Li appeared behind Lin Heng without him noticing and startled him with teasing remarks.
• Mu Li teased Lin Heng about hugging and kissing Duan Shuyun, while Lin Heng denied the accusation and insisted he respected his seniors.
• Mu Li asked why Lin Heng seemed to dislike her, and he said he kept his distance because she was his senior and had a Dao companion.
• Mu Li invited Lin Heng to a tavern to repay him for saving her life, and he followed her while wondering what she had planned.

Lin Heng met Mu Li, who warned him that the purge plan at Prince Qi's Mansion would draw him into danger, then explained the history behind her unusual relationship with Meng Yutong. The chapter ended with Lin Heng reeling as Mu Li revealed that they had been childhood friends and that she once pursued same-sex Dual Cultivation.

• Lin Heng asked Mu Li to help him if he encountered trouble, and she failed to charm him with her gaze.
• Mu Li warned Lin Heng that knowing about Prince Qi's purge plan would pull him into its dangerous conflict, and she invited him to visit the Joyful Union Sect.
• Lin Heng declined Mu Li's invitation and asked why she and Meng Yutong seemed close yet prone to fighting.
• Mu Li said she and Meng Yutong had been childhood friends, then revealed that she had once followed a same-sex Dual Cultivation path and had fabricated a Dao companion before entering thirty years of seclusion.
• Lin Heng interrupted Mu Li, overwhelmed by the revelations.

Lin Heng challenged Mu Li’s explanation about her past and was slapped out of a restaurant for showing off. He landed in Wei Yan’s Family’s grounds, where he heard someone escorting Ye Tian to meet the family head.

• Lin Heng questioned Mu Li’s account of why she and Meng Yutong had fallen out, and Mu Li claimed she had invented a Dao companion to reassure others about her cultivation.
• Mu Li asked whether Lin Heng had any thoughts about her, but Lin Heng mocked her story and accused her of baiting him.
• Lin Heng tried to leave, and Mu Li struck him so hard that he flew out through the restaurant door.
• Mu Li paid for the tea and complained that Lin Heng had treated her confession like entertainment.
• Lin Heng landed in a vegetable garden on Wei Yan’s Family’s property and heard someone guiding Ye Tian toward the family head.

Lin Heng disguised himself as a servant to eavesdrop on Ye Tian's meeting with Wei Yan Changliang, where they discussed the unavailable Life-Death Source Liquid and agreed Ye Tian could receive a Golden Autumn Grass Fruit in about three months. In the rear courtyard, Lin Heng encountered Hua Qi, who recognized him but threatened him without attacking.

• Lin Heng knocked out a servant, took his uniform, and used the Concealing Mask to sneak into Wei Yan's Family.
• Wei Yan Changliang told Ye Tian that the Life-Death Source Liquid did not exist and explained that the family had only pretended otherwise in the past to comfort Ye Tian's father.
• Ye Tian asked for a Golden Autumn Grass Fruit to perfect his arm, and Wei Yan Changliang agreed to provide one after the next minor hibernation cycle in about three months.
• Lin Heng slipped into the rear courtyard, where Hua Qi appeared as a remnant soul and recognized him.
• Hua Qi warned Lin Heng that she could kill him easily, but Lin Heng asked whether she intended to kill him.

Lin Heng spoke with Hua Qi about Ye Tian and learned that she would not protect Ye Tian unconditionally. After Wei Yan Changliang uncovered Lin Heng’s identity as Prince Qi’s envoy, Lin Heng questioned him about Ye Tian’s visit and suspected he had withheld important details.

• Hua Qi warned Lin Heng that Ye Tian might kill him and said she could not guarantee she would save him if Ye Tian found him.
• Lin Heng was discovered in the rear courtyard after disguising himself in a servant’s clothes and was taken to Wei Yan Changliang.
• Lin Heng revealed that he was Prince Qi’s envoy and claimed friendship with Sun Hao and Miss Xianlan.
• Lin Heng told Wei Yan Changliang that Ye Tian was his expelled senior brother and asked why he had visited the Wei Yan Family.
• Wei Yan Changliang described Ye Tian’s request for the Golden Autumn Grass Fruit but concealed the Life-Death Source Liquid, and Lin Heng suspected he was hiding more.

Lin Heng learned that Ye Tian sought the Golden Autumn Grass Fruit to heal his arm, then warned Wei Yan Changliang about suspected wrongdoing by his brother and son. He left after urging the family head to investigate and cooperate with the Dynasty’s coming purge, while Wei Yan Changliang resolved to verify Lin Heng’s ties to Sun Hao.

• Lin Heng recalled that the Golden Autumn Grass Fruit could repair bodily damage and stabilize internal heresies, and Wei Yan Changliang confirmed Ye Tian could harvest one after three months.
• Lin Heng described allegations involving Wei Yan Changliang’s brother, Wei Yan Dongning, and his eldest son, prompting the family head to protest and demand evidence.
• Lin Heng hinted that the Dynasty planned a reckoning of the medical faction and urged Wei Yan Changliang to investigate his family before Dingyang City’s coming cleansing.
• Wei Yan Changliang pledged to cooperate, and Lin Heng departed while the family head instructed his steward to keep their discussion secret.
• Wei Yan Changliang decided not to call Sun Hao and the young miss back yet, but planned to ask Sun Hao about Lin Heng’s origins and their friendship.

Lin Heng tried to hinder Ye Tian from obtaining the strange fruit and secretly entered Wei Yan's Family, drawing suspicion from Jiang Jingyi and Murong Ziyan. Meanwhile, Zhao Wanqing and Leng Qingqiu returned to the inn after bonding over medicine and alchemy, unaware of someone watching them from the shadows.

• Lin Heng headed to the Medical Clan venue, reasoning that he needed to stop Ye Tian from getting the strange fruit and that Wei Yan's Family was his best opening to target him.
• Jiang Jingyi and Murong Ziyan saw Lin Heng leave the Medical Clan venue, and Murong Ziyan reported that he had flown into Wei Yan's Family and climbed out over its wall.
• Murong Ziyan urged Jiang Jingyi to arrest Lin Heng, but Jiang Jingyi refused to act on speculation and reminded her that Prince Qi had arranged for Lin Heng to handle the target families.
• Zhao Wanqing and Leng Qingqiu walked back to the inn, discussing their shared interest in medicine and alchemy.
• Leng Qingqiu glanced back before entering the courtyard, and a figure watching from the shadows quickly hid.

Lin Heng returned to Prince Qi's Mansion and learned that Meng Yutong had punished Yun Yao after discovering Yun Yao had revealed her recovered cultivation. He visited Meng Yutong, teased her about her appearance and their master-disciple relationship, then mentioned Mu Li's offer to repay him, leaving Meng Yutong sharply curious about what Mu Li had said.

• Lin Heng returned to Prince Qi's Mansion and heard Leng Qingyun say Meng Yutong had made Yun Yao scream after they returned from an outing.
• Lin Heng joked with Leng Qingyun that they should prevent Meng Yutong from recovering her cultivation, but Leng Qingyun ran off to get roast goose.
• Duan Shuyun hid Yun Yao behind a curtain and sealed her mouth before Lin Heng entered Meng Yutong's residence.
• Lin Heng complimented Meng Yutong's appearance, called her “Mengmeng Master,” and teased her about their relationship.
• Lin Heng said Mu Li had offered any kind of repayment for his help, and Meng Yutong demanded to know what Mu Li had told him.

Lin Heng provoked Meng Yutong by recounting Mu Li’s offer to recruit him, then dodged questions about Prince Qi’s confidential errand and was blasted out of the mansion. Afterward, Meng Yutong assigned Shadow One to watch him and resolved to warn Dugu Feng and the others about his involvement with the Dynasty.

• Lin Heng told Meng Yutong that Mu Li had offered him an Elder’s seat at Joyful Union Sect if he brought Senior Sister there, and Meng Yutong warned him to avoid entanglements with Mu Li.
• Meng Yutong questioned Lin Heng about Prince Qi’s errand, but he refused to reveal its details and teased her about her recovered cultivation.
• Meng Yutong struck Lin Heng with True Yuan and sent him flying through the roof of Prince Qi’s Mansion, then ordered Duan Shuyun to take Yaoyao away and confine her for three days.
• Shadow One revealed herself to Meng Yutong and explained that she had no reason to return to her village.
• Meng Yutong ordered Shadow One to watch Lin Heng without using the Sky-Concealing Cloak and decided to alert Dugu Feng and the others that Lin Heng had become involved with the Dynasty.

Lin Heng pressed Duan Shuyun to explain her secret meetings in Dingyang City, and she revealed that a Literary Scholars Association recruiter had invited her to join their search for Literary Path artifacts. After Meng Yutong secretly overheard their staged conversation and left, Lin Heng and Duan Shuyun were interrupted by Qingyun, who arrived with roast duck and expected him to keep her company.

• Meng Yutong secretly went to check whether Duan Shuyun had followed her instructions to lure Lin Heng into a trap.
• Lin Heng asked Duan Shuyun about her secret meeting, and she explained that an old acquaintance had invited her to join the Literary Scholars Association.
• Duan Shuyun told Lin Heng she had declined the invitation and was waiting for news of the Mountains and Rivers Scroll.
• Duan Shuyun pretended that Meng Yutong was bluffing about recovering her cultivation, and the hidden Meng Yutong overheard their conversation before leaving.
• Lin Heng and Duan Shuyun became intimate, but Qingyun burst in with roast duck and reminded Lin Heng that he had promised to spend time with her.
• Lin Heng suggested that the three of them share the duck, and Qingyun agreed as long as she got one leg.

Lin Heng met with Sun Hao and warned him that Wei Yan's Family faced possible extermination over the Dynasty's investigation into its ties to the Medical Path. Lin Heng offered to protect the family's main line in exchange for allies, setting his sights on opposing Ye Tian's request.

• Wei Yan Changliang questioned Sun Hao about Lin Heng and asked him to invite Lin Heng back to Wei Yan Residence.
• Lin Heng noticed Qing Ya behaving strangely at the Inn, then went to the Medical Path venue and met Zhao Wanqing and Leng Qingqiu.
• Sun Hao pulled Lin Heng aside and explained that Wei Yan Changliang wanted another meeting with him.
• Lin Heng warned Sun Hao that Wei Yan's Family could face extermination if the official matter went badly.
• Lin Heng offered to protect Wei Yan's Family's main line in exchange for people backing him, and said he opposed Ye Tian's request.

Lin Heng met Wei Yan Changliang and urged Wei Yan's Family to help investigate the Cao and Wei families in exchange for a chance to atone for its crimes. Wei Yan Changliang pledged allegiance to Prince Qi, while Sun Hao explained how a hidden alliance of medical families controlled the medical arts across the continents.

• Lin Heng noticed a ceremonial procession for Southern Continent's King Le, Jiang Qian, and then left for Wei Yan Mansion.
• Gongsun Wenshu scolded Gongsun Nan and Gongsun Hongshuo over their romantic entanglements, and the brothers argued about whom they wanted to marry.
• Lin Heng told Wei Yan Changliang that his younger brother could be removed from the list of targets, but his son could not, and suggested Wei Yan's Family investigate the Cao and Wei families.
• Sun Hao urged Wei Yan Changliang to choose a side, and Wei Yan Changliang pledged Wei Yan's Family's allegiance to Prince Qi.
• Sun Hao explained that the Cao, Wei, and Zhao families had formed a hidden alliance that controlled medical prices and authority across the continents.

Lin Heng persuaded Wei Yan Changliang to refuse Ye Tian’s request, then returned to Prince Qi’s Mansion, where Qingyun triggered a Heavenly Tribulation. Jiang Yan moved her pavilion beyond Dingyang City to contain the danger, and the chapter ended with everyone realizing Lin Heng was missing.

• Lin Heng and Sun Hao convinced Wei Yan Changliang that Ye Tian could not claim a favor on the Ye Family’s behalf, and Wei Yan Changliang agreed to turn him away.
• Lin Heng returned to Prince Qi’s Mansion with Zhao Wanqing, who said her aunt had left after Imperial Palace Inner Guards arrived.
• Zhao Wanqing and Leng Qingqiu noticed Lin Heng seemed unwell, but Leng Qingqiu dismissed her concern.
• A Heavenly Tribulation formed over the mansion, and Leng Qingqiu discovered that Qingyun was breaking through to the Golden Core Realm.
• Jiang Yan uprooted Qingyun’s pavilion and carried it beyond the city while Meng Yutong warned that Qingyun had nearly caused a catastrophe.
• When Meng Yutong asked where Lin Heng was, Duan Shuyun and Mu Liuxi realized they could not find their junior brother.

Lin Heng was caught in Leng Qingyun’s Golden Core tribulation after Jiang Yan moved the tribulation formation, and his resistance caused the thundercloud to chase him. As Leng Qingyun’s tribulation began, she revealed a powerful formation that blocked the first wave of lightning.

• The women realized Lin Heng was missing, while Jiang Yan moved the Heavenly Tribulation Formation far from Dingyang and Lin Heng returned from the Illusory World Mirror.
• Lin Heng emerged from the pavilion into a barren mountain and was struck by lightning; Jiang Yan shouted that Leng Qingyun was undergoing tribulation and warned Lin Heng to leave the formation’s range.
• Lin Heng ran from the pursuing thunderbolts as the thunder eye split in two, and Meng Yutong and Saint Ye disagreed over whether the Heavenly Tribulation could change targets.
• Leng Qingyun’s Golden Core tribulation began, and nine bolts of lightning destroyed the building around her.
• Leng Qingyun stood unharmed beneath a flower umbrella as her Moonshadow Ultimate Gold Formation blocked the lightning, and Saint Ye explained the formation’s origins and weakness.

Leng Qingyun began her Golden Core tribulation trial while Lin Heng drew the Heavenly Tribulation’s lightning by running toward the others. Lin Heng survived the strikes and grew stronger, then taunted the Heavenly Dao as the lightning clouds stirred again.

• Saint Ye explained how the Moon Shadow Immortal Sect expanded its Formation with the essence of the earth veins, and Jiang Yan clarified how earth and Wood Force could manifest as metal energy.
• Duan Shuyun spotted Lin Heng running toward the group, so Meng Yutong warned everyone to flee before his tribulation spread to them.
• Leng Qingyun’s Formation activated, and she began setting up two more defensive Formations and a counter-Formation for her trial.
• Lightning repeatedly struck Lin Heng, burying him in a crater and making the others fear that he had died when his Heavenly Tribulation paused.
• Lin Heng climbed out of the crater, realized the lightning was strengthening his cultivation, and mocked the Heavenly Dao until the clouds reacted.

Lin Heng used the heavenly thunder to strengthen his cultivation and complete his Golden Physique while Leng Qingyun continued enduring her tribulation. After the tribulation paused, Lin Heng suddenly appeared beside Leng Qingyun’s barrier, seemingly drawing its attention back to her.

• Lin Heng pulled heavenly thunder into his dantian and discovered that his Thunder Evolution Golden Core, Mountains and Rivers Map, and Foundation Stone could withstand it.
• Leng Qingyun’s formation repeatedly repaired itself after heavenly thunder pierced its barrier, while nearby cultivators and an elder gathered to watch.
• Lin Heng absorbed thunder and Abyssal Star Scar to complete his Golden Physique and advance to Late Golden Core.
• When the heavenly tribulation paused, Lin Heng vanished and appeared near Leng Qingyun’s barrier, startling the onlookers.

Lin Heng helped Leng Qingyun pass her tribulation, and both of them broke through to the Golden Core Realm. As Meng Yutong’s group prepared to leave, an elder from Blue Sea Villa demanded compensation for the damage, prompting Jiang Yan to send him flying and threaten the villa master.

• Lin Heng stepped onto Leng Qingyun’s Barrier and absorbed most of the Heavenly Tribulation’s strikes, helping her break through to the Golden Core Realm.
• Lin Heng also advanced in cultivation, and he teased Meng Yutong about possibly surpassing her before she recovered her Realm.
• Jiang Yan thanked Meng Yutong and prepared to return with the group, but an elder from Blue Sea Villa blocked their way and demanded repairs or ten thousand Spirit Stones.
• Lin Heng cursed the elder for his demand, and Jiang Yan offered to pay the Spirit Stones on the condition that the elder come closer.
• Jiang Yan slapped the elder flying and ordered him to tell the villa master that Jiang Yan would deliver the Spirit Stones and expect the master to kneel and receive them.

After returning to Prince Qi's Mansion, Leng Qingyun revealed that she had extra Spirit Stones from Lin Heng and challenged Leng Qingqiu, who had teased her. Leng Qingyun trapped her sister with a Frost Beast-Trapping Formation, but Leng Qingqiu broke free and criticized the formation's slow setup.

• The group returned to Prince Qi's Mansion and found the pavilion and side garden wrecked by Leng Qingyun's tribulation.
• Leng Qingyun offered to pay for repairs with her Spirit Stones, then revealed that she had over eighteen thousand, prompting her sisters to suspect Lin Heng had given her extra money.
• Leng Qingyun argued that her recent breakthrough and formations made her stronger than Leng Qingqiu, while Leng Qingqiu mocked her and recalled their past conflicts.
• Leng Qingyun used her flower umbrella to activate a Frost Beast-Trapping Formation that slowed Leng Qingqiu's movements.
• Leng Qingqiu used Nether Flame and Green Lotus Dao Fire to melt the frost and collapse the formation, then advanced on Leng Qingyun and warned her that enemies would not wait for her to set up a formation.

Leng Qingqiu outmaneuvered Leng Qingyun and dragged her away for a private lesson, while Lin Heng tested his new strength and flirted with Meng Yutong. Meng Yutong prepared to punish her rebellious disciple, but Lin Heng unexpectedly turned to leave, leaving her stunned.

• Leng Qingqiu teased Leng Qingyun until she seized her flower umbrella, frightened her with a warning, and dragged her away to talk privately.
• Duan Shuyun and Mu Liuxi watched the sisters go, then speculated about how soon Meng Yutong would send Lin Heng flying.
• Lin Heng showed Meng Yutong his newly strengthened body and asked whether he could fight an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
• Lin Heng hinted that he wanted a reward from Meng Yutong, who recalled their past agreement and refused.
• Lin Heng sighed and started to leave, catching Meng Yutong off guard as she expected him to argue or press his case.