Chapter Summaries

Meng Zhao considered killing Zhao Rulíng to protect his secrets, but Zhao Rulíng swore not to reveal anything and explained why he would remain loyal to the Beitang Imperial Clan. Meng Zhao let him leave, and they parted on friendly terms while leaving open the possibility of meeting again.

• Meng Zhao urged the injured Zhao Rulíng to stay with the Meng Family rather than return to Imperial Capital City.
• Zhao Rulíng refused to pledge himself elsewhere, citing his loyalty to the Beitang Imperial Clan and his respect for Meng Zhao as a fellow martial traveler.
• Zhao Rulíng swore on his martial path that he would never reveal Meng Zhao's ambitions, secrets, or power.
• Meng Zhao weighed the risks of letting Zhao Rulíng go against killing him, then chose to trust his oath and spare him.
• Meng Zhao and Zhao Rulíng parted with hopes of meeting again and reaching the Divine Demon Realm.

Meng Zhao visited Fire Dragon Cave with Ao Bing and met True Monarch Fire Dragon, whose cultivation had reached the Great Grandmaster realm. True Monarch Fire Dragon recognized Meng Zhao’s extraordinary strength but resented him for winning the heart of his niece, Tang Ling’er.

• Meng Zhao openly visited Fire Dragon Cave with Ao Bing and was welcomed by its disciples and elders.
• Meng Zhao did not see Tang Ling’er among the welcoming party and went to meet True Monarch Fire Dragon in Fire Cloud Hall.
• Meng Zhao sensed that True Monarch Fire Dragon had reached the Great Grandmaster realm and wondered how he had advanced so quickly.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon recognized Meng Zhao as a peerless powerhouse after sensing his unfathomable cultivation.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon recalled that Tang Ling’er had fallen deeply in love with Meng Zhao and wanted to teach him a lesson.

Meng Zhao visited True Monarch Fire Dragon and explained his dealings in the Arctic Ice Plains and with the Northern Garrison Army. True Monarch Fire Dragon inferred that Meng Zhao might harbor ambitions against the Beitang Imperial Clan and urged him to proceed cautiously, partly out of concern for Tang Ling'er.

• True Monarch Fire Dragon met Meng Zhao and wondered why he had come to Fire Dragon Cave instead of visiting Tang Ling'er.
• Meng Zhao said his visit concerned the Arctic Ice Plains and the Northern Garrison Army, prompting True Monarch Fire Dragon to hear him out.
• Meng Zhao recounted his journey to the Arctic Ice Plains, the Hundred Clans, the Supreme Scepter, and the secrets surrounding the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon connected Meng Zhao's account to the demonic presence he had investigated near Fire Dragon Cave after a great explosion.
• Meng Zhao described his cooperation with Zhong Linghe, and True Monarch Fire Dragon noticed his dissatisfaction with Emperor Beitang Sheng.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon warned Meng Zhao not to let reckless ambition cloud his judgment, while Meng Zhao suspected the advice was tied to Tang Ling'er.

Meng Zhao urged True Monarch Fire Dragon to reconsider his cautious stance toward the upheaval in the Divine Land, arguing that Heaven and Earth’s changes had broken the old balance of power. True Monarch Fire Dragon admitted his thinking was outdated and began weighing what path Fire Dragon Cave should take.

• Meng Zhao challenged True Monarch Fire Dragon’s reluctance to act, describing the Divine Land’s turmoil and warning that conservatism could waste a rare opportunity.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon explained that he viewed the southern rebellion as a struggle between the Nine-Surname Houses and the imperial clan, and feared outside forces would unite against anyone who interfered.
• Meng Zhao argued that the return of a Cultivation Golden Age had changed the rules, letting individuals rise beyond the old powers and allowing him to destroy one of them alone.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon acknowledged that he had been blinded by the old order and admitted that Fire Dragon Cave lacked a Heavenly Human-level combatant.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon fell into thought about Fire Dragon Cave’s future path and the need to protect its legacy.

True Monarch Fire Dragon weighed whether to ally with Meng Zhao as the Great Yong Dynasty weakened, then asked him to explain the state of the world. Meng Zhao revealed Beitang Sheng’s secret schemes and his role in restoring the Divine Land’s Martial Dao, leaving Fire Dragon with a startlingly complex picture of the emperor.

• True Monarch Fire Dragon considered Meng Zhao’s strength, Dragon Body, and connections before deciding that backing him might be a worthwhile wager.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon asked Meng Zhao for his views on the state of the world, and Meng Zhao predicted that the Great Yong Dynasty and Beitang Imperial Clan would likely fall.
• Meng Zhao revealed that Beitang Sheng had colluded with the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord to create a demonic treasure and had secretly controlled the Divine Continent Commoner Alliance.
• Meng Zhao explained that Beitang Sheng had also plotted to seize the foundations of thirty-six aristocratic families through a scheme disguised as prayers against disasters.
• Meng Zhao told True Monarch Fire Dragon that Beitang Sheng had broken old seals on Martial Dao Fortune, allowing cultivation across the Divine Land to grow easier and higher realms to become possible.

True Lord Fire Dragon and Meng Zhao discussed how Beitang Sheng’s merit, fortune, and imperial standing made him the leading candidate for the Supreme Realm. Meng Zhao refused to yield, revealing that he possessed a Supreme Physique and intended to contend with Beitang Sheng.

• True Lord Fire Dragon reasoned that Beitang Sheng had opened cultivation to pursue transcendence, and that his merit and fortune could help him reach the Supreme Realm.
• True Lord Fire Dragon asked whether Meng Zhao still planned to challenge Beitang Sheng despite the Great Emperor’s advantages.
• Meng Zhao acknowledged Beitang Sheng’s strength but said he also had the potential to become a Supreme and would dare to contend with him.
• Meng Zhao revealed that he possessed the Purple Origin Dragon Body, a Supreme Physique, and True Lord Fire Dragon and Ao Bing cried out in surprise.
• True Lord Fire Dragon and Ao Bing considered what a Supreme Physique meant and learned that it could offer a path to the highest realm beyond bloodline limitations.

Ao Bing and True Lord Fire Dragon considered whether Meng Zhao’s Dragon Body was a Supreme Physique, with True Lord Fire Dragon suspecting it might be the legendary Emperor Dragon Body. Meng Zhao affirmed that he had reasons for his claim but withheld the details, leaving True Lord Fire Dragon shaken by the possibility and wary of coveting Meng Zhao’s bloodline.

• Ao Bing compared Meng Zhao’s powerful Dragon Body with the Ancestral Dragon Body and wondered whether it was the Primeval Dragon Body, Emperor Dragon Body, or another unknown physique.
• True Lord Fire Dragon challenged Meng Zhao’s claim, citing the difference between ordinary Dragon Bodies and Supreme Physiques such as the Ancestral Dragon Body.
• True Lord Fire Dragon recalled Ancestor Fire Dragon’s theories about how a Dragon Body might advance toward Supremacy and wondered whether Meng Zhao had the Emperor Dragon Body.
• Meng Zhao said he had reasons for calling his physique a Supreme Physique but declined to reveal cultivation secrets, while insisting that he never boasted.
• True Lord Fire Dragon wavered at the possibility that Meng Zhao’s claim was true and reflected on how Nangong Yao and his disciples had seized the Chaos Body Essence.
• True Lord Fire Dragon recognized that Meng Zhao’s mastery and strength made him far too dangerous for anyone to try to steal his bloodline.

True Lord Fire Dragon weighed whether Fire Dragon Cave should back Meng Zhao or Beitang Sheng, while Meng Zhao laid out his growing influence across the Northern Lands. True Lord Fire Dragon ultimately refused to support either side officially but offered personal support to Meng Zhao, leaving the possibility of closer cooperation open.

• True Lord Fire Dragon worried that choosing the wrong claimant could endanger Fire Dragon Cave's inheritance, and Meng Zhao argued that backing a contender always involved risk.
• Meng Zhao described how the major powers across Ji, Liang, and Yan Prefectures largely supported him or remained neutral, giving him a strong chance to take control of the north.
• True Lord Fire Dragon questioned Meng Zhao's claim that Divine Saber Hall leaned toward him, and Meng Zhao explained that he was acquainted with the Purple Lightning Saber Lord.
• True Lord Fire Dragon declared that Fire Dragon Cave would help neither Meng Zhao nor Beitang Sheng against the other.
• True Lord Fire Dragon offered to support Meng Zhao personally and make things convenient for him because Tang Ling'er was on good terms with Meng Zhao and he favored a local ally.

Meng Zhao offered True Monarch Fire Dragon a drop of his purple essence blood to secure Fire Dragon Cave’s goodwill. True Monarch Fire Dragon accepted it for the sect’s guardian Crimson Flood Dragon, leaving Fire Dragon Cave willing to assist Meng Zhao on matters short of its fundamental interests.

• True Monarch Fire Dragon hinted that Fire Dragon Cave favored Meng Zhao despite claiming neutrality between him and Beitang Sheng.
• Meng Zhao presented a drop of purple essence blood, which stirred Ao Bing’s Jade Dragon Bloodline and delighted True Monarch Fire Dragon.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon considered several uses for the blood and chose to use it to help the Crimson Flood Dragon become a Heavenly Dragon.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon stored the blood and promised that Fire Dragon Cave would spare no effort to fulfill Meng Zhao’s requests that did not threaten the sect’s fundamental interests.
• Ao Bing watched enviously, wanting the drop of essence blood for herself.

Meng Zhao left True Monarch Fire Dragon with Supreme Body essence blood and went to meet Tang Ling, while True Monarch Fire Dragon summoned three elders to discuss whether Fire Dragon Cave should support him or Beitang Sheng. The elders resisted involvement until they learned the essence blood might help the Crimson Flood Dragon become a Heavenly Dragon, and they urged True Monarch Fire Dragon not to return it.

• Meng Zhao obtained a token from True Monarch Fire Dragon and left with Ao Bing to meet Tang Ling.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon summoned three elder veterans of Fire Dragon Cave and told them about his exchange with Meng Zhao.
• The three elders argued that Fire Dragon Cave should avoid supporting either Meng Zhao or Beitang Sheng and criticized True Monarch Fire Dragon for privately helping Meng Zhao.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon argued that neutrality might provoke both sides and leave Fire Dragon Cave forced to choose.
• True Monarch Fire Dragon revealed that Meng Zhao had gifted Supreme Body essence blood that might help the Crimson Flood Dragon reach the Heavenly Dragon realm.
• The three elders stopped True Monarch Fire Dragon from returning the essence blood, seeing it as a chance to reopen their path of cultivation.

The three elders of Fire Dragon Cave agreed to befriend Meng Zhao after True Monarch Fire Dragon offered them a drop of his Supreme Body essence blood, hoping to secure benefits for Dragon Venerable. They then considered using a precious Crimson Heart Pill to help Tang Ling'er win Meng Zhao’s favor.

• The three elders treated Meng Zhao’s essence blood as a supreme treasure and decided that Fire Dragon Cave should build a close relationship with him.
• The elders asked True Monarch Fire Dragon whether Meng Zhao could provide more essence blood, but he refused and explained that the first drop had been a meeting gift tied to Tang Ling'er’s connection with Meng Zhao.
• The elders recognized that True Monarch Fire Dragon hoped Meng Zhao would benefit Tang Ling'er and Fire Dragon Cave through their relationship.
• One elder proposed giving Tang Ling'er Fire Dragon Cave’s sole Crimson Heart Pill to strengthen her cultivation and help her win Meng Zhao over.

Meng Zhao reconciled with Tang Ling'er, and she accepted his plan to bring her into his household as a concubine. Meanwhile, Fire Dragon Cave disciples speculated about his visit and his relationship with Tang Ling'er.

• True Monarch Fire Dragon agreed to let the Three Elders inspect the Supreme blood essence before giving it to the Crimson Flood Dragon, and he approved of Tang Ling'er’s connection to Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao visited Tang Ling'er, apologized for staying away, and persuaded her to let go of her resentment.
• Tang Ling'er accepted that she would become Meng Zhao’s concubine after learning about his principal wife, his powerful concubines, and the support they brought him.
• Meng Zhao planned to take Tang Ling'er to Lingwu City as a guest before bringing her into his household.
• Fire Dragon Cave disciples discussed Meng Zhao’s visit, speculated that he had come for Tang Ling'er, and praised his beauty and martial prowess.

A Fire Dragon Cave disciple secretly reported Meng Zhao’s movements to a village network, where two agents discussed his growing influence and the secrets surrounding Hu Mountain. The village chief feared Meng Zhao might be preparing an uprising, but the old man dismissed the idea as out of character.

• Fire Dragon Cave disciples debated the benefits and dangers of becoming closely connected to Meng Zhao, and a senior brother warned them to stop discussing him.
• A tall, thin disciple secretly sent copied information from Fire Dragon Cave to an unknown destination.
• Several days later, an old man delivered Chi Yuan’s report to a village chief, confirming that Meng Zhao had traveled from the Northern Garrison Army directly to Fire Dragon Cave.
• The old man told the village chief that Meng Zhao had taken control of arrangements in Hu Mountain and that the army there had grown powerful.
• The village chief worried that Meng Zhao’s ties to the Meng and Tan Families, Fire Dragon Cave, and the Northern Garrison Army could threaten Liang Prefecture.
• The village chief wondered whether Meng Zhao intended to start an uprising, but the old man insisted that Meng Zhao had always gathered strength rather than rushing into war.

A burly Moon Guard worried that Meng Zhao’s growing power could threaten the Great Yong Dynasty, but the old farmer urged him to report his findings and avoid meddling. The burly man considered undermining Meng Zhao’s reputation, only to hear that Tong Lie’s challenge had instead made Meng Zhao more famous.

• The old farmer told the burly man to fulfill his investigative duty and leave decisions about Meng Zhao to their superiors.
• The burly man reflected on the Imperial Guard’s branches and how the Moon Guards’ scattered agents had little ability to act or communicate.
• The two men considered how the Imperial Court feared provoking Meng Zhao into rebellion, which could plunge the Northern Lands into chaos.
• The burly man suggested damaging Meng Zhao’s reputation instead of confronting him physically.
• The old farmer reminded him that Tong Lie’s challenge had ended with Meng Zhao’s fame and prestige greatly increased.

A burly man and Old Man Wu discussed how the Beitang Imperial Clan might undermine Meng Zhao, whose fame had grown after he heavily injured the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord. They considered scandal and a beauty-based plot, but concluded that Meng Zhao was too formidable and unpredictable to target safely.

• The burly man asked whether Meng Zhao could be attacked by accusing him of colluding with the Demonic Path, but Old Man Wu said the accusation lacked proof and would not be believed.
• Old Man Wu warned that Meng Zhao might one day be killed by the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord, but the burly man proposed exploiting Meng Zhao's reputation for lust instead.
• The burly man suggested engineering a scandal with a Meng Family woman or sending a trained beauty to ruin Meng Zhao's cultivation.
• Old Man Wu explained that either scheme could provoke Meng Zhao without succeeding, and the burly man agreed that Meng Zhao's depth made the plan too risky.

Old Man Wu confronted the big man over three months of unpaid Moon Guard stipends, and learned that the Imperial Court had diverted resources to the southern rebellion. Their exchange confirmed that the Great Yong Dynasty’s finances and hold over the Northern Lands were weakening, leaving the big man worried about Meng Zhao’s influence.

• Old Man Wu asked the big man to arrange payment of the Moon Guards’ missing stipends so he could support his son’s martial arts training.
• The big man dismissed the request and questioned why Old Man Wu’s Houtian Realm son needed precious pills.
• Old Man Wu demanded an explanation, saying he would not keep serving the Imperial Court without knowing whether the missing stipends were temporary.
• The big man admitted the commander had not embezzled the stipends and explained that the Imperial Court was sending most available pills and resources to suppress the southern rebellion.
• Old Man Wu recognized that the war and the Imperial Court’s financial strain had fueled discontent across the Northern Lands.
• The big man worried that the Northern Lands’ loyalty to the Great Yong Dynasty had eroded and that Meng Zhao could worsen the situation.

Meng Zhao confronted two Innate Masters connected to the Beitang Imperial Clan’s covert network in Liang Prefecture, after trapping them inside an Energy Wall. He planned to use their positions to uproot or take control of the Imperial Clan’s spies in the Northern Lands, and the chapter left the two men facing him in fear.

• The burly man warned Old Man Wu that unpaid Moon Guards risked causing chaos across the Northern Lands, while Old Man Wu listened uneasily.
• An unseen speaker criticized the Imperial Court for leaving its workers unpaid, then trapped both men inside a powerful Energy Wall.
• Meng Zhao appeared and asked what the men had to say now that he had arrived.
• Meng Zhao recalled tracing a Fire Dragon Cave spy to a Moon Guards branch and decided to use the men to find or control the Beitang Imperial Clan’s agents in Liang Prefecture.
• The burly man struggled to overcome his terror of Meng Zhao, while Old Man Wu remained frightened but still able to move.

Meng Zhao questioned Old Man Wu and the burly man about whether his ambitions threatened the Northern Lands, and Old Man Wu argued that Meng Zhao could prevent a devastating war by unifying the north. Meng Zhao openly admitted he intended to challenge Beitang Sheng for supreme power and threatened the burly man’s family, leaving him shocked and shaken.

• Meng Zhao sensed the burly man’s hostility, recognized his willingness to die for the Beitang Imperial Clan, and asked whether he was seen as a threat to the Northern Lands.
• The burly man accused Meng Zhao of seizing military power and building alliances to pursue hegemony in the north.
• Old Man Wu argued that Meng Zhao could reduce bloodshed by suppressing rebellion and unifying the Northern Lands.
• The burly man rejected Old Man Wu’s reasoning and insisted that Meng Zhao was a treacherous rebel who might bring chaos.
• Meng Zhao admitted that he intended to contend with Beitang Sheng for supreme power and asked what the burly man could gain by opposing him.
• Meng Zhao warned the burly man that his family could suffer for his defiance, shaking the man’s resolve.

Meng Zhao interrogated two Moon Guards to learn about the Imperial Clan’s covert network in Liang Prefecture. After using his secret bloodline art to control the burly man and extract the Moon Guard Commander’s identity and defenses, Meng Zhao killed him and spared Old Man Wu to use as an informant.

• The burly man refused to betray the Beitang Imperial Clan, while Old Man Wu guessed that Meng Zhao wanted information about the Moon Guards.
• Old Man Wu revealed that he and the burly man were Moon Guard information nodes, and that the Moon Guard Commander alone held the complete roster of spies in Liang Prefecture.
• Meng Zhao used his Thunder Pattern Vertical Pupil and secret bloodline art to alter the burly man’s will.
• The controlled burly man revealed the Moon Guard Commander’s identity and warned that the commander was close to Beitang Sheng and carried a great killing weapon from him.
• Meng Zhao let the burly man collapse dead, then reassured Old Man Wu that he would spare and use him.

Meng Zhao ordered Old Man Wu to eliminate a dead Moon Guard’s family and recruit or kill the other Moon Guards according to their loyalty. He promised to train Old Man Wu’s son, securing Old Man Wu’s wholehearted service and beginning his plan to take over the Moon Guard system.

• Old Man Wu pledged to serve Meng Zhao, who ordered him to kill the burly man’s entire family as a warning to others.
• Meng Zhao told Old Man Wu to recruit usable Moon Guards and kill those who remained loyal to the Beitang Imperial Clan, leaving no hidden threats.
• Old Man Wu warned that he knew only a few Moon Guards because the Moon Guard Commander controlled the roster.
• Meng Zhao said he would use the recruited guards to infiltrate the Moon Guards and seize the organization for himself.
• Meng Zhao promised to teach Old Man Wu’s son the Great Vajra Hand and help him reach the Great Perfection of Innate Realm, with the possibility of becoming a Grandmaster.
• Old Man Wu bowed deeply, committing his family to Meng Zhao in return for the promise to advance his son.