Recaps

Li Wei returned to the Jiang Family Manor with Jiang Han, while the injured Jiang Family elder reacted to Li Wei’s extraordinary presence. In the manor hall, Yun Zheng challenged the Jiang Family’s Quasi-Martial Artists after injuring Jiang Yuquan, but an arrival called him “Yun Bajin.”

• Jiang Han noticed Li Wei’s sudden breakthrough and grew bitter over his own stalled progress.
• The red-dressed Jiang Family elder sensed Li Wei’s presence and was shocked by her proximity to the Dao Body.
• Jiang Zhirou demanded an explanation from Jiang Yunshu after Yun Zheng shattered Jiang Yuquan’s shoulder for insulting him.
• Yun Zheng dismissed Jiang Zhirou’s complaint and challenged every Jiang Family Quasi-Martial Artist to defeat him.
• A woman at the entrance addressed Yun Zheng as the illustrious “Yun Bajin.”

Li Wei entered the Jiang Family hall, taunted Yun Zheng, and cut off his arm with a single sword strike after reaching Minor Accomplishment in Cold Pond Sinking Jade. She escaped the relatives’ excited welcome with Jiang Han, while Jiang Xinyue marveled at her rapid progress and the family searched for Jiang Yao.

• Li Wei and Jiang Han watched Yun Zheng show off, and Jiang Han explained Yun Zheng’s background and old name, Yun Bajin.
• Jiang Xinyue spoke to Li Wei through her mind and urged her to go inside and cut off Yun Zheng’s arm.
• Li Wei raised Cold Pool Sinking Jade to Minor Accomplishment, entered the hall, and provoked Yun Zheng by calling him Yun Bajin.
• Yun Zheng attacked Li Wei, but she cut off his arm in a single strike, and the white-robed middle-aged man carried him away.
• Jiang Xinyue shouted in disbelief at Li Wei’s sword skill, while Jiang Han pulled her away from the crowd of relatives.
• Li Wei noticed lotus flowers on the female relatives’ foreheads, and Jiang Yunshu sent Tang Zhou to find Jiang Yao.

Li Wei met Jiang Xinyue, who explained the rarity of Li Wei’s Dao-Approaching Body and urged her to abandon the Gu Family marriage contract and battlefield mission. Li Wei refused because she had promised Liang Qiushi, and Jiang Xinyue appeared to admire her resolve.

• Jiang Han left Li Wei at the courtyard gate, and Li Wei went in to meet Jiang Xinyue.
• Li Wei asked about the lotus marks worn by Jiang Family women, and Jiang Xinyue explained that most were merely imitations of a cultivation power.
• Jiang Xinyue told Li Wei that her Dao-Approaching Body made her one of only two people in two hundred years to possess it, then asked whether she would still risk her life for Liang Qiushi’s request.
• Jiang Xinyue offered to save Li Wei’s little brother, make her a god-granddaughter, and pass down her techniques if Li Wei broke the engagement and abandoned the mission.
• Li Wei refused to go back on her promise to Liang Qiushi and said she would return to Jiang Xinyue if she survived the battlefield.
• Jiang Xinyue praised Li Wei, and Li Wei realized that Jiang Xinyue had been testing her character.

Jiang Xinyue explained why Li Wei’s Dao-Approaching Body made her hesitate over trading her for Gu Jinzhi, then revealed her connection to Liang Qiushi and prepared to help Li Wei break through to martial artist. Li Wei agreed to keep her unusual potential secret and protect Jiang Xinyue’s god-grandson.

• Jiang Xinyue admitted that she had hesitated to trade Li Wei, whose Dao-Approaching Body made her far more valuable than Gu Jinzhi.
• Jiang Xinyue explained that Li Wei could enter Heaven-Man Resonance and advance much faster and become far stronger than her peers.
• Jiang Xinyue revealed that Liang Qiushi’s father had been her ex-boyfriend and that she had raised Liang as her goddaughter.
• Jiang Xinyue warned Li Wei to conceal her potential and said she had noticed Li Wei’s secret but had chosen not to expose it.
• Li Wei promised to keep quiet and protect Jiang Xinyue’s god-grandson, and Jiang Xinyue prepared to help her break through to martial artist.

Jiang Xinyue began infusing Li Wei with the Jiang Family’s Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll, explaining its cultivation method as she guided Li Wei through its painful first stage. The process took an unexpected turn when Jiang Xinyue discovered Li Wei’s Lower Dantian was already half-open.

• Jiang Xinyue revealed that she had faked her injury to protect the wedding and began preparing Li Wei for an empowerment infusion.
• Jiang Xinyue found that all of Li Wei’s acupoints were fully open and explained how the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll connected them into a unified circulation.
• Li Wei endured intense pain as Jiang Xinyue guided her qi and blood to form the technique’s meridian network and central node.
• Jiang Xinyue sensed Li Wei’s qi and blood surging toward the node and discovered that her Lower Dantian was half-open.

Li Wei awakened a White Natal Lotus in her Sea of Consciousness at First Order, gaining a purification effect and shocking Jiang Xinyue. Jiang Xinyue explained the lotus’s rarity and urged Li Wei to call off her marriage to the Gu Family, but Li Wei collapsed before she could respond.

• Jiang Xinyue watched a lotus grow through Li Wei’s three half-open Dantians and bloom with one white petal in her Sea of Consciousness.
• Li Wei regained control, inspected her status, and spent one Abyss Essence to increase the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll, slightly raising her qi and blood limit.
• Li Wei saw the lotus petal on her forehead, while the lotus’s growth had wrecked Jiang Xinyue’s courtyard and caused its plants to bloom.
• Jiang Xinyue explained that Li Wei’s half-open Dantians gave her some traits of a Sixth-Order martial artist and that the technique had evolved on its own.
• Jiang Xinyue described the four colors of Natal Lotus and revealed that Li Wei’s rare White Lotus governed purification and creation.
• Jiang Xinyue told Li Wei to call off her marriage to the Gu Family, but Li Wei lost consciousness before replying.

Gu Jinzhi asked Zeng Yi how to make Jiang Xue loathe him because he believed he could not return her feelings and feared what might happen to him. After hearing Zeng Yi’s suggestions, Gu Jinzhi decided to try one of them, though the story left his plan unspecified.

• Zeng Yi eagerly received a signed form from Gu Jinzhi and thanked him for the favor.
• Gu Jinzhi asked Zeng Yi how to make a woman loathe him, then explained that he meant Jiang Xue and could not return her feelings.
• Zeng Yi urged Gu Jinzhi not to give up on his life, warning him that the Zhang family were ruthless and reminding him that Jiang Xue would be affected.
• Gu Jinzhi insisted that romance was a burden and asked Zeng Yi for practical ways to drive Jiang Xue away.
• Zeng Yi proposed acting like a frightening, controlling man from a novel, and Gu Jinzhi asked him to explain the plan in detail.
• After hearing Zeng Yi’s advice, Gu Jinzhi said he would try it.

Yun Xi failed to win the Sword Carp’s recognition, then disciplined Jiang Yao for taking advantage of Yun Zheng. She suspected Jiang Xue’s marriage to Gu Jinzhi might be tied to a plot and resolved to make Jiang Xue a scapegoat if it was not.

• Yun Xi fed the Sword Carp in the pool and offered her blood, but the fish fled instead of accepting her.
• The Old Madam Yun comforted Yun Xi through a Telepathic Message and urged her to deal with Jiang Yao, who had been kneeling for over an hour.
• Yun Xi slapped Jiang Yao for showing resentment, made her admit she had taken advantage of Yun Zheng, and sent her away to care for him.
• The Old Madam Yun questioned why Yun Xi kept Jiang Yao close, and Yun Xi explained that Yun Zheng liked her and hinted she might use Jiang Yao in her plans involving the Gu Family.
• Yun Xi wondered whether Liang Qiushi meant to use Jiang Xue to die in Gu Jinzhi’s place, and vowed to make Jiang Xue the scapegoat if she was not already one.

Zhang Yansheng learned that Jiang Xue had reached Great Perfection and concluded that the Jiang and Gu Families had concealed her talent. He changed the Zhang Family’s plan: Jiang Xue could not be killed, but Zhang Pengcheng would still disrupt her wedding to Gu Jinzhi.

• Uncle An reported that Jiang Xue’s fingerprints matched the database and confirmed she had severed Yun Zheng’s arm with one sword strike.
• Zhang Yansheng connected Jiang Xue’s training at Alan Wallace’s academy to Jiang Xinyue’s past favor to Wallace and suspected the Jiang Family had hidden Jiang Xue’s talent.
• Zhang Pengcheng demanded that Jiang Xue be kept for him, but Zhang Yansheng and Uncle An warned him that harming her could provoke Jiang Xinyue and endanger the Zhang Family.
• Zhang Yansheng declared that Jiang Xue could not be killed and ordered Zhang Pengcheng to attend the wedding with his friends and make a scene at the Gu Family’s venue.

Liang Qiushi argued with Jiang Xinyue over whether Li Wei should take Jiang Jinzhi’s place in the Western Frontier, revealing Li Wei’s extraordinary talent and proposing a plan to protect her from the Zhang Family. After Jiang Xinyue and Liang Qiushi laid out the risks, Li Wei chose to go.

• Liang Qiushi confronted Jiang Xinyue for detaining Li Wei and demanded that she honor their agreement.
• Jiang Xinyue revealed that Li Wei had a Dao-Approaching Body, three half-open dantians, and a rare White Lotus Natal Lotus.
• Liang Qiushi argued that revealing Li Wei’s talent would deter the Zhang Family from harming her while allowing her to take Jiang Jinzhi’s place.
• Liang Qiushi said that an unnamed powerful person had guaranteed the Zhang Family would not use underhanded tactics, then offered help investigating Jiang Xinyue’s missing mother.
• Jiang Xinyue released Li Wei and told her the decision was hers, and Li Wei resolutely agreed to go to the Western Frontier.

Li Wei left with Liang Qiushi to begin posing as her daughter at the Gu Family, while the two discussed the arrangement and her plans. Liang Qiushi told her she could hunt abyssal monsters on rift outskirts and promised she would not have to fulfill marital duties, but she refused to explain who “that person” was.

• Li Wei said goodbye to the gathered families, noticed Jiang Han was absent, and departed with Liang Qiushi.
• Liang Qiushi comforted Li Wei when she began to cry, and Li Wei was flustered when Liang Qiushi hugged her.
• Liang Qiushi warned Li Wei not to expose flaws at the Gu Family and said she could meet Li Cheng around mid-August.
• Liang Qiushi allowed Li Wei to hunt abyssal monsters near rift outskirts and warned her not to venture deeper.
• Liang Qiushi told Li Wei she would not have to fulfill marital duties and advised her to beat up her son if he got handsy.
• Li Wei asked who “that person” was, and Liang Qiushi refused to explain.

Li Wei arrived at Gu Jinzhi’s home and mistook his scrutinizing gaze for something sinister, drawing her sword and attacking him before they had properly met. After Liang Qiushi explained Li Wei’s supposed martial arts breakthrough, the two agreed to spar at the Training Ground, leaving Liang Qiushi stunned by their unusual first meeting.

• Liang Qiushi brought Li Wei to the Small Building where Gu Jinzhi lived.
• Li Wei saw Gu Jinzhi watching her from the terrace, interpreted his gaze as perverted, and sprang up to hold her sword at his neck.
• Liang Qiushi explained that Li Wei had reached Great Perfection in Blood Nourishment and become a First Order martial artist, and Gu Jinzhi accepted the explanation for her strength.
• Li Wei tried to act familiar with Gu Jinzhi, but he repeatedly moved away before she hooked an arm around his shoulders and awkwardly declared she disliked his gaze.
• Gu Jinzhi apologized and invited Li Wei to exchange moves at the Training Ground, and Liang Qiushi remained bewildered by their combative introduction.

Li Wei sparred with Gu Jinzhi at the Gu Family Training Ground, revealing speed and sword skills that overwhelmed him despite his fierce saber techniques. The fight continued with Gu Jinzhi forced onto the defensive, while Gu Jinyi decided she wanted to learn swordsmanship from Li Wei.

• Gu Jinyi and Gu Jinwen arrived at the training ground, where Gu Jinyi clung to Li Wei and Gu Jinwen jokingly proposed marrying her instead of his brother.
• Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi chose blunt training weapons, and Li Wei tied up her hair before they began their spar.
• Li Wei rapidly attacked Gu Jinzhi, who blocked her first strike and spun his saber to defend against her follow-up.
• Gu Jinzhi unleashed the Gu Family's Great Sun Meditation Method and charged Li Wei, but she dodged and pressed him with a flurry of fast, unpredictable sword strikes.
• Gu Jinzhi spun his blazing saber again to repel Li Wei, while Gu Jinyi watched in awe and announced that she would learn the sword from her sister-in-law.

Li Wei sparred with Gu Jinzhi, whose Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber reached Great Accomplishment mid-fight and forced her onto the defensive. She entered Unity of Heaven and Man, turned the battle around, and both fighters were left injured after their weapons shattered.

• Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi exchanged attacks as their vital energy dwindled, with Gu Jinzhi struggling against her speed and swordwork.
• Gu Jinzhi comprehended Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber at Great Accomplishment and began overpowering Li Wei with his saber intent.
• Li Wei entered Unity of Heaven and Man, using her heightened perception and control of the surrounding airflow to counter Gu Jinzhi.
• Li Wei’s Cold Pool Sinking Jade combat-method progress rose rapidly, while a Natal Lotus Flower phenomenon appeared above her.
• Gu Jinzhi and Li Wei poured their remaining strength into a final clash that shattered their weapons and sent them both crashing to the ground.
• Gu Jinwen and Gu Jinyi shouted that they would tell their parents about Gu Jinzhi’s breakthrough, leaving Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi speechless.

Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi’s fierce sparring ended in an embarrassing tangle when Gu Shiheng, Liang Qiushi, Gu Jinwen, and Gu Jinyi walked in. Afterward, Liang Qiushi confirmed Li Wei would take the formal martial artist examination the next day to build her reputation and deter the Zhang family.

• Li Wei pulled Gu Jinzhi down during their sparring and pounced on him, leaving him struggling to defend himself without touching her inappropriately.
• Gu Shiheng and his family entered the Training Ground and found Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi tangled together, prompting Li Wei to leap away in embarrassment.
• Gu Shiheng praised Li Wei’s battle and asked about her Blood-Nurturing Great Perfection, then took Gu Jinzhi aside to speak with him.
• Li Wei checked her system panel and found that her Cold Pool Sinking Jade combat method had gained progress during the fight.
• Liang Qiushi told Li Wei to take the formal martial artist examination the next day and conceal the effects of her Proximity to the Dao Body.

After testing Li Wei’s strength, Gu Jinzhi and Gu Shiheng discussed her identity and the dangers awaiting Gu Jinzhi in Western Xinjiang, while Gu Jinzhi privately recalled his growing feelings for her. At the Gu home, Liang Qiushi welcomed Li Wei with a lavish wardrobe, but Li Wei reminded herself that she was only pretending to be Jiang Xue and ended the chapter feeling like a lonely passerby.

• Gu Shiheng praised Gu Jinzhi for testing Li Wei seriously, and Gu Jinzhi explained that her swordsmanship and innate White Lotus confirmed her connection to the Jiang Family.
• Gu Jinzhi told Gu Shiheng that he would not let anyone take his place in Western Xinjiang, while Gu Shiheng promised to mediate with the Zhang Family and expressed confidence in his son.
• Gu Jinzhi recalled Li Wei’s willingness to go to the battlefield for him and their earlier encounters, then denied to Gu Shiheng that he had fallen for her.
• Liang Qiushi showed Li Wei her separate bedroom and a closet full of clothes, then spent half an hour having her try on outfits and taking pictures.
• Li Wei briefly felt at home with Liang Qiushi before reminding herself that she was Li Wei, not Jiang Xue, and that she would leave the Gu Family.
• After Liang Qiushi left, Li Wei felt lonely but resolved to focus on registering for the Martial Arts Alliance’s assessment the next day.

Li Wei discovered that her sweat had developed a fragrant scent, then embarrassed herself by making Gu Jinzhi smell her bra. The next morning, Gu Jinzhi told her they would register their marriage and try on wedding dresses, leaving her stunned because she had expected to go to the Martial Arts Alliance.

• Li Wei failed to increase her Cold Pond Sinking Jade proficiency through practice, even after entering the 99+1 state.
• Li Wei discovered that her undergarments carried a pure, ethereal fragrance and suspected it was caused by the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll.
• Gu Jinzhi found Li Wei sniffing her bra, and she thrust it toward him to ask whether it smelled good; he fled after coldly calling the scene incomprehensible.
• Li Wei agonized over the embarrassing encounter, then cultivated the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll and fell asleep.
• The next morning, Gu Jinzhi gave Li Wei a dress and shoes and announced that they would register their marriage and try on wedding dresses.

Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi completed their marriage registration, leaving Li Wei unsettled by the certificate and the rushed wedding preparations. At a bridal boutique, Li Wei chose a conservative wedding dress, and Gu Jinzhi froze when he saw her in it.

• Liang Qiushi told Li Wei that the wedding was scheduled for August 2, leaving only a week to prepare.
• Li Wei and Gu Jinzhi struggled through their marriage photos and mechanically completed the registration procedures at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
• The group went to Cloud & Lace, where designer Lin Shuying showed Li Wei a series of revealing wedding dresses.
• Li Wei rejected the daring designs and chose a vintage, long-sleeved dress that covered her figure.
• Gu Jinzhi saw Li Wei emerge in the wedding dress and froze as his heartbeat grew chaotic.

Li Wei struggled to act like Jiang Xue during a wedding dress fitting, but Gu Jinzhi abruptly left after seeing her in the dress. After a tense lunch with Liang Qiushi, Li Wei was dropped off at the Martial Arts Alliance Imperial Capital Branch for her assessment.

• Li Wei tried to act delighted in her wedding dress, but Gu Jinzhi turned cold and left the studio.
• Liang Qiushi stopped Gu Jinzhi briefly, then apologized to Li Wei and Lin Shuying after he departed.
• Lin Shuying finalized Li Wei's makeup plan and pearl jewelry while Li Wei thought about the afternoon assessment.
• Liang Qiushi warned Li Wei by phone that the private dining room might be bugged, and the two ate in silence.
• Liang Qiushi gave Li Wei Xiaoyan's Lingxun contact and dropped her at the Martial Arts Alliance Imperial Capital Branch.

Li Wei, using Jiang Xue’s identity, visited the Martial Arts Alliance to register for the First Order martial artist qualification assessment. Lu Feifei saw her and struggled to remember who she was, while Li Wei left for the assessment area unaware of her old classmate’s confusion.

• Li Wei recognized Lu Feifei, her former deskmate, but remembered that she was supposed to be posing as Jiang Xue and walked past without greeting her.
• Lu Feifei felt that Li Wei looked familiar, but could not recall her identity despite her classmates’ questions.
• Li Wei checked her system panel and planned to gather Essence to advance the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll after registering.
• Li Wei was called to Counter Three, paid the fees, and registered for the First Order martial artist qualification assessment using Jiang Xue’s ID.
• A counter worker asked Li Wei about her skincare routine, and Li Wei replied that she was born with good skin before heading to the assessment area.

Li Wei went to take the Lower Third Order martial artist assessment, dressed in a skirt and seated beside hostile Tengxiang Martial Arts University students. After enduring their insults about her outfit and Jiang Family background, she finally attacked them, and more than forty students rose to fight her.

• Li Wei entered the assessment waiting area in a dress, ignored the staff member’s warning about her clothes, and took the only open seat beside Tengxiang Martial Arts University students.
• Two female students mocked Li Wei’s appearance and skills, but she held back because fighting could cost her the assessment.
• Li Wei watched Zhang Yu struggle against a mechanical mannequin and began planning how to impress the audience during her own assessment.
• Nearby martial artists gossiped about the Jiang Family and Li Wei’s Lotus Petals mark, and one of the female students taunted her about it.
• Li Wei punched one student into a row of chairs, kneed the other to the floor, and drew attacks from the Tengxiang school team.

Li Wei defeated more than forty Tengxiang Martial Arts University students without drawing her sword, then caught the attention of Commander Huang Lei. Huang Lei made defeating Li Wei the test for passing the assessment, leaving her surrounded by eager examinees.

• Li Wei chose not to draw her sword and used precise, nonlethal strikes to defeat the attacking Tengxiang students.
• The remaining Tengxiang students tried to regroup, but Li Wei quickly knocked down most of them and pinned their leader beneath her foot.
• Li Wei played to the crowd filming her by shouting, "Who—else—is—there—?!"
• Commander Huang Lei arrived and announced that any Lower Third Order martial artist who defeated Li Wei would pass the assessment.
• The examinees put away their phones and fixed their attention on Li Wei, who realized she had become their test.

Huang Lei and the tournament officials inspected preparations for the Freshmen Tournament and witnessed a barefoot girl in a white dress defeat dozens of martial arts students. Impressed by her skill, Huang Lei offered to test her himself.

• Ouyang Ming explained how the building would be adapted for the tournament, and Director Liu described the security measures planned for competitors and civilian martial artists.
• Huang Lei questioned whether barriers and patrols could prevent conflicts, but Director Liu insisted that private fights had been eradicated.
• A fight erupted in the Lower Third Order assessment waiting area, where a white-dressed girl defeated forty-three First and Second Order students with swift, precise attacks.
• Huang Lei recognized that the girl might be using the Jiang Family's Nine Moon Reflection Swords, while the officials compared her feat with Shen Yaochi's record.
• After the girl challenged anyone else to step forward, Huang Lei laughed and offered her a chance to show what she could do against him.

Li Wei faced more than two hundred martial artists in the assessment arena after defeating the Tengxiang students. Huang Lei offered her priority resources and a recommendation to the Genius Training Camp if she won, and four Third Order fighters moved in to begin the battle.

• Medical workers carried away the injured Tengxiang students, while three who had avoided fighting slipped away with the stretchers.
• Li Wei assessed her depleted qi-blood and asked Huang Lei what she would gain if she defeated the surrounding crowd.
• Huang Lei promised to waive her punishment, grant her top-grade genius treatment and priority resources, and recommend her for the Genius Training Camp.
• The crowd grew hostile over the promised rewards, and Li Wei accepted the challenge while limiting how much Abyss Essence she would use to replenish her qi-blood.
• Li Wei tossed her stiletto to Huang Lei, and four Viscera Realm Third Order fighters surrounded her as more than two hundred others waited to attack.

Li Wei fought off a coordinated attack by four third-tier martial artists and overwhelmed hundreds of examinees in the waiting area, replenishing her qi and blood with Abyss Essence as she fought. Huang Lei realized she might have reached Great Perfection before advancing and ordered the scene cleared just as Li Wei prepared to continue.

• Four third-tier martial artists attacked Li Wei from different directions, but she evaded them with her swift footwork.
• Li Wei plunged into the crowd and rapidly incapacitated first- and second-tier martial artists while the four opponents struggled to catch her.
• After her qi and blood nearly ran out, Li Wei spent four points of Abyss Essence to restore her strength and continued fighting.
• Huang Lei watched the battle while bystanders recorded it, and Lu Feifei stared at Li Wei from the crowd.
• Two minutes later, most of the examinees lay defeated, and Li Wei stopped to face the four remaining third-tier martial artists.
• Huang Lei suspected Li Wei had reached Great Perfection before advancing and ordered the scene cleared as Li Wei prepared to recharge her mana.