Chapter Summaries

Kang Youde revealed that Meng Tao was actually Meng Zhao, the famed Dragon King, and the Demon Gathering erupted in disbelief and debate. As the crowd and the three grandmasters weighed the revelation, Meng Zhao’s exposed identity left his allies worried about what would happen next.

• Kang Youde shouted that Meng Tao was Meng Zhao, shocking everyone in the great hall.
• The crowd discussed whether Meng Zhao would dare attend the Demon Gathering and whether Kang Youde could be trusted over the grandmasters.
• Fu Ning, Fu Zeguang, and the five Xiantian martial artists who had been suppressed considered that their opponent might truly be Meng Zhao.
• Su Can and Zheng Que felt both pleased by Meng Zhao’s status and worried about the danger his exposure created, while Niu Dali tried to reconcile his belief that Meng Zhao was a Heavenly Demon Palace successor with his Dragon King identity.
• The three grandmasters recognized that Meng Zhao’s identity had been deliberately exposed to target or kill him and considered how to respond.

Meng Zhao denied being the famed Dragon King, arguing that his reputation had been exaggerated to give the north a rival to Shen Tianci. His self-deprecating explanation persuaded many at the Demon Gathering, leaving Kang Youde’s accusation in doubt while the Palace Master and Grandmaster Qiao remained caught between their positions.

• The Palace Master weighed how to address the accusation without damaging his authority or the Demon Gathering’s reputation, while Grandmaster Qiao prepared to protect Meng Zhao and Grandmaster White Bone remained willing to help.
• Meng Zhao calmly claimed he had researched the famed Meng Zhao of Nan'an and questioned why anyone would mistake him for a man whose reputation exceeded his reality.
• Meng Zhao explained that northern powers had inflated his fame to create a counterweight to Shen Tianci and that his achievements had depended on rare circumstances and opportunities.
• Many gathered listeners accepted Meng Zhao’s account and stopped believing Kang Youde’s accusation.

Meng Zhao countered Kang Youde’s claim that he was the Dragon King by demonstrating several powerful Martial Dao Dharma Forms. His display stunned the hall and left his true identity and extraordinary martial foundation even harder to judge.

• Meng Zhao’s self-deprecating remarks persuaded some observers, while the three Grandmasters praised his composure and ability to handle the situation.
• Kang Youde argued that Meng Zhao’s dragon-path martial arts and strength proved he was the Dragon King, shifting some onlookers back toward suspicion.
• Zhao Hun privately recognized that he was the real Meng Zhao but feared he could not reclaim his identity while the impostor remained in his place.
• Meng Zhao summoned a saber-and-sword Dharma Form, transformed it into a yin-yang diagram, and then changed it into a profound vortex.
• The hall was stunned by Meng Zhao’s seamless Dharma Form transformations, and Grandmaster White Bone coveted the art while recognizing that Grandmaster Qiao’s protection made it difficult to act.

Meng Zhao turned Kang Youde’s accusation against him, winning the hall’s support and leaving Zhao Hun uncertain whether to intervene. With Grandmaster Qiao rejecting Kang Youde’s claim for lack of evidence, Meng Zhao asked the three Grandmasters to torture him until he revealed the mastermind behind the scheme.

• Meng Zhao argued that his martial skill did not prove he was Meng Zhao and praised the many talented fighters of the Demonic Path.
• Kang Youde failed to answer Meng Zhao’s arguments, while Zhao Hun hesitated to step in for fear of exposing himself.
• Grandmaster Qiao demanded that Kang Youde produce further evidence or accept that the matter would not be settled.
• The Palace Master privately recognized Meng Zhao but refused to acknowledge his identity because doing so could anger Grandmaster Qiao and the Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao accused Kang Youde of trying to manipulate the Grandmasters and asked them to torture him to uncover the mastermind behind the plot.

Meng Zhao offered Kang Youde a chance to live if he named the person behind the attack, hoping to uncover Zhao Hun without revealing his own background. Kang Youde accused Fu Ning instead, and Meng Zhao and the crowd turned the blame onto him, leaving Fu Ning branded as the mastermind.

• Meng Zhao persuaded Kang Youde to identify the person who had ordered him to expose Meng Zhao before the Grandmasters.
• Kang Youde refused to betray Zhao Hun and accused Fu Ning of offering him a secret martial art and directing the plot.
• Fu Ning denied knowing Kang Youde, but Meng Zhao cited their past conflicts and accused him of trying to frame and kill him.
• Niu Dali, Zheng Que, and others spread details of Fu Ning's feud with Meng Zhao, convincing the hall that Fu Ning wanted revenge and the Fierce Beast Poison Pill.
• Meng Zhao found no sign of Zhao Hun and accepted the chance to have Fu Ning bear the blame.

Grandmaster Qiao killed Fu Ning and Kang Youde after they were exposed as conspirators, leaving Meng Zhao alive and the martial gathering stunned. The Palace Master accepted Qiao’s explanation, and the gathering returned to discussing martial arts.

• Fu Ning accused Meng Zhao of framing him, but Grandmaster Qiao rejected his claims and burned him to death.
• Grandmaster Qiao used his divine force to kill Kang Youde, despite Meng Zhao’s earlier agreement to spare him if he identified the mastermind.
• Meng Zhao thanked Grandmaster Qiao and suspected that the Grandmaster was connected to the Meng Family.
• Grandmaster Qiao apologized to the Palace Master for acting without permission, while Grandmaster White Bone defended his decision.
• The Palace Master let the matter pass and urged everyone to resume discussing martial arts.

After Kang Youde’s death, Meng Zhao became a focus of attention at the Inner Demon Gathering, while Zhao Hun resolved to wait for another chance to deal with him. After the gathering and banquet, Meng Zhao explained his hidden identity to Niu Dali, Su Can, and Zheng Que, and strengthened their friendship through their shared business plans.

• Zhao Hun reconsidered exposing Meng Zhao’s origins and decided to restrain himself until a better opportunity arose.
• The Inner Demon Gathering continued until sunset, and the Palace Master hosted a two-hour banquet where Meng Zhao made several new acquaintances.
• Meng Zhao returned to the Stone House and welcomed Niu Dali, Su Can, and Zheng Que, who asked whether he was truly Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao apologized for hiding his identity and explained that he had feared his enemies would attack him if it became known.
• Zheng Que said he would approach Madam Cang to help expand their Sapphire business, and Meng Zhao used the conversation to reinforce his ties with the three men.

After leaving Mishui Immortal Palace, Meng Zhao questioned Wei Qi about the Human-Form Worm while waiting by a desolate riverbank. Niu Dali recognized the worm as rare but could not identify its type.

• Meng Zhao parted with Gu Sinan and Yun Fei, then said farewell to Zheng Que and Su Can as he left Mishui Immortal Palace.
• Meng Zhao stopped near the marshes with Niu Dali and Wei Qi instead of heading straight for a ferry back to Kunnan Prefecture City.
• Meng Zhao asked Wei Qi whether he had discovered the Human-Form Worm’s origins, and Wei Qi admitted he had found nothing in the books he borrowed.
• Meng Zhao challenged Wei Qi’s account, prompting Wei Qi to kneel and beg forgiveness.
• Niu Dali recognized the worm as a rare Human-Form Worm he had heard about from an expert worm-handler, but he could not tell which type it was.

Meng Zhao learned that Niu Dali’s friend Yuan Bin might identify the Human-Form Worm, so he prepared to visit him in Yunhua County. Before they left, Meng Zhao killed Wei Qi with poison, and Niu Dali learned why he had been keeping the man under control.

• Niu Dali told Meng Zhao that his reclusive friend Yuan Bin studied strange insects and might recognize the Human-Form Worm, though he warned that Yuan Bin might try to take it.
• Meng Zhao agreed to visit Yuan Bin in a mountain valley outside Yunhua County, and Niu Dali described him as an elusive martial artist who rarely ventured into the Jianghu Martial Arts World.
• Meng Zhao told Wei Qi to get up, triggering the poison hidden in Wei Qi’s body; Wei Qi cursed Meng Zhao and died as the poison spread through him.
• Meng Zhao sent Wei Qi’s corpse into a swamp, leaving Niu Dali shocked and wary of him.
• Meng Zhao explained that Wei Qi had secretly hated him, could have turned against him, and might have attracted the attention of the Heaven Swallowing Dao Child.

Meng Zhao learned that Yunhua County’s poverty and despair stemmed from the Imperial Court’s punishment of Zeng Bu’s hometown after its people petitioned in his defense. The county remained trapped in decline, with little hope of recovery while Great Yong’s rulers held power.

• Meng Zhao entered Yunhua County and saw its ruined gates, ragged beggars, and dispirited residents.
• Meng Zhao asked Niu Dali why the county was so desolate, and Dali blamed Zeng Wangzhi, also known as Zeng Bu.
• Meng Zhao recalled Zeng Bu’s rise as a reformer and his execution after the Tai'an Reform failed against the aristocratic families and sects.
• Niu Dali explained that Yunhua County had been punished with excessive taxes, denied disaster relief, and blocked from transferring household registrations.
• Meng Zhao reflected that the county’s leaders had worsened its fate by submitting a petition signed by ten thousand people in support of Zeng Bu.

Meng Zhao and Niu Dali discovered that the Pudu Cult had gained a large, fanatical following in Yunhua County. After learning that its Holy Maiden had treated people during an epidemic that the cult may have caused, Meng Zhao suspected the sect posed a threat to Great Yong, but he could not yet judge how dangerous it would become.

• Meng Zhao and Niu Dali watched a crowd gather around a woman whom the townspeople worshipped with fervent devotion.
• Meng Zhao questioned a scholar who called the woman a demoness and identified her as the Holy Maiden of the Pudu Cult.
• The scholar said the Pudu Cult gave aid to the poor, treated illnesses, and had gained at least ten thousand followers in Yunhua County.
• The scholar claimed the cult may have caused the epidemic six months earlier to win trust and recruit followers.
• Meng Zhao compared the Pudu Cult to rebel sects such as the White Lotus Sect and considered the danger it might pose to Great Yong.

Meng Zhao and Niu Dali left Yunhua County for White Bottle Mountain to visit Niu Dali’s friend Yuan Bin, but found Pudu Cult-like Monk Soldiers guarding the mountain path. The chapter ended with them watching the guards from concealment and suspecting the cult was involved.

• Meng Zhao and Niu Dali observed a veiled Pudu Cult woman whose cultivated mental influence drew the people of Yunhua County into worship.
• Meng Zhao and Niu Dali avoided provoking the Pudu Cult and found an inn in the county.
• After spending the night, Meng Zhao and Niu Dali left the city and traveled toward Yuan Bin’s Taoyun Residence on White Bottle Mountain.
• Meng Zhao and Niu Dali spotted Monk Soldiers blocking the mountain path and hid among the trees.
• Niu Dali explained that Yuan Bin controlled the mountain, and Meng Zhao noted that the guards resembled the Pudu Cult’s martial monks.

Meng Zhao and Niu Dali climbed White Bottle Mountain to find Yuan Bin and learn the origin of Meng Zhao’s Human-Form Worm. They reached Yuan Bin’s flower-filled valley, but had not yet found him.

• Meng Zhao prioritized reaching Yuan Bin and investigating the Human-Form Worm, while Niu Dali worried that Yuan Bin might be in trouble with the Pudu Cult.
• Meng Zhao decided they would go straight up the mountain without harming the Pudu Cult guards, and Niu Dali immobilized the ten monk soldiers at the path entrance.
• Niu Dali led Meng Zhao through the mountains to the valley where Yuan Bin had built his estate.
• Niu Dali recalled how he and Yuan Bin became friends after clashing over the valley, and Meng Zhao admired its scenery and considered visiting again.

Niu Dali showed Meng Zhao the fortified manor at Taoyun Residence, where Yuan Bin kept a secret gate to Worm Valley. Meanwhile, the Pudu Cult’s Heavenly Maiden invited Yuan Bin to join the cult, but his steward refused on his behalf, leaving the invitation unresolved.

• Niu Dali led Meng Zhao toward Taoyun Residence and explained its defenses, maze-like layout, and paired gates to Flower Valley and Worm Valley.
• The Pudu Cult’s Heavenly Maiden, a Dharma King, two Maidservants, and a burly monk waited in Taoyun Residence’s reception hall while the monk complained about Yuan Bin’s absence.
• Yuan Bin’s steward urged him to receive the visitors, and Yuan Bin entered the hall while focusing on a venomous emerald lizard.
• The Heavenly Maiden asked Yuan Bin to join the Pudu Cult at her master’s command.
• Yuan Bin’s steward refused the invitation, saying Yuan Bin wished to remain on White Bottle Mountain, while the Heavenly Maiden made clear that some things could not be avoided.

The Pudu Cult’s Heavenly Maiden exposed Yuan Bin’s origins and offered him the cult’s help in avenging his mother and the injustices he suffered. After a monk insulted Yuan Bin and the Heavenly Maiden soothed him with her influence, Yuan Bin fell silent, leaving his response to the recruitment offer unresolved.

• The Heavenly Maiden revealed that Yuan Bin was the eldest son of the Qing Prefecture Yuan Family and described how his mother was murdered and he was driven from the family.
• Yuan Bin’s memories revealed that he had endured years of abuse and assassination attempts before leaving Qing Prefecture with a fortune, while longing for revenge he could not achieve alone.
• A burly Pudu Cult monk called Yuan Bin a coward for failing to avenge his mother and provoked his killing intent.
• The Heavenly Maiden rebuked the monk, apologized to Yuan Bin, and urged him to join the Pudu Cult so they could help him settle his grudge.
• The Heavenly Maiden’s soothing influence calmed Yuan Bin’s fury, and he silently considered her offer.

Yuan Bin rejected the Pudu Cult’s offer to help him seek revenge against the Yuan Family after realizing the Celestial Maiden had used mental arts on him. He unleashed a swarm of deadly insects and prepared to attack the Cult members in his hall.

• The Celestial Maiden’s mental influence stirred Yuan Bin’s inner demons until he broke free and accused the Pudu Cult of using wicked arts against him.
• Yuan Bin summoned a cloud of strange insects that alarmed the Celestial Maiden, the bald monk, and the pale-golden old monk, who mistook them for God-Slaying Ants.
• The Celestial Maiden apologized for interfering with Yuan Bin’s thoughts and urged him to join the Pudu Cult rather than miss a rare opportunity.
• Yuan Bin dismissed the Cult’s offer as a trap, judged its cause and prospects hopeless, and refused to risk his life for revenge.
• Yuan Bin shaped the insect swarm into a descending net and threatened the Pudu Cult members for meddling in his feud with the Yuan Family.

Yuan Bin reconsidered attacking the Pudu Cult after learning its leader might be a Grandmaster and witnessing the Gebhu Dharma King’s overwhelming strength. He refused to join but discovered the cult wanted his Jade Bee Nectar to attract followers.

• The heavenly maiden claimed the Pudu Cult’s master had crossed into the Grandmaster Realm and that the cult had believers throughout Great Yong, including among the Yuan Family.
• The Gebhu Dharma King unleashed his powerful Blood Qi, and Yuan Bin judged him to be at the Great Perfection of Innate Realm or possibly Half-step Grandmaster.
• Yuan Bin recalled his ant swarm and refused to join the Pudu Cult, then asked why its members had come.
• A big monk said the cult wanted Yuan Bin to brew Jade Bee Nectar for Universal Salvation and helping the common people.
• Yuan Bin realized the Pudu Cult intended to use the nectar to win people over and recruit believers.

Yuan Bin faced pressure from the Pudu Cult to supply Jade Bee Nectar and feared the consequences of refusing or cooperating. Meng Zhao and Niu Dali arrived, giving him potential allies against Gebhu Dharma King and the cult.

• The Pudu Cult's monk defended its exchange of healing nectar for faith, while Yuan Bin worried that involvement would bring trouble from the Imperial Court.
• A powerful, unfamiliar voice challenged the Pudu Cult to compare itself with the Great Yong Dynasty, and Gebhu Dharma King reacted with solemn caution.
• Meng Zhao and Niu Dali entered the reception hall, with Niu Dali's formidable build and familiar face bringing Yuan Bin immediate relief.
• Yuan Bin greeted Niu Dali warmly and recalled how their earlier rivalry had turned into a close friendship.
• Yuan Bin recognized that Meng Zhao appeared to outrank Niu Dali and hoped the two newcomers would prevent the Pudu Cult from forcing him.

Meng Zhao and Niu Dali backed Yuan Bin against the Pudu Cult, whose Gebhu Dharma King challenged Meng Zhao over his Buddhist training and alliance with the Demonic Path. Meng Zhao revealed his prestigious Buddhist connections and turned the accusation around by claiming he would recommend Niu Dali to Great Yong's Heavenly Punishment Hall, leaving Gebhu Dharma King speechless.

• Niu Dali confronted the bald Pudu Cult monk for disrespecting Meng Zhao, and the two men nearly came to blows.
• Gebhu Dharma King recognized the Buddhist foundation in Meng Zhao's martial arts and asked where he had trained.
• Meng Zhao said he had studied at Great Compassion Temple and received guidance from Jumoluo of Mountaintop Temple, startling the Pudu Cult members.
• Gebhu Dharma King questioned why Meng Zhao associated with Niu Dali, whose demonic arts were evident.
• Meng Zhao defended Niu Dali as a repentant man who had committed no evil and said he would recommend him to Great Yong's Heavenly Punishment Hall.
• Gebhu Dharma King failed to answer Meng Zhao's retort.

Meng Zhao exposed the Pudu Cult’s interest in Yuan Bin as a scheme to use his status and Insect Control Secret Art to infiltrate the Yuan Family. When Yuan Bin rejected recruitment and offered to sell the Jade Bee Nectar, the Pudu Cult’s warriors prepared to fight.

• The Heavenly Maiden tried to persuade Yuan Bin to join the Pudu Cult, but Yuan Bin refused and offered to sell them the Jade Bee Nectar instead.
• Meng Zhao approved of Yuan Bin’s attempt to settle matters peacefully and recognized the danger of both joining and antagonizing the Pudu Cult.
• The great monk rose and destroyed his chair, declaring that the dispute would have to be settled by fighting.
• Gebhu Dharma King stood and fixed his gaze on Meng Zhao, while Yuan Bin demanded that the Heavenly Maiden stop pressuring him.
• Meng Zhao warned Yuan Bin that the Pudu Cult intended to exploit his position as the Yuan Family’s eldest young master to infiltrate or seize the family.