Chapter Summaries

Ji Chang summoned divine lightning through the Immortal Palace Grand Formation and collided with Niu Dali’s Demon Ox Dharma Form. Both were injured, but Meng Zhao and the other experts judged that Niu Dali still had the strength to continue and would win.

• Meng Zhao and Su Can recognized that Niu Dali’s Demon Ox Dharma Form was close to a divine form and might withstand Ji Chang’s lightning.
• Ji Chang called down a pillar of lightning, and Niu Dali countered it with Bull Demon Tail Whip.
• The collision unleashed a powerful blast that the arena’s formation contained, leaving the spectators unharmed.
• Ji Chang suffered damage to his sword hand and meridians, while Niu Dali sustained a scorched wound to his chest and lost stamina.
• Meng Zhao and the other experts concluded that Niu Dali had held something in reserve and would outlast Ji Chang.

Ji Chang used a poisonous threat to halt his losing battle with Niu Dali, leaving them deadlocked in the arena. Fu Ning recognized Ji Chang’s plan and left, hinting that he still had a hold over him.

• Ji Chang summoned more lightning, but Niu Dali endured the attacks as Ji Chang’s strength waned.
• Ji Chang swallowed a crimson pill that restored his energy and appearance, but Niu Dali remained confident he could win in the arena.
• Ji Chang secretly warned Niu Dali that he would release Fu Ning’s Hundred Saliva Smoke and make them perish together.
• Niu Dali hesitated to risk being poisoned, and the two fighters remained motionless as the spectators grew impatient.
• Meng Zhao suspected Ji Chang had threatened Niu Dali, while Fu Ning recognized Ji Chang’s plan and left without watching the battle’s outcome.

Ji Chang died when Fu Ning’s Hundred Saliva Smoke poison consumed him, and Niu Dali escaped the arena after claiming victory. Meng Zhao suspected Fu Ning had plotted against Ji Chang, then led the group away to treat Niu Dali’s injuries and discuss the battle.

• Green poison smoke rose from Ji Chang and dissolved his body, killing him within moments.
• Niu Dali recognized the smoke as Hundred Saliva Smoke and fled the arena after declaring himself the winner.
• The arena’s formation contained and dispersed the poison, while spectators argued over whether Niu Dali’s victory was dishonorable.
• Meng Zhao suspected Fu Ning had used the poison to kill Ji Chang, but Fu Ning was nowhere to be found.
• Meng Zhao and the others left the arena and gathered at a Mishui Immortal Palace guest hall to treat Niu Dali and discuss the battle.
• Niu Dali shed his dead, charred skin and drank wine as his injuries began to heal.

After Ji Chang was poisoned to death during his arena fight with Niu Dali, Meng Zhao and his companions discussed Fu Ning’s ruthless methods and warned Meng Zhao to act before Fu Ning struck again. Meng Zhao accepted their concern but remained confident that Fu Ning’s poison could not harm him, and his resolve to kill Fu Ning grew stronger.

• Niu Dali told Meng Zhao, Zheng Que, and the others that Ji Chang had tried to call a truce and warned him about the Hundred Saliva Smoke Fu Ning had given him before the poison suddenly killed Ji Chang.
• Yun Fei and Niu Dali suspected Fu Ning had poisoned Ji Chang, while Gu Sinan and Zheng Que noted that Fu Ning’s attack had intimidated everyone and made Niu Dali appear responsible.
• Gu Sinan, Niu Dali, and Wei Qi urged Meng Zhao to beware of Fu Ning and resolve their conflict quickly, warning that Fu Ning’s poisons and schemes were difficult to guard against.
• Meng Zhao accepted their advice while privately remaining unworried because he believed Fu Ning’s poison could not harm him, and he reaffirmed his intention to kill Fu Ning.

After Niu Dali’s battle with Ji Chang, Meng Zhao and his companions prepared to attend the Inner Demon Gathering at Mishui Immortal Palace, where they hoped to receive guidance from Grandmasters. As the group drew attention on the way to the main hall, Zhao Hun watched from the crowd, consumed by hatred toward Meng Zhao, who had taken his identity and gathered powerful allies.

• Niu Dali’s reputation grew after his battle with Ji Chang, and He Liu’s Mutual Aid Alliance sent him valuable treasures to maintain their ties.
• Meng Zhao and the others received invitations to the Inner Demon Gathering, while Zhao Hun secretly secured a place through the Plainclothes Alliance’s network.
• Meng Zhao’s group spent two days preparing to seek guidance from the Grandmasters, and Zhao Hun concealed his identity and strength.
• Meng Zhao, Gu Sinan, Niu Dali, and their companions climbed toward the mountaintop together, drawing attention as a formidable group.
• Zhao Hun saw the others defer to Meng Zhao and brooded over how the former beggar had taken his identity and won their loyalty.

Meng Zhao attended the gathering at Mishui Immortal Palace and noticed Fu Ning associating with the rising demonic prodigy Fu Zeguang. He stayed alert to their hostility while searching the crowd for Zhao Hun, who had disguised himself.

• Meng Zhao and the others entered the lavish main hall and took their seats near the platforms reserved for the three Martial Dao Grandmasters.
• Niu Dali warned Meng Zhao that Fu Ning had grown close to Fu Zeguang, and Meng Zhao recognized Fu Zeguang as a powerful prodigy favored by the Palace Master.
• Fu Zeguang noticed Meng Zhao looking at him and turned hostile after Fu Ning spoke to him.
• Meng Zhao judged that his own strength had advanced enough to face formidable Innate experts, then searched the gathering for Zhao Hun.
• Meng Zhao realized Zhao Hun had disguised himself and blended into the crowd after Little Nine confirmed his aura.

Meng Zhao sensed Zhao Hun’s scheme while attending the Inner Demon Gathering, where three Martial Dao Grandmasters arrived to discuss martial arts. As the Palace Master addressed the gathering, Meng Zhao recognized a startling secret in one of the Grandmasters’ auras.

• Meng Zhao questioned Flood Dragon Little Nine and confirmed that Zhao Hun’s familiar aura was nearby.
• The Immortal Palace Senior Disciple organized the hall and announced the arrival of the three Great Grandmasters.
• The three Grandmasters entered in streams of light, and Meng Zhao recognized the Palace Master among them.
• Meng Zhao detected a familiar Martial Dao Divine Charm and reacted with alarm, while Zhao Hun noticed his expression and worried that he had been discovered.
• The Grandmasters concealed their faces, and the Palace Master explained the martial discussions, opportunities to ask questions, and rewards for outstanding participants.

At the Demon Gathering, Palace Master and the other Grandmasters discussed the dangers of the Golden Refining Hand and the effects of excessive Yin Qi on the body. Their debate gave Meng Zhao new ways to think about martial problems and offered Fu Zeguang hope of addressing the damage caused by his cultivation.

• Palace Master introduced the Golden Refining Hand, explaining its tremendous power and the dangers it posed to its practitioner and anyone attempting to reach the Innate realm with it.
• Grandmaster White Bone proposed tempering the Golden Refining Hand with Pure Yin Internal Force, while Grandmaster Qiao suggested building a fire-poisoned constitution to counter it.
• Meng Zhao absorbed the three Grandmasters’ approaches and incorporated their ways of thinking into his own understanding of martial arts.
• Grandmaster White Bone raised the problem that cultivating Yin Qi could weaken the body and create a serious imbalance with the Yin spirit and true qi.
• Palace Master explained the causes and risks of the imbalance, while Fu Zeguang listened closely, hoping to find relief from the effects of his Hundred Ghosts Profound Gang.

At the Inner Demon Gathering, Grandmaster Qiao proposed ways for Grandmaster White Bone to overcome the conflict between yin qi and his failing yang qi, prompting White Bone to explain his developing White Bone True Body. Inspired by the Grandmasters’ discussion, Meng Zhao named and clarified the principles of his own newly created divine skill, the Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique.

• Grandmaster Qiao suggested transcending yin arts or abandoning the flesh to resolve White Bone’s imbalance of yin and yang.
• Grandmaster White Bone revealed that his body and yang qi were weakening, then outlined his planned White Bone True Body.
• The Palace Master and Grandmaster Qiao advised White Bone as the gathering’s listeners absorbed the principles behind creating martial arts.
• Meng Zhao drew on the discussion to better understand how to develop and integrate his own enlightened divine skill.
• Meng Zhao named his art the Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique and resolved to keep it secret while Great Yong remained at peace.

Meng Zhao and the other martial artists gained insight from the three Grandmasters’ discussion of martial arts, which revealed how Grandmasters cultivated Dao through Divine Essence and Worldly Power. After the discussion ended, Meng Zhao shared what he had learned at the banquet, earning notice from the Palace Master, who judged his prospects of becoming a Grandmaster promising.

• Fu Zeguang realized that Grandmaster White Bone’s cultivation resembled his own and considered seeking him as a teacher.
• Grandmaster Qiao asked about combining paths of the five elements, and the three Grandmasters discussed his question along with other martial arts problems.
• The three Grandmasters explained Grandmaster Divine Essence, the use of Worldly Power, and how Grandmaster martial arts developed a Dao through martial means.
• After nearly three shichen of discussion, Immortal Palace disciples served a banquet, where Meng Zhao ate heartily and exchanged insights with Niu Dali, Gu Sinan, and other martial artists.
• Meng Zhao answered questions from the gathered martial artists, and the Palace Master recognized his exceptional understanding and promising chance of becoming a Grandmaster.

Grandmaster White Bone reconsidered taking Meng Zhao as a disciple after learning of his dangerous entanglements, while the Palace Master offered him Fu Zeguang instead. Grandmaster Qiao hinted that Meng Zhao was an outsider to the Demonic Path, and the elders began guessing his identity.

• Grandmaster White Bone lost interest in taking Meng Zhao as a disciple after the Palace Master described his conflict with the Human Path and Heaven Swallowing Dao Child.
• The Palace Master recommended Fu Zeguang, whose Hundred Ghosts Profound Gang and martial foundation suited Grandmaster White Bone, and White Bone agreed to consider him as a disciple.
• Grandmaster Qiao said that Meng Zhao was not from the Demonic Path and hinted that his reputation was already known.
• The Palace Master revealed that Meng Zhao had deceived him by posing as Meng Tao, a Demonic Path rogue cultivator, and Grandmaster White Bone intervened when the Palace Master tried to test Grandmaster Qiao.
• The Palace Master and Grandmaster White Bone narrowed down Meng Zhao's identity as they examined his aura and martial accomplishments.

Grandmaster Qiao confirmed that the disguised Dragon King was Meng Zhao, prompting the Palace Master and Grandmaster White Bone to discuss his talent and the danger of a future clash with the Heaven Swallowing Dao Child. When they questioned Qiao about his concern for Meng Zhao, he revealed that Meng Zhao was his junior, leaving them to suspect his ties to the Meng Family.

• The Palace Master and Grandmaster White Bone wrote down their guesses about the Dragon King's identity and learned that both had named Meng Zhao.
• Grandmaster Qiao confirmed Meng Zhao's identity and explained that he had recently made a name for himself by thwarting the Lei Family's scheme in Lingwu City.
• The Palace Master praised Meng Zhao's talent and abilities, while Grandmaster White Bone regretted that he might be unable to recruit him as a disciple.
• The Palace Master wondered how Meng Zhao would fare against the Heaven Swallowing Dao Child, and Grandmaster Qiao worried that the powerful demonic prodigy would challenge him.
• Grandmaster White Bone asked about Qiao's connection to Meng Zhao, and Qiao said that Meng Zhao was his junior, leading the others to suspect his close ties to the Meng Family.

The Palace Master proposed choosing talented juniors to spar so the Grandmasters could assess and guide them, partly to teach Meng Zhao a lesson. Grandmaster White Bone eagerly volunteered to choose Fu Zeguang, hoping to make him a disciple and test his unfinished White Bone True Body art on him.

• The Palace Master and Grandmaster White Bone regarded Meng Zhao with greater appreciation after realizing Grandmaster Qiao protected him.
• The Palace Master suggested selecting promising juniors to fight while the Grandmasters observed and offered guidance.
• Grandmaster White Bone asked to choose Fu Zeguang for the first match.
• Grandmaster White Bone considered taking Fu Zeguang as a disciple, intending to use him to test and refine the dangerous White Bone True Body martial art.

Palace Master arranged for Fu Zeguang to spar with Meng Zhao, disguised as Meng Tao, so the Grandmasters could assess them. Meng Zhao suspected the test might expose him, but recognized that Grandmaster Qiao cultivated the Meng Family’s Red Flag Order and saw a possible connection that could protect him and raise his standing.

• Grandmaster White Bone suggested that Fu Zeguang spar with Meng Zhao, and Grandmaster Qiao agreed to the match.
• Palace Master announced Fu Zeguang and Meng Tao as the first pair, leaving the gathered martial artists puzzled by the unfamiliar name.
• Meng Zhao realized Palace Master had remembered the false name he had once used and worried the Grandmasters were testing his identity.
• Meng Zhao recognized Grandmaster Qiao’s art as the Red Flag Order and inferred that Qiao had a deep connection to the Meng Family.

Meng Zhao faced Fu Zeguang in a spar before the Palace Master and two Grandmasters, who assessed their abilities. Fu Zeguang’s opening attack was effortlessly shattered by Meng Zhao, leaving him stunned.

• Fu Zeguang stepped forward seeking to impress Grandmaster White Bone, and Meng Zhao joined him as his opponent.
• The Palace Master announced that they would spar freely while the three Grandmasters evaluated them.
• Grandmaster White Bone praised Meng Zhao’s solid spiritual strength, while the Palace Master contrasted his composed bearing with Fu Zeguang’s troubled ambition.
• Fu Zeguang attacked first, summoning a ghostly hand from the ground with his Hundred Ghost True Qi.
• Meng Zhao sensed the attack with his Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique and shattered the ghost hand with a slight retreat and a flash of dragon aura.
• Fu Zeguang was shocked that Meng Zhao had destroyed his carefully cultivated technique with such an apparently ordinary move.

Fu Zeguang attacked Xuan Gang in close combat but was outmatched by Xuan Gang's powerful body and iron fists. Grandmaster White Bone and the Palace Master recognized Xuan Gang likely had a special physique, and White Bone asked Grandmaster Qiao about it.

• Fu Zeguang abandoned sneak attacks and lunged at Xuan Gang, using his Hundred Ghosts Profound Gang and savage claw techniques.
• Xuan Gang met Fu Zeguang's assault with Iron Refining Hand and techniques from Tie Xiongfei's martial arts, repeatedly driving him back.
• After more than twenty exchanges, Xuan Gang remained composed while Fu Zeguang stood flushed and sweating, with injured hands and disordered breathing.
• Grandmaster White Bone judged that Fu Zeguang's body could not withstand Xuan Gang's iron fists, while the Palace Master suggested Xuan Gang possessed a special physique.
• Grandmaster White Bone asked Grandmaster Qiao whether he understood Xuan Gang's physique and noted that Xuan Gang's martial arts did not seem to belong to the Meng Family's Red Flag Order.

Grandmaster Qiao suspected Meng Zhao possessed a rare Dragon Body, while Meng Zhao launched a powerful counterattack against Fu Zeguang. The fight continued as Meng Zhao displayed the overwhelming force of his dragon-based martial arts.

• Grandmaster Qiao told the Palace Master that Meng Zhao might possess a Dragon Body and had learned his martial arts through a fortuitous encounter.
• Fu Zeguang recovered from his injuries, regarded Meng Zhao as his greatest enemy, and hesitated as he searched for a weakness.
• Meng Zhao attacked with a purple dragon-like punch that shattered Fu Zeguang’s Hundred Ghosts Profound Gang and forced him to defend himself again.
• Meng Zhao used Hundred Transformations of the Divine Dragon to summon four streams of Dragon Form Qi and press Fu Zeguang with their power.
• Meng Zhao unleashed the North Sea Dragon Fighting Hand, forming a mighty dragon claw that seized toward Fu Zeguang.

Meng Zhao decisively defeated Fu Zeguang in front of the three Grandmasters, revealing that he had held back during the fight. The Palace Master ended the match, and Fu Zeguang acknowledged his loss while Grandmaster White Bone remained interested in taking him as a disciple.

• Fu Zeguang unleashed his Five Ghost Kings Martial Dao Dharma Form, but Meng Zhao shattered it, seized him, and knocked him unconscious.
• Meng Zhao held Fu Zeguang aloft after sealing his true qi, and the spectators and three Grandmasters reacted with surprise at the swift defeat.
• Grandmaster White Bone praised Meng Zhao and judged that Fu Zeguang still had strong potential despite losing to an opponent who had not used his full strength.
• The Palace Master told Meng Zhao to release Fu Zeguang, who steadied himself and admitted defeat.
• Meng Zhao modestly praised Fu Zeguang's martial arts.

Meng Zhao overwhelmed five more Innate Realm Warriors during the Grandmasters’ evaluations, alarming his enemies and impressing his allies. Fu Ning resolved to find a way to kill him, while Zhao Hun secretly ordered his plan to proceed.

• The three Grandmasters advised Fu Zeguang to refine his true qi and judged Meng Zhao nearly perfect, leaving further improvement to his own comprehension.
• The Palace Master kept Meng Zhao in the arena, where he defeated five successive Innate Realm Warriors with ease.
• Fu Zeguang privately warned Fu Ning that Meng Zhao’s strength was beyond his ability to measure.
• Fu Ning regretted how his feud with Meng Tao had escalated but resolved to eliminate Meng Zhao once he found a safe method.
• Zhao Hun recognized how much stronger Meng Zhao had become and secretly transmitted an order to proceed with his plan.

Kang Youde publicly challenged Meng Zhao’s identity, accusing him of deceiving the Great Grandmasters and the gathered cultivators. Meng Zhao maintained that he was Meng Tao, but Kang named him as the Dragon King of the Southern An Meng Family, leaving the hall poised against him.

• Kang Youde rose and questioned whether Meng Zhao was truly named Meng Tao and where he came from.
• Meng Zhao suspected Kang was one of Zhao Hun’s pawns, while Niu Dali cursed Kang for meddling in his brother’s affairs.
• Kang warned the hall that a traitor might be misleading the Great Grandmasters and demanded that Meng Zhao answer again.
• Meng Zhao calmly affirmed that he was Meng Tao, a rogue cultivator who had come to the Demon Gathering at Mishui Immortal Palace.
• Kang accused Meng Zhao of lying and identified him as the Southern An Meng Family’s Dragon King, famed as Southern Shen, Northern Meng with Shen Tianci.